Billmeyer, Michael, House
Why it's listed
Two houses with similar plans stand under one roof on Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia, two and one-half stories tall with a full cellar. The street facade is dressed stone and the sides are rough stone, with a rear stone wing and a frame addition. Hans George Bensell acquired the land in 1727, and the first known owner of the houses, Michael Billmeyer, publisher of an almanac and newspaper and German printer for the Pennsylvania Assembly, bought them in 1787. Interior features that survive include a dining room fireplace with a brick hearth and original crane and utensils, original flooring in the living and dining rooms, and the original front door with its bolts, hinges and locks. The exterior wood details are regarded as being in the finest Germantown tradition. Local tradition holds that the 1777 attack on the British-held Chew House during the Battle of Germantown was directed from the step of the property. The street is now a National Historic Landmark.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the houses are significant for their architecture, including exterior wood details described as being in the finest Germantown tradition. The form also links the site to the 1777 Battle of Germantown, stating that the attack on the British-held Chew House was reportedly directed from the step of the house. The original interior features, including a fireplace with crane and utensils, are noted as well.
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 72001145, listed January 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 6505-6507 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | January 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001145 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Original interior features survive, including flooring, front door hardware and most sashes; a modern dental office is attached to the northwest. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Colonial Germantown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.04855, -75.18344 (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 72001145.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6828641
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.