The Robert Fulton Birthplace is a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

at 1932 Robert Fulton Highway (

U.S. Route 222 U.S. Route 222 (US 222) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur of US 22 in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. It runs for from US 1 in Conowingo, Maryland, north to Interstate 78 (I-78)/Pennsylvania Route 309 (PA 309) in Dorneyville, Pennsylv ...

) south of

Quarryville, Pennsylvania Quarryville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,852 at the 2020 census, up from 2,576 at the 2010 census. Geography Quarryville is located in southern Lancaster County at (39.895402, -76.162175). ...

. Built in the mid-18th century and reconstructed after a fire demolished it in 1822, it was the birthplace of inventor

Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboa ...

(1765–1815). Fulton is best known for the development of commercially viable steamboats as a means of transportation. The house was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1964. and The property is owned by the Southern Lancaster Historical Society which gives weekend tours of the house from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Description and history

The Robert Fulton Birthplace is located about south of Quarryville in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on the west side of US 222 near its junction with Swift Road. The house is a -story stone structure, built out of mortared rubblestone that was once covered in stucco. Its front facade is three bays wide, with the main entrance in the right bay, in a recess with a four-light transom window. There are two windows to its left, and two windows on the second floor above. The interior has a parlor, kitchen, and bedroom on the ground floor, with three more bedrooms in the second floor and attic. The house in which Robert Fulton was born was probably built in the mid-18th century. He was born here in 1765, but the family moved soon thereafter to Lancaster. The house was reduced to rubble by a fire in 1822, and was completely rebuilt. It remained a private residence until it was acquired by the state in 1969. It was then given a complete restoration to return it to its original appearance at the time of Fulton's birth, and has been open as a museum property since. Fulton's development of a viable steamship, the ''

North River Steamboat The ''North River Steamboat'' or ''North River'', colloquially known as the ''Clermont'', is widely regarded as the world's first vessel to demonstrate the viability of using steam propulsion for commercial water transportation. Built in 1807, t ...

'' or "''Clermont''", in 1807, is widely regarded as introducing a transportation revolution into early 19th-century America. It was not the only invention of Fulton's that was significant: he also developed dredging equipment for use in rivers and canals, invented a system of inclined planes for transporting canal barges over hills, and developed early versions of torpedoes and diving boats.

Gallery

File:Robert Fulton Birthplace.jpg File:Robert Fulton Birthplace (2902423285).jpg File:Robert Fulton Birthplace (2902424303).jpg File:Robert Fulton Birthplace (2903265468).jpg

References

External links

Southern Lancaster Historical Society

Visit Lancaster - Robert Fulton Birthplace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulton, Robert, Birthplace National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Museums in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1750 Historic house museums in Pennsylvania Biographical museums in Pennsylvania Houses in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania state historical marker significations Birthplaces of individual people National Register of Historic Places in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Description and history

Gallery

See also

References

External links