Milford Historic District (Boundary Increase)
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Milford, on the west bank of the Delaware River in northeastern Pennsylvania, was laid out in 1793 on a grid of large blocks by the judge John Biddis, and its residential streets still follow that plan. Most of the district's roughly 450 resources are two- to three-story wood buildings on stone foundations, with a considerable number of brick houses and native cobblestone walls. Mid-19th-century resort hotels and summer homes drew New York and Philadelphia visitors, and in 1912 D. W. Griffith filmed scenes in the town with his Biograph players. The Milford Theater on East Catharine Street premiered a 1928 film produced there. Local builders the Snyder family used cobblestone and bluestone, and Alfred Marvin designed the Milford High School. The district's mix of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate and later styles is presented as its main architectural distinction.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant under Criterion A for commerce, entertainment/recreation and the early film industry, tied to Milford's role as a Pocono resort community and to films shot there from 1912 to 1928. Under Criterion C it is argued to be a cohesive concentration of 19th- and early 20th-century domestic, institutional and resort architecture, including work by local builders.
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 02000951, listed September 9, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly encompassing the gridded portion of Milford, Milford |
|---|---|
| County | Pike County |
| Listed | September 9, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000951 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1765-ca. 1951 |
| Architect / builder | Brown, A. D., builder; Marvin, Alfred, architect; Penn Bridge Company, builder; Snyder, Joseph G. and Andrew C., builders; VanAuken, S. T., builder |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, French Second Empire, Neo-Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Bungalow, American Foursquare |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 212 |
| Coordinates | 41.32526, -74.80501 (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 02000951.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.