Straight, Elisha, House
Also known as: Hartford Museum; Civil War Enlistment Center
Why it's listed
Built around 1810 on Main Street in Hartford, New York, this small heavy-timber house reflects the building habits of New England settlers who moved into Washington County. It began as a 1-1/2 story, one-room plan with a large central chimney, was later enlarged with a south parlor and sleeping rooms, and then received a rear kitchen ell in the early 1830s that required raising part of the roof. A Greek Revival annex of about the 1830s stands beside it and was used as a carpentry shop by cabinet maker Sylvanus Hatch. On August 22, 1862, that annex served as the enlistment center where 65 of the 134 volunteers of Company E, 123rd Regiment, signed up for the Civil War. It is described as the only surviving Civil War enlistment center in New York State. The house is also valued as one of the earliest and most intact buildings in town, and today it operates as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it meets Criterion A because the annex served as the 1862 Civil War enlistment center where 65 of 134 volunteers of Company E, 123rd Regiment enlisted, and because the house is one of the first structures from the town's early settlement. It also meets Criterion C as a rare, little-altered example of modest New England Colonial/Federal construction in an area otherwise shaped by Dutch Colonial traditions.
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 04000986, listed September 15, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 55 Main St., Hartford |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | September 15, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000986 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial (New England) / Federal house; Greek Revival annex |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Military |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as recreation/museum (Hartford Museum and Civil War Enlistment Center); the interior retains much of its original or early finishes. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.36484, -73.39331 (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 04000986.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5361812
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.