McMaster House
Also known as: 101-42-0202
Why it's listed
Built around 1830 to 1845, this one-and-one-half story frame farmhouse at 207 East Washington Street in Bath once sat on a large farm at the rural edge of the village. The neighborhood is now densely settled. The five-bay, center-hall house has a gable roof, pedimented gable ends, brick interior end chimneys, clapboard siding, a wide plain frieze and slender corner pilasters. The central entrance has sidelights, pilasters and a transom light. Wings added in the mid-nineteenth century repeat the Greek Revival detailing, and a side porch from the late nineteenth century carries Victorian post details. A late nineteenth century barn also survives on the lot. The house is among the earliest Greek Revival buildings in the village and one of only two intact wooden five-bay center-hall examples in Bath. It is also tied to David McMaster, who arrived in Bath in 1826 and became the first county judge and a longtime surrogate court judge. His family kept the house until 1937.
Significance in brief: It is a distinctive and substantially intact example of an early Greek Revival farmhouse, one of the earliest surviving examples of the style in the village. It is one of only two intact wooden five-bay center-hall versions of the style in Bath. It is also associated with David McMaster, Steuben County's first county judge, and the house stayed in the McMaster family until 1937.
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 83001801, listed September 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 207 E. Washington St., Bath |
|---|---|
| County | Steuben County |
| Listed | September 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001801 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence in excellent condition on its original site; no threats known. Rear additions are early and the configuration matches an 1854 map. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.33685, -77.30986 (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 83001801.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6802313
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.