List of the oldest buildings in the United States

This article lists the oldest buildings in the United States and its territories. The list includes sites in current states and territories which were not part of the original Thirteen Colonies when the United States of America was founded in 1776.

Pre-Columbian era

[edit]
Building Image Location State First built Use Notes
Ancestral Puebloan dwellings
New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah NM
AZ
CO
UT
750 – Pueblo construction began in AD 750, and ended around 1300 AD with the third era of the Pueblo people. Villages Majority of settlements abandoned, but some very well preserved. Buildings have been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848 or the Gadsden Purchase of 1854.
Chaco Canyon New Mexico

(Between Albuquerque and Farmington)

NM 800 – "During the middle and late 800s, the great houses of Pueblo Bonito, Una Vida, and Peñasco Blanco were constructed, followed by Hungo Pavi, Chetro Ketl, Pueblo Alto, and others."[1] Residential, villages, city "The cultural flowering of the Chacoan people began in the mid 800s and lasted more than 300 years."[1]
Taos Pueblo North of the modern city of Taos NM 1000 – Built between 1000 and 1450 Residential Said to be the oldest continuously inhabited houses still occupied. Buildings have been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848.[2]
Acoma Pueblo On top of a 367-foot (112 m) sandstone mesa in Cibola County NM 1000 – Built between 1000 and 1200 Residential Said to be the oldest continuously inhabited site in the United States. Buildings have been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848.
Ocmulgee Earth Lodge Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park GA 1015 Religious Native American earth lodge. Restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde National Park CO 1190 Residential Largest cliff dwelling in North America. Buildings have been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848.
Malae Heiau Wailua River State Park HI before 1200 Religious Largest heiau remaining on the Island of Kauai and one of the largest surviving temple platforms in the Hawaiian Islands.
Casa Grande Coolidge AZ c. 1200s Religious Hohokam structures built in the 13th century that includes a large four-story structure that is protected by a New Deal era canopy.
West Oak Forest Earthlodge Site Glenwood IA c. 1250–1400 Religious Earthlodge built during the Woodland period of pre-Columbian history. Discovered and restored in 2009.
House of Taga
Tinian MP before 1500 Residential The latte stone structure is believed to have been the home of a Chamorro chief. The structure has been on US territory since 1978 when the Northern Mariana Islands became a US commonwealth.

16th century

[edit]
Building Image Location State First built Use Notes
La Casa Blanca
Old San Juan PR 1521 Government/Residential Located in the Old San Juan National Historic Landmark District. Built as a fortified residence for Juan Ponce de León. The house has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
San José Church
Old San Juan PR 1532 Religious Located in the Old San Juan National Historic Landmark District. Additions and renovations over the centuries. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
La Fortaleza
Old San Juan PR 1533 Government Located in the Old San Juan National Historic Landmark District. Oldest executive mansion in the New World. Extensive reconstructions took place over the centuries. Building has been within the U.S. since 1898 when Puerto Rico was annexed.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Old San Juan PR 1539 Government Part of the San Juan National Historic Site. Construction started in 1539, with extensive additions over the centuries. Building has been within the U.S. since 1898 when Puerto Rico was annexed.
Cathedral of San Juan Bautista
Old San Juan PR 1540 Religious Located in the Old San Juan National Historic Landmark District. Oldest church building in the U.S. and its territories, original built in 1521 on modern-day location (extensive additions and renovations). The cathedral has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.

