Fisher, Adam, Homestead
Also known as: Artuso Farm
Why it's listed
Built around 1837 by Adam Fisher III, this two-story brick farmhouse in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, has an ell plan, a cut sandstone foundation, and a double-story rear porch. Its eight rooms retain original horsehair plaster, woodwork, oak floors, and seven fireplaces, and the brick walls are three bricks thick on the exterior. Outbuildings from the same period include a brick washhouse with summer kitchen, a smokehouse and coalhouse, and a frame Cooper's shed. The house is significant for its interior decoration. The formal parlor and upstairs rooms have tiger maple graining on cupboards and doors, and the hall and parlor baseboards carry hand-finished fruit and vine stenciling. The nomination describes this stenciling as unusual for Pennsylvania houses, with its style more closely tied to painted furniture than to walls. The house also shows Federal design in its elliptical fanlight, five-bay front, and carved bull's-eye lintels.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a fine example of Federal architecture in southwestern Pennsylvania, with original tiger maple graining on cupboards and doors and rare stenciling on baseboards and stairs that reflect Pennsylvania-German decorative traditions. It also cites its intact woodwork, horsehair plaster, fireplaces, and original hardware as evidence of the owners' investment in a fine homestead.
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 91000230, listed February 28, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Brinkerton Rd. near jct. with Mt. Pleasant Rd., Mt. Pleasant Township, United |
|---|---|
| County | Westmoreland County |
| Listed | February 28, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000230 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1837 |
| Architect / builder | Adam Fisher III (builder) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recently resurfaced roof with asphalt shingles; a Victorian porch was added to the front; original graining and stenciling partly preserved. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 40.21935, -79.50252 (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 91000230.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4679051
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.