Wilkinson, Jemima, House
Also known as: Friend's House
Why it's listed
Built between 1809 and 1815 on a hillside above the Guyanoga Valley, this large Federal-style frame house was the final home of Jemima Wilkinson, who founded the Society of Universal Friends. Designed and supervised by Philadelphia builder Thomas Clark, it measures 40 by 50 feet and rises two and one-half stories above a stone foundation. A wide central hall, original red pine floors, hand-hewn white oak beams and fireplaces with classical mantels survive largely intact. Wilkinson's bedroom was the southeast room on the second floor, and the spacious rooms accommodated meetings of her society. The 127.3-acre property also holds a barrel-vaulted stone and brick mausoleum from about 1819, intended for her tomb but never used, and a bank barn from about 1870. The house is the only surviving residence of Wilkinson, who led followers into Yates County in the late 1700s, and it is a distinctive Federal-style residence of the Finger Lakes region.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving home of Jemima Wilkinson, the first American-born woman to found a religious group, and is tied to the early settlement of Yates County. It is also a distinctive example of early-nineteenth-century Federal residential architecture in the Finger Lakes region. The house was designed and supervised by Thomas Clark of Philadelphia.
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 94000965, listed August 24, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3912 Friend Hill Rd., Jerusalem |
|---|---|
| County | Yates County |
| Listed | August 24, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000965 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1809 - 1819, ca. 1870 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Clark |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the ca. 1819 mausoleum is described as vacant. Windows were replaced ca. 1951, but original interior fabric is largely intact. |
| Acreage | 127.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.65473, -77.16539 (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 94000965.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6177176
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.