John Milner Architects, Inc.

This project is near and dear to us here at John Milner Architects. The Abiah Taylor Barn, constructed in 1753 in Chester County, is a rare American example of a Lancashire Barn, patterned after barns in the Lancashire region of northwest England. It replaced an original pioneer barn approximately 30 years after the construction of the Abiah Taylor house. The stone barn, which retains much of its original fabric, barely survived a devastating tornado in the 1970s. The origina...l roof and east stone wall had collapsed and were rebuilt in the late 1990s. Each wall of this three-bay barn is pierced with vertical splayed loopholes for interior ventilation. The south side wall retains segmental arches over the two windows, an uncommon trait for any stone barn of any era. The barn is the earliest positively identified barn retaining its basic original form and fabric in the entire state of Pennsylvania. See more

Hugh Lofting (left) and John Milner are inspecting these reclaimed white oak beams which will be assembled in a timber-framed roof structure for one of our current projects. We often collaborate with Hugh Lofting Timber Framing on the design and construction of unique traditional buildings.

One of our classic projects is on the market after many years of family ownership. Our firm restored the home extensively in the early 1990’s. https://www.thomasandtalbot.com/Property-The_Tuleyries From the real estate listing:... The Tuleyries, c. 1833, is one of Virginia's very finest and grandest Federal Style Mansions with 13-14' ceiling height, domed ceiling in the front hall and sweeping curved staircase. The mansion is in beautiful condition, extensively renovated in 1990, and air conditioning installed in 2019. There are 406 Acres in 3 Parcels, with potential for tax credits. Built by Joseph Tuley, Jr., it was later owned by Upton Boyce and then purchased in 1903 by Graham Blandy. Blandy bequeathed over half of the original estate to the University of Virginia, which is now Blandy Experimental Farm and the State Arboretum of Virginia. The mansion and remainder of land he left to his wife Georgette Haven Borland of New York. It then passed to her sister Alice Borland Wilson, then to her son Orme Wilson Jr. and then to his family. The Tuleyries has only been owned by 2 extended families, the Tuley-Boyce family and the Blandy-Wilson family. Included in the Tuleyries Estate is the Mansion, 3 tenant houses, 12 stall stable with newly renovated 3 bedroom apartment, 8 run-in sheds, garage, forge, seed house, smokehouse, carriage house, livestock building, stable, ice house and gate house. @ The Tuleyries See more

The main stair of our new Cotswold-inspired residence. The white oak flooring was fabricated from large trees that had fallen on the property. Builder: @pinemar Interior Designer: @bgdltd Photographer: @durstonsaylor.

With all of this working from home, we're missing the details and textures of our Chadds Ford office. Hopefully we'll all be back together soon! . . . #instaantiques #instantiques #workfromhome #homeoffice #architecture #architecturalsalvage #libraries #books #ironwork #ChesterCounty #chaddsford #inspiration @ John Milner Architects, Inc.

Yesterday our team participated in a weekly staff meeting via Zoom Conferencing. We are managing to stay busy with exciting projects and to stay connected to one another in these challenging times. We hope you are too! . . . #staffmeeting #zoom #johnmilnerarchitects #workfromhome

In celebration of Flashback Friday, here's a photograph of John Milner (far right) participating in the restoration of Independence Hall c. 1965. Before entering into his own private practice in 1968, John worked under Charles Peterson at the National Park Service in Philadelphia. #fbf . . . .... . #independencehall #Philadelphia #historicpreservation @johnmilnerarchitects See more

This custom bronze sundial was set into the rear facade of our new Cotswold-inspired residence. It is framed by a thin band of hand-tooled limestone set flush within the fieldstone wall. Fabricated by @heritage_metalworks. Leaded transom and steel doors below by @hopeswindows. Stonemason is Joseph Manero and Sons and the builder is @pinemar . . . .... #sundial #bronze #fieldstone #limestone #leadedglass #custom #instagood See more

We’re looking forward to the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia’s annual Preservation Achievement Awards this evening, featuring a keynote speech by one of our firm’s principals, Mary DeNadai. Mary will be speaking about Women in Preservation in honor of the centennial year of the 19th Amendment. #womeninpreservation #historicpreservation #19thamendment