17th century

[edit]
Building Image Location State First built Use Notes
San Juan City Hall
Old San Juan PR 1604 Government Oldest building used as a city hall in Puerto Rico, first built as the Cabildo de Puerto Rico. Built in stages between 1604 and 1789. The façade dates to 1840.
Porta Coeli San Germán PR 1609 Religious Located in the San Germán Historic District. The church has been on US territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Palace of the Governors Santa Fe NM 1610 Government Oldest seat of colonial government (Spanish). Building has been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848.[3]
San Miguel Chapel San Miguel Chapel, Christian Brothers, St Michael's High School Santa Fe NM 1610 Religious/Community The oldest church or religious structure in the continental US built by indigenous Mexicans with Spanish Franciscans.
C. A. Nothnagle Log House Gibbstown NJ 1638–43 c. 1638–43 Residential Purportedly the oldest surviving log house in the U.S., once part of New Sweden, and the oldest house in NJ, and hence Gloucester County[4][5]
Jamestown Church Jamestown, Virginia VA 1639 Religious Church tower and foundations are all that remain from the earliest period, 1639–1647.[6]
Thomas Bourne House Marshfield MA 1639 c. Residential Located at 1308 Ocean Street;[7] house is believed to date from 1639.[8]
Henry Whitfield House Guilford CT 1639 Residential Oldest stone American Colonial house;[9] oldest house in Connecticut.
Lower Swedish Cabin Upper Darby PA 1640 c. Residential One of the earliest extant examples of Swedish log construction in the United States, believed to be the oldest building in Pennsylvania.[10]
Richard Sparrow House Plymouth MA 1640 Residential Oldest house in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Samuel Lucius-Thomas Howland House Plymouth MA 1640 c. Residential Located at 36 North Street near Plymouth Rock; House is believed to date from 1640.[11][12][8]
Fairbanks House Dedham MA 1641 Residential Oldest house in America verified using dendrochronology.[13]
Edmond Hawes–Barker Hunt House Duxbury MA 1641 c. Residential aka as the Edwin Hunt House at 8 Hounds Ditch Lane; House is believed to date from 1641.[14][15][16]
Shatswell Planter's Cottage Ipswich MA 1646 c. Residential Currently located on the property at 53 Jeffrey's Neck Rd where it was moved in the twentieth century from another location: "originally located at 88-90 High Street [where it was] the earliest of the three First Period structures on the site, dating to before 1646"; House is believed to date from 1646.[17]
De Vargas Street House Santa Fe NM 1646 Residential Previously claimed to be oldest house in the United States and Santa Fe.
Wing Fort House East Sandwich MA 1646[18] Residential Oldest home in New England continuously owned by the same family; now a museum.[18]
John Ellis House Sandwich MA 1647[19] Residential located at 76 Main Street.[20]
El Cuartelejo Scott City KS 1650 Residential Northernmost Indian pueblo and the only known pueblo located in Kansas and the Midwest.
Farris Windmill Dearborn MI 1650[citation needed] Agriculture Oldest windmill built in the United States.[21] Originally built on Cape Cod, it was moved to The Henry Ford museum's Greenfield Village outdoor complex in the 1920s.
Wyckoff House Brooklyn NY 1652 Residential Oldest house in New York City.[22]
Brooke Place Manor Calvert County MD 1652 Residential Oldest building in Maryland.[23]
Loomis Homestead Windsor CT 1653 Residential One of the oldest timber-frame houses in America. The oldest part of the house was built between 1640 and 1653 by Joseph Loomis, who came to Connecticut Colony from England in 1638. Later additions to the Loomis house were made around the turn of the 18th century. It is now a part of the Loomis Chaffee School.
Newman–Fiske–Dodge House Wenham MA 1658 Residential Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
John Partridge House Millis MA 1659[8] Residential
Broad Bay Manor Virginia Beach VA c. 1660 Residential Purportedly the oldest extant European-built house in the southeastern United States. Built by Thomas Allen either c. 1640[24] or c. 1660[25] on land granted to him by Governor Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr. The small center portion of what is now a much larger structure, it was primarily constructed with Flemish bond brickwork. Corroborative dating efforts have not been performed. It has always been a private residence. It is located in the Broad Bay Colony part of northeastern Virginia Beach.[26]
Edward Harraden House Gloucester MA 1660 Residential
William Whipple House Kittery ME 1660 Residential Oldest portion of home dates to circa 1660 and was birthplace of General William Whipple, Signer of the Declaration of Independence; located at 88 Whipple Road[27][28] Possibly the oldest house in Maine.
Zachariah Hawkins House Brookhaven NY 1660 Residential
James Blake House Boston MA 1661 Residential Oldest house in the city of Boston. Verified by Oxford Tree-Ring Dating Lab.
Iglesia San Blas de Illescas
Coamo PR 1661 Religious Considered one of the most important works of religious architecture in Puerto Rico.[29] The church has been on US territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Ambrose Gale House Marblehead MA 1663 Residential Ambrose Gale lived here in 1692. Gale, his daughter, Charity Pitman, testified against Wilmott Redd, who was hanged during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.[30]
Bronck House Coxsackie NY 1663 Residential Oldest house in upstate New York.
Richard Jackson House Portsmouth NH 1664 Residential Oldest house in New Hampshire.[31]
Pickering House Salem MA 1664 Residential Located in the Chestnut Street District.
Thomas Lee House East Lyme CT 1664 Residential One of the oldest wood-frame houses in Connecticut still in its primitive state.
Deacon John Moore House Windsor CT 1664 Residential Moore was also a woodworker known for using the foliated vine design, which depicts vines and blossoms carved in shallow relief with flat surfaces.
Reverend James Keith Parsonage West Bridgewater MA 1664 Residential Preserved and maintained by the Old Bridgewater Historical Society.
Gedney House Salem MA 1665 Residential Allegedly the second oldest house in the City of Salem, located in the Chestnut Street District and operated as a non-profit museum by Historic New England. The house is rarely open to the public, though private tours can be arranged.
Bacon's Castle Surry VA 1665 Residential Located at 465 Bacon's Castle Trail, this is perhaps the oldest intact building with satisfactorily credible age authentication still standing in the Commonwealth of Virginia (and perhaps the entire Southeastern region of the US) and one of the oldest brick buildings still standing in the United States. If Broad Bay Manor's age is authenticated, it could predate Bacon's Castle by up to 25 years.
Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House Staten Island NY 1665 c. Residential Built by Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot pioneer, the house is now a museum.
Ryves Holt House
Lewes DE 1665 Residential Purportedly the oldest house in Delaware.
Brewster House East Setauket NY 1665 Residential One of the oldest houses on Long Island.
Sip Manor[32][33][34] Jersey City
Westfield
NJ 1666 Residential Originally part of Bergen, New Netherland, relocated in 1926 from Hudson County[35][36] and now oldest building in Union County[37]
Jabez Howland House Plymouth MA 1667 Residential Only extant house in Plymouth occupied by Pilgrims. John Howland and his wife, Elizabeth Tilley Howland, who both came over on the Mayflower, spent their winters here with their son, Jabez, one of their ten children. Also a National Historic Landmark.[38]
Dillingham House Brewster MA 1667 Residential
Robert Coles Homestead Glen Cove NY 1668 Residential In May 1668, Joseph Carpenter of Rhode Island negotiated with the Matinecock Indians to purchase several hundred acres of land on which to build a saw mill and grist mill in what was then Musketa Cove. Robert Coles was one of the "Five Proprietors of the Musketa Cove Patent" and was the first to build his homestead at what is now 34 The Place. He and his wife, Mercy Wright of Oyster Bay, had nine children and lived in the eastern-most wing of the existing property which still stands today.[39]
