Derry Session House and Enclosure
Why it's listed
Built in about 1732 on the grounds of the Derry Presbyterian Church in Derry Township, Dauphin County, the session house is a one-story log structure roughly eighteen by thirteen feet, with vertical corner posts and a board cladding. It served as a meeting place for the church session, a pastor's study, and a school, and it was briefly a United States post office in 1858. In 1929 Milton Hershey had it enclosed in a glass and steel structure designed by local architect and engineer D. Paul Witmer, with a reinforced concrete foundation, Palladian windows in the gables, and a slate roof. The enclosure was built to preserve the building from further decay and to let passersby see it. It is regarded as an uncommon approach to preservation, since most efforts of the period restored buildings in place or moved them to a museum setting. The enclosure was refurbished in 1999, when its glazing and frames were renewed and lighting was added.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the enclosure is an unusual early example of efforts to preserve a historic building, undertaken by Milton Hershey in 1929. It is described as one of only a few known structures of this type. The session house also served as a church meeting place, academy, and post office in the nineteenth century.
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 06001061, listed November 21, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 248 E. Derry Rd., Hershey |
|---|---|
| County | Dauphin County |
| Listed | November 21, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06001061 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c1732, 1929 |
| Architect / builder | Witmer, D. Paul |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Late Gothic Revival; Other: No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Conservation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The session house and enclosure are described as in good condition and retaining integrity, with minor restorations; the enclosure was refurbished in 1999. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.29372, -76.64518 (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 06001061.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5263209
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.