Beecher-McFadden Estate
Why it's listed
Perched on a steep hillside on the eastern edge of Peekskill, this four-acre estate centers on a brick mansion and a large half-timbered support building that once held a garage, stable and staff quarters. The house began in 1875 as a twenty-room Victorian Gothic summer residence built by the clergyman Henry Ward Beecher, who had bought farmland on the hill in 1859 and planted its trees and gardens. After Beecher's death in 1887 the property passed to Louis Ettlinger in 1902, and in the 1920s his daughter and son-in-law, the William T. McFaddens, remodeled the house into a Jacobethan Revival mansion with brick walls, stone trim, parapet gables, leaded casement windows and Tudor-arched porches. Only the rear wall of Beecher's house survives. The picturesque landscape of open lawns and wooded slopes still follows his plan. The estate is described as the most intact early twentieth century estate in Peekskill, reflecting the wave of country estates built in Westchester County.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the estate is the most intact and distinguished early twentieth century estate in Peekskill. It reflects the period when wealthy New York City families built country estates in Westchester County. The Jacobethan Revival mansion, its complementary support building and the picturesque landscape form a unified ensemble. The grounds also retain Beecher's informal landscape plan.
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 87001894, listed November 2, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E. Main St., Peekskill |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | November 2, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001894 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1875-c.1925 |
| Architectural style | Jacobethan Revival (1920s remodeling of an 1875 Victorian Gothic residence) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The estate is privately owned and has been converted to multi-family residential use. The support building's interior was altered in the mid-twentieth century when the property was part of a school campus. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 41.29834, -73.89515 (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 87001894.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4879632
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.