Sinking Springs Farms
Why it's listed
Sinking Springs Farms is a working farm district of about 661 acres in Manchester Township, just north of York City, with stretches of cultivated land, pasture and woodland cut by numerous springs and creeks. Its 56 individual resources date from c. 1841 to 1993 and are grouped around a manor house, four farmsteads and a radio broadcast complex. The property was assembled in the 19th and early 20th centuries from three adjacent farms, with the Smyser, Small and Appell families each shaping its buildings. Samuel Small, Jr. commissioned the 1900 Colonial Revival manor house from the Dempwolf firm of York, and W. Latimer Small's 1893 Shingle style farmhouse was also a Dempwolf design. The 1936-41 renovations of the manor house were by Robert A. Stair. Its combination of farm buildings, estate architecture and limestone-related landscape features is the basis for its listing.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | C. 1841-1950 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Colonial Revival; Shingle Style; Georgian; Pennsylvania German vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Acreage | 660.7 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Sinking Springs Farms (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.