{"nrhp_refnum":"78002474","name":"Griffey, Benjamin, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"W of Allenwood on PA 44","address_restricted":false,"city":"Allenwood","county":"Union County","state":"PA","lat":41.12181266600004,"lon":-76.96511748999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-09-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-and-a-half-story, five-bay brick house with stucco covering, set behind a formal garden with an L-shaped rear extension, near Allenwood in Union County, Pennsylvania. It was built circa 1886 by local builder Benjamin Griffey as his own residence.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is one of the finest rural Victorian houses in Union County, citing its elaborate trim, interior woodwork and craftsmanship as evidence of Griffey's skill as a builder. It also links the property to Griffey's earlier mill and woolen mill work and to Helen Fairchild, a nurse who died serving in France in World War I.","narrative":"Built around 1886 by local builder Benjamin Griffey as his own residence, this two-and-a-half-story brick house is finished in smooth stucco and set back from the road behind a formal square garden. A two-story bay window with three facings dominates the front, flanked by decorative porches, and the windows have rounded arches. Inside, the hall holds a staircase rising to the attic, the living room has 15-foot ceilings and a molded center, and the doors and woodwork are walnut. Griffey had earlier rebuilt the White Deer grist mill after an 1850 fire and built the White Deer Woolen Mills, which supplied blankets to Union soldiers during the Civil War. The house passed through a daughter to the Fairchild family, and Helen Fairchild, who grew up there, became a local figure after she died serving at the Front in France during World War I. It is regarded as one of the finest rural Victorian houses in the county.","period_of_significance":"circa 1886","architect_builder":"Benjamin Griffey (builder)","architectural_style":"Victorian","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The house is in fair condition, with rotted porches, fallen spoutings and a foundation needing attention.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.259071-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/78002474.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002474/c1dae902c5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002474/c1dae902c5-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_Griffey_House.png\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown authorUnknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_Griffey_House.png"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994495","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Griffey_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4888729"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/union-county/griffey-benjamin-house-78002474/"}