National Register of Historic Places

Willis House

York, York County, Pennsylvania
Listed
April 19, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79002370

About this property

The Willis House is an historic home that is located in Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The builder of this historic residence, William Willis (1726–1801), was a Quaker who received 480 acres from Thomas Penn and Richard Penn Sr. in 1752. His grandfather, John Willis, was born in 1668 in Great Britain. In 1675, the family migrated to Westbury, Long Island, New York. His son, Samuel Willis (1778–1848), is frequently mentioned in local histories as "kindly Friend Willis," and was a major figure in the Underground Railroad. Built in 1762, this historic structure is a 2+1⁄2-story, banked brick dwelling with a partly exposed basement. It measures 30 feet (9.1 m) long by 31 feet (9.4 m) wide and has a steeply pitched gable roof. The interior is laid out in a variation of a Georgian center hall plan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. National Register of Historic Places listings in York County, Pennsylvania Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-5170, "Willis House, 190 Willis Road, York, York County, PA", 4 photos, 5 data pages, 1 photo caption page

Location

135 Willis Run Rd.
York, York County, Pennsylvania
39.97255, -76.73742

Categories

INDUSTRY
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Fairmount Historic District
Industrial
0.4 mi
York Armory
Civil War
0.5 mi
York Dispatch Newspaper Offices
Civil War
0.5 mi
Forry House
Early Republic
0.7 mi
United Cigar Manufacturing Company
Industrial
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Hanover Junction Skirmish
1863Civil War
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Willis House listed on the National Register?

Willis House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Willis House?

Willis House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Willis House?

The period of significance for Willis House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Willis House?

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