The Home of Isaac Ellis
- Yen Ho
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
As my friend and I were driving around Ambler, I couldn't help but think about this house we passed by with a date marker that mentioned the name of the owner: Issac Ellis. I want to thank the owners of this property who kept the date marker on their house to preserve its history. With this one clue, I'll be able to learn more about its history and its owners since its early beginnings.
All Part of One Land
On this land stood a "large stone house surrounded by trees and situated upon a knoll rising from a place that he made his home, living in a house proceeding the present." Whoever this "he" was mentioned is possibly Ellis Hugh, one of the early settlers of Gwynedd. It was also unknown if his house is still standing, or hiding in plain sight. During the 18th century, the property was owned by George Adam Snyder, who lived in the property for 30 years since 1762. On the property he had three horses, six cows, and a slave.
After his death in 1792, his sons Adam, Jacob, and John sold 155 acres to Jonathan Gilbert , but then sold 147 acres to John Thompson in 1796. The property was originally 219 acres; 82 acres were in Upper Dublin.
In 1835, John Thompson sold his land to his son in-law Isaac Ellis (1782-1867) , who diminished the size of the land to 105 acres. After 18 years, that part of land was sold to James Gillin whose sons (Thomas and Robert) will take over the property later on. After selling that part of that land to the Gillin family, Isaac remained in a detached 10 acres land. In 1872, his executors conveyed to the Hall family. Three years later Nathan D. Hall (1817-1906) gave the land to a coal merchant from Philadelphia: Christian Linde (1832-1898).
After him comes John Wallace Miller, Jr. (1848-1919).
Architecture
By looking at the facade of the home, it looked like it could be a Georgian-style home with its simplistic, symmetrical facade, multi-pane windows, and gambrel roof. With the shed dormers, it could also be a Colonial Revival-style home. It's hard to see what else was on that date marker besides the name Isaac Ellis, but from when he purchased the property from his father in-law, it's possible he was the one who did the work around the home, thus placing his name on it. This is all during the 19th century. Was this the original home of Ellis Hugh?
Bibliography
"Local History. Information Regarding the Gray, Linde, Gillin and Allen Properties, Lower Gwynedd--Other Places of Interest." Ambler Gazette. May 25, 1900. Page 7. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_3180.
"Local History Sketch. Interesting Local Matter Collected by 'E.M.' The Old Gillin Homestead, Lower Gwynedd, Is a Landmark--House Conforms in Architecture to the Colonial Period--James Gillin--Thomas Gillin." Ambler Gazette. January 6, 1916. Page 7. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_10317.
Morris, William E, and Smith & Wistar. Map of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: from original surveys. [Philadelphia: Smith & Wistar, 1849] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012590207/.
Mueller, A. H. Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., Plate 25, 1916.
Scott, J. D. Montgomery County 1877, Gwynedd, North Wales, Ambler, Royer's Ford, Limerick Station, 1877.
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