Prioritizing Berks County Cultural and Historical Resources Within

Transcription

A STUDY FOR
FRIENDS OF HOPEWELL FURNACE NHS
Prioritizing Berks County Cultural and Historical Resources
Within and Nearby the Hopewell Big Woods
Study by
Susan Speros and Michelle Lynch
5/10/2013
Page 1
Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………….…..3
Goals of the Hopewell Big Woods Partnership…………………………………….……6
Geographical Scope of Work………………………………………………………........6
County-wide Historic Resource Survey…………………………………………….….10
Classification and Evaluation of Historic and Cultural Resources………………….....12
Analysis of Previous Studies………………...…………………………………………14
Hopewell Bif Woods Monitoring, Evaluation, and Adaptive Management Plan……...23
Recommendations for Ongoing Assessment………………………………………......25
Heritage Tourism Studies…………………………………………………………...…26
Brief Historical Analysis……………………………………………………………....28
Historic Resources Listed by Township…………………………………………….....30
Prioritizing Historic and Cultural Resources Within and Nearby the HBW…………..33
Union Township………………………………………………………………………..33
Robeson Township……………………………………………………………………..51
Birdsboro Borough…………………………………………………………………......70
Caernarvon Township…………………………………………………………………..75
New Morgan Borough……………………………………………………………….....85
Exeter Township……………………………………………………………………..…87
St. Lawrence Borough………………………………………………………………...101
Amity Township……………………………………………………………………....104
Douglass Township…………………………………………………………………...118
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….…125
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………..128
Biographies……………………………………………………………………………133
Appendix………………………………………………………………………….…..134
Article: The Town of Brower by Susan Speros………………………………….……153
Maps
Hopewell Big Woods……………………………………………………………………3
Hopewell Big Woods Partnership……………………………………………………….5
Berks County Map…………………………………………………………………...….7
Berks County Township Map……………………………………………………...……7
Union Township………………………………………………………………………..33
Robeson Township…………………………………………………………………......51
Birdsboro Borough……………………………………………………………………..70
Caernarvon Township……………………………………………………………….….75
New Morgan Borough……………………………………………………………….…85
Exeter Township………………………………………………………………………..87
Amity Township……………………………………………………………………....104
Douglass Township…………………………………………………………………...118
Township maps of 1862………………………………………………………………133
A Study for the Friends of Hopewell Furnace NHS
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Hopewell Big Woods Maps…………………………………………………………..136
Introduction
Hopewell Big Woods
Hopewell Big Woods (HBW) is the last large, unbroken forest remaining in southeastern
Pennsylvania. Located within the counties of Berks and Chester, it is one of the most important
natural areas in the region and an exceptional resource containing hundreds of plant and bird
species, pristine forest, unique wetlands, and clean streams and providing open space, drinking
water, and unique scenic, cultural, and natural resources.
This conservation area encircles French Creek State Park and the Hopewell Furnace
National Historic Site, and is greatly valued as an asset for public recreation and as a tourist
destination. As an expanse of more than 73,000 acres, or 110 square miles, the Hopewell Big
Woods is a rarity in the Mid-Atlantic landscape.
Map of Hopewell Big Woods, courtesy of hopewellbigwoods.org
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Hopewell Big Woods Partnership
The Hopewell Big Woods Partnership, led by the Natural Lands Trust, is a group of over 30
government agencies, private non-profits, and municipal entities. The Partnership seeks to
conserve at least 4,000 acres of old-growth forest, 15,000 acres of unbroken forest, and the
watersheds supported by this forest, as well as to protect and conserve other natural and cultural
resources within the Hopewell Big Woods.
In November 2003, the Natural Lands Trust published an initial conservation plan for the
Hopewell Big Woods entitled Hopewell Big Woods Landscape Conservation Plan. This plan
outlined four conservation goals focusing on the protection and stewardship of natural resources.
In 2011, James F. Thorne, Ph.D. and Robin Eisman, Ph.D. prepared the Hopewell Big
Woods Monitoring, Evaluation, and Adaptive Management Plan. In advance of this plan,
discussions of the Partnership identified two additional goals for managing economic
development and the protection of cultural and historic resources, making a total of six goals.
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Courtesy of http://www.rpa.org/northeastlandscapes/maps/800/834-InitiativeMapBook_73.png
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Goals of the Hopewell Big Woods Partnership
The Hopewell Big Woods Partnership has identified the following six conservation goals:
1. The permanent protection and stewardship of at least 15,000 acres of unbroken forest in and
around French Creek State Park.
2. The conservation of water quality and quantity in the watersheds of the Upper Reaches of French
Creek, the entirety of Hay Creek and the other smaller watersheds within the Hopewell Big
Woods. The primary indicator for watershed conservation is retaining impervious cover below
6% in these watersheds.
3. The conservation of state and federally listed and other rate species, occurring within the
Hopewell Big Woods.
4. The promotion of the recreational resources located in and around the Hopewell Big Woods.
5. The encouragement of compatible economic development within the Hopewell Big Woods that
is consistent with the other conservation goals.
6. The protection of historic and other cultural resources occurring within and nearby the Hopewell
Big Woods.
This report takes a first step in meeting goal six by prioritizing identified historic and
cultural resources within and nearby the Hopewell Big Woods within the geographical
boundaries of Berks County.
Geographical Scope of Work
The geographical scope of work was limited to townships, boroughs, and municipalities in
Berks County within the Hopewell Big Woods, with exceptions made for nearby municipal areas
that significantly contribute to the historic and cultural fabric of the Hopewell Big Woods Area.
The geographical boundaries of the Hopewell Big Woods in Berks County were defined as
the Schuylkill River as the eastern and partial southern boundary and the upper reaches of the
French Creek and the Hay Creek watershed as far north as the Allegheny Aqueduct as the
northern boundary. The western boundary follows Route 176 with the exception of the
Southwest reaches of the Berks Hopewell Big Woods area near the borough of New Morgan that
extend southwestward across Route 176.
Nearby resources include those along the east bank of the Schuylkill River corridor and the
western side of Route 176 that are considered pertinent to the historic and cultural fabric of the
Hopewell Big Woods Area.
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Map of Berks County
Map of Berks Showing Municipalities
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Berks County Municipalities within the Geographical Scope
Townships
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Union Township: including Unionville (fka Browertown), Hopewell National Historic
Site, French Creek State Park, Geigertown, and others.
Robeson Township: including Joanna Furnace, Allegheny Aqueduct Park, and others.
Caernarvon Township: including Morgantown
Boroughs
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Birdsboro
New Morgan
Nearby Contributing Municipalities
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Exeter Township and St. Lawrence Borough: including Daniel Boone Homestead,
Mordecai Lincoln Homestead, Exeter Friends Meeting House, and others which are Class
I and/or II
Amity Township: including Old Morlatton Village, St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, and
others which are Class I and/or II.
Douglass Township: including Pine Forge, and others which are Class I and/or II.
Scope of Work and Methodology
In the narrative presented, there are a few pages of introduction and comprehensive
overview to acquaint the many stakeholders, some of which may not be entirely familiar with the
Hopewell Big Woods and the Hopewell Big Woods Partnership, with the background and goals
of this project. To properly explain the concept of "historic resources," and their inception into
the fabric of Berks County, this study begins by introducing previous studies, plans, and efforts
at identifying and preserving historic and cultural resources within the targeted area.
The Berks County Comprehensive Plan of 2001-2002 is the earliest cited. This plan sparked
the later and more area-specific plans such as the Southern Berks Regional Joint Comprehensive
Plan. These plans are listed in the order in which they were produced. Differences and
similarities in each are noted. The identified plans are directly connected to the Berks County
land area that the HBW lies within, including related nearby areas. Each of these plans identified
and listed the most significant historic and cultural resources found within the areas addressed.
These resources are, for the most part, those on or eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places (NRHP).
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Along with the production of these plans, county municipalities participated in an update of
the Countywide Historic Resources Survey in 2006-2007. Implementation of any and all of these
plans is/was dependent upon this update, yet the update could not have been accomplished
without the development of these plans. All of these plans segued into each other, and became
more detailed and relevant as they became more area specific.
All historic resources within the HBW and nearby areas that are listed on the National
Register of Historic Places have been identified, and a brief narrative description of each,
including historical and architectural significance and current condition has been
included. Additional sites and structures that are historically significant and/or are eligible for
the National Register are similarly identified.
Threats to these historic resources were analyzed using recommendations and suggestions
concerning historic preservation that are listed in the area Comprehensive Plans, Municipal
Zoning Ordinances, and consultations with planners, municipal officials, preservation advocates,
and other interested parties. Criteria and regulations listed in Municipal Planning Codes and
adopted by Municipal Historical Architectural Review Boards along with the Secretary of the
Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties were applied during analysis.
To understand the importance of these historic resources, their relationship with each other
and their contribution to the HBW, the historical, cultural, ethnic, religious, architectural and
economic ties of the HBW area within Berks County were studied. A summary of the research
and an interpretation of the findings are included in this report. To demonstrate how diverse
communities and geographic areas were linked from the earliest years of European settlement in
the 18th century through the present a brief narrative history of the region encompassing the
HBW is provided.
Robeson Township, a region traditionally called “The Forest” and containing prominent
early 19th century industrial sites such as Joanna Furnace and historically important villages such
as Geigertown and Birdsboro, was found to have a historically important relationship with
Hopewell Furnace and Village. The history and importance of the Joanna Furnace site as well as
knowledge of the widespread charcoal making within "The Forest" of Robeson are essential for a
complete understanding of iron industry heritage in and nearby the HBW.
Clusters of important sites that have an interrelated history such as Morlatton Village, now
Douglassville, and Browertown, now Unionville, which are directly across the river from each
other, were historically interdependent and related to other communities within the greater HBW
region including those across the Berks border in Chester County. They have a direct tie with
Hopewell NHS, as several factors who dealt in buying and selling the iron goods produced
at Hopewell lived in Morlatton and Browertown and many of the drovers that served Hopewell
stayed at inns at Morlatton or Browertown.
Included in the Appendix is an article by Susan Speros on historic Browertown.
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County-wide Comprehensive Historic Resource Survey
In 1983, under the direction of Phoebe Hopkins, the Berks County Conservancy’s division
of historic preservation completed a comprehensive survey of all known historic and cultural
resources throughout Berks County. This survey was updated 20 years later. Historic resources
that were missed in 1983 were added and structures that have been lost were eliminated. In
addition to a brief description and history, an explanation of threats was noted for each structure
or resource on the survey forms. The Berks County Planners are still in the process of collating
all the information submitted and plotting the resources on Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) maps.
Initially, the time period of structures surveyed was limited to the 1700s (18th century)
through 1850. The updated survey distinctly incorporated later 19th century and early 20th
century structures, including bridges, churches, mills, factories, commercial buildings, and other
significant structures. However, thousands of bungalows, four-squares and other houses and
buildings of the pre- and post-WWII era are not represented in the survey and remain beyond the
scope of this study.
It is important to note that the survey and data entry method devised and used by the Berks
County Planning Commission is incompatible with the system currently used by the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Bureau for Historic Preservation (PHMC
BHP). For that reason, the PHMC BHP considers Berks County an “unsurveyed county”with
regard to historic resources. Berks County is not, in fact, unsurveyed. Its historic resources have
been surveyed. The survey and data entry methods are simply incompatible with the state data
bank system at this time.
Prioritizing Identified Historic and Cultural Resources
This study, prioritizing the historic and cultural resources in the Hopewell Big Woods and
nearby areas, reflects this expanded scope of the updated Berks Historic Resource Survey, with
the above named limitations.
In many ways, the scope of work for the prioritization of historic resources in and nearby the
Hopewell Big Woods reflects the chapters concerning Historic Preservation in the Berks County
Greenway, Park and Recreation Plan.
It is the intention of this study to enhance the mutual goals of both the Hopewell Big Woods
Partnership and Berks County to protect and preserve the historic and cultural resources within
and nearby the Hopewell Big Woods, particularly within Berks County.
The Berks County Planning Commission and the Berks County Parks and Recreation
Department are stake holders in this historic resources prioritization endeavor, and provided
support as needed in this undertaking.
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The prioritizing of historic and cultural resources in and nearby the Hopewell Big Woods
area was accomplished by utilizing the Historic Resource Survey information for the townships,
boroughs, and nearby municipalities, which was available from the Berks County Planning
Commission.
This study identified specific and unique threats and conditions within the targeted area, but
also found the overall larger problems concerning historic preservation to be reflective of those
displayed throughout Berks County.
Hopewell Anthracite Furnace, Courtesy of Hopewell Furnace NHS
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Classification and Evaluation of Berks County Historic and Cultural
Resources of the Area within and Nearby the Hopewell Big Woods
Overview
This classification of historic and cultural resources reflects National Register of Historic
Places guidelines and/or designations made by municipalities. Class I and II resources are
considered to be of critical importance to maintenance of the quality of life in Berks County, and
planning is highly recommended to protect these resources.
The goals are to evaluate, monitor, and preserve valuable historic and cultural resources with
the knowledge that these historic preservation goals may be more difficult to quantify and to
implement than those of land preservation.
Classification System
The Classification System of historic resources that is used for prioritizing historic and
cultural resources within and nearby the HBW in Berks County is the same as the system that
was developed and implemented for use in the prioritizing of historic and cultural resources
within the HBW in Chester County. Minor alterations were made to accomodate special
conditions in Berks County.
Precise efforts were made to make the two systems comparable and compatible, enabling a
focus on critical historic and cultural resources within the greater HBW area and nearby. This
facilitates establishing priorities across county lines and provides greater flexibility in planning
strategies to conserve and protect multi-county resources.
Class I: The resource is listed on, contributes to, or is determined eligible for inclusion in the
National Register of Historic Places. This includes contributing resources in a listed or eligible
National Register Historic District.
Class II: The resource is considered by the municipality to meet the standards to be considered
for the National Register of Historic Places and/or is identified as significant at a local level.
Class III: All remaining resources surveyed.
Class IV: Demolished or significantly altered property.
Evaluation
Using the existing Berks County Historic Resource Surveys provided by the Berks County
Planning Commission, resources were evaluated based on historical, cultural and architectural
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value, integrity, and condition. Priority was assigned based on a resource’s contributive value to
the Hopewell Big Woods and nearby areas. Those resources threatened by neglect, development,
or other factors were also identified and prioritized.
The National Register Bulletin series published by the National Parks Service provides
guidance on evaluating, documenting, and listing different types of historic places. National
Register bulletins used or recommended for possible future use in evaluating historic and other
cultural resources within and nearby the Hopewell Big Woods include:
The Basics
 How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation
Property Types
 Historic Residential Suburbs: Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the
National Register of Historic Places
 Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Archeological Properties
 Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Cemeteries and Burial Places
 How to Evaluate and Nominate Designed Historic Landscapes
 Guidelines for Identifying, Evaluating and Registering Historic Mining Properties
 Guidelines for Evaluating and Nominating Properties that Have Achieved Significance
Within the Past Fifty Years
 How to Apply National Register Criteria to Post Offices
 Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Rural Historic Landscapes
 Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Properties Associated with Significant
Persons
 Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Traditional Cultural Properties
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Previous Studies
BERKS COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, 2001-2002: “Berks Vision 2020”
“The purpose of this Plan, known as “Berks Vision 2020,” is to revise and update certain
aspects of the Comprehensive Plan of 1991.” This updated Plan acknowledges its relationship to
the plans of county municipalities and regional plans, and also addresses additional and new
requirements concerning historic preservation.
Developed by the Berks County Planning Commission, this revised Plan acts as a guide to
growth and development, and establishes goals and objectives for the direction of future growth,
preservation, and transportation decisions within Berks County.
As stated in this plan, “Berks County has a multitude of historic structures distributed
throughout the County. Due to sheer numbers, the County Comprehensive Plan focused only on
those certified and registered on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of the sites such
as Hopewell NHS, French Creek, Daniel Boone Homestead, and Allegheny Aqueduct are within
or nearby the Hopewell Big Woods, and are significant components in the County’s system of
open space and recreation areas.
Southern Berks Regional Joint Comprehensive Plan, 2004
To promote joint municipal planning, intergovernmental, and regional cooperation, Berks
County initiated a Local Planning Partnership Fund, to fund the preparation of local
comprehensive plans for municipalities that engage in joint planning efforts. A joint
comprehensive plan for Union, Robeson, and Caernarvon townships and the borough of
Birdsboro resulted in 2004. Termed the Southern Berks Region, this designated area of Berks
County is at the heart of the Hopewell Big Woods. These municipalities also fall within the
larger area designated as the Southern Highlands Region.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan’s introduction states, “This plan was prepared to provide
direction and guidance for future growth, development, and preservation efforts for this
generation as well as the next generations.” It was adopted by the respective municipal
governments in 2004.
Chapter VIII, Section E of the Joint Comprehensive Plan addresses historic and cultural
resources, noting that historic preservation is a crucial and essential component of planning that
enhances the “exceptional” quality of life in this area.
It further notes, “The Southern Berks Region has a rich and diverse heritage that is reflected
in the historic and cultural resources that are integrated within the existing land use patterns. The
preservation of these historic and cultural resources is essential to establishing a community
bond from past generations to future generations.”
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The following strategies for historic preservation were recommended in the Southern Berks
Joint Comprehensive Plan:
1. Formulate and adopt an official policy statement for the protection and preservation
of historic resources within the Southern Berks Region.
2. Appoint a local and/or regional HARB to initially document the historic and cultural
resources within the Southern Berks Region.
3. Coordinate planning efforts with the PHMC, Berks County Conservancy, Berks
County Planning Commission, Hay Creek Valley Historical Commission,
Schuylkill River Greenway Association, Natural Lands Trust, Sierra Club, and
other state, county, or local groups who share similar visions for the protection
and preservation of historic and cultural resources.
4. Conduct a municipal survey of all known or potential sites, buildings, structures,
objects, districts, and land areas, which have historic and cultural significance.
The PHMC provides local assistance in the preparation of such surveys. The
recommended procedures and survey format are further documented in
Guidelines for Historic Resource Surveys in Pennsylvania.
5. Solicit qualified consultants in the fields of historic preservation, architecture, and
planning to review the results of the survey and prioritize the significance of the
historic and cultural resources.
6. Develop a draft list of short-term and long-term strategies that will protect and
preserve each historic and cultural resource.
7. Establish a community education program on the benefits of effective historic
protection and preservation efforts. As part of this effort, meet with the owners
and tenants of the historic sites with the highest significance to gain support and
discuss preservation strategies.
8. Identify potential funding opportunities, which could provide financial assistance for
historic preservation activities within the Southern Berks Region.
9. Consider establishing historic overlay districts for selected areas within Birdsboro,
Morgantown, and Hopewell. Appoint a local or regional HARB to advise the
local governing bodies of building or construction activity within the historic
district. As part of this process, develop ordinances with standards and
specifications for historic protection and preservation.
10. Consider the adoption of effective zoning, subdivision, and land development
amendments, which consider provisions for buffer yards, scenic vistas, adaptive
reuse, landscaping, signs, and other visual enhancements within historic overlay
districts.
11. Promote tourism opportunities within established historic districts.
12. Promote adequate buffer areas around prominent and culturally significant historic
sites to retain the character and setting of the site and minimize the encroachment
of new development that may have an adverse effect on the overall integrity of the
site.
Brief historic profiles of the municipalities are included in the plan and historic sites within
the region identified. In 2004 there were 14 sites that were either listed on the National Register
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of Historic Places, or were considered eligible within the Southern Berks Regional Area. (Please
note that the list has been updated since then, with more historic sites, structures, and village
districts recognized by PHMC.) These resources are not renewable, making it essential to
recognize their value and promote a land use plan that will preserve, protect, and enhance their
presence within the community.
Southern Berks Regional Area National Historic Areas and Sites, 2004
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St Michael’s Episcopal Church
Edward Brooke II Mansion
Colonel Jacob Morgan Homestead
Morgantown Historic District
Colonel Jonathan Jones Homestead
Jones/Hertzler House
Allegheny Aqueduct
Thompson’s Mill
Joanna Furnace Complex
Geiger Mill
Hopewell Furnace NHS
Six Penny Creek
French Creek State Park Camp Site
Joint Comprehensive Plan for Amity Township, Exeter Township, and St. Lawrence
Borough, 2005
Another result of the Local Planning Partnership Fund was the joint comprehensive plan for
Amity Township, Exeter Township and St. Lawrence Borough which was published in 2005.
Exeter and Amity townships adjoin the Hopewell Big Woods and are considered nearby
contributing resources. The Borough of St. Lawrence falls within the geographic boundaries of
Exeter Township. These three municipalities fall within the area identified as the Southern
Highlands Region.
The joint plan incorporates a chapter planning for the protection of natural and historic
resources and a further chapter incorporating a brief narrative of the history of the region and
identifying historic resources within the three municipalities.
Chapter 9 of the joint plan outlines the goal and objective for preserving and enhancing
historic, architectural, and cultural resources within the three municipalities as follows:
Goal:
Preserve and enhance the historic, architectural and cultural resources of Amity,
Exeter and St. Lawrence.
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Objectives:
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Encourage the preservation, protection, and enhancement of historic and
architectural resources and their context.
Discourage demolition by neglect and deterioration of historic resources.
Foster increased public awareness of the history of and historic resources within
the municipalities.
Support efforts of organizations to identify, mark, register and protect historic
resources and work with local and state agencies to protect historic resources.
Require new development to reflect and consider the history, architecture and
development patterns of the municipalities in order to preserve the important
historic and architectural resources of the region.
Determine the role which municipalities should play in historic preservation
through land use ordinance incentives, controls and regulations, and efforts to
create historic districts and/or historic overlay zoning.
Encourage adaptive re-use of historic structures where appropriate.
Identify existing contemporary sites which could be considered part of the
historic or cultural heritage of future generations and preserve these sites for
future generations.
Support cultural events, which celebrate the historic and cultural heritage of the
region.
The following actions were recommended to protect historic resources within the region:
1. Utilize Historic Resource Overlay Zoning.
2. Utilizing demolition by neglect provisions in zoning ordinances.
3. Adopt Town Center and Rural Village design standards.
4. Require historic resource impact studies in subdivision and land development
ordinances.
5. Encourage active involvement of Historical Commissions to:
– Identify, evaluate, mark and foster awareness of historic resources
– Investigate participation in Certified Local Government Program
– Investigate creation of historic districts
– Inform and involve public
– Encourage retention, restoration, enhancement and appropriate adaptive re-use
of historic resources and discourage removal of historic structures
– Conceive programs, events and interpretive signage and exhibits which
emphasize the history of the region
– Identify contemporary sites for future preservation
In 2005, there were 13 sites that were listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and
three sites considered eligible within the Amity-Exeter-St. Lawrence region. Please note that
additional historic sites, structures, and districts have been recognized by PHMC and/or listed on
the National Register since 2005.
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Exeter Township
 Daniel Boone Homestead Site and Bertolet Cabin
 John Bishop House
 Boonecroft
 Mordacai Lincoln
 Mill Tract Farm
 Snyder Mill
 Bishop-Tyson House
 Oley Line Hotel
 Exeter Friends Meeting House
St. Lawrence Borough
 Levan Farm
 John Lutz Furniture Factory
Amity Township
 Griesemer/Brown Mill Complex
 Mounce Jones (Old Swede’s) House
 Old St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church
 Weidner Mill
 White Horse Tavern
A total of 136 historic resources were identified in the region using a number of resources
identified in the comprehensive plan. Of these resources, 107 are located within Exeter
Township. It should be noted that of these 107, many have been identified as Class IV
resources—those that have been demolished or that have been significantly altered and lack
integrity. Others remain unidentified. Identified resources are classified and prioritized further in
this report.
Berks County Historic Resource Inventory Update, 2006-2007
The Berks County Comprehensive Plan of 2001 and subsequent localized Plans stressed the
need to update the County Historic Resource Inventory, completed in the early 1980s. Therefore,
in May 2006, the Berks County Planning Commission initiated the undertaking of a County wide
update of the 1983 Historic Resource Inventory. This Project was the first implementation of the
2007 Berks County Greenway, Parks and Recreation Plan.
The Planners held a meeting of all historical societies in Berks County, which essentially
comprised members of the Berks County Museum Council (BCMC). BCMC members represent
almost all county historic sites, historical societies, and museums. At the meeting, municipal
maps and existing survey forms for all known historic sites and districts in Berks County were
distributed. Individual BCMC members present volunteered to update surveys in their specific
areas. For example, the Heidelberg Heritage Society members complete all the surveys in the
three Heidelberg townships: Lower, South, and Heidelberg.
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Groups were asked to field check all of the sites indicated and to add additional sites and
structures overlooked in previous surveys. Double-sided forms were provided, which groups
used to complete information for each site, including historic function, architectural details,
updated photos, and threats to the site/structure.
Completed forms were returned to the county planners, with copies retained by each group
and sent to each subject municipality to increase awareness of the historic resources in local
communities. Information on protecting these resources through zoning and other historic district
ordinances was made available to the municipalities.
The historic resource inventory update is an ongoing project, and the Berks County planners
are still in the process of compiling and collating this and an ever-growing body of new
information and plotting all resources onto a series of GIS Maps. These updated Historical
Resource Surveys and GIS Maps form a critical resource for this HBW Project.
The GIS Maps pinpointing the locations of all historic resources listed on or eligible for the
NRHP and all historic resources identified as locally significant are an important resource that
municipalities and HBW partners will use in preservation planning.
Hay Creek Watershed Greenway Plan, 2007
“This plan was prepared by the Hay Creek Watershed Association to help guide future
conservation activities and economic development within the watershed, resulting in a
community which is both environmentally sustainable and economically vibrant.”
The Hay Creek watershed includes portions of Robeson, Union, Brecknock, and Caernarvon
Townships and Birdsboro and New Morgan Boroughs. All of the Hay Creek Watershed rests
within the Hopewell Big Woods, representing nearly one quarter of that landscape.
Goals of the Hay Creek Greenway Plan include promoting the protection and interpretation
of historic buildings and places in order to preserve the heritage of the watershed, and make
these historically significant sites accessible to the public. Nationally recognized and locally
important heritage resources are located throughout the Hay Creek Watershed, and remind us of
our priceless historic heritage.
These goals and objectives include:
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Conduct a comprehensive inventory of historic resources
Protect existing historic and cultural resources from degradation and demolition
Preserve and restore existing historic and historic and cultural resources
Increase heritage-related tourism opportunities
National Register of Historic Places properties listed in the Hay Creek Greenway Plan are the
following:
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St Michael’s Protestant Episcopal Church
Morgantown Historic District
Allegheny Aqueduct
Geiger Mill
Joanna Furnace Complex
Thompson Mill
French Creek Park Org. Group Camp 4
French Creek Sixpenny Day Use Area
In addition to the historic sites listed on the NRHP in the Hay Creek Watershed, there are 13
additional historic sites recognized by PHMC as NRHP eligible. Also, importantly, there are
numerous locally historically significant places within the Hay Creek Watershed.
Berks County Greenway Park and Recreation Plan, 2007 “Berks Southern Highlands
Region”
The Berks Southern Highlands Region encompasses the areas within and nearby the
Hopewell Big Woods. It was studied as part of the county’s 2007 Greenway Park and
Recreation Plan. The region was mapped by the Berks County Planning Commission and historic
resources within it were plotted on a GIS Map of Historic Resources produced by the
commission. Significant cultural and historic resources, such as Hopewell NHS and the
Allegheny Aqueduct Park are identified with key numbers and dots on this map. Lesser
resources are signified simply with dots on the map.
The planning commission found that “the Southern Highlands region has a rich and diverse
heritage that is reflected in the historic and cultural resources that are integrated within the
existing land use patterns. The preservation of these historic and cultural resources is essential to
establish a community bond from past generations to future generations. Since these resources
are non-renewable, it is essential to recognize their value and promote a future land use plan that
is based upon fundamental principals in an effort to preserve, protect, and enhance their presence
within the region.”
The National Register of Historic Places is a comprehensive listing of districts, sites,
buildings, structures, and objects of historic and cultural significance to the locality, state or
nation. Within the Southern Highlands Region, the planning commission identified 29 sites that
are either listed on the National Register or are considered eligible for listing on the National
Register.
Individual sites listed on the National Register include:
 Allegheny Aqueduct
 Boonecroft Farm
 Bitler Farm
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
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
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




