Hanover Historic District
Also known as: See Also: Eichelberger High School; Hanover Post Office; Neas
Why it's listed
Hanover Borough in southwestern York County contains a historic district of about 885 acres centred on Center Square, where five major streets meet. Most of its 3,036 buildings are residences, with commercial and industrial buildings along the railroad tracks in the northern half. The town was laid out in 1763 by Richard McAllister around a hub of five radiating streets, on land beside the Monocacy Road, an old route between Philadelphia and Maryland. Railroads built in 1852, 1873 and 1877 made the town a regional trade centre. Most of the district's architecture dates from c. 1870 to 1946, when a railroad-driven boom produced brick and frame houses and store-and-residence blocks. The district is regarded as significant for commerce, transportation and industry, and for its architecture, including Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Pennsylvania German vernacular and American Four-square buildings.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant for its association with commerce, transportation and industry, tied to the town's growth as a trade centre on early highways and later railroads. It is also significant for architecture, as a collection of Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Pennsylvania German vernacular and American Four-square buildings with good integrity.
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 96001552, listed January 2, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Elm Ave., Broadway, Eisenhower Dr., Hollywood Ave., and Hanover borough boundary line, Hanover |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | January 2, 1997 |
| Reference number | 96001552 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | C. 1783 - 1946 |
| Architect / builder | Dempwolf, J. A. and Reinhardt |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Pennsylvania German vernacular, American Four-square |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The majority of buildings are stated to retain good integrity and be in good condition, with few intrusions. |
| Acreage | 885 |
| Coordinates | 39.81667, -76.97886 (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 96001552.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5649391
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.