Hockley Mill Farm
Also known as: Mt. Pleasant Mills; Knauer,Frank,Mill
Why it's listed
Built on both sides of Warwick Furnace Road, the Hockley Mill complex began with a miller's house and a log mill on the South Branch of French Creek. Henry Hockley set up the first grinding operation around 1735-40 to supply the Nutt family's iron furnaces. The house grew from a log dwelling into a stone house by about 1780, and it keeps parts of each building phase. Christopher Knauer rebuilt the grist mill on the original foundations in 1805, and its wooden machinery, millstones and gearing survive. The mill is regarded as the most representative surviving small country mill of the 18th and early 19th centuries in the area. Frank Knauer broadened the business into a farm store in the early 1900s, and the site reflects that later commercial phase as well.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is one of the best preserved examples of combined early industry and vernacular architecture in northern Chester County. The grist mill is described as an authentic survivor of the small custom mill of the 18th and early 19th centuries, and the house shows parts of several building phases. The site's long milling and farm-store history is presented as its chief historical value.
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 90001921, listed December 18, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Warwick Furnace Rd., SE of Knauertown (Warwick Township), Glen Moore |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | December 18, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001921 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1735-1926 |
| Architect / builder | Henry Hockley (builder of the 1735 house section); Christopher Knauer (rebuilt the grist mill in 1805) |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The grist mill closed in 1928 and the saw mill was sold in 1973; the mill frame was largely replaced in 1986-87. |
| Acreage | 15.7 |
| Coordinates | 40.15442, -75.71584 (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 90001921.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5875813
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.