Springdale Farm
Also known as: Elwood Mendenhall Farm
Why it's listed
Springdale Farm in Mendenhall, Chester County, combines an eighteenth-century stone section, dated before 1748, with a main house completed in 1836. The 1836 block is a two-and-a-half-story country Federal structure with a five-bay front, a dressed stone north facade, fieldstone sides and south elevation, and a gabled roof with two chimneys. Its 6-over-6 windows keep their original shutters, paneled on the first floor and louvered on the second. The stone was quarried on the farm, and the lumber also came from the property. A long porch across the north facade was added in the 1870s. The Mendenhall family received a 600-acre grant from William Penn in 1703 and were among the first settlers on the western bank of the Brandywine. The property is regarded as a representative example of rural Chester County building, and the family is associated with a school founded in the 1840s and abolitionist activity in the 1850s. Interior partitions have been altered over time, but the original floor plan remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a representative example of the comfortable, rural architecture of Chester County, with a country Federal main section. It is linked to the Mendenhall family, who were among the first settlers on the western bank of the Brandywine, and it is said to have been excellently preserved with few exterior changes. The family is also credited with establishing a school in the 1840s and with abolitionist activity in the 1850s.
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 73001607, listed March 7, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Mendenhall on Hillendale Rd., Mendenhall |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | March 7, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001607 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1748 and 1836 |
| Architectural style | Country Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continuously occupied since construction; exterior shutters, window frames and hardware are original. |
| Acreage | 111.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.86094, -75.62872 (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 73001607.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7580843
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.