John Smith House (Kingston, New York)
Encyclopedia
The John Smith House is located on Albany Avenue (NY 32
) in Kingston
, New York, United States. It is a wood frame house in the Italianate
architectural style
built in the mid-19th century.
It has remained relatively intact since then. In 2002 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
at the corner of the busy intersection of Albany Avenue and Chandler Drive (Interstate 587/NY 28
). This junction marks a boundary between the mixed-use
uptown area around the Stockade District
and the residential neighborhoods of Albany and neighboring streets. The George J. Smith House
is to the east, with the Sharp Burial Ground
about 300 feet (91.4 m) further away on the other side of the street. Both properties are also listed on the Register.
The Smith house is a two-story, three-by-three-bay
clapboard
-sided
frame structure on a raised brick foundation
with a moderately pitched
hipped roof
. The roofline has broad overhanging eaves, a molded
cornice
and paired brackets
.
A full-length porch runs along the first story of the south (front) facade
. It has a similarly pitched hip roof with a molded, dentilled cornice. The roof is supported by four wooden posts on octagonal plinth
s. Behind all three bays have French doors, molded cornices and louver
ed shutters
. The second-story windows have similar trim.
On the northernmost two bays of the first story on the east is a projecting bay window. The north (rear) elevation has similar windows and an enclosed porch. The west, facing what is now the end of the interstate, is the least decorated of the facades, with asymmetrical windows and an enclosed cellar stair.
The main entrance, two paneled glass and wood doors with a large transom
, leads to a broad central hall with large parlors on either side. Here and on the second floor, many of the original finishings, including plaster and wood, remain.
At the end of the driveway to the east is a modern garage in concrete block. It is not considered a contributing resource
to the historic character of the property.
Originally the house had a cupola
in the center of the roof. It was removed in the early 20th century after it was damaged. There have been no significant changes since.
New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32 is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few divided and no limited-access sections. From Harriman to Albany,...
) in Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
, New York, United States. It is a wood frame house in the 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...
architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
built in the mid-19th century.
It has remained relatively intact since then. In 2002 it was listed on 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...
.
Building
The house is on a deep, narrow, level lotLot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
at the corner of the busy intersection of Albany Avenue and Chandler Drive (Interstate 587/NY 28
New York State Route 28
New York State Route 28 is a state highway extending for in the shape of a "C" between the Hudson Valley city of Kingston and southern Warren County in the U.S. state of New York. Along the way, it intersects several major routes, including Interstate 88 , U.S. Route 20 , and the...
). This junction marks a boundary between the mixed-use
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
uptown area around the Stockade District
Kingston Stockade District
The Kingston Stockade District is an eight-block area in the western section of Kingston, New York, United States, commonly referred to as Uptown Kingston...
and the residential neighborhoods of Albany and neighboring streets. The George J. Smith House
George J. Smith House
The George J. Smith House is located on Albany Avenue in Kingston, New York, United States. It is a Queen Anne Style frame house built in the 1880s. Its interior has been slightly modified since then....
is to the east, with the Sharp Burial Ground
Sharp Burial Ground
The Sharp Burial Ground, also known as the Albany Avenue Cemetery, is located on Albany Avenue in Kingston, New York, United States. It is a small burying ground used during the middle decades of the 19th century, before larger rural cemeteries had become common but after churchyards had become...
about 300 feet (91.4 m) further away on the other side of the street. Both properties are also listed on the Register.
The Smith house is a two-story, three-by-three-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:...
clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
-sided
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
frame structure on a raised brick 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:...
with a moderately pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
. The roofline has broad overhanging eaves, a molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
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 paired brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
.
A full-length porch runs along the first story of the south (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. It has a similarly pitched hip roof with a molded, dentilled cornice. The roof is supported by four wooden posts on octagonal plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
s. Behind all three bays have French doors, molded cornices and louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed 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 second-story windows have similar trim.
On the northernmost two bays of the first story on the east is a projecting bay window. The north (rear) elevation has similar windows and an enclosed porch. The west, facing what is now the end of the interstate, is the least decorated of the facades, with asymmetrical windows and an enclosed cellar stair.
The main entrance, two paneled glass and wood doors with a large 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...
, leads to a broad central hall with large parlors on either side. Here and on the second floor, many of the original finishings, including plaster and wood, remain.
At the end of the driveway to the east is a modern garage in concrete block. It is not considered a contributing resource
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the historic character of the property.
History
The house is first recorded in an 1870 map as the home of a Mrs. C.S. Smith. A city directory from ten years later clarifies that this is Catherine S. Smith, described as the widow of John Smith. By the early 20th century it had passed to other owners, and has remained a private residence ever since.Originally the house had a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
in the center of the roof. It was removed in the early 20th century after it was damaged. There have been no significant changes since.