Briggs, John, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1795 on the west side of Himrod Road in Milo Center, this modified saltbox farmhouse is a one-and-one-half-story, five-bay wood-frame dwelling with a rear shed-roofed section. The front entrance has a Federal style surround, and the paneled front door is original. Inside, the front block keeps its room layout, wide pine floors, paneled doors, molded trim, a parlor fireplace surround and some original plaster. The house was built by John Briggs, a locally prominent settler who came to the Finger Lakes region with the advance group of followers of Jemima Wilkinson, the Public Universal Friend. Briggs and his relative Peleg Briggs were among the first settlers of the hamlet then known as Nichols' Corners. The house is described as a rare survivor of settlement-period building in Yates County. It shows New England house design carried into the western New York frontier, and it is one of a small group of documented residences linked to the Friend's movement in the county.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a rare, intact example of late-eighteenth-century vernacular Federal-influenced rural domestic architecture showing New England building traditions in western New York. It is also tied to the settlement of Yates County by followers of Jemima Wilkinson, the Public Universal Friend, because original owner and builder John Briggs was one of her early followers.
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 94000930, listed August 24, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2646 Himrod Rd., Milo Center |
|---|---|
| County | Yates County |
| Listed | August 24, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000930 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1795 |
| Architect / builder | John Briggs, original owner and builder (named in the narrative; the architect/builder field itself reads n/a) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal (rural vernacular, modified saltbox) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; a modern non-contributing garage stands on the property. |
| Acreage | 3.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.63526, -76.99999 (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 94000930.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6223186
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.