Barnard House

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

Eusebius Barnard was born in July of 1802 and educated in Chester County. He attended the Westtown School and after graduation he 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. Mr. Barnard 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”.

He married Sarah Painter in 1829, who was the daughter of Enos and Hannah (Minshall) Painter. Eusebius and Sarah Painter had eight children. Sarah Painter Barnard died in 1849, and several years later Eusebius married Sarah Marsh whose parents, Gravner and Hannah Marsh were fellow conductors on the Underground Railroad. Eusebuis and Sarah Marsh Barnard moved to a house south of Hammorton in 1859.

Owned by Enos Painter (the father of Sarah Painter Barnard), the 160 acre farm property in Pocopson Township had been willed to Eusebius Barnard Jr. and Enos Barnard, by their grandfather as they reached adulthood. The brothers worked out a plan to divide the acreage into two parcels. Enos Barnard settled on the 79 acre parcel to the east of the public road and Eusebius Barnard Jr. retained the stone dwelling house and 81 acres of land to the west of the public road.

This house remained in the Barnard Family for the next 86 years. In 1944, the family sold the property to the Dershimer family. The Dershimers owned the property until 1957, when they sold the land to Chester County who used the farm to support growing crops and livestock to feed the residents of Pocopson Home. Chester County transferred ownership of the property to Pocopson Township in October 2008 to support the creation of a 68 acre public park with walking trails adjacent to the historic Barnard House.