Houser-Conklin House
Why it's listed
This sandstone house at 246 Route 306 in the Monsey area of Rockland County, New York, began about 1775 as a three-bay, story-and-a-half dwelling with a gable roof, built of locally quarried red sandstone. It appears to have been built for Henry Houser, a Revolutionary War veteran of the Orange County militia. After his death in 1825 the property passed through the Conklin family, who lived there into the twentieth century. A sandstone kitchen wing was added early, and between about 1890 and 1910 a frame addition raised the original block to two full stories. A modern wing and a separate frame cottage were added later. Inside, the early block keeps beaded ceiling beams, wide plank floors, a Federal-style mantel and early plank-and-batten door hardware. A building in this location appears on the c. 1778-79 Erskine map. The house was listed for its surviving pre-Revolutionary features and as a link to the area's early settlement.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion C because, despite later alterations, it keeps clear features of its pre-Revolutionary War construction. It is also valued locally as a settlement-period dwelling shown on the c. 1778-79 Erskine map, tied to the early development of the Ramapo area.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 10000808, listed October 1, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 246 Rte 306, Monsey |
|---|---|
| County | Rockland County |
| Listed | October 1, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000808 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1775-c. 1910 |
| Architectural style | Colonial: Dutch Colonial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is single dwelling; the non-contributing cottage is used as a rental unit. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 41.13638, -74.06563 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000808.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706450
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.