Peters-Graham House
Why it's listed
Built on the corner of Walnut and Second streets in Greensboro, Pennsylvania, the Peters/Graham House began as a single-pen log house of about 1859, to which a timber frame addition of similar single-pen form was later attached on the south gable end. Both sections are one story under a shallow pitched roof. Robert Peters, an African-American man, is named as its builder and is recorded in tax and census records of the 1850s through 1870s as associated with the Greensboro potteries, reportedly working as a laborer at a pottery. The house remained in the Peters family and their descendants for most of the period up to 1939, and it has been continuously owned by one African-American family from the late 1850s to the present. It is listed for its association with the regional stoneware industry, which peaked in the 1870s and 1880s, and for its small vernacular form, which the nomination describes as rare among surviving houses of its era. Its interior is simple, with a fireplace that has a late nineteenth-century Victorian-influenced surround and a coal grate.
Significance in brief: The house is regarded as a rare surviving small worker's dwelling associated with the Greensboro-New Geneva pottery industry and as a representative example of a small vernacular house tied to an African-American family from the Civil War period to 1900. It is significant under the industry and ethnic heritage areas and for its vernacular architecture, with the nomination arguing it retains enough integrity to convey its nineteenth-century character.
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 95000116, listed March 9, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Walnut and Second Sts., Greensboro |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | March 9, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000116 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1859-c.1800 |
| Architect / builder | Robert Peters (builder) |
| Architectural style | Other: Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current condition is described: asphalt shingles cover the house from the mid-twentieth century, a kitchen addition replaced the earlier log kitchen, and modern windows and sheathing have been added. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.79274, -79.91289 (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 95000116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7178099
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.