Elkanah Watson House, National Historic Landmark stone house in Port Kent, New York, US
The Elkanah Watson House is a two-story stone structure built from dressed granite blocks with a cut-off hip roof and a central square belvedere. It features distinctive round windows on the ground floor and a two-story portico with rounded columns supporting a pediment.
Built in 1828, the house belonged to Elkanah Watson, a diplomat from the Revolutionary era who championed canal development and transportation improvements across New York State. His work during the early republic shaped infrastructure planning in the northeastern region.
The property demonstrates connections to early American agricultural reform and transportation development of its era. The family cemetery on the grounds reflects Watson's influence on these practical innovations.
The residence sits at the corner of Lake Street and South Street and remains privately owned without public access to the interior. The historic exterior remains visible from nearby streets, allowing visitors to view the building's architectural features from outside.
The house stands out for its unusual round windows on the lower level, which depart from the standard rectangular openings typical of buildings from that period. This design choice reflected Watson's forward-thinking approach to residential architecture and made the home visually distinctive among contemporary structures.
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