Miller Hall
Why it's listed
Miller Hall is a 3½-story brick building with sandstone trim on the campus of Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. Its design follows the Second Empire style, with a high mansard roof, elaborate dormers, a central tower over the main entrance, and arched windows. Plans were approved by the trustees in 1874 under architect J. W. Drumm of Pittsburgh, and the cornerstone was laid on September 10, 1879. Funds accumulated slowly, so the building took about 25 years to complete, and it was formally dedicated on June 28, 1899. The building was named for Alfred Brashear Miller, the college president who promoted its construction. It housed classrooms, a library, a chapel, and the large assembly hall known as Alumni Hall. It was built because the earlier Hanna Hall had become too small after the Civil War, and nearby colleges had recently built larger buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building was essential to the permanence of Waynesburg College, which needed a larger building after enrollment grew following the Civil War and faced competition from nearby institutions. It also presents the building as a major example of the Second Empire style in the region and records the college's notable alumni and its founding history.
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 78002405, listed April 14, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 51 W. College St., Waynesburg |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | April 14, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002405 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850-1899 |
| Architect / builder | J. W. Drumm (architect; subcontractor) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Interior alterations were made from 1963 to 1971, and the exterior is described as unchanged. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Waynesburg Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.89941, -80.18786 (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 78002405.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6859145
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.