Pennsbury Manor
Why it's listed
Pennsbury Manor is a country estate on the Delaware River in Lower Bucks County, near Morrisville, Pennsylvania. William Penn, Proprietor of Pennsylvania, had the site chosen by William Markham, who came to the colony a year ahead of Penn to select a location for the family's country estate. The site was an Indian encampment at the time. Penn approved it on arrival in 1683 and ordered construction begun. The house was substantially complete by his second visit to America in 1699, and Penn lived there with his family and infant son John, entertaining prominent figures of the new colony. The estate was designed as a self-supporting plantation, with a large Manor House surrounded by dependencies including a bake and brew house, boat house, smoke house, ice house, stable, blacksmith shop and privies. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania re-created the Manor House and dependencies between 1932 and 1938 on the original foundations, following archaeological and historical research. The surrounding park includes vegetable gardens, an herb garden, a formal garden, a holly court and an orchard.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is significant as the country residence of William Penn, Proprietor of Pennsylvania, where he lived with his family and entertained prominent figures of the new colony. Its site was selected under Penn's instruction and construction began in 1683, with the house substantially completed by his second visit in 1699.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 69000154, listed October 28, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | On the Delaware River S of Bordentown Rd., Morrisville |
|---|---|
| County | Bucks County |
| Listed | October 28, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000154 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1683-1699 |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Re-created by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania between 1932 and 1938 on the original foundations and open as a museum. |
| Coordinates | 40.13463, -74.76594 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 69000154.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7163518
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.