William H. Burton House
Encyclopedia
William H. Burton House, also known as the National Memorial Day Museum, is a historic home located at Waterloo in Seneca County, New York
. It consists of a -story, three-bay offset front entrance main block with two rear wings. The original 1830s Federal
-style residence was modified to its present Italianate
style in about 1870 and features a hipped roof and cupola
. In 1965, the building was purchased by the Waterloo Library and Historical Society to house collections and memorabilia
related to the birth of Memorial Day
in Waterloo in 1866.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1996.
Seneca County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
. It consists of a -story, three-bay offset front entrance main block with two rear wings. The original 1830s Federal
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
-style residence was modified to its present 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...
style in about 1870 and features a hipped roof and 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 1965, the building was purchased by the Waterloo Library and Historical Society to house collections and memorabilia
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
related to the birth of Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
in Waterloo in 1866.
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...
in 1996.