Peter Driver House
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 children. His property was located in the area now known as the Clayton neighborhood, at the corner of Garnet Mine Road and Concord Road. His other land parcel was located near the Concord Road-Featherbed Lane intersection. According to the 1850 Census, Peter Driver owned 35 acres, 18 of which were used for farming. He produced hay, corn, wheat, grass seed, and potatoes. He owned 2 horses, 4 pigs, 1 steer, and 1 cow, and produced 150 lbs. of butter and $35 worth of livestock a year. He also owned an orchard on the property that produced $100 worth of fruit a year. The whole farm was valued at $1,500 in 1850. Peter Driver was likely a cow farmer or tanner by trade. According to a newspaper article, Peter Driver owned a cow that gave birth to conjoined-twin calves. The article noted that the calf had 2 heads, 2 tails, 6 legs, and 2 backbones. Peter Driver died in 1883, and his property went to his daughter Anna Louisa Driver. In 1900, the property was purchased by Thomas Booth. In 1966, Delaware County purchased the property and demolished the house. However, many of the original Driver House floorboards were saved and used in the restoration of the Polecat Road House (Resource #141). The Peter Driver House and the long-standing land ownership of the Driver Family is significant in the overall history of Black successes within Concord Township during the 19th century.
Thomas Speakman House
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, many pieces of information on the deed are illegible. Thomas Speakman married Abigail Newlin, and had 6 children. By 1795, Thomas Speakman built a log and stone house on the northeast corner of his 43-acres property. According to the 1798 Federal Tax record, the house measured 30 x 20 feet, was 1.5 stories, and had 3 single pane windows and 1 six-over-six window. In 1806, Thomas Marshall IV purchased the Speakman home, and began extensive updates. The first floor of the home consisted of a kitchen and eating area, parlor, and family room. The kitchen boasted a stove and “queensware,” or porcelain chinaware issued in honor of Queen Charlotte. The second story was divided into 4 bedrooms, set with various furniture including beds, bureaus, carpets, chairs, a spyglass, curtains, and trunks. The attic was dedicated to a field bed, a boy bed, a clothes chest, and a spinning wheel. The basement was home to barrels, candles, tubs, potatoes, a vinegar cask, salt meat, and hams. Thomas IV farmed the land and cultivated an apple orchard and other fruit trees, as well as kept a heard of cows. He died suddenly in 1828, and left no will. The house was then sold to Dr. Rolph Marsh in 1829. Dr. Rolph, a local physician, combined this parcel to his adjacent parcel to own a combined 63 acre property. The farm was valued at $6,500 in 1850. The Speakman House fell into various ownership throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, including John and R.W. Hill (John Hill owned and operated the Newlin Grist Mill beginning in 1860), the Ward Mushroom Company, and Frank and Eva Osmund. The house was converted to a commercial space in 2013. Today, this property is a commercial space owned and operated by Zizza Highway Services. Concord Township Historic Resource #109
Dr. Benjamin F. Leggett House aka Ward Academy
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. He worked at Maplewood Institute with his wife until the 1882. Dr. Leggett then opened Ward Academy out of his home, which was a high school program for further education. It operated until 1912. Aside from being a successful educator, Dr. Leggett was also known for his published poetry. He wrote such poems as “Cruise of the Half Moon,” “Idyll of Lake George,” “City of Doom,” “Outdoor Poems,” and many others. Dr. Leggett returned to him home state of New York in 1919, and died in 1924. This house is a private residence and not open to the public. Concord Township Historic Resource #113
Samuel Trimble — Norris J. Scott House
The Samuel Trimble — Norris J. Scott House is a large mansion that sits along Concord Road next to the Concord Friends Meeting House. It was originally built in 1767 for Samuel Trimble on 8 acres purchased from Thomas West. Samuel Trimble built a small stone house that was used as a hatter’s shop. Norris J. Scott purchased the property in 1873 from Mary Trimble Palmer. Norris J. Scott owned and operated a coal and lumber yard with his father, Alexander Scott, in Ward Village along Concord Creek, where the present-day Il Granaio restaurant sits. Norris Scott then sold the property to Professor Joseph Shortlidge, the headmaster of the Maplewood Institute, in 1892. After Professor Joseph Shortlidge’s death in 1912, the property was sold to Dr. Joseph H. Horner, who operated a “rest home,” or rehabilitation retreat for the elderly and sick. The house is a stucco over rough stone with several frame additions built in 1820 and 1875. This is a wonderful example of 19th century architecture and the impact Victorianism had on rural communities. This house is a private residence, and not open to the public. Concord Township Historic Inventory Resource #115