Fairfield Inn
Also known as: The Mansion House; Fairfield Hotel
Why it's listed
Fairfield Inn is a complex of five connected sections in Fairfield, Adams County, Pennsylvania, beginning with a stone farmhouse built in 1757 and followed by a stone gable house completed in 1801 and a larger stone and log section added in the late 18th century. A third-storey-tall stone wing dated to 1823 was built onto the western side, and a two-storey brick-and-timber hyphen connects the early sections. The 1823 wing was opened as the James Wilson Tavern, a stagecoach stop on the old York-Hagerstown Pike, and the building operated as an inn until recently. Its interior retains fine woodwork, including chair rail, mantels and cupboards, and the structure is valued for showing how a building grew across more than six decades. The property descends from John Miller, who acquired the land in 1755. His son, Squire William Miller, laid out the town that became Fairfield in 1801. The site was occupied by Confederate officers during the Gettysburg campaign.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is architecturally significant as an example of a complex of five distinct sections built at various times, with fine woodwork, chair rail, cupboards and mantels. It also cites its associations with the Miller family, a Federalist state senator and Revolutionary War captain, the Maria Furnace Iron Works, Civil War occupation by Confederate officers, and a claimed Underground Railroad link.
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 73001583, listed April 2, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Fairfield |
|---|---|
| County | Adams County |
| Listed | April 2, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001583 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1757, 1801, 1823 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In the process of being restored and will once again operate as an Inn. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.78251, -77.36318 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 73001583.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5430313
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.