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Geiger Mill
Griesemer Mill Complex
Ironstone Bridge
John Bishop House
Isaac Levan Farm
Mill Tract Farm
Mounce Jones (Old Swede) House
Snyder Mill
St. Michael’s Church
Thompson Mill
Weidner Mill
White Horse Tavern
(Be aware that some of these sites are complexes including multiple related structures.)
Districts listed on the National Register include:
 Daniel Boone Homestead
 French Creek Six Penny
 French Creek Organized Group Camp
 Hopewell Furnace NHS
 Joanna Furnace Complex
 Morgantown Historic District
Berks County Comprehensive Plan, 2012
“Berks Vision 2030”
This draft plan is an update of the “Berks Vision 2020” Plan. This updated plan sets forth the
following goals and policies for the preservation of historic and cultural resources.
Historic and Cultural Resources
Goal:
To recognize historic preservation and cultural resources as a means of retaining community
character, providing affordable housing, and assisting economic development.
Policies:
(1) The County encourages public and private entities to work together to identify and
protect historic resources.
(2) The County encourages economic development organizations to include historic
preservation as a component of economic development strategies.
(3) The County supports revision and enforcement of codes and regulations to promote
the preservation of historic buildings.
(4) The County will assist municipalities seeking information about historic preservation
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and, when necessary, refer them to the appropriate agencies.
(5) The County will promote land use regulations that consider historic resources and
help retain the character of rural villages.
(6) The County encourages training for municipal officials in land use and historic
preservation issues, and how they relate to economic development.
(7) The County will continue to update the Greenway, Park and Recreation Plan, which
includes recommendations regarding historic preservation.
The problem with the County Comprehensive Plan is that it cannot provide any preservation
regulations and/or legislation at the local level and can only offer suggestions and support to the
municipalities. Any preservation regulations and/or legislation protecting historic and cultural
resources in the county must come at the municipal level via local zoning or preservation
ordinances.
Berks County's municipal governments are encouraged to plan for historic preservation,
establish historic districts, enact historic preservation ordinances, and appoint historic
preservation commissions or review boards.
At a minimum, municipalities are encouraged provide for some type of review and public
comment before demolition of privately owned historic resources is permitted. The legality of
this has been challenged many times, so the municipalities are reluctant to take any
action. Historical Architectural Review Boards or Commissions, such as the Exeter Historical
Commission make recommendations in such cases, but the these are recommendations only—not
requirements—due to the limitations of law.
There is very little that can be done via municipal legislation to protect individual, privately
owned historic or cultural resources. Historically, when municipalities outside of Berks County
have tried to protect such resources with restrictive legislation, the legislation has been
challenged as "spot zoning.” Historic preservation ordinances for historic districts apply
regulations to structures within areas (districts) and, therefore, are not considered "spot zoning."
Conclusions Drawn From Earlier Studies and Plans
All of the above studies and plans are relevant to how the prioritization of Historic
Resources in the HBW and nearby areas can be achieved. In many ways, the plans and studies
cited are the result of the 1960s movement towards realizing the importance of green and open
space, and how it enhances life, especially in urban and suburban spaces.
Our Berks County Parks System, an outgrowth of this movement, came about in the late
1960s, as a "green" answer to the increasing development and the loss of open space in the
county. Increased growth with accompanying "urban sprawl" made it imperative for the county
and its municipalities to create comprehensive plans to delineate and control growth, essentially
guiding "smart growth." Along with this realization and understanding, came the appreciation of
the role that our historic heritage and historic preservation play in enhancing overall quality of
life in the county.
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When begun in the late 1960s, the process was new, and the county cautiously made gains in
protecting open space, controlling development, and defining the role of historic preservation
into the 21st century. As time went on, a better understanding of the unique situation and needs of
Berks County, and the special needs and differences of each municipality evolved, making the
development of each subsequent plan more comprehensive and specific.
Utilizing these earlier studies and plans with the recently updated Survey of Historic
Resources, the prioritization of Historic Resources in the HBW and nearby areas
was accomplished with depth and knowledge.
Hopewell Big Woods Monitoring, Evaluation, and Adaptive Management Plan, 2011
Prepared by James F. Thorne, Ph.D. and Robin Eisman, Ph.D.
In the 10th anniversary year of the Hopewell Big Woods Partnership (which had by then
grown to a membership of 47 public and private partners), the Partnership modified its original
four conservation goals to further address the need for compatible economic development and
the protection of historic and other cultural resources, developing the six goals outlined in the
introduction to this study:
1. The permanent protection and stewardship of at least 15,000 acres of unbroken forest in and
around French Creek State Park.
2. The conservation of water quality and quantity in the watersheds of the Upper Reaches of
French Creek, the entirety of Hay Creek and the other smaller watersheds within the Hopewell
Big Woods. The primary indicator for watershed conservation is retaining impervious cover
below 6% in these watersheds.
3. The conservation of state and federally listed and other rate species, occurring within the
Hopewell Big Woods.
4. The promotion of the recreational resources located in and around the Hopewell Big Woods.
5. The encouragement of compatible economic development within the Hopewell Big Woods
that is consistent with the other conservation goals.
6. The protection of historic and other cultural resources occurring within and nearby the
Hopewell Big Woods.
The partnership further commissioned a plan for the monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive
management of the Hopewell Big Woods. The plan identified approaches for meeting the goals
of the Hopewell Big Woods Partnership in Section III.
According to the Plan: “The first step in monitoring historic and cultural resources was to
generate an official list of significant sites for the Hopewell Big Woods. A Goal 6 Working
Group formed for this purpose. A list has been compiled, and once it is finalized, a Baseline
Condition Report will be developed for each resource, along with a set of standards to measure
any deterioration or improvement of the resource. Assessments will be conducted on a rotating
basis, with each site assessed once every 5 years.”
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The Plan does not identify who or what entity/entities will be responsible for formulating the
Baseline Condition Report or monitoring the ongoing assessment of resources or what criteria
will be applied in assessing the baseline conditions.
This Study, Prioritizing Berks County Cultural and Historic Resources Within and Nearby
the Hopewell Big Woods, takes a first step in meeting goal six by prioritizing identified historic
and cultural resources within and nearby the Hopewell Big Woods within the boundaries of
Berks County.
Baseline conditions were assessed during the update of the Countywide Historic Resources
Survey in 2006-2007. As part of this study, the conditions of resources NR listed or eligible
resources within or nearby the HBW were observed. Any deterioration or alteration that occurred
since the 2006-2007 survey was noted.
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Recommendations for the Ongoing Assessments of
Historic Resources Within and Nearby the Hopewell Big Woods
HBW Partnership should determine which entity/entities will be responsible for the ongoing
assessment of historic resources. For privately owned resources, the responsible entity could be
the property owner.
Criteria for assessment should be developed that will include a complete architectural
evaluation of all exterior and interior features and finishes. Architectural features, materials and
finishes that are character-defining and therefore significant and which must be preserved,
should be identified. Prioritization of architectural features of each resource (premiere,
important, contributing, non-contributing) is advised.
Room-by-room evaluation of each resource, including the identification of materials,
construction techniques, finishes and features such as lighting, paneling, wainscoting, glazing,
cabinetwork, fireplaces, etc. should be undertaken. Prioritization of architectural significance of
interior spaces (premiere, important, contributing, non-contributing) is advised. It is recognized
that access to privately owned historic resources is often limited and interior assessment and
evaluation of such resources might not be possible.
A description and evaluation of any historic resource’s mechanical systems (heating,
lighting, plumbing, electrical, etc.) is also recommended. Existing Conditions, such as damage,
structural problems, materials deterioration, etc., should be analyzed and recorded.
Recommended repair and/or stabilization work should be prioritized.
Materials needed for restoration and/or conservation should be assessed and identified. A
plan or program for general and periodic maintenance should be developed, recognizing that
deferred maintenance is not an option for historic resources.
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Heritage Tourism
In 2011, a report was presented to the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation entitled “Measuring Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation.” The report’s
authors, Donovan Rypkema and Caroline Cheong of PlaceEconomics, Washington, DC, and
Randall Mason, PhD of University of Pennsylvania School of Design, Historic Preservation
Program, found that tourism is a growth industry worldwide. Consistent evidence showed
heritage tourism as one of the fastest growing segments of that industry, and many states report
tourism as one of their largest industries, particularly when measured by number of employees.
The authors of the 2011 report found that tourism impact studies are survey based. They
analyzed and reported on the method employed by the National Park Service – the method used
at Hopewell Furnace NHS. “For the past several years the National Park Service has evaluated
the economic impact of park visitors using MGM2 – Money Generation Model. This relatively
user-friendly approach requires the park to enter three basic pieces of information: number of
visitor nights; visitor segments (based on nature of accommodations); and a choice of multipliers
(rural, small metro area, large metro area, or region). Based on this input the MGM2 system will
calculate: sales, jobs, personal income and value added, broken down in the twelve industries most
affected by tourism expenditures.”1
The authors determined that surveys are an adequate means of gathering data provided the
survey base is large enough and the proper questions are asked. However, two problems in
analyzing the data were identified: 1) what constitutes a “heritage tourist”? and 2) how much of the
visitor’s expenditures should be included in the impact analysis? (For example: Should the cost of
transportation be included?)2
Heritage tourists are considered a sub-set of all tourists. The authors reported that in nearly all the
comparative analyses, heritage tourists (however defined) tend to stay longer, visit more places, and
spend more money per day than tourists in general, thereby having a significantly greater economic
impact per trip.3
According to a study commissioned by HeritagePA, an estimated 17.3 million visitors
visited the entire network of Pennsylvania Heritage Areas in 2008. The impact of this tourism
activity is significant to the local economies of each region.4
“In 2008, eight heritage areas participated in the study to assess the characteristics of the
visitors to their sites and estimate the impact of the visitors on the local economies. The results
from the surveys were used to estimate the total economic impact of the entire Pennsylvania
heritage area network. Based on those surveys, it was estimated that:
• Visitors to the entire HeritagePA network generated $1.6 billion in direct and indirect sales in
2007.
“Measuring Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation.” Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Donovan Rypkema and Caroline Cheong,
PlaceEconomics, Washington, DC, and Randall Mason, PhD, University of Pennsylvania School of Design, Historic Preservation Program.
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid.
4
Ibid.
1
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• These sales were enough to support more than 31,500 jobs, which paid nearly $600 million in
wages and salaries.
• The total direct and indirect value-added to the community from the heritage tourism related
activity, in the form of personal income to workers, profits and rents to businesses, and in direct
business taxes paid to government, was estimated to be $934 million in 2008.”5
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
website, “Pennsylvania has long been a travel destination, boasting a rich, multifaceted history
and an ideal combination of sleek cityscapes, charming small towns, rugged woodlands and lush
countryside to explore. As such, the tourism industry has always been a strong component of the
state economy and continues to attract new visitors each year.”6
“Tourism bolsters the economy in a variety of direct and far-reaching ways. Tourism’s total
economic impact on the state’s economy in 2011 was $32.9 billion. Tourism and its resulting
impacts are providing job sustainability across the state. The number of jobs supported by
Pennsylvania’s travel and tourism industry in 2011 was 450,000+. Visitors to Pennsylvania’s
state parks [of which French Creek within HBW is one] spent $859 million in 2010.”7
The “charming small towns, rugged woodlands and lush countryside” described as major
draws for tourists are all present within and nearby the Berks County section of the HBW. The
potential to market the area for heritage tourism should be developed and capitalized upon as a
means of promoting interest in cultural and historic resources and of generating funds for their
preservation.
HBW partners are advised to work together to develop a regional self-guided “Heritage
Trail” or “Heritage Tour” similar Chester County Park & Recreation’s “Iron and Steel Tours” for
Berks County that will include multiple historic sites within and nearby the HBW, particularly
those that are open to the public such as Hopewell Furnace NHS, Daniel Boone Homestead,
Joanna Furnace Complex, Allegheny Aquaduct, Old Morlatton Village, and Pine Forge. An
obvious focus or link is the local industrial and transportation heritage with emphasis on the iron
industry.
5
http://www.newpa.com/business/key-industries/tourism
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
6
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Promotional postcard for an event held at Hopewell Furnace NHS in November, 2009
Brief Historical Analysis
Southeastern Townships in Berks County Within and Nearby the HBW
An overwhelming impetus for the settlement of the entire Hopewell Big Woods area and
nearby areas was the iron industry. In the “Coventries,” the sphere of northern Chester County,
we find the second oldest iron producer in Pennsylvania: Coventry Forge and Iron Works,
founded by Samuel Nutt in 1717. Across the river, in nearby Douglass Township of Berks
County, is Pennsylvania’s first iron works, Rutter’s Bloomery Forge, founded by Thomas Rutter
in 1716.
From these two earliest iron producers grew a proliferation of other major iron works, many
within the Berks County Hopewell Big Woods area and nearby. These Townships of
southeastern Berks County that contain historic iron works are the earliest settled section of the
County.
It is important to note that upon the founding of Berks County in1752, Union Township, a
core township of the Hopewell Big Woods, was formed in part from North Coventry Township
of Chester County and from Robeson Township of Lancaster County. The name Union was
chosen because the township was a union of two sections of territory. Union Township and the
Coventries of Chester County retain to this day strong historical and architectural ties, as well as
Page 28
geographical, geological, genealogical, and socio-economic connections. This close border area
of Chester and Berks counties lies at the heart of the Hopewell Big Woods.
Beginning with the start of the 18th century, colonists moved up the Schuylkill into this
region. Because of this early pattern of settlement, the Berks Townships of Union, Robeson, and
nearby areas of Exeter, Amity and Douglass, have critically important historic sites such as
Hopewell Furnace NHS, Joanna Furnace, Pine Forge, and the Daniel Boone and Mordechai
Lincoln Homesteads. Other historic resources of importance include early small villages such as
Old Morlatton Village (Douglassville), Browertown (Unionville), and the Borough of Birdsboro.
Besides these well known sites, there is a plethora of other eighteenth and early-19th century
structures, many of them built of stone, within the Hopewell Big woods area of Berks and nearby
Berks environs. For example, the southern corner of the Berks County area of the Hopewell Big
Woods, lies Caernarvon Township, with the ancient village of Morgantown.
The historical background of Caernarvon Township differs somewhat from that of the other core
Berks townships of the Hopewell Big Woods, as it was settled by Welsh colonists from the
earlier “Welsh Tract.” However, its historic resources are significant.
To understand the importance of these historic resources, their relationship with each other,
and their contribution to the HBW, the historical, cultural, ethnic, religious, architectural and
economic ties of the HBW area within Berks County were studied. A summary of the research
and an interpretation of the findings are included in the report. To demonstrate how diverse
communities and geographic areas were linked from the earliest years of the 18th century into the
present, a brief narrative history of the region encompassing the HBW in Berks and nearby is
provided.
Robeson Township, a region traditionally called “The Forest” and containing prominently
early industrial sites such as Joanna Furnace and historically important villages such as
Geigertown and Birdsboro, was found to have a historically important relationship with
Hopewell Furnace and Village. The history and importance of Robeson are essential for a
complete understanding of iron industry in and nearby the Berks County HBW and environs.
Clusters of historically important sites that have an interrelated history such as Morlatton
Village and Browertown (Unionville), which are directly across the Schuylkill River from each
other, were historically interdependent and related to other communities within the greater HBW
region, including those across the Berks border in Chester County. They have a direct tie with
Hopewell NHS, as several factors, who dealt in buying and selling the iron goods produced at
Hopewell NHS lived in Morlatton and Browertown (now Douglassville and Unionville), and
many of the Inns that served the drovers for Hopewell stayed at Morlatton or Browertown.
These individual sites will be studied further in the Prioritization and Interpretation Section that
follows.
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Historic Resources By Township Within the Hopewell Big Woods
in Berks County
Union Township
Class I Historic Resources Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (3)
 Hopewell Furnace NHS
 French Creek State Park: 1) Six Penny Day Use Area, 2) Organized Group Camp
Class I Historic Resources Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (1)
 Yocom House (in Unionville)
 Pre Historic Native American Flint Site in Unionville
Class I Historic Districts Recognized by PHMC (4)
 Hopewell Village NHS
 Browertown / Unionville
 French Creek State Park 1) Six Penny Day Use Area, 2) Organized Group Camp
Class II Historic Resources/Sites
 Schuylkill Navigation Canal Structures
 Unionville Aqueduct
 Brower Farm(s)
 Brower Forge
 Unionville Inn (Hotel)
 Route 724, “Old Coventry Road” corridor (Birdsboro to Chester County line)
 Monocacy/Mt Airy
Other Class II Historic Resources
 Mills, bridges, barns, farms, historic houses, churches and graveyards, forges
Robeson Township
 Allegheny Aqueduct (Allegheny Aqueduct Historic Park)
 Geiger Mill
 Thompson Mill
Class I Historic Resources Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (3)
 Beidler House and Mill Site (Allegheny Aqueduct Historic Park)
 Bitler Farm
 White Bear Tavern
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 Beidler House and Mill Site
 Geigertown, Geiger’s Mill
Class II Sites
 Scarlett’s Mill
 Old Mill Inn
Other Class II Sites
 Forges, grist mills, graveyards, historic houses, barns, farms
Caernarvon Township
Class I Historic Resources Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
 Col. Jacob Morgan Homestead
 Ames House
 Col. Jonathan Jones House
 Donald Zagar Farm
 Jacob Herztler House
 J.Kurtz Limekiln
 Kurtz Beiler Farmstead
(7)
Class II Sites
 Graveyards
Other Class II Resources
 Forges, grist mills, historic houses, farms, barns
Borough of Birdsboro
Class I Resources Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1)
 St. Michael’s Protestant Episcopal Church
Class I Resources Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (3)
 Bird Mansion
 Edward Brooke II Mansion
 E & G Brooke Ironworks
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 Birdsboro Iron Industry
 Mill Street Worker’s Houses
 “Brooklyn” Worker’s Houses
 “Mexico” Worker’s Houses
 “Texas” Worker’s Houses
 Route 82 Section
Class II Sites
 Canal Lock House
 Schuylkill Navigation Canal Structures
 Hay Creek Aqueduct
Other Class II Sites
 Mills, bridges, iron industry structures
Page 32
Prioritizing Historic and Cultural Resources Within and Nearby the HBW
in Berks County
Union Township
Background
Union Township in Berks County lies at the heart of the Hopewell Big Woods. Historically
part of the Coventry Township(s) of northern Chester County, Union Township signifies the
“union” of two portions of land. One was from Lancaster County, and the other from Chester
County, and these portions were joined in 1752 when Berks County was created.
Significant Historic and Cultural Resources in Union Township
At present, 2012, Union Township has three (3) Class I historic resources listed on the
National Register of Historic Places:
 Hopewell Furnace NHS Village
 French Creek State Park /Organized Group Camp 4 (Presently Group Camps #1 and #2)
 French Creek State Park/ Six Penny Day Use Area
Two (2) Class I historic resources are listed by PHMC as Eligible for the NRHP
 The John Yocom House in Unionville/Browertown
 A prehistoric Native American Site in Unionville.
Four (4) Class I Historic Districts are recognized by a PHMC Survey. These four
“Districts” include:
 Hopewell Furnace NHS Village,
 French Creek State Park/Organized Group Camp 4 (Presently Group Camps #1 and #2)
 French Creek State Park /Six Penny Day Use Area
 The village of Browertown / Unionville
Within each “District” there are innumerable historic structures that reflect the history of this
Township, beginning with the 18th century Hopewell Furnace and its village, the late-18th, early19th century village of “Browertown”/Unionville with its deep ties to Hopewell Furnace and the
Page 33
Schuylkill Navigation Canal, and on to the 20th century French Creek State Park with its 1930s
CCC camping and day use areas.
As Union Township is one of the oldest Township areas to be included in Berks County,
there are large numbers of 18th and early 19th century structures, including barns, farmhouses,
spring houses, farm dependencies, inns, canal structures, bridges, mills, churches, graveyards,
and other structures.
Many of these structures, particularly in the village of Browertown/Unionville, would qualify
for eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places in terms of historic significance and
uniqueness, identification with a specific historical period, and/or a specific prominent builder.
A good number of these venerable structures were listed by the county as Historic Resources
in the Survey of Historic Resources that was undertaken by the Berks County Conservancy in the
early 1980s. These listing were updated, and many Historic and Cultural Resources were added
to the list in 2007 under the auspices of the Berks County Planning Commission. More
Resources are being added on a continuing basis. Presently, 2012, there are 65 Historic and
Cultural Resources listed by the Berks Planners for Union Township, and this number by no
means represents the total number of cultural and historic resources that lie within Union
Township.
National Register of Historic Places Properties in Union Township
Overview
Of utmost historic significance, within the HBW area of Berks County is Hopewell Furnace
NHS. It is of FIRST PRIORITY in fulfilling the stringent criteria for inclusion as a National
Register of Historic Places property. As a nationally recognized site of historic importance,
Hopewell Furnace NHS is vitally important for interpreting the history of the area, is a premier
draw for historic tourism, and is an important economic entity in a largely forested area of
scattered small villages.
The historic significance of Hopewell Furnace NHS village lies in its association with the
American Revolution, as well as its long life as an industrial community, and is representative of
the many charcoal ironworks that flourished in Berks and Chester Counties in 18th and early 19th
century Pennsylvania.
Hopewell Furnace NHS is one of the finest examples existing of a rural American 19th
century iron plantation. It showcases an early American industrial landscape, from natural
resource extraction to present day enlightened conservation.
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Brief History
Hopewell Furnace was founded in 1771 by ironmaster Mark Bird, for whose family nearby
Birdsboro was named. Spanning the years from 1771 to 1883, Hopewell produced vital ordnance
such as shot, shell and cannon for the Revolutionary War effort. Its most prosperous years were
the 1820-1840 period, with another boom in production during the American Civil War. In the
mid-19th century changes in iron making, including a shift from charcoal to anthracite fuel,
rendered smaller furnaces like Hopewell obsolete. The site discontinued operations in 1883.
Historic and Cultural Resources at Hopewell NHS
Hopewell Furnace is significant for its cultural and historic resources. In the core historic
area there are 14 restored structures, 52 features on the List of Classified Structures, and a total
of 848 mostly wooded acres. Hopewell Furnace NHS is surrounded by French Creek State Park
on three sides, and State game Lands to the south, which preserves the lands the furnace utilized
for its natural resources, charcoal making. This vast wooded acreage that is part of the site itself
and the surrounding woodland is part of the great eastern American forests; it is part of the
Hopewell Big Woods.
Hopewell Furnace NHS Village principal core buildings consist of a blast furnace and its
dependant buildings and structures (cast house, bridge house etc.), the ironmaster’s mansion and
its auxiliary dependencies (bake ovens, spring house, smoke house). Also included in the Village
are a company store and office, a blacksmith shop, a fieldstone barn, and several stone workers’
houses, including a “boarding house.” Outlying buildings include the Bethesda Chapel, the John
Church House, and other structures.
Threats and Mitigation
In 1935 the Federal government purchased Hopewell Furnace and approximately 6,200
acres of land with the primary purpose of developing a park and recreation area. By 1938, after
research and the beginnings of restoration, the Hopewell Furnace was designated “Hopewell
Village National Historic Site” because of its “relationship to the Colonial history of the United
States.”
Hopewell Furnace NHS, as a national historic site with its surrounding forest, is protected
from many outside influences and degradation such as zoning laws that fail to protect historic
properties, neglect, and abandonment.
Nevertheless, the pressure of development in this area is a constant threat, as the site and its
surrounding State Parks and State Games Lands are nearby to several large urban clusters such
as Philadelphia and the greater Philadelphia area. Safeguards must be taken to ensure the
continued funding, interest, and protection by the Federal Government and the State of
Pennsylvania.
Page 35
Hopewell NHS, because of its historic ties to other cultural and historic resources of the
HBW area, will continue to be a developing and important “hub” for local and regional historic
tourism.
As seen within the past year, unforeseen threats such as forest fires in the HBW near
Hopewell NHS must always be an aware and informed consideration, and constant preparedness
and vigilance must be taken to protect this priceless historic resource.
French Creek State Park


Six Penny Day Use Area
Organized Group Camp 4
Overview
Structures in the two above named areas within French Creek State Park are on the National
Register of Historic Structures. Dating from the 1930s, they are part of the originally constructed
sections of the Park. Due to their early construction and being part of a large and popular State
Park with its many visitors, and the fact that the Park itself encompasses another historic and
core tourist attraction, Hopewell NHS, these French Creek buildings are to be considered to be of
HIGH PRIORITY.
French Creek State Park is a 7,526 acre Pennsylvania State Park in North Coventry and
Warwick Townships in Chester County, and Robeson and Union Townships in Berks County. It
straddles northern Chester County and southern Berks County along French Creek. Nearby
Hopewell Furnace NHS is surrounded by the Park.
This beautiful park is part of the Schuylkill Highlands/Hopewell Big Woods, and is the
largest block of contiguous forest between Washington DC and New York City.
Its historic significance lies in the fact that it once was part of the Hopewell Furnace early
American industrial complex, and its vast forest lands supplied the charcoal for the furnace.
Even to this day one can find areas of old “charcoal burns” and the ancient “roads” leading to the
furnace or meandering through the woods to the river and main roads such as “the Coventry
Road” (Route 724).
Brief History
Once dominated by old growth American chestnut, clearing of these forests began in 1771
with the need to produce charcoal to feed the iron furnace at nearby Hopewell. By the close of
the furnace in 1883 after 112 years of rounds of growth and clearance, damage was done to the
natural local ecology. But the forest growth slowly began to grow back.
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In 1935 the Federal government purchased approximately 6,200 acres of land with the
primary purpose of developing a park and recreational area. In the 1930s the land of French
Creek State Park was reclaimed by the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps created during
the great depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to offset unemployment. The CCC
worked to clear the forests and streams of brush. They also built many of the facilities still in use
today at the park, including several tent camping areas, two small dams and lakes, two group
camps, picnic areas, and extensive roads and trails throughout the park. They also began
restoration of the historic Hopewell Furnace.
Historic and Cultural Resources at French Creek State Park
There are several original wooden buildings built by the CCC in the 1930s that are still in
use in the park. The construction of these CCC built structures is of wood, weatherboard, and
log. One is the Six Penny Day Use Area, and near the Park Office is a long prominent, one story
wooden building. It resembles a barracks, and was used, most likely, as a barracks when the
CCC was encamped there. Presently called “The Chapel,” it has served in various other
capacities, and is presently used to store maintenance equipment. Behind the barracks/Chapel is
another CCC built wooden structure which is the office of the Park Naturalist.
Also of CCC construction is the Organized Group Camp 4, comprised of camper and staff
cabins, dining halls, and central washhouses.
The many other structures built by the CCC, such as the two small dams and lakes, and
roads and trails, are to be considered as historic and cultural resources as well. They contribute to
the enjoyment of hiking, fishing, boating and biking for the many people who come there.
UPDATE: December 2012. A field trip was made to French Creek State Park to ascertain
the condition of the original CCC structures of the park. Personnel at the park office stated that
the original campgrounds present designations are Camp #1 and Camp #2. At this time revisions
and repairs are being done at Camp #2. The day use area with the barracks/Chapel is kept in
good repair.
In the original 1982 Survey of Historic Resources at the park the original CCC built Park
Office was listed. That building was removed and a new Park Office, better suited to its purposes
of education and service, was constructed in 1997.
The forests, lakes, wetlands and fields of this state park are an important attraction for the
people of southeast Pennsylvania. There is immense pressure for development in all the areas
surrounding this park. This development can contribute to pollution, overuse of local roads, and
other degradations.
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Being a state park, funding for it can be subject to the whims of whatever political party is
ensconced in Harrisburg. Vigilance must be ever present to physically maintain all of the
structural historic resources, including “the Barracks,” presently used as a maintenance building.
Always of great concern is the threat of forest fire. As seen in the “Hopewell Fire of 2012,”
it was the “longest, largest, and most expensive fire operation in the Pennsylvania Bureau of
Forestry history.” Great care was made to lessen the threat to private homes and property, and
there were optimistic predictions for new forest growth in the areas that were affected by the fire.
Structures Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
The Yocom House in Unionville (formerly Browertown)
This early 19th stone house with its functioning spring house, barn, and other structures, is
part of the historic rural village of Unionville, which is historically known and documented as
Browertown. It will be described in the following section concerning the Browertown/
Unionville Historic District.
Prehistoric Native American Site in Unionville
Described at length in the section concerning Browertown/Unionville
Historic Districts Recognized by a PHMC Survey




