Weidenboerner, John E., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1880 on a rise near the downtown of St. Mary's, Pennsylvania, this two-story brick house is an Italianate residence with a stone foundation, a five-bay facade and a centered double doorway. Its veranda is supported by turned and sawn posts, and a corbeled brick cornice treatment marks the facade. The house was built by merchant John E. Weidenboerner (1835-1914) after the July 25, 1880 fire that destroyed much of the downtown, and it is described as the town's most intact building from that rebuilding. Inside, the central hall, monumental straight-run stair with walnut newel, heavy woodwork and original plaster crown molding survive. The residence was occupied by the Weidenboerner family and heirs until 1950, and from 1953 it has served as the local Girl Scout council's center. Its local importance rests on its architectural character and its link to the post-fire recovery of the community.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a locally significant example of Italianate residential architecture in a rural community where the style is poorly represented. It is also described as the town's most intact building arising from the July 25, 1880 fire, and as a local landmark tied to merchant John E. Weidenboerner.
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 92000931, listed July 24, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 20 N. St. Michael St., St. Mary's |
|---|---|
| County | Elk County |
| Listed | July 24, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000931 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a Girl Scout center since 1953; rehabilitated beginning in 1990 |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | St. Marys Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.42927, -78.56219 (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 92000931.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6230976
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.