Kirks Mills Historic District
Why it's listed
Kirks Mills is a small rural village in southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, that grew up around a grist mill built by Jacob Kirk, who acquired the property in 1810. The district contains a brick mill of Flemish bond, Jacob Kirk's mansion known as Patience, and a stone Eastland Friends Meeting dating from about 1798. Other buildings include a brick schoolhouse built in 1838, several stone and brick houses from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and a log barn and log house listed on the 1815 tax records. The village served as a local commercial center, with the mill processing farm products and a general store supplying goods from outside the community. Its houses range from early colonial to late federal in date, and many retain original flooring, hardware, doors, fireplaces and bake ovens. Only two buildings postdate the 1940s, and they are noted as intrusions. The district is significant as a well-preserved example of an early nineteenth-century rural community in Lancaster County.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents Kirks Mills as one of the earliest settlements in the region and an example of a rural Lancaster County community of the early 1800s. It states that the village became a local commercial center under Jacob Kirk, with the mill processing agricultural products and the general store supplying goods. It also notes that the exteriors and many interiors of its homes are well preserved, retaining original flooring, hardware, fireplaces and bake ovens.
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 78002420, listed July 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Nottingham off PA 272, Nottingham |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | July 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002420 |
| Resource type | District |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The nomination describes the condition as excellent and the district as largely unaltered, with two intrusions: a 1945 brick ranch house and a 1945 frame bungalow. |
| Acreage | 210 |
| Coordinates | 39.75224, -76.10643 (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 78002420.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6415815
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.