Buckwalter Building
Why it's listed
Completed in 1893 on a corner lot across from the Chester County Court House in West Chester, the Buckwalter Building is a three and one-half story cross gable masonry building. Its facade combines Roman brick and red sandstone, a two-story projecting wood oriel, and tripartite windows set in deep reveals, including a Venetian window on the third floor. The building was planned with offices on the first floor, apartments above and storage in the attic. It was built by banker Henry Brinton Buckwalter, a county official and prison inspector, for his own office. The nomination regards it as an intact example of commercial Romanesque Revival design in a town dominated by brick Federal and classical buildings. Its muntin patterns, adapted from eighteenth century Philadelphia and Wilmington city halls, and its contrast of elaborate small mouldings with heavy plain trim give it particular interest. The building was bought by the Chester County Trust Company by 1900.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a unique local example of the romantic medieval style popular in Philadelphia in the 1880s and 1890s, and that it was a radical innovation in conservative West Chester. Its facade is said to be essentially unchanged since construction, and it is presented as an intact example of a commercial Romanesque Revival structure. Its window patterns combine Georgian, Federal and Renaissance elements in a medieval design.
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 84003180, listed February 22, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 11-13 S. High St., West Chester |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | February 22, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003180 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893 |
| Architect / builder | William Burns (builder) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Facade is unchanged except for air conditioners and some stone deterioration; the rear frame wing has been demolished; the interior has been remodelled at various times but is in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | West Chester Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 39.95964, -75.60402 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 84003180.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4983558
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.