House of the Seven Gables Salem MA 1668 Residential National Historic Landmark, setting of the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel.
John Bowne House Flushing, Queens NY 1668 Residential Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. 2006 Dendrochronology survey confirmed date of 1668.
Abraham Manee House Staten Island NY 1670 Residential The Abraham Manee House, also known as the Manee–Seguine Homestead, is a three-part Colonial Dutch dwelling similar to the Billiou–Stillwell–Perine House in Old Town, and was designated a New York City landmark in 1984.
Zaccheus Gould House Topsfield MA 1670 Residential
Swett–Ilsley House Newbury MA 1670 Residential
Chaplin–Clarke House Rowley MA 1670 Residential
Cubberly–Britton Cottage Staten Island NY 1671 Residential
Merchant–Choate House Ipswich MA 1671 Residential Also, known as Tuttle House (103 High Street). The House is dated from 1670/71.[40] Dendrochronology dating it from the 1670s with some earlier beams and bracing, and possibly an earlier construction date.[41]
Pickman House
Salem MA 1672 Residential Located on Charter Street behind the Peabody Essex Museum, the oldest continually operated museum in America. The house abuts the Witch Memorial and is also next to the second oldest burying ground in America. The house is private, owned by the Peabody Essex Museum and not open for tours.
White Horse Tavern Newport RI 1673 Tavern Oldest tavern in America.[42] Originally constructed in 1652 as a residence for judge Francis Brinley, converted to a tavern in 1673.[43]
Brown House Hamilton MA 1673 Residential
Old Trinity Church, Maryland Church Creek MD 1675 Religious Church building in continuous use; as such, oldest in the United States.[44]
Narbonne House Salem MA 1675 Residential The house is on the waterfront in Salem and is part of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. The site has 12 historic structures, including the Customs House, and a replica of the sailing ship Friendship of Salem.
Hoxie House Sandwich MA c. 1675 Residential One of the oldest houses on Cape Cod.
The Witch House Salem MA c. 1675 Residential Also called the Jonathan Corwin House, this was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin[45] and is the only structure still standing in Salem, Massachusetts with direct ties to the Salem witch trials of 1692.[46] Even though Jonathan Corwin's descendants claim the house was built in 1642, most historians now believe the house was built c. 1675.[47] The house, located in the Chestnut Street District, is now a museum operated by the City of Salem and is open seasonally.
St. Mary's, Whitechapel
Lancaster, Virginia VA 1675 Religious
Deane Winthrop House Winthrop MA 1675 Residential The oldest part of the house was built about 1675 with an addition made in 1696. It is currently owned by the Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association and is open to visitors by appointment.
Edward Sewall Garrison Exeter NH 1676 Residential
Old Senate House Kingston NY 1676 Governmental New York State Constitution written and signed here.
Lowland Cottage Ware Neck VA 1676 Residential.
Edward Searle House Cranston RI 1677 Residential The house was rebuilt in 1677 on the site of the original 1670 structure, destroyed by Native Americans during King Philip's War.
John Whipple House Ipswich MA 1677 Residential In 2005 a dendrochronology test determined that the earliest surviving part of the house was actually built in 1677. A major addition of roughly equal size was built in 1690, and there are various later additions.
Newport Tower Newport RI 1677 c. Commercial Colonial windmill.[48] No roof or floors since the mid-18th century.
Thomas Fenner House Cranston RI 1677 Residential early stone ender.
Town Point Dover DE 1677 Residential
General Israel Putnam House Danvers MA 1677 Residential Recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. The house is now operated by the Danvers Historical Society and open by appointment. Once thought to date from 1648, tree-ring dating has since proved otherwise.
Joshua Hempstead House New London CT 1678 Residential Built about 1678 and altered several times during the 18th century, it is one of the Connecticut's oldest surviving buildings, and provides a virtual catalog of early construction methods due to its state of preservation.[49]
Coffin House Newbury MA c. 1678 Residential Built by Tristram Coffin, Jr., in 1678, the property remained within the Coffin family until acquired by Historic New England in 1929. It is now a museum.
Smith's Castle Wickford RI 1678 Residential One of the oldest houses in Rhode Island, now a museum.
Elisha Bushnell House Old Saybrook CT 1678 Residential The Colonial property includes two contributing buildings, the second being termed the "Slave House". Has not been verified with dendrochronology.
Blackbeard's Castle
Charlotte Amalie VI 1679 Military Watchtower used by the Danes to protect the harbor from attacks. Has been on US soil since the 1917 purchase of the islands from Denmark.
Clement Weaver House East Greenwich RI 1679 Residential Oldest privately owned house in Rhode Island.[50]
John Balch House Beverly MA c. 1679 Residential John Balch received the deed to the land on which the house sits in 1635; the building was constructed by Balch's son and grandson in 1678/1679,[51] and is one of the oldest continuously privately deeded properties in the United States. The original structure in the front dates to 1679, while the back half addition is dated to 1721;.[51]
Parker House Old Saybrook CT 1679 Residential Has not been verified with dendrochronology.
Paul Revere House Boston MA c. 1680 Residential Oldest building in downtown Boston.[52]
Fort Christian Charlotte Amalie VI 1680 Military Fort originally built by the Danish, oldest building in the US Virgin Islands. Has been on US soil since the 1917 purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.
Peter Tufts House Medford MA 1680 Residential Some historians consider it to be the oldest all-brick house in the United States.
Timothy Knapp House Rye NY 1680 Residential Considered the oldest residential property in Westchester County, New York. The property has been owned by only five families between 1663 and 1992. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Conference House Staten Island NY 1680 Residential Only pre-Revolutionary manor house still surviving in New York City.
John Hollister House South Glastonbury CT 1680 Residential Seventeenth century deeds describe this house being on "The Great River".
Stephen Foster House Topsfield MA 1680 Residential
Capt. William Green House Wakefield MA 1680 Residential
Hart House Ipswich MA 1680 Residential Now a tavern. It is located at 51 Linebrook Road and was dated using dendrochronology in 2006[53] One room is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[54]
Van Nostrand-Starkins House Roslyn NY 1680[55] Residential In the Main Street Historic District (Roslyn, New York).
Capt. John Mawdsley House Newport RI 1680 Residential With a large 18th-century modification.
John Bliss House Newport RI 1680 Residential Early stone ender.
Chichester's Inn Huntington NY 1680 Tavern
Old Ship Church Hingham MA 1681 Religious Oldest church in continuous ecclesiastical use in the United States; only remaining 17th-century Puritan meeting house in America.[56]
Hurd House Woodbury CT 1681 Residential The older, north section, dates to around 1680 and was the home of John Hurd, who became the town's miller in 1681. The south section, which may have originally been the home of Hurd's son, was added to the older structure in 1718, to increase the overall size of the house.
Deacon John Graves House Guilford CT 1681 Residential Saltbox saved from demolition and fully restored in 1983 by a private foundation, now a museum in Madison.[57]
Cooper–Frost–Austin House Cambridge MA 1681 Residential Oldest house in Cambridge, verified using dendrochronology in 2002.[53]
Appleton-Taylor-Mansfield House Saugus MA 1681 Residential Also known as the Appleton House. This was part of the Saugus Iron Works, which was a major industrial complex. It has been restored and is open to the public.
