Purple, Gilbert E., House
Also known as: Northern Tioga Telephone Company
Why it's listed
Located at the corner of Maple and Elm Streets in Newark Valley, this Queen Anne style house began as a modest home built in 1903 by Herman Saddlemire. Gilbert Purple, a longtime newspaper editor and civic leader, bought it in 1911 and began enlarging it in 1913 with a large north section and later a two-story enclosed porch on the west side. The additions copied the original details, including angled, recessed corner windows, so the house reads as one structure; only the stone and concrete foundations reveal the two building phases. A turret with a steeply pitched cap, a wraparound porch and an asymmetrical form mark the style. Inside are original hardwood floors, fluted trim and beadboard wainscoting. The house also served as offices of the Northern Tioga Telephone Company, an independent firm Purple ran and his sons later operated until 1951. A concrete and clapboard garage and workshop, built about 1930 for the company, and a small bicycle repair shed remain on the lot.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion A for its link to the agricultural and rural development context of Newark Valley, and under Criterion C as an intact early twentieth century Queen Anne house in the Southern Tier. It also served as a residence and as the offices of the Northern Tioga Telephone Company, a small independent telephone firm.
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 04000992, listed September 15, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 34 Maple Ave., Newark Valley |
|---|---|
| County | Tioga County |
| Listed | September 15, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000992 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1903-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Herman Saddlemire; Gilbert Purple |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current functions are residence and commerce/business; the house remained in the Purple family until 1981 and was bought by the current owners in 1983, who maintain it sympathetically to match historic fabric. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.22675, -76.18847 (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 04000992.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5560889
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.