{"nrhp_refnum":"78002396","name":"Bonifels","other_names":["Elk County Country Club"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"W of Ridgway off Laurel Mill Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ridway","county":"Elk County","state":"PA","lat":41.41985534200006,"lon":-78.75458440599994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-12-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Bonifels is a large two-and-a-half-story stone mansion on a hilltop overlooking the town of Ridgway, Elk County, Pennsylvania. It was built as the home of Norman T. Arnold in the late 1800s, with the nomination dating its construction to 1898-1900.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an impressive example of the elaborate castle-type mansions built in the late 1800s, with rusticated stone walls and towers giving it a castle-like massiveness. It is also associated with Norman T. Arnold, a lawyer turned businessman and real estate and coal investor who was active in local civic and church life. The property is listed for its social and humanitarian associations.","narrative":"Bonifels is a two-and-a-half-story mansion of rusticated stone on a hilltop above Ridgway, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Its T-shaped plan includes one-story wings at the inner corners, hipped roofs with dormers, a conical tower and a crenellated square tower, and stone chimneys matching the walls. A Palladian window sits in the third-story gable, and the windows have heavy stone lintels and sills. Built around 1898 to 1900 as the home of Norman T. Arnold, it was constructed on land he had purchased west of Ridgway for his Mountain Park Farm. Arnold had practiced law in Ridgway before moving into real estate and coal investments, including large land holdings in Jay Township. The house is regarded as a fine example of the elaborate castle-type mansions of the late nineteenth century. Arnold is remembered for his support of the Y.M.C.A. and the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ridgway, which is the main basis for its social significance. The structure is currently vacant.","period_of_significance":"1898-1900","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The structure is vacant but in good condition, with much of the original interior woodwork remaining in place.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.573684-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/78002396.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002396/4cd5fdacb3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002396/4cd5fdacb3-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonifels_Apr_10.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonifels_Apr_10.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997996","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonifels","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4942014"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/elk-county/bonifels-78002396/"}