Hopewell Furnace NHS Village – See above
French Creek State Park. Six Penny Day Use Area – See above
French Creek State Park, Organized Group Camp 4, Now Camps #1 and #2 – See above
Village of Unionville/Browertown
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The Browertown/Unionville Historic District
The home built by Abraham Brower for his daughter Mary and her husband, David Jones, has an 1812
datestone. Photograph by Susan Speros.
Overview
The village of Unionville, earlier called Browertown after its founders, the Abraham Brower
family, is the oldest hamlet in Union Township. Its historic resources include twelve or more 18th
and early 19th century structures, are grouped together principally along the Unionville Road,
with several on Route 724, the old Coventry Road.
The town borders consist of the Schuylkill River, and southerly the village environs go
beyond the bed of the Schuylkill Navigation Canal, which cuts through the middle of the town.
Its easternmost boundary is the Chester County line, which lies about ½ mile from the village
center. With its unusual and historic architecture, its close ties to Hopewell Furnace NHS and the
early iron industry, and its proximity to the Canal, the historic village of Unionville/Browertown
is of HIGH PRIORITY and historic significance.
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Brief History
The land area that encompasses the town of Unionville is part of the original WangerBrower tract, (Patented in 1750). In 1793 the large tract was willed to 33 year old Abraham
Brower Sr. by his uncle Abraham Wanger. Abraham Brower Sr. and his sons, Abraham Jr., John,
and Nicholas built a town and a small commercial empire out of it.
Besides houses of unique herringbone-pattern stonework, masonry identical to that of
nearby 1802 St. Gabriel’s Chapel (across the River Schuylkill in Douglassville, Amity
Township), where they were members, the Brower family constructed Canal warehouses and
docks Unionville Landing, and a store/Post Office called Brower (structure still in existence as a
private home), as well as a large foundry, (Abraham Brower Jr. Furnace and Farm). They
enlarged the large Georgian c.1770-80 Abraham Wanger house, and ran it as an Inn on the
Coventry Road, known as Brower’s Inn or The Unionville Hotel. This Inn on the Coventry Road
served drovers for nearby Hopewell Furnace and is now a private home.
All of this, the foundry, the Inn, the Canal warehouses, store, and a boat yard run by their
Yocom cousins, was in collaboration with the great iron works at Hopewell. Besides running
their farms, store, Inn, foundry, and Canal warehouse, all the Brower men worked for Hopewell.
John Brower was the Clerk for Hopewell for several years, and his father and brothers were
Factors for Hopewell, selling and shipping the goods from Hopewell and their Brower foundry
via the Schuylkill Navigation Canal. Not incidentally, the foundations of the Brower foundry
remain, as well as its waterwheel, pit and race.
Historic and Cultural Resources in Browertown/Unionville
Unionville’s major buildings were built in the early 1800s by Abraham Brower Sr. and his
sons. The Brower built structures, of the local red sandstone, are distinctly Federal in style.
There are several Georgian 18th century structures in the town and immediate environs as well.
Perhaps one of the oldest buildings in the Township is the Unionville Hotel formerly known
as Brower’s Inn located on the Old Coventry Road, Route 724. Built c. 1750 and enlarged with
a Georgian addition in c.1770-80, and enlarged again c.1820, it is a red sandstone, center hall
structure with Georgian corner fireplaces. There is a small area of herringbone-pattern stone
work over one of the later doorways.
Of great prominence are the two herringbone-pattern stonework houses in the village of
Browertown/Unionville. These two charming red sandstone, 2 ½-story center hall Federal
period homes sit across from each other on Unionville Road in the village. Constructed by
Abraham Brower Sr. for his daughter Mary, one of the houses has a date stone DMJ 1812. They
are the initials of David and Mary (Brower) Jones. (He is a descendant of Swedish pioneer
Mounce Jones, whose 1716 stone house at Old Morlatton Village in Amity Township is
considered the oldest extant house in Berks County.)
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Of additional importance is the fact that beautiful original woodwork is intact in both homes.
This woodwork has been identified to be that of local master carpenters Jacob and John Bunn.
There are many structures in the area that are the work of the Bunns, including St.Gabriel’s
Chapel with its red sandstone herringbone-pattern masonry. It is interesting to note that one of
Mary Brower Jones’ sisters was married to master carpenter John Bunn.
Identified Resources Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
John Yocom House, c. 1780, rebuilt c. 1820
Situated in the town on the Unionville Road, it is a five-bay, 2 ½-story Georgian/Federal
style red sandstone farmhouse with a center hall, and is very similar to the other early 19th
century houses in Unionville. It has several intact dependencies including a spring house and rebuilt barn. It was originally a dairy farm owned by the Yocom family, one of the original
Swedish settlers of this area.
Prehistoric Native American Site
Located in Unionville, situated on a small rise with a strongly flowing springhead, over
1800 artifacts, including numerous flints, identifying it as a flint manufacturing site, were
recovered during an archaeological dig that was required prior to the start of the development
“Union Greene.”
There are many contributing historic structures within and surrounding
Browertown/Unionville. Besides the commercial buildings named, there are several all but
complete historic 18th century “Brower farms” which could qualify for NRHP status, and were
highlighted in the PHMC Survey of Historic Resources in the early 1980s. Also very prominent
in the village vicinity are the Unionville Aqueduct and other Schuylkill Navigation Canal
structures.
The threats to this charming rural village cannot be overestimated, and are an echo of the
existing profound threats to the rural character of Union Township itself.
In 2006 there posed a grave threat to the historic village of Browertown/Unionville and its
environs. Heritage Building Group of Bucks County wanted to build a development of 137
houses on 110 aces, right in the middle of historic Unionville. Scheduled to be destroyed was the
c.1825 Yocom barn. Also threatened were Canal remains and structures. Most disturbing was
the plan to utterly obliterate a well documented Prehistoric Native American site that is eligible
for the NRHP.
Local Unionville residents formed a grassroots group called Unionville Neighbors,
committed to saving these important parts of their local historic identity and history. In response
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to negative publicity and pressure from the Unionville Neighbors, Heritage Building Group
agreed to make changes to its plans for its upcoming development “Union Greene.”
Plans were redrawn to “significantly preserve the Native American site and springhead” and
donate to Union Township the 1,800 artifacts recovered in a mandated archaeological dig. Rather
than outright demolition, the Yocom barn was turned over to “John High the Barn Saver” who
carefully dismantled the historic barn.
Although the original Yocom Canal Boatyard site was completely obliterated by earth
moving equipment, other canal structures and ruins were monitored by the Unionville Neighbors,
and were left intact.
These outcomes show that even though citizens did not stop the development, they did
mitigate it significantly. Heritage’s change of plans demonstrates that grassroots neighborhood
preservation groups do have a voice, and the political will to preserve priceless architectural and
cultural heritage.
UPDATE: December 2012. With the financial crash, “Heritage Building Group” also
crashed monumentally, but, not without inflicting a great deal of damage to the venerable
geographic, architectural, and agricultural landscape of Unionville.
There forlornly sits a handful of houses that Heritage built on land that has lost its gentle
agricultural contours and legacy. The Canal bed and boat basin on this piece of land are gone
forever. The fine Federal period Yocom barn was removed, along with the heritage apple orchard
that was behind it. This is a stark reminder that even “mitigated” development can and does have
a deleterious effect on the essential fabric of a historic community.
Important Contributing Historic Structures of Undetermined NRHP Status in Union
Township
There are many important historic structures and resources in Union Township that are
recognized as such by both state and local governance, but their NRHP status has not been
determined. Although not of high priority such as Hopewell NHS and/or structures found in
French Creek State Park, these other sites and structures contribute greatly to the historic
landscape of Union Township and the heart of the HBW. Many of them could be declared
eligible for NRHP status as they meet one or more of the requirements, if the applications were
filled out and sent to PHMC.
The early historic and cultural landscape of Union Township within the HBW is old, with
ancient ties between the several iron producing enterprises that made up this landscape, be it in
Berks or Chester County. The small villages, churches, and early farms all had connections with
each other, and one finds intertwined family and business ties throughout the area encompassing
the HBW. The Schuylkill Navigation Canal Era further opened up the region, and brought new
enterprise, and an expansion of older industry, farming, and commerce.
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There are innumerable historic structures and sites in Union Township, and the ones listed
below contributed greatly to the early story of the Township.
Contributing Historic Sites and Structures
Farms and Period Houses, Unionville Vicinity
Federal Period House AKA Morris House, c. 1820-25
On Unionville Road in Browertown, it is a five bay red sandstone house, 2 ½ stories with
Federal characteristics. Built by John Brower, a son of town founder Abraham Brower.
Daniel Yocom House, c. pre1800, rebuilt c. 1830-40
Three bay, stucco over stone house situated on the Coventry Road and diagonally across
from the Unionville Hotel. Originally a 2-room, 1½-story house, it was enlarged in c. 1830-40.
Brower Home Farm AKA ClayMir Farm or Root Farm, c. 1752, addition1820
Situated on Unionville Road, is an almost complete 18th century farm complex with settler’s
house/summer kitchen, ice house, commodious barn, pond, and other buildings. The fine original
woodwork was done by master carpenters Jacob and John Bunn.
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th
The Abraham Brower, Sr. farmstead consists of an almost complete 18 -century complex including a
settler’s cabin, summer kitchen, icehouse, barn and other outbuildings. Photograph by Susan Speros.
Brower Farm, c. 1750, addition 1806
Situated uphill from and adjacent to the Brower Home Farm, is this almost complete 18th
century farm complex of Abraham Brower, Sr. The stone barn has Federal characteristics,
including semi circular door arches of beautifully cut stone.
Jones Farm, c.1780, addition c.1850
Situated on Unionville Road. Georgian 2 ½-story stone banked farmhouse, with spring
house, barn, and 18th century stone cabin. Connected to the Jones family, early Swedish settlers
of the region.
Schuylkill Navigation Canal Structures
Unionville Aqueduct AKA Cold Spring Aqueduct, 1822
Constructed as part of the Schuylkill Navigation Canal, the Aqueduct conducted water over
Goose Neck Creek. It sits in the middle of the Unionville environs on private property, and is
very difficult to access. This Aqueduct is in good condition and is similar to the one at Gibraltar.
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Hopewell Landing/Port Union, c. 1700s, Schuylkill Nav. Canal era, 1820
Situated at Red Corner Road and the Coventry Road AKA Route 724, this was first the
depot for an 18th century track that ran from Hopewell Furnace to the Coventry Road. It became
the site of a boatyard, mule barn, and commodious Federal style inn/tavern for the Schuylkill
Navigation Canal. There are remains of the Canal prism and walls for the boatyard structures,
further back from the Canal is the well preserved Inn, now a private home, and further along are
the foundations of the Canal mule barn, now functioning as a garage/barn. There was also a
Canal store located here, associated with A. Bannon. This wooden structure is now a private
home.
Mule Barn for Schuylkill Navigation System, 1820s
Located in the vicinity of the Berks/Chester County line off the Coventry Road, Route 724,
this Canal mule barn is in excellent condition, and is on private land. It is near a long and hidden
stretch of Schuylkill Navigation Canal prism that is relatively intact.
Farms and Period Houses, Union Township
Old Sycamore Farm, c. 1770, addition 1790
Located on Sycamore Road, this Colonial era log and stone home has been recently restored.
There is also a barn and spring head.
New Sycamore Farm, c. 1823
Across the road from Old Sycamore Farm is a complex that was once a dairy farm. A small
building on the premises houses an old bank of batteries, one of the first sources of electricity in
the area. NOTE: “Sycamore Farms” was once a consortium of several area farms in the 20th
century, which served as working farms year round and as a summer home for the owners.
John Wanger House, c. 1771
Located on Hallman Road, this large early house was built by a member of the local Wanger
family. It is a Georgian three bay with side hall plan, stone banked house. There is an intact
summer kitchen, the barn has been demolished.
Structures on Route 724 AKA The Old Coventry Road
The Old Coventry Road, Route 724, dating from the 18th century, is one of the earliest roads
in the area. It is a road that conveyed iron from Hopewell into Chester County and beyond and
later the Schuylkill Navigation Canal bordered it.
There are many historic structures along this road, including 18th century farms and
farmhouses. Inns and taverns that serviced drovers for the furnaces also later did a lively
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business for Canal boat men and travelers. In the early 19th century, between the Villages of
Browertown and Monocacy, there were many homes built with a distinctive regional Federal
vernacular appearance. Still standing, these structures continue to serve as fine private homes.
Monocacy Village AKA Mt Airy, Monocacy, Teresa Furnace, 1857
Located on Route 724 this anthracite Iron Furnace moved from Hopewell to this site in 1857
due to the cost of hauling the coal from the Schuylkill Nav. Canal to Hopewell and the finished
iron back to the Canal. First called “Teresa Furnace,” and then operated as Monocacy Furnace,
the furnace was situated in the village of Monocacy, which grew up around it. The furnace no
longer exists. However the village remains with various housing, and a group of company
houses, and a small church and schoolhouse, both are dwellings at present.
Flannery’s Mill and House, 1859
Located near the present Village of Monocacy, the Flannery Grist Mill, built in 1859, was a
large wooden structure that was demolished in 1972. The nearby handsome miller’s house with
its Italianate detail stands in good condition.
Kerlin House, c.1800, additions c. 1840-50
Located at Route 724 and Black Matt Road. Georgian/Federal, two five bay stone houses
set at right angles to each other, and joined at the ell of the first house. Contains woodwork and
an identical mantel to that of other Bunn carpentry found in Unionville. Barn converted to
apartments. Built by the Kerlin family, who were early settlers in the area.
Kerlin House, Date Stone “1789 IK”
Located on Route724 AKA The Old Covenry Road. Original section Georgian three bay,
side hall entry 2 ½-story, red sandstone with heavy quoins and a gable pent eave, later section
1½-story, 6-bay with dormers. There is also a handsome barn on the property. Property not far
from the Kerlin property located at Route 724 and Black Matt Road.
William Kerlin’s Gun Barrel Shop, c. 1750, revised c. 1800
Situated on Route 724 near other early Kerlin family holdings. A small 1 ½-story Colonial
era red sandstone structure with a steep pitched roof. Presently a dwelling place.
Covatta’s Brinton Lodge AKA Flannery’s Tavern, c. 1750, Federal section 1800
This rambling red sandstone structure has a long history. An early mill was located at this
site, built by Millard, and then owned by Yocom, Wanger, Brower, Kerlin, and Flannery. No
traces of the mill can be found. The original core is a c.1750 one room stone structure in which a
large fireplace and open beams are found. The main wing is a five bay Federal structure with a
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fireplace mantel identical to that found in houses in Browertown/Unionville and the Brower
home farm. On site is a small barn.
Black Bear Tavern, 1831
Situated on Route 724, Associated with St. Paul’s Mission Catholic Church across the street.
It was built by Matthew Ryan, who was an Irish immigrant engineer who helped build the local
Canals. Five-bay, 2-story red sandstone structure. It is presently a dwelling. Houses built by
Matthew Ryan and Henry Flannery, prominent Irish immigrants to the neighborhood, still stand
on Route 724, and are private dwellings.
Churches and Graveyards
St. Paul’s Mission Catholic Chapel, 1853
Located on Route 724 this small Catholic Chapel was constructed by H. Flannery and M.
Ryan for nearby Irish Catholic Canal and railroad workers. Bishop John Newman, now a Roman
Catholic saint, dedicated the Church. Constructed of stucco over stone, with an apse in the rear,
it is now in disuse though still owned by the Diocese of Allentown. Presently in a moderate state
of decay, attempts have been made to restore the building, and it was re-roofed several years ago.
St. Paul’s Graveyard: Contains many Flannery and Ryan burials. Outside the walls proper
of the Cemetery is a separate graveyard for many people who died in the terrible Influenza
epidemic of 1918. Overall, the Graveyard of St. Paul’s is neglected.
Mount Frisby AME Church AKA The Six Penny Colored Church or Mt. Zion Church,
1856
Located near Birdsboro and three miles from Hopewell Furnace NHS, this church and its
small community was a haven for “free coloreds” and escaping slaves, many of whom worked at
nearby Hopewell Furnace. By 1860, there were nine houses surrounding the Church, and this
little community was an important stop in the Underground Railroad. Constructed of the local
red sandstone, the Church is a one story three bay structure.
Mount Frisby Graveyard: The graveyard is the oldest African American cemetery in
Berks County. Buried here is Isaac Cole, one of the Church founders. The church stands upon
land that he owned. He served in the US Colored Troops in the Civil War and was a long time
worker at Hopewell Furnace. His Cole descendants continue to live nearby, own the land where
the Church is located, and care for the Church and Graveyard.
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CONCLUSION
Union Township
Threats to the Historic Architectural Landscape
There are grave threats to Union Township’s historic and cultural legacy. The unique
architectural legacy of this area is singular, and is threatened with ever increasing pressures of
development.
For example, the village of Unionville/Browertown is architecturally cohesive with 18th and
early 19th century structures, and has few 20th century intrusions in its fabric. These are scattered
and blend into the town landscape fairly unobtrusively. The proposed large scale development
that was to be inflicted on the village in 2006 would have ruined the remaining architectural
integrity of this charming, sleepy village. Luckily, plans fell through, but not until after
permanent damage was done.
Another, and perhaps gravest threat, is the proposed racetrack. This recreational
amusement will inflict noise, crowds, a heavy burden on what are largely rural roads; a burden
on Police and Fire protection; ecological damage; and certain damage to the historic nature of the
Township.
Nevertheless, this township has done better than most other townships in dealing with
threats to its rural and historic integrity. In response to the racetrack there has been heavy support
of the people in backing their township’s expensive fight against the racetrack. The population is
quite vocal, cohesive, and involved, and they do attend and voice their opinions at township
meetings. Along with this were citizen’s groups such as UTU-Union Township United, which
fought the good fight against the racetrack. Another active and vociferous group was Unionville
Neighbors who organized against the development group that wanted to drop 137 homes into the
middle of their historic neighborhood.
Mitigation
Union Township is largely rural, dominated by vast forests, with the Hopewell Big Woods
encompassing the lands of French Creek State Park, Hopewell NHS, and State Game Lands.
The rest of the township is composed of small farms, scattered single homes, and sleepy hamlets.
Although the large Federal and State Lands and historic sites are protected, the heavy and
increasing pressures for development are targeted at the remaining unprotected lands.
The strength of Union Township lies in its rural character. Its charming villages and rural
architectural legacy is an attraction for those seeking our past. They come to Hopewell NHS for
its strong sense of history and striking visual story. It would be a natural progression to tour the
attractive back roads of Union Township, and linger through the charming village of Unionville,
or stroll along its remaining Canal tow path. The potential for historic tourism in Union
Township is real.
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Protection of this historic architectural legacy begins at the township level. Besides the
vigilance of its people, Union Township officials will continue to tread the fine line in enforcing
what should be strong zoning laws concerning historic preservation, and adhering to the
suggestions concerning protection of its priceless cultural and historic resources set forth in the
Joint Comprehensive Plan for the township, and all the while cautiously dealing with
development.
A Township Citizen’s Advisory Board overseeing historic preservation is strongly
recommended to monitor any demolition permits of historic properties, and make
recommendations for mitigation such as demolition delays, or even suggesting alternate uses for
the building or structures, or adaptive re-use.
Surrounding Counties such as Chester and Lancaster have a historic preservationist, usually
attached with the County Planning Commission, who oversees all historic preservation issues in
their County. Unfortunately Berks County does not have an appointed historic preservationist for
the County to oversee pending demolition of historic structures and make recommendations for
mitigation. So, in Berks County NRHP eligible historic structures can and do disappear
overnight. At the present time The Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County, based in nearby
Douglassville, is to assume the role of historic preservation consultant for the County, and would
make an excellent working partner for Union Township in cultural and historic preservation
matters.
UPDATE: The Commonwealth Pipeline, March 2013.
In the past the HBW community of related townships has reacted resourcefully to threats to
its historic and natural landscape and legacy, as evidenced by Union Township’s creative and
partially successful method of dealing with a housing development’s threat to its historic
architectural legacy in Unionville. Another example in Union Township of the galvanizing
combined forces of municipality and citizenry was their well fought battle against the racetrack,
which remains a real threat to the historic and ecological fabric of the community.
Now a new, and potentially harmful threat has cropped up, namely The Commonwealth Gas
Pipeline. Extending from the Marcellus Shale gas fields in northern Pennsylvania, and heading
southeast through Chester and Berks Counties, the 120 mile pipeline is proposed to run through
the heart of the HBW. The HBW is a very sensitive and important ecological area with many
priceless historic resources. With the amount of clear cutting and ecological destruction required
for the pipeline, among other potentially disastrous effects, it is imperative that it be stopped
from coming even close to the HBW.
Several municipalities of Chester County that will be affected have adopted resolutions
against the proposed interstate pipeline. Union Township does not want it either, and township
officials are proposing sensible mitigations. Suggestions are to change the pipeline’s route away
from such ecologically sensitive areas like the Big Woods, and protect township resident’s
property rights as well. An alternative would be installation routes that follow public right of
ways, or follow the PA Turnpike, or even put the pipe under roads.
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Further damaging the pipeline’s negative public image is the fact that officials representing
the pipeline seem to be avoiding inquiries and phone calls from officials of the townships
involved. In the meantime, citizens will move forward with continued awareness, and increase
public knowledge and education about the potential negative impacts of this pipeline.
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Robeson Township
Historical Background
Robeson Township was originally part of Lancaster County until 1752 when Berks County
was founded. First settled in the early 1720s and becoming an organized township by 1729, it
was named Robeson after one of its first settlers, Andrew Robeson (originally Robinson).
Andrew Robeson/Robinson was a wealthy and influential man who owned large parcels of land
in the Philadelphia area and west New Jersey. In 1714 he settled on the 500+ acres he had bought
on the south side of the Schuylkill River and west of Birdsboro.
Robeson/Robinson was of lowland Scots Quaker background, whose family sojourned in
Ireland for some years before coming to the Colonies. Like Robeson, most of the earliest settlers
in the area were from the British Isles with English and Welsh being the most predominant.
Geographically, this township is largely composed of wooded hills and narrow valleys. Its
chief settlement and industry was along the Hay and Allegheny Creeks. The iron industry came
early to Robeson Township, with the original Gibraltar Forge established by the Quaker Lewis
family in 1779 and Joanna Furnace by Samuel Potts in 1789.
Historically known as The Forest, Robeson Township remains largely wooded and rural and
is a vital part of the HBW.
Significant Historic and Cultural Resources in Robeson Township
At present, 2012, within Robeson Township there are four (4) Class I historic resources
listed On the National Register of Historic Places.
 Allegheny Aqueduct (Allegheny Aqueduct Historic Park)
 Geiger Mill
 Thompson Mill
There are three (3) Class I historic resources listed by PHMC as Eligible for the National
Register of Historic Places.
 Beidler House and Mill Site (Allegheny Aqueduct Historic Park)
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

