Buffington, Calvin A., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1909 on Depot Street in Berkshire, Tioga County, this two-story frame house has irregular massing, a clapboard exterior and simple one-over-one double-hung windows. A front porch has stock Tuscan Doric columns, the gables carry diagonal siding, and a projecting oriel on the side encloses part of an interior stair landing. A contemporary frame garage with novelty siding is part of the property. The survey of Berkshire identified it as the town's only significant twentieth-century residence and its only intact pattern book house, a type common in early suburbs and villages of the early 1900s. The house is also linked to Calvin A. Buffington, born in Pennsylvania in 1859, who settled in Berkshire at about age 20 and opened a blacksmith shop. He made buggies and buckboards, invented several improvements for them, and later patented a folding chair that he manufactured in Berkshire until 1926. He died in 1941. Later changes include reroofing, a covered foundation and a concrete block chimney.
Significance in brief: The house is described as the only significant twentieth-century residence found in the town's comprehensive survey and its only intact pattern book house, with picturesque massing and stock millwork. It is also tied to Calvin A. Buffington, a prominent local inventor and manufacturer.
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 84003089, listed July 2, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Depot St. and Railroad Ave., Berkshire |
|---|---|
| County | Tioga County |
| Listed | July 2, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003089 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Pattern book house with picturesque massing, stock Tuscan Doric porch columns and stock millwork |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a private residence, both originally and at the time of the 1980 inventory; condition rated good, with no known threats. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.30429, -76.18437 (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 84003089.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5024310
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.