Wagener, Charles, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1838 by Charles Wagener, this two-story wood-frame house stands on the north side of Elm Street in Penn Yan, beside Lakeview Cemetery. It has a T-shaped plan, a gable roof with a molded cornice and partial returns, clapboard siding, and a full-width single-story porch with six square posts. Inside, the historic plan survives, along with plaster on lath walls and wood moldings. The house was listed for its architecture. It blends late Federal features, including rectangular massing, symmetrical window placement and multiple-light sash with thin muntins, with Greek Revival elements such as broad eaves, partial cornice returns and a monumental entrance. Wagener was the grandson of David Wagener, an early follower of Jemima Wilkinson who bought much of the land that became Penn Yan and set aside the cemetery ground. Charles later inherited land on the village's western edge and worked as a merchant. The house remains a local landmark of early settlement and a residence today.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact and representative example of transitional Federal/Greek Revival residential architecture in Yates County. It combines Federal-era massing, symmetrical windows and thin-muntin sash with Greek Revival broad eaves, partial cornice returns and a monumental entrance. It is also an important local landmark that recalls early nineteenth-century 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 94000960, listed August 24, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 351 Elm St., Penn Yan |
|---|---|
| County | Yates County |
| Listed | August 24, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000960 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1838 |
| Architect / builder | Charles Wagener |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival (transitional Federal/Greek Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling and retains its historic plan and interior fabric such as plaster on lath walls and wood moldings. |
| Acreage | 4.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.66081, -77.06237 (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 94000960.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5083293
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.