The Zebulon Butler House – The Oldest Home in Wilkes-Barre
Step into local history at the Zebulon Butler House—the oldest surviving home in Wilkes-Barre—located at 313 South River Street. Built in 1793, the house stands as a rare and lasting symbol of the region’s colonial past.
Colonel Zebulon Butler, a prominent figure in the Wyoming Valley’s early days, originally built a log cabin on this site in 1773 at the corner of River and Northampton Streets. As a representative of the valley when it was considered part of Connecticut, Butler played a pivotal role in shaping its identity. He is best remembered for commanding colonial forces in the Battle of Wyoming on July 3, 1778—a tragic yet significant event in Revolutionary War history. Though Pennsylvania eventually won the land dispute, the cultural imprint of Connecticut’s settlers remains deeply woven into the region’s architecture and traditions.
Following Colonel Butler’s death, his son Lord Butler constructed the current home in 1793 over the original cabin’s footprint. Reflecting Colonial architecture with Yankee-Connecticut influence, the house remained in the Butler family for four generations, through both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. In the late 1860s, Butler’s great-granddaughter Sarah Richards Butler relocated the house to its present location to allow for the construction of a larger mansion.
In 2017, the Wilkes-Barré Preservation Society rescued the building from demolition and began restoring it to its original design. The home still includes historic features like a coal stove installed by one of Butler’s descendants.
Once restoration is complete, the Zebulon Butler House will open to the public as a museum and interactive educational space. Plans also include a local history library, making this site a vital center for exploring Wilkes-Barre’s origins and preserving its heritage for future generations.
Featured Site on the Wilkes-Barre Walkitecture Tour