Winona Bridgetown VA 1681 Residential The only known 17th-century house in the country, other than Bacon's Castle in Surry County, to have diagonally-placed triple-chimney stacks.
St. Luke's Church Smithfield VA 1682 Religious Recent dendrochronology studies confirm the 1682 date of this National Historic Landmark.[58]
Wall House Cheltenham Township PA 1682 Residential Possibly the oldest stone house in Pennsylvania. Built for Richard Wall, the founder of Cheltenham Township.
Nathaniel Bonnell House Elizabeth NJ 1682 Residential
Philipse Manor Hall Yonkers NY 1682 Residential Oldest surviving structure in Westchester County.
Caleb Pusey House Upland PA 1683 Residential Oldest English-built house in Pennsylvania; only extant building known to have been visited by William Penn. Completed in 1696.
William Pepperrell House Kittery ME 1683 Residential One of the oldest houses in Maine.[59]
Pierce House (Dorchester, Massachusetts) Dorchester MA 1683 Residential One of the oldest houses in Boston. Dated using dendrochronology in 2002.[53]
Gardner House Brookline MA 1683 Residential Dated using dendrochronology in 2007.[53]
Sgt. George Flint House North Reading MA prior to 1684 Residential The Sgt. George Flint House is owned by the North Reading Historical and Antiquarian Society, which also owns the Rev. Daniel Putnam House in North Reading (built in 1720).
John Ward House Salem MA 1684 Residential The John Ward House is a National Historic Landmark at 132 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts, located in the Downtown Salem District and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968.
Boelson Cottage Philadelphia PA 1684 Residential Built sometime between 1678 and 1684; oldest extant structure in Fairmount Park and possibly the oldest extant house in Philadelphia.
Third Haven Meeting House Talbot County MD 1684 Religious Oldest Quaker meeting house in the United States.
Forge Farm Warwick RI 1684 Residential Oldest part of house dates to 1684.
C. A. Nothnagle Log House Gibbstown NJ 1685 Residential Purportedly the oldest surviving log house in the U.S. and one of the oldest houses in New Jersey.
Old Indian Meeting House Mashpee MA 1685 Religious Oldest Native American church.
Belmont Hall Smyrna DE 1685 (earliest part) Residential Large Georgian addition built about 1753 by Thomas Collins, who would become the sixth governor of Delaware.
Goodspeed House Barnstable MA 1685 Residential
Buckelew Mansion Jamesburg NJ 1685 c. 1685[60][61] Residential One room in the house dates to 1685 c. 1685, possibly oldest in Middlesex County. House was expanded, most recently in the 19th century, and is also known as Lakeview
Revell House[62][4] Burlington NJ 1685 Residential Oldest house in Burlington County.
Hermitage Church of Nuestra Señora de Valvanera of Coamo Coamo PR 1685 Religious Brick masonry chapel from 1685. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.[63]
Daggett House Pawtucket RI 1685 Residential Oldest house in Pawtucket. Not tested yet using dendrochronology.
Foster's Castle
Tunstall, Virginia VA 1685–1690 Residential
Sign of the Bird in Hand
Newtown PA 1686 Tavern Originally a residence, then tavern with other uses. Oldest frame house still standing in Pennsylvania. Famous as the site of the 1778 Newtown Skirmish during which Loyalists killed 5 and captured 16 to acquire cloth being manufactured for use by General George Washington's troops at Valley Forge. Now a private residence.[citation needed]
Jethro Coffin House Nantucket MA 1686 Residential Oldest house on Nantucket.[64] It was declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1968.[65][66]
John Woodward House Newton MA 1686 Residential Built by John Woodward in what is now the Waban neighborhood, this is one of the oldest homes in Newton. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
William Murray House
Salem MA 1688 Residential A historic house at 39 Essex Street.
Old Halsey House Southampton NY 1688 Residential Built by Thomas Halsey, an English pioneer, the house is now a museum.
Iglesia San Germán de Auxerre
San Germán PR 1688 Religious Located in the San Germán Historic District, this parish church was built in 1688. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Wilbor House Little Compton RI 1690 Residential Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, the house serves as the headquarters of the Little Compton Historical Society.
Criss Cross
New Kent VA 1690 Residential
Acadian House Guilford CT c. 1690 Residential The house gets its name after the Acadians who resided there following the 1755 Great Expulsion.[67]
Farmar Mill Fort Washington PA c. 1690 Mill Oldest surviving mill in Pennsylvania.
Spencer–Peirce–Little Farm Newbury MA c. 1690 Residential One of the oldest stone buildings in New England, now a nonprofit museum.
Clemence–Irons House Johnston RI 1691[68] Residential
Boardman House Saugus MA 1692 Residential
Eleazer Arnold House Lincoln RI 1693[69] Residential
Terry-Ketcham Inn Center Moriches NY c. 1693 Residential/Tavern Oldest portion c. 1693, with major expansions in 1710 and 1790, now a nonprofit museum.
Parker Tavern Reading MA 1694 Tavern Parker Tavern is now a museum owned by the Reading Antiquarian Society.
Old Quaker Meeting House Flushing, Queens NY 1694 Religious The only surviving example in New York State of a typical 17th-century ecclesiastical frame structure of medieval design.[70]
Pink House Charleston SC 1694–1712 Residential Built by John Breton in the city's French Quarter, the house is one of the oldest buildings in South Carolina and the oldest building in Charleston.
Abraham Browne House Watertown MA c. 1694–1701 Residential Built by Abraham Browne, the house is the oldest remaining in Watertown. It is owned by Historic New England and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Parson Capen House Topsfield MA 1694[71] Residential The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.[72] The Topsfield Historical Society currently operates it as a historic house museum.[73] Date confirmed with Dendrochronology.
Paine-Dodge House Ipswich MA 1694 Residential
Wren Building Williamsburg VA 1695 School Oldest school building in America, original The College of William & Mary structure.[74]
John Sherburne House Portsmouth NH 1695 Residential
Castillo de San Marcos St. Augustine FL 1672–1695 Government Oldest masonry fortification in the United States.
Comfort Starr House Guilford CT 1695 Residential
Nelson–Galt House Williamsburg VA 1695 Residential Oldest dwelling in Colonial Williamsburg
Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow NY 1697 Religious Oldest church in the State of New York.
Wanton–Lyman–Hazard House Newport RI 1697[75] Residential
Dwight–Derby House Medfield MA 1697 Residential
Grace Church
Yorktown VA 1697 Religious
Holy Trinity Church Wilmington DE 1698–99 Religious Oldest Swedish church in the United States. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.[76]
Great Friends Meeting House Newport RI 1699 Religious Expanded in 1730, 1807, 1857, and 1867 to accommodate the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends.
James Noyes House Newbury MA 1699 Residential Reverend James Noyes left Wiltshire, England, with his brother, Nicholas Noyes and cousin, Thomas Parker, bound for the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-1630s and built this house, which still stands, in 1646.
Hoyt-Barnum House Stamford CT c. 1699 Residential The builder was a descendant of one of the original founders of Stamford. The structure is owned and maintained as a museum by the Stamford Historical Society.
Middleburg Plantation Huger SC c. 1699 Residential Possibly the oldest building in South Carolina. It was a plantation built by a French Huguenot Benjamin Simons in 1699 on the Cooper River near Huger, South Carolina.
Old House Cutchogue NY 1699[77] Residential One of the oldest houses in the state; previously thought to have been built in 1649. 2003 dendrochronology surveys yielded a date of 1699.
Dickinson–Pillsbury–Witham House Georgetown MA c. 1700 Residential The Dickinson–Pillsbury–Witham House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Strawbery Banke Portsmouth NH numerous structures – 17th–19th centuries Residential and Industrial Strawbery Banke is a collection of 37 historic buildings dating back to the 17th century.

