Central Norristown Historic District

Norristown's central district lies on a hill and valleys north of the Schuylkill River and combines the Montgomery County courthouse square, the borough's Main Street business district, mills, churches and housing in one connected area of roughly forty blocks. Its development follows county government from 1784, when the county was formed and a 27 1/2 acre seat was set aside, and the borough's growth after its 1812 incorporation. Industry grew along Stoney Creek and Saw Mill Run, served by the Schuylkill Canal, the Reading Railroad and trolley lines from the 1880s. The district holds Greek Revival houses, Italianate villas and rows, and late Victorian mansions, including the 1849 Corson-Highly House and the 1893 McInnes House. Its architecture is cited as evidence of the town's economic and ethnic diversity, and the district's buildings have largely kept their original form.