Homestead, The
Why it's listed
Set at the corner of Mead Street and Schoolhouse Road in the hamlet of Waccabuc, this farmhouse was built between 1820 and 1822 by Alphred Mead, son of early settler Enoch Mead. The ell, with its large cooking fireplaces, was probably built first, and the larger main block followed within a year or two. The house is four bays wide, with shingled walls, a stone foundation, 12-over-12 windows, hewn timbers, and verandahs with shallow hip roofs on the street side. Inside, carved mantels and fluted door pilasters survive. A six-acre parcel holds a mid-19th-century barn, a c. 1901 cottage, a well house, a former dog kennel, and a chicken house. The property was recognized as a locally important Federal period vernacular farmhouse. It retains its original location, frame and footprint, and its restored summer kitchen has a cooking fireplace and bake oven. The Mead family left a lasting mark on the hamlet.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the property is a locally important example of a Federal period vernacular farmhouse. It was built for the Mead family, early settlers of Waccabuc who once owned several hundred acres and built several residences. The house retains its original location, form, frame, footprint and much of its original floor plan and woodwork.
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 01000294, listed March 29, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 36 Mead St., Waccabuc |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | March 29, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000294 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1820 |
| Architect / builder | unknown (the text says it was built by Alphred Mead) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling. The form states all the buildings are in use, though the chicken house roof is largely rotted. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Within district | Waccabuc Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.28308, -73.59522 (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 01000294.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7740099
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.