Patterson, Burd, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1830 on a knoll set back from Mahantongo Street in Pottsville, this two-and-one-half story brick mansion is a high style Federal town house with a side hall and double parlor plan. Its exterior has changed little since construction, with Flemish bond facade brickwork, six-over-six sash, a semicircular lunette over the front door, and a standing seam metal roof. Burd Patterson, who moved to Pottsville in 1826, proved in 1835 that anthracite could be mined below the water table using the slope method. In 1840 his Pioneer Furnace produced anthracite pig iron for three months, winning a five thousand dollar prize offered by Philadelphia bankers. The house is regarded as a rare surviving example of its style in Schuylkill County, and the Queen Anne porch and Victorian alterations are also valued as part of its architectural history.
Significance in brief: The house is associated with Burd Patterson, an entrepreneur credited with proving anthracite existed below the water table and with producing anthracite pig iron at the Pioneer Furnace, both important to the regional coal and iron industries. It is also cited as a rare surviving high style Federal example in Schuylkill County with a high degree of integrity, and as one of the oldest surviving homes in the city.
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 95000515, listed April 27, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 803 Mahantongo St., Pottsville |
|---|---|
| County | Schuylkill County |
| Listed | April 27, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000515 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1830-1900 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 40.68156, -76.20014 (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 95000515.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4998246
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.