Carson, Rachel, House
Why it's listed
Frame farmhouse on a stone basement in Springdale, overlooking the Allegheny River, built around 1870 and altered by later additions. Rachel Carson, the biologist and author, was born here in 1907 and lived here until she was 22, and the house is regarded as the formative setting of her early life. The original house is four bays wide with a double entrance, chimneys at each end and multipaned windows, and the interior keeps plain plaster walls, wood floors and simple trim. The nomination links the house to her later work, especially Silent Spring, published in 1962, which drew attention to the dangers of pesticides and pollutants. Because her career was mostly in federal government service, the house is the only site directly tied to her life and work. Its listing was intended to secure its recognition and protection, and the Rachel Carson Homestead Association planned to restore it as a memorial and ecology library.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the house is the only site directly associated with Carson's life and work, since her career was spent largely in government service. It stresses her childhood home as an influence on her outlook and her 1962 book Silent Spring, which it credits with starting a movement toward environmental safety. The house is also presented as a plain, well-preserved example of mid-19th-century farmhouse construction.
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 76001601, listed October 22, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 613 Marion Ave., Springdale |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | October 22, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001601 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907-1929 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular, plain farm house |
| Areas of significance | Conservation, Science, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Purchased and being restored and operated by the Rachel Carson Homestead Association, with plans for use as an ecology library, land laboratory and memorabilia repository. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.54660, -79.78341 (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 76001601.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7279187
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.