Wirts House
Why it's listed
Located in Straban Township near Gettysburg, the Wirts House is a two-story, side-gabled wood frame dwelling on a rubble stone foundation, with a Federal-style character. Its oldest section is thought to date from about 1765, when John McCarroll's settlement on the Black's Gap Road was established. Jacob Wirts bought the 283-acre property in 1786 and enlarged the house with a back building, and he operated a tavern there from 1787 until his death in 1805. Later additions around 1825 to 1830 gave the house its present L-shaped plan. Most of the interior is described as original. Its significance rests on its architecture, including the building's log and frame construction, its symmetrical three-bay front, and its surviving historic features, which make it relatively intact among surveyed Straban Township buildings.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to contain a section dating to about 1765 and to have served for decades as a tavern stand on the colonial-era Black's Gap Road. It is considered relatively intact compared with many Adams County buildings surveyed in 1980, and its interior is described as largely retaining original features.
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 91002010, listed January 22, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 798 Schrivers Corner Rd. (PA 394), Straban Township, Gettysburg |
|---|---|
| County | Adams County |
| Listed | January 22, 1992 |
| Reference number | 91002010 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1765 - ca. 1830 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Dwelling with modern porches and chimney added in 1988; the document does not state its current use. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 39.89605, -77.19913 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 91002010.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8027035
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.