Stilwell Stone House
Why it's listed
Set back from Old Kings Highway in the hamlet of Kyserike, this one-and-one-half story stone house was built on a linear plan under a gabled roof. A date stone above the front door carries the names Andrew Bodley and Isaac Stilwill and the year 1795; Bodley is thought to have been a mason, and the stone appears to have been added to an earlier stone section to the south. Twentieth-century changes include six gabled dormers, a picture window and a new porch. A heavy timber English barn from the nineteenth century stands nearby. The property matters as a representative of the linear stone house that dominated Ulster County and Rochester building from the late seventeenth to the mid nineteenth century. It is also one of few local houses with a date stone, and its barn is one of the few such barns left in the town, illustrating changing farming life.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a classic example of the linear one-and-one-half story stone dwelling typical of the Hudson Valley and Ulster County. It is also notable as one of the few local houses with a date stone. The English barn is one of few surviving in Rochester and documents changing farm life.
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 99000996, listed August 12, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 189 Old Kings Highway, Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | August 12, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000996 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1795-ca.1850 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The barn is described as in fair condition. The house and barn are listed with both historic and current domestic and agricultural uses. |
| Acreage | 17 |
| Coordinates | 41.81117, -74.18835 (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 99000996.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7617349
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.