Taylor, Benjamin, Homestead
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
A stone house in Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, built in three stages beginning in 1738, with the last addition completed in 1820. Its builder, Benjamin Taylor, gave his name to Taylorsville village and the road through it. The house measures 30 by 60 feet and rises two and a half stories over seven bays. Its most distinctive feature is an arcaded front, with a 20-pane rectangular window set between smaller panes and voussoirs in the fourth and fifth bays of the first floor. The nomination notes that only five other houses in the area have such an arcade. Taylor used a rose stone from a nearby quarry instead of the field stone usually used for houses of the period, and the eastern section, added later, is built of a different stone texture. The interior was extensively remodeled, though its original woodwork survives in good condition. The house is important for its architecture and its link to an early local builder.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its imposing scale and for its arcaded front, a feature the nomination says is found in only five other houses in the area. The builder, Benjamin Taylor, gave his name to Taylorsville Village and road. The stone is a rose stone brought from a nearby quarry rather than the common field stone of the period.
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 75001622, listed December 6, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Newtown off SR 532, Lower Makefield Township, Newtown |
|---|---|
| County | Bucks County |
| Listed | December 6, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001622 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1738 (date stone) |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin Taylor |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.25724, -74.91165 (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 75001622.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4889290
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.