Landis Shoe Company Building
Why it's listed
Brick shoe factory on Broad and Chestnut Streets in Palmyra, three stories high and built on a limestone foundation with massive wooden joists and beams. The building was rebuilt after a fire destroyed the earlier frame factory in November 1905, with the southern section completed by June 1906 and an additional northern section added in 1911. Its square three-story tower on East Broad Street is the focal point of the exterior, and the corbelled brickwork, segmental arches and six-over-six sash give it a consistent design. The Landis Shoe Company operated here as production grew from about 500 pairs of shoes daily in 1904 to 4000 by 1920, when the firm merged with G. R. Kinney Co. The building is regarded as an intact and late example of a traditional industrial form and as a rare survivor of Lebanon County's late nineteenth and early twentieth century factories. It also commemorates Jacob Landis, a leading local entrepreneur and real estate developer.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the building as a substantial and very intact example of the industrial structure type common in America from the 1840s through the early 1900s, with construction methods that persisted late. It is presented as a rare surviving late 19th and early 20th century industrial building in Lebanon County and as a link to the shoe industry that was central to Palmyra for about 70 years. It is also associated with entrepreneur Jacob Landis.
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 80003550, listed August 29, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N. Chestnut and E. Broad Sts., Palmyra |
|---|---|
| County | Lebanon County |
| Listed | August 29, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003550 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1905-1906 |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building has served no commercial or industrial functions since the late 1960's. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.31047, -76.59685 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 80003550.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15241471
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.