Ormrod, George, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1870 in Tamaqua, this 2½-story frame house was constructed for George Ormrod while he was superintendent at the nearby Raven Run Colliery. Its irregular plan includes 27 angles in the outer wall, and a three-story square tower rises at the corner of the main facade. Decoration is elaborate, with a variety of shingle patterns, diagonal and horizontal siding, carved porch posts, and a Chinese lattice railing on the tower's open balcony. Stained glass windows appear throughout, with the two staircase landings on the west side especially notable. Interior woodwork is original, including carved vestibule paneling, a carved newel post and trefoil balustrade, and a music room fireplace with pictorial ceramic tiles. Ormrod became a prominent entrepreneur in the Schuylkill and Lehigh Valleys, known for his success in the coal trade and for founding the Lehigh Portland Cement Company. The house is considered one of the best-preserved Victorian homes in the region's coal country.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a finely crafted and well-preserved Victorian building that illustrates a wide variety of styles and influences, with outstanding use of wood shingles and siding for decorative effect. It is described as perhaps the best preserved Victorian home in the coal regions of northeastern Pennsylvania. It is also associated with George Ormrod, a successful entrepreneur in the coal trade and a founder of the Lehigh Portland Cement Company.
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 77001193, listed June 14, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 218 W. Broad St., Tamaqua |
|---|---|
| County | Schuylkill County |
| Listed | June 14, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001193 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1870 |
| Architect / builder | George Ormrod |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house is in good condition and in sympathetic ownership; a new roof and updated utility systems are the only changes to the original fabric. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.79685, -75.97331 (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 77001193.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5543045
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.