Okehocking Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Okehocking Historic District
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House in the Okehocking Historic District, December 2010
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by West Chester Pike, Plumsock Road, Goshen Road, and Garrett Mill Road, near Media, Willistown Township, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 1,400 acres (570 ha) |
| Built | 1703 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000719 |
| Added to NRHP | August 2, 1993 |
The Okehocking Historic District is a special area in Willistown Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is also known as the Okehocking Indian Land Grant Historic District. This area is important because of its history. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
What is the Okehocking Historic District?
This historic district covers about 1,400 acres. It has many old buildings and sites. Most of these buildings were built before 1845. The district is known for its 18th and 19th-century farmhouses. It also has many old farm buildings.
This land was once a special grant from William Penn. He gave 500 acres to the Okehocking band of the Lenape tribe in 1703. This was a place for them to live.
Some important places in the district include:
- The Willistown Friends Meetinghouse and its burial ground.
- A one-room school called Willistown School No. 6.
- An old inn known as the Rising Sun Tavern.
- The Smedley Mill, which is no longer used.
- Three old mill sites: Garrett Mill, Duckett Mill, and George Matlack's sawmill.
A special marker was placed here on June 21, 1924. It is a bronze sign on a large rock. This marker tells us about the Okehocking Indian Town. It says this was the only Indian reservation William Penn ever created. However, archaeologists have not found signs of a permanent Lenape village. The Lenape people likely moved around and lived in tents. These tents would not leave many traces behind.
Willistown Friends Meeting House
The Willistown Friends Meeting House was built in 1798. It is located in the northeast part of the district. You can find it where Goshen Road and Warren Avenue meet.
The first European settlers in this area were Quakers. Quakers are a religious group. They would meet for worship in nearby towns like Goshen or Middletown.
In 1753, Francis and Ann Smedley gave a small piece of land. This land was on Plumsock Road. A school was built there, but it was taken down in 1873. After Francis passed away, Ann Smedley gave more land. This land was used for a burial ground and the meeting house.
The meeting house still owns about 25 acres around the building. This helps keep the area looking rural and natural. In the 1950s, only about five families were part of the meeting. But by 1998, the number grew to 99 families.
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Willistown Friends Meeting House
