New Garden Historical Commission - Online Alternative Historic Structures Report

<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#990099" > <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="100%" bgcolor="#999999"> <tr> <td><p align="center"><img src="../../lyceum/lyceum.jpg" width="200" height="114"></p> </td> <td align="center"> <h1><font color=black>New Garden Historical Commission</font></h1> <p><a href="../../index.htm" target="_top"><font color=black>Click here</font></a> <font color=black> to return to the home page and links to other articles</font></p> </td> </tr> </table> <p align="right">January 11, 1999</p> <h3 align="center">S.R. 0041 Transportation Improvement Project</h3> <h3 align="center">On-line Alternative</h3> <h2 align="center">Potential Historic Structures in New Garden Township</h2> <p align="center">Submitted by:</p> <h3 align="center">New Garden Township Historic Commission</h3> <p>The New Garden Township Historic Commission is charged with assisting in the identification and evaluation of historic buildings along possible routes involved in the S.R. 0041 Transportation Improvement Project. This report covers structures along the "on-line alternative", that is, all structures within <font face="Symbol">±</font>500 feet of the present path of Rt. 41 through New Garden Township that would be affected if Rt. 41 were simply widened along its current route. </p> <p>This report is an attempt to identify all fifty year old or greater structures in the study area. By law, fifty-year-old structures are not automatically considered historically significant, but must be evaluated. This evaluation will be done by KCI. The New Garden Historic Commission expects to be consulted in this evaluation process. </p> <p><img src="legend.gif" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="5" width="301" height="226">The maps are based on a series of USGS topographic maps of New Garden Township based on aerial photographs taken in 1950. All structures present shown on these maps are therefore at least 50 years old. A field survey was undertaken over the last few months to determine which of these structures remain standing today. Buildings no longer standing are marked with a gray circle with an X through it. An attempt was made determine the approximate vintage of remaining buildings using historic maps from 1860, 1873, and 1883. Buildings appearing on these earlier maps are marked with a colored circle. No other effort was undertaken to determine the age of a structure. It is possible that some buildings marked as "old" are actually newer buildings on the same site as a previous building.</p> <p>There are several structures in this survey that the New Garden Twp. Historic Commission believes to have special historic significance. While it is understood that the Pa. Museum & Historic Commission is the final arbiter of historic significance, the Historic Commission wishes to list these buildings here to ensure that they are properly researched. Omission from the following list does not mean that the Historic Commission would consider a structure to be insignificant.</p> <p><font size="5"><b>Structures in Western Portion of Township</b></font></p> <p align="center"><img src="online41west.gif" width="1384" height="278"><br> (click on any yellow circle to see structure photograph and description) </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="553"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="33%"><a name="8858_gap_newport_pike"><b>8858 Gap Newport Pike</b></a> <p><b>James Hoopes House</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="67%"><img src="hoopes_house.jpg" alt="Photo of James Hoopes House" width="350" height="221"></td> </tr> </table> <p>This is a stucco-covered frame house built by James Hoopes shortly after he purchased the property in 1869. In 1887, Elwood Michener wrote "...James Hoopes built the mansion near the turnpike."</p> <p><img src="hoopes_barn.jpg" alt="Photo of James Hoopes Barn" width="350" height="209"></p> <p>The old barn is still standing.</p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="553"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="33%"><a name="8919_gap_newport_pike"><b>8919 Gap Newport Pike</b></a> <p><b>Eliza Mitchell House</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="67%"><img src="eliza_mitchell_house.jpg" alt="Photo of Eliza Mitchell House" width="350" height="252"></td> </tr> </table> <p>On the Breou's map of 1883, this frame house and barn are identified as belonging to Eliza Mitchell. The buildings are north of Rt. 41, west of the Township Building.</p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="511"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="27%"><a name="812_newark_rd"><b>812 Newark Road</b></a> <p><b>Orthodox Friends Meeting House and Cemetery</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="73%"><img src="orthodox_meeting_house.jpg" alt="Photo of Quaker Meeting House" width="309" height="179"></td> </tr> </table> <p>This Orthodox Quaker Meeting House, built of brick in 1830-31, was remodeled into a dwelling in the late 1950's. </p> <p><img src="cemetery.jpg" alt="Photo of Orthodox Friends Cemetery" width="400" height="182"></p> <p>There is a cemetery adjoining the Meeting House.