1803 Farm Complex
White Bear Tavern
Three (3) Class I Historic Districts are recognized by a PHMC Survey.
 Beidler House and Mill Site
 Geiger’s Mill, Geigertown
The sites and properties that are noted above are a very good indicator of the chief industries
and focus of the early settlers of Robeson Township. Certainly there was a great deal of farming
in the area, but the steep hills and ravines precluded any large scale farming such as that found in
the Oley Valley. The sandstone shale soil of the district could not support such a large scale
farming endeavor. However, abundant strong flowing streams like the Hay and Allegheny
Creeks supported wide scale milling operations from earliest times, and the iron industry was an
important endeavor. The vast forested slopes provided excellent charcoal for nearby furnaces
like Joanna, and Hopewell in Union Township.
Tucked away in the hills and valleys of Robeson Township are a wealth of historic 18th and
19th century structures. Constructed of the local red sandstone, there are mills, farmhouses, barns,
springhouses, churches and graveyards, bridges and forges and farms.
As of the present, 2012, there are 100 properties listed in the Countywide Survey of Historic
Resources for Robeson Township. Using the original 1983 Surveys as a base, historic properties
were carefully re-evaluated in 2007, and heretofore unknown or missed properties were added to
the list. These Surveys are being continuously updated by the Berks County Planners.
National Register of Historic Places Properties in Robeson Township
Joanna Furnace
Overview
In the late-18th century, the placement of the Joanna Furnace site in the midst of “The
Forest” of Robeson Township was a natural one. The vital components for a large scale iron
furnace were all there, iron ore, the large forest that furnished wood for charcoal, limestone for
flux or tempering, and strong waterways to provide power. Its historic significance lies in the
fact that Joanna Furnace was a vital link in the thriving iron making industry of this area of Berks
County. The intermarriages of the iron master’s families of this important furnace further linked
Joanna to the larger early iron industry of southeast Pennsylvania.
The rise and restoration of this long forgotten furnace complex, and its position on the
National Register of Historic Places places it as a HIGHEST PRIORITY historic site within the
HBW of Berks County.
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Brief History
Relatively speaking, Joanna Furnace had a long life. It operated from 1791 to 1898 when it
permanently went out of blast. The furnace was a cold blast, charcoal iron furnace, but several
major upgrades through the years, such as conversion from water power to steam, helped keep it
in business. The 19th century upgrades were believed to be assisted by prominent iron master
Clement Grubb whose daughter Ella Jane was married to L. Heber Smith, the last iron master of
Joanna.
Joanna Furnace was founded in 1791 by a partnership of Samuel Potts, Thomas May,
Thomas Bull, and Thomas Rutter III, and named after Samuel Potts’ wife Joanna Holland Potts.
As in keeping with these families of “iron royalty,” all of these men and their families were
heavily involved in the 18th century Pennsylvania iron industry, and many of them had
concentrated iron wealth through intermarriage.
Historic and Cultural Resources at Joanna Furnace
The restored structures of this iron making village are numerous, especially when one
considers that when the Hay Creek Valley Historical Association started to restore this site in the
1970s, it was an overgrown jungle of vines and crumbling stone walls.
Significant restored and rebuilt structures are the casting house, furnace and engine house,
stack, stables, office/store, and blacksmith’s structure. Much work remains, and is on-going.
The site was acquired by Bethlehem Steel who deeded it to the Hay Creek Valley
Association in 1979. The designated Joanna Furnace Historic District is on the National Register
of Historic Places of Historic Places and is open to the public.
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Joanna Furnace as photographed in June 2011 by “Archeology Dude” Marc Henshaw, courtesy of
http://www.archaeologydude.com/2011_06_01_archive.html
The non-profit group which oversees all aspects of the preservation and restoration of
Joanna Furnace, The Hay Creek Valley Association, is a strong, viable, and dedicated
organization. With over 1000 members, it relies on volunteer efforts and donations to preserve
the history of Joanna Furnace. Through wise management of funds and manpower it has
managed to vibrantly resurrect this relic of our Berks County past.
Concerning threats to the site, its strength is its weakness. As long as the HCV
Association continues to be a strong advocate for the Furnace it will continue its advancement.
In addition, sources of revenue such as Events and Presentations remain popular with good
visitation numbers.
Joanna Furnace will continue to be a strong attraction for historic tourism within the HBW area
of Berks County.
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Allegheny Aqueduct Historic Park and the Beidler House and Grist Mill, 1783
Overview
The Beidler House and Grist Mill/Allegheny Aqueduct Park and its “Gibraltar
Neighborhood” have long been a hub of early industry in Berks County. From the saw mill
established by 1735, to Conrad Beidler’s purchase of the property and construction of a grist mill
in c.1770, and on through the Canal Era of the early 1800s and beyond, this site has been a
microcosm of the lives of the early settlers and people who lived in Berks County and
southeastern Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Owned by Berks County and administered by the Berks County Parks and Recreation
Department, the restored Allegheny Aqueduct, which is on the NRHP , and the 1783 Beidler
House, and c.1770 Grist Mill ruins, are a testament to the early industrial power, strong
architectural expressiveness, and steadfast resourcefulness of our earliest settlers. The mill ruins
alone as a historic resource might mistakenly be viewed as Class IV: Demolished or significantly
altered property. However, they are important as an archeological resource.
The combined historic qualities of the site define its importance and significance, and make
it of HIGHEST PRIORITY as a historic and archeological resource.
Brief History
The Allegheny Aqueduct Park site is one of the earliest industrial sites in Berks County. As
early as 1735 there was a large commercial saw mill situated on the strong and swift flowing
Allegheny Creek, which flowed into the Schuylkill River, just a few hundred yards away.
Reflective of the early demographics of the area, this sawmill was founded by “English Quakers”
George Boone, James Lewis, and Jonathan Robeson, son of Andrew Robeson. By the mid 1700s
there was a large influx of German settlers, and the sawmill site and its acreage was bought in
1761 by Conrad Beidler, son of a German immigrant.
Conrad Beidler built a large merchant grist mill in c.1770, and he amassed enough wealth to
build his beautiful Georgian house in 1783. Retiring in1787 and buying a large farm in Cumru
Township, Conrad Beidler willed the house, grist and saw mills to his eldest son John.
The property remained in the hands of the Beidler family until 1837 when William Beidler
sold the property to ironmaster John Delcamp.
It passed through several hands until the Berks County Parks Department acquired the site in
the 1980s and obtained a Pennsylvania Keystone Grant to restore the house, and stabilize the mill
ruins which had been badly damaged by a fire in the 1950s.
The Allegheny Aqueduct is a tangible reminder of the fabled Canal era in Berks County.
Once a “water bridge” over the Allegheny Creek, this important link for the Schuylkill
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Navigation System was restored through efforts of the Schuylkill River Greenway Association,
and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The Beidler House, Photograph by Susan Speros
Historic and Cultural Resources at the Allegheny Aqueduct and the Beidler House and
Mill
Designated as a Historic District by PHMC, the historic resources are of two different time
periods, but are linked together historically.
The grist mill ruins are considerable in size. Built as a merchant grist mill that ground grains
for export as well as for local needs, this c.1770 Georgian structure is built of the local red
sandstone, with the quarry of origin nearby. Badly damaged in the 1950s by a fire, it is still easy
to discern where the giant water wheel was located as the wheel pit and head race are largely
intact. The possibility exists that it may have been a combination house/mill, as corner fireplaces
are readily seen in the remaining stone walls, and perhaps the family did live there until Conrad
built his beautiful house in 1783.
The 1783 banked house with its side hall entry, drip courses, pent roof, and regular
fenestration with keystone motifs expresses the Georgian, early Federal aesthetics of the time.
The stonework of the local red sandstone is masterful with dressed and regular courses and the
load bearing walls having a slight taper towards the top.
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Inside, the beautiful Georgian woodwork with its heavy crown molding and corner
fireplaces is as to be expected in this fine house. Conrad Beidler expressed his high status in the
community with a fine English Georgian house, but retained all the comforts and conveniences
of German practicality with a stove room-back parlor and easy, banked cellar entrance.
Outside, there remains a well preserved cold cellar, and in back of the house one can see the
“banked” entrance of the original bank barn. The original spring house was likely situated where
the present well is now. The “waterworks” for the grist mill were considerable, with two holding
ponds and a long head race. There is little to be discerned of the saw mill site.
The Allegheny Aqueduct was built by the Schuylkill Navigation Company in 1824 under the
direction of engineer Ephraim Beech. It is a massive structure that is composed of five sandstone
arches marking the “keystone” theme. The Canal was important in the neighborhood as it created
a new and safer way of shipping goods, such as the Beidler lumber and grain. Because of its
changes to the landscape at the earlier Beidler home and mill site, modifications had to be made
to the mill race leading to the grist mill.
Allegheny Aquaduct, Photograph by Susan Speros
The 15-acre Aqueduct and Beidler House and Mill site are administered by the Berks
County Parks Department. There are plans to further develop the Park with meeting and
workshop facilities, a small dock on the Schuylkill, and to further stabilize the mill ruins. At
present, funding for Park development is inadequate, though increased Interpretive Programs and
Events at the Park and Beidler House have taken place over the past few years. Another positive
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development at the site is the Schuylkill River Sojourn, which has used the Park as an overnight
stop on their week long “paddle” down the river.
Beidler Mill Ruins, Photograph by Susan Speros
Geiger’s Mill/Geigertown
Overview
The 1783 Geiger Mill Complex, located in the village of Geigertown along the Cold Run
Creek, is representative of the importance of milling to the early Berks County economy. This
property is an architecturally significant example of an 18th century mill complex. Although this
mill does not have a great deal of milling equipment left in its interior, its multi-level plan and
fenestration gives us valuable information on the placement of machinery and the operation of an
18th century grist mill. Because many of the architectural features of the original mill still exist
on the exterior as well as the interior, this is an important mill in the Berks County section of the
HBW. All of these significant Architectural, Industrial, and Engineering features qualify
Geiger’s Mill for the NRHP and makes it of HIGHEST PRIORITY as a Historic and Cultural
Resource Historic District.
Brief History
As early as 1768 Paul Geiger applied for a land warrant. He built his Georgian style grist
mill in 1783 as the date stone attests, “Paul Geiger Anno 1783.” Near this building John Geiger
had a carding mill, and a later Paul Geiger had a sickle factory, both of which are no longer in
existence.
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The Geiger family is shown as the owners on 1816, 1854 and 1862 county maps. The owner
listed on the 1850 Census of Manufacture is James Geiger, the mill having a capital of $2,000,
processing 6,000 bushels of wheat and rye with a product value of $5,400. In 1876 John Marquat
purchased the mill from the Geiger family, ending the Geiger family’s more than 100 year
ownership. Marquat sold the mill in 1893 to Wayne Dampman. Since that time the mill changed
hands frequently, and ceased operation shortly after World War I in about 1919.
Historic and Cultural Resources at the Geiger Mill Complex
The historic resources include watercourses (pond and races), a banked 2½-story plus
basement stucco over stone grist mill, a c.1783 Georgian/Federal style banked 2½-story stucco
over stone house, a c.1800 stone smoke house with a hipped roof. This mill complex has few
changes that interfere with its ability to depict its significant time period.
The mill appears to be a 2½-story structure, but the interior floor plan has a multi-level
configuration with five different floor elevations, with the fenestration reflecting these levels.
The mill has Dutch doors, an internal bag hoist, and several original features indicating an early
mill, such as the Hurst frame, and corner fireplaces on the first and second levels. The original
floor boards measure up to 17½ inches. The exterior and interior of the mill has changed very
little since its construction in 1783.
The water power for the mill was supplied by the Cold Run Creek. The pond and head and
tail races still exist, though there is no longer water in the system.
The stucco over stone house has several additions, but the interior retains many original
features such as fine and detailed Georgian/Federal mantels, and reeded trim around the windows
and doors. The mill and house complement each other in their careful construction,
workmanship, style, scale, and setting.
The Geiger Mill Complex is privately owned, and the owners appear to be taking proper
care of this valuable historic resource. However, as is well known, being on the NRHP is no
guarantee of its existence in perpetuity.
Geiger’s Mill is one of only six 18th century mill survivors in Berks County, thus making it
one of the most important early grist mills in the County. The Geiger Mill was in operation for
136 years, a long association to the milling industry of Berks County.
Geigertown and Vicinity
In addition to housing the grist mill, the local post office was operated from the mill and was
known as “Geiger’s Mill,” and was later changed to Geigertown. Found in Geigertown and on
the nearby Geigertown Road are several significant historic resources.
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Geigertown Hotel, c. late 1700s, 1800
Georgian/Federal style, stucco over stone 2 ½-story, 6-bay structure. Currently a dwelling,
it appears to have been built in three sections over three time periods. There is also a barn,
spring house and smoke house.
St Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church, 1858
This church structure is of Gothic Revival style, and has a front gable steep pitched roof.
There is an associated graveyard nearby.
St James Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1850
This stone church structure is of Victorian Gothic style, and has a steep pitched front gable.
There is an associated graveyard nearby.
Thompson Mill
Overview
In the late 1980s the Berks County Conservancy performed a Gristmill Survey in Berks
County under Phoebe Hopkins, Director of Historic Preservation for the Conservancy. This was
a multi list of the 104 mills still in existence in the County; six of these mills were definitely 18th
century survivors.
Thompson’s Mill was one of the Berks County Mills that was on a Multi-Property National
Register Nomination which was submitted in 1990, largely through the efforts of Stephen
Kindig, a respected expert on the history and function of grist mills. Thompson’s Mill was
placed on the NRHP in November 1990. As this mill qualified for the NRHP, having historic
intactness both externally and internally, and gives us a better understanding of milling operation
and history in Berks County, it is of HIGHEST PRIORITY.
Brief History
Thompson’s Mill was on a County Map of 1816, but was surely built before that time
period, although the exact date is unknown. There are several architectural features indicating
that it could have been built in the late 1700s, as some local architectural historians believe. It
was shown to belong to Henry Thompson on an 1850 census.
The mill has had several renovations through the years, and later additions built on. From
the road it appears to be of one floor, and of a later vintage, but as one goes around to the front of
this banked structure, it is plain that the stone exterior is earlier and original, and the building is
indeed 2½ stories including the ground floor basement.
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There is also an accompanying banked sandstone farm/miller’s house with detached bake
oven. The barn is relatively new. The mill races are partially intact with running water, as well
as the holding pond and dam. This mill is by the Seidel Creek and was part of a working farm.
Historic and Cultural Resources at Thompson’s Mill
Built and in operation prior to 1816, the mill is a 2½-story banked stone and frame (possibly
log) structure with a later frame extension that was used for storage of grain and equipment. The
foundation and ground level front stone wall is of the local brown sandstone, with an exterior
supporting buttress that appears to be of the same time period. The upper levels are built of
framed siding, with the front appearing to be relatively recent. Much of the rest of the framing is
covered with asbestos siding, but a piece that is torn off reveals what may be log siding.
The ground floor stone front wall has four bays, three windows, and a door with four lights
overhead. All three original 9-over-6 windows and the door have well modeled stone Keystones
overhead. The appearance of the Keystones and window lights are that of the late 18th century,
and correspond with the Keystones over several windows of the nearby farm/miller’s house. The
present water wheel is later and is an overshot wheel. The head and tail races were restored, and
there is running water in both that leads eventually to the Seidel Creek.
The interior of the mill has much of its original equipment, including the Hurst Frame,
indicating a relatively early date for this mill. Interestingly, the interior woodwork is quite well
finished, unusual for a country mill of this type.
The 2½-story banked stone farmhouse with gable fireplaces may be of the same time period
as the mill, as the stonework is similar, and most revealing are the same stone Keystones over
several of the windows. Nearby is a detached bake oven. On the far opposite side of the mill is a
one room 19th century schoolhouse.
As with all privately owned structures on the NRHP, having this honor is no guarantee of its
being free of neglect and eventual destruction. This structure is only in fair condition, the roof is
intact, but the building shows signs of neglect and presently is not in use.
It is a good example of a moderate sized farm grist mill, relatively intact, and is valuable in
showing and interpreting an important part of our early industrial history. Hopefully, municipal
zoning and local interest and intervention will help protect this valuable relic.
Structures Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, three (3)
As these sites and structures are considered “Eligible for the NRHP” by PHMC, they are to
be considered of HIGH PRIORITY as historic and cultural resources. Without a doubt, there
are other sites and structures in Robeson Township that could meet the criteria for eligibility.
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Beidler House and Mill Site
See above: Allegheny Aqueduct Historic Park.
White Bear Tavern AKA Spread Eagle Inn, c. 1810-15
This large evenly coursed red sandstone structure with large quoins was built in two
sections. The larger is 2½ stories, four bays, with large gable end flush chimneys and plain
cornice trim. The windows are 6-over-6 with plain trim and frames.
The smaller section is 1½-stories, 3 bays, plain cornice trim, 6-over-9 windows with plain
trim and frames. Both parts of the structure were built at the same time, and both sections have
dormer windows which were added later.
The tavern/inn was operated in 1815 by Herman Beard and is an important local landmark.
It is near Route 82 and Buck Hollow Road.
1803 Farm Complex, Date stone “1803”
This farm complex is located on Route 568, near Gunhart Road and is composed of a
beautifully restored red sandstone dwelling, barn, summer kitchen, and springhouse. The house
is a 2½-story Federal style structure with 5 bays and a gable pent roof with box cornice trim.
There are chimneys at both gable ends. The windows have jack arches with Keystone motif and
shutters, and there is a four light transom over the front door. The house is a refined and
prominent example of its period.
Historic Districts Recognized by PHMC



