The McCall-Hance-Merion House and farm complex was built c. 1776 and is on part of an original land grant of 200 acres from William Penn to John Beale. In 1742, Beale sold 125 acres to Thomas and Robert Gihen, and Thomas left his half of 62.5 acres to his wife Elizabeth in 1750. Elizabeth later married Thomas McCall, and they owned 125 acres in 1776. In 1787, their son George acquired 81.5 acres. George McCall sold the property to Moses Palmer in 1797. The 1798 Glass Tax describes the house as a stone and long one story house on the property at that time.
In 1804, Moses Palmer sold 32.5 acres and the house to Jane Wigton, who then sold the property to Joel Hatton in 1814. Hatton sold the property to the Samuel Hance Family in 1828. In the early 1800s, the house was enlarged, ceilings raised to nine feet, four fireplaces built, and a rear addition and northeast wing built. In 1867, Samuel Hance, a founder of the Brandywine Summit Camp Meeting, sold 52 acres and house to John Merion. The property stayed with the Merion Family, of which the Concord Township Historical Society founder Virginia DeNenno descended from, for almost 100 years thereafter.
The McCall-Hance-Merion House underwent extensive restorations in the latter half of the 20th century under the Chetty Family ownership, and became known locally as the Chetty Farm. The Chetty’s received a Historic Preservation Award from the Heritage Commission of Delaware County for their efforts in restoring the property. The Chetty’s also sold 8 acres of their property adjacent to the Bush Hill Farm township park to Concord Township in 2021 to preserve green space and add land to the park.
The original house size was 5 x 20 feet, and had 2 stories. The house still uses the original three stone walls which face the northwest corner of the property.
The stone barn on the property has been added on to many times. The very center is original, and was built around 1750. The stone silo was added c. 1860, which covers up the original entrance to the lower barn which had a rounded top and large stones outlining the doorway to allow carriages to enter and unload inside. The barn contains a milk house, box stalls, hay loft, and corncrib.
A large rock with a cloven foot carved in the top center, believed to be a landmark guiding early people to the Delaware River, is also located on the property.
This property is a private residence, and not open to the public.
Concord Township Historic Resource #67
