Goldsboro Historic District
Why it's listed
Goldsboro lies on the west bank of the Susquehanna River and was laid out in 1849 by Dr. Alexander Small, who hired Daniel Ettinger to plan the town during construction of the York and Cumberland Railroad. The town was named for the railroad's civil engineer and was the last town in York County laid out on a Philadelphia-type grid with a center square. When the line opened in 1851, Goldsboro became the only water stop on the route and developed into a shipping point and commercial center for the Fishing Creek Valley. Saw and planing mills became its most important industries. Most of its 2½-story frame houses are small and vernacular, many showing Greek Revival motifs such as frieze windows and sidelights. Commercial buildings on the square include an 1850s-era Italianate hall, a brownstone bank of 1908 and a brownstone Gothic Revival church of 1914. The town's scale and layout have changed little since the early twentieth century, which gives the district the character of a mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century rail town and agricultural service center.
Significance in brief: The district is significant as a well-preserved example of a planned mid-19th-century rail community that grew into a local service and manufacturing center. It is also significant for its architecture, which displays most major mid-19th to early 20th century styles and a high concentration of vernacular Greek Revival motifs. The statement of significance links the district to transportation, community planning, industry and architecture between 1850 and 1930.
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 84003589, listed June 14, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by North, 3rd, Fraser, and Railroad Sts., Goldsboro |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | June 14, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003589 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1850-1930 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Mansard, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque, Gothic Revival and Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The district includes 86 major buildings, of which 11 are significant, 68 contributing and 7 intrusions; several historic buildings are very nearly intrusive. |
| Acreage | 23.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.15418, -76.75046 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 84003589.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5580288
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.