Warwick Furnace/Farms
Why it's listed
Built in the 1730s on land patented to the Nutt family, the Warwick Furnace complex in Chester County grew around an iron furnace completed in 1738 and a manor house of random fieldstone with corner quoins. Under Robert Grace the works produced Franklin stoves, and during the Revolution the furnace was designated an official arsenal, producing cannon in 1776. George Washington's army came to Warwick after the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Through the nineteenth century the property was increasingly run as a farm, and its owners experimented with fertilizers and lime to restore soil fertility. The furnace ruins, tenant houses, springhouse, log cabin and stone barns still stand, showing how an eighteenth-century ironmaster's estate was organized. The property has stayed in one family line for about two centuries, which the nomination considers unusual and important for understanding the region's early industrial history in the French and Pickering Creek watersheds.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is significant for its role in the early colonial iron industry, especially the Nutt, Rutter, Savage and Potts families' ironworks. It also cites the furnace's wartime munitions production, its association with Robert Grace and Benjamin Franklin's stove design, the Washington connection after Brandywine, and experiments in agricultural techniques.
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 76001627, listed September 13, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Knauertown off PA 23 on Warwick Furnace Rd., East Nantmeal Township, Knauertown |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | September 13, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001627 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1738-1860 |
| Architectural style | Dutch Colonial, Italienate |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The furnace is in ruins while many associated buildings remain standing; the nomination notes the manor house has been extensively remodelled and restored in the twentieth century. |
| Acreage | 786.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.15105, -75.74078 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 76001627.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7971137
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.