1 of 16
2 of 16
3 of 16
4 of 16
5 of 16
6 of 16
7 of 16
8 of 16
9 of 16
10 of 16
11 of 16
12 of 16
13 of 16
14 of 16
15 of 16
16 of 16
In Solebury beyond a few clusters of modern homes a country road leads to a centuries-old Longwood Farm. Built on land dating back to the mid-1700s, Longwood Farm was originally known as The Willows. Over the centuries a series of families were stewards of this remarkable property that now belongs to Anne and John Chismar.
Married for 42 years, John and Anne returned to Pennsylvania after living abroad for almost four decades. The couple met at Penn State, while attending graduate school. John was offered a job with Shell Oil and they left for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was not long after that move that John was transferred to Singapore. And so began their decades-long life of adventure, moving 17 times during his career with Shell. Home was mostly in Singapore, but there were several moves to London, Houston, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. “When John took this job he promised me we would return in two years,” Anne explains. So, now, almost 40 years later, they are finally back. John grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and Anne is from Delaware County. Throughout the time they lived away from Pennsylvania, they knew they would return to their home state. As they approached the prospect of John's retirement at the end of 2015, and their move back to Pennsylvania, they considered living in either Bucks or Chester County.
While living in Houston, which was their last stop for two years to re-establish their domicile, Anne traveled back to Pennsylvania to look for their next home. She went to see many houses during that period but kept coming back to one. “We looked at this house for two years,” Anne explains, “beginning in 2014.” When their realtor first showed them the house, it was over their budget. But Anne continued to come back to this house. “I felt an affinity to the property, something about its history that was drawing me back,” she continues. “For one thing, I never had grass under my feet and wanted a house with land,” Anne describes, “and I loved the long, tree-lined drive.” Anne's draw to the property and her persistence prevailed, with several more ventures back to this homestead. Finally, after two years the price had come down and was manageable, so they put in a bid. They purchased the property in June of 2016 and took residence in April 2017.
“We have finally put down our roots!” Anne exclaims. And deep roots they are. Pleasing in its simplicity and significant for its history, Longwood Farm was a perfect choice for John and Anne. They were able to recapture their love for this area and all it has to offer. What drew them to the homestead, in addition to the charm of the home and its surroundings, was its history. John explains that Anne always liked old stone houses. “I believe they represent the permanency that I have craved and tradition that I have always respected,” Anne remarks. The history attached to these old houses intrigues me and, as a history major, I enjoy researching all the previous owners. It’s fun to imagine what these owners thought and felt about their own private history, especially those that were living here during the American Revolution,” Anne explains.
Gleaned from historical accounts by Jeffrey L. Marshall, director of historic preservation at the Bucks County Conservancy, they found that the homestead was part of a William Penn land grant. This land grant was issued to Joseph Pike in 1705 and consisted of a 624-acre tract of land. A chronology of ownership traces a lineage of the Pike family residing on the property from 1705 until 1762. At this date the Pike family attorney sold the homestead of approximately 704 acres, including another Pike property, at a public auction. According to accounts, the property was sold in ten lots and one was purchased by Thomas Paxson. Paxson left the homestead to his son, Aaron, in his will. Aaron received the land in 1772 and built the large house in 1775, just before marrying Letitia Knowles. The Willows remained in the Paxson family until the turn of the century when his heirs sold the property to Anderson T. Herd. In 1933 Anderson Herd's wife sold the property to Harry A. and Rachel Franck after Thomas Herd, a noted author, was sent to Leavenworth Prison for stock market manipulation. After Rachel Franck's death in 1987 the property was sold to an investment group. Then in 1988 the house was purchased and renovated by William Powderly and his wife, who sold the property to the Anne and John.
