Speedwell Forge B&B Added to National Register of Historic Places

Speedwell Forge Homestead, a collection of seven 18th-century stone buildings in Lancaster County, PA, have been added to the National Historic Registry. The owners are opening a bed and breakfast in the former ironmaster's mansion.

Lancaster County, PA (PRWEB) June 6, 2006 -- Carol Lee of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) confirmed today that Speedwell Forge Homestead was officially recognized by the National Park Service on May 24, 2006. This culminated a twelve-year effort to have the property protected.

In 1994, Bill Darlington submitted the original nomination, which was rejected. Dawn Darlington, his daughter and now current owner, decided to try again in 2003, hiring Barb Raid of Historic York to update the nomination. It took over two years to go through the process, including a site visit and several revisions. The PHMC approved the nomination last March.

Speedwell Forge was built in 1760 and expanded c. 1795, and exhibits both Colonial and Federal architecture. “The west wing is one-room deep, with smaller windows and very little ornamentation, typical of early Colonial homes, while the east wing is two rooms-deep on a center-hall pattern, modeled after the stately English mansions, and featuring very detailed ornamentation,” Raid wrote in the nomination.

The mansion was built by James Old, who also built the eponymous forge nearby. His clerk, Robert Coleman, married Old's eldest daughter, Ann, and launched his own career as an ironmaster. During the American Revolution, iron was in high demand for cannons, munitions, and chain links, which were stretched across bays to keep out English warships. Robert Coleman became Pennsylvania's first millionaire and, although he moved to the Stiegel-Coleman mansion nearby, he expanded Speedwell Forge mansion to reflect his wealth and status.

The property remained in the Coleman family until 1941, when it was purchased by Gerald and Kathryn Darlington, Dawn's grandparents. The mansion has been vacant since 1988 and needed extensive repairs. Darlington and her husband, Gregg Hesling, began a complete restoration in 2003, with the intent of opening a bed and breakfast.

In addition the mansion, six other 18th century buildings were included: The summer kitchen, paymaster's office, the stone privy, a fanciful chicken coop, a workshop, and the ruins of a shed. “This is kind of silly, but what I think is most interesting is the privy,” Hesling remarked. “I've seen several stone mansions from that period, but I haven't seen another stone outhouse.”

The designation was a prerequisite for Darlington to apply for historic tax credits, which will offset up to 20% of the restoration costs, which are over $500,000. “It's a convulted process,” Darlington said, “The government isn't giving us any money, but they're taking less in taxes as a reward for us investing in this historic property. Either way, it helps.”

Speedwell Forge Mansion was designated a Lancaster County Historic Preservation Trust site in 1966. Speedwell Forge B&B is scheduled to open in July 2006. For photos of the restoration in process, please reference the above web site.

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