Dr. Thomas R. Kerr House and Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dr. Thomas R. Kerr House and Office
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 438 4th Street, Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA |
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| Built | 1897 |
| Architect | D.I. Kuhn |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000885 |
| Added to NRHP | September 2, 2003 |
The Dr. Thomas R. Kerr House and Office is a special building in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. It was built way back in 1897. This beautiful house and the doctor's office behind it are important because they show us what life was like long ago.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 2, 2003. This means it's recognized as a very important historical site in the United States. Today, the house is known as the Kerr Memorial Museum. It helps us learn about the lives of Dr. Thomas R. Kerr, his wife Nellie, and their daughter Virginia, especially between 1900 and 1910.
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The Kerr House and Museum
The Kerr Memorial Museum gives visitors a peek into the past. It shows how an upper-middle-class family lived at the start of the 20th century. You can see how people decorated their homes and what their daily lives were like.
Who was Dr. Thomas Kerr?
Dr. Thomas R. Kerr was a doctor who lived and worked in Oakmont. He built this house and had his office right behind it. This was common for doctors in those days.
His daughter, Virginia Kerr, was also a very important person in Oakmont. She taught English in local schools for 42 years! Virginia never married. When she passed away in 1994, she generously gave her family home to the Borough of Oakmont. This gift made it possible for the house to become a museum for everyone to enjoy.
What is Queen Anne Style Architecture?
The Dr. Thomas R. Kerr House is built in the Queen Anne style. This was a very popular way to design houses in the late 1800s. These homes often have many different textures and shapes.
You might see towers, turrets, and fancy porches. They often have colorful patterns on the walls and roofs. Queen Anne houses look very grand and unique, almost like something out of a fairy tale!
Why is it a Historic Place?
The Dr. Thomas R. Kerr House and Office is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list kept by the United States government. It includes buildings, sites, and objects that are important to American history.
Being on this list helps protect the building. It also means that people recognize its value. The Kerr House helps us understand the history of Oakmont and how people lived more than a hundred years ago. It's a great example of history you can visit!
