Kennedy, Francis W., House
Why it's listed
A large frame summer residence in Bradford Hills, Chester County, Pennsylvania, designed in 1889 by the Philadelphia architect Frank Miles Day for the client Francis Kennedy, who had commissioned it in 1888. Day's plans and elevations were published in American Architect and Building News in November 1889. The house has a deep gambrel roof, projecting bays on two elevations, double rows of dormer windows, and deep porches on all sides, originally sheathed in natural cedar shakes. Its interior is a large, open, curving space with a tall, finished basement. It is regarded as Day's first Shingle Style work, a fusion of American forms with German sources, and as a rare example of the style in the Mid-Atlantic region. Day, born in Philadelphia in 1861, had trained with several notable architects before opening his own office in 1886. The house was also built as part of the Bradford Hills development.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an important early work by Frank Miles Day and his first in the Shingle Style, a fusion of American and German sources. It is described as a rare and important example of the Shingle Style in the Mid-Atlantic region. It is also presented as an example of a late nineteenth-century planned residential development known as Bradford Hills.
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 84003277, listed August 2, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4717 Highland Ave., West Whiteland |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | August 2, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003277 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1880-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Frank Miles Day (architect) |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 5.8 |
| Coordinates | 40.00558, -75.65457 (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 84003277.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5482665
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.