Marshall, Humphry, House
Also known as: Marshall House,Marshall's Garden,Marshall's Arboretum,Botany
Why it's listed
Built in 1773-1774 in Marshallton, West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, this stone mansion was constructed by the mason and botanist Humphry Marshall. Its four-room side-passage plan, with a double-pile kitchen wing, is described as rare in Pennsylvania. Features include a heated conservatory reached from the south door, a second-floor specimen cabinet built of oak, and a masonry mass that heated several rooms. Marshall ran the house as his home, office, warehouse and laboratory, and grew plants in a garden of about two acres to the south. Among the species he cultivated were winter aconite from John Bartram's garden and some of the first Ailanthus trees planted in America. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1785, and his botanical work and trade in seeds and specimens with European collectors are the main reasons the property is regarded as significant. Two surviving plants from his time are cited as evidence of the original garden design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare surviving Pennsylvania country house built on the four-room side-passage plan and that it served as home, office, conservatory and laboratory for Humphry Marshall. The adjoining garden is described as one of the two surviving colonial American botanic gardens, and the house and garden are presented as linked to the development of early American science.
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 87002596, listed December 23, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1407 S. Strasburg Rd./PA 162, Marshallton |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | December 23, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87002596 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1773-1813 |
| Architect / builder | Humphry Marshall |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Science, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 23, 1987 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered; the 1949 west wing is noncontributing and the barn is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 2.6 |
| Within district | Marshallton Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.95042, -75.68134 (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 87002596.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.