Bloomer, Amelia, House
Also known as: See Also:Stanton, Elizabeth Cady, House
Why it's listed
This house at 53 East Bayard Street in Seneca Falls began as a one-and-a-half-story Greek Revival residence on a cut limestone foundation, built around 1835. About 1850 a large two-story Italianate addition was added by the Latham Brothers, a well-known local family of builders, architects and contractors. Details include original six-over-six windows, delicate bracketing under the eaves and around the cupola, wide board floors, and an expansive front porch. It was listed as the home of Amelia Bloomer, a temperance advocate, newspaper editor, women's rights leader and exponent of dress reform, as one of several Seneca Falls and Waterloo sites tied to the women's rights movement. It was also reputed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. A 1986 federal memorandum later concluded that no evidence linked Dexter and Amelia Bloomer to the house, though it remained listed. The interior was divided into apartments around 1945.
Significance in brief: It was nominated as the home of Amelia Bloomer, a temperance advocate, newspaper editor, women's rights leader and dress reform advocate, as part of the Women's Rights Historic Sites thematic group. A 1986 memorandum later states that documentation shows no evidence linking Dexter and Amelia Bloomer to the house. It was not removed because the listing could not be reversed unless its qualities were lost. The 1850 addition is credited to the Latham Brothers, local builders.
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 80000359, listed August 29, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 53 E. Bayard St., Seneca Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Seneca County |
| Listed | August 29, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000359 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Latham Brother Builders & Contractors (for the ca. 1850 section) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (original section); Italianate (ca. 1850 addition) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Inventory form (1978) lists use as multiple residences, with condition marked deteriorated; interior was divided into apartments about 1945. |
| Acreage | 65 |
| Coordinates | 42.90969, -76.79054 (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 80000359.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4742231
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.