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Charles B. Dudley House
Altoona, PA
Designated an NHL: May 11, 1976
Designation withdrawn: February 1, 2001
Charles Benjamin Dudley lived in this Altoona townhouse from 1898 until his death in 1909. Dudley's work in the field of chemistry helped to found the science of materials testing and made him a pioneer in the railroad industry. After attending Yale's Sheffield Scientific School, he went to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1875. He was one of the first trained scientists to be utilized by the industry.
One of his first programs was to research the chemical composition and physical properties of steel rails. He published his initial results in 1878 and immediately met with resistance from steel manufacturers, who viewed him as an outsider to their industry. Dudley continued his research and publication, however, eventually establishing that the need existed for rigorous standards.
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Through continued testing, he also established standards for fuels, lubricants, paints, lighting devices and various mechanical parts of locomotives and rolling stock. In 1898, he helped to found the American Society for Testing Materials and served as its first president from 1902 until 1909. During Dudley's thirty-four years with Pennsylvania Railroad, he developed its chemistry department into the finest facility of its kind in the railroad industry. His outstanding abilities and ingenious techniques were internationally known.
In 1910, Dudley's widow sold the Altoona house to the Improved Order of Red Men, a fraternal organization, which used the building until 1970. The Charles B. Dudley House was designated a National Historic Landmark on May 11, 1976. Aggressive redevelopment in downtown Altoona during the 1960s and 1970s caused scores of blocks to be razed, but the Dudley House remained standing in the heart of the city's oldest historic district. After the house was sold in 1970, the house suffered neglect and fell into disrepair. Ownership of the property changed in the early 1990s to an investor eager to create parking for the nearby hospital. Several preservation and heritage groups made attempts to save the house, but the building was demolished in the fall of 1999.
The National Historic Landmark designation for this property was withdrawn on February 1, 2001 and the property was removed from the National Register of Historic Places. While the story of the Charles B. Dudley House is unfortunate, it does illustrate an important point; designation of a property as a National Historic Landmark does not restrict the manner in which a property may be used or disposed of by a private owner.
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Last updated: August 29, 2018