Whitman-Place House
Why it's listed
Set on a five and one-half acre wooded lot along Chichester Road in West Hills, this property centers on a house built in 1810 by Tredwell Whitman, who inherited the land from his grandfather, Nehemiah Whitman. The two-and-one-half-story, three-bay shingled dwelling has a gable roof, an end chimney, six-over-six sash windows and a recessed entrance with fluted pilasters and sidelights. A similar-sized addition was built on the south side in the early twentieth century, yet the original form and details remain. Behind the house stands a c. 1692 building, once the home of John Whitman and later used as a barn. It keeps its timber framing, shingle sheathing and saltbox profile, and is one of only four seventeenth-century buildings surviving in Huntington. A springhouse and a pond complete the setting. The property is linked to the Whitman family, early settlers of West Hills, whose members included the poet Walt Whitman.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an intact, representative example of settlement period architecture in Huntington, with a slightly later Greek Revival entrance surround. The c. 1692 building is one of only four surviving seventeenth-century buildings in Huntington. The property is also tied to the locally prominent Whitman family, original settlers of West Hills.
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 85002550, listed September 26, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 69 Chichester Rd., West Hills |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 26, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002550 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder Tredwell Whitman |
| Architectural style | Settlement period architecture with a Greek Revival style entrance surround |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition given as good; still used as a residence; no threats known. |
| Acreage | 5.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.81977, -73.41859 (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 85002550.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7996604
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.