CFHS
Chadds Ford Historical Society • P.O. Box 27 • 1736 Creek Road • Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Phone: 610-388-7376 • Fax 610-388-7480 • Website: www.ChaddsFordHistory.org
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Spring 2012
YOUTH TOUR PROGRAMS
The Setting: The Barns-Brinton House and/or the John Chads House, Springhouse, and the
Barn Visitors Center.
The Barns-Brinton House was built by William Barns in 1714. It served as a tavern to travelers
using Ye Great Road to Nottingham (currently Route 1), as well as the home of William, his
wife Elizabeth, and their five children. The all-brick tavern was restored by the Chadds Ford
Historical Society and opened to the public in 1979. It is a splendid example of an English
country tavern transplanted to the colonies. The building presents many original features. The
Barns-Brinton House is located on Route 1, Pennsbury Township, Pennsylvania.
The John and Elizabeth Chads House was finished by 1725. It was commissioned by John
Chads, a Quaker farmer and businessman, and the man for whom the area was named. It is built
of Pennsylvania blue stone and, being built into a slope, is an example of a bank house. Across
the road is a stone springhouse which was used for water and refrigeration. The John Chads
House is located on Creek Road, Old Route 100, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
The Springhouse belonged to John and Elizabeth Chads and was built just prior to the above
mansion house c.1725. The first floor and loft were used as a tenant home in the 18th century
and during the 1830’s it served as a one room schoolhouse and living quarters for the teacher. In
the spring room, the spring is still active, flowing up near the east wall and exiting at the
southwest corner.
The Barn Visitors Center, across the street from the John Chads House, is a reproduction of a
Pennsylvania bank barn. This building houses the headquarters of the Chadds Ford Historical
Society, which includes the museum store and museum exhibit spaces. The Barn is located at
1736 Creek Road, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, 19317.
GENERAL TOUR INFORMATION
Some programs are designed for groups of 10 to 34 people, such as the preschool, half-day, and
full-day tours. Sampler tours accommodate large groups between 20 and 60 people. Groups are
usually divided into smaller groups of 9 to 13 to better appreciate the historic buildings.
The length of the tour varies by program from a 30 minute house tour to 4 hours for tours of both
homes, a video, and three activities (open hearth cooking, weaving, and stenciling, for example).
Tour focus options include: domestic life, importance of colonial taverns, architecture, etc.
General information for youth groups visiting the Chadds Ford Historical Society
Thank you for planning a visit with your students to the Chadds Ford Historical Society. We have three
historic buildings: the Barns-Brinton House, the John Chads House, and the Chads Springhouse. Our
Visitors Center contains exhibits, a museum shop, and a place to watch videos about Chadds Ford,
colonial taverns, or other historic subjects. Although your group may not visit all of these sites, the
following information may help you prepare your students.
The Barns-Brinton House
This building was built in 1714 and was both a private home and a tavern. William Barns lived in half of
the building (two rooms!) with his wife, Elizabeth, and their five children: four boys and one girl. Since
the building was a day’s walk from Philadelphia, the other half was used as a tavern where travelers could
have a meal, share news, or spend the night. Running a tavern could be a risky financial business, but it
was not Mr. Barns’ only business: he was also a blacksmith. The house still boasts many fine examples
of his metalwork, some of which may have been used as samples to show potential clients. Mr. Barns
died early in the 1730’s, in debt to many creditors, and the building passed into other hands.
The John Chads House and Springhouse
This three-story house was built about 1725 on John Chads’ 500-acre plantation. It is a hall and parlor
style mansion which is also a bank house because the kitchen side of the house, with its functioning
beehive oven, is on the ground floor but the adjacent root cellar is underground, built into the side of the
hill. John married Elizabeth Richardson in 1729. Mr. Chad was a Quaker farmer and businessman. He
ran a tavern and operated a ferry service across the Brandywine River. He operated the ferry at a fording
place for many years, and it continued to serve travelers until a bridge was built across the Brandywine
River in 1827. Because of his involvement in community affairs and his many businesses, Chadds Ford
was named for him. John died in 1760 at the age of 63, and Elizabeth lived in the house another 30 years
until she died at the age of 80.
The Springhouse is near the John Chads House and was built by 1725, perhaps serving as a shelter for the
builders of the main house. Over the past 285+ years it housed tenant farmers, functioned as a one-room
school and now, as part of our museum, portrays its time as a school room.
These buildings are almost 300 years old with original flooring and woodwork and are furnished with
both antique and reproduction pieces. The stairs are circular and are shaped like pie slices, so we ask
everyone to use the black railings and walk on the wide side of the steps. Fragile antique furnishings have
blue ribbons strung across them so visitors will know not to sit there. We ask that no one touch anything
unless one of the guides passes it around. We know school groups may have tight schedules, so please
inform us if you must leave exactly on time. You may also let us know if one segment of the program
seems to be lasting longer than the planned 20 to 30 minutes.
One of the things we focus on is how much life has changed since the early 1700’s. In colonial times
there were no electricity, no telephones, no national postal system, or microwave ovens. There was no
indoor plumbing in these houses; someone (often children) took many trips to a stream, spring, or well for
water. Travel was on foot or by horse or cart. Children’s chores included bringing in fire wood, milking
cows, gathering eggs, making woven tape, or anything else that needed to be done.
As you prepare your students for your visit, please let me know how we can better serve your group’s
educational goals.
Lynda Gillow
Education Coordinator, Chadds Ford Historical Society
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© CFHS 2012