Burnham, Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1897 at 195 Ridge Street in Glens Falls, this large square frame house was designed by local architect Ephraim B. Potter as a retirement home for businessman Thomas W. Burnham. It rises two and a half stories above a rock-faced limestone foundation and is covered by a slate gambrel roof. The first story has narrow clapboards, while the upper stories are shingled. A broad porch wraps the west and south sides, with a classical pediment marking the entrance, polygonal columns, tiered galleries and a large dormer. The design combines flamboyant Queen Anne details with the classical features of the emerging Colonial Revival. It is considered the most developed and most richly decorated of five intact transitional houses Potter designed in the city, and one of eighteen documented Potter works that survive in Glens Falls. The house was later divided into apartments, and it sits on a corner lot in an area of large late nineteenth and early twentieth century frame residences.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be the most highly developed example of Potter's transitional Queen Anne/Colonial Revival residential designs. It is the largest and most extensively embellished of five intact transitional houses Potter designed in Glens Falls. It also illustrates the architect's struggle with the eclecticism of his era before his later shift to Colonial Revival.
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 84003248, listed September 29, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 195 Ridge St., Glens Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | September 29, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003248 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Ephraim B. Potter; builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Transitional Queen Anne / Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Originally a single-family residence, later divided into apartments (multi-family residential use at the time of the 1980 inventory). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.31810, -73.64304 (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 84003248.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7788068
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.