Downingtown Log House is an American historic house located in
Downingtown,
Chester County Chester County may refer to:
* Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
* Chester County, South Carolina, United States
* Chester County, Tennessee
Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, th ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. It was built circa 1700 and is a -story, round log structure measuring 21 feet 9 inches by 25 feet. The building is a house rather than a cabin because log cabins are only one floor.
[ ''Note:'' This includes ] It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1979.
Description and history
The Log House was constructed circa 1700 by early English settlers Jeremiah Collett or Joseph Hickman (the exact date and builder are unknown). It is the earliest surviving example of European settlement in central Chester County.
Thomas Moore purchased the property in 1713 and constructed one of the county's first grist mill across the street in 1716. During the 18th century, the house served variously as a house, tavern, and trading post before becoming a rental property in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is located on the
Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, first used in 1795, is the first long-distance paved road built in the United States, according to engineered plans and specifications. It links Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia at 34th Street, st ...
near
Brandywine Creek.
Owned by members of the Downing family for about 200 years, the house has been owned by the Borough of Downingtown since 1940, when Thomas W. Downing willed the property to the borough. The house was restored in 1947 and became the headquarters for the Downingtown Chamber of Commerce from 1950 to 1988. In 1989, the house was restored a second time and relocated 70 feet away from its original location, adjacent to a busy roadway. The house is open to the public.
The house was constructed using 62 chestnut, oak, and white pine logs, all still extant. The roof is cedar-shingled and the exterior
whitewashed. The log corners are saddle notched, characteristic of English Quaker log construction, though there are Swedish derivatives such as a slide-boarded window on the south wall and horizontal planking on the gable ends.
See also
*
Log building
Log buildings and structures can be categorized as historic and modern. A diverse selection of their forms and styles with examples of architectural elements is discussed in the following articles:
*Log cabin – a rustic dwelling
*Log house – a ...
*
References
External links
History of the Downingtown Log House
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Log houses in the United States
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Houses completed in 1700
Houses in Chester County, Pennsylvania
National Register of Historic Places in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Log buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
1700 establishments in Pennsylvania
Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Pennsylvania