{"nrhp_refnum":"84003232","name":"Autun","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"371 E. Boot Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"West Whiteland","county":"Chester County","state":"PA","lat":40.01080324900005,"lon":-75.60540379799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-09-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-and-one-half-story L-shaped country house at 371 East Boot Road in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, built in 1928-29 in the French style. It is currently called Meadowcourt.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an example of a French country house that is extremely rare in Chester County, and that it retains exceptional exterior and interior architectural integrity. It is associated with architect Edmund B. Gilchrist and the socially prominent Rush family. The document also notes its landscaping, including pollarded European linden trees, as complementing the French styling.","narrative":"Built in 1928-29 on Boot Road in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, this one-and-one-half-story house was designed by Philadelphia architect Edmund B. Gilchrist for Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Rush II. Mrs. Rush chose the French theme and named the house Autun, a name it kept for about twenty years while the Rush family owned it. The L-shaped plan has a slate hipped roof with numerous original dormers and skylights, and a south facade with five French doors opening onto a terrace and lawn. Its interior includes a hall with a curved stair and marble tile, a dining room with original hand-painted Chinese wallpaper, and bookcases concealing mechanisms. Gilchrist's mix of rounded and gabled dormers on one elevation helped establish his authorship. The house is regarded as an early and superb example of his French chateau work and as a rare survivor of its type in conservative Chester County. Its owners have been few, and the original plumbing and most structure remain intact.","period_of_significance":"1920-39","architect_builder":"Edmund Beaman Gilchrist (architect)","architectural_style":"French country house (French styling)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":null,"vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:32.455966-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/84003232.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84003232/25d7342b66-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84003232/25d7342b66-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Autun_Chesco_PA.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Autun_Chesco_PA.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71992590","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autun_(West_Whiteland_Township,_Pennsylvania)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4827206"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/chester-county/autun-84003232/"}