Swetland Homestead
Why it's listed
A frame house in Wyoming, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, the Swetland Homestead began in 1797 as a two-room house with a central chimney, now the rear kitchen wing. A separate two-story house was built in front of it in 1803, and a three-bay section was added to the north in 1809, with a connecting section in 1813. Around 1850 the front windows were altered, a four-column portico was added over the doorways, and paired brackets and dentils were added to the cornices. The house is regarded as one of the oldest surviving Connecticut-type buildings in Wyoming Valley, and its two original rooms and narrow four-over-four windows reflect the building style settlers brought from New England. Luke Swetland, an early settler who arrived under the Susquehannah Company, took part in the Battle of Wyoming in 1778 and later joined Sullivan's Expedition. The house remained in the Swetland family from 1797 to 1958, and later generations ran a store, mills, and a tannery nearby.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the oldest surviving examples of Connecticut-style architecture in Wyoming Valley, showing the building style settlers brought from New England. It also illustrates how a family enlarged and updated a house across generations, and it is associated with early settlement of the valley, the Battle of Wyoming, and the Swetland family's local business activities.
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 78002427, listed December 13, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 855 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming |
|---|---|
| County | Luzerne County |
| Listed | December 13, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002427 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Areas of significance | Economics, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.30162, -75.85249 (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 78002427.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7655935
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.