McClenathan, J.C., Dr., House and Office
Also known as: Medical Center Building
Why it's listed
Built in the 1890s on Pittsburgh Street in Connellsville's central business district, this two-and-a-half-story house is faced in rock-faced local limestone, probably quarried nearby, and has a two-story inset porch with round and segmental arches. Dr. J.C. McClenathan, a local physician, built it as both his residence and his medical office, and he acquired the lot in four parcels between 1884 and 1897. He practiced there until his retirement, and his estate sold the property in 1933. The house combines Richardsonian Romanesque massing and stonework with Queen Anne and Italianate features, including a pyramidal-roofed corner tower, a stone gable parapet, and carved newel posts and door casings inside. Its stone walls have resisted the soot of heavy industry, and the upper windows remain original. The nomination regards it as an uncommon survival of stone Romanesque construction in a small industrial town, where brick and mixed-material variants were more frequent.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as a good example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with Queen Anne and some Italianate details, and as a medium-sized combined residence and doctor's office in a business district that was rapidly redeveloped. The nomination states it is Connellsville's best example of this style and trend and one of the best 1890s buildings of any style in the central business district.
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 02001335, listed November 15, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 134 S. Pittsburgh St., Connellsville |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | November 15, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001335 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1890-1900 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque; Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The first floor still serves as a doctor's office, with later partitioning and suspended ceilings; the upper floors are relatively intact. The second-story porch balustrade was removed and the first-story windows were partly blocked. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.01701, -79.58938 (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 02001335.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304165
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.