18th century

[edit]
Building Image Location State First built Use Notes
Benoni Fox House Concord MA 1700 Residential This is one of the oldest buildings of the Fox family in the United States.
Stanton–Davis Homestead Museum Stonington CT 1700 Farmhouse The farm has been worked every year since 1654. Has not been verified with dendrochronology.
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church
Philadelphia PA 1700 Religious Oldest surviving church in Philadelphia.
Edward Morgan Log House Towamencin PA 1700 Residential Home to the maternal grandfather of Daniel Boone and Daniel Morgan
Harlow Old Fort House Plymouth MA 1700 Residential Has not been verified with dendrochronology.
Mortonson–Van Leer Log Cabin Swedesboro NJ 1700 c. Residential Historic cabin and one of the last historical dwellings in Swedesboro.
The Hermitage
Virginia Beach VA 1700 Residential
Belle Air Plantation Charles City County VA c. 1700 Residential
John Weblin House Virginia Beach VA c. 1700 Residential
Old Powder House Somerville MA 1703 Windmill Converted to the use of gunpowder storage in 1747 which was used during the American Revolutionary War.
St. Peter's Church
New Kent, Virginia VA 1703 Religious Church of Martha Washington, George and Martha Washington may have been married here
Brinton 1704 House West Chester PA 1704 Residential One of the oldest houses in Pennsylvania. Built by a Quaker family. A National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Old St. Andrew's Parish Church Charleston SC 1706 Religious Oldest church building in South Carolina.
Yeocomico Church
Tucker Hill, Virginia VA 1706 Religious
Wayside Inn Historic District Sudbury MA 1707 Residential/Tavern Located on the Old Boston Post Road and made famous in a collection of poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
The Hosmer Homestead Concord MA c. 1707–1710 Residential The Hosmer Homestead, also known as the Hosmer/Baker Farm, is an historic house at 138 Baker Avenue in Concord, Massachusetts. The oldest portion of this 2+12-story wood-frame house was probably built c. 1707–1710 by Stephen Hosmer, based on architectural evidence. The property has a long association with the Hosmer family, who were early settlers of Concord and who have played a significant role in the growth and civic life of the town. The house interior has well-preserved Georgian woodwork and plaster.
McIntire Garrison House York ME 1707 or later Residential/Military Possibly the oldest building in Maine.
Jonathan Singletary Dunham House Woodbridge Township NJ 1709 Residential
Buckman Tavern Lexington MA 1709–1710 Tavern It played a prominent role in the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775. It was declared a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Capt. Jonathan Parker House Reading MA ca 1710 Residential Still a private residence at Charles and Pearl Sts.
Coronet John Farnum Jr. House Cornet John Farnum, Jr., House - Uxbridge, Massachusetts - DSC02844 Uxbridge MA ca 1710 Residential The Cornet John Farnum Jr. House was the site of the first Uxbridge Town Meeting in 1727. The house today is a museum and headquarters of the Uxbridge Historical Society. It is an excellent example of early New England colonial architecture.
Buttolph-Williams House Wethersfield CT 1711 Residential One of the oldest surviving homes in Wethersfield, declared a National Historic Landmark in 1968.[78]
Randall–Hale Homestead Stow MA 1710 Residential The Randall–Hale Homestead is a historic First Period house at 6 Sudbury Road in Stow, Massachusetts. The oldest portion of this 2+12-story timber-frame house was built c. 1710.[79] One of the oldest surviving homes in Stow, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[80]
San Miguel Mission Santa Fe NM 1710 Government/religious Said to be the oldest church structure built in the United States. The original adobe walls and altar were built by the Tlaxcalan of Mexico, but much of the structure was rebuilt in 1710. Building has been within the United States since the Mexican Cession of 1848.[81]
Stephen Northup House North Kingstown RI 1712 Residential possibly burned during King Philip's War in the 1670s and rebuilt, later modifications 1712, 1850, 2004
The Powder Magazine
Charleston SC 1713 Government Oldest public building in South Carolina. The Powder Magazine Museum.
Old State House Boston MA 1713 Government Oldest surviving public building in Boston. The Bostonian Society Museum.
Hyland House Museum Guilford CT ca. 1713 Residential Open to the public since 1918.[82] Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Perth Amboy City Hall Perth Amboy NJ 1714–1717 Government Oldest city hall in US.
Samuel Chase House West Newbury MA 1715 Residential A rare brick house of the period. A story passed down in the Chase family says that bricks for the house were made on the family's farm and carried to the job site by Hannah Chase in her apron.
Merion Friends Meeting House Merion Station PA 1715 Religious One of the oldest Quaker meeting houses in America.
Bruton Parish Church
Williamsburg VA 1715 Religious
Colonial Inn
Concord MA 1716 Commercial Still an operating inn and restaurant.
Benjamin Flagg House Worcester MA c. 1717 Residential Built by Capt. Benjamin Flagg, it is the oldest remaining home in Worcester. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Alamo San Antonio TX 1718 Religious Part of the San Antonio Missions, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Site of the Battle of the Alamo.
Ware Parish Church
Gloucester VA 1718 Religious
Lane House Edenton NC 1718–19 Residential Oldest house in North Carolina identified by dendrochronology.
Massachusetts Hall Cambridge MA 1718–1720 School Oldest extant building at Harvard University.
Thomas Hastings House Newton MA ca. 1719 Residential
King of Prussia Inn King of Prussia PA 1719 Tavern Granted its name to the town that grew up around it.
Adam Thoroughgood House
Virginia Beach VA 1719 Residential
Rev. Daniel Putnam House North Reading MA 1720 Residential Headquarters of the North Reading Historical and Antiquarian Society. The society also owns the Sgt. George Flint House in North Reading, which was built prior to 1684.
Garretson Forge and Farm Fair Lawn NJ 1720 Residential One of the oldest homes in Bergen County, New Jersey.
Bray House Kittery Point ME c. 1720 Residential Built on the site of an earlier structure built in c. 1662, it is among the oldest houses in Maine.[83]
Jonathan Green House Stoneham MA c. 1720 Residential It is one of the oldest structures in Stoneham. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wayside Cottage Scarsdale NY c. 1720 Residential One of the oldest houses in Westchester County, New York. Owned and operated by the Junior League of Central Westchester.
Thomas Wheeler House Bridgeport CT 1720 Residential Other sources suggest the core was constructed in 1644, and expanded 1680, oldest house in Bridgeport Black Rock Harbor, residence.
William Penn Guest House New Castle DE c. 1720 Residential Oldest buildings in New Castle.[citation needed] Purportedly where William Penn lodged after first arrival in America.
Jonathan Young Windmill
Orleans MA 1720 Industrial The Jonathan Young Windmill is a restored, working early eighteenth-century windmill with its original machinery intact, located next to Town Cove in Orleans.[84]
Strode's Mill West Chester PA c. 1721 Industrial/Residential A fieldstone gristmill that is currently a residence.
John Adams Birthplace Quincy MA 1722[85] Farmhouse Oldest existing building within which a future president of the United States was born (John Adams, October 30, 1735)

[86]