Allegheny Aqueduct Historic Park/Beidler House and Mill – See above.
Joanna Furnace Complex – See above.
Geiger Mill, Geigertown – See above.
Important Contributing Historic Structures of Undetermined NR Status in Robeson
Township
Robeson Township was a hotbed of industrial activity in the late 18th and 19th century. This
is seen in the many identified forges, mills, sawmills etc. that were listed in the 1983 Survey of
Historic Resources. Some of these resources were relatively intact, and others had but a few
stone walls or a slag heap to identify where they originally had been. The most prominent were
the ruins of the many forges, furnaces, and rolling mill operated in the 19th century on the
Allegheny Creek by the Seyfert family near the villages of Gibraltar and Seyfert. Of course, the
presence of first the Schuylkill Navigation Canal in the 1820s, and subsequently the railroad,
encouraged the growth of these industries by making it easier to receive needed supplies, and
ship out the finished goods and distribute them to points far away.
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A very distinct historic settlement pattern has emerged in this Township. The earliest 18th
century industries and settlement was along the River Schuylkill and pushed very early up the
swift flowing Allegheny and Hay Creeks. The refined 18th century Georgian and very early
Federal homes and structures are to be found clustered in this distinct area. It is in the hinterlands
and hilly inland areas of the Township that we find the burgeoning 19th century small family
farms composed of the native red sandstone with their regional vernacular architecture.
Near the River Schuylkill and the confluences of several creeks, particularly the Allegheny
and Hay Creeks, there were many busy forges and mills. The early and wealthier settlers with
capital to invest saw the abundant natural resources and quickly established these industries.
Good examples are the c.1770 Beidler merchant grist mill and the earlier 1735 commercial saw
mill on that site, and the 1779 Richard Lewis Forge in Gibraltar. The sons of Andrew Robeson,
Israel and Jonathan and Moses, were prominent settlers and investors in industry in the
Township. Jonathan Robeson, George Boone and James Lewis, father of Richard Lewis, were
investors in the 1735 sawmill “Lebanon” that later became Beidler’s sawmill.
It is noticeable that many of the identified prominent and stylish 18th century
Georgian/Federal stone houses in the Township were built by these wealthy investors and
merchants, and these stone homes were a rare commodity. What were more common are the log
structures that most of the population lived in. There are only a few identified early log structures
in the Township, perhaps there are more not yet “found,” but at least two of them were the
“core” of later stone-built houses.
Tucked away in the center of the Township, the “Forest” area of winding and hilly back
roads, are a plethora of small and charming stone-built farms, all constructed within the 18301875 time period. As the area is relatively isolated, the vernacular style and old methods of
construction lingered on for a longer period here than other parts of the county. These farms have
a universal local vernacular style of stone built houses, barns, and outbuildings, and still remain
in an agricultural or open-land setting, for the time being.
It is likely that all the buildings of these small farms are at least second generation, as the
Township was settled in the early 18th century. Nevertheless, in the 19th century there was a
building boom and apparent relative prosperity.
Contributing Historic Sites and Structures
18th Century Farms and Period Houses, Robeson Township
In Robeson Township there are several areas with refined Georgian/Federal homes and
structures, chiefly near the River Schuylkill and the downstream creek valleys of early industry
such as the Allegheny and Hay Creeks.
On a stretch of Old River (Schuylkill) Road between Birdsboro and Robeson’s Crossing
there are to be found a cluster of relatively untouched and well preserved 18th and early 19th
century farms with their houses, barns, and outbuildings. There are very few modern intrusions
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in this area. This is an area that could possibly be designated a Historic District, and should be
protected by the Municipality.
Ramsden Farm AKA Israel Robeson’s Farm, c.1740, 1780
Ramsden Farm is chief among the well-preserved farms located along Old River Road. The
large and beautifully preserved red sandstone house has a core area that dates to the 1735-1745
time period, and was built and owned by Israel Robeson, son of early settler Andrew
Robeson. Additions were built at later time periods. The stone barn was built c. 1800, and is a
fine example of a Federal period barn with its well crafted arched doorways. Even though it has
a bank, it is often called an English barn!
Moses Robeson Farm, c.1740, 1780
Built by Andrew Robeson’s son Moses, and located near Ramsden Farm on Old River Road,
this restored red sandstone farmhouse is built around a core 1½-story stone cabin, like his brother
Israel’s. An addition was built by the late 1700s, and one can see on the second floor where the
roof was raised when the house was enlarged. There is a large early-19th century red sandstone
barn on the property.
Another area of 18th and early-19th century farms and structures is the beginning reaches of
Cedar Hill Road between Birdsboro and Gibraltar, where several intact early homesteads can be
found.
Lewandowski Farm, c. 1770
Located on Cedar Hill Road, this large restored farm with its beautiful house with pent roof
and back to back corner fireplaces, 18th and 19th century barns, summer kitchen which may predate the 1770 house, spring house, and other outbuildings, is a complete example of a mid-18th
century prosperous farm.
The property was part of 600 acres that was originally owned by Andrew Robeson, and
divided into 200 acre parcels for three of his sons. Andrew Robeson also had other large
holdings in Amity Township.
Off Cedar Hill Road in this area are 18th century log and stone houses and structures that
are to be noted on the Survey of Historic Structures.
All of the early structures of these defined two areas, Old River Road and Cedar Hill
Road, are especially noted as good examples of the historic building legacy of Robeson
Township, and should be protected by the Municipality with proper zoning codes, public
recognition etc. They all have the potential, historical integrity of structure, and association with
an important historic personage, which could place them on the NRHP.
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Historic Churches in Robeson Township
Robeson Friends Meeting, 1740, and Graveyard, 1780
Located at the Intersection of Plow and Zion Road, this early Friend’s meeting was formed
in 1740, with the Scarlet family influential in its founding. The first burials were in the Scarlet
family orchard until 1780, when a burial ground was measured out near the meeting house.
There are 216 known burials, with the latest ones from the 1890s. The building is a ruin with
little left to discern, and the graveyard is on private property.
St. John’s UCC, 1809, rebuilt 1893
Located in Gibraltar, this is a rectangular coursed red sandstone structure with quoins. It is
two stories, and the windows and doorway are round arched with a Keystone motif. The bell
tower is in the front. There is a walled graveyard surrounding the Church.
Robeson Evangelical Lutheran Church AKA Plow Church, Founded 1779, 1810,
remodeled before 1900
Located on Route 10 in Plowville and first known as the “Forest” Church, it was founded in
1779 as a Lutheran Church. After 1810 it became a Union Church with the Reformed Church. It
is presently a Lutheran Church again, and is popularly called “the Plow.”
It is constructed of the local red sandstone which is dressed and coursed, and has two stories
with rounded arched windows. The bell tower is in the front. Outside there is a sizable
graveyard with a famous burial, author John Updike.
Frieden’s Bible Chapel, 1866
This is a stucco over stone vernacular church located on the White Bear Road. It has semicircular gable windows with a cupola at a gable end. Historically its most common use was for
funerals.
Historic Mills
Old Mill Inn AKA Seifrit’s Grist Mill, c. 1773
Located in a narrow wooded valley on the Allegheny Creek along Route 568, this is a large
4½-story (including basement) red sandstone grist mill with large quoins and corner chimney. Its
peak of operation and production was in the1820s. It went through several proprietors; among
them was the Seifrit/Seyfert family in the 19th century.
It has been a popular restaurant for several decades, and underwent a devastating fire in
1992. It was restored, and to this day serves as a popular restaurant. This is an excellent example
of adaptive re-use of a historic structure.
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Scarlet’s Mill Site, Scarlet’s Mill Hamlet/Hay Creek
Scarlet’s Mill was one of the earliest grist mills in Berks County; it was established by
Quaker John Scarlet c.1740s on his patented 208 acres. In 1766 he conveyed his grist mill to his
son John Jr. Continuing the family tradition, John Jr. also owned several other mills in the area;
one of them was a scythe mill. His son, Ephraim Scarlet, built a woolen factory in 1830 near the
original Scarlet’s Mill, making the Scarlet’s Mill area a hub of mill industry. There is little to see
of these early mills, but a small hamlet called Scarlet’s Mill remains near the milling area. The
Scarlet family was associated with the Underground Railroad.
Documented Log Structures
Presently, there are not many documented log structures in Robeson Township, the ones that
are should be considered to be of PRIORITY. Besides the ones listed here, we know of several
that retain the stone foundations of the original log structure, with the log building replaced
entirely by stone in the early-to-mid 19th century. There are most certainly log structures in the
Township that are covered over by siding, and are hidden. Care must be taken to further identify
these earliest structures and implement protection measures for all log buildings in Robeson
Township.
Mouland House, c. 1740, 1790
This log and stone house is located near Buck Hollow Road. The 1½-story log section is a
mid-18th century three room German Plan house, much like the Bertolet Log Cabin at the Daniel
Boone Homestead. The small stone section was added c. 1790, giving the house four bays.
There is a small shed roof dormer window. This banked house is on its original site, is in
excellent condition, and retains its authenticity both inside and out.
Geiger’s Tavern, c. 1734, 1775, 1880
Located on Old River Road near Gilbraltar, the tavern was built over three distinct time
periods, this structure’s middle segment is the original log house that was built by settler Welsh
Quaker James Lewis. The stone structure on the east end is a side hall entry Georgian building
with a corner fireplace mantel and woodwork identical to that of the nearby 1783 Beidler house.
The third section is mid-to-late 19th century. In addition, there are many farm buildings on the
site, including an outstanding Federal Period barn/stable with well executed rounded stone
archways.
All the structures are in only fair condition, and a fire in the log section of the house several
years ago caused considerable damage, but the original log walls remain and are preserved with
siding.
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When it passed out of the hands of the Lewis family c. 1750, it was purchased by Antony
Geiger, whose family expanded the structure and ran it for many years as a prominent tavern and
inn called “Geiger’s.”
The Schuylkill Navigation Canal ran close to and parallel with the River Schuylkill in parts
of Robeson Township, especially the industrial towns of Gibraltar and Seyfert (Naomi) in the
western section of the township. Even though sites and structures which were associated with
the Canal are not on the NRHP or declared eligible for it, they should be considered to be of
PRIORITY as they were an important part of the long industrial and agricultural history of the
area surrounding it.
Naomi Hotel, c.1800-1825
Located on Old River Road at the Village of Seyfert (Naomi), this large rambling wooden
structure was constructed in several sections with a log core (as reported). It has seven bays and a
gable chimney. There is a porch along the entire front façade. Behind the main structure there
are a stone summer kitchen and round stone smoke house, and also a root cellar.
Naomi Hotel was a popular tavern for the Schuylkill Navigation Canal trade. It was close to
the “Dick Boat Yard” in Seyfert, making it a busy stop and exchange for the nearby iron
industries and farms. One of its proprietors, John H. Klauser b.1836, had a limekiln on his
nearby farm, and brought the lime via his own boat to the city of Reading several miles
upstream. He was proprietor of “Naomi” for over 30 years.
The “Dick Boat Yard” Schuylkill Navigation System Canal, Village of Seyfert/Naomi.
The Dick Boat yard was established by the “Dick brothers” whose family home was the
large and prominent “Ridgewood Farm” less than ¼ mile away on Route 724. There is still a
large depression and swampy area where the boat yard was located. Besides being a boat repair
and shipping exchange for the iron industry nearby, this was an important outlet for the large
amount of produce the Dick/ Kissinger Farm produced and sent to the well known “Kissinger’s
Market” in the nearby city of Reading.
Forges, Furnaces and Rolling Mills in Robeson Township
The 18th century settlers in this area had capital and invested early in the iron industry by
establishing forges along the swift currents of the Allegheny and Hay Creeks. These early
industries were expanded throughout the 19th century. There were many forges/ironworks along
these creeks, but there is very little physical evidence of their existence remaining. However,
along the Allegheny Creek near the corner of Route 724, and climbing up the steep ravine of the
creek on Route 568, there can be seen many stone foundations of dams, and walls that were
forges and ironworks along this creek. Accompanying them are a number of late-18th and early-
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19th century homes and structures that were most certainly connected with this nearby industry.
Special care and notice should be taken of this history laden creek valley!
Lewis Forge AKA Gibraltar Forge, c. 1779
This early forge was located on the north side of the Allegheny Creek on Route 568 and
established by Welsh Quaker Richard Lewis. The Lewis family were engaged in the iron
industry early on, as Richard Lewis’ mother was a Potts cousin of the John Potts family of
Pottsgrove, and his father, James Lewis, was an investor in Pool Forge II of Douglass Township,
and was connected with the establishment of the Colebrookdale Furnace.
This forge was later owned by the Seyfert family who expanded the works in the 19th
century and operated it in connection with the Mt Penn Furnace. Remains of the charcoal house
and a stone dam can be seen, as well as the iron master’s house built by Seyfert
Do Well Forges I and II AKA Seidels Forges, mid-1800s
Near Seidel’s Creek on Golf Course road. At present the site houses a saw mill (Mohr’s)
which as of 2012 still appears to be in operation. There is also a silted-in dam at the site.
Seifert’s Rolling Mill, 1880
Located south of the present Route 724 by the village of Naomi/Seyfert. The Canal and
Railroad are conveniently nearby. Remnants of brick foundations can be seen as well as a series
of concrete trestles. Many of the houses in Seyfert were built for the workers at the rolling mill.
CONCLUSION
Robeson Township
Threats to the Historic Architectural Landscape
Though vastly rural in nature, there are manifold threats to the bucolic charm of this
Township. Threats are seen in the form of at least a half dozen or more planned developments
that have been approved for this Township. Presently, because of a sluggish economy, these
developments have remained in their beginning stages, with a relatively small number of houses
built. Expansion as planned will add greatly to a negative environmental impact, and also a
greater demand for services, perhaps necessitating increased taxes to meet the greater need for
schools, road improvements, fire and police protection etc.
The pressure for development is great throughout Berks County, especially in the
southeastern Berks Townships that are associated with the Hopewell Big Woods and the Route
422 corridor to Philadelphia and its suburbs. The Regional Comprehensive Plan addresses some
of these concerns, and has suggestions for dealing with them. Among the concerns addressed is
that of Historic Preservation.
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Mitigation
The need to be aware of, and address Historic Preservation needs In Robeson Township is
well illustrated by a recent situation in the Township.
A number of years ago 168 acres were to be developed into 670 high density houses, a
potential disaster for this beautiful country acreage with its scattered small farms. A small early
19th century farm house, barn, and spring house were abandoned and left to deteriorate over the
years. Fortunately, when the bank foreclosed, the Natural Lands Trust was able to obtain the
funding for the land and acquired it to become the “Green Hills Preserve,” an area of open space
that is vital to the community.
Unfortunately, the stone farm house and barn on the property were so neglected that they
had to be demolished, the spring house with its swift and abundant spring, remains. This early
19th century farm and its structures, so typical of the historic small farms of Robeson, were to be
placed on the updated Berks County Survey of Historic Structures. Unfortunately, it was in the
process of being demolished when the field worker got there.
This is what happens all too often, in Berks County and other places. Deliberate neglect, and
what else is left to do but demolish? At this time Berks does not have a County Historic
Preservationist to oversee demolition of historic structures, and apply any type of delay, or seek
alternative uses or adaptive re-use of structures in a case such as this. Recently, the Historic
Preservation Trust of Berks County has taken on the task of assisting municipalities with their
preservation needs and preservation zoning and laws, so that perhaps such a situation as this can
find mitigation other than demolition.
The Natural Lands Trust, whose mission is preserving landscape and land, certainly met
with a quandary here. It preserved beautiful farm fields, woodland, and wetland for which
everyone is grateful, and happy NLT prevented a potential environmental and aesthetic
nightmare. Nevertheless, that early farm was part of the Robeson Township historic landscape,
and vital to it.
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Birdsboro Borough
Overview
The Borough of Birdsboro is a perfect example, in miniature, of a “gritty” Pennsylvania city.
Its history is long, splendid, and industrial. Like the nearby larger city of Reading, Birdsboro has
a mixture of industry, worker’s houses, and the mansions of the captains of industry. All are
democratically mixed together, and in many ways, the iron industry lies at its smoking heart.
It is on the Schuylkill River, about 8 miles southeast of the city of Reading, and this location
on the river with its easy access to the Schuylkill Navigation System Canal, and later the
railroad, helped sustain its large foundries and machine shops through the Borough’s long
history.
Most of these foundries and machine shops are shuttered now, but this large and ancient
Borough remains the hub of the surrounding rural Townships.
Brief History
Birdsboro was named after its founder William Bird, who started in the iron industry as a
young man at Colebrookdale Furnace and Pine Forge across the River Schuylkill in nearby
Douglass Township.
He took warrants for land on Hay Creek and Six Penny Creek in the 1730s and by 1740
established Birdsboro/Bird’s Landing and his Bird Iron Works on the west branch of Hay Creek
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where it flows into the Schuylkill River. He also established a grist mill and saw mill nearby, and
more forges on the Hay Creek. In1751 he built the Bird Manor House near the mills.
Upon William Bird’s death in 1761, his vast businesses were taken over by his son Mark,
who established the Hopewell Iron Works, and enlarged the Bird Manor House to the spacious
mansion we see today. At the time of the Revolution Birdsboro had become a sizable and busy
town. Mark Bird’s iron industries at Hopewell and Birdsboro produced shot and cannon for the
Colonial Army, unfortunately, overextension and governmental nonpayment of military
contracts bankrupted Mark Bird after the revolution, and he was forced to sell his holdings and
land.
The holdings and land went through several hands, but it is with the Brooke family in the
1800s that the iron and steel works were greatly expanded. In 1880 the Brooke family interest
was reorganized into the Birdsboro Iron Foundry Manufacturing Unit, and the E&G Brooke
Land Company was established to supervise the holdings and transactions. The Borough
continued to grow, and a great deal of worker’s housing and new businesses were built through
the 1800s. Birdsboro was incorporated into a Borough in 1872 from portions of Robeson and
Union Townships.
In 1905 the Birdsboro Iron Foundry became the Birdsboro Steel Company. The chief
employer in the Borough, the Birdsboro Steel Company closed in 1988.
Historic and Cultural Resources in Birdsboro Borough
Class I Historic Resources Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 1853, renovated 1884
Originally built in 1853, and renovated in 1884 by noted Architect Frank Furness, this
beautiful church was placed on the NRHP in 1992. Unfortunately, the Church went out of the
hands of the Diocese several years ago, and the outstanding architectural features were stripped
and sold. The Church continues to be in use.
Class I Historic Resources Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
Edward Brooke Mansion, 1888
This shingle style mansion was built for wealthy iron magnate Edward Brooke for his bride
Ann Louise Klingan. It was designed by one of the most inventive and distinctive Architects of
the period, Frank Furness. The well-preserved mansion has many special features, including
fanciful cast iron fireplaces that were produced at the Brooke manufactories right in Birdsboro.
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Class II Historic Resources Noted on PHMC Survey
The Bird Mansion 1751
Located on Birdsboro’s Main Street near the River Schuylkill, this large 2½-story mansion,
constructed of the local red sandstone, is a continuous eight bay structure with gable end
chimneys. Once having a stucco application, the original red sandstone has been revealed and
restored.
Built by William Bird in 1751, and enlarged by his son Mark, this stately structure has
undergone many changes and reversals in fortune in its long history, such as becoming a
boarding house and hotel for Canal workers in the 1800s. Also at that time, when the canal was
built between the mansion and the River, the front of the house was changed to the back, along
with a corresponding relocation of the road. Presently restored to its 18th century exterior
appearance, the interior retains few of its 18th century historical characteristics, and is now used
as a community center for the Borough.
These three structures are vital, and expressive of the long history of the Borough of
Birdsboro. They are to be considered to be of HIGHEST PRIORITY. Nevertheless, being on
the NRHP is no guarantee that a structure will remain free from ravage and destruction, and
especially deliberate and indifferent destruction.
We have seen this with St Michael’s Church in the borough. After being sold it was
deliberately stripped of its soul, and its priceless ecclesiastical adornments were sold.
Surveyed Historic Districts in Birdsboro
Although there are no PHMC recognized Historic Districts in Birdsboro, the County Survey
of Historic Resources recognized several historic areas of worker’s housing that was built in the
19th century into even the early 20th, and as they make up an important aspect of the Borough’s
iron and steel history, are worthy of note.
Mexico, c.1837
Built by Matthew Brooke Stucco over stone worker’s housing.
Mill Street, c.1850
Built by E&G Brooke Stone worker’s housing.
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Brooklyn, c. mid-late 1800s
Built by E&G Brooke Worker’s housing.
Texas, c. 1800s
Built by Brooke. Worker’s housing.
Route 82 Section, c. 1860
Built by E&G Brooke. Stone worker’s housing.
The Canal was a boon to the industries of Birdsboro, and there were many Canal related
structures in and near the Borough. Almost all are now gone, lost to disrepair, river erosion, a
change in land use, the advent of the railroads and paved roads, and a decline in the iron and
steel industry of Birdsboro.
Canal Lock Tender’s House, Lock 51, c. 1820s
Located on Schuylkill Road, Birdsboro, this c.1820s Canal Lock Tender’s House is a well
preserved 2½-story red sandstone structure with four bays and gable end chimneys. It is built in
two sections, and the large cooking fireplace was apparently in the smaller section.
The Lock and Canal was to the rear of the house and served into the early 20th century as a
conduit for water into the nearby Birdsboro Steel Works. Presently, the Canal and Lock are
filled in.
The Hay Creek Aqueduct, c. 1820s
Little remains of this five pier sandstone Aqueduct over Hay Creek at Birdsboro. It was
removed years ago because during flooding of the Hay Creek it served as a dam keeping the
flood waters back, to the detriment of the Borough. The two abutments remained, but apparently
have been removed as of 2013.
Industry in Birdsboro
There are many Brooke Industry related structures in the Borough, and remain occupied and
have an adapted re-use. Among the structures are:
The Mercantile Building
Now M&T Bank
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Brook Iron Office
Birdsboro Steel Foundry
Now the site of several smaller manufacturing companies.
Conclusion
Presently, in the 21st century, the industry that Birdsboro was famous for has largely
ceased, and many of the hulking buildings lie idle. But there have been serious attempts to revive
and re-use some of them, with good results. The old Birdsboro Steel Foundry has been
refurbished and houses several small manufacturing companies, making it a hub for the
community, though on a much smaller scale than previously.
The Borough has many individuals who take an interest in its local history, and strive to
retain its historic structures and sense of history. They initiated and produced an illustrated
pamphlet that presents a walking tour of the Borough. This was partially funded by the SRHA
and Natural Lands Trust. It is through partnerships such as this that municipalities like
Birdsboro can secure its past, present, and future.
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Caernarvon Township
Background
Of all the southeastern Berks County Townships studied in this historic resource
prioritization project for the Hopewell Big Woods, Caernarvon Township has perhaps the most
singular and unique history. Although it was carved out of Lancaster County, as was nearby
Robeson Township, Caernarvon was one of the three heavily Welsh settled areas of Berks
County, the others being Cumru and Brecknock Townships. All of the three Townships bear
Welsh names, Caernarvon means “fort on the river or water.”
Already feeling crowded by the early 1700s, second generation Welsh in the Chester County
“Welsh Tract” at St. David’s, Radnor, pushed their way north and westward into what became
Caernarvon, Brecknock, and Cumru Townships. These second generation Welsh Quakers and
Episcopalian/Baptists were born on Pennsylvania soil and were accustomed to the rigors of the
wilderness.
An exploratory group of Welsh arrived in the Conestoga Valley of Caernarvon after c.1710,
and were soon followed by others from the “Welsh Tract,” the settlement pattern and timing
being very similar to that of Cumru and Brecknock Townships. That is, settling along strong
flowing creeks and establishing many mills and an Episcopal church.
Caernarvon Township was established in Lancaster County in 1729, and the Township was
divided in half in 1752 when Berks County was established. As in the other Welsh Townships of
Berks, many of the Welsh populace moved on within two generations, and were superseded by
the Swiss/Germans who were flooding in. By the census of 1790, more than half of the dwellers
of Berks’ Caernarvon Township had a German background. The Welsh settlers did not leave a
great deal behind in the built environment, but they did leave their living legacy of place names.
Today, the population of Caernarvon Township of Lancaster County is heavily Amish and
Mennonite, Berks’ Caernarvon Township less so.
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Significant Historic and Cultural Resources in Caernarvon Township
Class I Historic Resources Listed on the National Register of Historic Places Properties
 The village of Morgantown is listed on the NRHP as a Historic District. It was listed
on the NRHP in 1995.
Class I Historic Sites and Structures Listed on the Berks County Historic Resources Survey
as Significant and/or Eligible for the NRHP
 Col. Jacob Morgan Homestead
 Col. Jonathan Jones Homestead
 Jones/ Hertzler House
 St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Morgantown
Class II Other sites and structures of Historic Value
Other sites and structures such as Churches, graveyards, limekilns, mills, forges, schools,
inns etc. are prevalent throughout the Township and have cultural and historic significance.
The geography was the determiner of much of this Township’s early history and settlement
by the Welsh. The most southern boundary of this southernmost Berks Township is the Welsh
Mountains, more northerly are the boundary hills of “The Forest” of Robeson Township.
Dominant in the settlement pattern of the whole of Caernarvon Township is the fertile
Conestoga Creek Valley whose source is in the Township, and was thickly settled early on by the
Welsh. However, within two or three generations they were superseded by the Swiss-Germans
who bought the farms of the Welsh, enlarged them, and built the large stone Pennsylvania
farmhouses and barns characteristic of the Pennsylvania Dutch. The more prominent
Caernarvon Township names, besides the Welsh Morgan and Jones, are Mast, Kurtz, and
Hertzler, Amish/Mennonite Anabaptists who intermarried and built large farmsteads throughout
the Township. Also settling in this Conestoga Valley were the Scotch-Irish, making for a more
diverse population than in some of the distinctly Germanic Townships of Berks and Lancaster
Counties.
The Conestoga Creek or River was the center of the Township in many ways. Early on the
centrally located Old Conestoga Road, once an Indian path, was built and connected Philadelphia
with Lancaster and Harrisburg. The rich soil of the valley produced abundant crops, the creek
supported many mills and forges, and the Conestoga Road with its Conestoga wagons made it
easier to bring goods and crops to market. There were many taverns along this ancient road to
accommodate the drovers and wagons, some of these old taverns exist to this day.
Morgantown Historic District “Old Main Street Historic District”
Overview
Strategically located at the convergence of three Indian paths which became trails and then
roads for early settlers and traders, the village developed quickly, and had a number of buildings
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by the 1750s. Another point of importance is the fact that Morgantown is seated in the
Conestoga Valley between the Welsh mountains and the “Forest Hills.”
Surveyed and formally laid out in 1770 by Colonel Jacob Morgan, the town continued to
grow and serve the local farm community and the local iron and mining industry.
Morgantown went through several phases of development over the years and differing eras
and styles of architecture are represented in the village. With the modern PA Turnpike nearby,
the thoughtless demolition of several significant historic buildings on its Main Street, and
expanded large scale commercial growth near the Chester County line, Morgantown is making
an effort to remain viable. The Morgantown Historic District is considered to be of HIGHEST
PRIORITY as a Historic and Cultural Resource in Caernarvon Township.
Brief History
The charming village of Morgantown was well established some 20 or 30 years before it
was formally organized in the 1770s and known as Morgan’s Town. From its very beginning,
this early Welsh hamlet of several log and stone structures was an important stopping place on
the busy Conestoga Road.
Local historians characterize the growth of the town as occurring in several phases,
corresponding with the historical, demographic and architectural changes the town underwent in
its long history.
By the early 1770s there was enough activity in the hamlet to make its potential as a regional
commercial center noticed. In 1772 one of the area’s leading citizens, Colonel Jacob Morgan,
donated land to further enlarge the village, and he formally laid out the streets. He laid out 32
plots along Center Street.
Jacob Morgan was the son of Thomas Morgan, who was one of the original Welsh settlers of
the area, and was owner of large choice tracts of land in the Township that totaled over 1000
acres. Thomas’ four sons inherited this land in the Township from their father, acquired more
land, and built large English/Welsh style houses of their own. The best known is the home of
Colonel Jacob Morgan, an imposing stone structure built in two sections.
Growth of the town was steady during the Revolutionary War due to the close proximity to
the Jones Mine and the charcoal iron furnaces and forges at Hopewell, Warwick, Windsor, and
Reading Furnaces.
The town grew, and by 1802 the village had 12 stone houses and 19 log or frame houses.
There were two stores, three taverns, one school house and other structures. Residents included
store keepers, cabinet makers, a spinning wheel maker, carpenters, stone masons, and many other
skilled workers and business owners.
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After a short decline the town prospered again during the late 19th and early 20th centuries
and retained its historical and architectural integrity until very recently. Surrounded by
prosperous farms, it became an agricultural and commercial center for the area.
Historic Resources in the “Old Main Street Historic District” of Morgantown
Historic Old Main Street of Morgantown encompasses several original blocks along the
Main Street, including what was the central square of the town. Clustered around the central
square are/were some of the oldest documented structures in the town.
The historic district reflects the periods of architecture that were prevalent during the
different growth periods of the town. Clustered around the “town square” are the documented
late 18th-century structures, most of them are substantial Georgian and Federal buildings, and
are largely constructed of brown sandstone. There was also a log structure next to the old
Morgantown Hotel.
During the c.1850-1920 period there was a great deal of commercial growth, with numerous
corresponding Victorian style structures built of (German) wood siding and sometimes stone.
For the most part, these structures have retained their historical character and integrity.
Old Village Inn, c. 1800
Located on the Town Square. Federal style brown sandstone, 2 ½ stories, built in several
sections. The core is a three bay sandstone structure with cornice trim and two arched dormer
windows. The building has functioned as an inn/restaurant for a long period of time.
Mary Morgan Hudson House AKA John Gable House, c. 1790, enlargement c.1890
Located on the Town Square. Originally Lot #1 in the town plan, this 2½-story stone house
was built for Jacob Morgan’s daughter. It was enlarged and the Gothic gable was built onto the
front by 1900.
Odd Fellows Hall, 1868
Located on the Town Square. This large structure is/was a meeting hall and restaurant.
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Morgantown Odd Fellows Hall, courtesy of
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Morgantown_PA_Oddfellows.JPG
Early Stone House, c. 1750-1800
Located on Main Street. Built in two sections, this early Germanic style house is built of cut
sandstone, and features a box winder staircase and smoke house in the garret.
Significant Town Square Structures Demolished in 2006-07
Morgantown Hotel, 1799
Connected with David Morgan. This was a large 2½-story brown sandstone Georgian
structure. Constructed as a hotel, it served the busy traffic between the Coventry furnaces and
the Lancaster City forges. It continued to be a popular restaurant until shortly before its
demolition.
Log Cabin, mid-late 1700s.
Situated next to the Morgantown Hotel, this documented “original log cabin” was
demolished when the Morgantown Hotel was destroyed.
The sad and irresponsible demolition of these important and significant historical structures
in Morgantown in the years c.2006-08 cannot be emphasized enough. The destruction of the
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Morgantown Hotel, the log structure, and other structures literally tore the historic heart out of
the community. NRHP designation was blatantly shown to be not enough to prevent this tragedy.
Historic tourism is big business in Berks and surrounding counties, charming Morgantown was
looking for its share, only now it has an awkward modern “big box” drugstore sitting on is
historic town square. While compromised, the town of Morgantown and its historic district
remain of Highest Priority in Caernarvon Township.
Conclusion
As the local economy is no longer farm related, the modern day focus of Morgantown is as a
Tourist Gateway to the area. Many of the structures and businesses in the town now cater to
tourist oriented services. This turnover was inevitable with the Turnpike Exchange just outside
the town, and a busy highway connecting the town with the nearby picturesque counties of
Chester, Lancaster, and Berks.
Another important factor that can determine the success, or failure and decline of this town is the
overwhelming commercial and business growth just a scant mile down the road (Route 23)
towards Chester County. As with many small historic towns, there is a lot of commercial
competition from the large “big box” stores “down the pike.” Also, the destruction of important
historic structures in the middle of Morgantown certainly did not enhance its historic appeal to
tourists, and only emphasizes the overall threat to historic preservation in the area.
Class I NRHP Eligible Structures in Caernarvon Township
Colonel Jacob Morgan Homestead, c. early 1750s, 1783 Georgian wing
Located at Hartz and Shiloh Roads, this home is perhaps the structure of most importance in
the history of the Township, and is of the Highest Priority. The Col. Jacob Morgan homestead
is one of the earliest structures in the Township, and its core early1750s stone cabin is a good
example of the local Welsh/English vernacular architecture.
The original c. 1753 1½-story stone cabin is a three bay gambrel roofed structure with
architectural characteristics that confirm its early date and Morgan’s Welsh origins. The main
wing, built in 1783, is a 2½-story, 3-bay, single-pile Georgian structure denoting an original
English style hall parlor type plan. All of the architectural elements are original including the
corner fireplaces, corner cupboards, floors, stairs, and trim. There is a large gable fireplace in
the stone cabin.
This structure is significant for several reasons. Its great antiquity and excellent state of
preservation are well observed. In addition, it was the house built by one of the original Welsh
settlers sons who in his own right became one of the most influential and wealthy men of his era,
Revolutionary War leader Colonel Jacob Morgan.
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Along with this historic house is an early 19th century stone barn. The barn appears to have
been enlarged at one point, perhaps when the small frame Victorian section was built onto the
house.
Jones-Hertzler House, 1799, Significant period 1750-1800
Located on Valley Road. Recently owned by a local real estate developer, this large five bay
stone structure was to be the headquarters of the Tri County Historical Society. Due to repeated
vandalism and expense of upkeep, this structure was demolished. Class IV.
Class II Important Contributing Structures of Undetermined NRHP Status in Caernarvon
Township
18th Century Farms and Period Structures,
Colonial Welsh Vernacular Structures in Caernarvon Township
There are several historic structures in the Township that were recommended to the NRHP,
but their status remains undetermined. Many of these buildings are connected to the Morgan and
Jones families, Caernarvon’s most distinguished settlers. Also, unlike the Welsh settlers of
Cumru and Brecknock, many of the Welsh pioneer families of Caernarvon stayed through many
generations, and built fine Georgian structures in the second and third generations.
Caernarvon Township has quite a few documented 18th century structures that prominently
display their Welsh/English features. Local architectural historians call it “Welsh Vernacular” or
“Colonial Welsh Vernacular.” The main characteristics include a stone single pile hall-parlor lay
out, massive gable end chimney(s), three bays, and often 2 ½ stories, giving that tall narrow
“English” appearance. All of these structures and farms are of High Priority.
Settler’s Farm, Later Ammon Farm, c.1745
Located on Swamp Road. Early vernacular Welsh farmhouse constructed of stone, 2 ½
stories, three bays with a single pile hall-parlor layout.
Stone Cabin, c. 1800
This cabin along swamp road is located on a property that includes a very early c. 1720
Vernacular Welsh style spring house, one of very few Welsh structures known to survive.
Sand’s Farm, c.1775
Located on Ranck Road, this early log and stone structure has a large walk-in fireplace. The
core of this farm house is log.
Robert Ellis’ House AKA Proudfoot/Lund House, c. 1740
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Located on Twin Valley Road, the house is a typical mid-18th century Welsh Vernacular or
Colonial Welsh Vernacular house. Stone structure with hall-parlor layout.
Colonel Jonathan Jones Farm, c. 1750, 1799
Located on Route 23. Prominent Welsh settlers such as the Jones family were deeply
associated with the early iron industry and ore mining, and Jones also owned one of the first
copper mines in the area. The Jones Iron Mine produced iron ore that was sent to Hopewell and
other nearby furnaces. The mine is abandoned. The Jones family rivaled the Morgan family in
terms of prestige, wealth, and amount of land owned.
An almost complete 18th century farm, it consists of a five bay Colonial English 2½-story stone
house built in two sections, with the most prominent part built in the late 1700s. There is a mid1700s 2½-story spring house, a large stone barn, and several sheds and outbuildings.
Radelberger/Ammom Homestead, c. 1768 or later
Located off Shiloh Road. This remote banked 2½-story three bay stone structure with large
quoins has a large walk-in fireplace and a spring in the cellar. There is also a banked “stone
ender” barn with an 1816 date stone. It is noted as a “Colonial German Pioneer Farm.”
Mast Farm, c. 1750-1799
Located at the corner of Route 23 and Route 401, this farm is notable farm, partly due to its
present critical location. Much of the land is sold off, and a large proportion is now the site of a
new Township school. The sprawling barn has been demolished, but the 2½-story stucco
covered stone farm house with dentil trim remains. It was built by David Mast in 1801, and the
large 2-story banked settler/spring house was constructed c.1750, and consists of a living space
on the second floor with a large gable end fireplace.
Historic Sites Associated With the Morgan Family
The Morgan Family was one of the earliest families to arrive in the Conestoga Valley from
the Welsh Tract. Pioneer Thomas Morgan arrived in 1718. Within a few years he acquired more
than 1000 acres, including all of the land that makes up the village of Morgantown and environs.
He willed his land in parcels to his several sons. Each claimed his legacy and built substantial
stone cabins in the vernacular Welsh style. Within a generation a fine Georgian or Federal
addition was built onto each house, demonstrating the wealth and importance the family had
acquired over the years.
The Colonel Jacob Morgan Farm—See above Notes
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John Morgan House, c.1750, Federal section1800
Formerly located at Morgan Way/Mineview Drive. Exceptional house built by John
Morgan, brother of Colonel Jacob Morgan. Earliest section built c.1750 with a later Federal
addition featuring fine period woodwork. Outbuildings include a large barn and early spring
house. The site was declared eligible for the NRHP. Formerly noted as high priority, this
house and outbuildings have been demolished. The resource is now ranked Class IV – low
priority.
Francis Morgan House, c. 1750, enlarged c.1800
Located Off Mill Road. Built by Francis Morgan, a brother of Colonel Jacob Morgan. Large
five bay stone house built in three sections.
Thomas Morgan Homestead Site, c.1720, 1870
Located Off Mill Road. This was the original Thomas Morgan 1718 homestead site. A
newer c. 1870 house has replaced the original settler’s cabin.
David Morgan House, c. 1769
Located on Lane off Best Road. This is another Morgan family associated house. It is a three
bay stone house.
Contributing Historic Sites and Structures in Caernarvon Township
There are many contributing historic structures including Churches, mills, schools, early
industrial sites such as mines and forges. In addition, there are many scattered farms associated
with the large German/Swiss influx of Mennonites and Amish settlers. Many large farms are
attributed to the Mast, Hertzler, Kurtz and other families. To this day these Anabaptist settlers
have a strong presence in the Township.
Historic Churches
Ammon Church and School Complex AKA Mt Shiloh UB Church
Located on Shiloh Road. Built as a Union congregation church in 1886, this 1½-story stone
structure is now a residence. Adjacent to it is the former Mt Shiloh School. The school was
started c.1880 by John Ammon.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Present structure 1800-1824
Located in Morgantown and determined NRHP eligible, this church is HIGH PRIORITY.
This Church complex, with a church, cemetery, and school building, has significant ties to the
original inhabitants of the Township and town. When the Welsh came to this area they brought
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their religion with them, the majority of them being Episcopalian. They established a log church
very early on land donated by Thomas Morgan.
The present charming stucco covered stone structure with its steep roof was completed by
1824. The earliest burials that were contemporary with the original log church were removed
when the log church was demolished. The present site of “The New Cemetery” has several 18th
century burials, including Jacob and Rachel Morgan. The accompanying school building is dated
c.1827 and was remodeled in 1879. It is a two bay, 2½-story structure described as Welsh
Vernacular.
Harmony Church, c. 1810, rebuilt late 19th century
Located on Elverson Road. This stone structure with steep gable roof, bell tower and stained
glass windows, also has a cemetery surrounded by an ornamental iron fence.
Historic Mills
The Welsh settlers from the Welsh Tract who came to what would become Caernarvon,
Cumru, and Brecknock Townships in Berks County, were distinguished by their preference for
settlement on swift flowing streams. They harnessed the waters of the Conestoga and French
Creeks to produce the power needed to operate the iron furnaces and forges, and the many mills
they built. There are several surveyed early mills sites in the Township.
Gristmill, c. 1775-1800
Located on Mill Road this mill is associated with John and Jacob Morgan. The Site consists
of a stone grist mill, and a five bay center hall miller’s house.
Graham’s Mill AKA Levi Bull Hotel, c. 1750-1799
Located on Old Conestoga Road AKA Route 23 the mill is a large Welsh Colonial
sandstone mill structure with a distillery and several chimneys. There is also a root cellar and
carriage barn.
Old Inns/Hotels
There are several historic Inns/Hotels along the Old Conestoga Road and near the junction
of Twin Valley Road. This small cluster of late-18th century, early-19th century structures are
worth mentioning as they were an important part of the history of this venerable roadway.
During its heyday as a vital connection between the great city of Philadelphia and the hinterlands
of Lancaster and beyond to Harrisburg and the Susquehanna, there were inns and taverns every
two or three miles to service the many drovers and travelers.
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New Morgan Borough
Established in 1967, and consisting of 3,500 acres, this relatively new Borough is in large
part forest, with a well developed area of industry consisting principally of the Conestoga
Landfill and a trash to steam plant.
Nearby, and owned by Bethlehem Steel, Grace Mines existed from the 1940s to the 1970s for the
extraction of ore.
In 1967 there was a petition by Raymond Carr to the Berks County Court to create a new
Borough out of the 3,500 acres, which were in both Robeson and Caernarvon Townships. The
petition was granted a year later.
The borough remains sparsely populated to this day, but there have been plans presented through
the years for development of a large residential area to include many homes, a shopping center,
and even a hospital. So far these ambitious plans for development have stalled.
Conclusion
Caernarvon Township
Ongoing Threats to the Historic Landscape
Compared to the Townships of Union and Robeson, Caernarvon Township’s Historic
Landscape has suffered greatly. The area around Morgantown has become a center of
commercial and industrial growth. When this was in its initial stages some 10-15 years ago there
was a great deal of publicity concerning this real threat to the important historic structures that
were in the area of growth. Many of them were historic structures and farms connected with the
Morgan family. Unfortunately several of these historic structures were owned by the nearby
industrial interests and a notable and NHS eligible farm was demolished, and the rural and
historic architectural landscape in the commercial and industrial areas has been destroyed.
There were town meetings, the County Commissioners became involved, and there was a
concerted effort by preservation advocates such as the Tri County Historians to avert and
mitigate the wholesale destruction of local history, but zoning and other means to attenuate the
situation could not avert this disaster.
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The most devastating blow to historic preservation in Caernarvon Township was the
wholesale destruction of the core of Morgantown’s Historic District. The historic town square is
now graced by a large commercial “big box” drugstore which unfortunately degrades the whole
town.
Morgantown and Caernarvon Township simply did not have the needed and clear strong historic
preservation zoning in place to mitigate the disaster.
Mitigation
Strong historic preservation zoning laws and enforcement, for a start, would lead the
pathway towards more stringent attention to the historic landscape, and the critical importance of
historic preservation. The Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County has been approved by the
County Commissioners to work with Townships to meet the goals of effective Historic
Preservation.
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Exeter Township
Exeter Township was originally part of Philadelphia County until 1752 when Berks County
was founded. Landowners in 1725 in the area that would become Exeter were identified by
Philip E. Pendeleton in his book Oley Valley Heritage. They are: Jerg Ritter (George Rutter),
George Boone, Sr., Richard Tueman, George Boone, Jr., the estate of Andrew Robeson, John
Jones (resident of Philadelphia), Joseph Kirkbride (resident of Bucks County), William Morgan,
and Israel Robeson (resident of Chester County). James Lewis and Francis Hughes were settled
on homesteads in the region, but had not yet claimed land.
Three resources listed on the National Register of Historic Places are associated with the
Quaker Boone family: the Daniel Boone Homestead, Mill Tract Farm, and Boonecroft. The
extended family built mills, a tilt hammer forge and a tannery, and helped to shape the early
industry of the township.
In 1740, a mixed group of second and third generation French Hugeonots, Swiss and
German Anabaptists, Swedish Baptists, Lutherans and Reformists, English and Welsh Quakers
and others in the greater Oley Valley region petitioned Philadelphia County for the formation of
Oley Township. The area that now forms Exeter was included as part of the Oley Township at
that time.
It was discovered that the homesteads of 50 families had been excluded from the boundaries
of Oley Township. So, within six months of the establishment of Oley, residents of this section,
petitioned for the creation of their own township, Exeter. The petitioners, James Boone,
Benjamin Boone, John Boone, Squire Boone, John Hughes, William Hughes, Francis Yarnell,
Peter Yarnell, Michael Warren, Peter Huyett, Peter Higo, Ezekiel Mathias, Roger Rogers, Joseph
Brown, Jacob Vetter, and Ellis Hughes.
A Quaker Meeting House was built in Exeter in 1725 and these families, which were mostly
settled in the vicinity of the meeting house, largely represented the Quaker community.
However, the most prevalent denominations found in the township were German Lutheran and
Reformed.
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A Union church was founded in 1747 at Schwarzwald, an area named for its dense forest
and resemblance to Germany’s Black Forest. Lutheran and Reformed congregations shared space
and expenses in a simple frontier log church in one of earliest union arrangements in North
America. Union churches are peculiar to the greater Berks County region. Later union churches
were formed at Baumstown, Lorane, St. Lawrence and Stonersville. Union Chapels were located
in Stonetown, Neversink and Reiffton.
The first village to form in Exeter was Snyderville also known as Limekiln and Oley Line.
Local historian George M. Meiser, IX identified an inn catering to cattle drovers and other
travelers established at the busy crossroads on the border between Exeter and Oley. Brothers
Jacob and Peter Snyder replaced an older log tavern with the present stone hotel building in
1835. The hotel is an identified NRHP resource.
The settlement was originally called Snyderville, but for obvious reasons, it was referred to
as Oley Line. The official designation became Limekiln in 1870 when the U.S. post office
opened in the Snyders’ Oley Line Hotel.
Swiss immigrant Johannes Schneider, father of Jacob and Peter, built a gristmill in the
vicinity prior to 1775. The extant 1780 Schneider grist mill is a resource listed on the NRHP.
The nearby pioneer Snyder homestead and graveyard are located in the heart of Snyderville
at the crossroads. It was in an ancillary building on this farmstead that the infamous Susanna Cox
hid her murdered illegitimate child. She became the last woman hanged in Reading when she
was executed for the crime on June 10, 1809. (Note: the boundary line between Exeter and Oley
townships run through the historic Snyder homestead.)
The character of the township remained predominantly rural well into the 20th century.
However, the industrial revolution brought development to Exeter Township and helped to spur
the growth of villages.
The village of Lorane was established on land purchased in 1835 by Isaac Kass. Kass
bought a large tract from the Lincoln family, who had ancestors in common with the 16th
president, and owned a number of farms in the southeastern section of the township.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad followed the course of the river through Exeter
Township, and the company built a station at Lorane, called Exeter, in 1860. In 1900, the name
was changed to Lorane for the Alsace-Lorraine territory in Europe from which many of the local
settlers had immigrated, due to confusion with another Exeter in Luzerne County.
Other villages include Baumstown, Stonetown, Stonersville, Jacksonwald, and St. Lawrence
Borough, formerly Esterly.
The St. Lawrence community grew around the Brumbach knitting mills. Other successful
businesses and industries helped to shape the growth of Exeter Township. These included:
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Washington Kissinger’s 1860 hotel, store, and distillery; H.B. Levan’s 1881 creamery and 1892
picnic grove; James Toole’s broom factory; in 1883 Henry Graeff’s 1883 poultry plant John H.
Close and A.H. Kretz’s (D/B/A Kretz & Close, later Neversink Distilling Co., Ltd ) 1892
distillery and a warehouse No. 1 with a capacity of 12,000 barrels, and 1893 warehouse No. 2
with a capacity of 25,000 barrels.
Between 1900 to1960 the population of Exeter Township steadily increased from 2,503 to
8,488 persons. This growth has been attributed to suburban movement from Reading rather than
local industries or agriculture.
Reiffton, one of the first suburban communities in the township, developed shortly before
and after World War I. It was named for the Reiff family, which owned land in the area at the
time. The township’s middle school, junior high school, and senior high school are found on a
parcel bordering the Antietam Creek in Reiffton.
With a population of 25,550 as of the 2010 census, Exeter is now the third most populous
municipality in Berks County. With the continuous development, the former agricultural
character of the township is shifting to a suburban landscape of shopping strip malls, industrial
plazas and housing developments all of which pose a constant threat to the remaining historic
resources.
Significant Historic and Cultural Resources in Exeter Township
At present, 2012, within Exeter Township there are six (6) Class I historic resources listed
on the National Register of Historic Places.
 Daniel Boone Homestead AKA Maugridge-DeTurck House
 Boonecroft AKA George Boone, III Homestead
 John Bishop House
 Mill Tract Farm AKA George Boone Homestead
 Mordacai Lincoln Home
 Snyder Mill AKA Schneider Mill
There are three (3) Class I historic resources listed by PHMC as eligible for the National
Historic Register.
 Bishop-Tyson House
 Hans Martin Gohrig House AKA Hans Martin Gerrick House
 Oley Line Hotel AKA Snyderville Hotel 1835
There are fourteen (15) Class II historic resources of local significance identified by the
Exeter Historical Commission within Exeter Township.
 Hill Mill AKA Wanner's Mill and Miller’s House
 Koch Farmhouse
 Jacksonwald One-room Schoolhouse
 Carsonia Inn
 Trolley Bridge
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

