Littell, David, House
Why it's listed
Built of red brick laid in common bond on a dressed stone foundation, the two-story house in rural Hanover Township has a five-bay, center-hall plan, six-over-six windows and paired interior end chimneys. It was completed in 1851 by the builders Hayward and Cain, whose names are recorded in a letter dated 1849. Its recessed front entry, with a transom and sidelights, and a tripartite window on the second floor are unusual for the region. Most of the interior remains intact, including original plaster, floors, baseboards and four-panel doors, and five of the original six mantels survive. The house was built by David Littell, who ran a tanning business on the property from at least 1819 until about 1860. Tanning pits, a grinding stone and the foundations of three earlier Littell houses remain on the land. The house is significant as a rare survivor of mid-century rural construction in Hanover Township, where few nineteenth-century buildings retain comparable integrity.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a locally significant example of mid-nineteenth century architecture with modest Greek Revival influence and a high degree of original integrity. Its atypical recessed entry and tripartite center hall window, and the documented builders Hayward and Cain, are cited as distinguishing features. The property also preserves physical evidence of the Littell family's farming and tanning activities from the late eighteenth to mid-nineteenth century.
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 86002886, listed October 31, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | PA 18, Hookstown |
|---|---|
| County | Beaver County |
| Listed | October 31, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002886 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1851 |
| Architect / builder | Hayward & Cain (builders) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival influence, vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Well-preserved, with original interior plaster, floors, woodwork and most mantels; gable roof and slate roofing date from later alterations. |
| Acreage | 23.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.55606, -80.40321 (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 86002886.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5236663
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.