David Littell House
Encyclopedia
The David Littell House is a historic house in Hanover Township
in the southwestern part of Beaver County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Built in 1851, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
for the tract of land where the house was built after his service in the Revolutionary War
. He was a prominent member of the local community, owning wide lands in the area and serving as a justice of the peace
after 1795; he died in 1820. Littell donated some of his grant for the location of the Service Associate Presbyterian Church and Seminary, which joined the United Presbyterian Church of North America
at its formation in 1858. After his death, his son David — a leading member of the Service church — inherited the land. Besides agriculture, the property was the location of a tannery
, which was in business at the time of the house's construction, and which was profitable enough to make Littell a rich man. The Littell House remained in the Littell family after David's death, passing successively into the hands of his son, grandson, and great-granddaughter.
Because the names of its builders are known, the history of the David Littell House is better known than that of most rural period houses in its vinicity. In 1986, the David Littell House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It received this recognition due to its unique degree of preservation, as it was one of few nineteenth-century houses remaining in Hanover Township and the only one that had survived without major changes. The house was seen as a prime example of local history, as it remained a living example of early nineteenth-century industry and agriculture in the township.
house located along Pennsylvania Route 18
near the small community of Mechanicsburg, the Littell House is a typical two-story
brick farmhouse
of its era. It features a symmetrical house plan with a central hallway and two rooms on each side of the house, each of which has a fireplace and two windows to the front or back of the house. Among its most unusual features is a hallway window on the second story, which includes details built in a way common in houses of the period but quite rare in Western Pennsylvanian farmhouses. The roof was originally flat or slightly sloped; it was replaced by the current gabled roof
soon after the house was built. Although the house has been altered in other ways since its construction, these changes have been relatively insignificant — for example, replacing the shingled roof
with slate
s and adding a new front door to protect the interior — and have generally had little or no affect on the house's historic integrity.
to the house's significance in the way that the previous house sites and the tanning pits do.
Hanover Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Hanover Township is a township in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,529 at the 2000 census.-History:Two historic sites in Hanover Township are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the David Littell House, a nineteenth-century farmhouse, and the...
in the southwestern part of Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built in 1851, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The Littell House was erected by the local builders Hayward and Cain on land owned by the Littell family for several generations. William Littell was among the area's first settlers, having received a warrantWarranty deed
A general warranty deed is a type of deed where the grantor guarantees that he or she holds clear title to a piece of real estate and has a right to sell it to the grantee . The guarantee is not limited to the time the grantor owned the property—it extends back to the property's origins. A General...
for the tract of land where the house was built after his service in the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He was a prominent member of the local community, owning wide lands in the area and serving as a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
after 1795; he died in 1820. Littell donated some of his grant for the location of the Service Associate Presbyterian Church and Seminary, which joined the United Presbyterian Church of North America
United Presbyterian Church of North America
The United Presbyterian Church of North America was an American Presbyterian denomination that existed for exactly one hundred years. It was formed on May 26, 1858 by the union of the Northern branch of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church with the Associate Presbyterian Church at a...
at its formation in 1858. After his death, his son David — a leading member of the Service church — inherited the land. Besides agriculture, the property was the location of a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
, which was in business at the time of the house's construction, and which was profitable enough to make Littell a rich man. The Littell House remained in the Littell family after David's death, passing successively into the hands of his son, grandson, and great-granddaughter.
Because the names of its builders are known, the history of the David Littell House is better known than that of most rural period houses in its vinicity. In 1986, the David Littell House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It received this recognition due to its unique degree of preservation, as it was one of few nineteenth-century houses remaining in Hanover Township and the only one that had survived without major changes. The house was seen as a prime example of local history, as it remained a living example of early nineteenth-century industry and agriculture in the township.
Architecture
A Greek RevivalGreek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
house located along Pennsylvania Route 18
Pennsylvania Route 18
Pennsylvania Route 18 is a major north–south highway in Western Pennsylvania whose southern terminus is at the West Virginia state line in Greene County, Pennsylvania near the village of Garrison, while the northern terminus is at PA Route 5 in Lake City, Pennsylvania...
near the small community of Mechanicsburg, the Littell House is a typical two-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
brick farmhouse
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
of its era. It features a symmetrical house plan with a central hallway and two rooms on each side of the house, each of which has a fireplace and two windows to the front or back of the house. Among its most unusual features is a hallway window on the second story, which includes details built in a way common in houses of the period but quite rare in Western Pennsylvanian farmhouses. The roof was originally flat or slightly sloped; it was replaced by the current gabled roof
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
soon after the house was built. Although the house has been altered in other ways since its construction, these changes have been relatively insignificant — for example, replacing the shingled roof
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
with slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
s and adding a new front door to protect the interior — and have generally had little or no affect on the house's historic integrity.
Remainder of property
The Littell property includes four historically significant sites in addition to the house. Littell did not originally build a house at the current location: three previous house sites are located on the same property. Moreover, a group of three pits used for drying hides in the tannery is located near the southeastern corner of the property. Also located on the property are a barn, a garage, an outhouse, and two wooden sheds; as all were built or rebuilt in the twentieth century, they do not contributeContributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the house's significance in the way that the previous house sites and the tanning pits do.