Ercildoun Historic District
Why it's listed
Ercildoun is a crossroads hamlet in East Fallowfield Township, Chester County, containing thirty-one properties, many of them built in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The Fallowfield Meetinghouse, built in 1801 on a Quaker site, anchors the village, and nearby stand the Ercildoun Academy of 1851, the Gideon Pierce House and Store of about 1818, and a Christ Disciple Church of 1894. The district is listed for its association with the anti-slavery movement. In 1835 the East Fallowfield Anti-Slavery Society was formed, and after a mob broke up its meetings in 1844, members built People's Hall, which served as a meeting place for abolitionists. Residents including James Fulton Jr. and Gideon Pierce are identified as operators on the Underground Railroad, and the village sheltered fugitives, some in groups of up to thirty-three. The vernacular buildings also reflect the village's agrarian economy.
Significance in brief: The village is regarded as significant mainly for its involvement in the abolitionist movement before the Civil War, including political protest and participation in the Underground Railroad. Its buildings are also cited as the best collection of vernacular interpretations among the township's ten communities, and the village has changed little since the nineteenth century.
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 85001157, listed May 20, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | PA 82 and SRs T368, 15236, T371, and 182, East Fallowfield Township, Coatesville |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | May 20, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001157 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1811-1865 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular, with Federal, English Colonial, Greek Revival, Italianate and Gothic Revival elements; non-contributing structures are ranch style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most of the district's buildings are in average to excellent condition; the form notes that several structures have been altered and that the hamlet has had no new construction for about twenty-five years. |
| Acreage | 43 |
| Coordinates | 39.94436, -75.84255 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 85001157.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5385210
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.