Weiss Hall
Also known as: Judge Edmund Taylor House
Why it's listed
Built around 1849 in Wilkes-Barre as a three-bay Greek Revival house for Judge Edmund Taylor of Luzerne County, the brick residence was substantially remodeled around 1886 for businessman Samuel L. Brown in the Queen Anne style. The alterations enlarged the house, added a two and a half story stone and shingled tower on the southwest corner, a recessed third-floor balcony, steep gables and large dormers. Interior features include oak paneling and a curved oak stair, stained glass, and ceramic tile fireplaces with ornate plaster ceilings. The building was later divided into apartments and offices, and in 1957 Aaron Weiss gave it to Wilkes College, which named it for him and uses it as a women's residence hall. It is valued as one of the finest surviving Queen Anne houses in the city, a reminder of the wealthy families who built along River Street in the late nineteenth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a fine and one of the finest surviving examples of Queen Anne architecture in Wilkes-Barre, reflecting the style's popularity in the late nineteenth century. Its features include a stone and shingled tower, recessed balcony, stained glass, oak interior woodwork and decorative tile fireplaces. The house is also associated with Judge Edmund Taylor, its original owner, and with its later remodeling by Samuel L. Brown.
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 72001134, listed November 27, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 98 S. River St., Wilkes-Barre |
|---|---|
| County | Luzerne County |
| Listed | November 27, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001134 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1849-1886 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne (Queen Anne-Romanesque); originally Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence hall by Wilkes College; the roof over the driveway and outside south porches were removed in recent years, and the dining room plaster panels were destroyed in the 1972 flood. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | River Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.24651, -75.88638 (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 72001134.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7980399
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.