Lewis, Evan, House
Why it's listed
Built circa 1717 as a stone hall/parlor dwelling on North Ship Road in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, the house was begun by Evan Lewis, a Welsh Quaker who settled a 225-acre tract purchased from Richard Thomas in 1717. The original core measures 20 by 27 feet and has opposing front and rear doors. Its two fireplaces differ: the eastern one is set diagonally on corbelled stone, a technique common in very early eighteenth-century houses, while the western one served for cooking. Additions were made over time, and the 1820s brought a second story and attic. The house passed through six generations of the Lewis family, many of whom were carpenters, and its plan shows how a Welsh Quaker first house could grow with the family. It is regarded as an example of the first settlers' building traditions in the township, and it is one of the few surviving structures from the period of settlement.
Significance in brief: The house is regarded as one of the township's last surviving structures from its first period of settlement, and the only one besides a portion of Sleepy Hollow Hall dating from that period. It is argued to represent the original building traditions of Welsh Quaker settlers, with the hall-parlor plan easily extended as the family grew. The continuous occupation of the site by the Lewis family for six generations, many of them carpenters, adds to its importance for township settlement.
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 84003286, listed August 2, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 117 N. Ship Rd., Exton |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | August 2, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003286 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | Evan Lewis (builder) |
| Architectural style | Hall/Parlor |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 5.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.03248, -75.61134 (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 84003286.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5415459
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.