300-Year-Old Chester Co. Home Saved From Demolition

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — A historic Chester County house that dates back to the early 18th century has been saved from demolition.

The John Evans House, located at White Clay Creek Preserve in Landenberg, has a rich history that dates back to 1715.

State Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) worked together with the Friends of White Clay Creek to preserve the structure, which was damaged by a 2017 fire and was slated for demolition by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“The John Evans House tells the story of our nation," Dinniman said in a statement. "From its founding by colonists to the fight for the freedom and independence in the Revolutionary War to the establishment of the Mason-Dixon line and the abolitionist movement in the antebellum period. It is vital that this structure be preserved for posterity as a testament to our rich history..."

Thanks to a new agreement, several groups will work together to preserve the shell of the Evans Mansion.

The property was originally "sold" to William Penn in 1683; according to Dinniman's office, it's likely that Native Americans thought they were only allowing settlers to use the land, as concepts of land ownership between the groups. differed sharply.

Hailing from a Welsh family, Evans arrived in America between 1696 and 1700, and purchased around 600 acres of the land, spanning across Chester County and New Castle County, Delaware, in 1714.

Infrastructure improvements were also recently made to the London Tract Meeting House, which now holds White Clay Creek's Nature Center.