Broad Avenue Historic District
Why it's listed
Eight blocks of Broad Avenue on the southeast side of Altoona form a mostly residential district of houses built mainly between 1880 and the early twentieth century. Streetcar service, begun in 1882, made the avenue a sought-after address for merchants, professionals and railroad executives. Its architecture is varied, with Colonial Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne houses predominating, along with Dutch Colonial, Richardsonian Romanesque and Late Gothic Revival examples. The Beezer Brothers, who opened an office in Altoona in 1892, designed many of the larger houses, including the paired mirror-image residences at 2500 and 2502 Broad Avenue. Attorney Edward H. Flick developed a stretch between 24th and 26th Streets with high-style townhouses. The district is valued for its concentration of well-preserved houses and churches that document the city's residential growth.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under Criterion C for architecture. It is described as the earliest streetcar-oriented development in Altoona and contains a wide range of turn-of-the-century styles, including many architect-designed homes by the Beezer Brothers. Its houses are regarded as some of the finest turn-of-the-century homes in the city.
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 02000806, listed July 25, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly along Broad Ave., from 23rd to 31st Sts., Altoona |
|---|---|
| County | Blair County |
| Listed | July 25, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000806 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1880-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Beezer Brothers |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival; Italianate; Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied residential neighborhood with some mixed commercial and residential conversions; the document states a high level of building occupancy and historic integrity. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 40.50141, -78.41302 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 02000806.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4971840
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.