Fine, Judge John, House
Why it's listed
Built of local blue limestone in Ogdensburg, this house at 422 State Street grew in stages between about 1823 and 1852. John Fine, a lawyer who moved to the city in 1815, first built a small one-and-one-half-story stone dwelling, which became the rear wing. Between 1849 and 1851 builder Urias Pearson added the two-story front block in Greek Revival style, with rock-faced ashlar walls, a broad entablature with cornice returns, and a Doric porch. Inside are unpainted cherry woodwork, walnut entry doors, pocket doors, plaster cornices and a copper-sinked pantry. Fine served as county judge, congressman and state senator, and promoted settlement of the town named for him. Surviving bills, measurements and insurance papers record how the expansion was built. Later owners, the Benton family, added a Classical Revival porch and a window bay in the 1890s and kept the house until 1939. A frame garage was added in the early twentieth century, and the house now holds several apartments.
Significance in brief: The house is an intact, finely crafted example of Greek Revival design in local limestone, one of few such buildings left in Ogdensburg. Builder Urias Pearson's estimates, bills and receipts document mid-nineteenth century building practices unusually well. It was also the home of John Fine (1794-1865), an early promoter of St. Lawrence County, politician and jurist.
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 86000012, listed January 9, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 422 State St., Ogdenburg |
|---|---|
| County | St. Lawrence County |
| Listed | January 9, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000012 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific dates ca. 1823-ca. 1910) |
| Architect / builder | Urias Pearson |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in use as multiple residences, with little alteration of the floor plan and decorative plaster and woodwork intact. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 44.69614, -75.49113 (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 86000012.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6302574
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.