Lombardy Hall

In 1682, William Penn granted 986 acres of land at this location to Valentine Hollingsworth. A portion of the tract was subsequently conveyed to the Robinson family in 1726. The present stone dwelling was erected here circa 1750. In 1785, Gunning Bedford, Jr., signer of the United States Constitution, agreed to purchase the house and surrounding land from Charles Robinson. Bedford constructed an addition on the south side of the home and named his estate Lombardy Hall. He resided here until his death in 1812. The property remained in the possession of the Bedford family until 1848. On September 21, 1967, Lombardy Hall was purchased by the Granite Masonic Hall Company. The Lombardy Hall Foundation was established the following year to preserve the home of this Delaware patriot and prominent member of the Masonic fraternity. In 1972, the site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1974, Lombardy Hall was designated as a National Historic Landmark.