Parsons, Ambrose, House
Also known as: Parsons-Anderson House; Springs Library
Why it's listed
Located at the center of Springs, a rural hamlet on Long Island's South Fork, this two-story house was largely shaped by two rebuilding campaigns led by Ambrose Parsons after lightning damaged the family farmhouse in 1842 and again in 1851. The square, shingle-clad building has a granite foundation, a gable-front west facade with a pilastered entrance and modillioned cornice, and a one-story kitchen wing. Its design is a rural, vernacular take on the pedimented Greek Revival houses of nearby Sag Harbor, with local touches such as a four-bay front and shingle siding instead of clapboard. Inside, the 1851 floor plan, moldings, wide-plank floors and fireplaces survive. The Parsons farm once surrounded the house, though the fields and farm buildings are long gone. The house was rented to various tenants through much of the twentieth century, was left to the Town of East Hampton in 1972, and now serves as the Springs Library. It was listed for its well-preserved example of mid-nineteenth century regional architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact, representative example of mid-nineteenth century vernacular Greek Revival architecture on eastern Long Island. Its present form results from two rebuilding campaigns after lightning fires in 1842 and 1851. Very few alterations have occurred since 1851, so it remains one of the region's best preserved examples of its period and type.
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 95001276, listed November 7, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Springs--Fireplace Rd. at jct. with Old Stone Hwy., Town of East Hampton, Springs |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | November 7, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95001276 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1842-1851 |
| Architect / builder | Ambrose Parsons, builder |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th-century/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Town of East Hampton and currently houses the Springs Library; the interior was lightly rehabilitated in the 1980s. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 41.02064, -72.15678 (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 95001276.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4741848
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.