Search, George W., House
Why it's listed
Built circa 1860 on a hill in Shickshinny Borough, this two-bay, five-room-deep gable-front frame house was constructed by George W. Search, one of the four founders of the community, who selected the site for a river view above the flood line. Clad in clapboard, it has a wrap-around porch with eight Doric columns on the first story, a second-story porch on the west side, and six stained glass windows. Its entry door has a floral crystal etched design. Interior finishes include diagonal oak tongue and groove flooring and chestnut woodwork with faux graining. Dr. Miron Briggs, a local physician who acquired the house after Search died in 1905, modified it between 1916 and 1928, adding the west extension and changing the south elevation. The house is listed for its architecture, as a vernacular building whose decorative detailing sets it apart from neighboring houses in a small anthracite-region borough.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a locally significant example of vernacular architecture that uses more sophisticated elements than other buildings in its community, including a wrap-around porch, stained glass windows, a full two-story bay window and faux wood-grained chestnut woodwork. It is presented as a middle ground between the mostly vernacular small communities and the architect-designed buildings of larger nearby towns.
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 09000387, listed July 10, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 56 S. Main St., Shickshinny |
|---|---|
| County | Luzerne County |
| Listed | July 10, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000387 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1860-1928 |
| Architect / builder | George W. Search (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The document describes the house as retaining its integrity and states the 1995 carriage house was rebuilt after the original collapsed; it does not state the house's current use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.15097, -76.15077 (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 09000387.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5545743
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.