{"nrhp_refnum":"79002370","name":"Willis House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"135 Willis Run Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"York","county":"York County","state":"PA","lat":39.972411008500046,"lon":-76.73730740121997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-04-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two and one-half story brick house built in 1762 on a farmstead near a large spring on the northern edge of York City, York County, Pennsylvania, with the ruins of a stone barn on the same property.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is one of York County's best examples of English Georgian architecture, in contrast to the prevailing local Germanic building traditions. Its builder, William Willis, was a mason who worked on early county buildings and a Quaker meeting house, and the house is described as possibly the first brick house in the York area. The nomination also cites the family's association with the underground railroad.","narrative":"Built in 1762 on a rise near a large spring north of York, this two and one-half story brick house was made by William Willis, a mason who also made the bricks himself. Its Flemish bond walls, steep roof, large gable-end chimneys, and a basement kitchen reflect the English Georgian style, which differed from the prevailing local Germanic architecture of the time. Glazed headers in the west gable spell out W W 1762. Willis was a Quaker who worked on the county courthouse, a county jail, and the York Friends Meeting House. The house is regarded as one of the best examples of this style in York County and is associated with the Willis family, including Samuel Willis, who was linked to the underground railroad in the mid-1800s. Its interior retains original floorboards, chair rails, and door frames in many rooms, and the house is described as among the earliest brick houses in the area.","period_of_significance":"1762","architect_builder":"William Willis","architectural_style":"English Georgian","criteria":[],"status_note":"The description states the building is in fair condition and is being restored by the city of York; a fire damaged some flooring and one fireplace was bricked up.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:31.010653-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/79002370.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002370/78055aff9e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002370/78055aff9e-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Paul Galbreath","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willis_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul Galbreath</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willis_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71998842","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_House_(York,_Pennsylvania)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8022070"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/york-county/willis-house-79002370/"}