Jones, George Westinghouse, House
Also known as: Caermarthen
Why it's listed
Built around 1900 on a wooded knoll in Niskayuna, this 26-room shingled house known as "Caermarthen" was designed by the Pittsburgh firm Rutan & Russell for George Westinghouse Jones, a cousin of industrialist George Westinghouse and the Westinghouse business administrator in Schenectady. The house combines Shingle Style and Arts and Crafts features: a rusticated quarry-stone foundation, wood shingle walls, a wraparound veranda, patterned gables, banded and diamond-pane windows, and an informal open plan with oak wainscoting, inglenooks and tiled fireplaces. Many original systems survive, including a call system for servants, speaking tubes and a steam boiler dating to 1904. Jones bought more than 100 acres as Schenectady's streetcar lines expanded, then subdivided the land from 1909. His widow kept the house until 1942, and a church acquired it in 1955. It was listed as a well-preserved, early and rare regional example of its type and period.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a distinguished and substantially intact example of transitional Shingle Style/Arts and Crafts residential design in Niskayuna. It reflects the influence of H.H. Richardson through its rusticated stone foundation and open plan. It is also tied to the early growth of a streetcar suburb of Schenectady.
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 04000998, listed September 15, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1944 Union St., Niskayuna |
|---|---|
| County | Schenectady County |
| Listed | September 15, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000998 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1900-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Rutan & Russell |
| Architectural style | Early 20th Century/Arts & Crafts, Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the First Baptist Church of Schenectady since 1955 and in use as the congregation's parish house; described as retaining substantial integrity. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 42.79430, -73.88591 (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 04000998.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5546183
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.