Stauffer, Christian, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1769 on Millcross Road in Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, this two-story limestone house blends Pennsylvania-German and Anglo-American Georgian planning. Its original block has a half-passage plan, dressed and coursed rough ashlar on the south front and rubble on the other walls, and six-over-six windows set beneath stone arches. Inside, the first floor keeps a Stube with a cast plaster ceiling bearing the inscription CST 1769 and a Catherines Wheel motif, along with clay, straw and pale ceiling infill, original paint evidence, a plaster stove collar and remains of a cast iron heating system. Christian Stauffer, a German immigrant farmer-merchant, bought 340 acres along Conestoga Creek in 1763. The floor plan is regarded as the earliest documented example of Germanic and Georgian living spaces combined in Lancaster County. An 1890s frame wing on the east gable end and a group of outbuildings, including a late eighteenth century bank barn, complete the property.
Significance in brief: The house combines a traditional Germanic (Continental) interior arrangement with Anglo-American Georgian planning. The nomination describes its floor plan as the earliest documented example of this combination in Lancaster County. Its original interior features, including ceiling infill, cast plaster ornament and heating arrangements, are described as seldom surviving among county buildings.
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 86002889, listed October 16, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Millcross Rd., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | October 16, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002889 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Pennsylvania-Germanic and Anglo-American Georgian design |
| Areas of significance | European, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in recent years after years of neglect, including repointing, a new roof and replaced interior plaster and flooring; the 1890s addition's interior was nearly gutted and rebuilt. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 40.06023, -76.25455 (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 86002889.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5110162
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.