Perched on a quiet stretch of Drexel Hill Park Road in New Cumberland, the William Black Homestead is one of Cumberland County’s most evocative colonial-era residences. William Black was a Scots-Irish immigrant who acquired a 267-acre tract known as Lowther Manor in what later became New Cumberland in 1774. Within two years he had erected the fieldstone dwelling that endures today. Built around 1776, amid the upheavals of the American Revolution, the homestead stands as a rare surviving example of 18th-century Pennsylvania stone architecture. The original three-bay fieldstone structure with its thick walls and gable roof reflects the practical aesthetics of early settlers in what was then still frontier country. The home was documented and restored in the mid-20th century and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 because of its architectural integrity and historical associations.  

The William Black Homestead illustrates how everyday families lived, worked, and built enduring places during the Revolutionary era. Its construction date—coinciding with independence—and continued preservation make it a crucial piece of the region’s colonial heritage.