This new Shingle-style residence occupies a unique position on the New Jersey shore to which our clients had been drawn many years earlier. The site of this new house has expansive sandy beaches on two sides and spectacular views to the north, east and south. In keeping with the traditional Shingle-style vernacular architecture of the mid-Atlantic coast, we created a home that takes advantage of the site’s unique features, while also maintaining traditional Shingle-style deta...ils and proportions. The façade features two-toned cedar shingles, painted brackets and paneling and a Vermont-slate roof. Exterior windows and doors are maximized to allow for sweeping interior views of the ocean beyond. The plan is oriented with the second floor serving as the primary level to allow for better views of the ocean, with the first and third floors serving secondary spaces. Throughout the house, interior millwork is detailed in keeping with the Shingle-style and features beaded board patterned ceilings, full height paneled walls and numerous built-in cabinets and benches. #shinglestyle #newoldhouse #beachhouse See more

John Milner Architects is pleased to announce the elevation of four staff members to the level of Associate. Darinel Tapia, Kara Smith, Jennifer Shea and Jim Douglas (clockwise from top left) have all made important contributions to some of our firm’s most challenging projects. Darinel Tapia joined John Milner Architects in 2012 and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Drexel University. He has been integrally involved and taken on leadership roles in several of o...ur largest and most unique residential projects. Kara Smith, NCIDQ, joined our firm in 2014. Kara earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design from the Pratt Institute and a Master of Historic Preservation from the University of Florida. In addition to her contributions to a wide variety of projects in the office, Kara is an Adjunct Professor at Jefferson University’s College of Architecture and the Built Environment. Kara is also very active with the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. Jennifer Shea has been with John Milner Architects since 2017. Jenn received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Drexel University. In Jenn’s role as project captain, her technical expertise has been critical in the success of projects at the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania and the Montgomery County Courthouse. Jim Douglas joined our firm in 2017 and received a Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Business Administration from Penn State University. Jim’s strong background in classical architecture and adept eye for traditional design has been vital to both residential and ecclesiastical projects. Jim is currently a member of the American Society of Architectural Illustrators and the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art. See more

Joshua Kiehl, AIA, NCARB has been elevated to the level of Senior Associate at John Milner Architects. Joshua initially worked at John Milner Architects from 2002 to 2008 and re-joined the firm in 2018. As a registered architect and project manager, his responsibilities include new traditional residential design, as well as managing institutional and ecclesiastical projects with a historic preservation focus. He possesses extensive experience with assessment, design and detai...ling aspects of historic building projects, and his new design work is informed by his understanding of historic and classical architectural precedents. Joshua is currently managing several traditional residential design projects on country properties, the renovation of the Independence Park Hotel in Philadelphia, the restoration and renovation of several historic structures at Longwood Gardens in Chester County, as well as ecclesiastical and hospitality projects. Joshua received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Drexel University, was awarded the Central Pennsylvania Young Architects Award a few years ago and has been recognized with several professional achievement awards. He currently serves as a board member for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, and holds professional registrations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. See more

In honor of Preservation Month, we’ll be featuring some of our classic historic preservation projects from years past. The Jethro Coffin House, also known as The Oldest House on the island of Nantucket, suffered a devastating lightning strike in 1987 which destroyed half of the roof and vaporized the humidity in the building consequently rupturing the mortise-and-tenon joints of the original braced frame structure. A systematic approach was developed to conserve the maximu...m amount of historic material and reconstitute the building with respect for its evolution over more than 300 years. Built in 1686 by a prominent Nantucket, Massachusetts whaling family, this landmark wood frame structure in the saltbox form has a remarkable physical history. The house became a museum in the third quarter of the 19th century- marking the building as one of the first house museums in the country. The building was named a National Historic Landmark in 1968. . . . #historicpreservation #preservationmonth #nantucket #theoldesthouse #jethrocoffin #jethrocoffinhouse #historichouse #saltbox #morticeandtenon #johnmilnerarchitects #nationalhistoriclandmark #nhl @ Jethro Coffin House See more