Ball, Levi, House
Why it's listed
Located on the east side of Route 38 north of the hamlet of Berkshire, this farm complex centers on a two-story, five-bay frame house built around 1840 and believed to be the work of Levi Ball. The clapboard house blends Federal and Greek Revival features: slender entrance and cornice details, large six-over-six windows, a broad entrance entablature with sidelights, and tapered corner pilasters. A Victorian verandah and porte-cochere were added later without damaging the original structure. Behind the house stand a mid-nineteenth-century barn with an attached octagonal silo, a chicken house, a garage and a small shed, all on roughly 12 acres that remain from the historic farm. The barn appears to have been converted from a grain barn to dairy use later in the century. Ball, born in 1815, appears as owner on the 1855 and 1869 maps, and the Royce family held the farm until 1960. It is still worked as a farm.
Significance in brief: The house is an excellent vernacular example of a transitional Federal/Greek Revival farmhouse built on the traditional five-bay center-entrance plan. The mid-century barn with attached octagonal silo shows the nineteenth-century shift from grain farming to dairying. The house and outbuildings together form an intact agricultural complex that is still a working farm.
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 84003075, listed July 2, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NY 38, Berkshire |
|---|---|
| County | Tioga County |
| Listed | July 2, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003075 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1840-1900 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown; the house is believed to have been built by Levi Ball |
| Architectural style | Transitional Federal/Greek Revival vernacular farmhouse |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated good; the property is still used as a residence and continues to function as a working farm. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 42.32517, -76.18171 (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 84003075.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6535360
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.