Krom Stone House at 45 Upper Whitfield Road
Why it's listed
Set beside a small seasonal stream on Upper Whitfield Road in the town of Rochester, this fieldstone house dates to about 1780. It began as a one-room, one-and-one-half story dwelling with a two-bay front and an entrance at the east end. Around 1890 the garret was raised to a full story with drop siding, the original multiple-light sash was replaced with single-light sash, a two-story frame rear wing was added, and a wrap-around porch was built. The property also holds a ca. 1930 garage and four chicken coops, none of which are counted as historic. The house is considered significant as a regional example of the linear stone dwelling that dominated Ulster County building from the late seventeenth century to the mid nineteenth century. Its stone core survives substantially intact, and fabric from both building campaigns remains, showing how such early Hudson Valley houses were enlarged into year-round family homes.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the house is an outstanding regional example of the linear stone dwelling common in the Hudson Valley and Ulster County. It keeps a largely intact late eighteenth-century stone core along with a late nineteenth-century expansion. Together these show how this early house type evolved over time.
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 95000950, listed August 10, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 45 Upper Whitfield Rd., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | August 10, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000950 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1780, ca.1890 |
| Architectural style | Other/vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the ca. 1930 garage and four chicken coops are non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 8.1 |
| Coordinates | 41.82868, -74.23062 (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 95000950.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6438840
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.