House at 3 Crown Street
Encyclopedia
The house at 3 Crown Street in Nelsonville
, New York
, United States
is located at the corner of Crown, a short side street, and Secor Street. It is a 19th-century brick home that was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982 as "the finest mid-century Italianate
structure in the area."
It is a two-story, five-bay
brick house on a stone
foundation
. The centrally-located doorway, behind a shed-roofed porch
with two decorative
piers, has an arch
ed transom
and four-paneled sidelights. All the windows have segmented arched brick lintels and shutters
. The gable
d roofline is distinguished by a modillioned cornice
, and is pierced by two brick chimney
s on the south and one large one at a cross-gable on the north. A rear wing has been added since the house was built.
Local property tax
records suggest the house was built in 1868. It does not appear on the first map of Nelsonville, in 1867, but is on an 1876 version. There, its owner is identified as J. and B. Secor. Local builder E. Ferris, with whom Secor co-owned another property in town, is noted as being active in that area of the village on the earlier map. He is thus considered likely to have built 3 Crown Street.
Since the Secors, it has been through a number of owners, mainly physician
s. They have collectively made very little change to the house.
Nelsonville, New York
Nelsonville is a Hudson Highlands village located in the Town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York. The population was 565 at the time of the 2000 census.The Village of Nelsonville is directly east of the Village of Cold Spring...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is located at the corner of Crown, a short side street, and Secor Street. It is a 19th-century brick home that was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982 as "the finest mid-century Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
structure in the area."
It is a two-story, five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
brick house on a stone
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. The centrally-located doorway, behind a shed-roofed porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
with two decorative
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
piers, has an arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
ed transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
and four-paneled sidelights. All the windows have segmented arched brick lintels and shutters
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
. The gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roofline is distinguished by a modillioned cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, and is pierced by two brick chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s on the south and one large one at a cross-gable on the north. A rear wing has been added since the house was built.
Local property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
records suggest the house was built in 1868. It does not appear on the first map of Nelsonville, in 1867, but is on an 1876 version. There, its owner is identified as J. and B. Secor. Local builder E. Ferris, with whom Secor co-owned another property in town, is noted as being active in that area of the village on the earlier map. He is thus considered likely to have built 3 Crown Street.
Since the Secors, it has been through a number of owners, mainly physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s. They have collectively made very little change to the house.