Austin, Richard, House
Also known as: Ossining Historical Society Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1878-1879 on Croton Avenue just outside the village of Sing Sing, now Ossining, this frame house was erected for Richard Austin, a lawyer and real estate investor. He built it on land bought from his father-in-law, a wealthy farmer, in an area that was shifting from farmland to middle-class housing after the railroad reached the village in 1849. The house follows the Gothic Revival cottage model popularized by Andrew Jackson Downing, with a steep central gable, full-width veranda with scroll-sawn brackets, corbelled chimneys, a bay window and heavy moldings around doors and windows. A garage and enlarged rear veranda were added between 1911 and 1930. Inside, the original plan survives, along with the staircase, a fireplace surround, porcelain doorknobs, window locks and early light fixtures. Surrounding infill has changed its setting, but the building remains one of very few suburban houses of its era near Ossining with its historic fabric intact. It now serves as a local historical society museum.
Significance in brief: The house is an unusually intact example of a picturesque Gothic Revival cottage of the type promoted by Andrew Jackson Downing, retaining nearly all of its original exterior and interior fabric. It also illustrates how railroad-driven growth turned farmland outside Sing Sing into middle-class suburban housing.
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 88001527, listed September 20, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 196 Croton Ave., Ossining |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | September 20, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001527 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1878-1930 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Gothic (Gothic Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a museum (Recreation and Culture/Museum); historically a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.16687, -73.84572 (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 88001527.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7323834
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.