Miles-Humes House
Encyclopedia
Miles-Humes House, also known as the Potter Home, is a historic home located at Bellefonte
, Centre County, Pennsylvania
.
and the Centre Furnace Iron Works. He sold the house in 1830 to William Wilson Potter
and his wife, Lucy, who continued to reside in the house after William's death in 1839. She lived in the house alone until she convinced her niece, Lucy Alexander, and nephew-in-law, Edward Humes, to move in with her.
After Edward Humes' death in 1895, his children William Potter Humes and Ann Elmira Humes took up ownership of the house and decided to renovate it. The Humes siblings remodeled the house extensively, including moving the entire house several feet from the street. The house stayed in the Humes family until Ann's death in 1934, when she donated the house for use as a public library. The house officially opened as the Centre County Library in 1939. In 1977, the main library collection moved across the street, leaving only the local history and genealogy collection (the Pennsylvania Room) and the local history museum in the house.
building in the Georgian
style architecture. It has a low pitch, gable roof and three dormer
windows. In 1896, the house was moved 12 feet from the street and elevated 4 feet off the ground in order to add on new porches to the front and side of the building. The north wing was also removed and replaced with a three-story addition to the back of house.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1976.
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Bellefonte is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies about twelve miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
.
History
The Miles-Humes house was originally built circa 1814-1816 for Captain Joseph Miles, the co-founder of both Milesburg, PennsylvaniaMilesburg, Pennsylvania
Milesburg is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,187 at the 2000 census...
and the Centre Furnace Iron Works. He sold the house in 1830 to William Wilson Potter
William Wilson Potter
William Wilson Potter was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.William W. Potter was born at Potters Mills, Pennsylvania. He completed preparatory studies in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania...
and his wife, Lucy, who continued to reside in the house after William's death in 1839. She lived in the house alone until she convinced her niece, Lucy Alexander, and nephew-in-law, Edward Humes, to move in with her.
After Edward Humes' death in 1895, his children William Potter Humes and Ann Elmira Humes took up ownership of the house and decided to renovate it. The Humes siblings remodeled the house extensively, including moving the entire house several feet from the street. The house stayed in the Humes family until Ann's death in 1934, when she donated the house for use as a public library. The house officially opened as the Centre County Library in 1939. In 1977, the main library collection moved across the street, leaving only the local history and genealogy collection (the Pennsylvania Room) and the local history museum in the house.
Architecture
The Miles-Humes House is a 2 1/2-story, five bay rectangular limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
building in the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style architecture. It has a low pitch, gable roof and three dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
windows. In 1896, the house was moved 12 feet from the street and elevated 4 feet off the ground in order to add on new porches to the front and side of the building. The north wing was also removed and replaced with a three-story addition to the back of house.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1976.