Gilfillan Farm
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Set beside U.S. Route 19 in Upper St. Clair Township, the Gilfillan Farm is a complete working farmstead built around a two-story, three-bay red brick farmhouse finished in 1857 by John Gilfillan II, grandson of an early settler. Its transomed Greek Revival doorway has ruby and frosted glass sidelights, and the interior retains white pine moulding, paneled doors and marble and slate mantels. Behind the house stand a brick wash house, a brick smoke house dated by an incised brick to 1862, and a stone spring house that predates the main house. The 1868 frame barn, built of local oak, still houses livestock and crops are still grown on the grounds. The farm is valued as a rare survival of the rural agricultural character of the area, which has otherwise given way to suburban development on both sides of the highway.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is a rare surviving example of a once-common rural Allegheny County farmstead, now surrounded by suburban development. It is described as the only complete original farm complex remaining in the township, and its late Greek Revival farmhouse with Victorian elements is presented as typical of prosperous mid-nineteenth-century farms in the region.
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 79002155, listed November 20, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1950 Washington Rd., Upper St. Clair Township, Bridgeville |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | November 20, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002155 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | John Gilfillan II (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Greek Revival with Victorian elements |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All buildings are still in use and described as in excellent, well-preserved condition. |
| Acreage | 15 |
| Coordinates | 40.34224, -80.06422 (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 79002155.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5561760
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.