Gilsey Mansion
Why it's listed
Perched on a high hill above Huntington Harbor, this two-acre property at Browns Road and Cedar Valley Lane holds a large Colonial Revival residence built in 1900. The seven-bay, two-story clapboard house has a T-shaped plan and a hipped roof with gabled dormers. A colossal pedimented portico on fluted Doric columns dominates the east facade, which also has a lunette window, a denticulated raking cornice and a tripartite French window with a wrought-iron balcony. A porch on paired Doric columns wraps the south side, and a rear wing includes a porte-cochère. The architect and builder are unknown. Early in the twentieth century it was the home of a Mr. Gilsey, about whom little is recorded, and later of locally prominent businessmen and civic leaders. It was listed because it is an outstanding, largely intact example of fashionable turn-of-the-century residential design, and a reminder of the affluent lifestyle of Huntington in that era. It remains a residence, surrounded by an open, tree-shaded lawn.
Significance in brief: It is presented as an outstanding example of a turn-of-the-century Colonial Revival mansion, with a massive pedimented portico, denticulated cornice, symmetrical massing, porte-cochère and Doric-columned verandah. It represents upper-income residential architecture in the Huntington area and housed locally prominent businessmen and civic leaders. Its largely intact condition and harborside setting recall the town's affluent early twentieth century lifestyle.
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 85002525, listed September 26, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 36 Browns Rd., Huntington |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 26, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002525 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, still used as a residence, on its original site, with no known threats; interior accessible by appointment only. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.89430, -73.43474 (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 85002525.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5562594
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.