Rogstad, Tom and Martha, Farm
Why it's listed
On top of Rogstad Mountain, west of Clifton in Bosque County, sits a farm built for Tom and Martha Rogstad in 1893. Its main building is a one-and-a-half-story frame house with a T-shaped plan, intersecting gables, a corbeled brick chimney and a shed-roof porch with turned posts and jig-cut brackets. A small rear addition is the only noted change. A one-room stone structure, believed to have been a smokehouse, stands just north of the house, and two barns, one board-and-batten and one metal-covered, add to the farm's historic character. The property occupies one of the oldest farmsteads in the Norwegian Settlement and was described as one of the most outstanding late 19th-century farmhouses in the area. A grandchild reported that Norwegian carpenter Johan Nordahl built it after an 1892 fire destroyed the old stone house of Berger and Ann Rogstad, whose foundation is said to remain. The house was unoccupied and in fair condition when documented.
Significance in brief: The farm lies on one of the oldest farmsteads in the Norwegian Settlement and has stayed virtually unaltered since 1893. It is described as one of the most outstanding late 19th-century farmhouses in the area. The house was reportedly built by Norwegian carpenter Johan Nordahl after an 1892 fire destroyed an earlier stone house.
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 83003123, listed July 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Clifton, Clifton |
|---|---|
| County | Bosque County |
| Listed | July 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003123 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Johan Nordahl, Norwegian carpenter (according to a grandchild) |
| Areas of significance | European, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and in only fair condition; the house is virtually unaltered and retains its integrity to a remarkable degree. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 31.76785, -97.77789 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83003123.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000392
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.