Graeme Park

Horsham, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Listed October 15, 1966 Ref. 66000672 National Historic Landmark Building

Why it's listed

Graeme Park is a two-and-a-half story house of brown fieldstone with a high gambrel roof, roughly 60 by 25 feet, with walls two feet thick. William Keith, Provincial Governor of Pennsylvania, built it in 1721-22 as a malt house on an estate first called Fountain Low. In 1739-40 Dr. Thomas Graeme converted it into a summer residence and installed paneling of high Georgian quality. The large first-floor drawing room has a fully paneled wall, a Greek fret cornice, and a fireplace with a broken pediment overmantel, while the second-floor parlor has delft tile around its fireplace. The exterior is largely unornamented, which the nomination contrasts with the interiors. Ownership passed through the Graeme family and later to Samuel Penrose, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania received the property in 1958. The house is significant for its interiors and for the early estate setting it retains.

Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a distinguished example of an early colonial mansion with high Georgian interiors, contrasting a plain exterior with elaborate paneled rooms. The house is said to remain virtually unchanged, with no modern alterations, and the surrounding land preserves the feel of an early country estate.

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 66000672, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).

Key facts

Address	Keith Valley Rd., Horsham
County	Montgomery County
Listed	October 15, 1966
Reference number	66000672
Resource type	Building
Period of significance	1721-1740
Architectural style	Georgian
Criteria	C — distinctive architecture, design or construction
Areas of significance	Architecture
Level of significance	National
National Historic Landmark	Yes, designated October 9, 1960
Status (as stated in the nomination)	Restored by the state and operated as a state park; the nomination notes archaeological investigation and restoration underway.
Acreage	140
Coordinates	40.21557, -75.15055 (NPS GIS)

What listing means for this property

For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.

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 66000672.
Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
Wikidata Q5592360
This listing as JSON

Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.