Powell Farm
Why it's listed
A five-bay, two-story fieldstone farmhouse on DuPont Road in East Fallowfield Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, bears a datestone of 1794. Its well-pointed fieldstone walls, quoins, stone-lipped gable-end chimneys, box cornice with small returns, and six-over-six and six-over-nine sash give it a restrained Federal character. The full-width porch sits at ground level at one end and rises well above grade at the other. The house is valued as a plain, carefully proportioned example of Federal design in rural Chester County. Its historical importance also lies in the farm's agricultural record. The Powell family held the property for more than a century, and by 1880 they had grown their dairy herd from five cows in 1860 to twenty-two head. In 1879 their butter output of 4,536 pounds made them the second-highest producer in the township. The farm was sold in 1903 to settle an estate, and its listing reflects both its architecture and its place among the area's farmsteads built in the 1770-1820 period.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farmhouse is a pure interpretation of conservative Federal architecture for a Pennsylvania farmhouse, with a pleasing proportion of facades, roofline, chimneys and box cornice. It is also associated with the post Civil War dairy expansion of the Powell family, whose herd grew to become the largest in the township and whose butter output ranked second in 1879. It is part of a local collection of vernacular farmsteads tied to the 1770-1820 agricultural era.
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 85001150, listed May 20, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Dupont Rd., East Fallowfield Township, Coatesville |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | May 20, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001150 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1780-1820 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 39.93695, -75.80759 (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 85001150.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7236068
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.