Kerr, Thomas R., Dr., House and Office
Why it's listed
Built in the late 1890s in Oakmont, a Pittsburgh-area borough incorporated in 1889, the Kerr House is a two-and-a-half-story brick veneer dwelling with an asymmetrical plan, a wraparound porch, a steeply pitched hip roof with cross gables, and large double-hung sash windows. The design is attributed to D.I. Kuhn, whose practice is little documented, and the nomination suggests he may have worked from a period pattern book. Interior features include original hardwood floors with inlays, pocket doors, several fireplaces, and a rear service wing with a pantry, kitchen, and service stairs. Dr. Thomas R. Kerr erected a separate office building to the rear of the lot in 1905 so that his medical practice could be kept apart from family life. Its exterior has brackets, a canted bay, and a Palladian window. The Kerr family owned the property for nearly a century, which kept the house largely intact. It is listed for its architecture as a well-preserved example of its type.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an unusually well-preserved and unaltered example of middle-class Queen Anne inspired housing in Oakmont, with original interior woodwork, hardwood floors with inlays, and pocket doors. It also argues the rear office building is an especially well-preserved example of a small professional office outbuilding, a building type that rarely survives. Survival is attributed largely to continuous ownership by one family.
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 03000885, listed September 2, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 438 Fourth St., Oakmont |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | September 2, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000885 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1897-1905 |
| Architect / builder | D.I. Kuhn (architect) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operated as a house museum following the Kerr family ownership. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.51728, -79.84036 (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 03000885.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304441
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.