Knapp, Timothy, House and Milton Cemetery
Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of Milton Road and Rye Beach Avenue, the Timothy Knapp House is a two-and-a-half-story frame dwelling that was already present by 1670. It is the oldest surviving residence in Rye and in Westchester County. The house grew in stages, with additions before 1700 and before 1750, plus twentieth-century wings, yet it keeps early beams, posts, wide floorboards and wrought-iron hardware. It sits on land once held by Thomas Studwell, one of Rye's three original proprietors, and was acquired by Timothy Knapp, who served as a deputy to the General Court at Hartford. Across the road lies Milton Cemetery, laid out in 1750 on land given by Joseph Lyon and regarded as Rye's first public burying ground. Ezekiel Halsted, an eighteenth-century owner of the house, is buried there. Together the two properties preserve tangible evidence of Rye's early settlement.
Significance in brief: The Knapp House is the oldest surviving residence in Rye and Westchester County, and it has been in continuous domestic use for over three hundred years. Milton Cemetery is Rye's first public burying ground. Together they recall the town's seventeenth- and eighteenth-century settlement and growth, and many original period details survive.
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 82003413, listed June 14, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 265 Rye Beach Ave. and Milton Rd., Rye |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | June 14, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003413 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1600-1799 (specific dates 1670, 1750) |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house has been in continuous domestic use. The cemetery is owned and maintained by the city of Rye and is no longer in use for burials. The house was repaired after a 1968 fire. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.96491, -73.68620 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 82003413.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7807330
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.