Erie in Erie County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Galbraith • Shenk • Emmet House

446 West 6th Street

— 1890•1929 —

Galbraith • Shenk • Emmet House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 15, 2026

1. Galbraith • Shenk • Emmet House Marker

Inscription. This Colonial Revival style house is from the 1929 remodeling & rebuilding of original Queen Anne style house built here 1890 for prominent Erie attorney & businessman John William Galbraith (1860-1926) and wife Mary Shaw Henning Galbraith (1862-1924). He was son of Judge Wm. A. Galbraith and brother of Davenport Galbraith (259 W. 6th.). A graduate of Yale 1883 & University of Pennsylvania Law School 1885, he was Co-owner of Andrews Land Co., a Director of Erie Trust Co. & Dime Savings Bank, President of Kahkwa Club 1898 and also played violin with Erie Symphony.

Charles E. Shenk (1863-1934) and wife Anna E. Skelly Shenk (1867-1951) bought the Queen Anne style house in 1904. He was longtime President of a leading building contractor, Henry Shenk Co. (1863-1969), that built many landmark structures in Western Pa., including old Erie Library, Erie's tallest building at 10th & State for Erie Trust Co., and Edison Fountain in East Perry Square. He served on Erie School Board, was co-owner of Conneaut & Brie Traction Co., Chairman of Pa. State Parks & Erie Harbor Commission, a Director of Keystone National Bank and President

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of The Erie Club 1914 & Kahkwa Club 1907 & 1916-1919.

Herman Leroy Rutgers Emmet (1889-1968), General Manager (1929-1950) of General Electric Company Erie Plant (1907-2019), and wife Helen Auerbach Emmet (1892-1968) acquired the original Queen Anne house in 1929 and promptly remodeled and rebuilt ($16,000) it in Colonial-Revival style that was reported to be "one of the residential show places of the city". H.L.R. Emmet, a 1912 Yale graduate and descendant of several American founding families, had a distinguished career at General Electric 1912-1950, including 21 years leading Erie GE Plant during peak employment of 16,000 during WWII. Emmet Drive in Lawrence Park is named for him. Instrumental in building Edison Fountain in East Perry Square, he was also President of the Erie Club 1933-1934, President of Erie Community Chest (United Way) and a long time Board member & Vice President of national Community Chest. The house was sold 1942 and became apartments that from 1946 to 2021 had a large unattractive two story white cinder block addition attached in back.

In 2019, the house was acquired by Erie businessman Thomas B. Hagen,

Galbraith • Shenk • Emmet House Marker at the West entrance near the driveway image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 15, 2026

2. Galbraith • Shenk • Emmet House Marker at the West entrance near the driveway

Founder & Chairman of historic Erie Preservation Trust, and was restored 2022 to preserve it as a place of historic and architectural interest for the benefit of the community.

Since 1984, this house has been listed as the Galbraith-Emmet House on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a
significant building in Erie's West 6th Street Historic District

Erected 2022.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.

Location. 42° 7.554′ N, 80° 5.737′ W. Marker is in Erie, Pennsylvania, in Erie County. It is on West 6th Street (Alternate Pennsylvania Route 5) east of Walnut Street, on the left when traveling east. Marker location is on the west side of the house facing the driveway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 446 W 6th Street, Erie PA 16507, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

Galbraith • Shenk • Emmet House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 15, 2026

3. Galbraith • Shenk • Emmet House

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Addison Leech House (within shouting distance of this marker); Richard Lowry House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Siegle-McDougle House (within shouting distance of this marker); Connelly • Payne • Wilson House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Watson-Curtze Mansion (about 600 feet away); Wood-Morrison House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Canalside Townhouses (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cody House (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Erie.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 8, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.