Old Town Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Why it's listed
Front Street between Pine and Walnut Streets in Clearfield forms a residential district of mostly brick houses built between 1860 and 1890, a period when the town's timber and coal industries were thriving. Many houses are Victorian, including the Italianate James Kerr House of buff brick with a cupola, where a speech by William Jennings Bryan was made from the front porch in 1896. The district also includes Greek Revival houses such as the Kratzer House, which is regarded as one of the oldest large houses in town, and the McEnally House of 1864. Other examples include a Gothic Revival mansion modelled on English Tudor houses, a French Second Empire house of 1870, and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, built in 1895 with Tiffany stained glass. Several houses are linked to local leaders, including governors, senators and judges. The district was chosen for its concentration of original Victorian architecture and its residential character, which is regarded as a rare survival in the town.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is the largest concentration of Victorian houses in Clearfield, with most of them unaltered and on their original sites. It is presented as retaining the subdued, elegant character of the 1870-1880 period, and its houses are linked to local political, business and professional figures. The narrative gives architecture as the area of significance.
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 79002212, listed May 15, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Irregular pattern along Front St., Clearfield |
|---|---|
| County | Clearfield County |
| Listed | May 15, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002212 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1880's |
| Architectural style | Victorian; Italianate; Gothic Revival; Greek Revival; French Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most houses are described as unaltered and on original sites; some properties have been converted to apartments, offices or institutional use. |
| Acreage | 11 |
| Coordinates | 41.02257, -78.43974 (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).
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 79002212.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7085290
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.