National Register of Historic Places

Downtown Altoona Historic District

Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania
Listed
July 23, 1992
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
92000946

About this property

Downtown Altoona Historic District is a national historic district located at Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 240 contributing buildings in the central business district and surrounding residential areas of Altoona. The buildings were primarily built after about 1860 and include residential, civic, social, and religious buildings. Although it does not encompass the entire downtown, it is for the most part the most urban part of Altoona's downtown district (whose boundaries are not very neatly defined anyway). Notable buildings include the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (1920s), First Methodist Episcopal Church, First Presbyterian Church, First Evangelical Lutheran Church (1896-1897), U.S. Post Office (1931-1933), Fraternal Order of Eagles Building (demolished), Altoona City Hall, Casanave Building (1890s), Hutchison Block, McCrory's Department Store (1937), and Aaron-Penn Furniture Building. Located in the district are the separately listed Central Trust Company Buildings, Mishler Theatre, and Penn Alto Hotel. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, with a boundary increase in 2004.

Location

Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania
40.51939, -78.40007

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Downtown Altoona Historic District

This page lists Downtown Altoona Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Central Trust Company Buildings
Industrial
0.1 mi
Penn Alto Hotel
Industrial
0.2 mi
Mishler Theatre
Industrial
0.2 mi
Downtown Altoona Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Keith, D.S., Junior High School
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Downtown Altoona Historic District listed on the National Register?

Downtown Altoona Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 23, 1992.

What type of historic resource is Downtown Altoona Historic District?

Downtown Altoona Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Downtown Altoona Historic District?

The period of significance for Downtown Altoona Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Downtown Altoona Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Downtown Altoona Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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