Kripplebush Historic District
Why it's listed
Kripplebush is a small hamlet near the base of the Catskill Mountains in Marbletown, Ulster County, New York. It grew up where local roads met beside Kripplebush Creek and a hillside called Snake Hill. The district holds 33 contributing buildings. Four are one-and-a-half-story stone farmhouses, including the Ephraim Chambers House of about 1772 and the Hornbeck House of about 1790. The rest are mostly plain frame buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries: a Methodist church of 1857, a district schoolhouse, a lodge hall, a former hotel, former stores, and a carriage and wagon manufactory. Barns, sheds and other outbuildings also survive. Many commercial buildings were later converted to houses, which helped keep the hamlet's layout and appearance intact. The district was listed because its structures and land-use patterns remain so well preserved and show how a rural hamlet developed around farming, small-scale manufacturing and trade. Today the hamlet is residential, and the old schoolhouse serves as a historical museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the hamlet's buildings and land-use patterns are exceptionally well preserved. It contains four early stone farmhouses and a group of frame buildings tied to 19th-century commerce and wood-related manufacturing, including stores, a hotel, and a cooper and wagon shop. Former commercial buildings were adapted to housing, which preserved the hamlet's appearance. The district is recommended as locally significant.
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 94001173, listed October 4, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly, area surrounding Kripplebush and Pine Bush Rds., Marbletown |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | October 4, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001173 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Hudson Valley Stone; Early Republic/Federal; Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival; Late Victorian/Queen Anne, Italianate; Early 20th Century/Craftsman |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The hamlet is now entirely residential, though the former schoolhouse serves as a community historical museum and the church and lodge retain community functions. Most buildings are well maintained. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 41.83840, -74.18767 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 94001173.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6437119
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.