The Gilpin Homestead, also known as the Gideon Gilpin House or the General Howe Headquarters, is a historic home located in Chadds Ford, Delaware County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. It was added to 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 1971.

History and architectural features

The original house was built in 1754, and consisted of a brick building with two basement rooms, two first-floor rooms, two bedrooms, and the attic. Sometime around 1811, a stone addition was built that is now the middle of the house, and a second stone addition was completed by 1859. ''Note:'' This includes A porch was added between 1870 and 1897, and the garage was attached in 1949. Also located on the property are a

carriage house A ''carriage house'', also called a ''remise'' or ''coach house'', is a term used in North America to describe an outbuilding that was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and their related tack. Carriage houses were often two ...

-barn, small barn,

spring house A spring house, or springhouse, is a small building, usually of a single room, constructed over a spring. While the original purpose of a springhouse was to keep the spring water clean by excluding fallen leaves, animals, etc., the enclosing str ...

, a

creamery A creamery or cheese factory is a place where milk and cream are processed and where butter and cheese is produced. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has ...

-cheese house, and the stone remains of a barn built in 1860. ''Note:'' This includes

William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, (10 August 1729 – 12 July 1814), was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British land forces in the Colonies during the American War of Independence. Howe was one of three broth ...

used the Gilpin house as his headquarters from late afternoon of September 11, until the morning of September 16, 1777, after the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Am ...

. ''Note:'' This includes The 1754 section was added to an earlier house, probably built in the 1730s. This was eventually torn down to allow for the nineteenth century additions. There is not, and never was a staircase in the 1754 section, but visible on the plaster wall in the present stair hall, is the "witness" of the original stair. It was added to the

in 1971.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania 1754 establishments in Pennsylvania Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1754 Houses in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Delaware County, Pennsylvania

History and architectural features

See also

References