Ross Common Manor
Why it's listed
Built of native Blue Mountain stone around 1810 on the north side of Wind Gap pass, the Ross Common Manor is a two-and-a-half-story house with a gable roof, a two-story kitchen wing dating to about 1809, and an 1810 ice house with a stone-lined ice pit. Judge John Ross, who was born in 1770, built the house as his country seat after acquiring about 450 acres in the foothills of the Blue Mountains by 1808. Ross served as prothonotary of Northampton County, a state legislator from 1812 to 1816, a congressman from 1816 to 1818, a Common Pleas judge, and a justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court until his death in 1834. Later, the house operated as a tavern on the Wilkes-Barre to Easton turnpike for roughly 25 years during the stagecoach era. Its Georgian-influenced design and surviving mill and outbuildings make it a rare remaining complex of its kind in a remote mountain setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is a fine example of a large Pennsylvania vernacular Georgian style house, unusual for its remote location, and that its preserved mill and playhouse add to its significance. It also cites its use as a stagecoach-era tavern for about 25 years and its association with John Ross, a prothonotary of Northampton County, state legislator, and Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
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 78002432, listed November 22, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Saylorsburg on PA 115, Saylorsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | November 22, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002432 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1810-1835 |
| Architect / builder | John Ross (builder/contractor) |
| Architectural style | Georgian style, Pennsylvania vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings described as currently under restoration. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 40.86505, -75.30612 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 78002432.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7369243
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.