Sherwood-Jayne House
Why it's listed
Set on 2.07 acres in East Setauket, this shingled saltbox farmhouse began around 1730 as a small dwelling on land held by the Jayne family. About 1780 the house was roughly doubled in size to the east, giving it the center-chimney plan, nine-over-six windows and split "Dutch" front door still visible today. The farm declined as a working operation by 1900, and in 1908 it was bought by New York attorney Howard C. Sherwood, who used it as a country retreat and showcase for antiques. Between 1908 and 1940 he restored the house, added a rear kitchen wing and dormer, and installed salvaged paneling and flooring from other period buildings. A carriage house, pump house and privy, along with relocated farm buildings, mature trees and fences, recreate a nineteenth-century farmstead. After Sherwood's death in 1957, the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities acquired the property and has operated it as a museum since 1958.
Significance in brief: The house shows about two centuries of construction and alteration, from an early eighteenth-century Jayne family farmhouse to a Colonial Revival country house restored by collector Howard C. Sherwood. It also reflects the early twentieth-century interest in colonial architecture and antiques. Since 1958 it has been maintained as a museum and farmstead by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities.
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 09000969, listed December 2, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 55 Old Post Rd., East Setauket |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 2, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000969 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1730-1957 |
| Architectural style | New England Colonial; Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Art, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained since 1958 as a restored historic house and open-air museum hosting public events and educational programs. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.94156, -73.08814 (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 09000969.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7495489
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.