Thomas, William, House
Also known as: Wren's Nest
Why it's listed
Built in stages on Spring Creek near Bellefonte, the property combines a stone house begun by settler and miller William Lamb around 1785 with a two-story Georgian house added by ironmaster William Ashbridge Thomas in 1834. The older section, laid up in random fieldstone, has a large fireplace and reflects the building methods of early settlers. Thomas squared off the older floor plan and built the new main section with large parlors, a central hall and a symmetrical plan. Thomas bought the property in 1834 from the heirs of James Smith, and it was tied to the mills that supported the Lamb and Smith families. Thomas managed the iron firm he had leased with the Valentine brothers, and he hosted meetings of men planning industrial growth in the region, including railroad figure Wistar Morris. Thomas died in 1866. The house is regarded as a record of how residential life in the county changed over fifty years.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for its association with William Ashbridge Thomas, an iron master who enlarged it in 1834 and used it as a meeting place for men planning regional industrial and economic development. It also argues the house illustrates two distinct periods of residential building, from the early settlement stone house to the more stylish Georgian main section.
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 76001620, listed November 13, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 266 N. Thomas St., Bellefonte |
|---|---|
| County | Centre County |
| Listed | November 13, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001620 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1785-1866 |
| Architect / builder | William Lamb (1785); William Thomas (1834) |
| Architectural style | Georgian elements |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The function note in the form records the house as formerly a residence and now vacant; the fireplace was blocked with cinder block and the property is described as in need of structural reinforcing in the older section. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.91509, -77.78552 (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.
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 76001620.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8019321
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.