Lane House
Why it's listed
Mercersburg's Lane House is a two and one-half story brick Federal-style house with five bays across the front, double chimneys, a fanlight over the front door, and shuttered six-over-six windows. It was built about 1828 by Thomas Lane. The house was later altered: its dormers were removed and it was Victorianized, and the two first-floor rooms to the south were combined into a store room. Much of the original interior survives, including an arched-ceiling central hall, plinth blocks with bull's-eye corner details, interior shutters, and oval panels under the north front windows. The house is significant as the birthplace of Harriet Lane Johnston, who later served as hostess of the White House from 1857 to 1861 during the presidency of her uncle, James Buchanan. The house is also regarded as an unusually fine example of a Federal house type that was once common in Southern Pennsylvania but is now scarce.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an unusually fine example of a Federal house type once common in Southern Pennsylvania but now scarce. It is also linked to Harriet Lane Johnston, hostess of the White House from 1857 to 1861, who was born there.
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 72001123, listed January 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 14 N. Main St., Mercersburg |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | January 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001123 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1828 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered: the house was Victorianized and its dormers removed; the first-floor south rooms were made into a store room and are now one large room; the present owners are attempting to restore it. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Mercersburg Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.82895, -77.90433 (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 72001123.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6485406
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.