{"nrhp_refnum":"84003353","name":"Square Tavern","other_names":["John West House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Newtown Street Rd. and Goshen Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newtown Square","county":"Delaware County","state":"PA","lat":39.99617304100008,"lon":-75.40787732999996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-09-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-and-one-half story brick tavern building at the former crossroads of Newtown Square in Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, completed in 1742. It was restored in 1981 and now serves as a museum and offices for the Delaware County Tourist Bureau.","why_significant":"The nomination describes it as one of the rare purpose-built taverns constructed outside Philadelphia before 1750 and the only known surviving eighteenth century brick building in Newtown Township. It is also tied to the decline of the original Newtown townstead and to the early life of painter Benjamin West, whose father operated an inn there.","narrative":"Built in 1742 by Francis Elliot, the Square Tavern is a two-and-one-half story brick building with a gable roof, a pent roof on all four sides, and a balustraded second-floor balcony over its front doorway. It stood at the crossroads of Newtown Square and served as a public house for travellers until about 1790. Several proprietors ran it during that period, including John West, whose son was the painter Benjamin West. The building is listed for its rare survival as an eighteenth century tavern built outside Philadelphia before 1750, and as the only known surviving eighteenth century brick building in Newtown Township. It also reflects the decline of the original Newtown townstead, as traffic and development shifted to the West Chester Road. Restoration between 1979 and 1981 removed later stucco and additions and rebuilt missing features such as the pent roof, balcony, and fireplaces. The building now houses a museum and offices for the Delaware County Tourist Bureau.","period_of_significance":"1742-1790","architect_builder":"Francis Elliot","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Restored to its 1742 appearance and completed in 1981; now serves as a museum and offices for the Delaware County Tourist Bureau.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:33.218397-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/84003353.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84003353/f281e468d8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84003353/f281e468d8-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"User:Smallbones on English Wikipedia.","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WestTavernNewTownSq.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Smallbones on English Wikipedia.</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WestTavernNewTownSq.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71996761","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_Tavern","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7582053"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/delaware-county/square-tavern-84003353/"}