Langmuir, Irving, House
Why it's listed
This brick house on Stratford Road in Schenectady, New York, was built around 1900 in a vernacular Colonial Revival style. It has two and a half stories, a truncated hip roof with two dormers, a nearly symmetrical facade, a carport with a side entrance, and a columned front porch with a Palladian-style door. Inside, a central hall plan organizes the rooms. The nomination describes it as a large, pleasant house of no particular architectural importance. Its significance rests on Irving Langmuir, who lived here from about 1919 until his death in 1957. A General Electric Research Laboratory scientist from 1909 to 1950, he won the 1932 Nobel Prize in chemistry, published more than 200 papers and held 63 patents, including the gas-filled incandescent lamp. He also coined the term plasma. The exterior and interior remain as they were during his residence, and the house was designated a national historic landmark.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Irving Langmuir, a General Electric Research Laboratory scientist who won the 1932 Nobel Prize in chemistry. He made major discoveries in surface chemistry, atomic hydrogen and plasma, and held 63 patents. The form presents him as an archetype of the industrial research scientist, and the house is unchanged from his time there.
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 76001275, listed January 7, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1176 Stratford Rd., Schenectady |
|---|---|
| County | Schenectady County |
| Listed | January 7, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001275 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1919-1957 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Science |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated January 7, 1976 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is stated as excellent and unaltered, on its original site, and in use as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | General Electric Realty Plot |
| Coordinates | 42.81527, -73.91964 (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 76001275.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706560
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.