Valentine-Varian House
Why it's listed
Built about 1758 as a farmhouse, this stone residence at 3266 Bainbridge Avenue in the Bronx was moved in 1965 to a park across the street when an apartment tower replaced it on the original site. The two-story, five-bay house has a gable roof, end chimneys, a central doorway under a one-story portico, and a rough-dressed fieldstone exterior that is largely original. Inside, many pine floorboards, hand-forged nails, panelling, four fireplaces and part of the pegged attic rafters survive. Isaac Valentine, a farmer and blacksmith, acquired the land in 1758; the house sat in a battle zone during the Revolution. It was sold in 1791 to Isaac Varian Sr., a New York merchant, whose family later produced a mayor and an alderman. Restoration ran from 1965 to 1968. It is valued as the only surviving Bronx structure showing the life of a middle-class eighteenth-century family, and it now serves as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an important example of a substantial mid-eighteenth-century home built by a well-to-do middle-class farmer, offering a contrast to the Van Cortlandt Mansion and Dyckman Farmhouse. It is described as the only surviving structure in the Bronx showing the life style of a middle-class eighteenth-century family. It is also noted as the residence of the Varian family, who gave New York a mayor and an alderman.
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 78001841, listed March 21, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3266 Bainbridge Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | The Bronx |
| Listed | March 21, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001841 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular construction with rough-dressed fieldstone exterior |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; houses the Museum of Bronx History, owned by the Bronx County Historical Society. Moved in 1965 and restored between July 1965 and May 1968. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 40.87732, -73.87936 (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 78001841.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7910921
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.