Strasburg Stone and Earthenware Manufacturing Company
Also known as: Strasburg Museum; Steam Pottery; Southern Railroad Station
Why it's listed
Built as the Strasburg Stone and Earthenware Manufacturing Company, this two-story, ten-bay brick building on East King Street beside the railroad tracks later served as a railroad depot and is now the Strasburg Museum. The walls are laid in seven-course American bond, and the windows and doors have segmental heads. When the railroad took over the building, the second-story windows were shortened to allow a one-story pent roof on molded supports around the long sides and east end. A slate hipped roof carries a shingled monitor with round-headed louvers. Inside, a gallery runs along three sides, and partitions replaced an earlier railroad waiting-room divider. The roof framing resembles a common German system used in the area but comes most directly from a plate in Asher Benjamin's Elements of Architecture. The building was listed because it is a pottery factory converted to a railroad station within about 25 years, because it shows late 19th-century detailing, and because of its link to local ceramics manufacturing.
Significance in brief: The building is significant as a type: a pottery factory converted to a railroad station within about 25 years. It reflects late 19th-century stylistic detailing, and its roof framing derives from a plate in Asher Benjamin's Elements of Architecture. It is also tied to the local ceramics manufacturing industry.
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 79003086, listed June 19, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E. King St., Strasburg |
|---|---|
| County | Shenandoah County |
| Listed | June 19, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003086 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as the Strasburg Museum; the form lists its condition as good and its status as occupied. A railway company letter says the former depot is under long-term lease. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.98737, -78.35599 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 79003086.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16900785
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.