Sternbergh House
Why it's listed
Three miles north of Schoharie village, on Oak Hill Road, stands a two-story farmhouse thought to date from about 1825. Heavy timber framing filled with brick nogging supports a five-bay, center-entrance front with clapboard siding. Federal style details include a six-panel door with sidelights and transom, twelve-over-twelve windows, a denticulated cornice and a paneled parlor mantel. A one-story rear ell was added around 1950. The 14.6-acre property keeps part of the land bought in 1748 by Lambert Sternbergh, whose family arrived in the valley in 1711, and holds the 1813 grave of his son Abraham. The house later served as a tavern, according to an 1882 county history and oral tradition. It was listed for its architecture, as a well-preserved local interpretation of the Federal style, and for its ties to the settlement and development of the Schoharie Valley.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a distinctive and largely intact example of vernacular Federal style domestic architecture, with a five-bay center-entrance facade typical of the region. It also reflects the shift from Palatine German to Anglo building traditions in the Schoharie Valley. Its retained acreage, family grave and nineteenth-century use as a tavern link it to the valley's settlement history.
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 85000629, listed March 21, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Oak Hill Rd., Schoharie |
|---|---|
| County | Schoharie County |
| Listed | March 21, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000629 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; rehabilitated around 1950 and altered by a non-historic rear ell. |
| Acreage | 14.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.70128, -74.05679 (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 85000629.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7611550
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.