Plymouth Meeting Historic District

Plymouth Meeting Historic District is a national historic district that straddles Plymouth and Whitemarsh Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The adjacent Cold Point Historic District is north of it.

The district encompasses 200 acres (81 ha) and includes 56 contributing buildings in the historic core of Plymouth Meeting. Among these are the separately-listed Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse (1708); Hinterleiter House (1714); Livezey House and Store (1740–1788); Hovenden House, Barn and Abolition Hall (1795, 1856); and Plymouth Meeting Country Store and Post Office (1827). ()

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Plymouth Meeting House is the name of a village situated at the intersection of the Plymouth and Perkiomen turnpikes, on the township line. On this [Plymouth] side is the meeting house, school house and four houses; and in Whitemarsh two stores, a blacksmith and wheelwright shop, post office and twenty-four houses. The houses in this village are chiefly situated along the Perkiomen or Reading pike, nearly adjoining one another, and being of stone, neatly white washed, with shady yards in front, present to the stranger an agreeable appearance. In the basement of the Library building the Methodists hold worship. This is an ancient settlement, whose history dates back nearly to the arrival of William Penn, and is marked as a village on Lewis Evans' map of 1749. The post office was established here before 1827. In 1832 there were but ten houses here. — History of Montgomery County (1858).William J. Buck, History of Montgomery County within the Schuylkill Valley (Norristown, PA: E. L. Acker, 1859), p. 81.

