Chester County Day’s 84th Tour of Tours

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Iconic stone colonial homes. Historic inns that survived centuries. Massive bank barns and converted spring houses that join past history with present life. Once again on the first Saturday in October, Chester County residents welcome visitors to step back in time or marvel at a modern renovation at the many stops on this year’s Chester County Day Tour.

Mark your calendar for October 4, a day to support the ongoing work of Chester County Hospital, made possible by generous homeowners and the many volunteers. Now an 84-year-old tradition, the tour takes guests to the southwest quadrant of our beautiful county. See you on The Day!

120 East Ashbridge Street, West Chester

This stately c.1935 fieldstone home is perched high on a hill in the lovely northeast quadrant of the Borough, not far from the golf course. It was home to the Porter family for 50 years.

Fortunately, this classic stone colonial had been meticulously preserved for almost a century when the current owners bought it three years ago. The new owners added a beautiful tiered entrance to the property with stone walls and staircases, walkways and plantings. The paved tile driveway complements the fieldstone exterior. (See photo above.)

Unlike many period homes on the tour, this one has a modern, sun-filled interior, including a living room design by FAR Studio, known for organic modernist interior design. The entryway with curved transom and archway is consistent with the home’s original architectural style, but the table and mirror in the foyer hint of the renovation. Once inside, you’re transported to the 21st century, with both classic and contemporary style.

Upstairs boasts the newly renovated and luxurious primary suite with walk-in closet. Formerly two bedrooms with bath and hallway, the space was reimagined to accommodate the homeowners’ next stages of life.

In addition to the detached office, be sure to walk through the inviting redesigned backyard patio area and view the charming garden shed along with the property’s mature trees, including a noble copper beech. The homeowners worked with Arrowwood Landscape Design on hardscaping and plantings to create an idyllic space for outdoor entertaining.

A gem within walking distance of downtown West Chester.

Lucky Hill Farm, 145 Lucky Hill Road, West Chester

What a fitting name for this charming property. The iconic 1721 three-story fieldstone country home sits on 15 lush acres of farmland just off the East Branch of Brandywine Creek. Nestled in a peaceful valley, the property also includes an 1801 Normandy-style barn (featured on the cover), barnyard, carriage house and spring house.

The current owners have deep roots in the county and a long history of involvement in equestrian activities, fox hunting and carriage driving clubs as evidenced throughout the home and property. (Notice the prize ribbons and trophies.)

The entry hall, library and living room make up the original part of the 18th-century home. Note the rose medallion china on display in the built-in corner cupboard. A cozy library has an original fireplace as well as built-in bookcases.

The focal point of the formal living room is an impressive walk-in stone fireplace with cooking arm and small window. The rooms include ancestral portraits as well as Barclay Rubincam paintings featured in both the living room and adjacent dining room. Also on display in the dining room is a collection of Quaker family samplers dating back as early as 1812. Built-in china cabinets store antique china pieces.

The beautifully renovated kitchen has an island and other amenities needed for today’s families. An open-space design provides access to a family room with corner fireplace and large bay window with a window seat overlooking the carriage house and grounds.

Be sure to stroll around the grounds to view the carriages the homeowner will have on display on The Day.

The VIP Stop: Longwood Residence, 160 East Doe Run Road, Kennett Square

Surrounded by acres of quiet pasture, the Longwood Residence is a storied Chester County farmhouse with nearly 280 years of history. Originally built in 1746, consisting of a keeping room and one bedroom above, the home had additions built in 1794, the 1960s and 2023, transforming it into the country home it is today. These milestones are marked by a datestone on the exterior chimney.

Dr. Hoobler, a local physician, purchased the home in 1963 and ran his practice from the front portion of the house, now a sunny family room, part of an expansion designed by Period Architecture. In 1985, the home became a bed-and-breakfast with an antique shop, owned and operated by Bill and Judy Campbell. Original features such as the walk-in fireplace, wide-plank flooring and hand-hewn beams remain intact, connecting the home to its roots.

The current homeowners, who enjoy collecting antiques, were drawn to the structure’s age and architecture as well as its layered past. Since acquiring the property, they’ve taken care to curate furnishings that reflect the home’s colonial-era origins. Throughout the interior, period-appropriate pieces enhance the historic millwork and timeworn textures, lending each room a sense of lived-in authenticity.

Just off the tree-lined drive, rubble ruins remain from a once-active stone barn and a concrete slab from the original silo, just two hints at the property’s working farm days. Today, views of active cornfields reinforce the property’s rural spirit.

Thoughtful improvements honor the character of the home and introduce elements for contemporary living. The Longwood Residence is a quintessential example of traditional Pennsylvania farmhouse architecture transformed for a present-day family.

Red Rose Inn, Old Baltimore Pike, Jennersville

Built in 1808, the Federal-style Red Rose Inn served as a tavern and inn for weary travelers for almost two centuries. Located at a colonial-era crossroads, the red-brick inn was issued its first license in 1825 to innkeeper John Doratt.

Although the Inn went by many names over 200 years — Penn Crossroads Inn, Penn Inn, Jennersville Inn — it didn’t receive the name “Red Rose” until Conard-Pyle Star Roses Nursery purchased the property in 1928.

Robert Pyle, president of the nursery, ordered a deed search that uncovered a 1731 deed between William Penn’s descendants, subject to the payment of “One Red Rose annually” for the land grant on which the Inn sits. Conard-Pyle, at the time one of the country’s largest rose growers, bought the Inn plus 60 acres and discovered the two-century-old red rose deed. The Inn was renamed the “Red Rose Inn.”

The rent tradition is celebrated in September at Red Rose Rent Day, when the building’s owner offers the token rental of one red rose to a descendent of William Penn. A mural in the Inn, painted by Maryland artist John Moll in 1965, depicts the Penn descendants paying the red rose rent.

Following extensive renovations, the Inn opened for business and became a destination restaurant for diners from as far away as Philadelphia and Baltimore. Many local families celebrated special events here.

In 2011, Penn Township purchased the Inn to facilitate widening the Jennersville Road/West Baltimore Pike intersection. Township supervisors oversaw restoration of the Inn to its original early 1800s layout. It’s currently used as a house museum featuring displays highlighting the township’s history and is well worth a visit.

IF YOU GO

The 2025 tour features Chester County’s most beautiful homes and restored barns in the southwest quadrant.

A project of the Women’s Auxiliary to Chester County Hospital, this is the longest-running historic home tour in the country, raising more than $5 million for the Hospital.

WHEN: Saturday, October 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Foxhunt at 8:30 a.m. hosted by Cheshire Hunt

WHERE: Southwest quadrant of Chester County

LIMITED TICKETS: General admission $60, VIP tickets $100. On sale online and at designated satellite locations. Check website for box lunch info and lunch spots.

INFO and TICKETS: ChesterCountyDay.com

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Email ChesterCountyDay@Gmail.com