Baker, J. and E., Cobblestone Farmstead
Why it's listed
On Canandaigua Road in the rural southwest corner of Wayne County, a 234-acre farm centers on a cobblestone farmhouse finished in 1850. The one-and-one-half-story house has a five-bay main block with a side ell, a fieldstone foundation, limestone quoins and trim, and Gothic-arched front windows beneath a prominent cross-gable. Its walls use remarkably even, lake-washed red cobblestones, laid in horizontal courses on the front and in herringbone patterns on the north side and the side ell. Four farm buildings from about 1930 stand with the house: a large dairy barn, a smaller storage barn, a large shed, and a carriage barn and machine shed. The house is one of six surviving cobblestone buildings in Macedon and one of roughly 170 in Wayne County, where the type is most concentrated in the state. It was recognized for its architecture and for illustrating the farming heritage of the Genesee region of western New York.
Significance in brief: The farmhouse is described as an outstanding, remarkably intact example of Late Period cobblestone construction in New York State, with lake-washed cobbles laid in herringbone and diagonal patterns. It is also a fine local example of Gothic Revival domestic architecture. The intact farm and its barns and sheds illustrate typical farm economics and building technology in the Genesee region of western New York.
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 95001281, listed November 7, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 815 Canandaigua Rd., Macedon |
|---|---|
| County | Wayne County |
| Listed | November 7, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95001281 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850-ca. 1930 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century; Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is a single dwelling; much of the land is still actively farmed and most interior features survive intact. |
| Acreage | 234 |
| Coordinates | 43.03394, -77.31543 (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 95001281.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6107507
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.