Barnard House

Baily's Dairy of Pocopson Meadow Farm

As a matter of interest, descendants of Eusebius and Sarah (Painter) Barnard still lease the farmland nearby the Barnard House. The 2X great grandson of Eusebius and Sarah Barnard and his daughters are well known locally for their farm fresh milk products produced at Baily’s Dairy of Pocopson Meadow Farm, about ½ mile west on Unionville Lenape road.

The Baily family acquired the farm in Pocopson Township in 1874.

Marlborough Meeting Riot 1852

Local Quaker meetings were often divided on how to respond to slavery and Meetinghouses frequently became forums for anti-slavery and temperance speakers. This caused growing aggravation & criticism amongst the members. While Quakers believed slavery to be morally wrong many of them weren’t willing to break the law by aiding freedom seekers.

Things came to a head in 1852 with the Marlborough Meeting Riot.

Eusebius and Sarah (Painter) Barnard

Eusebius was the youngest of 4 sons, living into adulthood, of Richard and Sarah Barnard. He was raised near Marlborough Village with many of his Barnard Family members in the immediate area owning farms from the vast amount of land ownership his grandfather had accumulated. He attended the Friends school at Westtown and excelled in his studies. Family friend Gilbert Cope, author of The History of Chester County, described Eusebius as "a man of great force of character" who strove for an end to intolerance.

The evolution of the Barnard House

The earliest part of the structure is thought to have been constructed by Amos Harry between 1803 and 1823. Facing the front of the building, quoins (patterned corner stones) can be observed on the left edge of the building as well as to the left edge of the right hand entry door. This was the width of the core of the original house. It would have been a three bay, two and one half story structure with a single entry door at the right corner of the first floor.

Barnard House connection to 2 U.S. Presidents

Barnard House connection to 2 U.S. Presidents

Aiding Harriet Shephard to freedom- 1855

Harriet Shephard & 10 Others 1855 Path to Freedom brought them to Barnard Station, home of Eusebius & Sarah Barnard

Page from William Still's “The Underground Railroad Records”

Mary Larkin Dugan

Mary Larkin Dugan of Marlborough Village, East Marlborough Township, was the daughter of Joseph Palmer Larkin and Verna Hess Larkin, she was valedictorian when she graduated from Unionville High School, and later a teacher in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, retiring in 1993. She was placed on the Wall of Honor in the high school. She had Bachelor and Master’s degrees from University of Delaware.

Eusebius Barnard

Sara Painter and Eusebius Barnard

Eusebius Barnard was born in July of 1802 and educated in Chester County.   He attended Westtown School and devoted his energies to the farming interests in his community.

He is widely known as a strong abolitionist and an earnest advocate of womens rights and temperance reform.

He was also a strong community leader.  Eusebius signed the Petition for the Division of Pennsbury Township on November 3, 1848 which resulted in the creation of Pocopson Township.  He was described by Gilbert Cope as “a man of great force of character”

Barnard House

The Barnard House is an early 1800's stone dwelling and was a stop on the Underground Railroad.