Handycraft Farmstead
Also known as: Ewetopia
Why it's listed
Located in the Roadside area of Washington Township, the Handycraft Farmstead is a fourteen-acre complex on the north bank of the East Branch of Little Antietam Creek, east of Waynesboro. Its buildings include a hewn timber frame Pennsylvania bank barn dated to about 1840, a hewn log secondary house of about 1830 with a stucco finish scored to look like cut stone, and a distinctive octagonal stone smokehouse of about 1830. The farm was part of a 251-acre tract patented in 1776 and was progressively subdivided through the nineteenth century, when it served as supplemental income for successive owners. The property is valued for its association with that agricultural history and for its group of buildings, particularly the smokehouse, which is considered rare and well preserved. A spring-fed pond in the south yard remains a central feature of the grounds.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farmstead is significant under Criterion A for its association with settlement and agricultural development along the East Branch of Little Antietam Creek from the late 18th century through 1950. Under Criterion C it is significant for its surviving building group, especially the rare and intact octagonal stone smokehouse and the log secondary house with its roughcast finish. The main house is treated as non-contributing because of later additions.
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 02000893, listed August 22, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 11071 Country Club Rd., Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | August 22, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000893 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c 1790 1950 |
| Architectural style | Pennsylvania or Swisser style bank barn; hewn log construction |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The secondary log house is unoccupied and in deteriorated condition; the barn continues to be used for hay and grain storage. |
| Acreage | 14 |
| Coordinates | 39.76385, -77.53398 (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 02000893.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5647735
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.