Nestled at the end of Johnstown’s Main Street sits a smaller two and half story brick residence, slightly out of character from the nearby taller commercial buildings of the city’s main downtown core.  The Ludwig House has a layered history, but it was very instrumental with one of Johnstown’s most significant events. I never would have guessed that when I first visited five years ago.

John Ludwig, a German immigrant who settled in Johnstown in 1853, built the home in 1884.  He was the owner of John Ludwig & Sons Wholesale Wines and Liquor, located a few blocks away on Washington Street.  Its higher elevation along Main Street allowed the house to survive the 1889 Johnstown Flood with limited damage.  And it was in the days following the flood that this building’s history is to be known.

The Ludwig’s opened their doors to feed and shelter their neighbors, even after John was swept away when the flood waters destroyed his own business.  As the state and national response came to Johnstown to help the survivors, his home became the center for American Red Cross and Clara Barton’s ongoing efforts to provide medical care and material relief.  Its location near the railroad allowed many to believe that it served as the headquarters at least during the initial relief efforts.

The Ludwig Family remained in the house until 1973, when Pauline H.L. Gorden converted the home to a mortuary for African American families living in Johnstown.  A dynamic businesswoman, Ms. Gorden took in boarders and served a bail bondswoman, city alderman, tax assessor and traffic court magistrate.

image of historic house

Before Photograph, Photo by Karen Arnold

Initial Efforts to Save the Ludwig House

The house fell into disrepair after Ms. Gorden’s death in 2003, exacerbated by a run-away truck that crashed into the decorative porch from Frankstown Road.  Luckily, the damaged pieces were collected and stored by the Johnstown Area Historical Association, now operating as Heritage Johnstown.

pieces of a front porch

Porch pieces, Photo by Karen Arnold

Heritage Johnstown first stepped in to purchase the building, stabilize and plan for its reuse.  A partnership grew to include the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority and a new nonprofit, the Clara Barton House and Garden, Inc., who took ownership of the building. This partnership has made some great progress in stabilizing the house.

I first visited the property in 2022 just after the partnership completed their first Keystone grant.  The first phase was to stabilize the building: remediated hazardous materials, repaired a deteriorated section of the brick wall, replaced several damaged window headers, repair gutters and downspouts which were largely packed with vegetation. I toured the exterior with the project team to look at their progress and to discuss their next steps to secure the exterior envelope.

group of people in front of house

Project Team Site Visit with PASHPO Staff, Photo by Bill Callahan

The second phase of the project focused on repairing the one-over-one wood windows, selective replacement of basement windows that were simply beyond repair and most noticeable reconstruction of the beautiful front porch.  And what a difference from my last visit in 2022!

front facade of house

Front Façade Completed, Photo by Karen Arnold

Looking towards another Investment in the Project

I was honored to be invited to the partnership’s event to announce their next phase of the project on August 4th.  Now that the building’s exterior envelope is secured, this phase will focus on interior rehabilitation with new systems, repairs to the interior ceilings and plaster walls.  With the completion of this work, the long-term goal to open a memorial room in the former dining room for interpretation on the history of the house and the remarkable events and people associated with it will come to fruition.

Check out these great news stories about the project:

Keystone Grant Application Process Enhancements

PHMC is working on new enhancements for the Keystone Grant program starting in 2026-2027 round:

Live Webinars

Our live webinars have been moved to November to encourage applicants to mobilize their projects and develop a scope of work well in advance of the annual application deadline.

Registration is now open for the Construction category webinar scheduled on November 12th at 3 PM and the Planning project category webinar scheduled on November 13th at 3 PM.  Make a point to attend these virtual events, as attendance is both strongly encouraged and tracked during the evaluation process.

Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Webinar 2027 – Construction Grants, Thursday, November 12th at 3 PM

Sign up here: https://keystone-historic-preservation-grant-webinar-2027-construction.eventbrite.com

Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Webinar 2027 – Planning Grants, Friday, November 13th at 3 PM

Sign up here: https://keystone-historic-preservation-grant-webinar-2027-planning.eventbrite.com

Pre-Application

Applicants are also encouraged to submit an optional Pre-Application by December 7th to phmckeystonegrants@pa.gov.  The Pre-Application Form includes elements of the formal application’s Project Narrative.  PHMC Grants Staff will offer preliminary comments on the scope of work’s alignment with both the priorities of the grant program and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. In addition to providing directions to applicants, Pre-Application participation will also be tracked in the evaluation process.

Ready-To-Preserve Checklists

The current Keystone Grant Fact Sheets will be expanded with Ready-To-Preserve checklists for each grant subcategory to guide grantees in sound preservation practices and the scoring and evaluation process that the Commission and peer review panels utilize in the selection process.

Be sure to look for more details regarding the next round of the Keystone Grant program in the coming months.  The formal Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program application deadline will remain on Monday, March 1, 2027. All applications must be submitted through the Enterprise Egrant system to be considered for funding.

My Thanks to All PHMC Keystone Grant Partners

I continue to be awed by the preservation work happening throughout the Commonwealth.   Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is so pleased to be a partner with the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority and the Clara Barton House and Garden Inc. to rehabilitate the John Ludwig House here in Johnstown.  This project exemplifies the efforts of the Commission to support well-loved community assets through our Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program.

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