New Colonial Hotel
Also known as: Stagecoach Inn; Sechler Sports Distributing; Historic Colonial Hotel
Why it's listed
Built in 1903 at 319 Main Street in downtown Meyersdale, the four-story hotel was constructed by the Meyersdale Planing Mill on the site of an earlier hotel destroyed by fire in November 1902. Its Colonial Revival design uses red and tan pressed brick, a heavy dropped cornice between the third and fourth floors, and a broad front porch with a balcony. The hotel was by far the largest and most elegant hotel in the town, and it hosted many of the town's principal cultural events for nearly sixty years, including early years of the Pennsylvania Maple Festival. Its ground-floor interiors include a lobby with red-oak columns and pilasters, a beveled glass transom, and a main staircase with turned balusters. The building is also valued as an intact example of its style, and its dropped cornice and central light well are rare in Meyersdale, where they were built only once.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hotel is significant for its association with Meyersdale's economic and cultural development during the railroad era, as the largest and most elegant hotel built in the town and the host of many principal cultural events. It also argues the building is an intact example of Colonial Revival commercial architecture, the first of its style in Meyersdale, with high artistic value in its first-floor interiors.
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 05000411, listed May 10, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 319 Main St., Meyersdale |
|---|---|
| County | Somerset County |
| Listed | May 10, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000411 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1903-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Meyersdale Planing Mill (builder) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.81709, -79.02480 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 05000411.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7006633
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.