Hite House
Why it's listed
Built in 1853 by John H. Hite on West Main Street in Stoystown, this three-and-a-half-story frame hotel was later encased in buff brick veneer and enlarged in 1920, when a rear ell and a full-facade porch were added. Its four two-story bay windows and wide facade made it one of the largest buildings in the village. Stoystown lay on the Bedford to Greensburg Turnpike, and the hotel served stagecoach and turnpike travelers before the Lincoln Highway replaced the turnpike in 1912. It flourished through the 1920s and 1930s, housing tourists and salesmen, hosting weddings and receptions in its dining room, and employing many local residents. Its importance rests on this role as a roadhouse on the Lincoln Highway. After Route 30 was rerouted around the town in 1937, the hotel declined, was converted to an apartment house in the 1950s, and was later vacated. The Borough now owns the building and is restoring it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hotel is significant under Criterion A (Commerce) for its association with servicing travelers on the Lincoln Highway, which was the nation's major east-west route until 1937 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike's opening in 1940. It is presented as a typical example of a Lincoln Highway roadhouse offering food, lodging and entertainment, and it served as the town's focal point for commerce during the 1910s to 1930s.
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 98001428, listed November 23, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 121 W. Main St., Stoystown Borough |
|---|---|
| County | Somerset County |
| Listed | November 23, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001428 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1853-1937 |
| Architect / builder | John H. Hite (builder) |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant and neglected for years; currently undergoing renovation, with the Borough as owner. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Stoystown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.10377, -78.95460 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 98001428.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5871884
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.