The John Inskeep/Higginbotham House
The Inskeep/Higginbotham House is an example of a mid-18th century Evesham farmhouse, altered and enlarged in the mid-19th century, probably in two phases. It has interesting construction details and architectural features that are worthy of preservation.
The first house in this location was built in 1725 by John Inskeep (the second) who had obtained 200 acres from his father, John (the immigrant). This land was held by the Inskeeps, or their descendants, for over 200 years.
John Inskeep (the third) inherited the property in 1756. In April 1770, he wrote that his house “was burnt” followed by “came home to my own house” in January 1771. It is believed that the present north wing is the house that John Inskeep built c.1771, probably on the foundation of the original 1725 house that burned.
On the death of John Inskeep in 1810, the property was willed to his two sons, John and Thomas. Thomas died in 1813 and John became the sole owner. In 1842, John conveyed the property to his children, Ephraim, Rachel, and Elizabeth. Elizabeth married Joshua Haines in 1845 and they apparently resided in the house and enlarged it c.1848. The Inskeep descendants Haines, Woolston, Brick, and Pearl held the property until 1936 when Alfred and Helen Higginbotham purchased it.
In 1963, Alfred and Helen Higginbotham conveyed the property to the first of several developers, although they continued to live there until their deaths. The house, vacant for 20 years, was scheduled for demolition when local opposition led the developers to donate a portion of the historic farm with the house, privy, and chicken house to the Evesham Historical Society in 1988.
Researched and documented by Ephraim Tomlinson
