Zook, Jacob, House
Also known as: Rodney House--Store
Why it's listed
Built of fieldstone in 1820 on the south side of Route 30 at Exton, the T-shaped house was enlarged with a two-and-a-half-story kitchen ell in 1850. Jacob Zook built the original house on land he received from his father's farm, and the Zook family owned it for 149 years. The interior retains a side-hall Georgian plan, an open stair with a cherry newel post, and two parlors with marble mantels carved with Ionic columns and bull's-eye corner motifs. The kitchen keeps its brick fireplace, crane and bake oven. The house is regarded as a well-preserved example of Federal rural architecture in West Whiteland Township. Its later history reflects the growth of commercial roadside trade along the highway, with a produce market and grocery operated by the Rodney family from the 1930s onward. The exterior store front, added in the 1960s, is a reversible change.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a fine and largely unaltered example of Federal rural side-hall architecture in early rural Chester County, and that it fills a gap between earlier vernacular buildings and later ornamented homes. It is also tied to the development of the Philadelphia to Lancaster road and the shift from farming to roadside commerce.
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 95000127, listed February 24, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 290 E. Lincoln Hwy., West Whiteland Township, Exton |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | February 24, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000127 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1820-1850 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | A 1970s store front replaced the original porch; the house was converted to three apartments in 1983. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.02908, -75.62385 (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 95000127.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6119493
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.