{"nrhp_refnum":"76001631","name":"Griffith, William R., House","other_names":["Cathedral House","Cathedral House of St. Stephen`s Episcopal C"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"215 N. Front St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Harrisburg","county":"Dauphin County","state":"PA","lat":40.26053119800008,"lon":-76.88564660399999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-10-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick Greek Revival town house in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on Lot 62 of John Harris's town plan, near the Susquehanna River front in Old Midtown. It was built in 1840-1843 and later known as Cathedral House.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a fine example of the urban Georgian plan as used in Central Pennsylvania, with simple but well-crafted design that reflects its local setting. It is also tied to the building boom after the state government moved to the Old Capitol. Its interior and entranceway are described as largely original.","narrative":"Built of brick in Harrisburg between 1840 and 1843, this three-bay Greek Revival town house stands on a narrow urban lot near the Susquehanna River, in the area known as Old Midtown. It was built for William R. and Eliza Griffith, and an 1843 city directory lists William R. Griffith as living there. The house is attributed to Stephen Hills, a master carpenter who had renovated the Dauphin County Courthouse for state capitol use. Its main entrance has a pilastered doorway, and the interior retains a side hall, reception and living rooms, and a stair with an ornate baluster. The house is also associated with the period after state government moved to the Old Capitol. Its plan follows the urban Georgian layout, and its plain but carefully made woodwork is considered typical of its local setting. A 1950 restoration removed the front veranda and moved the portico to the front facade. The building was a private residence until 1915, later a rectory, and now contains classrooms.","period_of_significance":"1840-1843","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Used as classrooms; the house was a private residence until 1915, then used as a rectory until 1960.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.258743-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/76001631.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001631/876b148eb2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001631/876b148eb2-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_R._Griffith_House_Nov_10.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_R._Griffith_House_Nov_10.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"76001632","name":"Harrisburg Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/harrisburg-historic-district-76001632/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71995771","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_R._Griffith_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8017212"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/dauphin-county/griffith-william-r-house-76001631/"}