House at 200 West North Avenue
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 at the northwest corner of North Avenue and Arch Street in Allegheny City, now part of Pittsburgh's North Side, this three-story brick house is a Queen Anne townhouse with a conical-roofed circular bay at its southeast corner. Its asymmetrical massing, ribbed chimneys, stained glass, gable dormers and elaborate wood porch set it apart from the plainer Victorian rowhouses beside it. Inside, a central hall, detailed woodwork, transomed French doors, marbleized mantels and an intact tiled kitchen survive largely unaltered. Jasper M. Porter, an executive with the Savage Fire-Brick Company, owned it from 1887 to 1903, and the house is regarded as showing how prosperous businessmen of Allegheny displayed success through architecture. Its corner turret is an unusual Queen Anne feature in a row of attached houses, and its interior integrity is rare in a district where most houses were subdivided. The building is currently being restored and converted to a bed and breakfast inn.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of Pittsburgh's best examples of a Queen Anne townhouse, with an exceptionally intact interior. Its corner turret is an unusual use of a Queen Anne feature in a row of attached houses. It is also linked to the business life of Allegheny, as the home of a fire-brick company executive.
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 86000305, listed February 27, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 200 W. North Ave., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | February 27, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000305 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Being restored and converted to a bed and breakfast inn. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Mexican War Streets Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 40.45701, -80.00875 (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 86000305.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914073
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.