Strasburg Historic District
Why it's listed
Strasburg is a linear village in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, about seven miles southeast of the city of Lancaster, strung out for roughly two miles along the old Conestoga Road, now Route 741. The district covers about 82.5 acres and contains 193 buildings built of log, brick, limestone and sandstone, nearly all still used as homes. Its early streets, East Main, West Main, Miller and South Decatur, make up almost the entire district, and the buildings sit close to the street with little setback. Strasburg developed along the route used by pack-horses and wagons traveling west from Philadelphia, and was bypassed by the Lancaster Turnpike in 1792 before a new route through the town was chartered in 1793. The village retains a high share of its 18th and 19th century buildings, and the district is valued for its early German vernacular, Georgian and Federal houses and for how well its layout reflects its transportation past.
Significance in brief: The district is regarded as a well preserved Pennsylvania linear village that illustrates early development along the first major transportation routes in Lancaster County. Its architecture and layout reflect the road and its prosperity, and it retains a high percentage of 18th and 19th century structures. The nomination notes that the survival rate of early buildings is one of its most significant aspects, including a large share of the brick, stone and log houses known to have existed in 1815.
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 83002258, listed March 3, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E. and W. Main, W. Miller, S. Decatur Sts., Strasburg |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | March 3, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002258 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Early German vernacular, Georgian and Federal |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Nearly all buildings are in use today as private residences. |
| Acreage | 68 |
| Coordinates | 39.98100, -76.19361 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 83002258.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7621696
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.