Mount Pleasant Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: See Also:Mount Pleasant Historic District
Why it's listed
Along the lower slope of Allison Hill, the Martin Luther King Boulevard blocks between Cameron Street and Thirteenth Street form a commercial strip of two- and three-story brick and clapboard buildings, most built between about 1880 and 1920. Market Street was the main road from the hill to downtown Harrisburg, and a horsecar line turned south at Thirteenth Street in 1889, making the corner a primary shopping zone. The area includes a 1922 limestone-clad bank with a pilastered facade, a c.1910 five-and-ten-cent store, and the Hill Cafe hotel. Sylvan Heights, built c.1860 for Colonel John Brandt, is a stuccoed Greek Revival mansion that is one of the few surviving great houses of the heights. Its later uses as a convent, seminary and orphanage are part of its documented history. Many storefronts have been altered, but the overall scale and materials remain largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the extension contains the major commercial center of the Allison Hill community, which served as the main connection between the hill and downtown Harrisburg. It also includes Sylvan Heights, described as one of the few surviving great houses that once lined the heights. The commercial buildings are presented as typical turn-of-the-century work reflecting the area's growth along the horsecar and trolley lines.
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 90000710, listed May 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1100--1321 Market St., 1142 Derry St., Harrisburg |
|---|---|
| County | Dauphin County |
| Listed | May 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000710 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1840-1925 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; Stick/Eastlake; Greek Revival; Colonial Revival; Beaux-Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Several buildings are vacant and some commercial fronts have been altered or re-clad in modern materials. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Within district | Mount Pleasant Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.26413, -76.87106 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 90000710.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.