Pottsville Armory
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1913 in Pottsville, this brick armory was designed by McCormick and French of Wilkes-Barre and constructed by Wertley, Walter, Sons for Company H, 8th Infantry of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The building combines Romanesque and Late Gothic Revival details. Its front administrative section is two stories high, with a three-story central tower, battlements, brick turrets and stone coping. Behind it stands a drill hall with a steel Warren-truss arched roof, measuring about 60 by 80 feet, which is overlooked by a second-floor balcony. The basement holds vehicle storage, a boiler room and a kitchen. The armory is significant for its association with Pennsylvania's military history, as a place where the National Guard stored equipment, met and trained. It is also considered a distinctive example of the armory building type. Much of the original woodwork, doors and windows survives, and the building is regarded as having very good integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the armory is significant under criteria A and C at the statewide level, for its role in serving the Pennsylvania National Guard for storage, meeting and training, and as a distinctive armory building type. It is described as one of thirty-seven Pennsylvania armories with a T plan, and its design is attributed to McCormick and French of Wilkes-Barre.
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 91001701, listed November 14, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 502 N. Centre St., Pottsville |
|---|---|
| County | Schuylkill County |
| Listed | November 14, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001701 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913-1940 |
| Architect / builder | McCormick and French (architect); Wertley, Walter, Sons (builder) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque; Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Military |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.69131, -76.19807 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 91001701.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7235410
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.