Bowers, Dr. Wesley, House
Why it's listed
Perched on a sand dune between the Atlantic Ocean and Shinnecock Bay, this large oceanfront mansion in Southampton was built around 1930 for Dr. Wesley Bowers of New York City. New York architect LeRoy P. Ward designed it in a Spanish Colonial Revival manner. A five-bay, two-story central block is flanked by wings of varying height. Buff stucco covers the walls and chimneys, red tile roofs cap the building, and arched French doors form an arcade on the south side. A small square garden pavilion with four stucco columns stands in the side garden and was built at the same time. Its interior retains its floor plan, wood trim and decorative mantels. The house is considered significant as one of Southampton's most successful period residential designs and as a representative of the grand summer estates that arrived when the barrier beach opened to development. Little is known about Bowers or Ward beyond their New York City practices.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a distinguished and largely intact example of early twentieth century upper-income residential architecture in Southampton. It is also one of the village's most successful uses of Spanish Colonial Revival form and detail. It reflects the resort development of Southampton's waterfront and the opening of the barrier beach to residential building in the early 1930s.
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 86002699, listed October 2, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Beach Rd., Southampton |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | October 2, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002699 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect: LeRoy P. Ward; builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival (generally eclectic) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good, with no known threats. The property is still used as a residence and its interior is accessible by appointment only. |
| Acreage | 7.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.85528, -72.43309 (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 86002699.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304463
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.