</p> <p><font size="5"><b>Structures in Eastern Portion of Township</b></font></p> <p align="center"><img src="online41east.gif" alt="Map Showing Locations of Historic Structures in eastern portion of the township" width="1476" height="353"><br> (click on any yellow circle to see structure photograph and description) </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="612"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="39%"><a name="288_new_garden_rd"><b>288 New Garden Road</b></a><p><b>Central Grammar School House</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="61%"> <img src="central_grammar_school_house.jpg" alt="Photo of former Central Grammar School House" width="350" height="315"></td> </tr> </table> <p>This brick residence was originally built for the Central Grammar School, sometimes called the New Garden School. Built in 1900, on land purchased from Edward Dillon, initially the school included two years of high school. However, the school lasted for only ten years; it was closed and sold to Benjamin Walton who converted it into a dwelling, ca. 1912-14.</p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="504"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="35%"><a name="290_new_garden_rd"><b>290 New Garden Road</b></a><p><b>Lyceum House</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="65%"><img src="lyceum.jpg" alt="Photo of Lyceum House" width="308" height="208"></td> </tr> </table> <p>The Lyceum House is a frame building 30' by 40' erected in the 1840's on land purchased from Enoch Lewis. Until 1884, it was the only place within a wide radius where public gatherings could be held for the discussion of the topics of the day. It was the scene of spirited debates, lectures, educational gatherings and social functions. In 1884, it was conveyed to the New Garden Township to use for Township meetings and as a polling place. In 1966, the building was purchased by the adjacent property owner (288).</p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="541"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="32%"><a name="291_new_garden_rd"><b>291 New Garden Road</b></a> <p><b>Isaac Jackson House</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="68%"><img src="jackson_house.jpg" alt="Photo of Isaac Jackson House" width="350" height="239"></td> </tr> </table> <p>This stucco covered brick house was built about 1762, by Isaac Jackson, the clockmaker. In 1808, he willed it to his daughter Alice and her husband, Enoch Lewis. During the Lewises' tenure, the house was enlarged to accommodate a boys' "mathematics school," and was a safe house on the Underground Railroad. Today it is a group home for mentally handicapped women.</p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="545"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="34%"><a name="9050_gap_newport_pike"><b>9050 Gap Newport Pike</b></a> <p><b>Sunny Dell School House</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="66%"><img src="sunny_dell_school_house.jpg" alt="Photo of Sunny Dell School" width="350" height="237"></td> </tr> </table> <p>Sunny Dell School, now a dwelling, was built in 1862 on one acre of land near Sunny Dell Road and the Gap Newport Pike. The average daily attendance in 1886 was 24 students. The Kennett Consolidated School District was formed in 1930, and resulted in the closing of all the one-room schoolhouses in the District, including Sunny Dell.</p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="638"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><a name="139_sheehan_rd"><b>139 Sheehan Road</b></a><p><b>George W. Taylor House</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><img src="george_taylor_house.jpg" alt="Photo of George Taylor House" width="350" height="241"></td> </tr> </table> <p>George W. Taylor purchased this farm in 1867, and subsequently built the stone house and barn. He spent his life promoting the Free Produce Movement (manufacturing and marketing goods made by non-slave labor). Today the house is used for offices.</p> <p><img src="george_taylor_barn.jpg" alt="Photo of George Taylor Barn" width="350" height="298"></p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="523"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="30%"><a name="162_sheehan_rd"><b>162 Sheehan Road</b></a> <p><b>Chestnut Run School</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="70%"><img src="chestnut_run_school_house.jpg" alt="Photo of Chestnut Run School House" width="350" height="244"></td> </tr> </table> <p>Chestnut Run School, a stone structure built for a "paupers' school," opened in 1810, with five students. Built on land purchased from Jonathon and Catherine Moore in 1808, the school was designed for children between the ages of 5 and 12, whose parents could not provide them with an education. Today, restored as a storage building, the schoolhouse is on the same property as a brick house owned as late as 1883 by Edward Taylor.</p> <p><a name="162_sheehan_rd_house"></a><img src="edward_taylor_house.jpg" alt="Photo of Edward Taylor House" width="350" height="254"></p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" width="638"> <tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><a name="154_kaolin_rd"><b>154 Kaolin Road</b></a> <p><b>Daniel Sheehan House</b></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><img src="daniel_sheehan_house.jpg" alt="Photo of Daniel Sheehan House" width="350" height="241"></td> </tr> </table> <p>The Daniel Sheehan house served as a home, country store, apothecary, and post office; the post office was established on December 8, 1868, when the area became known officially as Kaolin. For many years, the store/post office was a gathering place in the community. It closed as an economy measure in 1925, during the Hoover Administration. When Daniel Sheehan moved across the road, the store was converted into a two-family house, as it remains today.</p> </body>