Ayres, John, House
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Built of local limestone at the foot of Peters Mountain in Dauphin County, the John Ayres House began as a tavern in the first decade of the 19th century, replacing earlier log and wooden structures. Its earliest section, with brick double chimneys, was joined by a two-bay eastern extension around 1815 to 1825. The house stood beside the turnpike crossing, where stagecoaches linked Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Lancaster, Reading and Sunbury. Travelers gathered there for rest and news, and the hotel was known as a centre of exchange for the surrounding countryside. John Ayres died in 1825. In 1885 David S. Coffrode of Philadelphia bought the property as a summer home and added the wing, the stable and the carriage house, so the site also reflects the late 19th-century country estate. The interior keeps Federal style woodwork around many doorways and windows, and a large cooking fireplace survives in the kitchen.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a fine example of an early tavern that grew and adapted to changing surroundings, serving travelers on the turnpike and stagecoach routes. It also associates the property with the late 19th-century development of a country estate after its purchase as a summer home.
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 79002215, listed September 7, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Dauphin on PA 325, Dauphin |
|---|---|
| County | Dauphin County |
| Listed | September 7, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002215 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal style interior decoration |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered; the 20th-century porches and sunporch were added, and the interior has been modernized in places. |
| Acreage | 7.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.39864, -76.94761 (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 79002215.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6219834
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.