Hance House and Barn
Also known as: Site #51-1
Why it's listed
Built of fieldstone above the Forks of the Brandywine in East Bradford Township, the Hance House bears a datestone of 1795 and was built by Joseph Hance, who had purchased the land with his cousin George Seed in 1792. The house is three bays wide with a gable roof, two end chimneys, and a double pile hall/parlor plan. Its interior keeps an original walk-in kitchen fireplace, arched basement supports for the corner fireplaces, a large cooking fireplace vault, and original summer beam and mortise-and-tenon framing. A stone barn, banked into the hillside with a stone-walled stockyard, stands nearby. The property is significant as a well-preserved example of late English Colonial architecture in Chester County, and for its ties to the Buffington family, who owned it for generations. It is also linked to the Buffington's Ford crossing and to Shaw's Bridge, named for the Shaw family who owned the farm.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of late English Colonial style in Chester County, notable for its 1795 date combined with colonial features such as a double pile hall/parlor plan and transom. It also argues the house and barn are associated with an early Buffington-descended family and with both the 18th-century ford and the 19th-century Shaw's Bridge across the Brandywine, which the document describes as unique among landmarks in the Scenic River Corridor.
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 85002354, listed September 16, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Rt. 842, E. Bradford Twp. |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | September 16, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002354 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1751-1799 |
| Architect / builder | Joseph Hance (builder of the house) |
| Architectural style | Late English Colonial |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Worth-Jefferis Rural Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.92757, -75.65289 (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 85002354.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5646986
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.