Manchester, Isaac, House
Also known as: Plantation Plenty
Why it's listed
Avella's Isaac Manchester House is a five-bay, 2 1/2 story red brick Georgian dwelling with a gambrel roof, a center entrance and a stone-dressed stoop. Built in 1815 and kept within the Manchester family, it is regarded as one of the finest Georgian houses in Western Pennsylvania. Its form follows New England models, while the interior woodwork, including a parlor and staircase of native black cherry, is in the Philadelphia Georgian style. Manchester brought the Philadelphia cabinetmaker John McGovern to design and build the interiors. The house is also significant for its farm complex, arranged around a fieldstone-walled quadrangle. The outbuildings include a stillhouse, a springhouse and carriage house, a granary of oak timbers set on end, a workshop with a rope-powered lathe, and a large bank barn. Several of these buildings date from the late 1700s and early 1800s, and their arrangement is considered unusual for the region.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the house as one of the finest Georgian houses extant in Western Pennsylvania, with a New England form and Philadelphia Georgian interior woodwork. The house has stayed in the family and is said to be almost unaltered since construction. The outbuildings are described as an unusual arrangement for the region, and the workshop and granary show distinctive early construction and woodworking.
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 75001673, listed June 21, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2 mi. S of Avella on PA 231, Avella |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | June 21, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001673 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1815 |
| Architect / builder | Isaac Manchester (owner and builder as stated); John McGovern (cabinetmaker, interiors) |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The outbuildings are described as in good to excellent condition with new roofs and routine repairs; the house is described as unaltered except for heating, electricity and plumbing installations. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 40.25481, -80.46101 (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 75001673.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6076740
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.