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








Troxel Property
P.O.S. of A. Hall and New Snyderville Hotel, General Store and Post Office
George Boone, Sr. Stone House and Tannery 1733
Judah Boone Home, 1824
Christian Link Pottery (later used as Stonetown Sunday School)
Toll Gate #1, Oley Turnpike
Jacksonwald Hotel
Schwarzwald Lutheran Church
Schwarzwald U.C.C. Church; Stone School; Cemetery
Ritter Tavern
Limekiln-Toll Gate #2, Oley Turnpike Road
Boyertown Trolley Bridge
There are twenty-four (24) Class III and IV historic resources identified by the Exeter
Historical Commission within the geographical boundaries of Exeter Township, including St.
Lawrence Borough. These sites have been severely compromised or significantly altered, have
been demolished or have gone to ruin. Some are of potential archeological value.
 Schofer Sawmill
 Schofer Farmstead
 Breiner Paper Mill; Rifle Boring
 Moyer & Yocum Tilt-Hammer Forge AKA Althouse Feed Mill, Police Home, Ice House
(only ice house and miller’s house survive)
 Seidel Mill
 Carsonia Park Area
 Bechtel Grist Mill
 Keim Clover Mill & Forge
 Dam & Race to Bishop Mill
 Bishop Grist Mill AKA Wamsher's Mill
 Lincoln Sawmill
 Seidel Steam Forge
 #3 Furnace of E & G Brooke Iron Co. 35
 Limekiln Creamery (burned in tragic fire May 9, 2009, killing two children)
 Eight-Cornered (Octagonal) Schoolhouse at Limekiln/Snyderville
 Judah Boone Tilt-Hammer Forge, 1824
 Judah Boone Grist Mill AKA Bechtel Mill
 James Boone Mine
 Moses Boone Wheelwright Shop
 James Boone Sawmill
 Gehr Fulling Mill
 Mahlon Guldin Potter
 Green Tree One-room Schoolhouse (converted residence)
 House of Miller at Bishop Mill Site
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House at the site of the Judah Boone Tilt Hammer Forge off Loder Road,
Photograph by Michelle N. Lynch
There are many resources of note classified as Class II that are listed as “NRHP Status
Undetermined,” basically meaning that they could meet criteria for the NRHP but applications
were not submitted.
The sites and properties that are noted above are representative of the early history and
development of Exeter Township, pre-industrial revolution. A wealth of 18th and 19th century
structures remain to be identified and fully surveyed. The Exeter Township Historical
Commission has been charged with updating the township’s historic sites survey. Its volunteers
have been working on the project since 2006. Progress remains slow since these volunteers have
limited time to commit to the project.
It should be noted that many of the sites previously identified by the commission are not
actual historic resources, but merely sites where historic structures once stood. These sites might
possibly yield some archeological information, but are classified here as Class IV since the
resources have been significantly altered or demolished.
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National Historic Register Properties in Exeter Township
Daniel Boone Homestead
Daniel Boone Homestead, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Boone's_Birthplace.jpg
Overview
Located on a tract of 579 acres, Daniel Boone Homestead, is the largest museum site
administered by the PHMC. It is birthplace of American frontiersman Daniel Boone. However,
the lives of the three main families that lived at the Homestead: the Boones, the Maugridges and
the DeTurks are interpreted at the site.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the property in 1937 in order to preserve
and protect the birthplace of Daniel Boone and began restoration soon afterward. Other examples
18th century architecture from the area have been relocated to and/or restored on the site,
including, a circa 1769 blacksmith's shop; the Bertolet sawmill, a water-powered vertical blade
sawmill; the Bertolet House, an example of 18th century Pennsylvania German architecture; a
blacksmith’s shop; and the early 19th century DeTurck house, now an education center.
The educational value of this public site, its 579 acres of open space, its position on the
National Register of Historic Places, and its proximity to the HBW combine to rank it as a
HIGHEST PRIORITY historic and cultural resource.
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Brief History
In 1731, Squire Boone, Daniel Boone's father, built a log cabin with one wall constructed of
native stone in the Oley Valley in what is now Exeter Township. The basement of the house
served as a spring house, providing easy access to water for cleaning, cooking and drinking and
was also was useful for cold storage. Daniel Boone was born in this 11⁄2-story log house.
William Maugridge, a shipwright/carpenter and relative of the Boones, purchased the
homestead in 1750. The home underwent an expansion to two full stories either just prior to or
after the time that it was transferred to Maugridge.
After Maugridge’s death in 1766, the property was purchased by John DeTurk. He removed
the walls of the log cabin and rebuilt them with stone. He also changed the floor plan from the
hall and parlor type and built a smokehouse that still exists. The homestead changed hands
several times before it was acquired by the PHMC.
Historic and Cultural Resources at Daniel Boone Homestead
1. Visitor’s Center
2. Boone House – The present-day, 2-story Boone House is representative of typical Oley
Valley farmhouses and shows evidence of both English and German architectural
influences.
3. Boone House Cellar – This is the original spring cellar of Squire Boones log house. The
stone walls are the foundations of the Boones’ log house where Daniel Boone was born.
4. Smokehouse – This structure was used to smoke pork and other meats as a means of
preservation.
5. Blacksmith Shop – This structure was built near Amityville in 1769 and moved to the
Daniel Boone Homestead. Squire Boone was a blacksmith by trade and would have had a
similar shop on the premises.
6. Homestead Barn – This Pennsylvania German bank barn is the type that the DeTurck
family likely had in the late 18th century. Portions of the barn are original.
7. Barn Threshing Floor – The upper level of the barn was used to store straw, hay, and
grain. The central bay was used as a threshing floor and work area.
8. Bertolet House – The Bertolet House was built in 1737 on another site in the Oley Valley
and relocated to the Daniel Boone Homestead in 1968.
9. Bertolet Bakehouse/Smokehouse – This structure was moved to the Daniel Boone
Homestead along with the Bertolet House in 1968.
10. Bertolet Sawmill – This water-powered vertical-blade sawmill was built in Oley
Township by Daniel Bertoilet in the late 18th or early 19th century and was moved to the
Daniel Boone Homestead in 1972.
11. DeTurk Cemetery – The cemetery is the burial place of several members of the DeTurk
family.
12. Daniel Boone Lake – This man-made lake serves as the nesting place for numerous
species of waterfowl
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13. Rifle Range – This 18th century target range is the scene of a number of yearly flintlock
marksmanship demonstrations by the First Pennsylvania Regiment.
14. North Picnic Area – This is one of three picnic areas.
15. Picnic Grove – This is a wooded picnic area.
16. Utility Building – This storage building is not a contributing structure.
17. South Picnic Area – This is another of the three picnic areas.
18. Wayside Lodge – This is a log camping facility with two bunk room, each with its own
bathroom and 11 bunks (22 beds).
19. Deturk Education Center – This house was built in 1812 by Samuel DeTurk, the brother
of Johannes DeTurk, who bought the Daniel Boone Homestead. The building is now used
for educational programs.
20. Maintenance Barn – The former DeTurk barn, this 19th century structure is now used for
storage of maintenance equipment.
Daniel Boone Homestead was one of 11 PHMC sites identified for possible closure in 2009.
Its buildings were closed on December 1 of that year and events ceased with the exception of
special tours and events conducted through the efforts of the non-profit volunteer organization,
Friends of the Daniel Boone Homestead. The grounds remain open to the public.
The PHMC has withdrawn support with the exception of one part-time staff person. The
Friends of Daniel Boone Homestead, now oversee all aspects of programming, preservation and
restoration at Daniel Boone Homestead. The Friends is a strong, viable, and dedicated
organization that relies on volunteer efforts.
The state’s withdrawal of support is a form of public neglect. This historic resource is
threatened by public neglect since the state has withdrawn active support and full-time staffing,
and is of high priority because of its value as a publically accessible recreational,
environmental, and historic resource and its proximity to the HBW.
Boonecroft AKA George Boone, III Homestead, 1720
Located on Oley Line Road and listed on the NRHP in 1982, this stone house was built by
George Boone, an ancestor of Daniel Boone. The property includes the ruins of a chimney from
the 1720 log cabin built by Quaker settler George Boone, III, grandfather of Daniel Boone. The
log cabin burned in 1924. A commemorated stone marker was erected in 1925 by the Historical
Society of Berks County. The adjacent farmhouse, built in 1733, is a 2½ -story Colonial English
style structure built of fieldstone with sandstone quoins. It has a 1-story, stone addition.
Also on the property are a contributing spring house, smoke house and barn. The homestead
is considered the ancestral home of the Boone Family in America that includes frontiersman
Daniel Boone, grandson of George Boone, III. The house is privately owned and wellmaintained. It is an important Class I resource that is not presently threatened.
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John Bishop House, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Bishop_House.JPG
John Bishop House, c. 1763
Located on Perkiomen Avenue AKA Route 422, the John Bishop House is a 2½-story stone
Georgian style house. It features a cut-stone primary facade, Georgian entryway, and open
staircase rising three stories. The father of John Bishop arrived in Exeter with the Boones and
Lincolns. Bishop had iron interests and became an extensive land holder in the area and in
Virginia. It was listed on the NRHP in 1985 and is currently well maintained and not threatened.
The house is presently used as a lawyer’s office and is not publically accessible. An identified
threat is the proximity of the highway, which encroaches on the property.
Mill Tract Farm AKA George Boone Homestead, gristmill 1728, house 1750
Located off of Limekiln Road, this expansive tract is an excellent example of an 18th century
farm-mill complex. The majority of the buildings date from the mid or late 18th century. The 2½story gristmill was built in 1728 by George Boone, III, the grandfather of Daniel Boone. The
earliest section of the L-shaped fieldstone Georgian farmhouse was built by his son James, an
uncle of Daniel Boone, in 1750. An addition was built to the west about 1790 and another to the
rear about 1820.
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The tract also includes an early 19th century 2½-story fieldstone tenant house and large late18th century stone and frame barn. The property, which was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1978, is presently privately owned, inaccessible and well maintained.
Mordacai Lincoln Home, 1733
Located on Lincoln Road this was the homestead of President Lincoln’s ancestor, though the
16 president only had a vague knowledge of his Pennsylvania ancestors, believing that they
were Quakers from Berks County. The Mordecai Lincoln House is four miles south of the Daniel
Boone Homestead, birthplace of Daniel Boone, and the Boone and Lincoln families were
acquainted.
th
Mordecai Lincoln Jr. served as a justice of the peace, road inspector, and militia captain or
commissioner for defense against the Indians. He died in 1736, shortly before the birth of a son,
also named Abraham, who married the first cousin of Daniel Boone, Anne Boone, a Quaker who
was censured by the Exeter Friends Meeting for marrying outside her faith. This suggests that the
Lincolns were not Quakers, even though Mordecai Jr. is believed to have been buried in the
Exeter Friends Burial Ground.
The oldest section of the house dates to 1733. The gable faces the road and is banked into
the hill with two stories rising above the basement level. This is one of the oldest English-style
houses in Berks County, and resembles the Penn Plan design propagated by William Penn in the
early days of Pennsylvania. However, the banked design is consistent with the German
vernacular style common in Berks County in the 18th century. The basement contains a walk-in
fireplace about 7 feet wide.
The 1760 addition is stepped up the hill and has a similar plan. Dormers were added to the
roof about 1830, and have been retained in the restoration that began in 1987. A summer kitchen,
about 20 feet south of the 1760 addition, was built of red sandstone in the early 19th century. The
house was renovated during 1987-88 to affect its c. 1760 form. This historic resource is privately
owned, inaccessible and well maintained. It was listed on the NRHP in 1988.
Snyder Mill AKA Schneider Mill, 1780
Located on Oley Line Road, this 1½-story banked stone gristmill harnessed the power of the
Monocacy Creek. It measures 26 feet by 50 feet, with a frame addition of 20 feet, 3 inches, by 25
feet 10 inches. The wooden water wheel is intact. The mill ceased operations in 1930. This
resource is representative of 18th century county gristmills and is significant for its association
with the county grist milling industry. It was listed on the NRHP in 1990. It is privately owned
and inaccessible.
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National Historic Register Eligible Properties in Exeter Township
Bishop-Tyson House, early to mid-18th century
This stone farmhouse is located on Perkiomen Avenue AKA Route 422 opposite the John
Bishop House and is closely related to the site. With the widening of the highway, the house is
now right on the roadway and endangered by encroaching traffic. It was neglected for many
years, but appears to have new owners. Within the past year (2012-2013), it underwent some
renovations, unfortunately these appear to be somewhat misguided and not in accordance with
the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Historic Preservation.
Hans Martin Gohrig (Gerrick) House AKA Hans Martin House, 1741
The 1741 Hans Martin Gohrig House on Kerr Road is one of the most impressive examples of
colonial period architecture in Berks County. According to James A. Lewars, director of the PHMC’s
Landis Valley Farm Museum in Lancaster, “The house immediately impresses the viewer with its
medieval proportions and lack of fenestration. There are expanses of stuccoed wall between small
casement windows. The massive roof covers a double-attic and is ‘kicked’ or bellcast, with a more
pronounced kick on the north façade.
“Perhaps the most striking and unusual aspect of the house is the hip on the roof at each gable,
forming a medieval jerkin roofline. The massive center chimney rises through the roof, not in the
exact center, but more toward the east gable in typical Pennsylvania-German fashion.”8
The Gohrig house floor plan exemplifies the typical Pennsylvania German 3-room plan. On the
first floor there is a kuche (cookery), stube (sitting room), and kamer (bed chamber). Unlike many
other early homes of the area, the Gohrig house features a full second story. One of the rooms
upstairs could have been the master bedroom. The other two may have been used as bedrooms for
children or for storage. Documentary evidence exists to show that at least part of the attic was used
for grain storage.
Local historian, George M. Meiser, IX, has called the house “The most Germanic of Berks
County’s surviving colonial structures.”9 Historian Philip Pendleton named it one of the ten most
important colonial-era houses in Pennsylvania. The PHMC’s Jim Lewars stated, “The Hans Martin
Gohrig House must take its place with other outstanding examples of Germanic architecture in
Pennsylvania. The combination of a surviving 18th century jerkin roof, the sparse fenestration,
casement-sized windows, spring cellar and cellar construction, along with classic Germanic floorplan dimensions and proportions make this house a unique surviving example.”10
The Gohrig House is at present unoccupied, after having been rented as an apartment house
during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2005, it was purchased by a non-profit organization created
specifically for the purpose of stabilizing the building, which was in an advanced state of disrepair,
and for finding a buyer willing to restore it. A new roof was installed in 2006, but to date a buyer has
not been found.
8
The Hans Martin Gohrig House Colonial Landmark in Danger, Historical Review of Berks County, Spring 2003
Ibid.
10
Ibid.
9
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The new roof is preventing further deterioration, but the house remains in a precarious position
and is a high priority. It will be a true tragedy for Berks County and Pennsylvania if such an
important colonial house is lost. A purchaser who has the means of preserving this valuable landmark
could do a great service to the preservation of colonial heritage.
Oley Line Hotel with Snyderville P.O.S. of A. Hall seen across the street at right. Photograph by Ben
Hasty for the Reading Eagle.
Oley Line Hotel AKA Snyderville Hotel 1835
Located at 800 Lime Kiln Road, this former hotel hugs the border line between Exeter and
Oley. It was once a bustling crossroads hotel, post office and general store. An inn catering to
cattle drovers and other travelers was established at this busy intersection quite early. Brothers
Jacob and Peter Snyder replaced an older log tavern with the present stone hotel building in
1835.
According to historian George M. Meiser, IX, the settlement here was originally called
Snyderville, but for obvious reasons, it was referred to as Oley Line. The official designation
became Limekiln in 1870 when the U.S. post office opened in the Snyders’ Oley Line Hotel.
At first glance, the old hotel appears similar to other Pennsylvania Dutch country hotels, but
a closer look under the late-19th century veranda reveals Greek revival decorative details,
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fashionable in the U.S. from 1820 to 1860. A frieze ornamented with anthemion – a radiating
leaf motif found in classical design – crowns each of the three entrances.
The left entrance led to the general store and post office, the middle entrance opened onto a
51-inch-wide center hallway and conducted patrons up the grand staircase to the second floor
bedrooms and ballroom or channeled lodge members to the third floor meeting rooms. The right
entrance provided immediate access to the barroom.
As the social center of the community, the hotel was designed to host a variety of activities.
Meiser found the Oley Line Patriotic Order Sons of America was established there in 1874.
Third-floor meeting rooms retain door peep holes where lodge members gave the secret
password before gaining admittance.
The inn’s kitchen, now the present owner’s living room, contains an open-hearth cooking
fireplace once used to prepare meals for patrons. The former general store is now the owner’s
dining room. On the second floor, ceiling-high room-dividing panels could be folded back
opening two rooms into one to accommodate crowds and dancing.
The hotel, which has been converted to residential use, recently underwent a three-year
restoration. A stone outbuilding in the yard was restored with 2,500 antique red-clay tiles
shipped from Germany to give its roof an authentic Oley Valley look. The property is privately
owned, inaccessible and well maintained and no longer threatened by neglect.
Exeter Friends Meetinghouse, 1759
Located on Meetinghouse Road, this meeting was established in 1725 as the Oley Friends.
The name was changed to Exeter in 1742 and a log structure predating the present 1759 stone
meetinghouse served the early Quaker settlers in Exeter Township such as the Boone, Ellis,
Hughes, and Lee families. A historical marker near the site states that worship was discontinued
in the building in 1899 but resumed in 1949.
In March 2011, the roof of historic meetinghouse was damaged by a chimney fire. The
building also sustained water damage. The structure has since been repaired.
The Exeter Friends Burial Ground is adjacent to the Meetinghouse and contains the burials
of some of Exeter’s pioneer families. The first internment was John Hughes, who died Oct. 10,
1736 at the age of 84. By 1817, the burial ground was filled. Since no additional land was
available, ground was hauled in and filled to a depth of four feet and a second tier of graves was
begun. There are no headstones or grave markers at this site.
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Hill Mill aka Wanner Mill as photographed in 2006 by Robert T. Kinsey,
http://millpictures.com/mills.php?millid=806
Wanner Mill aka Hill Mill and Miller’s House, c. 1790
The exact age of this small frame mill on Exeter Road is uncertain, but it is known that John
Hill operated at rifle boring mill here from 1790 to 1809/1810. In the 20th century, Peter Spuhler
converted the mill to a grist mill and operated it until 1959. The mill and associated miller’s
house across the street are now deeded separately and under different ownership. The house is
beautifully maintained. However, the mill itself is suffering from advanced neglect and is one of
the most endangered historic resources within Exeter Township.
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Conclusion
Exeter Township
Ongoing Threats and Mitigation
Exeter Township has a Historical Commission but does not have any designated or protected
historic districts or an ordinance protecting historic districts and/or historic resources. The
commission can make recommendations or offer advice only if consulted. Its recommendations
are not legally binding.
The commission has been charged with identifying historic resources within the township
and has been steadily working on that mission since 2006. Some sites previously identified as
historic resources are not resources, but merely historic sites where buildings or structures once
stood. They have the potential to yield archeological information only.
The greatest threats to the township’s historic resources are development and neglect.
Development encroaches on the resources and compromises their integrity. In some cases
unidentified resources have been lost to development. In other cases buildings have deteriorated
to such an advanced state of disrepair that they have fallen down or have to be torn down for
safety reasons. Still other resources remain in an advanced state of disrepair and decay.
This underscores the historical commission’s mission to identify resources before it is too
late and they are lost to the rapid development or to neglect. A historic preservation ordinance
and its enforcement would lead toward preservation of the historic landscape. Any such
ordinance should include a “demolition by neglect” clause, requiring private property owners to
maintain their buildings to code.
It is strongly recommended to monitor any demolition permits of historic properties, and to
strengthen the authority of the existing historical commission to make recommendations for
demolition delays, alternate uses for historic buildings or structures, adaptive re-use and other
mitigation of adverse effects on historic resources.
The recommendations of the 2005 Joint Comprehensive Plan for Amity, Exeter and St.
Lawrence for the protection of historic resources within the region remain valid. These are:
ordinances.
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St. Lawrence Borough
The village of St. Lawrence developed around two woolen mills, the A.J. Brumbach
Woolen Mill and the Esterly Woolen Mill, which were both established in the 19th century and
were major employers in the area. Employment opportunities in the community attracted
residential development and further commercial development. The St. Lawrence Dairy was
founded in 1888 and the John F. Lutz Furniture and Undertaking business was founded 1884. All
employed steady work forces. The services a family doctor, a veterinarian, a blacksmith (David
Lutz), a painter, a cabinetmaker, a plumber, and carpenters were also available within the village.
The village was known as St. Lawrence, the name of a successful brand of woolen goods
manufactured at the local mill. By the middle of 1890s, the villagers petitioned for a post office
to be named St. Lawrence. However, since there was an existing post office by that name, the
postal designation became Esterly.
St. Lawrence lies geographically within the boundaries of Exeter Township, but was
incorporated as a borough in 1927.
Significant Historic and Cultural Resources in St. Lawrence Borough
At present, 2012, within St. Lawrence Borough there are two (2) Class I historic resources
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
 Levan Farm AKA Isaac Levan Tract or Jacob Levan Farm
 John F. Lutz Furniture Co. & Funerary
Levan Farm AKA Isaac Levan Tract orJacob Levan Farm, 1837
Located off Elm Ave. this historic house and farm complex includes a 2-story, 5-bay by 2pile, Georgian style fieldstone farmhouse with red sandstone quoins. It has a later 1½-story rear
addition. Also on the property are a stone and wood frame bank barn, spring house, granary, corn
crib, lime kiln, and wagon shed. The Levan Farm was established by Isaac Levan about 1730 on
land granted from William Penn. The collection of farm structures makes this farm a good
example of a working, self-sufficient farm. It was listed on the NRHP in 1978.
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John F. Lutz Furniture Co. & Funerary
Located at 3559 and 3561 St. Lawrence Ave., this historic building complex consists of a
combination house/shop, warehouse/showroom, and carriage house. The combination
house/shop was built in 1878, and is a 2-story, brick and frame building in the Italianate style.
Two small 2-story, frame additions were built in 1885 and 1910. The warehouse/showroom
building was built in 1900 and is a 4-story building in the commercial style. A 4-story brick
addition was built in 1928 and a 2-story, concrete block addition in 1955. The 2-story, brick
carriage house was built in 1896. It is also in the Italianate style. John F. Lutz (1863-1936) was a
furniture maker. Like many furniture makers of his era, he also built coffins and thus also learned
to be an undertaker and opened a funerary business. The John F. Lutz Co. remained in business
until 1968, after which a furniture outlet occupied the warehouse/showroom building until 1990.
It was added to the NRHP in 1996.
At present, 2012, within St. Lawrence Borough there are two (2) Class II Unidentified Historic
Resources
 Daniel Housum Fulling Mill Complex and Miller’s Manor
 Stone Cabin
Daniel Housum Fulling Mill Complex, pre-1830 and Miller’s Manor, c. 1802-1815
Daniel Housum established a fulling mill along the Antietam Creek at what is now 499
Parkview Ave. (40.323426,-75.866301) prior to 1830. In 1830, it was sold to Jacob Brumbach,
who learned the fulling trade at DeTurck’s Fulling Mill near Monocacy in Exeter Township.
Jacob sold the business to his sons, William and Jacob B., in 1842. This was the foundation of
the Brumbach knitting mills of St. Lawrence. The entire Brumbach mills complex, including the
associated tenant houses, should be evaluated and assessed as a potential historic resource.
The miller’s manor across the street from the fulling mill is a federal style house built of brown
sandstone, which possibly predates Housum’s ownership. Fine interior carpentry may be the
work of the Bunn family of carpenters from Amity Township as it has similarities with their
known works. The miller’s house became the workers’ boarding house for the Brumbach mill.
Stone Cabin, c. 1800
Located behind 3327 Oley Turnpike Road (40.327043,-75.869664), this possible settler’s
cabin or ancillary building was discovered by Susan Speros and inspected by Ms. Speros and
Michelle Lynch in summer, 2012. The 2-room cabin was found to have the hallmarks of a typical
late-18th century or early-19th century smallholder’s farmhouse or an ancillary workhouse on a
larger farm.
The cabin is located on a parcel #18 on the Exeter warrantee map. That parcel originally
contained 152 acres and 130 perches. It was warranteed on May 2, 1744 to Friederich Limebach
(probably Leinbach) and patented June 15, 1763 to Paul Durst.
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The adjacent late-19th century house on the property appears to have been divided into rental
units based on the number of electric meters on site. The cabin appears to be in use as a storage
facility and trash staging area. The walls and roof are presently sound, but the building is
neglected and in danger due to lack of maintenance and neglect.
ordinances.
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Amity Township
Amity Township is the oldest incorporated Township in Berks County. Its boundaries are
almost identical to the boundaries of an area originally known as the Swedes’ tract. During
December 1699, Swedish Lutheran pastor Andreas Rudman met with Governor William Penn of
Pennsylvania to discuss the Swedish situation. Rudman pointed out that many of the residents of
the former Swedish colony of New Sweden felt cheated by the preemption of their lands for
Quaker settlement. He secured an order from William Penn in October 1701 setting aside 10,000
acres upstream on the Schuylkill River near the Manatawny Creek for the members of his
congregation.
River frontage was important to these Swedes and their tracts are long narrow parcels
fronting the Schuylkill at what is now known as Old Morlatton Village. The oldest extant house
in Berks County, the stone 1716 Mounce Jones House is located here, but Jones had an even
earlier log house on his tract.
St. Gabriel’s Church, in Douglassville, formerly Morlatton, founded in 1720 by these
Swedish Lutherans, is the first church congregation to be organized in Berks County. Services
were first held in 1708 by the Reverend Andrew Sandel. When the Swedes could no longer
secure ministers from their own country, they entered into full communion and fellowship with
the Anglican Church and were provided with priests of the Church of England.
By 1719, the Swede’s settlement had progressed to the point that the establishment of a local
government was needed. An application was presented to the court in Philadelphia, requesting to
form a Township called Amity.
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Morlatton Village, administered by the non-profit Historic Preservation Trust of Berks
County, represents the remnants of the Swedish Settlement begun in the early 1700s, when Berks
County was still the frontier. During colonial times, the village became a center of commerce for
the region as a routing center for refined iron from Pennsylvania’s earliest furnaces and for
grains from the Oley Valley heading down river to Philadelphia. Morlatton’s importance grew as
