Milestone 15 * Squirrel was taken at the Paoli Battlefield site, baby rabbit at Church Farm School
This stone is actually not on Route 30, but instead is found on the Old Lancaster Road. According to The Wayside Inns by Juluis Sachse, The Lamb Tavern (1812) was a short distance East of it. The Stage Tavern, a wagon and drove stand, was to be found on a hillside a little West of the 15th Milestone. The Springhouse later known as Peggy Dane's was in a hollow just East of Reeseville, later Berwyn.
The Lamb Tavern (1812) was the first Inn on the Turnpike in Chester County. It had humble beginnings as George Ree's store and being a stop-off point for wagoners carrying pig iron into Philadelphia. To make the long ascent out of Valley Forge, wagon drivers had to halve their loads bringing half to the top and leaving it near Ree's store and the repeating the process to get the rest to the top of the hill. All that changed in 1815 when Jacob Clinger took over the site at Ree's Store. They decided to turn the place into a first class inn. A new tavern replaced the two log cabins previously there. In the 1880's the Lamb had somewhat of a revival as it became a destination spot for wealthy Philadelphians attempting to escape the Summer heat. In the early 1900's a Suzanne Fuget purchased the property and began an extensive renovation. All her work came to almost nothing because on April 3, 1930 a huge explosion at a local fireworks factory wrecked the structure. In addition to other damage the roof and chimney were torn loose. A new chapter in the buildings history began in 1979 when a William Woys Weaver, its present owner purchased it. Mr. Weaver is a writer, seed preservationist, gardener and cook. He restored the Lamb to it's early 1800's look and now has an extensive garden on the property where he grows some of his heirloom vegetables among other things. The property became known as Roughwood in 1887.
http://www.americanprofile.com/article/2028.html Link to story on William Woys Weaver - Seed Saver
http://www.tehistory.org/hqda/pdf/v41/Volume41_N1_003.pdf Link to a brief history of the Devon, PA. area
http://www.tehistory.org/hqda/html/v31/v31n1p015.html
Click on this link for an article about Tavern Stands that goes into more detail about the Lamb.
The Peter Latch or Sprucemont House (1763 or older) sits on the South side of Old Lancaster Road Southeast of the Lamb. It is a private home that travelers would have passed as far back as 1763. The Latch family had the home from 1833 until 1931. Later a group of Spruces in front of the house gave rise to the name Sprucemont in 1918. Part of the house probably predates 1763 despite the date carved under the eves under the West end of the house. An article done by Marian Buehler for the Tredyffrin Historic Society lists four reasons why the house predates 1763. A smoke-house room off of the original colonial fireplace may have been used to hide runaway slaves. An addition was made to the initial structure without a door being cut in the wall to connect the sides. That would indicate that the house owners may have let travelers stay overnight or perhaps the thought of drilling through an 18 inch stone wall may not have appeared to the owners.
Just West of the 15th milestone at the corner of State Road and Lancaster Road is a 1734 Log Cabin. It was built by Patrick McGuigan, a local blacksmith in 1734. When the turnpike came through it was used as a toll house. Today it is used as an office for Devon Garage. It still retains the look of a log cabin complete with large fireplaces and a spring-house and well outside. Today its known as the Devon Log Cabin.
A map with the salmon colored stickpin showing the general location of Milestone 15