The William Peters House is situated on 22 bucolic acres above the Ring Run just outside central Chadds Ford. If its walls could talk, they would be able to tell remarkable stories.
Built in 1750, this historic abode didn’t begin its life in Chester County. In fact, its journey began in Bethel Township in Delaware County as a former farmhouse on a side road in Chelsea. What was formerly a thriving 18th-century community had become a rather dreary four-way intersection by the mid-20th century.
When the home’s prospective new owners, Judy and John Herdeg, visited it in 1963, it had been damaged by fire and deemed uninhabitable, a grim sight to behold. Lined with fallen plaster and covered with mold, mushrooms and broken glass, it seemed a mausoleum more than a mansion.
Standing on 150 acres of what was known as Arrowhead Farm, it had most recently been the home of Henry and Marie Harvey, who raised Aberdeen Angus cattle. It was perhaps the last such beef farm of its kind in Delaware County.
Beyond the devastation caused by the 1961 fire, the Herdegs could see its cloaked beauty. Though additions like porches, exterior doors and windows had been added in the Victorian era, the Georgian-style structure itself was still intact, making it a rare find in Pennsylvania.
In September 1963, the Herdegs purchased the house, then began deconstructing it soon afterward. The woodwork was dismantled, bricks were hauled and paneling was put away.
Masons followed careful specifications on a new plot of land in Chadds Ford, spending two years rebuilding the former William Peters House. In December 1965, the Herdegs walked in, groceries in the car and children in their arms, to their meticulously restored 18th-century masterpiece.
In 1972, the home was added to the National Register of Historic Places and, in 1994, the orangery came into fruition.
Soaring ceilings filled with natural light highlight this most recent addition, where heated terracotta floors and a large fireplace add to the ambiance during cold winter months. A perfect place for entertaining guests, the orangery boasts a cozy bar, a brick patio with a screened-in porch and French doors that open onto a sunken lawn.
Around the corner are period-appropriate gardens designed in coordination with world-renowned Belgian landscape architect Francois Goffinet. Shrubbery cloaks intimate brick walkways guarding a lily pond and fountain. Down below the garden lay several acres of sloping hills protected by an eight-foot-tall deer fence before woodland takes over the rest of the property. There’s enough space before the forest encroaches to add a horse barn or introduce grazing livestock.
Inside the house, nine wood-burning fireplaces add to the 18th-century aesthetic. The original wood paneling runs throughout the building, which includes recessed panels and renewed mantels. The restored library is perfect for reading on lazy days, while the modern kitchen adds 21st-century amenities.
To keep with the home’s 18th-century authenticity, all outlets are hidden beneath baseboards while light switches are covered below chair rails.
Across all three stories and 6,046 square feet of the home, six bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms provide the ideal space for residents and their guests. For individuals with mobility issues, an elevator offers easy access to the second floor and basement.
The William Peters House is still searching for its next stewards and the newest chapter in its unique history.
As of November 2024, all 22 acres of the William Peters House and property are for sale. Any interested parties should contact Chris Patterson at cpatterson@psre.com.
Related: This Exton Development Includes a $2.4 Million Floodplain Restoration
