Newlin Miller's House
Why it's listed
Stone house on Samuel Road in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, dating from the early 1800s and built into a hillside above Little Broad Run. The one-and-one-half story stone core has two rooms on each level, with fireplaces in the corners and a frame two-story wing on the south that holds the main and back stairways. Interior features include plain original mantels, simple woodwork, wide floor boards and pegged rafter and collar construction in the attic. The house is valued for its rare survival of such early stone dwellings in the township, and its interior woodwork is largely original. It is also tied to the Newlin Saw Mill, built by William Newlin in the early 1800s, which was relatively isolated and sawed lumber only. The mill was owned from 1876 to 1895 by William Speakman, a carpenter of Grove. A stone spring house on the site also contributes to its significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant as a vernacular stone dwelling closely related in plan and stone construction to dwellings at Grove, retaining much of its original interior woodwork. It is also associated with the Newlin Saw Mill, a local lumbering operation that supplied lumber for many area houses.
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 84003293, listed September 6, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1240 Samuel Rd., West Whiteland |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | September 6, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003293 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1819 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 4.7 |
| Coordinates | 39.99460, -75.63642 (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 84003293.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15262163
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.