Union Hotel
Also known as: Shepherdstown Hotel
Why it's listed
Built in 1860 by Abraham W. and Mary J. Zook, the Union Hotel is a three-story, eight-bay brick inn on the highest inhabited hill in the village of Shepherdstown, Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County. Its Georgian form carries Greek Revival and Italianate details, including 36 wooden brackets beneath the front cornice. A cast iron railed platform rises from the roof peak, and an engraved sandstone eave stone bears the builders' names and the date. The inn was built to serve travelers on the new state road between Harrisburg and Gettysburg and points beyond the Maryland border, where it provided food, lodging and accommodation for salesmen and stock. It remained an active commercial inn until 1918, when Prohibition ended its heyday. Its largely original interior woodwork, including a walnut banister, and its exterior integrity make it a rare survivor of a mid-nineteenth-century rural inn. Restoration work from 1983 returned much of the building to its circa 1860 appearance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the Union Hotel is significant as an excellently preserved 19th-century inn on a major early state road linking Harrisburg with Gettysburg and Maryland. It is presented as an example of the commercial enterprise that developed along that road after state efforts to improve transportation. Its interior and exterior remain largely intact after restoration work begun in 1983.
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 89000362, listed May 5, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 240 Old Gettysburg Rd., Shepherdstown |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | May 5, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000362 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1860-1918 |
| Architect / builder | Abraham W. Zook and Mary J. Zook (builders) |
| Architectural style | Georgian, modified by Greek Revival and Italianate details |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored; the nomination describes restoration beginning in 1983 and essentially complete, with the exterior and interior returned to about 95% of the original appearance. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.17804, -76.99141 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 89000362.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7885774
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.