roads leading to Tulpehocken, Oley, Reading, and Philadelphia all intersected here.
In addition to the Swedes, the English, Irish, and Germans migrated into the township
contributing to its growth. The fertility of the soils made Amity an attractive place for settlement.
The population of Amity Township increased steadily during the 18th century, through the 19th
and into the 20th century.
The population was 12,583 at the time of the 2010 census and the township, especially in the
Douglassville area, is seeing growth in development, which is a threat to historic resources.
Significant Historic and Cultural Resources in Amity Township
At present, 2012, within Amity Township there are six (6) Class I historic resources listed
 George Douglass Mansion
 Mounce Jones House AKA Old Swede’s House
 White Horse Tavern
 Old St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church
 Griesemer Mill Complex AKA Brown Mill Complex
 Weidner Mill
At present, 2012, within Amity Township there are four (4) Class I historic resources
identified as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
NRHP Eligible
 Michael Fulp House
 T.B. Charles Farm
 Ben Franklin Inn AKA La Casa Musso
 Moyer’s School
The following thirteen (13) Class II historic resources have been surveyed and found locally
significant.
 Yellow House Store and Tavern
 William Ellis Farm
 Thomas Powell Farm
 Spott’s Mill
 Ron Rhoads Farm
 Amity Vale Farm
 Earlville Hotel
 Five Springs Farm
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
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James Guthrie Farm
Joseph Brewer Farm
Leonard Ebert Farm
Richard Conlin Farm
Dr. Elia Kitchen House
Class I Historic Resources Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Amity
Township
Old Morlatton Village
George Douglass Mansion at Old Morlatton Village, photograph by Michelle N. Lynch
George Douglass Mansion, 1763
The mansion located on Old Philadelphia Pike and built in 1763, is part of the Old Morlatton
Village Historic Site. It is a 2-story, 5-bay sandstone building with a gable roof. The main
section is classic Georgian in style and plan. Attached to the main section is a 2-story store wing
built about 1800 and a 1-story smokehouse and wash house addition built about 1833. The house
is owned by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County, which has been working on
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restoration since 1995. Great progress has been made during 2012 and 2013. The house listed on
the NRHP in 2009. It is accessible to the public and open by appointment.
Historical and Architectural Significance Condensed from the HPTBC’s website:
Family History
George Douglass was descended from Scottish nobility and spent his formative years in
Salisbury Township in eastern Lancaster County. He married a Mary Piersol—another resident
of Salisbury Township—in 1747. A 1750 tax list shows him still residing in Salisbury Township,
but the 1754 and 1760 tax lists show him as a renter in Reading. It is likely he was one of many
inn or tavern keepers in the busy county seat and market town because at the time he bought the
White Horse Inn, in 1762, he was referred to as “innholder.”
Douglass was thirty-six years old when he came to Morlatton. During the 1760s, he was
active in petitioning for road creation. He lived from 1726 to 1799, was a Revolutionary War
veteran (fighting in the battles for Long Island as a captain in the Berks County militia) and is
buried in St. Gabriel’s church yard.
Social History
George Douglass was a Justice of the Peace for Berks County from 1764-1776. Two
important factors for the post were high local social and economic status, and potential
usefulness to the Proprietary government as a local political organizer and exerter of influence
for the Proprietary interest. As a Justice of the Peace in the 18th century, George Douglass would
have conducted county business from his home. Local residents would have gone to him to deal
with land disputes, wills, water right agreements, and probate records, as well as crime.
Architectural History
After purchasing the White Horse Inn, George Douglass decided to build a separate
sandstone Georgian mansion. The 2½-story structure provided ample living space for his family.
The mansion must have been one of the first full-blown Georgian structures in the region. It is a
central passage, double pile structure with 5 principle façade bays. The dormers appear to be
original to the structure. A western corner entry was a later alteration. The exterior consists a
plaster cove cornice and fine cut stone with evidence of a pent roof. There is a date stone with an
unusual arrangement of initials and numerals.
The interior and exterior of the structure is currently in the process of being restored. Much
of the first floor’s original woodwork has been lost. There is evidence that the first floor walls
had been fully paneled. The fine corner cupboard in the southeast room is probably a Federal
period addition. However, the second floor and attic retain much of their original woodwork and
hardware.
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Mounce (Mouns) Jones House aka Old Swede’s House at Old Morlatton Village,
photograph by Michelle N. Lynch
Mounce (Mouns) Jones House aka Old Swede’s House, 1716
Located on Old Philadelphia Pike, the Mouns Jones House, part of the Old Morlatton
Village Historic Site, is the oldest extant house in Berks County. It is owned, was restored by and
is maintained by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County. It was listed on the NRHP in
1974 and is open to the public by appointment.
Family History
Mounce Jones, son of Jonas Nilsson, was born in 1663 and eventually settled on the land he
acquired from his father and built a modest stone dwelling. He married Ingabor Laicon around
1690 at Gloria Dei Church (the Old Swedes Church in Philadelphia). Their known children were
Margaret (1691), Peter (1693), Christina (1695), Jonas (1698), Andrew (1702), and Brigitta
(1704). When he moved to present-day Berks County, he deeded the stone house he had built in
West Philadelphia to his son-in-law, Frederick Schopenhousen. It was later incorporated into
John Bartram’s “Bartram’s Garden.”
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The Jones family was one of four large families which settled together in the Oley Valley.
The Swedish enclave which arose in southeastern Berks County was mostly related to Jones
through either blood or marriage. Mounce Jones died in 1727 and is buried in the St. Gabriel’s
church yard in Douglassville, Pennsylvania. In 1735, Brigitte Huling (granddaughter of Mounce
Jones) married William Bird of Hopewell Furnace fame. Andrew Jones (son of Mounce) married
Dorothy Gouther in 1736.
John Kirlin, a later owner of the property, was living in the Morlatton region by 1754. John
and his wife, Elizabeth, have a son named Samuel in 1762. Also, Kirlin was a vestryman at St.
Gabriel’s Church from 1763 to 1767. The late-18th century and early-19th century history of the
property is directly related to the Douglass family.
Social History
The history of the Mounce Jones property and its surrounding area are directly linked to the
Schuylkill River. At the earliest period, canoes were the primary form of transportation, even to
Philadelphia. Nevertheless, in 1709, Mounce Jones signed a petition to have a road made to
Manatawny. Jones was appointed to lay out this road, but it was never approved and therefore
never created. Probably during the ownership of Andrew Jones (son of Mounce) and definitely
prior to 1820, the house was used as a tavern and known as the Lamb’s Inn. The tavern was
probably operated by Mounce Jones’ grandson. Much like the White Horse Inn, choosing to
operate a tavern from this location was wise due to the proximity of the ford and the road
junction near the house.
Probably due to the ford being located near his home, Mounce Jones was a known confidant
with the local Native American population. Later in life, he donated a portion of his land for the
construction of St. Gabriel’s Church.
The house, built in 1716, is the oldest documented dwelling in Berks County, but while it is
considered the oldest extant structure in the county, it is by no means the first structure that was
ever built here. Considering the amount of restoration and reconstruction that the building has
gone through, it is hard to truly consider it the oldest standing structure in the county. The
original structure on the property was probably a log structure located somewhere on the river
side of the current structure. A foundation for this structure had been located during the
restoration of the house.
The current stone house stands at the south end of what was the original 498-acre tract
acquired by Mounce Jones in 1701. It is a 2½-story sandstone structure. Stone construction was
adopted by the Swedes only after the mass immigration of English and Welsh Quakers to
Pennsylvania in the 1680s. The house reflects the fact that the Swedes were becoming
acculturated into Anglo-American society. Originally, the building would have been a 20 by 36
foot home in the style of an English hall-parlor house with casement-style windows. At some
point, the original partition wall on the first floor was removed—this wall would have divided
the hall and parlor. There is a corner fireplace in the parlor (representing lingering Swedish
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influence) and a gable roof. At some point, the second floor had been divided into three small
rooms with a hall running from east to west for access on the river side. There also was a deep
cellar which was filled in over the years by continuous flooding by the Schuylkill River.
By 1961, the structure was in ruins, was regularly being flooded by the Schuylkill River, and
contained a heavy deposit of silt in the cellar and first floor. The roof and second floor had
collapsed along with the entire eastern elevation. Part of the northeastern chimney had fallen as
well. The area around the house was heavily wooded and overgrown. The Historic Preservation
Trust of Berks County began restoring the property in 1965 and took three years to complete the
work. The HPTBC has continued to restore and maintain the house since that time.
Amity Colonial Dancers at the White Horse Tavern in Old Morlatton Village,
photograph by Michelle Lynch
White Horse Tavern, 1765
The tavern was originally built in 1765, and is a 2½-story, 5-bay, sandstone building with a
gable roof. A 2½-story, 3-bay, addition was constructed in 1780. The building operated as an inn
and tavern until 1870, when it was converted to a 3-family residence. The house was obtained in
1971 by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County and subsequently restored. It is part of
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the Morlatton Village historic site and was listed on the NRHP in 1975. It is accessible and open
to the public by appointment.
Family History
The first person to utilize the property as a public house location was Marcus Huling.
Huling, a Swedish Indian trader, was married to Mounce Jones’ daughter Margaret. Marcus
Huling lived from 1687 to 1757 and is buried in the St. Gabriel’s church yard. Huling was a well
known Indian interpreter and a man of great wealth. He was a vestryman at St. Gabriel’s Church
in 1753. Perhaps due to his association with a tavern, Huling was very active in the 1730s and
40s in seeking roads through petition. In 1744, Huling signed the petition which created Amity
Township.
Social History
Early in the tavern’s existence, it was known as the “White Stag.” Nevertheless, the White
Horse Inn was the first stop on the highway from Reading to Philadelphia. Near here was a ford
originally known as the “White Horse Ford.” The ford was apparently located slightly upriver
from here. The Philadelphia stage would have passed by the inn twice a week. This inn would
have been well known since it was a day’s journey from Philadelphia and located near a ford of
the river. The White Horse was the Oley Valley’s first house for public entertainment and
accommodation. After the covered bridge was built, the White Horse’s business declined
because traffic began to bypass its location and people began to use the Black Horse Tavern
(present-day Douglassville Hotel).
By 1770 the only road from Reading to Philadelphia passed the White Horse, the ford across
the river that most people used to get to Thomas Millard’s mill was near here with a road across
it, and the road to Oley terminated near the Douglass House. Therefore, this was a major 18th
century crossroads. This would have been a very good place to locate an inn.
During its existence, the tavern housed many notably people. George Washington visited the
property twice. On November 10, 1793, during an inspection tour of Reading in the aftermath of
the yellow fever epidemic, he stopped at the inn. Washington stopped again during his journey
west to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. He traveled in a coach of state with a military
escort at the head of a militia column. The Whiskey Rebellion was an insurrection in the
Pennsylvania counties west of the Alleghany Mountains in response to an excise tax which had
been placed on whiskey by the government. Most people in this region made a living by
producing whiskey.
The current structure is Georgian style with a principle façade constructed of coursed,
dressed sandstone. The remaining three facades are constructed of undressed sandstone. The
original section of the structure was the eastern section and was of the double cell type; this
section consisted of two rooms on each floor. Today, this section includes the main entrance
room, the “meeting” room, and the office and storage rooms on the second floor. Around 1762,
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George Douglass enlarged the structure to the west. Douglass’ addition consisted of one room on
the first floor with two rooms above. Today, this includes the tap room and the caretaker’s
apartment on the second floor. The western door opened into the bar and the eastern door opened
into a women’s sitting room in the 18th century.
Old Morlatton Village Threats
The above three NRHP resources together with the NRHP eligible Michael Fulp House
comprise the historic sites of Old Morlatton Village, a historic site owned, administered, and
maintained by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County. Application to the PHMC for the
nomination of Morlatton Village as a historic district to the National Register of Historic Places
was denied based on the number of intrusions in the village. While this is regrettable, it does not
preclude the township from declaring the village a historic district and protecting it with a
historic district ordinance in order to regulate existing structures and prevent further intrusions.
Fortunately, the HPTBC has control of the four most important historic sites within the
village, and nearby St. Gabriel’s Church, which historically served the village, is well preserved
by the congregation.
The HPTBC has done an admirable job of restoring and maintaining the resources it owns,
but it faces some challenges, most significantly, lack of funds and a dwindling volunteer base.
The educational value of the historic resources in Old Morlatton Village, their accessibility to the
public, their position on the National Register of Historic Places, and their proximity to the HBW
combine to rank them as HIGH PRIORITY historic and cultural resources.
Old St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, 1801
St. Gabriel’s Church served the village of Morlatton. The congregation is the oldest in Berks
County. The 1801 stone church was constructed in a plain classically influenced style, typical of
rural churches in the region. Noted features of the building are the herring-bone pattern masonry,
an arched ceiling, galleries on three sides reached by two stairways converging to the main
entrance way, windows above and below the galleries, and high backed pew boxes furnished
with doors and capped with cornices at the height of the adult occupant's shoulders. A wineglass
shaped pulpit, surmounted by a sounding board, projected the minister’s voice into the
congregation.
The church, known as the chapel by the present congregation, was listed on the NRHP in
1978. It has been restored, is well maintained, is publically accessible and is open to the public
by appointment.
Griesemer Mill Complex AKA Brown Mill Complex, farmhouse c. 1830, mill 1843
Located on Brown’s Mill Road, this historic gristmill complex along the Monocacy Creek
consists of 1½-story, stuccoed sandstone mill (1843); a 2½-story, stucco-over-stone farmhouse
(c. 1830); 1½-story, stucco over stone, brick and frame summer kitchen (c. 1830); stone and
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frame barn (c. 1850); two small barns (c. 1900); wagonshed with corn crib (c. 1920); and frame
garage (c. 1920). The mill is representative of a country custom mill, built as part of a working
farm and is important for its association with the county gristmill industry. Architecturally, it is a
good representative of a country custom mill of the mid-19th century. It was listed on the NRHP
in 1990 and is privately owned.
Weidner Mill, 1855
Located on Blacksmith Road, this is a historic gristmill was powered by the Manatawny
Creek was built as part of a working farm. The complex consists of the 2½-story, stone and brick
banked mill (1855); 2½-story, stucco over stone farmhouse (c. 1840); 1 ½-story, stucco over
stone, combined smokehouse/springhouse (c. 1820); 2½-story, stucco over stone tenant house (c.
1820); stucco over stone bank barn (c. 1850); and the millrace and dam. The mill ceased
operation in the 1940s. The mill is an example of 19th century mill architecture and was listed on
the NRHP in 1990. It is privately owned.
Class I Historic Resources Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in Amity
Township
Michael Fulp House, c. 1783
This modest stone house was built for yeoman farmer Michael Fulp (c.1743-1808). It offers
insight into the lives of the local working people of the 18th century. Fulp’s name first appears on
the Amity tax rolls of 1773 where he is described as a landless single freeman. He served as a
private in the local militia during the Revolutionary War.
Around 1783, he purchased a ¼-acre lot from his neighbor, John Kerlin (a later owner of the
Mounce Jones tract), and had a stone house built. The house originally had two rooms on the
main floor with an open attic and a cellar under one half of the building. The main floor includes
a fireplace with chimney for cooking on one gable end and until the 20th century the room
opposite was heated by a stove, which had its own chimney on the opposite gable.
In the mid-20th century, the house became known as the Bridge Keeper’s House, although
there is no official record of a bridge keeper here. It was acquired by the Historic Preservation
Trust of Berks County in 1965. During 2011-2012 the HPTBC completed extensive repair and
restoration on the Fulp House. The Fulp House is open to the public by appointment.
Ben Franklin Inn AKA La Casa Musso, 1809
Located at 824 East Benjamin Franklin Hwy. AKA Route 422 East, this stone building was
historically known as Gressmoyer Tavern. It was the Ben Franklin Inn when it was determined
eligible for the NRHP in 1992. The property has changed hands several times within the last two
decades.
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Moyer’s School, 1860
Located on East Benjamin Franklin Hwy. AKA Route 422 East, this brick one-room school
house served the community until its 1918 closing. The schoolhouse lay abandoned for many
years before being converted to commercial use in the 1970s.
Note:
Irey Mansion AKA Roselawn, 1850s (formerly Class I, now demolish)
Formerly located on the East Benjamin Franklin Hwy. AKA Route 422 East, 1000ft. West
of Old Swede Rd., this historic resource on a former dairy farm was identified as eligible for the
NRHP by the PHMC in 1998, the year a Wawa convenience store and gas station was proposed
for the site.
A group of preservation-minded residents from the community banded together in an
attempt to save the mansion and its associated outbuildings, involving the PHMC and
successfully delaying the project. Unfortunately, that did not stop it from being demolished to
make way for the Wawa in 1999. A “demolition” auction was held in June of that year.
Attendees bid on eight fireplace mantels, a 3-story walnut staircase, interior trim and other
architectural salvage to be removed at their own expense. The Wawa store, its parking lot and
gas pumps now occupy the site.
William Ellis Farm, 1739
This 18th century stucco-over-stone farmhouse, summer kitchen, and barn complex is
located at the intersection of Blacksmith Road and Pleasant Meadow Road.
Class II Historic Resources Surveyed in Amity Township
Yellow House Store and Tavern, 1801
Located on Old Swede Road at the intersection of the Boyertown Pike (Intersection of
Routes 662 and 562), the Yellow House Hotel originally served as a stagecoach stop and country
store for travelers between Reading and Philadelphia. The stucco-over-stone structure has long
been painted yellow, hence its name. The hotel played an important role in the local community,
housing a general store, the village switchboard, and a post office. The ownership and cuisine of
the Yellow House has changed hands more than 25 times over the years, but the hotel remains a
popular gathering place, restaurant and guest inn.
William Ellis Farm, 1739
This 18th century stucco-over-stone farmhouse, summer kitchen, and barn complex is
located at the intersection of Blacksmith Road and Pleasant Meadow Road.
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Thomas Powell Farm, 1782, enlarged 1820
This stucco-over-stone farmhouse and barn are located on Valley Road
Spott’s Mill, 1840
This mid-19th century stone gristmill is found on Spott’s Mill Road.
Ron Rhoads Farm, 1840, 1875
This mid-to-late-19th century stone farmhouse and barn are located on Memorial Highway
AKA Route 662 AKA Old Swede Road.
Amity Vale Farm, 1798
This late-18th century farm complex includes a stone Georgian style farmhouse, barn, and
other outbuildings located on Pine Lane.
Earlville Hotel, 1794, 1838
This is stucco-over-stone building is a typical country roadside hotel of the late-18th to early19 century. It is located on Boyertown Pike AKA Route 562.
th
Five Springs Farm AKA Rhoads/Lorah Farm, 1830
Known as Five Springs or The Rhoads/Lorah Homestead, this farmstead complex with a
stone Georgian style farmhouse, summer kitchen, spring house, and barn is located at 1832 Old
Swede Road near the hamlet of Yellow House. Family patriarch, Johan Jacob Rhoads (Rodt),
came with his family to Amity Township from Wurtemberg in 1717. Together with Johann
Theodorick Griener (possibly a relative), he purchased 300 acres, later divided on a prorated
basis, so that the Rhoads family retained 100 acres, including the Five Springs Farm tract. The
land remained in the family for five successive generations, until 1925.
This wonderful c.1830 Pennsylvania German limestone house has been remarkably
preserved and restored. The elegant proportions and understated neo-classical details are in
keeping with Federal architectural style of the period. However, as a rural example, house retains
many of the traditional elements and utilitarian features of a typical farmhouse.
In front of the main house is a springhouse in which foods were preserved in the days before
refrigeration. The grounds are comprised of over 11 acres of gardens, huge specimen trees,
rolling-meadows and lawns. A summer kitchen, with a cellar spring, was converted in the 1930s
to a guesthouse overlooking two more springs and the stream that feeds the pond. A large
Pennsylvania stone-ender bank barn and numerous outbuildings complete the farmstead.
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James Guthrie Farm, 1807
This is another fine early 19th century farm complex with a stone Federal style farmhouse
and two barns located on Blacksmith Road
Joseph Brewer Farm, 1830, 1850
This property features a 5-bay stone farmhouse located on Pine Lane.
Leonard Ebert Property, 1820, 1860
This stucco-over-stone house on Worman Road was converted from a one room school.
Richard Conlin Farm, 1860, 1880
This stone Italianate style house, located on Route 662 AKA Old Swede Road, is similar to
some others in the region such as the now-demolished Irey Mansion and the Dr. Elias Kitchen
House. The complex includes a summer kitchen.
Dr. Elias Kitchen House, 1860
Built in 1857, this house is significant both for its unusual blend of architectural styles and its
residents over the years. The rear section of the house was constructed with the proportions and
architectural details of the Greek revival style. The larger front section exhibits the massing, scale
and decorative details of the slightly later Italianate style. Curiously, the house is also embellished
with some Gothic Revival elements. These are present, predominantly, in the main entrance and
porch areas and in the lancet arches of the third story windows.
The house was built for Dr. Elias Carey Kitchin (1827-1909), a native of Bucks County, who
received his certification in medicine at the age of 23 in 1850. In 1856, Dr. Kitchin married Ellen
Filbert, whose father had been the proprietor of the Yellow House Hotel. An interesting chapter in
the life of Dr. Kitchin concerns his service during the Civil War. When Dr. Kitchin learned that the
Confederates were marching through Pennsylvania, he started for Harrisburg with a rifle. There, he
chanced to meet Surgeon-General King of the Union Army, who made him assistant surgeon and
assigned him to the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry. Dr. Kitchin was lauded for both duty and bravery
before being mustered out in 1865 and returning to his Amity practice.
In 1933, the house was purchased by Robert and Esther Merritt. The couple began their wellknown antique business here in the home. Following Esther’s passing, Robert remarried. His second
wife, Mary Merrit, is fondly remembered by generations of Berks County girls for the doll museum
she founded and operated for many years.
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Conclusion
Amity Township Ongoing Threats and Mitigation
As one of the oldest settlement sites in Berks County, Amity Township has a wealth of
historic resources and is particularly rich in 18th and early 19th century resources. However, the
township does not have a historical commission to assist in identifying historic resources within
the township or to make recommendation on mitigating adverse effects to historic resources.
With its proximity to the Route 422 corridor and easy access to the greater Philadelphia
region, the greatest threat to Amity’s historic resources is suburban development, which has
rapidly increased in the past two decades. Development encroaches on the resources and
compromises their integrity. In some cases unidentified resources have been lost to development.
The township is advised to identify potential historic districts such as the village of
Amityville and thematic districts for 18th century farmsteads and to adopt a historic district
ordinance to protect identified resources before they are lost this rapid development. A historic
preservation ordinance and its enforcement would assist in the preservation of the historic
landscape.
ordinances.
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Douglass Township
Douglass Township was named for the prosperous Douglass family of Douglassville,
formerly Old Morlatton in Amity Township and there is a close relationship between the two
townships.
They are part of a region historically identified as the Manatawny Section, which takes its
name from the stream draining this area also including Exeter and Oley Townships.
This was the first region of Berks County to be settled by Europeans, when a small colony
of Swedes took up residence in1701. Their friendly relationship with the area Natives gave the
name “Amity” to the territory that became that township. German and English settlers followed,
beginning about 1712.
This southern section of the Manatawny Valley is rich in iron. Beginning in 1716, Douglass
Township became the site of the earliest iron industry in Berks County and in Pennsylvania
when Thomas Rutter founded Rutter’s Bloomery Forge, later known as Pine Forge. His early
effort led to a proliferation of other major iron works, including the Colebrookdale Furnace, also
in Douglass Township, and others within and nearby the HBW.
The high iron content of the soil is evident in the reddish-brown color of the stone used to
construct farmhouses, barns and outbuildings in this region. Compare this color with the bluegray of the lime-rich stone found farther north in the Manatawny Valley. The heavy lime
enriched soil there allowed wheat farming to prosper during the colonial period and gave rise to
the construction of local grist mills powered by the townships’ streams and waterways. The
entire Manatawny region experienced unequaled and unprecedented wealth at this time. Vestiges
of this wealth remain in the legacy of the built environment found here.
Today, modern bridges span the Schuylkill River, uniting the geographic regions on the
eastern and western banks. However, Amity and Douglass Townships on the eastern bank and
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Union on the western bank were historically identified within separate geographical regions,
each having its own unique, yet interrelated, heritage and history.
Across the Schuylkill River in Union Township, there was a different settlement pattern.
European colonization here began in 1715, more than a decade after the settlement of the
Manatawny Section and during a time when this region was still part of Chester County. The
first settlers here were of Welsh and English origin with some Swiss-German Mennonites. This
region on the opposite bank is historically known as the “Schuylkill Section” and includes
Brecknock, Caernarvon and Robeson Townships, much of the heart of the HBW.
It, too, is known for deposits of iron ore and the reddish-brown sandstone found here. In
both of these regions, the Manatawny and the Schuylkill, we witness the “melting pot” that is
America. The early settlers in each region borrowed ideas from one another, and the 18th century
structures they left behind often exhibit a curious mixture of various post-medieval European
traditions and American innovations.
Significant Historic and Cultural Resources in Douglass Township
At present, 2012, within Douglass Township there are two (2) Class I historic resources
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Ironstone Bridge
Bahr’s Mill
At present, 2012, within Douglass Township there is one (1) Class I historic districts listed

Pine Forge Mansion and Industrial Site
At present, 2012, within Douglass Township there is one (1) Class I historic districts
eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

Colebrookdale Furnace Complex
At present, 2012, within Douglass Township there ten (10) Class I historic resources
eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.






