Wickersham, Gideon, Farmstead
Also known as: Hame's Best
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1818 by Gideon Wickersham, a former turner and wheelmaker, this farmstead near Northbrook Road in East Marlborough Township sits on nine acres of rolling land south of the Brandywine River. The stone house, about 30 by 30 feet, is built of rough-cut schist and serpentine from foundation to gable, a combination the nomination describes as unusual even in an area where stone houses abound. It follows the double-door plan, which has two entrances and no center hall and was especially popular in southeastern Pennsylvania from about 1800 to 1825. The house is valued for its interior and exterior woodwork, including fluted pilasters on the parlor mantel, beaded window reveals, medallion cornerpieces, Federal lozenges, and a carved box cornice. The nomination also notes the closely grouped buildings and the north-south orientation typical of local farms. Wickersham and his wife Meribah are named on the datestone.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farmstead is architecturally significant as a representative southeastern Pennsylvania farmstead, with a good example of the double-door house plan popular in the region from about 1800 to 1825. The house is distinctive for its schist and serpentine masonry and for the quality of its interior and exterior woodwork, which the nomination attributes to Gideon Wickersham's turner's craft.
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 87001992, listed January 30, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 750 Northbrook Rd., Kennett Square |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | January 30, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87001992 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1818 |
| Architect / builder | Gideon Wickersham |
| Architectural style | Double-door plan (vernacular adaptation of the Georgian style) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Nearly 180 years of continuous use as a residence is stated; the 1987 nomination describes the property as serving as a residence. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.88861, -75.68948 (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 87001992.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5559674
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.