Gass House
Also known as: Gass Family Home; Farm House at Franklin Farms; Union Plantati
Why it's listed
Built about 1760 by William Gass, this two-and-a-half-story fieldstone farmhouse in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, was constructed of random-course fieldstone on the Union plantation. The main block has five bays across the facade, a recessed central entrance with a flat-stone arch, and quoins at the corners. A smaller two-bay stone kitchen wing is joined to its north gable end. The Gass family were fullers of cloth who built a fulling mill nearby. The house passed to Patrick Gass, who published a personal account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, of which he was a member, and who served in the Creek wars and the War of 1812. In 1808 the county bought part of the Gass lands for an almshouse, and the farmhouse was later used to house Black residents and then as storage. Its interior was heavily altered for the almshouse, though exterior fabric survives largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of Scotch-Irish farmhouse architecture typical of early regional farmers. Its significance is also tied to its owner Patrick Gass, a soldier in the War of 1812 and a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who published an account of the journey.
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 77001168, listed April 11, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of Chambersburg off U.S. 30, Chambersburg |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | April 11, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001168 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1760 |
| Architect / builder | William Gass |
| Architectural style | Colonial elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 39.92947, -77.62928 (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 77001168.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5526639
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.