Robinson House
Also known as: White House
Why it's listed
Wellsboro's Robinson House at 120 Main Street is a two-story, five-bay Greek Revival dwelling with a one-story wood portico, flush-boarded pediments, and a rear wing. Its center section is argued to date from around 1813 and to contain the original Cheney Tavern, where the first court in Tioga County was opened in January 1813. Deed records show the building was a tavern under Mrs. Caulkins before John L. Robinson bought it in 1834. Robinson, president of Wellsboro's only bank, lived here, and on the night of September 16, 1874, seven robbers bound the family and forced his son, the bank cashier Eugene H. Robinson, to open the vault. About $50,000 in cash and securities was taken. Two robbers were later caught and most of the money recovered. The house is valued for its local tavern history and for the robbery, which was the sensation of its time.
Significance in brief: The house is described as a fine local example of Greek Revival style, with simple lines and a plain frieze and portico. It is also tied to the 1874 robbery of the Robinson family and the bank vault, which the document calls the most sensational crime in Wellsboro. The document further argues that the center section of the house incorporates the original Cheney Tavern, built around 1813, which was among the earliest tavern sites in the county.
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 77001196, listed August 3, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 120 Main St., Wellsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Tioga County |
| Listed | August 3, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001196 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Wellsboro Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.74682, -77.30348 (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 77001196.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7353033
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.