Botsford, Samuel, House
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Set on a 54.5-acre parcel along County House Road in Jerusalem, Yates County, this two-story stone house was built in 1868 in the Italianate style. Its walls are uncoursed rubblestone on a stone foundation, topped by a low-pitched hipped roof with overhanging eaves and a broad frieze. A one-and-one-half-story masonry wing extends east, and ornate porches with chamfered posts run across the south front. Windows have stone sills and carved stone lintels, and the entrances retain pierced iron grills over glazed panels. A concrete block garage added in 1965 is the only non-contributing feature. Inside, the original plan of formal rooms in the main block and common rooms in the wing survives, along with plaster walls, wood moldings, mantels, paneled doors and the stair. The house was listed for its architecture: it is an outstanding example of a style common in Yates County, here in an outlying agricultural setting, and it remains largely intact from its construction.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an outstanding regional example of Italianate residential architecture in Yates County. It shows the style's cubic massing, low hipped roof, broad overhanging eaves, elongated multi-light windows and ornate porches. It also retains a high degree of integrity and is an important local architectural landmark.
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 94000929, listed August 24, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | County House Rd., Jerusalem |
|---|---|
| County | Yates County |
| Listed | August 24, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000929 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1868 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling, as it was historically; a concrete block garage was added in 1965 and is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 54.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.62987, -77.16005 (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 94000929.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7410950
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.