Originally called The Willows, a Sugan Road Farm, it is not known to Anne and John when the name was changed to Longwood Farm. Other details are clear about the original structure and its many structural changes. The first section of the house, identified today as the center of the house, was built c. 1765. Accounts describe the original structure as a modest two and a half story house, originally three rooms, including one upstairs bedroom, with a center hall and a large cooking fireplace. What is noted as the “primary section of the house” was added along the original structure in 1774 and is an example of “relatively high style late Colonial architecture.” Constructed of locally quarried fieldstone, the house was built in three major sections. Over the course of its history most of the structural changes were orchestrated by Harry A. and Rachel Franck. Records state that the Francks began their renovations by transforming the two original rooms into one large room. Another alteration was cutting down the shed roof, part of a stone shed addition that was raised to the level of the main section. The Francks cut down the shed roof to construct a second story sun porch. They also added another larger, rear two-story porch.
With all of their renovations over the years they resided there, accounts state that the house had 22 rooms when the Francks purchased the property and they reduced the number of rooms to eleven. These renovations included adding the study in 1933, the family room and kitchen in the late 80s early 90s, the pool and pool house in 2008-2009, and an expansion of the master bath over the study. Sometime in the late 80s or early 90s, during the Powderly residence a new kitchen-family room was added. The family room was done with walls of windows and French doors to the patio. The home's interior footprint was changed considerably with the last two owners, expanding and updating the space.
Beyond the structural and aesthetic alterations, the house's interior systems were not updated. Structurally sound, the house has good bones, according to John, but the property had been somewhat neglected prior to their ownership. John explains that the prior owners used this property as a secondary residence and served more as a weekend getaway for relaxation and entertaining. John's assessment is that the prior owners focused more on the aesthetics and added perks rather than maintaining the essential working operations of the house. It was their task to restore the house’s internal systems and improve the livability and functionality of their new home. Aesthetics aside, their first line of attack was to upgrade and repair the core of their historic home. “Everything had to be replaced,” adds John, “all the systems.” They put on a new roof, new HVAC, chimneys, duct work, water purification, radon treatment, repaired the gutters and garage doors and replaced the stove and oven.
Once all the most essential upgrades were completed they focused on some modifications to the living space. They worked with Ralph C. Fey AIA Architects PC, a Bucks County based firm and worked closely with Marie Schuler. Worthington & Shagen Custom Builder, Inc. were the contractors who did the kitchen expansion. The house was under construction for 22 months, according to John. During that time John and Anne lived in the garage apartment. A major renovation was the kitchen, which was completely gutted. Anne and John love to cook and entertain and the kitchen was too small. “We expanded the space by 8 feet,” John adds,” which entailed breaking through an original exterior stonewall.” In addition to the kitchen, this renovation added a mud room, pantry, laundry room, full bath and new entry. “We tried to keep everything as original as possible,” Anne adds. Part of the reconstruction involved opening up a stonewall and moving the fireplace over a few inches. During this remodeling they uncovered the original bread oven that was intact.
They were pleased that the contractors were able to build around it. They also found an original cistern, from the 1760s, that was down about 14 feet and was covered with 4 inches of cement. Also during this project, they found water under the floorboards, so the floorboards had to be replaced. With all the structural modifications in place, the kitchen design was orchestrated. An island of Brazilian soapstone added seating and extra work space. The backsplash of white tile, handmade in England, enhances the white cabinetry throughout. A steel center beam had to be added for reinforcement. An interesting technique was applied to this beam to disguise that it is steel. A thin wood covering was added and finished in a faux technique to make the beam look like a weathered wood beam. Respecting the history and simplicity of their historic home is important to them both. All of their modifications were done to update their living space, while preserving and honoring its past. As they blend their prior life with their new, John and Anne have delicately infused their living space with unique pieces they have collected during their travels and life elsewhere.
Even though they left their life abroad behind, they have filled their new home with furnishings, artwork and collectibles from their many years outside of the country. John and Anne shipped back their teak dining room table, a teak glass cabinet, an Indonesian teak sideboard, and a teak desk and armoire. These are the piece they had custom made or purchased while living in Singapore. The rich wood tones add a complimentary dimension to the rooms where these pieces reside. John and Anne have re-established themselves back in their home state. They have found a balance, appreciating the rich history of their centuries-old homestead, while enjoying the many reminders of their last 39 years.
Beth S. Buxbaum is a freelance writer from the Philadelphia area.