{"nrhp_refnum":"74001806","name":"Old Main, California State College","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"California State College campus","address_restricted":false,"city":"California","county":"Washington County","state":"PA","lat":40.066006591000075,"lon":-79.88533220999994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-05-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Old Main is a cruciform brick building, with a sandstone foundation, in California, Washington County, Pennsylvania, that served as the main administration building of California State College. It was constructed in 1868-1870 and has two corner towers flanking a central entrance.","why_significant":"The nomination argues that Old Main is significant for its architecture, as a fine example of Romanesque Revival style that is rarely found in southwestern Pennsylvania. It also cites its long role as a center of education, from its use by South-Western Normal College through its service to California State College.","narrative":"Old Main is a brick building with a dressed blue sandstone foundation, built in 1868-1870 in a cruciform plan and designed by Barr and Moser of Pittsburgh. Its main wing has a central entrance with a verandah of semicircular arches on Corinthian columns, flanked by two towers roughly 90 feet high with pyramidal roofs of variegated slate. The second floor holds a chapel seating 1000 people. Upon completion it housed offices, classrooms, a chapel and a dormitory for South-Western Normal College, which later became California State College. The building served as the college's main administration building from 1870 until 1971. It is regarded as a fine example of Romanesque Revival architecture, a style rarely seen in southwestern Pennsylvania. Its significance rests on that architecture and on its long role in education. Alterations include an 1899 verandah addition and the 1968-1969 removal of the northeast section of the main wing, which left the building T-shaped.","period_of_significance":"1868-1870","architect_builder":"Barr and Moser of Pittsburgh (architects)","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The building was restored by the Alumni Association after new classroom and administration buildings were constructed, and the 1968-1969 razing of the northeast portion of the main wing altered its original cruciform shape.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.338456-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/74001806.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001806/16caf41839-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001806/16caf41839-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Wjmoore17","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CalOldMain.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Wjmoore17</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CalOldMain.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994885","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Main_(California_University_of_Pennsylvania)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15263818"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/washington-county/old-main-california-state-college-74001806/"}