Heller–Wagner Grist Mill

Posted by on Aug 13, 2026 in | Comments Off on Heller–Wagner Grist Mill   It’s a common misconception that all places in the National Register are of national significance; however, many sites and buildings have been listed for their local importance as well. The Heller–Wagner Grist Mill, listed in August 2025, is an example of one such place. The mill was built around 1764 by Simon Heller, whose family named the town where the mill still stands today,...
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Clayton-Frick Art Museum

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Clayton-Frick Art Museum   In 1882, Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919), the wealthy industrialist famed for his patronage of the arts and violent opposition to organized labor, purchased an Italianate-style house on Pittsburgh’s “Millionaire’s Row.” He christened the property “Clayton” and hired prominent Pittsburgh architect Frederick J. Osterling (1865–1934) to expand the building, converting it into a grand French...
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Bath Crossroads Historic District

Posted by on Jan 14, 2026 in | Comments Off on Bath Crossroads Historic District Nearly 40 years before the United States declared its independence from Great Britain, the quaint village of Bath began to emerge in Northampton County, just 8 miles north of Bethlehem. Thanks to recent local preservation efforts by the Bath Borough’s Historic Architectural Review Board, approximately 34 acres of the original crossroads village is now listed in the National Register of Historic...
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Hanauer Rosenberg Residence

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on Hanauer Rosenberg Residence Nestled in Pittsburgh’s Deutschtown neighborhood, an unassuming rowhouse was once the home of Pauline Hanauer Rosenberg (1863–1940), a leader of Progressive Era reform movements and founding member of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), the first nationwide Jewish women’s organization. Rosenberg was born into a German Jewish family in Allegheny City (now part of Pittsburgh). She and her...
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The Continental Building

Posted by on Aug 29, 2025 in | Comments Off on The Continental Building As Pennsylvania prepares for the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, much attention will be given to Independence Hall and the surrounding mall in Philadelphia. But it’s not only these colonial buildings that deserve our attention. In the adjacent blocks stand several significant modernist structures worth noting, too. One such example, the Continental Building, was listed in the...
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Irish-Townsend House

Posted by on Jun 11, 2025 in | Comments Off on Irish-Townsend House In 2021, members of the New Brighton Historical Society (NBHS) learned that the asking price on the Irish-Townsend House had been slashed by 50 percent. The historic building had been sitting empty and deteriorating for years, and its out-of-state owner wanted to sell. Mike Spratt, president of NBHS, took the walkthrough with the realtor. “The [NBHS] leadership team was amazed how much of the...
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Margaret Esherick House

Posted by on Feb 24, 2025 in | Comments Off on Margaret Esherick House Nestled to the east of Chestnut Hill’s Pastouris Park in Philadelphia, along a quiet cul-de-sac, sits an architectural masterpiece that exudes the International style, popular in the mid-20th century. Completed in 1962 by prolific architect Louis Kahn (1901–74), best known for his institutional works, in collaboration with prominent artist Wharton Esherick (1887–1970), this one-bedroom,...
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Painter’s Folly

Posted by on Oct 21, 2024 in | Comments Off on Painter’s Folly Located in the heart of the Brandywine Valley, Painter’s Folly — along with the surrounding historic sites and landscapes — has inspired generations of artists. Today, thanks to an effort led by Chadds Ford Township, the building has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The building’s unique name is not related to its association with the famous Brandywine School of artists...
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The First Baptist Church of Germantown

Posted by on Aug 9, 2024 in | Comments Off on The First Baptist Church of Germantown The First Baptist Church of Germantown, now operating as the Polite Temple Baptist Church, at 40 East Price Street in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 2023, for the significance of its social and ethnic history and its architecture. The Greek Revival building was designed in 1852 by Philadelphia architect Samuel...
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The Frantz One-Room Schoolhouse

Posted by on Mar 27, 2024 in | Comments Off on The Frantz One-Room Schoolhouse   Set in the rural woodlands and farm fields of Eldred Township, Monroe County, the Frantz One-Room Schoolhouse served as a school for about 90 years, from its construction circa 1855 until 1945. In fall 2022 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of the important role such one-room schools played in public education in Pennsylvania and the dedication of...
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