Waggoner, Daniel, Log House and Barn
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
A two-story log house built on a stone foundation sits on the northwest slope of Egg Hill above Penns Valley near Spring Mills, with a double crib log barn nearby. A date of 1809 and the initial W, etched into the limestone fireplace stone, are taken to mark its construction by Daniel Waggoner (1756-1838), a Revolutionary War veteran who bought the tract in 1802 and lived there until his death. The house follows the Continental log house type common in southeastern Pennsylvania, with a massive central stone chimney, a summer beam dividing the first floor, an off-center front door and a boxed stairway. Its hewn logs, V-notched corners and large cooking fireplace remain largely intact, though windows, porches and the roof have been altered. The barn, with two log cribs joined by a central runway, is an early folk type tied to German settlement. Because both buildings survive together with a documented builder, they are regarded as an unusually clear record of Pennsylvania folk building and settlement history in Centre County.
Significance in brief: The house is described as a rare, well-preserved example of the Continental log house, an early folk type linked to Pennsylvania German settlement, and it retains most of its essential plan features. The barn is an early folk type of log crib construction associated with the same settlement. Both buildings survive together at one site with documented builder history, which the nomination treats as an unusually clear record of folk building and settlement in Centre 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 79002190, listed April 18, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Spring Mills, Potter Township, Spring Mills |
|---|---|
| County | Centre County |
| Listed | April 18, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002190 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Daniel Waggoner |
| Architectural style | Continental Log House |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Barn used in a part-time farming operation; roof and siding in good condition; house alterations include later windows, porches and roof. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.83135, -77.61943 (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 79002190.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5219010
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.