Zook House (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: See Also:Zook House
Why it's listed
Stone farmhouse at Exton in West Whiteland Township, built in several stages. The center section dates to about 1750 and is attributed in the record to William Owen, whose wife Elizabeth's markings appear on the date stone beside the front door. A service wing followed around 1790, and a west end was added between 1820 and 1830. The house has two stories throughout, back-to-back corner fireplaces, arched vaults supporting the fireplaces, and a cellar with a cooking fireplace and beehive oven. The Zook family, who changed their name from Zug, farmed the land and operated a lime kiln and quarry on the property. Jacob M. Zook served as postmaster of Exton in 1864 and later as a county commissioner. The house is regarded as an exceptional example of Colonial additive dwelling construction. Its boundary was enlarged to include open land forming a green buffer around it.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the house as an exceptional example of an additive dwelling from the Colonial period. It is associated with the Zook family, who occupied it for five generations, and with the later restoration that saved it during construction of Exton Square. The boundary increase added open land as a green buffer around the house.
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 84003333, listed August 2, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 300 Exton Sq., Exton |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | August 2, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003333 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Additive |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored during development of Exton Square Mall; now part of the shopping complex grounds. |
| Acreage | 2.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.03043, -75.62503 (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 84003333.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.