Bowman Homestead
Why it's listed
A two-and-a-half-story brick house with a gable roof in North Versailles Township, Allegheny County, built beginning in 1846 by George Bowman, who had settled there after moving from the Bowman farms of Lancaster County in the early 1800s. Timber was cut on the property, and the bricks were made from native clay and fired in a kiln Bowman built on his land. The five-bay house has six-over-six windows, a hipped porch across the front, and nine fireplaces. Bowman donated land for the area's first school, and Judge Thomas Mellon, father of financier Andrew Mellon, was a frequent visitor. Rebecca Wauchob Mellon, Andrew Mellon's grandmother and a member of the Donner wagon train, died in the house. It is valued as a rare survivor of the township's nineteenth-century retreat homes, and its mid-nineteenth-century character survives largely intact. The house has remained with the Bowman family, now in its fifth generation of occupants, while its outbuildings have been lost.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the homestead is a well-preserved survivor of the township's nineteenth-century retreat for wealthy Pittsburghers, with its mid-nineteenth-century integrity largely intact in the house and grounds. It is also tied to the Bowman family's local influence, the Mellon family, and the early area school that Bowman's land supported.
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 79003140, listed September 7, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of McKeesport at 3500 The Lane, North Versailles Township, McKeesport |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | September 7, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003140 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George Bowman (builder) |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as excellent; the original barn, carriage house, chicken coops, bake oven and smoke house no longer remain. |
| Acreage | 8.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.37100, -79.82520 (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 79003140.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4951321
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.