Bull Stone House Hamptonburgh NY c. 1722 Residential One of the oldest houses in Orange County, New York. Built by early settlers William Bull and Sarah Wells; continuously owned by Bull family descendants.
Brafferton Building
Williamsburg VA 1723 School Opened in 1723 as the Indian school for the College of William & Mary, restored in 1930–31, now serving as the president and provost office
González–Alvarez House St. Augustine FL c. 1723 Residential Probably constructed between 1723 and 1790.[87] Oldest house in St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied city in the continental United States.[88]
Block House Claymont DE 1723 Residential One of the oldest structures in Delaware.
Bellingham–Cary House Chelsea MA 1724 Residential The Bellingham–Cary House is an historic house museum at 34 Parker Street in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The building, now a Federal style mansion, incorporates in its structure the 1659 hunting lodge of colonial governor Richard Bellingham, and is the only surviving 18th-century building in the city. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Chester Courthouse Chester PA 1724 Government Oldest public building in Pennsylvania. Served as Chester County Courthouse from 1724 until 1795, the Delaware County Courthouse from 1795 until 1850, and Chester Borough/City Hall from then until sometime in the 20th century. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Parish Church of St. Helena Beaufort, South Carolina SC 1724 Religious
Alamo Mission Long Barracks San Antonio TX c. 1724 Religious The Alamo Chapel and Priests quarters and convent (Long Barracks) in San Antonio. In the center of the surrounding area are the remains of the "Long Barracks" which were constructed 20 years before the chapel. Founded in 1718 and moved to present site 1724.
Reuben Brown House Concord MA 1725 Residential Built in 1725 by the town saddler, Reuben Brown. There is also a strong tradition that the house was the home of Peter Bulkeley, which is why the house is often referred to as the Peter Bulkeley / Reuben Brown House. The evidence is still unclear whether or not the Bulkeleys did build the house some 300 years ago. What historians can conclude, however, is that the house was either completely updated or built by Reuben Brown in 1725, since most of the house's present features are typical of houses from 1700 to 1730.
Fort Niagara Youngstown NY 1726 Fortification Built in 1726 by the French as a "house of peace". Taken by the British in 1759, the fledgling United States regained control by treaty in 1796. It was lost to the British in 1813, but was relinquished as a result of the Treaty of Ghent, and has remained in the hands of the United States ever since.
James Smith House Needham MA 1727–1728 Residential The house was built by James Smith, a recent Irish immigrant. His son, Captain Robert Smith, who commanded one of the militia companies from Needham engaged in the fighting the day of the Battle of Concord Bridge, may have been born and lived here.
48 Hudson Avenue Albany NY 1728 Residential Oldest stand-alone structure in Albany.
Lent Homestead and Cemetery East Elmhurst NY 1729 Residential Oldest occupied residential structure in Queens, New York. Has not been verified with dendrochronology.
Espíritu Santo y San Patricio Parish Church
Loíza PR 1729 Religious This parish church was built in 1729. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Church Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y San Matías of Manatí
Manatí PR 1729 Religious Built in 1729 and underwent major repairs in 1864. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
John Cowan House Charleston SC 1729-1730 Residential One of earliest datable dwellings outside the former walled city of Charleston.[89]
Hampton Plantation McClellanville SC 1730 Residential Historic Southern plantation house. Now state historic park.
Newbold–White House Hertford NC 1730 Residential Oldest brick house in North Carolina.[90]
Williams House, Historic Deerfield Deerfield MA c. 1730 Residential One of the oldest houses in Old Deerfield, although extensively remodeled in the 19th century. The original area of Deerfield has been preserved and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mission Concepcion
San Antonio TX 1731 Religious Part of the San Antonio Missions; listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
San Antonio TX 1731 Religious Part of the San Antonio Missions; listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Ephrata Cloister Lancaster County PA 1732 Religious Last surviving resident of the Ephrata Cloister religious community died on July 27, 2008, at the age of 98.
Pratt House Essex CT 1732 Residential
Nehemiah Royce House Wallingford CT 1734 Residential A typical saltbox, this house was visited by George Washington in 1775.
Quackenbush House Albany NY 1736 Residential Until recently considered the oldest house and structure in the city of Albany and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently the location of the Olde English Pub & Pantry.
Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes de San Miguel de Hato Grande
San Lorenzo PR 1737 Religious Also known as Las Mercedes Church, this Classical Revival style building was built in 1737. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
San Fernando Cathedral San Antonio TX 1738–1750 Religious One of the oldest Cathedrals in the United States; the oldest Cathedral in Texas. Listed on the National Register of historic places.
Mitchell–Anderson House Wilmington NC 1738 Residential [91]
339 Beechwood St. Cohasset MA 1739 Residential Still a private residence. The story passed down is that the large buttonwood tree in front of the house was planted on the day one of the sons in the family marched off to go fight in the Revolutionary War.
Old Cahokia Courthouse Cahokia IL 1740 Government One of the oldest French Colonial Poteaux-sur-solle style buildings in Illinois.
Oxford Furnace Oxford Township NJ 1741 Furnace First hot blast furnace in the United States.
St. John's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Va.
Richmond, Virginia VA 1741 Religious Site of Patrick Henry's "give me liberty or give me death" speech with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson among other notables in attendance.
Fort Matanzas St. Johns County FL 1740–1742 Presidio Designated a United States National Monument on October 15, 1924.[92]
Amos Chase House Saco ME c. 1743 Residential Oldest building in Saco. It was actually two houses, one of which was brought over on logs used as rollers, and joined to the other by the industrious Amos Chase to accommodate his large family.
Mission Espada
San Antonio TX 1745 Religious Part of the San Antonio Missions; listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Founded 1690; building current building constructed in 1745
Old Ursuline Convent New Orleans LA 1748 (or 1752) Religious Considered the oldest building in Louisiana, and perhaps the oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley[93]
Spanish Governor's Palace
San Antonio TX 1749 Government One of the oldest government buildings in Texas. Now open as a museum.
Presidio La Bahía Goliad TX 1749 Presidio The best preserved Spanish presidio in the United States.
Deacon Thomas Kendall House Wakefield MA prior to 1750 Residential Deacon Thomas Kendall was among the earliest settlers of the area, and an influential member of the community, serving as a selectman, commissioner, and deacon of the church for 36 years. He and his wife, Rebecca, had 10 children, and when she died, at the age of 85, she had 175 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse Christiansted VI 1750 Commercial Built as a trading center for the Danish on the island of St. Croix. Has been on US soil since the 1917 purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.
Mayfield
Dinwiddie VA 1750 Residential Moved from its original location a mile or so away, this is the oldest brick home in Dinwiddie county.
Parlange Plantation House Mix LA 1750 Plantation One of the oldest plantation homes in the South and perhaps the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley
Mount Holly Firehouse
Mount Holly NJ 1752 Firehouse Oldest firehouse in the United States, established by what is now the country's oldest continuously operating volunteer fire department.[94][95]
Fort de Chartres Powder Magazine Prairie du Rocher IL 1753–1756 Government Oldest building in Illinois.
Pirates' House Savannah GA c. 1754 Mix Possibly the oldest building in Georgia, and the oldest building in the city of Savannah.
Josiah Day House West Springfield MA c. 1754 Residential It is believed to be the oldest known brick saltbox style house in the U.S. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort William Henry Lake George NY 1755 Military Built during the French and Indian War, it was featured in James Fenimore Cooper's novel, The Last of the Mohicans.
LaPointe–Krebs House Pascagoula MS 1757 Mix The oldest building in Mississippi, this French colonial structure is one of the oldest buildings on the Gulf Coast of the United States.
DuBois-Boatwright House Wilmington NC 1760 Residential [91]
General Rufus Putnam House Rutland MA 1760–1765 Residential Rufus Putnam was a Revolutionary War general and later instrumental in the founding of Ohio. His home is now a B&B.
Derby House Salem MA 1762 Residential Capt. Richard Derby was the first millionaire in America. The home is now part of Salem Maritime National Historic Site. The site has 12 historic structures, including the Customs House, and a replica of the sailing ship Friendship of Salem.
Elihu Akin House Dartmouth MA 1762 Residential Home of the Akin family, a colonial family instrumental in the American Revolutionary War in Southeastern Massachusetts.
Proprietary House Perth Amboy NJ 1762 Government Oldest remaining colonial proprietary governor's residence in the original Thirteen States.
Touro Synagogue Newport RI 1763 Religious Oldest synagogue building in the United States.[96]
Fort Pitt Blockhouse Pittsburgh PA 1764 Defense Oldest structure in Pittsburgh. One of the oldest colonial structures west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Sandy Hook Light
Sandy Hook NJ 1764 Lighthouse Oldest original lighthouse in the United States.
Old Stone House (Washington, D.C.) Washington, D.C. DC 1765 Residential Oldest unchanged building in Washington, D.C.
St. John's Episcopal Church Fort Washington MD 1767 Religious Located in the Broad Creek Historic District. The building is the 4th iteration of the church since the original was erected in 1695.[97][circular reference]
Mission San Jose
San Antonio TX 1768–1782 Religious Part of the San Antonio Missions; listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Harmony Hall Fort Washington MD 1769 Residential Located in the Broad Creek Historic District. It was originally known as Battersea, and overlooked the colonial port of Aire.[98][circular reference]
William Henry House Bennington VT 1769 Residential
Burgwin-Wright House Wilmington NC 1770 Residential [91]
University Hall (Brown University) Providence RI 1770 School Oldest extant building at Brown University
DeFreest Homestead North Greenbush, New York NY 1771 Residential Early Homested in Troy, New York
Cameron–Dixon House Wilmington NC 1771 Residential [91]
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa San Luis Obispo CA 1772
Maryland State House Annapolis MD 1772 Government Oldest state house in continuous use in the United States.
Josiah Bartlett House Kingston NH 1774 Residential Josiah Bartlett was a medical doctor, Governor of New Hampshire, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Humphrey Bradstreet Farm Rowley MA c. 1774 Residential The Humphrey Bradstreet Farm is the second-oldest continuously operating farm in the United States. Humphrey Bradstreet was granted the property in 1635 by King Charles I, and it stayed in the Bradstreet family for the next 372 years, until purchased by the town of Rowley.
Brown-Lord House Wilmington NC 1775 Residential [91]
Mission San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano CA 1776 Mission Oldest surviving building in California. Restored.
Tank Cottage Allouez WI 1776 Residential Oldest extant building in Wisconsin. Voyageur Joseph Roi built the cottage using the pièce-sur-pièce à coulisse technique, which was once common in French-Canadian architecture.
Fuller–Bemis House Waltham MA c. 1776 Residential One of the oldest surviving homes in Waltham. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Christopher Taylor House Jonesborough TN 1778 Residential Possibly the oldest building in Tennessee, along with The Carter Mansion.[99]
Fort Putnam West Point NY 1778 Military Ft. Putnam was built by the regiment of Rufus Putnam during the Revolutionary War to guard the Hudson River. It is now part of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Old Talbott Tavern Bardstown KY 1779 Tavern Likely the oldest building in Kentucky and the "oldest western stagecoach stop" still in operation.
Officer's Stone Quarters Fort Mackinac MI 1780 Military Oldest building in Michigan.[100]
Hessian Barracks Frederick MD c. 1780 Military Possibly dating back to the French and Indian Wars (1754–1763), used as barracks for Hessian mercenaries during the American Revolutionary War. On the grounds of the Maryland School for the Deaf.[101]
McGulpin House Mackinac Island MI c. 1780 Residential Oldest residential home in Michigan. Built in French Canadian style.
Biddle House (Mackinac Island) Mackinac Island MI c. 1780 Commercial House built for the fur trade in New France.
Morven Park Leesburg VA c. 1780 Residential Home of Virginia Governor Westmoreland Davis. The earliest parts of the structure were built circa 1780 and the building was significantly expanded in the decades that followed. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Harrison-Smith House Bardstown KY c.1780 - 1795 Residential Original section possibly the "oldest stone house in Kentucky"[42][43][102][103]
Findowrie
Albemarle VA c. 1782 Residential
Peirce–Nichols House Salem MA 1782 Residential Owned by the Peabody Essex Museum
Castillo San Cristóbal
Old San Juan PR 1783 Government Built by the Spanish to protect against land-based attacks on the city of San Juan. Part of San Juan National Historic Site.
Dyckman House Inwood, Manhattan NY 1784 Residential Only remaining original farmhouse in Manhattan
Rehoboth Church Union WV 1785 Religious Oldest extant church in West Virginia
Church of the Holy Family (Cahokia, Illinois) Cahokia IL 1786 Religious One of the few surviving French colonial buildings in Illinois. Oldest continuously active Catholic parish in the United States, and oldest church west of the Allegheny Mountains.
William Whitley House Crab Orchard KY 1787 Residential "Oldest brick house in Kentucky," Some sources suggest it was built earlier.[104] Its construction was preceded by that of Sportsman's Hill, "the first horse racing track west of the Appalachians."
Rufus Putnam House and Campus Martius (Ohio) Marietta OH 1788 Residential/military Gen. Rufus Putnam's house was built as part of the Campus Martius fort. It is now part of the Campus Martius Museum.
Navarre–Anderson Trading Post Frenchtown MI 1789 Commercial/residential Historic French homestead/trading post near present-day Monroe, Michigan.
Cameron-Hollman House Wilmington NC 1790 Residential [91]
Historic Locust Grove Louisville KY 1790 Residential One of the oldest buildings in Kentucky (built years after the Old Talbott Tavern among others.) In close competition with Old Providence Church, Hawkins House, Jacob Eversole Cabin, John Andrew Miller House, Millspring, and the Zachary Taylor House among others.
Carpenter House Rehoboth MA c. 1789 Residential Built by Thomas Carpenter III circa 1789 using older materials from a building that was already on the site. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Martin–Boismenue House East Carondelet IL 1790 Residential One of the oldest surviving French Colonial structures in Illinois.
Mission Dolores

