Bush-Lyon Homestead
Why it's listed
Set within John Lyon Park on King Street in Port Chester, this farmhouse dates to about 1720 and served as a family farm for nearly two hundred years. It began as a one-and-one-half-story, five-bay house with a center stone chimney and later gained a rear wing, a kitchen wing shortly before 1800, and further nineteenth-century additions, along with a mid-nineteenth-century porch with Doric piers. Inside, paneled fireplace walls, Federal period mantels, two bake ovens and hand-hewn attic framing survive. A carriage house, a former slave quarters and a storage structure with a corn crib stand nearby. The land belonged to the Bush family from the late seventeenth century, and the house passed through the Bush and Lyon families. Family tradition holds that General Israel Putnam used it as headquarters in 1778-79, though no documents confirm this. The Village of Port Chester bought the property in 1925, and it now operates as a house museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of Port Chester's oldest buildings and part of the area's first settlement, owned by the locally prominent Bush and Lyon families. Many historic features survive despite major additions. It is described as one of the community's most important historic resources.
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 82003412, listed April 22, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | John Lyon Park, King St., Port Chester |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | April 22, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003412 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Village of Port Chester since 1925, in good condition, occupied, and maintained as a house museum by the Port Chester Historical Society with village assistance. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.01343, -73.66716 (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 82003412.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5001356
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.