Contributing properties (alphabetical by street) Separately NRHP-listed properties are shaded in blue. NameImageAddressBuiltNotesPart of Maple Hill (see 3047 Spring Mill Road, below)opposite 2070 Butler Pike1794Journey's EndThomas White HousePlymouth Friends School2150 Butler Pike18273134 Butler Pike3136 Butler Pike1898Ellwood Jones House3138 Butler Pike1871 – E. JonesG. M. Hopkins & Co., Atlas of the County of Montgomery and the State of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: 1871), plate 27 inset.Maulsby Barn and Abolition Hall (see Hovenden House, 1 E. Germantown Pike, also part of the property, below)4006 Butler Pike17951856Samuel Maulsby built the stone barn, 1795.His son-in-law George Corson built Abolition Hall, 1856.1871 – Estate of George CorsonAbolition Hall, left, 1906.Hiram Blee & Company Lime Kilnsopposite 4044 Butler PikeDemolished by Danella Companies, Inc., Spring 2019, to make way for additional truck parking.4066 Butler PikeG. & W. H. Corson Company officesopposite 4200 Butler PikeHovenden HouseSamuel Maulsby HouseMaulsby-Corson-Hovenden House1 E. Germantown PikeNE corner Germantown & Butler Pikes1795Built by Samuel Maulsby.1871 – Estate of George CorsonThe rear ell incorporates the stone walls of an earlier house.Barrett House2 E. Germantown PikeSE corner Germantown & Butler Pikes1871 – BarrettPlymouth Meeting Country Store and Post Office3-5 E. Germantown Pike1826-1827Built by Samuel Maulsby.His son Jonathan served as Plymouth Meeting's first postmaster.Maulsby-Albertson Family Papers, 1763-1884, RG 5/099, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.1871 – Jesse Hall Store/Plymouth Meeting P. O.Hall's Store circa 1900:Jones-Williams House4 E. Germantown Pike17871871 – J. R. Ellis6 E. Germantown PikeJonathon Jones House8 E. Germantown Pike18541871 – R. JonesGeorge Hitner Residence12 E. Germantown Pike1871 – Mark JonesGeorge Hitner was issued a license to operate an inn in 1778.Theodore Weber Bean, History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2 (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884), p. 1143.Hitner Barn"The Barn at 14 East"14 E. Germantown Pike1714Killmer Dwelling15 E. Germantown Pike18381871 – P. LukensJoseph R. Ellis House17 E. Germantown Pike18411871 – Jos. R. EllisSchlatter House19 E. Germantown Pike (left half)18351871 – S. Sh. [Seth Schlatter?]21 E. Germantown Pike (right half)1871 – W. W. Sh. [William Schlatter?]Joel Lare House27 E. Germantown Pike18001871 – J. LareLare was a blacksmith and minister."Memorial of Joel Lare," The Friend, vol. 71, no. 31 (February 19, 1898), p. 242.The 1871 G. W. Hopkins Atlas shows a small buildingeast of his house, possibly his blacksmith shop.Isaac Garretson House37 E. Germantown Pike1871 – I. GarretsonGeorge Hagy House41 E. Germantown Pike18501871 – Geo. HagyPlymouth Meeting Evangelical Congregational Church42 E. Germantown Pike1876-1883"An Evangelical meeting-house was commenced here in 1876,but not dedicated until July 22, 1883. It is a two-story stone edifice,with a capacity to seat five hundred persons."Theodore Weber Bean, History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2 (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884), p. 1148.Frederick R. Freas House43-45 E. Germantown Pike18401871 – F. R. FreasAnnis Lee House47 E. Germantown Pike1871 – Annis LeeCairns [Carns?] House49 E. Germantown Pike (left half)18411871 – P. CairnsHenry Freas House51 E. Germantown Pike (right half)1871 – H. FreasJames Houston House53 E. Germantown Pike18241871 – Jas. HoustonWillaman Residence55 E. Germantown Pike18441871 – Mrs. CameronAndrew Norney HouseSabia House94 E. Germantown Pike18491871 – I. SandsJohn Knight House107 E. Germantown Pike17371871 – S. RhoadsElizabeth Williams House113 E. Germantown Pike13 to Philadelphia MilepostNW corner Germantown & Butler PikesPlymouth Friends MeetinghouseSW corner Germantown & Butler Pikes17081871 – Friends Meeting HousePlymouth Friends Meeting Campus – Old School House18662nd story 1900Elwood Roberts, Plymouth Meeting: Its Establishment and the Settlement of the Township (Norristown, PA: Roberts Publishing Co., 1900), p. 74.1871 – School Ho.Plymouth Friends Meeting Campus – William Jeanes Memorial Library1935Designed by Muhlenberg Brothers, architects.William Jeanes Memorial Library data from PABLeedom HouseDr. Joseph LeedomDr. Edwin C. Leedom2 W. Germantown PikeNW corner Germantown & Butler Pikes18031871 – Dr. E. C. LeedomDr. Joseph Leedom established his practice in Plymouth Meetingin 1803. His son and grandson also became physicians.Theodore Weber Bean, History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 1 (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884), p. 647.Leedom Springhouse: R. Thompson House111 W. Germantown Pike (on left)18701871 – R. ThompsonArchbishop Thomas Kennedy BirthplacePatrick Kennedy House113 W. Germantown Pike (on right)17761871 – P. KennedyJ. Hagy House119 W. Germantown Pike1871 – J. HagyStaley House125-27 W. Germantown Pike1871 – S. StallyGeorge Hagy & Brother Lime Kilns130 W. Germantown Pike1871 – Lime Kilns/Hagy & Bro.George Rogers House139 W. Germantown Pike1875-18761871 – Geo. RogersJ. W. Ramsey Lime Kilns200 W. Germantown Pike (at Chemical Road)1871 – Lime Kilns/J. W. RamseyThomas Livezey House and Store225 W. Germantown Pike174017881871 – Thos. Livezey/Store14 Marple LaneMarple House20 Marple Lane1840Features a summer kitchen and smokehousePlymouth School HouseWilliams School119 W. Meeting House Lane1837Kirk Residence127 W. Meeting House Lane18481871 – School Ho. [This may be an error in the 1871 atlas.]Linden GroveBellfieldPeter & Mary Dager House101 E. Ridge PikeNE corner Ridge Pike & Spring Mill Road179018101829-1832Dickinson House and BarnKaitlyn Foti, "Montgomery County grant aids Plymouth Township in buying historical property," Pottstown Mercury, October 11, 2016.Hinterleiter House2130 Sierra Road2181 Chemical Road1715Features a dwelling, barn, summer kitchen & smokehouse.Headquarters of the Plymouth Meeting Historical SocietyJanet S. Klein, Dickinson/Albertson Farmstead of the Plymouth Meeting Historical Society (National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1987).Albertson Farm HouseThe Albertson Farm House, from Plymouth Meeting Historical Society.2130 Sierra Road2181 Chemical Road18101871 – Mrs. Allice T. Albertson [widow of Josiah Albertson]Jacob Deeves Residence3033 Spring Mill Road1790Part of Maple Hill3037 Spring Mill Road1811Maple HillDr. Hiram Corson Residence3047 Spring Mill Road1833Dr. Hiram Corson shared a medical office with Dr. Joseph Leedomin the Leedom House, at 2 W. Germantown Pike, beforeestablishing a medical office here in his own house.Nancy Corson Cresson,"Dr. Hiram Corson," Bulletin of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, vol. 1, no. 3 (October 1937), p. 4.Garden house and carriage house:3118 Spring Mill Road3127 Spring Mill Road3137 Spring Mill RoadShown on the 1871 G. W. Hopkins Atlas.3138 Spring Mill RoadShown on the 1871 G. W. Hopkins Atlas.Samuel Livezey HouseCook-Livezey House3141 Spring Mill Road173917881871 – Rachel Maulsby

References