William Brinton 1704 House


The William Brinton 1704 House is a historic house museum located 21 Oakland Road in Delaware County, Pennsylvania about five miles south of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Built in 1704, it is well-preserved example of an early Delaware Valley stone house, which served as a residence of one family for over 150 years. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967. It is open for tours on weekends between May and October, or by appointment.

History

The William Brinton 1704 House was built in 1704 by William Brinton, Jr.. It was sold out of the family in 1860. In 1881, a serpentine stone wing was added to the home. In 1947 the house was purchased by Brinton descendants and donated to the West Chester Historical Society. In the 1950s, architect G. Edwin Brumbaugh restored the building to its original form by removing the 1881 wing and other Gothic embellishments.
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The William Brinton 1704 House was one of the 14 houses standing in the battlefield area of the Battle of Brandywine, fought on September 11, 1777 during the American Revolutionary War. In 1878, Thomas Eakins painted the Brinton House as it would have originally appeared.

Description

The Brinton House stands south of West Chester, on the east side of Oakland Road south of its junction with Brinton's Bridge Road. Its main block is a rectangular stone structure, built out of locally quarried stone laid in courses of irregular height. The walls are thick and two stories in height. The end walls each have a brick chimney on the outside. There is a steep roof and pent eaves are in place over the first floor windows on the north and south sides of the house. The home also boasts 27 reproduction windows of leaded sash with diamond lights. Most of the original flooring is still in use.
The Dilworthtown Historic District is located about half a mile north of the house in Birmingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.