Chambersburg and Bedford Turnpike Road Company Toll House
Why it's listed
Built of coursed native limestone around 1818, this two-story, three-bay toll house stands beside U.S. Route 30 about one mile west of St. Thomas in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Its south wall holds the toll keeper's door, set off the edge of the highway, which shows the building's use for collecting turnpike tolls. The Chambersburg and Bedford Turnpike Road Company acquired the quarter-acre lot in January 1818 from John and Mathlena Mish for $100, and the company likely erected the house soon afterward. The lot remained with the company until 1920, when it was sold to John M. Small for $60 and returned to the farm it had once belonged to. The turnpike was a major route from Chambersburg to Pittsburgh, heavily supported by state funding. The house is significant as a surviving example of that turnpike infrastructure and of regional stone folk building traditions.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for its role as a toll house on an important turnpike road, which is the basis for its transportation significance. Its stone construction is described as following folk building patterns of southern Pennsylvania and the Cumberland Valley, where native stone was widespread.
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 78002404, listed January 3, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of St. Thomas on U.S. 30, St. Thomas |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | January 3, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002404 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1818 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, with plans made to restore it. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.91325, -77.81372 (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 78002404.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5069682
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.