Ridley Creek State Park
Also known as: Jeffords` Estate
Why it's listed
The district is a rural landscape of farm complexes and a mill village within a 2400-acre area in Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, settled by English Quakers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Its buildings are mostly stone farmhouses, barns, springhouses and outbuildings, many dating to the 18th century. The Worrall House, begun in 1683, is named as the oldest building in the district, and the Lower Rawle farmhouse, built in three sections around 1715 to 1770, retains almost all of its original woodwork. The Sycamore Mills complex grew around a grist mill established in 1718, with later saw, plaster and rolling mills, and a nail factory that was washed away in the flood of 1843. Abraham Regester operated a profitable chair factory on Gradyville Road from 1801 to 1873. The farms also record changing agricultural practices, from subsistence farming to cash-crop and gentleman estate operations over nearly three centuries.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the district's farm complexes and mill village are virtually undisturbed by modern development and together document almost 300 years of agricultural occupation in Southeastern Pennsylvania. It cites the range of building types and styles, the Sycamore Mills industrial community, and the Regester chair factory as reasons for significance in architecture, agriculture, industry, and conservation.
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 76001637, listed October 8, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Media between PA 3 and PA 352, Media |
|---|---|
| County | Delaware County |
| Listed | October 8, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001637 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1683 to present |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Victorian, Colonial Revival, Medieval English Manor House, Neo-Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Although the farms are no longer functioning, the buildings are maintained; thirty of the houses are occupied as dwellings and some dwellings are vacant or vandalized. |
| Acreage | 2489.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.95352, -75.44430 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 76001637.
- 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.