Rider, Johannes, Stone House
Why it's listed
Built around 1815 in a rural part of Rochester, Ulster County, this one and one-half story stone house sits at the foot of a steep bank beside Upper Whitfield Road. It is a bank house, built into the hillside so that the basement level of the south gable end is at ground level while the north end is buried in the slope. Both gable ends are stone from ground to roof ridge, and two-story frame ells were added later to the east and west. A ca. 1890 frame shed also contributes to the property. The house represents the linear stone dwelling common in the Hudson Valley and Ulster County, with multiple asymmetrical entrances and a simple gable roof. It is one of seventy-one stone or brick houses identified in Rochester built before 1944, and one of only four one-story houses in town with an all-stone gable end. The nomination presumes that construction method is an earlier one, used when sawn lumber was scarce.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an outstanding regional example of the linear stone dwelling typical of the Hudson Valley and Ulster County. Its features include stone construction, multiple asymmetrical entrances, a linear plan and a simple gable roof. It is also one of only four one-story houses in Rochester with an all-stone gable end, a trait presumed to be an earlier method of construction.
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 95000956, listed August 10, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Upper Whitfield Rd., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | August 10, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000956 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1815-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, with a contributing secondary structure (the shed). A modern swimming pool and two ca. 1920 chicken coops are non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 41.82589, -74.22340 (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 95000956.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6216947
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.