Miles-Humes House
Also known as: Centre County Library and Historical Museum
Why it's listed
A two-story stone house at 203 North Allegheny Street in Bellefonte, begun in 1814-16 for Captain Joseph Miles, an ironmaster and co-founder of Milesburg. It was built in the Georgian style and set close to the street. Miles later sold it in 1830 to William Wilson Potter, a lawyer elected to Congress in 1836. The house passed to the Humes family, whose members included the banker Edward C. Humes, and in 1935 it was left for a community library. In 1895-96 the house was extensively remodelled in the late Victorian manner: a rear stone ell was added, a two-story polygonal bay and porches were built, and the old house was lifted four feet and moved twelve feet back from the street. Interior features from both periods survive, including marble mantelpieces and pressed-board ceilings. The building is significant as a documented example of how an early stone house was reshaped for changing residential tastes in a 19th-century county seat.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house documents how early stone homes in Bellefonte were altered in the late Victorian period to suit changing tastes. It is associated with Captain Joseph Miles, the Potter and Humes families, and the later community library. The 1895-96 remodelling, including moving the house back from the street, is presented as evidence of the town's late 19th-century prosperity.
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 76001619, listed October 21, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 203 N. Allegheny St., Bellefonte |
|---|---|
| County | Centre County |
| Listed | October 21, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001619 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1814-present |
| Architectural style | Federal with Georgian Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a museum and library; the public library collections were to move across the street. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Within district | Bellefonte Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.91336, -77.77892 (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 76001619.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6851291
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.