Milestone 26 - Missing
Colonel Richard Thomas 1744-1832 was nicknamed "the Fighting Quaker" because he fought in the American Revolution despite his religious background. After returning from the war he would be elected to Congress. At the local level he was a turnpike manager and had a number of enterprises such as a grist mill. A number of estates along the Pike were part of his legacy.
His wife Thomazine was quite a character as well. At one point during the Revolutionary War British soldiers attempted to hang the then pregnant Thomazine to convince her where the family valuables were hidden. She never talked.
The photo of Mr. Thomas is borrowed from the West Whiteland History.
The milestone appears to have been on the Northwest corner of the PottsTown-Wilmington Pike and Route 30. The sketch of the 1952-53 Photo shows a nine paned window as well as what could be the island of a gas pump.
Thomas Grist Mill (1744), Millers House and The Mill's Water Wheel
- damaged but still in place. The Mill is now tucked away behind a Nissan Dealership. The Miller's house was moved South a few years ago when Route 30 was widened.
A panoramic view of the Thomas Mill complex borrowed from the plaque at the historic site. That's Whitford Hall in the background. The Pike runs in front of it. The Millers house now sits further South and the water source for the headrace and water wheel is now gone. An excellent link to see more pictures of this historic treasure is http://www.millpictures.com/mills/search.cfm You should enter Pennsylvania for the state and either scroll down to Chester County or type in Thomas once you get to names to get to Thomas Grist Mill which was established in 1744. At the same website you can also see pictures of the Anselma Grist Mill, 1747, which actually operates during weekends 3 seasons of the year. The smell of their corn meal from roasted corn is awesome and its just one of a number of products from their mill.More links to Anselma: http://www.anselmamill.org/
Whitford Lodge (1782-1783)
Ivy Cottage (1799)
Ivy cottage located at 225 W. Lincoln Highway was built in 1799 by Colonel Thomas as a Summer home for his maiden aunts. It was remodeled in Queen Anne's style in 1886. It has a beautiful two tiered porch on the West side pictured below.
Oaklands (1772) and Oaklands Gatehouse are located at 349 W. Lincoln Highway.Built by George Thomas, M.D. who was a doctor, farmer and horticulturist. The 2 tiered porch on the South side is fairly rare in Chester County. The Oakland's Gatehouse was used as a private school for the Thomas family and their friends in the early 1900's.
