The William Brinton 1704 House and Historic Site
Description and History
| The William Brinton 1704 House, a National Historic Landmark, was built by William Brinton, Jr. (1670-1751), who is referred to by the family as "William the Younger" or "William the Builder". The house stands a quarter-mile south of Dilworthtown, Pennsylvania, on Oakland Road, the old West Chester-Wilmington Pike. |
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Description
Stone from a nearby quarry forms the twenty-two-inch thick walls of the William Brinton 1704 House. There is a steep roof and pent eaves over the first floor windows on the north and south sides of the house. The twenty-seven windows are of leaded sash. Most of the original flooring is still in use.
Records
Between 1830 and 1892, John Hill Brinton, a lawyer of West Chester, wrote extensively on the Brinton family history. He kept detailed notes and descriptions of all he could learn from elder members of the family concerning details of the original appearance of the William Brinton 1704 House and Historic Site. He wrote in his diary, "I thus relate these facts minutely in order that some future Brinton, descended from 'The Colonist', (if he so minds) may restore the old house to its primitive aspect and plant a memorial stone where these settlers rest." The Brinton Association of America feels that this early wish has been fulfilled.
Progeny
After William Brinton "The Builder" died, the place was occupied by his son Edward, his grandson George, and his great-grandson Joseph. Then in 1802--as the result of a lawsuit--another Joseph Brinton gained possession of the William Brinton 1704 House and passed it on to his children. In 1829 it was purchased by Ziba Darlington, a direct descendant of "The Builder". He sold the house in 1860 to Gideon Williamson, who conveyed it four years later to Henry Faucett. His son, Henry P. Faucett, sold it to Isaac P. Sherwood in 1925. Sherwood, in turn, sold the William Brinton 1704 House and surrounding land to Clarence H. Kemery in 1946. The house returned to the Brinton family when Mr. and Mrs. Francis D. and Deborah Brinton, avid historians and antiquaries, purchased it in 1947. Following the hopes of the "diarist" (that is, John Hill Brinton; see "Records," above), restoration of the William Brinton 1704 House was begun in the spring of 1954, with money raised by the Brinton Family Association (now called The Brinton Association of America).
Restoration
After the removal of a large serpentine stone wing which had been erected in 1881, and of all the modern wood and plaster, the restoration architect, G. Edwin Brumbaugh, was able to study and evaluate all the evidence thus uncovered. The exact size, type, and location of each of the twenty-seven original leaded glass windows was revealed. The width of the boards in the room partitions was made clear. The location and size of the indoor bake oven, the location of the seats by the front door and of the stairways and closets--all these and many more points were disclosed. The John Hill Brinton diary, which showed up at the 1914 Brinton family reunion, was also a major source of information used during the restoration of the William Brinton 1704 House. Where all evidence had vanished, local residences of the same period and type were studied and the information obtained was used in the restoration. The experience of the contractor, Howard M. Ryan, was of greatest value in this respect. The small 19th-century frame wing at the east end of the old house has been adapted for office use by the staff.
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| [Before Restoration, with serpentine wing] |
[After Restoration] |
Furnishings
The furnishings of the William Brinton 1704 House are based on inventories taken after the deaths of the builder and his wife, Jane Brinton. While few of the original items are known, it has been the aim of the Brinton Association of America to have in the house pieces that William (b.1670) and Jane could have had, and to use the inventories as closely as possible. Deborah and Francis Brinton personally collected many such pieces and generously contributed them to this cause. As time passes perhaps more of the original contents of the William Brinton 1704 House will come to light.
Source
Most of the text of this page was taken directly from an old Brinton Family Association leaflet entitled, The 1704 House, built by William Brinton the Younger... Minor and occasional revisions to this text have been imposed here by Jacquie Roach and Susan Tolbert, as members of the Board of Directors of the Brinton Association of America.
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