Bumpstead, John, House (Boundary Decrease)
Why it's listed
Built around 1835 for John Bumpstead, this small farmhouse at 473 Woodbury Road in Cold Spring Harbor sits on a two-acre site that has kept its farm character. The house is a one and one-half story clapboard dwelling with a three-bay, side-entrance plan, a shed-roofed entrance porch on square columns, six-over-six sash windows and an interior end chimney. A one-story west wing was added in the late nineteenth century and later altered for storage. Inside, the moldings, door and window surrounds, hand-hewn timber framing and period hardware survive, with the kitchen fireplace closed in the early twentieth century as the only notable change. A gable-roofed barn and a clapboard shed, both from the late nineteenth century, also contribute. The property is valued as a representative example of Huntington's conservative building traditions, which persisted well after the town's 1653 settlement, and for its rare, largely intact interior. Little else is known of its history beyond later ownership by the Hewlett family.
Significance in brief: It is presented as a representative example of late settlement period architecture in Huntington, retaining traditional building practices such as heavy timber framing, a three-bay side-entrance plan and small-pane sash windows. Its virtually unaltered interior is described as rare among the town's nineteenth-century resources. Two late nineteenth century farm outbuildings also contribute.
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 100006306, listed March 25, 2021. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 473 Woodbury Rd., Cold Spring Harbor |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | March 25, 2021 |
| Reference number | 100006306 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John Bumpstead (listed as builder) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; original site; no known threats; present use given as vacant on the inventory form. |
| Acreage | 0.84 |
| Coordinates | 40.84556, -73.45056 (Wikidata) |
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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 100006306.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6223840
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.