Reading Furnace, 1736

Begun as an iron furnace in 1736, this property was developed as a farm in the early nineteenth century and then remodeled as the country estate of Arthur Pew in 1936. The centerpiece of the property, the mansion, stands out for its exceptionally detailed woodwork executed in 1812 by a locally notable craftsman, Gottlieb Drexel. The remodeling is also important as a fine example of the work of Richardson Brognard Okie, a regionally important architect who specialized in renovating Colonial buildings. Okie helped Pew change the Reading Furnace property from a nineteenth century farm into one of the most grandiose gentleman farmer's estates in Warwick and East Nantmeal Townships.