Ordway, Jones, House
Why it's listed
Located at 142 Warren Street in Glens Falls, this two-story, T-shaped brick house was built around 1850 and substantially remodeled in the 1880s in the Queen Anne manner. Features include a raised front porch with pediment and turned posts, a large central dormer with three narrow casement windows and a terra cotta panel, tall corbeled brick chimneys, a modillion cornice and a slate roof. Brick additions, raised roofs and multiple gables were added during the remodeling. Jones Ordway became president of the Morgan Lumber Company in 1874, a firm controlling timber cutting on more than 60,000 acres of Adirondack woodland. He bought the house, renovated it for his invalid wife and used it during business trips to town. He died in 1890, leaving $500,000 to his widow. The house is presented as a well-preserved example of the eclectic designs favored by successful local paper, lumber, quarrying and insurance families. A modern rear garage is non-contributing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant as a picturesque, eclectic late nineteenth century residence built for the city's upper middle class. It is also historically tied to Jones Ordway, a prominent lumber industrialist and president of the Morgan Lumber Company. It reflects the wealth and taste of its owner during the Adirondack lumber boom.
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 84003376, listed September 29, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 142 Warren St., Glens Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | September 29, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003376 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne remodeling of an earlier Federal-lined house; picturesque eclectic late nineteenth century vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair; use changed from single-family residential to commercial residential. A modern three-bay garage (c. 1960) attached at the rear is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.31058, -73.62409 (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 84003376.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706706
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.