{"nrhp_refnum":"81000554","name":"Priestley, Dr. Joseph, House","other_names":["Cross Keys Inn","Priestley-Forsyth Memorial Library"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"100 King St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Northumberland","county":"Northumberland County","state":"PA","lat":40.889069214000074,"lon":-76.79322861099996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1981-09-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Federal-style brick building in Northumberland, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, built in several stages from about 1810-1820 onward and originally operated as a tavern before being remodeled as a home and later used as a public library.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant for its architecture, including its Federal design, Italianate brackets, Palladium window and Victorian detailing, and for its role as a tavern serving travelers and the community from about 1810 to 1864. It also cites the association with several local owners, including Dr. Joseph Priestley, a physician and civic figure, and the building's later use as a library.","narrative":"Built in stages beginning around 1810 to 1820, this brick building in Northumberland combines Federal design with later Italianate and Victorian details. Its walls are twelve-inch solid brick on a stone foundation, and it has eight fireplaces, a wooden arch in the main first-floor room, etched glass in the foyer and a large Palladium window. From about 1810 to 1864 it operated as a tavern called the Cross Keys Inn, on the Danville highway near the river and the railroad, serving stagecoach passengers, drivers and local residents. Dr. Joseph Priestley, a physician who practiced in Northumberland for about forty years, bought the property in 1864 and remodeled it as his home and medical office. His family kept it until 1926, when it was presented to the town as a library in memory of the Priestley family. The nomination regards its architecture and its long connection to travel, medicine and civic life as the main reasons for its importance.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The building was given to the people of Northumberland in 1926 for use as a library; the document describes it as generally very well preserved.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:34.5805-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/81000554.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/81000554/f5ea6a4b40-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/81000554/f5ea6a4b40-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Ruhrfisch (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Priestley-Forsyth_Memorial_Library.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Ruhrfisch (talk)</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:Priestley-Forsyth_Memorial_Library.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"88002313","name":"Northumberland Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/northumberland-historic-district-88002313/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71996824","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestley-Forsyth_Memorial_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3402881"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/northumberland-county/priestley-dr-joseph-house-81000554/"}