02 - Historic Designation
5707 Scenic Ave - Historic Designation
Current best understanding
There is a strong possibility that 5707 Scenic Ave is the same physical property as the NRHP-listed Timothy Skinner House, but with an address discrepancy / renumbering issue.
What we have
Timothy Skinner House reference
From public sources gathered earlier:
- Name: Timothy Skinner House
- NRHP reference number: 91000526
- Listed: June 20, 1991
- Recorded address in common secondary sources: 5355 Scenic Ave, Mexico, NY
- Architectural style: Italianate
- Era: 1865 / circa 1869 in secondary references
Why this may map to 5707
- User observation: 5355 Scenic Ave does not appear to exist in the way the public references imply.
- User observation: photos attributed to 5355 appear to be 5707.
- County record for 5707 shows:
- brick historic house
- 1900 construction date
- covered porches
- old-style structure
- The profile is directionally consistent with the Skinner House thread.
Confidence level
- High confidence that there is a real relationship between 5707 and the Skinner House listing.
- Not yet fully confirmed that 5707 is officially the exact NRHP-listed parcel under current addressing.
Why this matters
If confirmed, it affects:
- renovation freedom
- preservation obligations / review expectations
- insurance questions
- lender comfort
- possible historic tax credit strategy
- resale framing and marketing
What is still needed
Best confirmation path
- NY SHPO / State Historic Preservation Office
- confirm whether 5707 is the current address tied to NRHP #91000526
- County / town records
- confirm any Scenic Ave renumbering history
- Formal NRHP nomination PDF / legal description
- compare parcel description and physical description to the current property
Working conclusion
Treat historic designation as very plausible and operationally important, but do not treat it as legally confirmed until SHPO / formal nomination records tie the NRHP record directly to 5707.
For the full address-discrepancy evidence stack — including the street-name timeline, source-by-source breakdown, and what would move this to near-proof — see 12 - Street Name and Address Discrepancy.
Practical NY SHPO / State & National Register notes
Key points summarized from the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State & National Registers) guidance:
- Owners of listed properties may be eligible to apply for state and/or federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit programs.
- Local governments and not-for-profits that own listed properties may apply for state and federal preservation grants for planning and rehabilitation.
- Private owners using only private funds (and not requiring state/federal permits) may remodel, alter, subdivide, sell, or even demolish a listed property, as long as they comply with local zoning.
- If state/federal funds are used or a state/federal permit is required, projects are reviewed by SHPO to avoid, minimize, or mitigate effects on historic resources.
Source: NY State & National Registers program
