Massey House

The Thomas Massey House is a monument to the American dream - the home of an indentured servant who became a landowner, and like the American dream the house has endured over 300 years. The Thomas Massey House is one of the oldest English Quaker homes in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is on the National Register of Historical Places, and the... Historical American Building Survey. The Thomas Massey House is unique because so much of the original fabric has survived. The 1696 brick portion was built by Thomas Massey as an addition to the existing log or frame house. In 1731 his son, Mordecai, replaced the log or frame house with a stone section. During the restoration, evidence of a walk-in-fireplace and beehive oven was discovered. These features have been reconstructed and are in use today. Ninety-three years before the Declaration of Independence was signed, a group of people, known as The Society of Friends departed England to come to Pennsylvania where they could practice religious freedom. A part of this group of Friends, or Quakers, came on the Ketch "Endeavor", arriving in the Delaware River on September 29, 1683, and disembarked at Upland, which is now Chester. Thomas Massey was born in the village of Marpoole (Marple) in Cheshire, England. Arriving in America at the age of twenty Thomas disembarked at Chester as an indentured servant to Francis Stanfield, who thusly provided transportation for eight people to the New World. Thomas fulfilled his indenture and received the promised 50 acres of ground from his master and 50 acres from William Penn. Arriving with Thomas on the "Endeavor" was a thirteen year old girl, Phebe Taylor, who came with her mother and seven siblings to join their father, Robert. In 1692 Thomas Massey married Phebe Taylor - he was twenty nine, she was twenty two. By 1696 Thomas was able to buy three hundred acres of land from James Stanfield, the son of Francis, and established his "plantation" in Marple Township. At this time he started his fine brick house. Seven children ...Read More