James Beach Clow House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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James Beach Clow House
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Front of the Clow House
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Chapel Dr. at Ann St., Ellwood City, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 5.7 acres (2.3 ha) |
| Built | 1830 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000349 |
| Added to NRHP | May 17, 1989 |
The James Beach Clow House is a very old and important house in northern Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's located near Ellwood City. This house is a rare example of a Greek Revival farmhouse from the 1800s in Beaver County.
Contents
History of the Clow House
Who Was James Beach Clow?
The Clow House was built around 1830. It was built by War of 1812 veteran James Beach Clow. He was born in Pitt Township in Allegheny County. James bought the land for the house in 1821.
James Beach Clow was an important person in his community. In 1830, he served as a justice of the peace in eastern Beaver County. A justice of the peace is like a local judge who handles small legal matters.
Besides being a farmer, Clow was also an industrialist. This means he was involved in businesses. He owned part of a sawmill near his farm. A sawmill cuts logs into lumber.
Life at the Clow House
James Clow sold the property to his son Samuel in 1844. But James continued to live in the house until he passed away ten years later.
Samuel Clow lived in the house until he passed away in 1893. For much of the 1870s, the house was also used as a dormitory. Students attending a school across the road lived there.
After Samuel and his wife passed away, the house had several different owners. Farming on the property stopped in 1950.
What Does the Property Include?
Besides the main house, some other original buildings are still there. These include an outhouse and a spring house. An outhouse is an old-fashioned toilet building. A spring house is a small building built over a natural spring, used to keep food cool.
There used to be an old barn and another multi-purpose building. However, these two structures were taken down in 1959.
Location and Importance
Today, the Clow House is located along Chapel Drive. It is southeast of Ellwood City. The house sits on top of a hill, which makes it easy to see. You can spot it from miles away to the south and east.
A modern neighborhood is now located just north of the Clow property. But the Clow House still looks much like it did in the past. It keeps its historic look in a mostly rural area.
This is special because most other old wooden Greek Revival farmhouses in Beaver and Lawrence counties have changed a lot. Many of them have been heavily updated.
The James Beach Clow House is one of only a few Greek Revival houses in Beaver County listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another one is the William B. Dunlap Mansion in Bridgewater. The only other 19th-century farmhouse on the Register in the county is the David Littell House in the far south.
