Howard Homestead
Why it's listed
Set on a 114.6-acre farm along McGuire School Road in northwest Duanesburg, this one-story clapboard farmhouse dates from roughly 1825 to 1830. It has a three-bay side-hall plan, a gable roof with returns, a wide frieze, narrow corner boards and a recessed entrance with sidelights and a transom. Its mix of slender Federal details and heavier Greek Revival trim makes it a good local example of a transitional style. It is also one of the few surviving "two-thirds" houses in town, a form often enlarged to five bays but never expanded here. The Howard family were early settlers, with two family members acquiring adjacent lots from James Duane in 1789. They lived in the house until about 1850, then moved to a nearby property and sold it to J. Liddle. Later changes include a rebuilt foundation, a fieldstone chimney and a modern garage across the road, though the historic farm setting remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a representative example of a transitional late Federal/early Greek Revival farmhouse in Duanesburg. It is also one of the few surviving "two-thirds" houses, a three-bay side-hall form that was never expanded to five bays. The Howard family were early settlers who acquired land here in 1789, and the historic farm setting survives substantially intact.
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 84003220, listed October 11, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | McGuire School Rd., Duanesburg |
|---|---|
| County | Schenectady County |
| Listed | October 11, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003220 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Transitional late Federal/early Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence in excellent condition; alterations include a new fieldstone chimney, a rebuilt foundation in the 1940s, a kitchen bay window, a woodshed converted to a garage and a new roof. |
| Acreage | 114.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.77775, -74.22810 (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 84003220.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5919914
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.