Jones, John, Homestead
Why it's listed
This eighteenth-century farmhouse in Van Cortlandtville, north of Peekskill, is a one-and-one-half story, five-bay dwelling with a gambrel roof, shingled walls and a massive rubble stone foundation. A small barn, apparently built at the same time, stands behind it. Inside, a center-passage plan, wide-board floors, paneled parlors, a cherry-railed staircase and a basement kitchen with a bake oven survive. The frame uses hand-hewn timbers joined with mortise and tenon, along with mill-sawn joists and rafters, and brick nogging fills the walls. Local stone, timber and brick supplied most of the materials. The house was listed for its architecture, as a highly intact example of a regional Hudson Valley building type from about 1750 to 1800. Once the center of a large farm, it now occupies about two and a half acres amid later suburban housing, yet it remains the most intact Colonial-era dwelling in the area and a recognized local landmark.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant as a rare, highly intact example of eighteenth-century domestic architecture in the lower Hudson Valley. It keeps original hewn timber framing, brick nogging, massive boulder foundations and period interior finishes. It represents a regional vernacular type of the 1750-1800 period and is the most intact of the few remaining Colonial-era dwellings in the area.
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 89000462, listed May 25, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Oregon Rd. and Durrin Ave., Van Cortlandtville |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | May 25, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000462 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1750 to 1800 |
| Architectural style | Colonial (with Federal style detailing) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling; the setting has been lost to modern suburban development, and some rear rooms and the second floor have been altered. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.31620, -73.89960 (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 89000462.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706673
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.