Smith Family Farmstead
Also known as: Riverside
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in the mid-1700s, this two-and-a-half-story gable-roofed stone farmhouse near New Hope in Bucks County carries a datestone of 1767 in its gable end. Deeds show a house on the property as early as 1761. The original three-bay section was later joined by a one-bay addition in 1945. Its radiating stone door and window arches, pegged wooden window frames, and six-over-six sash reflect the skill of local stone masons. The house is also the birthplace of Oliver Hampton Smith, who was born in 1794 and later represented Indiana in both the U.S. House and Senate. As a young prosecutor on the Indiana frontier, he won a murder case against four frontiersmen. The farmstead is regarded as a good representative of the Bucks County stone house type, and its rural setting near the Delaware River, with fields and woodland in view, retains much of its 18th-century character.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an early, well-preserved Bucks County native stone farmhouse set in an unchanged rural landscape. It is also the birthplace of Oliver Hampton Smith, who later served as a U.S. Senator from Indiana and was known for prosecuting a notable frontier murder case.
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 78002354, listed January 30, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of New Hope on River Rd., Upper Makefield Township, New Hope |
|---|---|
| County | Bucks County |
| Listed | January 30, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002354 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1767 |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The document describes the property as in excellent condition with no modern structures in view, but does not state its current use. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.31842, -74.92723 (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 78002354.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7545142
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.