Property Description

Situated just 40 miles NW of Philadelphia in Chester County, Coventry Forge Inn is one of the country's oldest houses built c. 1717. It was possible the home of Samuel Nutt, an ironmaster who came from Coventry, England. Nutt had no children but he brought his Nephew Samuel Nutt II over from England. Samuel Nutt II married Rebecca Savage in the Inn in 1733. When the nephew died in 1738 Rebecca married Philadelphian, Robert Grace who was also a friend of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin visited the Grace household in Coventry for many years and was a great admirer of Rebecca Grace and gave Robert Grace, (who had helped him financially) all the rights to sell his new (1742) open stove – the Franklin stove. Coventry Forge Inn passed into various hands during the following centuries. It was known as the Rising Sun Inn from 1758 to 1818, a stagecoach inn and drovers stop. It became the Coventry Forge Inn from 1954 – 2003 and is widely acknowledged to have brought fine dining to the Philadelphia area. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The current owners (who live nearby) bought the Inn in 2006 and have plans to turn it into a spectacular single family home. NB The PA State tax incentive to filmakers is a 25 percent tax credit to movies that spend at least 60% of their total budget in-state. The program is currently capped at $75M.