Captain William Vicary House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Capt. William Vicary House
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Front of the Vicary House from Route 65
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1235 3rd Ave., Freedom, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1826 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001749 |
| Added to NRHP | November 8, 1974 |
The Captain William Vicary House is a really old and special house in Freedom, Pennsylvania, a town in Beaver County. It's located right on the main street, high above the beautiful Ohio River. This house has a lot of history!
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The Historic Captain William Vicary House
The Captain William Vicary House is a famous old mansion in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. You can find it at 1235 3rd Avenue in the town of Freedom, Pennsylvania. It sits along the town's main road, looking down over the Ohio River.
Who Was Captain Vicary?
Captain William Vicary was a brave captain in the United States Navy. He served during the War of 1812, which was a big conflict between the United States and Great Britain. Because of his service, the government gave him a large piece of land, about 500 acres, in what was then called the Northwest Territory.
After his time in the Navy, Captain Vicary settled in a town called Sewickley, Pennsylvania. There, he met people from the Harmony Society. This group had recently built a special community called Old Economy Village near the Ohio River. Inspired by this, Captain Vicary decided to buy even more land, about 604 acres, close to Economy.
Building a Dream Home
In 1826, Captain Vicary started to plan his own community, which he named "St. Clair." He also began building a large stone mansion for himself. He hired local builders to construct his house using sandstone that was dug up right from the area. The house was finished in 1829 and cost more than $4,000, which was a lot of money back then!
Captain Vicary had some disagreements with one of his builders. These disagreements even led to a legal case that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The issue wasn't fully settled until after Captain Vicary passed away in 1842.
A House with a History
Captain Vicary's family continued to live in the house for many years, until 1912. However, the house wasn't sold until 1924. After that, it had several different owners. In the 1960s, the house was almost torn down to make way for a new road, Pennsylvania Route 65.
But people in the community didn't want to lose this historic building! They started a "grassroots campaign," which means a group of ordinary people worked together to save it. Their efforts were successful! Today, the house is owned by Beaver County. It is now home to the Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation, which helps preserve local history.
What Makes the House Special?
In 1974, the Captain William Vicary House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical building because of its amazing design and how well it has been kept.
Some of the most important parts of the house are its outside walls and its two chimneys. The large stone blocks used for the exterior are very special. Experts believe they were put together by highly skilled stone workers. This kind of quality stonework was very rare in Western Pennsylvania in the early 1800s.
Over the years, some changes were made to the house. For example, a large fireplace was removed, and the house was divided into apartments at one point. However, a porch was added to the front of the mansion in the 1900s, and a beautiful cast-iron fence surrounds the property.
Today, the Vicary House is open to the public as a historic house museum. This means you can visit it and learn all about its past and the people who lived there!
