Landis Homestead
Why it's listed
Built in 1839, the Landis Homestead in Tylersport is a two-and-one-half story stucco-over-stone farmhouse with a medium pitch gable roof, a central hallway plan and six-over-six sash windows. A later two-story kitchen wing, added after 1850, forms a T-shaped plan. The farmstead includes a clapboard barn with a Dutch cantilevered overhang, a spring house, a long shed with a bell tower and the ruins of a forge. The site lies at the foot of Landis Hill, where numerous springs and surface drainage supply year-round water. Its water retention and distribution system is considered evidence of an extensive agricultural and industrial operation, possibly including irrigation similar to nearby homesteads. The blacksmith shop on the property was where the Landis Corn Plow and Cultivator, an important agricultural tool, was developed. The farmhouse interior retains woodwork and a fireplace mantel characteristic of the early nineteenth century, and its unusual window and door arrangement suggests a transition in local architectural style.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property was the site of an industrial-agricultural operation that used stored spring and surface water extensively, with theories centering on an irrigation system comparable to nearby homesteads. It also cites the Landis Corn Plow and Cultivator, developed in the blacksmith shop on the property, and a farmhouse regarded as representative of early nineteenth-century local vernacular architecture with notable unusual features.
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 73001654, listed October 10, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Tylersport off PA 563 on Morwood Rd., Tylersport |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | October 10, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001654 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1839 |
| Architectural style | Stucco over stone, central hallway type with a later T-shaped kitchen wing |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Architecture, Invention, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Several outbuildings formerly on the property no longer exist; a forge building survives only as ruins. |
| Acreage | 21.8 |
| Coordinates | 40.31974, -75.41069 (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 73001654.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6484666
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.