Alden Villa
Also known as: Millwood
Why it's listed
Built in 1881 on a wooded hill in Cornwall, Lebanon County, Alden Villa is a three-story mansion designed by Stanford White of the New York firm McKim, Mead & White. It was commissioned by Anna Caroline Coleman Alden as a wedding gift for her son Robert Percy Alden and his wife Mary Ida Warren, and the Coleman family's iron fortunes paid for it. The house is notable for its east window wall of stained glass, its central tower, and a great hall with an unusually large fireplace and musicians' gallery. Its interiors, including woodwork, wallpaper, and the dining room's Moorish-style detailing, remain largely intact. The house is valued as an early example of White's work and as his only built commission in Pennsylvania. A library was added around 1910, marking the end of the period of significance. Later owners included a garment workers' union, which remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms in the 1950s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for its architecture, as one of White's early commissions and his only built work in Pennsylvania. It is described as a strong example of the shingle-style and Queen Anne designs of the firm, with well-preserved interior woodwork, glass, and finishes. The house is also linked to the Coleman family's iron industry wealth and to an 1910 library addition.
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 11000203, listed April 20, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1012 Alden Way, Cornwall Borough |
|---|---|
| County | Lebanon County |
| Listed | April 20, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000203 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881-c. 1910 |
| Architect / builder | Stanford White (architect) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne; Late Victorian: Shingle |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior is in poor condition; the caretaker's cottage was restored in 2007 and the carriage house was renovated in 2008 for commercial use, though the carriage house is not within the boundary. |
| Acreage | 5.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.27567, -76.43001 (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 11000203.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4713587
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.