The David Bradford House is a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that is preserved as 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 variety of ...

at 175 South Main Street in

Washington, Pennsylvania Washington, also known as Little Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia, is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

. Completed in 1788, it was the home of David Bradford, a leader of the

Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...

. It has both architectural and historic importance, and was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1983. It is open weekly between April and November, or by appointment.

History

The house was built by David Bradford, a successful lawyer and deputy attorney-general for

Washington County, Pennsylvania Washington County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 209,349. Its county seat is Washington, Pe ...

who would later become a leader in the

. It was the first stone house on South Main Street in

in 1788, which, by frontier standards, ranked as a mansion. The two-story building was built in the Georgian style, with dressed stone four-bay windows. The house has side hall entry with a fanlight transom. The stairway was solid mahogany; the mantel-pieces and other interior furnishings, imported from Philadelphia, were transported across the Alleghenies at considerable expense. While restoring the house a secret underground passage was discovered leading to a nearby ravine. This tunnel was presumably used as an escape route in the event of an attack on the house. Bradford and his family occupied the house only for 6 years, until 1794, when he fled following the

. It was in this home that author

Rebecca Harding Davis Rebecca Blaine Harding Davis (June 24, 1831 – September 29, 1910) was an American author and journalist. She was a pioneer of literary realism in American literature. She graduated valedictorian from Washington Female Seminary in Pennsylvania. ...

was born on June 24, 1831. A historical marker honoring her a few blocks away was the first dedicated to a woman in Washington, Pennsylvania. By the 1930s, the building was in such disrepair that

Charles Morse Stotz Charles Morse Stotz was an American architect, architectural historian, and preservationist. He is known for his extensive study of the architectural history of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. He was one of the architects to practice in the ...

did not include the building in his ''The Early Architecture of Western Pennsylvania.'' However, by the book's 2nd printing in 1966, Stotz himself has led the rehabilitation. Among other extensive modifications, a storefront had added to the house. In 1953, the

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, responsible for the collection, conservation, and interpretation of Pennsylvania's heritage. The commission cares for hist ...

installed a

historical marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...

noting the historic importance of the building. In 1959, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission assumed control of the house and supervised restoration of its eighteenth-century design. They installed furnishings of that time in Pennsylvania that they felt reflected Bradford's place in society. A management agreement was signed in 1982, turning the management of the Bradford House over to the Bradford House Historical Association. The museum is open from early May through mid December, giving group tours and hosting other special events. The home was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1973 and was declared a

in 1983. It is also designated as a historic public landmark by the

Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation is a Non-profit organization, non-profit educational institution in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. Its purpose is to encourage and assist the preservation of historic structures in Washin ...

References

External links

*Official site
The Bradford House OnlineBradford House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradford, David, House National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Museums in Washington County, Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1788 Historic house museums in Pennsylvania Houses in Washington County, Pennsylvania Whiskey Rebellion Washington, Pennsylvania 1788 establishments in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Pennsylvania

History

See also

References

External links