San Francisco, California CA 1791 Religious The oldest building in San Francisco and the oldest intact California Mission.
Ohio Company Land Office Marietta OH 1791 Commercial The oldest building in Ohio.
Stone–Tolan House Brighton NY c. 1792 Residential A Federal-style structure said to be the oldest surviving building in Monroe County.
Blount Mansion
Knoxville TN 1792 Residential/Government The mansion served as the de facto capitol of the Southwest Territory. In 1796, much of the Tennessee Constitution was drafted in Governor Blount's office at the mansion.
Louis Bolduc House Ste. Geneviève MO 1788 Residential The oldest building in Missouri.
White House Washington, D.C. DC 1792–1800 Government The official residence of the president of the United States, and seat of the executive branch of the U.S federal government
United States Capitol Washington, D.C. DC 1793–1800 Government Location of U.S. Congress, and seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government.
Melrose on the Cane

(Melrose Plantation)

Natchez LA 1790 Residential One of the largest plantations in the United States built by and for free people of color. The land was granted to Louis Metoyer (1790), with the "Big House" finished in 1832.
Mission San Xavier del Bac Tohono O’odham San Xavier Indian Reservation AZ 1797 Mission Oldest European structure in Arizona.[105]
Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida FL 1798 Religious The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine is the first parish in North America and is located in St. Augustine Florida. It is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of St. Augustine. The existing structure was constructed over five years (1793–1797) and was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark on April 15, 2021.
Molalla Log House Molalla OR 1799–1813 Residential/military This is the oldest building in Oregon and is believed to have been constructed by fur traders of French Canadian and/or Native American ancestry.[106] The next closest contenders are the Methodist Mission Parsonage c.1841, the Jason Lee House c.1841, the Delaney-Edwards House c.1845, the John McLoughlin House c.1846, and the John D. Boon House c. 1846
Mission San Diego de Alcalá San Diego CA 1769 Mission/Military The first Franciscan mission in The Californias. Ruined in the mid-1800s and restored by 1941.

