South Brook Farm
Also known as: Higgins,Charles A.,Estate; New Bolton Center for Veterinary M
Why it's listed
Set on a knoll of Chester County farmland in London Grove, this estate combines an eighteenth-century stone house, outbuildings, and a bank barn with 1940 remodeling by architect R. Brognard Okie. The core dwelling is traced to a house built by Caleb Pusey around 1717, after he retired from running a grist mill on Chester Creek. Pusey had emigrated in 1682 and was a Quaker associate of William Penn. Charles A. Higgins, a chemist and president of the Hercules Powder Company, bought the property in 1939 and hired Okie to turn the working farm into a gentleman's estate. Okie extended the house, added a parlor, a garage, and a tenant farmer's house, and clad several buildings in board and batten and wide planks. The complex is regarded as one of the best preserved Colonial Revival estates in the state. It is also notable for its Okie-designed interiors, including reproduction paneling and a reused Federal mantel. Since 1958 the main house has been part of the New Bolton Center, a University of Pennsylvania animal research and veterinary facility.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the estate is significant as a remarkable Colonial Revival country estate designed by R. Brognard Okie, a master of the regional style. It states that the house incorporates an early Pusey stone dwelling and that Okie's additions reflect the evolution of Pennsylvania architecture. The property is judged to meet Criterion C for its architecture.
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 91001710, listed November 14, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Street Rd. and Bird Rd., East Marlborough Township, London Grove |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | November 14, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001710 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1940-1941 |
| Architect / builder | R. Brognard Okie (architect) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Sound condition; the barn is used as part of the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.86677, -75.75318 (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 91001710.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7566430
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.