National Historic Landmark

Boston Post Road Historic District

Rye, Westchester County, New York
Listed
October 29, 1982
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
82001275

About this property

The Boston Post Road Historic District is a 286-acre (116 ha) National Historic Landmark District in Rye, New York, and is composed of five distinct and adjacent properties. Within this landmarked area are three architecturally significant, pre-Civil War mansions and their grounds; a 10,000-year-old Indigenous peoples site and viewshed; a private cemetery, and a nature preserve. It is one of only 11 National Historic Landmark Districts in New York State and the only National Historic Landmark District in Westchester County. It touches on the south side of the nation's oldest road, the Boston Post Road (US 1), which extends through Rye. A sandstone Westchester Turnpike marker "24", inspired by Benjamin Franklin's original mile marker system, is set into a wall that denotes the perimeter of three of the contributing properties. The district reaches to Milton Harbor of Long Island Sound. Two of the properties included in the National Park Service designation are anchored by Greek Revival buildings; the third property is dominated by a Gothic Revival structure that was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis. This district, which also has immense archaeological significance and importance to Native American, European-American and African-American heritage, was declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1993. The three-quarters-mile (1.2 km) meadow and viewshed is one of fewer than a dozen such identified Indigenous peoples sites in all of New York State. In 2005, J. Winthrop Aldrich, former assistant to six successive Commissioners of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (1974–1994) and Deputy Commissioner New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (1994-2003; 2007–2010), attested that the District was acknowledged to be "one of New York State's finest assets", "amply deserving the rare honor of National Historic Landmark designation by the Secretary of the Interior."

Location

Rye, Westchester County, New York
40.95731, -73.70608

Categories

PREHISTORICARCHITECTURECONSERVATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Boston Post Road Historic District

This page lists Boston Post Road Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Boston Post Road Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

US Post Office-Harrison
Industrial
0.9 mi
Rye Meeting House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Bird Homestead
Early Republic
0.9 mi
Knapp, Timothy, House and Milton Cemetery
Listed
1.2 mi
Wilson, Albert E. and Emily, House
Industrial
1.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Raid on Mamaroneck (1776)
1776Revolutionary War
1.7 mi
Battle of Mamaroneck
1776Revolutionary War
1.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Boston Post Road Historic District listed on the National Register?

Boston Post Road Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Boston Post Road Historic District?

Boston Post Road Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Boston Post Road Historic District a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Boston Post Road Historic District has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Boston Post Road Historic District?

The period of significance for Boston Post Road Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Boston Post Road Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Boston Post Road Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Westchester County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Westchester County.

Explore WestchesterCounty ›

More historic places in New York

Browse all historic places in New York.

View New Yorkhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

New York history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

New Yorkhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Boston Post Road Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report