Harris Switch Tower, Pennsylvania Railroad
Also known as: HG Tower; Harris Tower
Why it's listed
Built in 1929 and put into service on April 26, 1930, the Harris Switch Tower is a two-story Flemish bond brick building beside the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks in Harrisburg, just north of the passenger station. It housed an interlocking machine with 115 levers that controlled track switches and signals across the yard, and a model board whose coloured lights showed which tracks were occupied. Consolidating two older towers, it allowed twelve employees to do work that had required twenty-one. Its transportation importance lies in controlling east-west traffic through Harrisburg during the railroad's busiest decades, when more than 100 passenger trains passed daily. Its architecture mixes Colonial Revival brickwork and keystones with Tudor Revival projecting bay and bracketed eaves. Much of the original interlocking equipment survives, and the building is regarded as a good example of a type of which comparatively few remain. Amtrak closed it in 1991.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the tower is significant for its role in controlling train movements through the Harrisburg station and yards, and for its architecture, which blends Colonial and Tudor Revival elements in a utilitarian railroad building. It is presented as a fine surviving example of a switch tower with much of its original interlocking machinery, and of railroad technology from the railroad's golden age.
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 94001056, listed August 30, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 637 Walnut St., Harrisbug |
|---|---|
| County | Dauphin County |
| Listed | August 30, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001056 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1944 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival; Tudor Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed by Amtrak in 1991 and purchased by the Harrisburg Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1992; interlocking machine and model board remain. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.26532, -76.87931 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 94001056.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q12059586
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.