Zook House
Also known as: Owen, William and Elizabeth, House
Why it's listed
Built in four stages between 1750 and about 1820, this two-story farmhouse in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, is constructed of fieldstone with a limestone addition, under a continuous gable roof. The central 1750 section bears a date stone inscribed with the initials of William Owen's wife Elizabeth and the year. Kitchen and staircase additions followed around 1800, and a limestone section was added about 1820, probably for a growing family. The house is significant as a representative example of Chester County farmhouse development from the mid-eighteenth to early nineteenth century. It shows how a dwelling expanded to meet family needs over three generations of Zook family ownership. The Zook family, who acquired the property in 1770, were linked by tradition to an early Amish community that met in a meetinghouse, unusual for Amish practice. The house was moved in 1998 because of expansion of the mall, and its interior was restored between 1972 and 1975.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as a representative example of the development of farmhouses in Chester County from the mid-eighteenth to early nineteenth century, showing growth from a central core into a unified linear dwelling. It also displays features of the Chester County building tradition and is linked to the Zook family and to an early Amish community in the area.
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 00000844, listed July 27, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 100 Exton Sq., Exton, W. Whiteland |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | July 27, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000844 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1750-c. 1820 |
| Architectural style | Chester County vernacular architecture |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in 1998 to its current site; restored 1972-1975. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.02880, -75.62584 (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 00000844.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8074108
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.