Lispenard-Rodman-Davenport House
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Why it's listed
Set on about one acre of what was once a large farm on Davenport Neck, this New Rochelle house is reputedly the oldest surviving house in the city. Its eastern stone section is attributed to Antoine Lispenard, a Huguenot who occupied the property from about 1690 to 1732. Quaker miller Joseph Rodman bought it in 1732 and enlarged it into a center-hall stone farmhouse in the Dutch vernacular tradition. The Davenport family owned it from 1784 until 1913. They added a stone kitchen wing and later gave the house a broad gambrel roof, cupola and Victorian interiors. Colonial Revival details in the hall and parlor date from the Iselin ownership after 1915. A well house survives near the kitchen wing. A moved eighteenth-century barn, now a residence, and a 1950s garage do not contribute to the property's significance. The house is valued as a record of growth across more than two centuries and of three prominent local families.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be architecturally significant as a record of two centuries of change, from a Huguenot pioneer stone house to a mid-eighteenth century Dutch-type vernacular farmhouse to a Victorian Picturesque country seat. It is also tied to three prominent families, the Lispenards, Rodmans and Davenports, and to the milling, commercial and residential growth of New Rochelle and Davenport Neck.
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 86002637, listed September 22, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 180 Davenport Ave., New Rochelle |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | September 22, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002637 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c1708-c1920 |
| Architect / builder | various, unknown |
| Architectural style | Dutch vernacular farmhouse form with Georgian, Victorian Picturesque and Colonial Revival alterations |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, altered, and occupied as a private residence; the moved barn has been converted to a residence. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.90108, -73.77092 (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 86002637.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6559097
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.