Springhouse Farm
Also known as: Knight, Eric, Farm
Why it's listed
Springhouse Farm is a stone farmhouse and farm complex in Springfield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The main house dates to about 1808 and is built into a hillside, with slate roofing and a later Colonial Revival portico and wing added around 1941. A barn built about 1810, a carriage house addition from about 1890, a springhouse and a root cellar stand on the property. The farm is significant for its association with writer Eric Knight, who bought it in 1939 and lived there until his death in a plane crash in January 1943. While at the farm he wrote the book Lassie Come Home, published in 1940, and the novel This Above All, which was sold to Twentieth Century Fox in 1941. The sale money paid for the 1941 addition, and Knight also worked on Frank Capra's Why We Fight films from the farm.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is significant for its association with author Eric Knight, who lived there from 1939 until his death in 1943 and wrote the book Lassie Come Home and the novel This Above All at the farm. The nomination treats the farm's link to these works and to Knight's later wartime film work as the basis for 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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 07000796, listed August 8, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2184 Springhouse Ln., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Bucks County |
| Listed | August 8, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000796 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1939 to 1943 |
| Architectural style | COLONIAL / Georgian |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Literature |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 43.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.53002, -75.27383 (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 07000796.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7581136
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.