National Register of Historic Places

Craven Hall

Warminster Heights, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Listed
October 10, 2007
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
07001078

About this property

Craven Hall is a historic building located in Warminster Township, Pennsylvania, at the corner of Newtown Road and East Street Road (Route 132), a five-lane arterial road which runs through the central commercial district. The house was originally built in 1780, with subsequent work in 1823 and a single story addition in the 20th century. The building is a good example of attempts to adapt the high style of Philadelphia architecture to buildings in a rural setting. The Greek Revival detailing of the exterior, and the interior details of the window and door frames and the mantelpiece, along with its sensitivity to proportion, make it unique to rural southeastern Pennsylvania. The John Fitch Steamboat Museum is located at this site, which includes a working model of the commercial steamboat that Fitch operated on the Delaware River in 1790. Craven Hall is associated with families that were part of the American Revolution and prominent in local Pennsylvania history. The house was built for John Craven who was the founder of Johnsville, Pennsylvania. Later, the house passed down to members of the VanSant, Longstreth, Hart and Bennett families. The house is two and a half stories, built with stone walls finished with stucco. The central hallway and staircase are flanked by parlor rooms on either side. A side wing built to the same height as the main building has quarter-round windows on each side of the chimney. The building retains the original fireplaces and the kitchen hearth. The spring house in the rear yard is built underground with stone and stucco walls, and accessed by a staircase. Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-5600, "Craven Hall" Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-5600-A, "Craven Hall, Spring House (Underground)"

Location

599 Newton Rd. (Warminster Township)
Warminster Heights, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
40.19155, -75.07363

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Roberts and Mander Stove Company Buildings
Industrial
1.4 mi
Southampton Baptist Church and Cemetery
Industrial
2.1 mi
Union Library Company
Civil War
2.2 mi
Bryn Athyn-Lower Moreland Bridge
Industrial
2.3 mi
Loller Academy
Industrial
2.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Crooked Billet
1778Revolutionary War
1.6 mi
Battle of Crooked Billet May 1 1778
1778Revolutionary War
7.9 mi
Skirmish at Whitemarsh
1777Revolutionary War
8.6 mi
Battle of Whitemarsh
1777Revolutionary War
8.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Craven Hall listed on the National Register?

Craven Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Craven Hall?

Craven Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Craven Hall?

The period of significance for Craven Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Craven Hall?

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