White Chimneys is an historic, American home that is located in Salisbury Township,

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Lancaster County (; Pennsylvania Dutch: Lengeschder Kaundi), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the south central part of Pennsylvania. ...

. A large white mansion directly adjacent to

U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...

, the premises were 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 1975.

History

Originally built and operated between 1710 and 1720 as the Francis Jones Tavern, this historic house was the residence of the Slaymaker family between 1779 and 1999. It is a -story, five-bay building that was created using

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

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 ...

. It is topped by a gable roof with dormers and was built in four phases: the 1710-20 log cabin, a two-room addition in 1790, a large

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

style addition in 1807 and the west wing addition in 1923, which includes a

ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic man ...

. The mansion and grounds were considered a significant landmark by residents of the Pequea Valley during the eighteenth and nineteen centuries. The house's status as a prominent marker 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 ...

made it suitable as a stop on the

Visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States From July 1824 to September 1825, the French Marquis de Lafayette, the last surviving major general of the American Revolutionary War, made a tour of the 24 states in the United States. He was received by the populace with a hero's welcome at m ...

in 1825. ''Note:'' This includes Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, parts of the house were opened as a museum and roadside attraction. White Chimneys has a long history as the setting of

Ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

stories, with residents reporting unexplained smells, sounds and apparitions. ''Note:'' This includes

Current Use

The house continues to be maintained as a private residence. The grounds and formal gardens are open to the public by appointment. Most recently, the property has gained popularity as a wedding ceremony and reception venue. The bank barn and pastures are utilized for horses.

References

External links

White Chimneys website
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Federal architecture in Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1923 Houses in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania