Wall House
Also known as: The Ivy
Why it's listed
Stone house on Wall Park Drive in Elkins Park, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, with its earliest section believed to date from 1682. Richard Wall, who received a land grant from William Penn, is associated with the original two-room building. Additions in 1725 and 1800 produced a two-and-a-half story house and a larger three-and-a-half story section, both with medium gable roofs, stone end chimneys, and double-hung sash windows. The porches and shutters are later features. The house is considered a representative example of Pennsylvania stone construction of the 18th and early 19th centuries, with stucco covering and side and rear additions typical of the region. Its significance also rests on local families: the Shoemakers, descendants of Richard Wall through his granddaughter Sarah, gave the surrounding area the name Shoemakertown until 1889, and the Bosler family owned the house from 1847 until the township bought it in 1932.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a typical and well-preserved example of 18th and early 19th century Pennsylvania stone house construction, showing how such houses were enlarged over time. It is also associated with the Wall, Shoemaker and Bosler families, who were locally prominent, and with early Society of Friends meetings held there, though the house's connection to those meetings is uncertain.
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 79002302, listed June 28, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Wall Park Dr., Elkins Park |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | June 28, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002302 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1682 |
| Architect / builder | Richard Wall |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The interior is described as in excellent condition and the house is in continuous residential use. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.07854, -75.12840 (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 79002302.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7962600
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.