Boiling Springs Historic District
Why it's listed
Boiling Springs is a village in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, grown up around a spring-fed lake that feeds a sevenacre basin of water. A grist mill was established there in the 1730s and 1740s, and an iron forge followed on the east shore around 1750, later known as the Carlisle Iron Works. During the Revolution the works made cannon and munitions for the Continental Army. Michael Ege, who became sole owner in 1792, built a Georgian ironmaster's mansion in 1795 that still overlooks the lake. The village was formally laid out in 1845 on a grid of streets, and its houses range from Federal and Italianate dwellings to Gothic, Second Empire and Queen Anne examples. In the 1850s, Daniel Kauffman's home was the focus of a widely publicised case over sheltering escaped slaves. Late in the century a trolley park drew visitors from across the valley until it closed in 1930. The district is listed for its architecture, industrial history, and recreational past.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is an excellent example of an iron manufacture village, with a grist mill from the 1730s-1740s and an ironworks founded on the east shore around 1750 that later became the Carlisle Iron Works. It also cites the Ege family ironworks, the Oliver vs. Kauffman underground railroad case, the late 19th-century trolley park, and the area's later prominence in American fly fishing. The district's architecture, from Georgian to early 20th century, is presented as showing the evolution of local building styles.
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 84000566, listed December 3, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by High and First Sts.,Boiling Springs Lake, and Yellow Britches Creek, Boiling Springs |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | December 3, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000566 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1750-1930 |
| Architectural style | Federal with Italianate; Georgian; Gothic Villa; Second Empire; Queen Anne; Bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most homes are in good or excellent condition; the ironmaster's mansion is deteriorating and uninhabited; the forge building serves as a bathhouse for the swimming pool. |
| Acreage | 27.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.14991, -77.12916 (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 84000566.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4938371
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.