Prioritizing Berks County Cultural and Historical ... · Prioritizing Berks County Cultural and...

Study by

Susan Speros and Michelle Lynch

5/10/2013

Prioritizing Berks County Cultural and Historical Resources Within and Nearby the Hopewell Big Woods

A STUDY FOR

FRIENDS OF HOPEWELL FURNACE NHS


A Study for the Friends of Hopewell Furnace NHS

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



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



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.



Courtesy of http://www.rpa.org/northeastlandscapes/maps/800/834-InitiativeMapBook_73.png

http://www.rpa.org/northeastlandscapes/maps/800/834-InitiativeMapBook_73.png



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.



Map of Berks County

Map of Berks Showing Municipalities



Berks County Municipalities within the Geographical Scope

Townships

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

Birdsboro

New Morgan

Nearby Contributing Municipalities

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).



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.



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.



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



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



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



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.”



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



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

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.



Objectives:

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.



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.



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:

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:



St Michael’s Protestant Episcopal Church


Allegheny Aqueduct

Geiger Mill


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



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




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



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.



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.”



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.



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.



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.

1 “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.



• 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 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid.

http://www.newpa.com/business/key-industries/tourism



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



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.



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)


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


Beidler House and Mill Site (Allegheny Aqueduct Historic Park)

Bitler Farm

White Bear Tavern




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




Col. Jacob Morgan Homestead

Ames House

Col. Jonathan Jones House

Donald Zagar Farm

Jacob Herztler House

J.Kurtz Limekiln

Kurtz Beiler Farmstead



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




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


Hay Creek Aqueduct

Other Class II Sites

Mills, bridges, iron industry structures



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

, early-

19th

century village of “Browertown”/Unionville with its deep ties to Hopewell Furnace and the



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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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.



Brief History

The land area that encompasses the town of Unionville is part of the original Wanger-

Brower 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.)



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 re-

built 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



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.



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.



The Abraham Brower, Sr. farmstead consists of an almost complete 18

th-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.


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.



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



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



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.



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.



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.



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.



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)



1803 Farm Complex

White Bear Tavern

Three (3) Class I Historic Districts are recognized by a PHMC Survey.



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.



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.



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.




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



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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.




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.



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 1830-

1875 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



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 pre-

date 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.



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 semi-

circular 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.



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.



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-



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Morgantown_PA_Oddfellows.JPG



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.



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



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 mid-

1700s 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



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



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.



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.



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.



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.



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:



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



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



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.



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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Boone's_Birthplace.jpg



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



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 well-

maintained. It is an important Class I resource that is not presently threatened.



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 2½-

story 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.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Bishop_House.JPG



The tract also includes an early 19th

century 2½-story fieldstone tenant house and large late-

18th

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

16th

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.

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.



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 floor-

plan 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 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid.



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,



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.



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.




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.













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 2-

pile, 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.



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.



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.













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.



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



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



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.



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.”



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



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



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,



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



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.



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.



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 early-

19th

century. It is located on Boyertown Pike AKA Route 562.

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.



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 well-

known 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.



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.













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 blue-

gray 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



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



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




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

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Preservation-Trades-Network/36544679589



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.

11“Pine Forge Iron Plantation: History, Building Chronology and Recommendations for Preservation” Historic Preservation Graduate Thesis by Melissa Pilar LaValley, 2002

http://ia700208.us.archive.org/1/items/pineforgeironpla00lava/pineforgeironpla00lava.pdf



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 center-

hall 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.



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-over-

stone 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.



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



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 self-

guided “Heritage Trail” or “Heritage Tour.” Obvious connections are the iron industry and

transportation heritage.



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



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/800/834-

InitiativeMapBook_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

http://www.usgwarchives.org/maps/pa/county/berks/usgs/





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

http://www.nps.gov/

http://www.natlands.org/



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.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-522WarranteeTwpMaps

http://www.mapsofpa.com/atlaslist.htm

http://www.co.berks.pa.us/

http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/pa/Berks/state.html

http://www.natlands.org/

http://www.haycreek.org/

http://www.oldindustry.org/

http://www.historicpreservationtrust.org/

http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/berks/cemeteries/zions002.txt

http://www.findagrave.com/

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

http://www.achp.gov/docs/economic-impacts-of-historic-preservation-study.pdf

http://www.endlessmountainsheritage.org/upload/HeritagePA%20Economic%20Impact%20Study%20Preliminary%20Summary%202008.pdf

http://www.endlessmountainsheritage.org/upload/HeritagePA%20Economic%20Impact%20Study%20Preliminary%20Summary%202008.pdf

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

http://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

http://articles.philly.com/2013-04-18/news/38619215_1_native-americans-iron-workers


http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-522WarranteeTwpMaps

http://www.mapsofpa.com/atlaslist.htm



http://explorepahistory.com/regions_hershey.php


http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Parks/Pages/AlleghenyAqueductHistoricalPark.aspx



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

http://explorepahistory.com/regions_hershey.php


http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Parks/Pages/AlleghenyAqueductHistoricalPark.aspx





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 now-

defunct 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.



Appendix



Maps

Maps from the Berks County Atlas of 1862

Surveyed by L. Fagan, Published by H. Brigens, Philadelphia, 1862



Caernarvon and Robeson Townships



Union, Amity, and Douglass Townships



Exeter, Oley, and Amity Townships



Hopewell Big Woods Maps



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