Fairfield Historic District
Why it's listed
Fairfield is a small market town of brick, stone and frame buildings laid out on a main street and cross-street grid in Adams County, Pennsylvania. Its centre was built around the 1797 stone manor house of John Miller, and most of the historic buildings date from the late 18th century through the first half of the 19th century, with Greek Revival forms and later Italianate and Gothic detailing. In the summer of 1863 the town was occupied by Confederate forces during the Gettysburg campaign. Wounded Union cavalrymen were cared for in local homes after a skirmish on July 3, and a Confederate field hospital was set up on the nearby Daniel Musselman farm. The town was then the collection point for the Confederate retreat on July 4 and 5. The surviving streetscape, farm setting and buildings associated with the wounded and the retreat are the basis for listing.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under Criterion A for its association with the Confederate retreat route after the Battle of Gettysburg and for hospital sites used during and after the battle, including a Confederate field hospital on the Daniel Musselman farm. It is significant under Criterion C as a concentration of late 18th to early 20th century residential, social and commercial buildings that retain much of their 1863 appearance.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00000518, listed May 18, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Landis Dr., Steelman St., Wortz Dr., and NW border Fairfield Borough, Fairfield |
|---|---|
| County | Adams County |
| Listed | May 18, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000518 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1797-1950 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th century/Greek Revival; Late Victorian/Italianate; Late Victorian/Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Military |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 169.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.79528, -77.36873 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00000518.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5430297
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.