Lewis E. Buckley House
The Lewis E. Buckley House, also known as “Stonehurst,” is a Victorian Folk Farmhouse built in 1886 in the Ward Village neighborhood of Concord Township. Lewis Buckley was a general store owner and the Ward Village postmaster in the 1890s. He lived in the house until 1901 with his wife, 3 children (including 2 twin boys born in the house in December 1888), and a schoolteacher boarder. Mr. Buckley sold the home in 1901 to the Bishop family, headed by Mr. Jehu D. Bishop. Mr. Bishop was the brother-in-law to Pennock E. Sharpless, proprietor of the P.E. Sharpless Company, and Mr. Bishop was the foreman at the Sharpless plant in Ward. According to the verbal account of Mr. Bishop’s eldest daughter, Jehu was credited with bringing a man from Europe after the Spanish-American War that showed the P.E. Sharpless Company how to make cream cheese. Mr. Bishop also had a small mushroom growing company in the back of the property for a few years before he sold it to Jacob Styer in 1913. The Bishop Family were the longest residents at the property, and affectionately named the home “Stonehurst”after it’s distinct limestone foundation and first floor exterior walls. The home still contains many original elements, including original inlaid oak floors, stained glass transom windows, a decorated fireplace mantel, and an ornate hand-carved wooden staircase. Concord Township Historic Inventory Resource #107
Thomas McCall – Reese Pyle House
The McCall – Pyle House was built c. 1814 by Thomas McCall with an addition built in 1890. The house sits on an original 500 acre land grant to Dennis Rockford from his father in law Thomas Herriot. Herriot died at sea in 1682 while aboard William Penn’s ship. Thomas McCall purchased 17 1/4 acres from John Bale, and built the front portion of the current house. Reese Pyle purchased the property in 1831. Pyle increased his landholdings to 65 acres. The property stayed in the Pyle family until 1934. Mrs. Crawford Pyle, who owned the home from 1913 to 934, was strangely struck by lightening in 1921 while sitting in the home’s kitchen. She recovered from the event, but the house was slightly damaged. Ed and Susie Dowden purchased the home in 1973, and removed the exterior stucco in 1986. They also discovered a large, stone-lined ice house underneath the floor of the garage workshop. Also on the property is a barn, garage, and various outbuildings. This property is a private residence and not open to the public. Concord Township Historic Resource #86
Lewis Palmer House
The Lewis Palmer House, once known as “Wyndblough,” sits high on a hill on the eastern end of 100 acres originally purchased by Thomas Hall from George Strode in 1686. The stucco-over-stone house was built c. 1860 by Lewis Palmer, a descendant of the original Palmer family members that settled in Delaware County in 1685. Lewis Palmer was a farmer by trade, and applied progressive agricultural techniques on his farm. The Palmers were Quakers by faith, and were heavily invested in peace work and education. Lewis Palmer was a public school director for 6 years, and was responsible for the erection of many commodious school buildings within Concord Township. He was a charter member of the Delaware County Historical Society, member of the Delaware County Institute of Science, and director of the Famer’s Market of Chester. He was also responsible for publishing the Palmer-Trimble Genealogy, which included over 1,000 pages and 3,000 names at the time. The Lewis Palmer House and property was used as a farm for raising horses and dogs in later years, and now belongs to the Willcox Family. Concord Township Historic Resource #137
John Palmer – William Hannum House
The John Palmer – William Hannum House was built on land from an original 1688 grant from William Penn to John Palmer. John Palmer came to America from England as a “Redemptioner,” and had to pay for his passage through years of labor. The original building was constructed of fieldstone and plaster. The present-day family room contains the large cooking fireplace with the original crane. All of the floors on the first floor are original and made of oak. John Palmer passed the estate to his grandson, Moses Palmer, who enlarged the house in 1740. The house was acquired by William Hannum II in the 1800s, who further enlarged the house in 1840. A summer kitchen was added to this wing, complete with stone walls and 18 inch deep window sills. “Graffiti” from the Hannum Family in 1878 can be found on the walls of the 3rd floor. Also on the property is a building once used as a saddlery by the Palmers. It is also believed to have been a schoolhouse at one time. The original Palmer Barn was remodeled, and is now a private, separate home. Concord Township Historic Resource #97