Johnson’s Corner
Johnson’s Corner is a small area within the larger Beaver Valley district that sits across from the intersection of Smithbridge Road and Route 202/Wilmington-West Chester Pike from Elam Village. The Johnson’s Corner area is characterized by three remaining historic buildings ranging from the 1730s through the late 1800s. Johnson’s Corner is historically significant in Concord Township inn and milll industries, as well as the home to the largest commercial farmer within the Beaver Valley area — William Johnson. Prior to William Johnson’s commercial success, the Newlin family was important to the society and industry in Johnson’s Village from its inception. Nathaniel Newlin III built a stone house on the corner of the Wilmington-West Chester Pike in 1732 that passed to Pennsylvania politician Nathaniel Newlin IV, who served in the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention, state assembly, and state senate. He converted the building into an inn for the nine tun wagons traveling down the pike. It served as a public inn from 1748-1776 as the Nine Tun Inn, and through the early 1800s as Newlin’s Tavern. William Johnson, the namesake of Johnson’s Corner, purchased the house in 1840, and enlarged the house for his residence. Mr. Johnson owned the largest farm in the larger Beaver Valley area, and represented the top quartile of Concord Township’s wealth distribution. Today, the building is used as Pennsylvania state representative Craig Williams’s office. Another prominent industry in the area was feldspar mining at the turn of the 20th century. The Brandywine Summit Feldspar Company operated a feldspar mine in the Johnson’s Corner area, which was the largest feldspar mine in the world at the time. Feldspar is a natural mineral used to make false teeth, china, dishes, etc. The mine was worked through, and mining moved to Upper Chichester Township in the 1910s. Presently, the Johnson’s Corner is characterized by modern retail and commercial businesses along the Wilmington-West Chester Pike, and private historic residential buildings.
Joseph Walters House
The Joseph Walter House sits on present-day Tory Hill Farm in the Ivy Mills Historic Village, and was constructed c.1840 for Quaker farmer Joseph Walter (1813-1894). The house was built on a land grant of 300 acres that was deeded to George Stroud in 1683, after which Godwin Walter purchased 100 acres in 1686 and built a small home on the western portion of the land. Joseph Walter was Godwin’s great-grandson, and purchased 50 acres of land from his father, Nathaniel, on the eastern side of the tract in 1822. A frame wing rear addition to the farm house was added in 1860. Mr. Walter lived in the farmhouse with his wife, Jane Hannum Walter (1817-1884), after their marriage in 1839. They had four children: Emma Jane, Anna Ellen, William, and Henry Clay (who married Mary Trimble Sharpless in 1869 in a ceremony performed by the Philadelphia mayor!). The Walter House also housed Joseph’s mother, Susanna Walter, and two boarders: Thomas Broomall and Rachel Cotton, who were both 17 year-old indentured laborers. The property was an active farm known as “Idro Farm,” and had 35 out of 50 acres under cultivation in 1850. Crops such as hay, corn oats, wheat, and potatoes were grown, with livestock such as horses, oxen , swine, cattle, and dairy cows raised. The property remained in the Walter family until 1979, when it was purchased by the Mark Willcox Family. Today, Dugan Equine operates a riding school on the farm. Historic Resource #138
James Marshall House
The James Marshall House was built c. 1740-1775 as an early 3 story Pennsylvania farm bank house built along the mill race of Concord Mill. The house is comprised of stone and logs. James Marshall sold the property to Nathan Sharpless in 1804. The Sharpless Family then sold the property to Thomas Thompson, a free Black man, in 1847. The James Marshall House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is described in its registration as “an excellent example of 18th century homestead and is one of very few completely unaltered 18th century log cabins extant in Southeastern Pennsylvania.” The property sat vacant for a decade in the 1970s, but was saved by the Harry family. Much of the house was dilapidated, but was painstakingly restored by the Harrys. They also added a period-appropriate addition copied from the 1722 Mendehnall-Peeling house. This property is a private residence and not open to the public. Concord Township Historic Resource #194
High Hill Farm aka Connemarra Farm
Connemarra Farm/High Hill Farm is a historic farm consisting of a 2.5 story Georgian farmhouse, a large double barn, a carriage house, a creamery, and various smaller outbuildings. Early records of this farm refer to it as Concord Hill Nursery when it was owned by the Peters family from 1845-1903. It is likely it was a fruit tree nursery. The carriage house, brick farmhouse substructure, and barn foundation was from this era. Lawrence Beebe was the architect for this property in 1903, and was the principal barn builder for this region. The house was damaged by a fire in 1903, and the barn in 1910. George Haenn owned the property at this time, and the primary use of the farm changed from a nursery to a dairy operation. John Giblin owned the property In later years. He was a Korean War veteran that received the four Bronze Stars, the United Nations Service Medal, and the Distinguished Unit Medal. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 during their ownership. Concord Township Historic Resource #193