Jones, Benjamin F., Cottage
Also known as: Braemar Cottage
Why it's listed
Built in 1887-1888 at Cresson Springs in the Allegheny Mountains, this three-story wood-frame cottage sits on a sandstone rubble foundation and is clad in a combination of clapboard and shingles. Its Queen Anne design features hipped and gabled roofs, round corner turrets, half-timbered gables, corbelled brick chimneys and a large main stair hall. The cottage was built for Benjamin Franklin Jones, an iron master who helped found the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company and introduced a sliding wage scale tying worker pay to the price of iron. Jones leased Lot 13 in 1887 and paid to move an existing cottage to Lot 12. The resort around the Mountain House drew wealthy Pittsburgh families, and this house is regarded as the grandest and most intact survivor of its late nineteenth-century cottages. Its significance rests on Jones's business career and on its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cottage is significant for its association with Benjamin Franklin Jones, an iron master and founder of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company who devised the sliding wage scale. Architecturally, it is described as the most ambitious and most intact survivor of the Queen Anne cottages at the Cresson Springs resort.
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 95000125, listed February 24, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Third St., Cresson Township, Cresson |
|---|---|
| County | Cambria County |
| Listed | February 24, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000125 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1887/88 - 1903 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The north porch has lost most of its original elements, the west porch has been partly enclosed, and the south balcony area is deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.45764, -78.59130 (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 95000125.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4888650
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.