Ryon, Judge John, House
Also known as: Judge Ira Kilbourne House
Why it's listed
Built about 1840 on Main Street in Lawrenceville, this temple-form house has a front portico supported by four full fluted Ionic columns and a front facade divided into three equal sections by pilasters. Judge John Ryon, who began practising law in Lawrenceville around 1840, is associated with its construction on land once owned by Judge Ira Kilborne, an early settler. The house's design and details follow the published work of Asher Benjamin, including the door and fretwork patterns. It is regarded as one of the best examples of its type in Pennsylvania and the most impressive building in the town. Temple-form houses are rare, and this one stands only a few hundred yards from the New York State line, where the style is more common. The Ryon family owned the property until 1968 and added rear sections that follow the original style but lack its detail. A two-story porch occupies the southwest corner, and the interior plan is symmetrical.
Significance in brief: The document argues the house is one of the best examples of its type in Pennsylvania and the most impressive building in Lawrenceville. Its design and details are drawn from Asher Benjamin's pattern book, and temple-form houses are described as very rare, with this one only a few hundred yards from the New York State line where the style is more common.
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 77001195, listed December 16, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Lawrenceville |
|---|---|
| County | Tioga County |
| Listed | December 16, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001195 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1840 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Originally scheduled for demolition; to be sold for rehabilitation. Used as the site office for the Lawrenceville Disaster Urban Research Area project. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.99485, -77.12601 (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 77001195.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6302577
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.