Little, Russell M., House
Why it's listed
Built about 1876 at 17 Center Street in Glens Falls, this two-story, three-bay frame house has a gabled slate roof and clapboard siding. Its eclectic design combines Italianate and carpenter Gothic details, including sawed gable ornament, scroll-sawed fretwork above tall windows, paired round-arched attic windows, and a one-story entrance portico with double glass and wood panel doors under a segmental-arched transom. Two corbeled brick chimneys rise from the interior. An earlier structure from 1839 was significantly altered and rebuilt to form the present house. The ornament reflects the scroll saw and the abundant lumber from local planing mills. The house is regarded as the most intact example of elaborate post-Civil War residential design in the city. It was the home of Russell M. Little, who founded the Glens Falls Insurance Company in 1849, served as its fourth president in 1866, and guided its international success until his death in 1891. A Victorian wrought iron fence and garden survive on the lot.
Significance in brief: It is presented as the most intact example of elaborate, eclectic residential design left in Glens Falls from the post-Civil War period, with Italianate and carpenter Gothic features made possible by the scroll saw and local lumber. It was also the home of Russell M. Little, a prominent businessman and civic leader who founded the Glens Falls Insurance Company.
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 84003367, listed September 29, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 17 Center St., Glens Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | September 29, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003367 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Eclectic, with Italianate and carpenter Gothic features |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence, both originally and at the time of the inventory; a modern four-bay garage on the property is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.31081, -73.62840 (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 84003367.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7381660
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.