Black, William, Homestead
Why it's listed
Built of uncoursed fieldstone walls 18 inches thick under slate roofs, the Black House sits on a small hill above a narrow stream valley in New Cumberland, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. William Black, a Scottish immigrant, acquired the tract in 1774, and county records show a house on the property by 1776, which makes it among the oldest in the county. The main section is 36 feet square, with an interior gable chimney, a full-width hall, and 6 over 9 light sash windows, some with red sandstone lintels. The kitchen wing retains a large fireplace, exposed beams, a narrow staircase, and a sleeping loft, and the original hemlock floors survive in the main section. Restored in 1960, the house is valued for its durable vernacular construction and for interior woodwork unusual on the frontier of its time. During the Civil War, Confederate cavalry under Lt. General R.S. Ewell captured a Union courier on the property in 1863 while reconnoitering the defenses of Harrisburg.
Significance in brief: The house is associated with William Black, a Scottish immigrant who acquired the property in 1774, and county records indicate a house there by 1776, making it one of the oldest in the county. The nomination describes it as an excellent example of vernacular architecture with sophisticated exterior detail and interior woodwork unusual for the mid-18th century frontier. It also notes that in 1863 the farm was the northernmost point reached by a major Confederate force during the Civil War.
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 77001159, listed July 20, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Drexel Hill Park Rd., New Cumberland |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | July 20, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001159 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1776 |
| Architect / builder | William Black |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1960; a large one-story frame wing was added to the west gable wall in 1975. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.22236, -76.88400 (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 77001159.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8005585
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.