Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. 11 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1893.
“Israel Shear House is a historic home located at Ravena in Albany County, New York. It was built about 1810 and is a rectangular heavy timber-frame dwelling on a rubble foundation.”
Wikipedia article Israel Shear House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 234 National Register listings published here for Albany County · listed in 1996 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 142 fires within 5 miles of Israel Shear House between 1992 and 2020, burning about 144 acres in total. 12 started naturally. 21 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 66 |
| Debris and open burning | 21 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 21 |
| Natural | 12 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 8 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 4 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 3 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2007 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 5 September 2012 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 27 September 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 23 September 2014 | Natural | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 23 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 21 September 2011 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 21 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 20 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | NA |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 4,863 specimens collected within 10 miles of Israel Shear House between 1847 and 1975: 3,282 Fungi, 823 Animalia, 612 Plantae, 83 Protozoa, 44 Chromista, 19 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A C. Frederick, A. A. Heller, A.F. Sherf and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Stereum neglectum Peck | 1894 | C. L. Shear | Alcove |
 | Cephalozia media Lindb. | 1898 | Charles H. Peck | near Albany |
 | Phyllosticta innumerabilis Peck | 1847 | C.L. Shear | |
 | Phragmidium speciosum (Fr.) Bonord. | 1855 | Sartwell | E Novo-Eboraco [= New York] |
 | Diphyscium foliosum (Hedw.) D.Mohr | 1862 | Coe F. Austin | Sand Lake. |
 | Leucobryum glaucum (Hedw.) Ångstr. | 1862 | Coe F. Austin | Sand Lake. |
 | Abietinella abietina (Hedw.) M.Fleisch. | 1863 | C. F. Austin | Helderberg Mt. |
 | Anomodon viticulosus (Hedw.) Hook. & Taylor | 1863 | C. F. Austin | Helderberg Mts. |
 | Barbilophozia barbata (Schmidel ex Schreb.) Loeske | 1863 | C. F. Austin | In Mountain localities |
 | Barbula unguiculata Hedw. | 1863 | C. F. Austin | Helderberg Mts. |
 | Brachythecium rutabulum (Hedw.) Schimp. | 1863 | C. H. Peck | Helderberg Mountains |
 | Crossocalyx hellerianus (Nees ex Lindenb.) Meyl. | 1863 | C. F. Austin | Helderberg Mts. |
All 4,863 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Israel Shear House: 7 producers, 5 past producers. 7 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Limestone, General, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coeymans Clay Pit | Clay | Producer | ||
| Coeymans Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Aquetuck Limestone Quarry | Limestone, General | Producer | Limestone | |
| New Baltimore Limestone Quarry | Limestone, General | Producer | Limestone | |
| Ravena Quarry | Limestone, General | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| South Bethlehem Limestone Quarry | Limestone, General | Producer | Limestone | |
| Aquetuck Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| East Nassau Sandstone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | Sedimentary | |
| New Baltimore Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Ravenna Quarry & Cement Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ravena, the town this property stands in, in 18 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 13 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 hail. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Ravena | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Ravena | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | $11,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Lightning | Ravena | $10,000 | Lightning from a thunderstorm struck the roof of a house in Ravena. Three fire companies responded quickly, and contained the fire to the attic with minimal damage. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | $4,000 | no account filed |
| September 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | Trees and wires were downed throughout the Village of Ravena including on Oakbrook Manor, Woodlawn Drive, U.S. Route 9W, Ridge Road and Orchard Avenue. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | A tree was leaning on wires at Oakbrook Manor along Route 9W in Ravena. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | Wires were reported down in Ravena. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | Wires were reported down near Ravena. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | Wires were downed on NYS Route 9W. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | Wires downed on New York State Route 9W. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | Tree down at Winnie Ave and Dempster Street. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | A tree and power pole was downed on Martins Hill Road in Ravena due to thunderstorm winds. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravena | - | Numerous tree limbs were reported down due to thunderstorm winds in Ravena. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Ravena | - | Nickel size hail was reported during a thunderstorm in Ravena. |
| September 2004 | Flash Flood | Ravena | - | Route 9W flooded. Overflowing storm drains forced partial evacuation of the Four Seasons Mobile Home Park. Other flooding was reported at the Parkside Manor Trailer Park. |
United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | District School No. 7 | 0.1 miles | 1996 |
| C. Van Der Zee House | 1.0 miles | 2002 | |
 | Valley Paper Mill Chimney and Site | 1.3 miles | 2004 |
 | Alcove Historic District | 1.4 miles | 1980 |
| Van derzee, Cornelius and Agnietje House | 2.2 miles | 2005 | |
| Fletcher Blaisdell Farm Complex | 5.0 miles | 2001 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 96001436 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Albany County | All 234 listed properties in this county. |
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