Beecher, James C., House
Also known as: Comfort Cottage
Why it's listed
Built in 1867 on Fifth Avenue in Owego, New York, this two-story Gothic Revival house sits on a 0.61-acre lot beside the Susquehanna River. It has a steeply pitched side-gable roof with prominent dormers, a painted cornice, board-and-batten walls and a hexagonal bay. Its walls are unusual: inner and outer layers of vertical circular-sawn pine plank separated by a cavity. Inside, the floor plan, trim, doors and stair remain largely original, and the parlor fireplace hearth is a re-used tombstone dated 1856. The house was built for Rev. James C. Beecher, a Congregationalist minister from the famous abolitionist Beecher family. He served as colonel of the First North Carolina Colored Troops (35th USCT), was wounded at Honey Hill, South Carolina, and helped teach his soldiers to read. After working with the Freedmen's Bureau, he came to Owego and lived here until 1871. It is regarded as the best surviving site connected with him.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the most intact and important surviving property tied to Rev. James C. Beecher (1828-1886), a Civil War colonel who led the First North Carolina Colored Troops (35th USCT) and worked to educate his soldiers. It is also presented as an intact example of post-Civil War Gothic Revival architecture with distinctive plank-wall construction. Beecher lived there from 1867 to 1871.
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 12000482, listed August 7, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 560 5th Ave., Owego |
|---|---|
| County | Tioga County |
| Listed | August 7, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000482 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1867-1871 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Military |
| Level of significance | National, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; no outbuildings survive. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.10642, -76.24569 (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 12000482.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706615
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.