{"nrhp_refnum":"92001000","name":"Damascus Historic District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Roughly, PA 371 from Galilee Rd. to the Delaware R. and adjacent part of Rt. 63027 S of PA 371","address_restricted":false,"city":"Damascus","county":"Wayne County","state":"PA","lat":41.71019674650003,"lon":-75.07224155184971,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1992-08-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A historic district of nineteenth and early twentieth century residences, churches, a school, cemeteries and a former store along the Delaware River and the old Newburgh-Cochecton-Great Bend Turnpike at Damascus, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The district is shaped like a reversed L with the river forming its base.","why_significant":"The district is argued to be significant for its development around the Turnpike, completed in 1810, which linked the Hudson and Susquehanna and crossed the Delaware at Damascus. It is also significant for its concentration of distinctive nineteenth and early twentieth century architecture, including Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Tuscan Villa and Renaissance Revival buildings, many of which retain their historic integrity.","narrative":"Damascus is a village of nineteenth and early twentieth century houses, churches and a former store set on a steep slope above the Delaware River in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Its growth followed the Newburgh-Cochecton-Great Bend Turnpike, begun in 1801 and completed to the Susquehanna by 1810. Where the road crossed the Delaware, a busy community formed, with a general store and a blacksmith shop among its enterprises. The district is valued for its concentration of buildings from the 1810 to 1942 period. The Philip O'Reilly House, built around 1840, has Greek Revival detailing including an enclosed pediment and formal entrance. The Luther Appley House, from about 1850, is the only Tuscan Villa style building in the river valley, with a three-story corner tower. The Damascus Baptist Church, originally built around 1832 and remodeled in 1874 in Renaissance Revival style, is a notable landmark. The Vail & Appley Store, dating from about 1860, has a two-story bay window with colored glass. The surviving Turnpike route is among the features that link the village to its transportation history.","period_of_significance":"1810-1942","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Tuscan Villa, Colonial Revival, Renaissance Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Most contributing buildings retain enough integrity to be identified with the period of significance; some have lost integrity and are in fair condition. The Vail & Appley Store has been used for residential purposes since the 1980s.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:37.714125-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/92001000.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92001000/e17c9a34df-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92001000/e17c9a34df-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Vonsky87","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Damascus_Hist_Dist,_PA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Vonsky87</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Damascus_Hist_Dist,_PA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75315461","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5212027"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/wayne-county/damascus-historic-district-92001000/"}