Harbaugh's Reformed Church
Also known as: Harbaugh United Church of Christ
Why it's listed
Brick church in the High Victorian Gothic style on Harbaugh Church Road, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, completed in 1892 by a German Reformed congregation that had worshipped on the site since 1846. The building has a steeply pitched roof with decorative square and scalloped slate shingles, brick buttresses, and lancet stained glass windows with tracery. The interior has a plastered arched ceiling, stained walnut rafters, painted cast iron chancel columns, and an original kerosene chandelier. The architect is not identified in the historic record, though local craftsmen including a Waynesboro woodworker did the finer interior work. The church is regarded as an unusual example of elaborate architecture on a rural site, since most country churches in the region were plain. Its adjoining cemetery, established around 1845, contains veterans' graves from the Civil War through the Korean War and an iron fence cast in Chambersburg. The congregation ended worship in 1966, and the building has since been used for community gatherings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the 1892 church is an unusual local example of High Victorian Gothic design on a rural church, far more elaborate than the plain brick rural churches typical of the region. Its stained glass lancet windows, brick buttresses, and slate roof are described as largely intact, and its interior retains original fittings such as painted iron columns, pews, and a kerosene chandelier.
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 02000228, listed March 20, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 14301 and 14269 Harbaugh Church Rd., Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | March 20, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000228 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892 |
| Architectural style | High Victorian Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building no longer serves as a religious building; it was purchased by the Waynesboro Historical Society in 1983 and is used for meetings, social gatherings, and occasional weddings and funerals. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 39.72135, -77.53351 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 02000228.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5654343
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.