Childs, Walstein, House
Why it's listed
Set on a farm parcel within the grounds of the Wallkill Correctional Facility in Shawangunk, Ulster County, this modest stone house was built around 1763, the year carved into a stone beside its front door. It is one and one-half stories tall and five bays wide, with a center entrance and rubble stone walls. The design combines the long-standing Dutch-influenced stone building tradition of the Hudson Valley with the balanced symmetry of English Georgian architecture. Unlike many local houses that grew from one room outward, it appears to have been built in a single campaign. Later changes include a lost kitchen wing, rebuilt north gable stonework, replaced windows, dormers and a partitioned attic. Walstein Childs, a farmer and town supervisor, lived here for over forty years after 1876. The house was listed for its architecture, as a largely intact example of mid-eighteenth century Ulster County stone construction. It is now vacant with boarded windows.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a relatively intact, representative example of mid-eighteenth century stone architecture in Shawangunk. It blends local Dutch vernacular building traditions with the growing influence of English Georgian design, seen in its symmetrical five-bay, center-entrance form. It retains most of its eighteenth century fabric despite nineteenth and early twentieth century changes.
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 03000602, listed July 3, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Sand Hill Rd., Wallkill Correctional Facility, Wallkill |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | July 3, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000602 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1763-c. 1920 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant; all windows are boarded up with plywood. The house sits on a farm parcel with nine non-contributing buildings and structures. |
| Acreage | 126.8 |
| Coordinates | 41.64300, -74.16893 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 03000602.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7963874
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.