High Hill Farm
Also known as: Connemara Farm
Why it's listed
A turn-of-the-century bank barn and farmhouse on high ground above Route 1 in western Delaware County, Pennsylvania, make up High Hill Farm. The barn, rebuilt and enlarged after a fire around 1910, stretches more than 100 feet along its long side and has board-and-batten siding, a straw shed in its south wall and large louvered cupolas. Its interior bents are sawn oak timbers joined with mortise and tenon and oak pegs. The farmhouse, rebuilt after a fire in 1903, combines a center hall Georgian plan with Queen Anne door trim and porch details from the Arts and Crafts movement. The farm was known first as an orchard, then as a dairy farm supplying Philadelphia. The barn and house are attributed to Lawrence Beebe, a barn builder whose surviving works are now rare. The complex is regarded as an important survivor of the turn-of-the-century farms of Delaware County.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the barn is a well-preserved and large example of the work of Lawrence Beebe, a barn builder whose surviving examples are rare. It also states that the house and barn were designed by the same builder, which it describes as uncommon, and that the farm illustrates the transition from orchard to dairy operation in the region.
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 86001784, listed August 21, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 180 Thornton Rd., Concordville |
|---|---|
| County | Delaware County |
| Listed | August 21, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001784 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1880-1910 |
| Architect / builder | Lawrence Beebe (architect); Beebe of Thornton (builder of house and barn after fires) |
| Architectural style | Bank barn of the Chester County type with Downing and Italianate details; house with center hall Georgian plan, Queen Anne and shingle style details |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described in the form as in excellent condition with the house, barn, carriage house and creamery surviving as built; the roof has been resurfaced with asphalt shingles and most of the land has been sold off. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.89668, -75.52462 (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 86001784.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15223902
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.