Tyler, John J., Arboretum
Also known as: Painter, Minshall and Jacob, Farm
Why it's listed
Home Farm, in Lima, Delaware County, is a farmstead whose buildings date from 1738 onward and whose surrounding grounds hold the John J. Tyler Arboretum. Thomas Minshall built the first section of Lachford Hall in 1738, and the Painter family, beginning with Enos Painter and his sons Minshall and Jacob, expanded the farm through the nineteenth century. Minshall and Jacob Painter planted a collection that at one time numbered over 1,100 trees between 1830 and 1860, including exotic species that did not survive the climate. Twenty-two Painter trees survive, including a giant sequoia and a Cedar of Lebanon believed to be the largest of their kind in the state. The district is regarded as significant for conservation of horticultural specimens, for its link to the Painters' scientific pursuits, and for its largely intact eighteenth- and nineteenth-century farm buildings, which include stone barns, springhouses, a root cellar and the Painter Library of 1863.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the arboretum is significant for its role in conservation of horticultural specimens and historic landscapes, for its association with brothers Minshall and Jacob Painter and their scientific interests, and for buildings and structures that reflect architectural patterns of their periods. It describes Home Farm as a largely intact eighteenth- and nineteenth-century farmstead fitting a plan closely associated with 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 03000080, listed February 27, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 515 Painter Rd., Lima |
|---|---|
| County | Delaware County |
| Listed | February 27, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000080 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | circa 1710 - 1952 |
| Architectural style | Georgian; Georgian Revival; Gothic Revival; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Conservation, Architecture, Science |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The arboretum is a public arboretum; ruins survive at remote locations and the district retains a high level of integrity overall. |
| Acreage | 657 |
| Within district | Ridley Creek State Park |
| Coordinates | 39.93500, -75.43076 (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 03000080.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6241319
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.