The beloved Il Granaio restaurant in Ward Village, formerly Richards & Schrader, began as the Alexander Scott & Son mill complex in 1884. Alexander Scott and his son Norris Scott established a saw and grist mill along Concord Creek (also known as Ward Run), and later a built a lumber yard. In 1916, Taylor Richards and Gilbert Schrader purchased the property and kept the lumber yard, and added…

The Newlin-Johnson House, also once known as the Nine Tun Tavern, was built on land purchased by Nathaniel Newlin from William Penn in 1682. Nathaniel Newlin III built a stone house on the corner of the Wilmington-West Chester Pike, formerly known as the King’s Highway, in 1732 that passed to Pennsylvania politician Nathaniel Newlin IV, who served in the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention, state assembly, and state senate. He…

The Robert Wilson House and general store is a stucco and brick 2 1/2 story house located within the Clayton Park historic area in Concord Township. Robert Wilson, a successful merchant, purchased 9 acres from Joseph and Sarah Way on January 28, 1732. Mr. Wilson operated a general store in the basement and main level of the house, and lived on the second floor. The basement of the…

This modest stone and frame shingle building was built c. 1870 as a grocery store for Isaac Cornog along Baltimore Pike/Route 1. In 1898, when Isaac Cornog assumed the position of postmaster, the post office moved to his grocery store which sat to the east of the Concordville Inn. In the 1920s, the building then passed hands to the Robinson family, where Paul and Bessie Robinson owned and…

The Smith’s Drove/Drover Tavern was built c. 1818 at the Elam Crossroads in Elam Village (the northwest corner of Smithbridge Road and the Wilmington-West Chester Pike). The crossroads area was originally known as “Pleasant Hill Crossroads,” but postal authorities required the name to the changed in 1844 after discovering an established post office named Pleasant Hill in the Lancaster County area. The tavern license was first granted in…

\ The William E. May House (#39) and Howard May House (#40) are twin Victorian homes built c. 1875 and located along Smithbridge Road in Elam Village. William E. May was a Union Army captain during the American Civil War, and also owned the Drover Tavern from 1864-1868. William E. May purchased the land from Mary Cheney in 1864. Howard May also served in the Union Army, and…

Peter Driver was a free Black man that owned land in Concord Township beginning in 1825 — prior to the American Civil War and 40 years before slavery was abolished. Peter Driver purchased 20.25 acres from Ezekiel Pyle in 1825, and additional acres from Job Perkins at a later date. He built a house c. 1830, and lived on the property with his wife, Lushada, and their 3…

The Thomas Speakman House was built c. 1795 in the area of Ward Village, and is a wonderful example of example of Southeastern Pennsylvania farmhouse architecture. Thomas Speakman purchased 43 acres from his uncle Micajah Speakman in the late 1700s. The original deed to the property was buried underground by Micajah in 1777 in an attempt for document safety due to the British invasion of Pennsylvania, and thus,…

The Dr. Benjamin Leggett House, also known as Ward Academy, is a frame Victorian Farmhouse built in 1882 for Dr. Benjamin F. Leggett, A.M., and his wife, Sarah Leggett. Dr. Leggett was hired by Prof. Joseph Shortlidge of the Maplewood Institute (also known as Concordville Seminary) to become the school’s Vice President in 1867. Previously, Dr. Leggett was the principal of the Collegiate Institute in Charlottesville, New York.…