Welkinweir
Also known as: Rodebaugh, Grace and Everett, Estate
Why it's listed
Welkinweir is a 162-acre preserve in East Nantmeal Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, built around a stone Colonial Revival mansion finished in 1940 and attached to an 18th- and 19th-century farmhouse. Architect Fridtjof Tobiessen designed the addition for Grace and Everett Rodebaugh, who bought the farm in 1935. Roughly 55 acres form an arboretum laid out by the Rodebaughs around eight man-made ponds, with azalea lane, sunken garden, crabapple driveway, and a Pinetum donated by horticulturist Philip A. Livingston in 1951. The nomination regards the estate as locally significant for its horticultural landscape, which it says no other nearby estate of the period matched, and for the 1940 remodeling that blends a farmhouse with Philadelphia-style interiors. The property passed to West Chester State College, then to Natural Lands Trust, and is now headquarters for the Green Valley Association, which protects watershed resources.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is locally significant as a 20th-century gentleman's estate with a horticultural landscape of native plants, water, and planted specimens, and as a 1940 remodeling and addition that gives an earlier farmhouse a Colonial Revival character. It states that no other local estate of the period attempted a comparably horticultural landscape. It also notes the later use of the property for environmental and watershed conservation.
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 01000953, listed September 7, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1368 Prizer Rd., East Nantmeal Township |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | September 7, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000953 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-1951 |
| Architect / builder | Fridtjof Tobiessen (architect) |
| Architectural style | 20th century Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Conservation, Other |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Headquarters for Green Valley Association, used for controlled public visitation, seminars and conferences |
| Acreage | 162 |
| Coordinates | 40.15687, -75.67780 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 01000953.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7981039
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.