Gass House, also known as Gass Family Home, Farm House at Franklin Farms, and Union Plantation, is a historic home located at Guilford Township in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The house was built about 1760, and is a -story, five bay,

fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...

dwelling. It has a two-story, two bay by two bay

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

extension on the north side. It is an example of Scotch-Irish farmhouse architecture. William Gass, a fuller who had immigrated from Ireland, built the house about 1760 and left it to his brother Benjamin. Benjamin's son,

Patrick Gass Patrick Gass (June 12, 1771 – April 2, 1870) served as sergeant in the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). He was important to the expedition because of his service as a carpenter, and he published the first journal of the expedition ...

was born in the house. Patrick later became a soldier and a carpenter and was an important member of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

. Patrick was in line to inherit the house, but it is unclear whether he ever lived in it as the owner. In 1808 the house was sold to the county for use as an

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

. ''Note:'' This includes It was listed on 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 v ...

in 1977.

References

Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1760 Houses in Franklin County, Pennsylvania Scotch-Irish American culture in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County, Pennsylvania {{FranklinCountyPA-NRHP-stub