Hill House
Also known as: Johnston, Col. James, House
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Why it's listed
Built about 1830 in Boalsburg, Centre County, the Hill House is a five-bay, two-and-a-half-story stone residence with a gable roof and a rear kitchen ell. It was the principal farm and residence of Colonel James Johnston, Jr. (1771 or 1772 to 1864), a local merchant and landowner who was one of the leading figures in the growth of Boalsburg and who had the Boalsburg Tavern built in 1819. The house is listed for its association with Johnston and for its architectural quality. Its most notable feature is a wide front doorway with an unusual fanlight of rectilinear and elliptical forms. The interior retains original yellow pine floors, molded woodwork, a classically inspired parlor fireplace, and a dogleg staircase with refined colonnette balusters. The stone walls carry a horsehair plaster finish, and much of the original window glass survives, including the parlor and staircase detailing. The house is set apart from the town and landscaped.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is tied to Colonel James Johnston, Jr., a local merchant and landowner who helped develop Boalsburg and built the Boalsburg Tavern. It also cites the house's architectural quality, particularly its fanlight and newel treatment, which it describes as representing the best of early local carpentry in the county.
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 77001140, listed March 28, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Tennis St., Boalsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Centre County |
| Listed | March 28, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001140 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The document states the house is in excellent state of preservation, with its interior finish and nearly all original hardware and window glass remaining. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.77291, -77.79497 (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 77001140.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15224042
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.