Pont Reading

Pont Reading is a stone colonial residence in Ardmore that was built in layers over more than a century, combining different construction methods from different eras. The property includes a log structure dating to 1683, a stone section, and a kitchen wing added in 1813, all arranged on a one-acre plot.

The house was completed in 1730 and became the home of Joshua Humphreys, the naval architect who designed the USS Constitution and lived there his entire life. The property was recognized as historically important and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

The mix of stone and log construction shows how colonial families adapted their homes over generations, blending practical building methods with the materials available to them at different times.

The house remains a private residence and is not open to the public for tours, though you can view it from the street for its architectural features. Visit during daylight hours to see the stonework and structural details more clearly from the property's exterior.

The name comes from Reading Pont, the ancestral Humphreys family home in Wales, connecting the property to Welsh heritage rather than only to its Pennsylvania location. This Welsh connection is often overlooked, but it reveals how colonial families maintained ties to their ancestral lands across the ocean.