Patton Historic District
Why it's listed
Patton's oldest residential neighborhood lies on a hillside north of Magee Street and holds the borough's largest concentration of historic houses and institutional buildings. Built mostly between 1892 and 1920, it includes Four Square, Colonial Revival and Queen Anne residences, along with company-built frame and brick houses for mine and clay plant workers. Many of its streets and sidewalks were paved with Patton bricks made by the nearby Patton Clay Manufacturing Company, founded in 1893. The district's churches, including St. Mary's Church of 1899 with its polychrome brick bell tower, and its 1893 school buildings, which show Romanesque Revival and Gothic detailing, reflect the settlement's growth. Its houses also record the managers, physicians and merchants who lived in the area. Because little construction occurred after 1920, the streetscape remains largely intact. The district is considered important for showing how a diversified coal and clay town housed its different social classes side by side.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant under Criterion C for its late nineteenth and early twentieth century architecture, including Colonial Revival, Four Square, Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival examples, and a group of institutional buildings. It is also argued to be significant under Criterion A for its association with industry, including the Chest Creek Improvement Company, Patton Clay Manufacturing Company and nearby coal mines, and the houses of their managers and workers.
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 96000714, listed June 28, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by 5th, Beech, 6th, Palmer Aves. and Terra Cotta St., Patton |
|---|---|
| County | Cambria County |
| Listed | June 28, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000714 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1892-1920 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Four Square, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Two public schools at Fifth and Beech Avenues are described as vacant; the district has seen little new construction since 1920. |
| Acreage | 15 |
| Coordinates | 40.63613, -78.65090 (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).
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 96000714.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7148636
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.