Popodickon Manor
Jacob Bunn House
Wooden Trestle Bridge
Greshville Hotel, General Store and Post Office
Willow Glen AKA Major James Wren Mansion
Little Oley Post Office AKA Greshville Store
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



Little Oley Hotel
Gilbert Miller Gristmill
Levengood-Wagner Gristmill
Glendale 2-Room Schoolhouse
Class I Historic Resources Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Douglass
Township
Ironstone Bridge, 1907
Located on Farmingdale Ave. this historic concrete arch bridge crossed the Ironstone Creek.
It is a single span, 104-foot long, barrel arch bridge. It was listed on the NRHP in 1988.
Bahr Mill at Gablesville, photograph by Robert T. Kinsey, http://millpictures.com/mills.php?millid=3114
Bahr’s Mill, 1897
Part of a farm complex in the village of Gabelsville, this stone mill was built in 1897 to
house Jacob Bahr's (pronounced Bear) woodworking and grist mill business. An older linseed oil
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mill dating prior to 1828 occupied the site until the 1890s. That mill was converted for
woodworking in the early 1870s, and the new mill was built in 1897.
The original machinery includes a duplicating lathe, a polishing machine (belt sander) and a
spoke-tenoning machine with 1870 and 1871 patent dates. There are also two standard lathes,
both over 10 feet long.
The mill was water-powered by an overshot wheel until the dam washed out with flooding
in 1938. Then, in 1945, the Bahr Family’s saw mill across the street won a contract from the
Boyertown Burial Casket Company. This required more hours of operation than the millponds
could provide. The family woodworking business was largely ignored from that time until
Lawrence Bahr closed the sawmill in 1967.
The mill is listed on the NRHP. It is privately owned and is open to the public by
appointment.
Class I Historic Districts Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Douglass
Township
Pine Forge Mansion, courtesy of Preservation Trades Network,
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Preservation-Trades-Network/36544679589
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Pine Forge Mansion and Industrial Site, 1716
This site consists of five (5) historic buildings, several masonry ruins, and the remains of a
dam and mill race. The primary complex of buildings includes a large stone manor house, small
stone barn, small stone outbuilding, stone root cellar, smokehouse, and a garage.11
Pine Forge, established in 1716, was owned by six generations of the Rutter family and
three generations of the Potts family and is particularly significant as the first iron forge and
furnace established in Pennsylvania. The iron master’s house is significant for its association
with Thomas Rutter founder of Pine Forge and for its association with successor generations of
his family and the Potts family.
As abolitionists, the Rutters are believed to have used the manor as a stop on the
underground railroad, a network that assisted runaway slaves in escaping to freedom.
The buildings and neighboring grounds are currently owned by the nonprofit Allegheny-East
Conference Corp. of Seventh-day Adventists and used for the Conference’s Pine Forge
Academy. The conference hopes to restore the remaining structures for use as an education
center. Public tours, living-history events, and musical and education programs would be hosted
on site. However, estimates for restoration range up to $20 million.
In 2002, the “Pine Forge Iron Plantation” site and its associated buildings were the subject
of a study for a graduate thesis in historic preservation by Melissa Pilar LaValley. Ms. LaValley
traced the history and building chronology of the site and made recommendations for its
preservation. This thesis is available for download in PDF at
http://ia700208.us.archive.org/1/items/pineforgeironpla00lava/pineforgeironpla00lava.pdf.
Class I Historic Resources Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in Douglass
Township
Popodickon
Popodickon was built near present day Boyertown in 1731 by Thomas Potts, the father of
John Potts. A year earlier, in 1730, Potts purchased 250 acres adjoining the Colebrookdale
Furnace from Thomas Rutter. He then built Popodickon on this land about one mile upstream
from the furnace.
According to family legend the house was named for an Indian chief allegedly buried on the
property. However, the house may have been named after the nearby creek, then called
Popodickon, and now Ironstone Creek.
“Pine Forge Iron Plantation: History, Building Chronology and Recommendations for Preservation” Historic Preservation Graduate Thesis by
Melissa Pilar LaValley, 2002
11
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A few days after his son, John’s marriage to Ruth Savage in 1734, Thomas gave the
property to John and it became home to the newlyweds. The couple built Pottsgrove manor in
1753 and in 1760, John gave the Popodickon property to his son-in-law, Thomas Rutter III.
The original circa 1731 portion of the house is built of brick with a typical English centerhall plan and a gable chimney situated at each end. The house is 5 bays wide, with center
entrance door. There are two rooms on the first floor and two on the second floor. An attic with
fireplaces at each end and windows in the gables provided additional living space.
In some ways, the smaller and slightly less grand Popodickon served as a model for
Pottsgrove, the house John Potts built twenty years later at Pottsgrove. There are stylistic
similarities between the two homes, most notably in the front halls.
Jacob Bunn House, 1760s
Located at 411 Old Philadelphia Pike, this house was once considered part of Morlatton
Village.
This is the showplace of all the homes attributed to the premier master carpenters of Berks
County, Jacob Bunn and his son, John Bunn. The large body of their work encompasses the late
18th and early 19th centuries, and can be found throughout Berks County and parts of Chester
County. Notable early examples reveal a distinctly Georgian influence, while later examples
executed by Jacob’s son, John, have a decidedly Federal appearance. This house, Jacob’s own
home, consists of an early circa 1760s stuccoed stone section in the rear, two-and-a-half stories,
with two rooms on each floor. The slightly banked cellar is very interesting with its barrel
vaulted root cellar, and well/spring, all indicators of an earlier vintage than the rest of the house.
The main section of the house was built by master carpenter Jacob Bunn in about 1790. The
late Georgian front addition, of clapboard sheathed logs, features an elegantly and masterfully
fashioned front entry with fluted pilasters, fanlight and raised panel door. All six-over-nine
windows are crowned with wooden keystone centered cornices. The interior woodwork in the
large front room is most masterful, with all details fashioned to be prime examples of the master
carpenter's work for prospective clients. Adjacent, in full view for clients, the magnificent central
stairway features the Bunn's characteristically modeled drop finials and intricately turned
spindles.
The crowning feature of the home is the truly magnificent carved and paneled second floor
parlor. This room features dentil moldings and pitch-pedimented windows, with a mantel and
overmantel flanked by a pedimented cupboard. Similar rich architectural details in a second floor
parlor are found in two houses credited to the Bunns, the 1801 Fisher house in Oley, and the
1802 Hain house (“Greystone”) near Wernersville. The elegant upstairs parlor or master
bedroom with an ornately carved fireplace and flanking cupboards is a characteristic almost
universally seen in the Bunns’ work.
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Wooden Trestle Bridge
This is an old wooden trestle railroad bridge for the Reading Colebrookdale Branch of the
railroad.
Greshville Hotel, General Store and Post Office, 1853
Located on the Boyertown Pike AKA Route 562, this typical mid-19th century stucco-overstone country hotel was originally known as Limestone Hotel due to the local limestone
quarrying operation.
Willow Glen AKA Major James Wren Mansion, 1870
Located on Route 100 near the intersection of Route 562, this mid-19 th century home was
built for the owner of a woolen mill.
Colebrookdale Ironworks, 1830
Located along Route 100, the earliest building in this complex dates to 1830 when W.W.
Weaver established a forge/foundry here to make wood burning stoves, kettles and iron utensils.
The complex includes “company houses” or tenant houses.
Little Oley Post Office AKA Greshville Store, 1871
Located at the intersection of Route 100 and Greshville Road the short-lived post office was
designated Little Oley.
Little Oley Hotel, 1885
This late 19th century hotel was rebuilt by William Turner. It is located adjacent to the Little
Oley Post Office or Greshville Store.
Gilbert Miller Gristmill, enlarged by F. Neiman, 1880
This is an example of a mid-to-late 19th century gristmill, located on Gristmill Road.
Levengood-Wagner Gristmill, 1840s
This is a mid-19th century brown sandstone gristmill located on Gristmill Road.
Glendale 2-Room Schoolhouse, 1883
Located on Glendale Road, this old schoolhouse closed in 1932. Glendale was an old name
for Pine Forge Village.
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Threats and Mitigations
Douglass Township does not have a historical commission. Historic resource surveys for the
township have not been updated, and are presently inadequate. The township remains largely
rural, wooded, and undeveloped outside of agricultural operations. A substantial quarry forms an
intrusion on the landscape in the southeastern corner of the township. Threats include
encroaching suburban sprawl from Amity Township to the west, greater Pottstown and Upper
Pottsgrove Township to the east, and Boyertown to the north.
It is imperative that the township take action to identify and assess its historic resources at
this time. The township is advised to appoint a historical commission, similar to that in nearby
Exeter Township, to undertake this task.
CONCLUSION
Cultural and Historic Resources Prioritized Within and Nearby the HBW in Southeastern
Berks County
The Municipalities within the southeastern area of Berks County that have ties to the HBW
are distinguished more by their differences than their similarities. The similarities are rather
obvious, the underlying Colonial era English base, with the general Pennsylvania Dutch overlay.
The differences can be sometimes dramatic, and the settlement patterns and motivation of the
earliest “English” settlers tell the story of that HBW Berks area’s cultural and architectural
history and legacy. Of all, Caernarvon Township has the most singular history, with the first
settlers coming exclusively from the Welsh Tract.
It is interesting to note that Berks County historians view townships such as Amity,
Douglass, Exeter and Union as part of the “greater Oley Valley” sphere, which is not necessarily
so. Conversely, due to their close historic ties, Chester County historians view Union Township
as a natural extension of the Coventry Townships’ sphere. Additionally, Douglass Township
experienced a steady settlement directly from Germantown via Philadelphia (Montgomery)
County. Certainly the early Swedish “Morlatton” community of parts of Amity, Union and
Douglass Townships can be viewed a historic entity unto itself, with close ties of family, culture,
commerce, and church. Certainly in the 18th and 19th century there were dealings with the
Germanic enclave of the nearby Oley Valley, but the culture and frank Germanic architectural
legacy of the Oley Valley tells a different story than that of the HBW Townships of southeastern
Berks.
With study and analysis, these “HBW Townships” of Berks yield their individual stories,
and the settlement pattern of each reveals the time line of distribution of historic resources. The
earliest settlers, Welsh and English entrepreneurs, from Philadelphia via Chester and
Philadelphia (Montgomery) counties were largely connected with the iron trade and commerce.
This is clearly seen in the more prominent structures in our architectural legacy, and notably
discerned in the very Georgian influenced homes they built by the mid-to-late 18th century. This
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pattern is seen in all Townships, but particularly in Caernarvon and Robeson Townships.
Historic resources here are of HIGHEST PRIORITY to the HBW.
We find the earliest and most prominent vestiges of the early iron industry in Berks County
in Douglass, Union, and Robeson Townships, with several historic resources being on the NRHP
or eligible for it. These are all of HIGH PRIORITY to the HBW.
In Amity, we find the village of Morlatton with its ties to the early Swedish pioneers, the
local iron industry and agriculture. The educational value of the historic resources in Old
Morlatton Village, their accessibility to the public, their position on the National Register of
Historic Places, and proximity to the HBW combine to rank them as HIGH PRIORITY to the
HBW.
All of the early Berks iron dynasty families retained ties through generations with the iron
dynasties of Montgomery and Chester Counties. These iron rich histories have indelible ties to
each other, making county lines superfluous. The HBW area encompasses the whole of this rich
and important early history, be it Berks, Chester or Montgomery (Philadelphia) County. This
interconnectedness of early culture, architecture, commerce, and family, is what ties the historic
and cultural resources of all of the HBW together and makes these resources and their protection
of utmost and primary importance.
Class I historic resources that are Berks Heritage Council heritage sites within and nearby
the HBW include:
Allegheny Aquaduct and Beidler Mansion (Berks County Parks Department)
Daniel Boone Homestead (PHMC and Friends of Daniel Boone Homestead)
Historic Joanna Furnace (Hay Creek Valley Historical Association)
Old Morlatton Village: 4 sites (Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County)
Thomas Rutter Mansion and Pine Forge Industrial Site (Pine Forge Historical Society)
These historic resources are of highest priority to the HBW. This does not imply that they
are more significant historically or architecturally than other Class I historic resources found
within or nearby the HBW.
As publically accessible museum sites, these historic resources complement Hopewell
Village NHS and the larger conservation, recreation, education, and tourism goals of the HBW.
As non-profit heritage/museum sites, they are of high educational value. The extensive park-like
grounds associated with these resources contribute to the HBW’s forest and provide open space
for recreation.
Both the grounds and the historic sites themselves attract visitors and tourists. These
heritage sites and Hopewell Village NHS are advised to work together to develop a regional selfguided “Heritage Trail” or “Heritage Tour.” Obvious connections are the iron industry and
transportation heritage.
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Regarding Historic Preservation and support for identified critical Prioritized Historic and
Cultural Resources, they all face the same threats: Neglect, industrialization, sprawl, lack of
funds, inadequate zoning laws at the ground level to protect them, lack of education regarding
the importance of safeguarding our historic resources, and indifference.
The bottom line is: Mitigation and Remediation is to found at the ground or municipal level.
Ordinary citizens need to have the “will” to preserve our past! It is the needed “first step!”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
County of Berks/Municipal Publications
Berks County Comprehensive Plan, 2001-2002 “Berks Vision 2020”
Berks County Comprehensive Plan, 2012 (draft) “Berks Vision 2030”
Berks County Historic and Cultural Resource Survey/Inventory, 1983, Update 2006-2007
Berks County Greenway Park and Recreation Plan, 2007
Hay Creek Watershed Greenway Plan, 2007
Southern Berks Regional Joint Comprehensive Plan, 2004 “Union Township, Robeson
Township, Caernarvon Township, Borough of Birdsboro”
Joint Comprehensive Plan, 2003 “Lower Alsace Township, Mt Penn Borough”
Joint Comprehensive Plan, 2005 “Exeter Township, Amity Township, St Lawrence Borough”
Joint Comprehensive Plan, 2008 “Oley Township, Alsace Township, Ruscombmanor Township”
Excel Files: Survey of Historic Resources of Berks County Pennsylvania, 1984, Update 2006.
Amity, Exeter, Douglass, Union, Robeson, Caernarvon Townships, Birdsboro Borough. Berks
County Planning Commission
County of Berks, Recorder of Deeds- Land Records
County of Berks, Wills and Estate Records including Orphan’s Court and Administrative
Records
County of Berks, Taxables 1752- 1790
Reading Area Transportation Study, Minutes of the Technical Committee Meeting July 12, 2012.
Business From the Floor, Dr. James Thorne. Concerning the Proposed Mascaro Raceway in
Union Township and its negative environmental impacts.
Books
Oley Valley Heritage: The Colonial Years 1700-1775, Philip E. Pendleton, 1994
Coventry “The Skool Kill District”1700-1810, Estelle Cremers and Pamela Shenk, 2003
Architecture of Chester County, Margaret Berwind Schiffer, 1984
Southeastern Berks County, Patricia Wanger Smith, 2006
Journey Through Our Land, W. Edmunds Claussen, 1970
Poole Forge: Pioneers Along the Manatawny, W.E. Claussen, 1968
Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County, Morton L. Montgomery, 1884
The Ford at the Schuylkill, Kathy M. Scogna, 1998
The Story of Berks County, F.W. Balthaser, 1925, Reprinted 2002
The Berks County Story, 1953
Indian Paths of Pennsylvania, A.W. Wallace, 1998
History of the Conestoga Turnpike, S.H. Quillman
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Pennsylvania Iron Manufacture in the Eighteenth Century, Arthur Cecil Bining, Reprint 1987
The Iron Industry in Pennsylvania, Gerald G. Eggart, 1994
Hopewell Village, Joseph E. Walker, 1966
NPS Historic Handbook Hopewell Village NHS
America’s Valley Forges and Valley Furnaces, J. Lawrence Pool
The Schuylkill Navigation, Harry L. Rinker
Exeter Township: The Forgotten Corner, 225th Anniversary, 1966, Anniversary Committee
Newspaper Articles
Natural Lands Trust: “Property Once Slated for Development Becomes Nature Preserve,” July
24, 2012
Reading Eagle: “Green Hills Preserve a Win For All Residents of Berks,” August 6, 2012
Natural Lands Trust: “French Creek State park Wildfire,” April 10, 2012
Philadelphia Inquirer: “In Chesco Town, Opposition Helped Stop Proposed Gas Line,” March
12, 2013
The Reporter: “Chester County Marcellus Gas Pipeline Opponents Draw a Crowd in Warwick,
March 2013
Daily Local News: “Alternate Natural Gas Pipeline Route Offered Through County,” March 28,
2013
Reading Eagle: “Right Through the Heart,” February 27, 2013
Reading Eagle: Your Community “New Developer Wants to Take Over Project in Union
Township” January 25, 2013
Reading Eagle: “Gas Pipeline Project Quiet; Critics Not So,” February 21, 2013
Reading Eagle: “Workshop Will Spotlight Potential Pipeline in Berks,” March 6, 2013
Reading Eagle: “Jacob Morgan” November 19, 1967
Maps
Berks County Maps 1856, 1862, 1876
1862 Berks County Map: Union Township, Amity Township, Douglass Township, Baumstown
Historical Map Works
Historical Sites of Reading and Berks County PA George M. Meiser, IX, 1976
Warranty and Patent Maps, Counties of Berks and Chester
Hopewell Big Woods Map and Guide
Exeter Township Historical Site Map
USGS Maps http://www.usgwarchives.org/maps/pa/county/berks/usgs/
Hope Big Woods Partnership Map http://www.rpa.org/northeastlandscapes/maps/800/834InitiativeMapBook_73.png
Periodicals and Articles
“Opportunity Knocks” Open Space as a Community Investment by Michael Frank
The Heritage Conservancy 2000
“Ironmaster William Bird 1706-1761” by Terry L. Lester, Linton Research Fund, Inc. 1992
“Mark Bird 1738-1812” by Terry L. Lester, Linton Research Fund, Inc., 1992
“The Morgan Homestead” Tri-County Historical Society, 2009
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Caernarvon Township: Globalization of Morgantown and Elverson, Pa., Thesis by Lynn
Gernegan, 2004
“The Town of Brower” by Susan Miller-Speros, Historical Review of Berks County, Winter
2006-2007
“The Hans Martin Gohrig House Colonial Landmark in Danger” by Michelle Lynch based on the
research of James Lewars, Historical Review of Berks County, Spring 2003
Canal Resources
Appraisal Book Lock 51 Birdsboro Files, c.1890
Appraisal Schuylkill Navigation Company Canal for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Schuylkill Navigation Maps at RACC
The Schuylkill Navigation by Harry L. Rinker
PHMC and Other Government Documents and Publications
PHMC: Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey Forms, Bureau for Historic Preservation
PHMC: Cultural Resources Data Base
PHMC: NRHP Structures in Berks County PA
www.philadelphiabuildings.org
PHMC: Berks County NRHP Mill List Application and Registration,
Multi Structure Nomination for NRHP 1990
PHMC: “Village of Browertown/Unionville Historic District” A Proposal for A Historic District
by Susan Miller-Speros
Hopewell Furnace NHS Records, Historical Database
French Creek State Park, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
2007 Lebanon County Comprehensive Plan, Historic Resources Profile
Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines (As Amended and Annotated) Archaeology and
Historic Preservation www.nps.gov
PA Census Records, County of Berks 1752-1860
St Gabriel’s Church Records, Douglassville, PA
Lancaster County Planning Commission, Heritage Planning Division
Pennsylvania MPC, NR Historic District
“Iron and Steel Tours” Iron and Steel Heritage Partnership, National Park Service c/o
Hopewell Big Woods and Natural Lands Trust Publications
National Parks Service Assists Recreation Plan for the Hopewell Big Woods 2008
Parks For the People: A Student Competition to Reimagine America’s National Parks
Hopewell html
Hopewell Big Woods Partnership
Hopewell Big Woods Project. Natural Lands Trust. Land Conservation in the Greater
Philadelphia Area (www.natlands.org)
Hopewell Big Woods: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Adaptive Management Plan
December 2011
The Pennsylvania Highlands Conservation Atlas 2006
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Websites
www.co.berks.pa.us (Union Township Berks County PA: About Union Township: History)
http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/pa/Berks/state.html
www.natlands.org
www.haycreek.org (Joanna Furnace)
www.oldindustry.org (Hay Creek, Joanna Furnace)
http://www.historicpreservationtrust.org/
http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/berks/cemeteries/zions002.txt (Burials at Robeson AKA Zion
Friend’s Meeting House Cemetery Diana Quinones, PA Gen Web Project)
http://www.findagrave.com/ (Robeson Lutheran Church “Plow Church”)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robeson_Township,_Berks_County,_Pennsylvania
http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Muni/Robeson/Pages/Default.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Township,_Berks_County,_Pennsylvania
http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Muni/Union/Pages/Default.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caernarvon_Township,_Berks_County,_Pennsylvania
http://www.caernarvon.org/history/background.html
http://www.caernarvon.org/
http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/street_conestoga.htm (“Old Conestoga Road”)
http://www.achp.gov/docs/economic-impacts-of-historic-preservation-study.pdf (“Measuring
Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation.” Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
Donovan Rypkema and Caroline Cheong, Place Economics, Washington, DC, and Randall
Mason, PhD, University of Pennsylvania School of Design, Historic Preservation Program.)
http://www.endlessmountainsheritage.org/upload/HeritagePA%20Economic%20Impact%20Stud
y%20Preliminary%20Summary%202008.pdf (Heritage Tourism Spending in Pennsylvania
Heritage Areas: Creating Jobs and Spurring Local Economic Activity, Heritage PA, 2008)
http://www.bahrsmill.org/
http://www.exetertownship.com/Pages/Home.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exeter_Township,_Berks_County,_Pennsylvania
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amity_Township,_Berks_County,_Pennsylvania
http://www.amitytownshippa.com/
http://www.douglasstownship.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglass_Township,_Berks_County,_Pennsylvania
http://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4473 (Popodickon Manor)
www.nps.gov
http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/standguide/
http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/publications/
http://ia700208.us.archive.org/1/items/pineforgeironpla00lava/pineforgeironpla00lava.pdf (“Pine
Forge Iron Plantation: History, Building Chronology and Recommendations for Preservation”
Historic Preservation Graduate Thesis by Melissa Pilar LaValley)
http://articles.philly.com/2013-04-18/news/38619215_1_native-americans-iron-workers
(“Preserving Pine Forge Mansion” by Edward Colimore, Philadelphia Inquirer, April 18, 2013)
http://www.newpa.com/business/key-industries/tourism
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-522WarranteeTwpMaps
http://www.mapsofpa.com/atlaslist.htm
Page 131
http://explorepahistory.com/regions_hershey.php
http://www.archaeologydude.com/2011_06_01_archive.html
http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Parks/Pages/AlleghenyAqueductHistoricalPark.aspx
http://millpictures.com/mills.php?millid=806
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Bishop_House.JPG
Other
NAACP “The Underground Railroad in the 19th Century” Misty Dorne
“African Americans at Hopewell Furnace” Hopewell Furnace NHS Document
“Birdsboro: An Iron and Steel Town Then and Now” Historical Walking Tour By the Birdsboro
Historical Society
Caernarvon Township History, Published by Caernarvon Township, 2006
Federal Census 1790: Caernarvon Township
Excerpts from the History of Lancaster County: Caernarvon Township Dr. Fred Klein 1924
Morgantown Historic District, Caernarvon Township Berks
Living Places, The Gombach Group 1997-2013
Local Historians, Preservation Professionals, and Other Experts Consulted
Hilary Fraley
Brad Kissam
James Lewars
George M. Meiser, IX
Philip Pendleton
Leslie Rebmann
Laurence Ward
Page 132
Biographies
Susan Speros is an award winning author and museum professional on the Interpretive Services
staff at the Berks County Heritage Center, a historic interpretive complex with two museums on
site, where she does historic interpretive programming and interpretation. The Heritage Center is
part of the Berks County Parks and Recreation Department. In addition, she is a living historian,
and performs open hearth cooking demonstrations and fiber interpretation, and Colonial era
dancing with an interpretive dance troupe "The Amity Colonial Dancers," at various historic
sites. She is an avid and active historic preservationist, serving as a Director of the Historic
Preservation Trust of Berks County. She is also a former Trustee of the Historical Society of
Berks County, and former Board member of the Genealogical Society of Berks County, and
the Tri-County Historical Society. In addition, she wrote the proposal for a Historic District in
Unionville/Browertown, and actively participated in the updating of the Historical and Cultural
Resources of Berks County, particularly municipalities in Southeastern Berks, and participated in
producing "The Berks County Greenway Park and Recreation Plan 2007." With Michelle Lynch,
she composes the annual commemorative booklet for the Historical Society of Berks County’s 4
Centuries in Berks Historic Properties Tour. Her articles have been published in the Historical
Review of Berks County and other journals. She has degrees in Anthropology and Historic
Travel and Tourism.
Michelle Napoletano Lynch holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in historic
preservation and American studies. She interned with the Berks County Conservancy’s nowdefunct historic preservation program and served for eight years as the Historic Preservation
Specialist for the City of Reading. She was editor of the Historical Society of Berks County
quarterly journal, The Historical Review of Berks County, from autumn 2002 through winter
2012. She is a former trustee of Centre Park Historic District, Inc., a former member of the
Exeter Township Historical Commission, and a former trustee of the Historical Society of Berks
County. She currently serves on the boards of the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County
and the Charles Evans Cemetery. She lectures on topics of Berks County’s history and
architecture and leads walking tours of historic neighborhoods and graveyards in Reading and
Berks. She performs as a living historian, interpreting well-known and forgotten women of
different centuries, who share a connection to Berks County history. With Susan Speros, she
composes the annual commemorative booklet for the Historical Society of Berks County’s 4
Centuries in Berks Historic Properties Tour. Her articles have been published in the Historical
Review and other journals. She writes a weekly feature, Floor Plans, focusing on interesting
country homes and the people who live in them, for Berks Country in the Wednesday Reading
Eagle.
Page 133
Appendix
Page 134
Maps
Maps from the Berks County Atlas of 1862
Surveyed by L. Fagan, Published by H. Brigens, Philadelphia, 1862
Page 135
Caernarvon and Robeson Townships
Page 136
Union, Amity, and Douglass Townships
Page 137
Exeter, Oley, and Amity Townships
Page 138
Hopewell Big Woods Maps
Page 139
Page 140
Page 141
Page 142
Page 143
Page 144
Page 145
Page 146
Page 147
Page 148
Page 149
Page 150
Page 151
Articles
Page 152
Page 153
Page 154
Page 155
Page 156
Page 157
Page 158
Page 159
Page 160

Prioritizing Berks County Cultural and Historical Resources Within

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