This 1791 upstate home may have inspired the White House — and helped deliver slaves to freedom
A historic 1791 home in Brunswick, NY, known as 'The White House,' has been listed for sale at $595,000. This Greek Revival estate is believed to have inspired the design of the White House in Washington, D.C., and is rumored to have connections to the Underground Railroad. The property features original architectural elements and hidden passageways that may have been used for both loyalist escapes and aiding runaway slaves.
- ▪The estate was built by John Melchoir File, a British loyalist who fought in the Revolutionary War.
- ▪It is one of the earliest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the Northeast, predating the White House by about a year.
- ▪Family lore suggests that the home's basement tunnels were used for both British soldiers' escapes and later for the Underground Railroad.
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Real Estate exclusive This 1791 upstate home may have inspired the White House — and helped deliver slaves to freedom By Mary K. Jacob Published May 19, 2026, 4:19 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google It is older than the White House, built by a British loyalist who fought against the very country that would eventually claim it as a symbol, and buried beneath its floors are brick passageways that may have sheltered both redcoats and runaway slaves. The circa 1791 Greek Revival estate at 1569 Hoosick Road in Brunswick, NY — known locally as “The White House” — just hit the market at $595,000 through listing agents Anthony D’Argenzio and Brittany Craig of Houlihan Lawrence, The Post has learned.
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