{"nrhp_refnum":"78002366","name":"Thompson, Gen. John, House","other_names":["Plum Bottom"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"E. Branch Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"State College","county":"Centre County","state":"PA","lat":40.79047400800005,"lon":-77.83196884199998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-03-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, three-bay limestone and sandstone farmhouse with a two-story stone and frame kitchen ell, on Slab Cabin Branch near State College in Centre County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1813-1814 by General John Thompson and his wife Elizabeth on the Plum Bottom farm.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a typical Georgian farmhouse of rural Pennsylvania with unusual mixed sandstone and limestone wall construction, and that it is tied to early county settlement and transportation. It also points to the connection of the Thompson family with local education, the iron industry and county roads.","narrative":"Built in 1813-1814 by General John Thompson and his wife Elizabeth on Slab Cabin Branch in what is now College Township, this two-story, three-bay farmhouse is built of limestone and sandstone, with walls two feet thick. Its plan follows the Georgian farmhouse pattern common in rural Pennsylvania, with a central hall dividing two rooms on each floor. The stone is laid in a mixture of both types throughout the walls, with the facade sandstone up to the second story and limestone above, a combination the nomination describes as unusual in Centre County. Interior features include original forged-iron hardware, yellow pine floors, built-in cupboards flanking the fireplaces, and a stair with unusual construction details. Thompson was a justice of the peace from 1811 and an elected major general of the militia from 1829. His son Moses later became a major figure in the county's iron industry and transportation projects. The house was listed for its architecture and its association with early county settlement.","period_of_significance":"1813-1814","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Georgian farmhouse","criteria":[],"status_note":"The house stands in excellent condition, with a restored summer kitchen and a family room addition from 1958-1959.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.738776-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/78002366.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002366/7102b1d38c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002366/7102b1d38c-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Ruhrfisch","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gen._John_Thompson_House_1.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Ruhrfisch</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gen._John_Thompson_House_1.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71998272","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gen._John_Thompson_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5530812"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/centre-county/thompson-gen-john-house-78002366/"}