{"nrhp_refnum":"85000606","name":"Nicholson House and Inn","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"4838 W. Ridge Rd., Millcreek Township","address_restricted":false,"city":"Erie","county":"Erie County","state":"PA","lat":42.07045249300006,"lon":-80.18459086699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-02-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Exploration/Settlement"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The Nicholson House is a brick inn and tavern in Erie County, Pennsylvania, built in 1825 with brick made from clay dug on the site. It was originally the Nicholson Inn, later a farm supply and general store, and then a trolley stop.","why_significant":"The nomination argues that the house is a rare surviving early inn and tavern in Erie County, with Federal-style interior features such as the open staircase and mantels. It also argues that the house is significant for its association with the Nicholson family, pioneers of the region, and for its role in travel and commerce along the Ridge Road and the Erie Extension Canal.","narrative":"Built in 1825 of brick made from clay dug on the site, the Nicholson House is a two-story inn with an attic, set on stone foundations with hewn log beams. It replaced an earlier inn opened by John Nicholson in 1809 when that building became too small. The house served travellers moving between the Ridge Road and the Erie Extension Canal, and it was a stopping point for immigrants heading from Buffalo through Erie toward the Ohio valley in the 1840s and 1850s. It was also used as a post station from 1842 to 1857. Its interior retains Federal-style features, including mantels carved by local craftsman John Pherrin, original doors with raised panels, and an open staircase. The house is regarded as one of the few surviving early inns in the county that remains close to its original condition. Its association with John Nicholson, a pioneer who laid out roads at Presque Isle, and his widow Isabella, adds to its importance.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"William & James Hoskinson (builders); John Pherrin (carver of mantels)","architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied as a home by descendants of the Nicholson family.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:33.284394-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/85000606.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000606/537090c932-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000606/537090c932-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicholson_House_and_Inn_Apr_13.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicholson_House_and_Inn_Apr_13.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71995543","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholson_House_and_Inn","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7026621"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/erie-county/nicholson-house-and-inn-85000606/"}