The “Brown House”
The property was a land grant to Captain James Brown, a member of the 3rd Regiment of the Philadelphia Battalion in the Revolutionary War. One of Captain Brown’s five sons, James, fought in the War of 1812 and he and his son, James P. Brown, built the house between 1835 and 1839. Large stones from the foundation of the original cabin remain on the property.
It was reported by the descendants of Captain Brown that the bricks were fired on the property and that the beautiful walnut and other woods used on the interior came from right there on the farm.
The property was passed from one generation of Browns to the next through seven generations until it was purchased by Pam and Lew Grell in 1978.
The house was never actually fully completed, lacking a front door, front stairs and various pieces of trim. Between 1978 and 1980, the Grells restored the house, inside and outside, and finished the uncompleted areas. In 1980, they moved in and still reside there.
Photos from the Grell Family Collection and by Denise Guthery.