19th century

[edit]
Building Image Location State First built Use Notes
Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Umatac GU 1802–1819 Military Built by the Spanish Empire, and was used to protect the trade route of the Manila Galleons between Acapulco, New Spain, and Manila, Spanish East Indies. Fort has been on US soil since the Spanish–American War, when Guam was annexed along with Puerto Rico.
Grouseland Vincennes IN 1804 Residential Possibly the oldest building in Indiana. It is in close competition with the Indiana Territorial Capitol.
Joel Eddins House Huntsville AL 1808 Residential The oldest documented building in Alabama.[107]
Nicholas Jarrot Mansion Cahokia IL 1810 Residential Mansion built by French colonialists in the Illinois Country. Extremely rare example of Federal architecture in the upper Mississippi River valley.
Baranov Museum Kodiak AK c. 1810 Commercial The oldest building in Alaska. It was built as a storage facility by the Russian American Company.
Francois Vertefeuille House Prairie du Chien WI c. 1810 Residential Oldest building in Wisconsin still located at its original site. Built by French-Canadian fur traders using the pièce-sur-pièce à coulisse technique between 1810 and 1820.
Fort Howard Allouez WI 1816 Military Oldest extant U.S. Armed Forces fort in Wisconsin, built in 1816 in the aftermath of the War of 1812.
Russian Fort Elizabeth Waimea HI 1817 Military Fort built by the Russian-American Company to protect Russian interests in the Pacific.
Ka Hale Lāʻau Honolulu HI 1820 Residential The oldest standing structure in Hawaii. It was shipped ready-made for assembly from Boston and used as a communal home by Christian missionaries.
Fort Snelling Round Tower Hennepin County MN 1820–1824 Military The oldest building in Minnesota.
Marblehead Light Marblehead OH 1822 Government Oldest lighthouse on the American coasts of the Great Lakes. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Woodruff Print Shop Little Rock AR 1824 Commercial The oldest building in the state of Arkansas.[108]
Alejandro Tapia y Rivera Theater
Old San Juan PR 1824 Theatre Oldest free-standing theater in San Juan and one of the oldest theaters in the Caribbean.[109]
Charles Trowbridge House
Detroit MI 1826 Residential Oldest documented building in the city of Detroit.
The Basilica of Saint Mary
Alexandria_Virginia VA 1826 Religious The oldest Catholic parish in the Commonwealth of Virginia.[110]
Old Customhouse (Monterey, California) Monterey CA 1827 Government The oldest government building in present-day California, and one of the oldest in the western United States. Built by Mexico then won and operated by United States until it was transferred to the State of California in 1901.
Fort Leavenworth 'The Rookery' Leavenworth KS 1829 Military The oldest building in Kansas.[111]
Fort Gratiot Light
Port Huron MI 1829 Lighthouse First lighthouse in Michigan.
Louis Arriandeaux Log House Dubuque IA 1833 Residential The oldest building in Iowa.[112]
St. Thomas Synagogue
Charlotte Amalie VI 1833 Religious Second oldest synagogue in on US soil, and has the longest continuous use as a Jewish congregation in the nation. Has been on US soil since the 1917 purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.
Rancho Petaluma Adobe Petaluma CA 1835–1857 Residential/military This large adobe ranch house was built by Colonel Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Commandante General of the "Free State of Alta California" (Northern California). Now known as the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, it is owned by the State of California and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Log Cabin Bellevue NE c. 1835 Residential The oldest building in Nebraska. It originally served as a fur trapper's home.
Larkin House Monterey CA 1835 Residential Oldest two-story house in California. The nearby Cooper-Molera Adobe was also built circa the same period.
Rotchev House Fort Ross CA 1836 Residential Oldest Russian building in California.
Henry B. Clarke House Chicago, Illinois IL 1836 Residential Oldest building in Chicago
La Princesa Prison
Old San Juan PR 1837 Prison Oldest purpose-built prison in Puerto Rico.[113]
Hulihee Palace Kailua, Kona HI 1838 Residential Originally built by John Adams Kuakini, it was later acquired by Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani and used as a vacation home for Hawaiian royalty.
Old Courthouse (St. Louis) Saint Louis MO 1839–1864 Government Oldest federal building built for the United States west of the Mississippi River.
Fort Gibson Barracks Fort Gibson OK c. 1840 Military The oldest building in Oklahoma (formerly the Indian Territory).[114] In close competition with the Cherokee National Supreme Court building.[115]
Ponce City Hall
Ponce PR 1840 Government Oldest purpose-built city hall in Puerto Rico and oldest surviving building Ponce.[116]
Kawaiahaʻo Church Honolulu HI 1842 Religious Oldest surviving church on Oahu. Formerly the national church of the Hawaiian Kingdom and chapel of the royal family. Designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1962.
Punahou School Honolulu HI 1842 Educational Punahou was founded in 1841 for the children of Christian missionaries and is the oldest formal English language school west of the Rocky Mountains.
United States Customs House in Ponce
Ponce PR 1842 Government Oldest U.S. customs house in Puerto Rico. Possibly also the oldest purpose-built post office in Puerto Rico.[117]
Ponce de León Family House San Germán PR 1842 Residential Allegedly the oldest continuously occupied home in Puerto Rico; home to Ponce De Leon family. Located in San Germán Historic District.[118] The house has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.
Kittson Trading Post Walhalla ND 1843 Commercial The oldest building in North Dakota. It was constructed by an agent of the American Fur Company.
Fort Nisqually Granary Tacoma WA 1843 Military Oldest building in Washington State. In competition with the circa 1837–1844 Prince's Cabin at the Frenchtown Historic Site in Walla Walla, Washington.
Benjamin Church House Shorewood WI 1843–1844 Residential The oldest extant house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Old Fort Benton Blockhouse Fort Benton MT 1844 Military The oldest building in Montana. It was the last fur trading post on the Upper Missouri River and the terminus of the Mullan Road, the overland route that linked the Missouri and Columbia Rivers.[119]
Wheelock Church Millerton OK 1845 Religious Oldest surviving church in Oklahoma. Formerly the principal congregation of the Choctaw Nation. Added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1972.[120]
Castillo San Felipe del Morro Lighthouse
San Juan PR 1846–1908 Lighthouse First lighthouse built in Puerto Rico. Rebuilt and remodeled over several decades until the U.S. government rebuilt it after annexing Puerto Rico.
Robert Gardner Jr. House Millcreek UT 1848 House It is likely the oldest standing European American structure in the state of Utah, dating to the year of the Mexican Cession of the Alta California region to the United States following the Mexican–American War
Fort Laramie 'Old Bedlam' Building Torrington WY 1849 Military Oldest documented building still standing in Wyoming. It served as a major fur trading post and diplomatic site during the 19th century.
Cataldo Mission Cataldo ID 1853 Mission Oldest standing building in Idaho.
Fagalele Boys School Leone, American Samoa AS 1850–1856 Education Church school built by the London Missionary Society. First school to be built in what is now American Samoa, and possibly the oldest surviving building in the territory.
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort Las Vegas, Nevada NV 1855 Military The oldest American structure in Nevada.[121]
Fort Garland Officer's Quarters and Barracks Fort Garland CO 1858 Military The oldest American buildings still standing in Colorado. In close competition with Four Mile House c. 1859.[121]
Fort Sisseton Britton SD 1864 Military The oldest structures still standing in South Dakota.[122]
Pioneer Courthouse Portland OR 1869–1903 Government Oldest federal building in the Pacific Northwest.
Auditorium Building Chicago IL 1889 Theatre One of the first Chicago skyscrapers built. Currently owned by Roosevelt University.
Manhattan Building (Chicago, Illinois)
Chicago IL 1889–1891 Commercial Oldest surviving skyscraper in the world. Currently residential condominiums.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "History & Culture – Chaco Culture National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  2. ^ "About – taospueblo.com". Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Old Santa Fe: A Brief Review of History, 1536–1912, by James J. Raciti (2003) p. 38
  4. ^ a b Ronance, Kelly (December 16, 2016). "Take a look at 10 of the oldest homes in N.J." The Star-Ledger. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  5. ^ "New Jersey log cabin, believed to be oldest in U.S., is for sale". July 28, 2017.
  6. ^ Historic Churches of America – Page 8, by Nellie Urner Wallington (1907)
  7. ^ Marshfield House Survey https://www.marshfield-ma.gov/historical-commission/pages/house-survey
  8. ^ a b c "Houses". March 20, 2017.
  9. ^ Lathrop, Elsie (2006). Historic Houses of Early America. New York: Kessinger. p. 305.
  10. ^ "Explorers and Settlers (Pennsylvania)". National Park Service. March 22, 2005. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  11. ^ William Thomas Davis, Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth: Part I. Historical Sketch and Titles of Estates. Part II. Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families, Volumes 1-2 (A. Williams, 1887), 177-178
  12. ^ Donna DeFabio Curtin, Plymouth (2011), p. 46
  13. ^ Lathrop, Elsie (2006). Historic Houses of Early America. New York: Kessinger. p. 218.
  14. ^ LOCATING 17TH CENTURY HOMESITES IN DUXBURY: A preliminary Assessment Prepared by Craig S. Chartier, Plymouth Archaeological Rediscovery Project, for The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society
  15. ^ "The Hount House 1641" Thursday August 29, 1968, Duxbury Clipper, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b16b2389772aeb3c1acfbc1/t/5c658bd77817f7b5b388e15a/1550158807829/Hunt%2C+Edmond+1641_1968.08.pdf
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