Krom Stone House at 31 Upper Whitfield Road
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Why it's listed
Built into a south-facing hillside above Upper Whitfield Road in rural Rochester, Ulster County, this stone house is reputed to date from 1764. It is a one-and-one-half story building on a linear plan, with a five-bay symmetrical front, a recessed central entry, and a long bluestone retaining wall forming a terrace in front. The east gable end is solid stone from ground to ridge, and the west gable has a clapboard peak. A central cross-gable and a two-story frame ell at the rear were added in the nineteenth century, and the gabled dormers came after 1967. The house is regarded as an outstanding regional example of the linear stone dwelling common in the Hudson Valley. It is one of only eleven houses of its type in Rochester with an all-stone gable end. It also reflects the Krom family, whose upland stone houses in the Whitfield area document family growth and dispersion after the settlement period.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding regional example of a mid-eighteenth-century linear stone house typical of the Hudson Valley and Ulster County. It is one of eleven one-and-one-half story houses in Rochester with at least one all-stone gable end. It is also tied to the Krom family, whose members built many stone houses in the Whitfield area.
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 95000954, listed August 10, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 31 Upper Whitfield Rd., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | August 10, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000954 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1764 |
| Architectural style | OTHER/vernacular (linear stone dwelling) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling; the basement, formerly finished, is gutted and under renovation. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Coordinates | 41.82870, -74.22713 (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 95000954.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706743
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.