Fox, James, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1815, this one and one-half story saltbox-form house sits on the north side of Italy Valley Road in the hamlet of Italy, Yates County. It has a rectangular plan, five by three bays, a stone foundation, clapboard siding and a gable roof, with six-over-six windows and a simple central entrance on the south front. A mid-nineteenth century rear wing and a late nineteenth century glazed porch were added later. Inside, the room layout, plaster-on-lath walls, wood moldings and paneled doors survive. Two mid-nineteenth century timber-framed barns also remain. The house was listed as a representative example of vernacular Federal-era architecture in the county. It was built for James Fox, a Vermont-born settler who arrived in the Italy Valley in 1813 and served as militia captain, schoolteacher, postmaster and Justice of the Peace. He lived there until his death in 1868, and his descendants have kept the property since.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a representative example of vernacular Federal-era residential architecture in Yates County. It keeps its form, floor plan and interior fabric. It was also the home of James Fox, one of the earliest settlers of the town of Italy, and with its outbuildings recalls the early settlement of 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 94000934, listed August 24, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 750 Italy Valley Rd., Italy |
|---|---|
| County | Yates County |
| Listed | August 24, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000934 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1815-ca.1850 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal (vernacular saltbox) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling, with the property remaining in the ownership of Fox's descendants. |
| Acreage | 7.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.60607, -77.29809 (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 94000934.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6134128
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.