The Brinton 1704 House
Our Story
The Brintons were part of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. William Brinton, Sr. (1635–1700) moved to the colony of Pennsylvania with his wife and son to escape religious persecution in England. After William “The Elder” passed, William Brinton, Jr. (1670–1751) oversaw the completion of the 1704 House, which resembles the medieval English architectural style of their family home in Staffordshire. The descendants of William, his wife Jane, and their six children (four sons and two daughters) make up most of the Brinton family in America today.
Generations passed and the house witnessed history around it, including the American Revolution. The family followed the pacifist tenets of the Quakers, however, and did not participate in the war. Over time, ownership of the house changed, and additions were made to keep up with contemporary trends, but the Brintons kept an interest in their ancestral home. The Brinton Family Association (now the Brinton Association of America), tasked with chronicling the family history, started its greatest endeavor–restoring the 1704 House.
The family, led by Francis and Deborah Brinton, reacquired the house and hired G. Edwin Brumbaugh, an architect well known for his work in historic preservation, to restore the house to its 18th century appearance, both inside and out. The stone walls of the House are twenty-two inches thick. The interior of the House boasts many special items, including period furniture, leaded-casement windows, and an indoor bake oven. Outside you will find a restored kitchen garden, with plants the family would have kept. You can find the house on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.
We encourage visitors to appreciate the house for many reasons. You can imagine the life of a colonial American family by stepping into a carefully preserved environment. You can learn about how that family forged a life in the New World, including its Treaty of Friendship with the native Lenape Tribe. You can follow the early American experience of finding a place to practice religious freedom, while a battle for independence was fought all around. We invite you to the Brinton 1704 House to learn about all this and more.
