Adsit House
Why it's listed
Built in 1828 by merchant Ira Davenport, this brick house at 34 Main Street in Hornell was the first brick building in the town and is now the oldest house within the present city limits. The original three-bay Federal block kept nearly all of its early interior layout. Davenport's nephew, Martin Adsit, bought the property in 1839 and added a two-story Greek Revival wing in the 1840s, with fluted porch columns and pilasters. A third brick wing, containing two duplex apartments, was added before 1888. Adsit lived here until his death in 1903. He became one of the most influential men in the region, running a dry goods store, founding and leading the First National Bank of Hornellsville, and lobbying to bring the Erie Railroad through the Canisteo Valley. The house is significant both as an intact Federal-period dwelling in the Southern Tier and as the home of these two figures, and it still contains apartments today.
Significance in brief: The house is a largely intact example of a substantial Federal period house in New York's Southern Tier. It was the home of its builder, merchant Ira Davenport, and later his nephew Martin Adsit, a leading figure in Hornell's nineteenth-century commercial and banking development. Adsit helped lobby to route the Erie Railroad through the Canisteo Valley.
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 03000047, listed February 20, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 34 Main St., Hornell |
|---|---|
| County | Steuben County |
| Listed | February 20, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000047 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1828-1903 |
| Architect / builder | Ira Davenport, Builder |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal; Mid-19th century: Greek Revival; Late Victorian Eclectic |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as multiple dwellings; the 1828 house and 1840s wing were divided into duplex units, and the north wing holds two duplex apartments. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.32845, -77.66321 (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 03000047.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4685832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.