McAllister, Archibald, House
Also known as: Fort Hunter Mansion; See Also:Fort Hunter Historic District
Why it's listed
Set about six miles north of Harrisburg on a bank of the Susquehanna River, the Fort Hunter Mansion is a two-and-a-half-story Georgian residence built of coursed rubble stone around 1814 for Archibald McAllister, an American colonel in the Revolutionary War. Its symmetrical five-bay facade has a central entrance with a semicircular fanlight, a raised wooden portico, and a Palladian window above. The main block is a large manorial house with a hip roof and dormers, arranged with a central hall and symmetrical rooms on each side. Two additions were made to the north: a mid-19th-century stone wing with double-storied porches on its east and west sides, and a later 19th-century frame wing. The house stands on land once occupied by 18th-century mills, the home of Benjamin Chambers, and the site of Fort Hunter during the Indian Wars. McAllister acquired the land in 1787 and operated mills and barns on the tract. In 1830 the property passed to George Washington McAllister, who held it until 1870. The house is significant as an example of Georgian residential design adapted to local craft traditions and rural mill-site life.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a superb example of a symmetrical Georgian manorial residence adapted to local masonry and woodworking skills in Dauphin County. Its setting within a 65-acre historical site, including 18th-century mills and Fort Hunter from the Indian Wars, is described as a significant archaeological site. It is also associated with Archibald McAllister, a colonel in the Revolutionary War who built the original section.
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 76001633, listed June 7, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg |
|---|---|
| County | Dauphin County |
| Listed | June 7, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001633 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1814 |
| Architectural style | Georgian - Federal; later Italianate elements |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Fort Hunter Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.34283, -76.91007 (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 76001633.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4786429
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.