White Chimneys is an historic, American home that is located in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A large white mansion directly adjacent to U.S. Route 30, the premises were listed on The National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1]
White Chimneys | |
 White Chimneys, March 2010 | |
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| Location | 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of Gap, Pennsylvania on U.S. Route 30, Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°59′43″N 76°2′24″W / 39.99528°N 76.04000°W |
| Area | 10.3acres |
| Built | c. 1720, 1790, 1807, 1923 |
| Built by | Jones, Francis Slaymaker, S.R. |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001644[1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 1, 1975 |
History edit
Originally built and operated between 1710 and 1720 as the Francis Jones Tavern, this historic house was the residence of the Slaymaker family between 1779 and 1999. It is a 2+1⁄2-story, five-bay building that was created using stuccoed limestone. It is topped by a gable roof with dormers and was built in four phases: the 1710-20 log cabin, a two-room addition in 1790, a large Federal style addition in 1807 and the west wing addition in 1923, which includes a ballroom. The mansion and grounds were considered a significant landmark by residents of the Pequea Valley during the eighteenth and nineteen centuries. The house's status as a prominent marker on the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike made it suitable as a stop on the Visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States in 1825.[2][3]
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, parts of the house were opened as a museum and roadside attraction. White Chimneys has a long history as the setting of Ghost stories, with residents reporting unexplained smells, sounds and apparitions.[4][3]
Current Use edit
The house continues to be maintained as a private residence. The grounds and formal gardens are open to the public by appointment. Most recently, the property has gained popularity as a wedding ceremony and reception venue. The bank barn and pastures are utilized for horses.
References edit
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Slaymaker, Samuel (1973). Captive's Mansion. Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-013923-4.
- ^ a b "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes David C. Stacks (October 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: White Chimneys" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ Slaymaker, Samuel (1973). Captive's Mansion. Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-013923-4.