Wilmot House
Why it's listed
Built around 1811 in the New England farmhouse tradition, this two-and-one-half story frame house in Bethany, Wayne County, has three bays across and two bays deep, clapboard walls over heavy framing, and a central chimney. A Federal style doorway with a four-light transom marks the facade, and the windows carry louvered shutters. A one-and-one-half story saltbox addition was built later on the south gable end. The house is the birthplace of David Wilmot, born there in 1814, who lived in it until he was eighteen. Wilmot was elected to Congress from the Twelfth District in 1844 and in 1846 introduced the proviso barring slavery from territory acquired from Mexico. The measure passed the House but the appropriations bill failed in the Senate. He helped organize the Pennsylvania Republican Party, chaired the platform committee at the 1856 national convention, and served briefly in the Senate from 1861 to 1863.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant as the birthplace and boyhood home of David Wilmot, a little-recognized anti-slavery advocate who served in the House of Representatives from 1845 to 1850 and in the Senate from 1861 to 1863. It cites his authorship of the Wilmot Proviso of 1846, his role in organizing the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and chairing the platform committee at the 1856 convention, and his later service as a judge of the Court of Claims.
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 74001815, listed February 15, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Wayne St., Bethany |
|---|---|
| County | Wayne County |
| Listed | February 15, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001815 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca 1811 |
| Architectural style | New England farmhouse tradition with Federal style doorway |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.61286, -75.28383 (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 74001815.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8022827
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.