John Eakin Farm

The story

Written by AI from this property's National Register nomination and the record above; every sentence is checked against its sources before it appears here. Corrections: privacy@treealive.com

The John Eakin Farm is a historic district at 3298 PA 212 and Main Street in Springtown, Springfield Township, Bucks County, listed in the National Register in 2005. Its buildings date from about 1739 to 1997 and include Georgian, Continental, hall-parlor, Penn plan and Pennsylvania barn styles.

Why it's listed

It was listed under criteria A and C, with local-level significance in agriculture, commerce and architecture. Its period of significance runs from 1739 to 2004, reflecting Stephen Twining's grist mill of about 1739 and residential and commercial use that continued to 2004.

Physical character

The farmhouse has limestone and sandstone walls on a fieldstone foundation, under a slate roof, with segmental relieving arches, stone steps and Dutch doors. Inside are corner fireplaces and a squirrel tail bake oven, and in 1884 a cooking fireplace was removed for a straight run staircase. The bank barn is built in the Pennsylvania barn form, with a double bank ramp, hewn chestnut interior framing bents and a corrugated tin roof fitted with ventilators.

Historical context

Twining built a grist mill on the property about 1739, sold 110 acres to John Chapman Jr. in 1758, and sold the remaining land and mill to Abraham Funk in 1763. Kooker's Tavern was built and operated there from about 1761 to 1797. The farmhouse, for which the farm is named, is attributed to builder John Eakin and dates from 1773.