Miles-Humes House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Miles-Humes House
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Miles-Humes House, August 2010
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 203 N. Allegheny St., Bellefonte, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 0.7 acres (0.28 ha) |
| Built | 1814-1816 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001619 |
| Added to NRHP | October 21, 1976 |
The Miles-Humes House, also known as the Potter Home, is a historic building in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. It is located in Centre County, Pennsylvania. Today, this special house is home to the Centre County Library & Historical Museum. It helps people learn about local history.
The Story of Miles-Humes House
The Miles-Humes House was built a long time ago, around 1814 to 1816. It was first built for Captain Joseph Miles. He was an important person who helped start both Milesburg, Pennsylvania and the Centre Furnace Iron Works.
Captain Miles sold the house in 1830 to William Wilson Potter and his wife, Lucy. Lucy Potter continued to live in the house after William passed away in 1839. She lived there alone for a while. Later, she asked her niece, Lucy Alexander, and her niece's husband, Edward Humes, to move in with her.
After Edward Humes died in 1895, his children, William Potter Humes and Ann Elmira Humes, took over the house. They decided to make some big changes to it. The Humes siblings updated the house a lot. They even moved the entire house several feet away from the street! The house stayed in the Humes family until Ann died in 1934. She generously gave the house to be used as a public library.
The house officially opened as the Centre County Library in 1939. In 1977, the main library collection moved to a new building across the street. Even so, the Miles-Humes House is still very important. The first floor now has a special library called the Pennsylvania Room. It helps people research local history and family trees. The house also has a small local museum and offices for the library staff.
What the House Looks Like
The Miles-Humes House is a 2+1⁄2-story building. This means it has two full floors and an attic space. It is made of limestone and has a rectangular shape. The house was built in the Georgian style. This style was popular for grand homes in the 1700s and early 1800s.
The house has a low, sloped roof called a gable roof. It also has three dormer windows that stick out from the roof. In 1896, the house was moved 12 feet back from the street. It was also lifted 4 feet higher off the ground. This was done to add new porches to the front and side of the building. An older part of the house, called the north wing, was removed. A new three-story addition was built at the back of the house.
Because of its history and special architecture, the Miles-Humes House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it is recognized as an important historical building.
