Heritage Conservancy's Register of Historic Places Grows
Heritage Conservancy's Register of Historic Places Grows
Heritage Conservancy has added four significant properties to our Register of Historic Places.
The Levi Kulp/William Cressman House and Barn are located in Springfield Township, Bucks County. The house (pictured) is a stone farmhouse originally built by Abraham and Nicholas Roudenbush in 1816 on a 50-acre plot of land; the barn was built six years later.
Today, house and barn sit on three acres. Though many aspects of the house have been "updated," including the windows and doors, the changes have been made with great sensitivity to the house's historic value. The barn also retains a high degree of historic integrity, with few modern alterations having been made. The property and its buildings have had numerous owners over the years, but they are known today by the names of the two families who resided there the longest.
The two other sites added to the register are the Darlene Reiss house in Springfield Township, Bucks County, which was built circa 1875 and is a wonderful example of Federal-style architecture, and the Kirkland Farm, also in Springfield Township. Kirkland Farm includes a house originally constructed circa 1790 that became the residence of Broadway playwright John M. Kirkland in 1938. The house's older sections represent a vernacular version of Georgian architecture, while a circa-1940 wing added by Kirkland is an excellent example of Colonial Revival architecture.
Heritage Conservancy established our Register of Historic Places in 1975 to further our mission of "preserving our natural and historic heritage." The Register helps us to identify and promote public awareness of the historically and architecturally significant structures in our midst.
To date, more than 675 houses, barns, bridges, mills, schoolhouses, and industrial buildings have been listed on the Heritage Conservancy Register. Some are in pristine live-in condition, while others are preserved as ruins. Districts, structures, and objects can be listed on the register if they are determined to be "significant" based on such criteria as who designed or built the site; how well it represents an historical period, architectural style, or artistic movement; and whether a significant person owned the site or resided there.
If you or someone you know owns or manages an historic site, Heritage Conservancy can help you learn more about it. Our Resource Protection staff conducts house histories and other historical research, which can lead to listing on the National Register of Historic Places or the Heritage Conservancy Register of Historic Places.
In addition to the four sites that were added to our register in 2006, we also assisted two sites—Levi Sheard Mill and the Chalfont Historic District—in getting listed to the National Register of Historic Places, and three sites—the Souderton Downtown Commercial Historic District, the Trumbauersville Historic District, and Springhouse Farm—in being determined eligible for listing on the National Register.
To learn more about the Heritage Conservancy Register of Historic Places or about Heritage Conservancy's historic preservation work, contact Sharon Young, Heritage Conservancy's Resource Protection Coordinator, at syoung@heritageconservancy.org or 215-345-7020 x 106. Listing on the Heritage Conservancy Register of Historic Places does not limit an owner's rights in any way, though of course a property only remains on the register if it maintains its historical or architectural integrity.
