Mill Grove is a historic house and estate on Pawlings Road in

Audubon, Pennsylvania Audubon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was named for naturalist John James Audubon, who lived there as a young man. The population was 8,433 at the 2010 census. Geography Audubon is loc ...

. Built in the 1760s, it is notable as the first home in America of painter and naturalist

John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictori ...

(1785-1851), for whom the community is named. The estate is now maintained as a museum and wildlife sanctuary by Montgomery County, and was designated 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 liste ...

in 1989. The house serves as the educational center of the Pennsylvania chapter of the

National Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...

, and is known as John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove.

Description and history

Mill Grove is located on the west side of the village of Audubon, just north of

Valley Forge National Historical Park Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, taking place from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site a ...

. The estate consists of more than of mainly woodlands on the south bank of

Perkiomen Creek Perkiomen Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania.Gertler, Ed ...

, bounded on the south by Pawlings Road. The main house is a -story stone structure, oriented to overlook the creek. Its roof faces are each pierced by three wood-frame gabled dormers, and there are stone chimneys at the interior of each end. A single-story ell extends the building to one side, and a gabled porch shelters the main entrance. The house was built about 1762 by James Morgan, who also operated a mill and lead mine on the property. He built the addition in 1765 to serve as a tavern for passing travelers. Due to its proximity to Valley Forge, it was looted during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, although the house was spared from significant damage. The property was purchased in 1789 by Jean Audubon, a French sea captain. In 1803 he sent his seventeen-year-old son Jean (who soon anglicized his name John James Audubon) to Mill Grove to oversee further development of the mine. Instead of doing so, the young Audubon became enamored with the natural beauty of the area. In the two years he spent here, he taught himself methods of tracking birds by banding, and how to set specimens for drawings. He also became engaged to Lucy Bakewell, returning here in 1808 for the wedding. During Audubon's absence between 1805 and 1808, the property was overseen by another Frenchman, to whom Audubon sold the property following his wedding. In 1813 it was bought by Samuel Wetherill, in whose family it remained until 1951. His heirs turned the property over to the county, which has managed it since as a wildlife preserve and nature center. The estate now comprises with more than five miles (8 km) of trails. The house features a museum displaying original Audubon prints, all of his major oil paintings and memorabilia.

References

External links

John James Audubon Center at Mill GroveMontgomery County Historic Sites: Mill Grove
{{authority control National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Museums in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1804 Art museums and galleries in Pennsylvania Historic house museums in Pennsylvania Audubon, John James Houses in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania National Audubon Society Nature centers in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania state historical marker significations National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Description and history

See also

References

External links