Delamater-Bevin Mansion
Why it's listed
Built in 1867 for Cornelius Delamater, this two-and-one-half story clapboard house sits on a one-acre waterfront lot at the south end of Bevin Lane in Asharoken. It has a shingled mansard roof with a wood balustrade and segmentally arched dormers, a modillioned cornice, two-story bay windows, and a one-story porch with turned posts that wraps around the house. A mansard-roofed wing extends from the rear. Inside, the original floor plan, moldings, and door and window surrounds remain largely intact. The house is regarded as one of the most fully developed Second Empire residences in Huntington and the only one of its kind in Asharoken. Delamater made his fortune in the iron industry, owning a Brooklyn foundry that produced boilers, armor plate, and gun turrets for the USS Monitor. The house was once the center of a large estate that has since been subdivided. In the 1940s, the French author Antoine de St. Exupery lived here and wrote Le Petit Prince.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the most fully developed examples of Second Empire residential architecture in the town of Huntington and the only one of its type in Asharoken. It is also one of the oldest surviving dwellings in Asharoken, built for an iron industrialist whose foundry produced parts for the USS Monitor.
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 85002514, listed September 26, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bevin Ln., Asharoken |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 26, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002514 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect and builder unknown; built for Cornelius Delamater |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good, with the interior relatively unaltered. The house is still used as a residence and is privately owned. A glass-enclosed porch was added in 1980, and a modern garage stands on the lot. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.93469, -73.37808 (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 85002514.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5253099
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.