McNish, Alexander, House
Also known as: McNish--Musser House
Why it's listed
Built around 1794, this one-story brick dwelling with a gambrel slate roof sits on County Route 30 near Salem, New York. Its walls of hand-made brick laid in Flemish bond rest on a rubble stone foundation. The symmetrical five-bay front reflects a Georgian plan of four rooms around a center passage, each with its own fireplace. The original kitchen, with a large hearth and bake oven, was in the exposed basement. Later changes include a historic frame wing, a relocated carriage barn used as a second wing, and replacement window sash, though the original sash are kept on site. The house is tied to Alexander McNish, a Scottish-descended militiaman wounded at Saratoga, who farmed sheep with his father and apparently built it with the proceeds. The McNish family raised sheep in the area, and Alexander is linked to the Merino sheep trade in Washington County. Today the property keeps about 8 acres of a former 150-acre farm, with outbuildings of several periods.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved example of late 18th-century, post-Revolutionary War domestic architecture in the Salem area, representing an identified Georgian-influenced house sub-type. It is also tied to Alexander McNish, a Revolutionary War militiaman and sheep farmer linked to the early Merino sheep industry in Washington County, and to the area's agricultural history.
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 10000959, listed November 29, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 194 CR 30, New York |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | November 29, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000959 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1794-c. 1900 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular; Colonial: Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling, as it was historically. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 43.16771, -73.34603 (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 10000959.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4719630
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.