Woodville (Heidelberg, Pennsylvania) facts for kids
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Woodville
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South elevation of house, with kitchen wing, garden and outbuildings visible, 2008
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Heidelberg, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | 1785 |
| Architect | John Neville |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001733 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 5, 1974 |
| Designated NHL | July 28, 1983 |
Woodville, also known as the Neville House, is a historic home located near Heidelberg, Pennsylvania. It is famous because of its connection to John Neville, a tax collector whose other house was burned during the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. The oldest part of Woodville was built around 1775, with the main section added about ten years later.
Woodville is one of the oldest houses in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It has been carefully saved and restored to look like it did originally. Because of its history, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1983. After being updated by a new owner in the early 1800s, it remained a private home until 1975. Today, Woodville is a historic house museum where visitors can learn about its past.
Contents
Exploring the Woodville House
The Woodville house sits on a one-acre piece of land next to a highway. There's a small parking area, and the house is surrounded by trees on its west and north sides.
Woodville is a one-and-a-half-story house made of wood. It has a gently sloped roof with four windows that stick out (called dormers) and two brick chimneys at each end. A large porch stretches across the front of the house. A one-story kitchen area extends from the south side, with a small garden nearby.
Inside, the house has a central hallway. A staircase goes from this hall up to the bedrooms on the second floor. On the first floor, there's a big living room on the north side, and a dining room and another smaller room on the south. The kitchen is in the wing. A small area above the kitchen was used by enslaved people. All the rooms inside have been restored to look like they did when the house was first built.
A Look Back: Woodville's History
John Neville and Early Days
John Neville moved to this area in 1774 from Virginia. He bought a large amount of land, about 14,000 acres, located five miles south of Fort Pitt (which is now downtown Pittsburgh). The next year, he took charge of Fort Pitt for the Colony of Virginia. He served there until 1777, then became an officer in the Continental Army during the rest of the American Revolutionary War. It's believed that the Woodville farmhouse was built around this time.
In 1783, Neville retired as a brigadier general. Three years later, the name "Woodville" was used for the land. Neville built another home called Bower Hill and let his son, Presley, live in Woodville. During the 1780s, Neville continued to work in public service, even representing Pennsylvania at an important meeting in 1787.
The Whiskey Rebellion and Woodville
John Neville was chosen to be a federal tax collector for a large area in western Pennsylvania. His job was to collect a tax on whiskey. This tax was suggested by Alexander Hamilton to help pay off the states' war debts. However, many farmers in Western Pennsylvania didn't like this tax. They often turned their grain into whiskey because it was easier to transport and sell. The tax made it harder for them to make a living.
In the early 1790s, this unhappiness led to the Whiskey Rebellion. In 1794, farmers marched towards Woodville. Neville and his helpers fought them off, but they couldn't stop Neville's other home, Bower Hill, from being burned down. Eventually, George Washington sent the Army to stop the rebellion. This event was an important test of the new Constitution and the federal government's power.
Later Owners and Becoming a Museum
In 1798, records show that Woodville was its current size. In 1814, the house was sold to Stephen Barlow for $12,000. He then sold it two years later to Christopher Cowan, making a profit.
Over the next ten years, Cowan made many changes to the house. He added a shed and extended a wall to connect the house to the kitchen. He also had the outside painted white and added the porch to the front.
When Christopher Cowan died in 1835, his daughter inherited the house. Members of the Cowan family lived there for nearly 150 years. They made some changes, like repainting the house different colors and adding decorative touches. In the mid-1900s, modern heating and plumbing were installed.
In 1975, the last Cowan family members moved out. The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation took ownership and began operating Woodville as a historic house museum. It officially became a National Historic Landmark in 1983.
In the early 2000s, the house was transferred to a new group called Neville House Associates. This group focuses only on Woodville. They oversaw more restorations, including painting the house white again and bringing in an old piano similar to one Christopher Cowan might have owned.
Today, Woodville is a stop on the American Whiskey Trail, which highlights important places related to American whiskey history.
See also
