INTRODUCTION
The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze the geographic
location of the buildings currently registered with the Pennsylvania Historical
and Museum Commission to determine if the Oley Township Historic District can be
enlarged to include any of the surrounding townships. This study also examines
an alternative to the creation of a larger historic district; which is the
designation of a possible historic scenic route that contains many of these
historic buildings.
The study area is the entire Manatawny Creek watershed, which
consists of parts of ten Berks County municipalities and six Montgomery County
municipalities. Earl Township, Berks County, is the only municipality that is
entirely within the watershed. The Manatawny Creek watershed covers
approximately fifty square miles. The majority of the Oley Valley, which is in
eastern Berks County, is located within the watershed (Figure 1).
The hypothesis is that there are several townships that can be
considered for historic preservation, but they will probably not be combined
with the Oley Township Historic District. Oley Township is classified as a rural
historic district, which restricts the amount of sprawl or construction within
the district. Due to the threats to the historical integrity, the
more viable option is most likely to create a historic scenic route.
The inclusion of historic buildings in the Register of National
Historic Sites, which is administered by the National Trust for Historic
Preservation (Baer 1995), is an important step in maintaining historical
buildings of a particular geographic area. The preservation of historic
architecture and buildings of an area adds character and a "sense of place" to a
community or neighborhood. Indeed, some places are identified by a single
building, such as Reading, Pennsylvania, which is often associated with the
Pagoda on top of Mount Penn. To better understand the importance of this study,
a brief historical overview of the Oley Valley and the processes of historic
preservation are necessary.
History of the Oley Valley
The Oley Valley is located in eastern Berks County,
Pennsylvania. Rolling hills to the north and east surround the valley. To the
south and west are the Monocacy and Schuylkill Rivers. The Manatawny Creek runs
through the center of the valley. The Lenni Lenape Indians believed that the
valley resembled a kettle so they named it Oleka, Lenape for the word
"kettle." The Germans named it Olich, German for "oil" which they
considered appropriate because of the valley's superior soil. Today, the name
Oley is applied to the township and the greater portion of this valley (Fox
1925, 13).
The Oley Valley has long been recognized as an exceptional
historical area. It is characterized by a unique concentration of eighteenth
century stone homesteads preserved in a scenic setting of rich, productive
farmland (Figure 2).
The valley has a deep European heritage with its first inhabitants being Swedes,
Germans, Swiss, English, Calvinists, and Huguenots (Pendleton 1994,10). Many of
these inhabitants came to the New World in order to escape religious
persecution. The earliest known inhabitants were Swedes who settled in
present-day Amity Township. Soon thereafter followed the Protestants and the
Quakers (Bertolet 1980, 2). Many of the original farms and houses are still in
existence (Figure 3).
The descendants of the original inhabitants own these farms and houses. A record
of current property owners will show that many of the families are Boone's,
Bertolet's, DeTurk's, and Yoder's (Pendleton 1994, 18).
The Manatawny Creek was the economic focal point of the valley.
There were three cast iron smelting furnaces located in Oley, Spangsville, and
Spring. In fact, the Oley Furnace was so important that a nearby tributary of
the Manatawny Creek was named Furnace Creek. There were also numerous saw,
grist, and flax mills located along the Manatawny Creek (Bertolet 1980, 67).
Many farms used the water from the Manatawny Creek for irrigating the fields,
feeding their livestock, and as running water for their homesteads. Rural land
use patterns have not changed a great deal since the early eighteenth century.
Agriculture continues to be a major influence in the local economy. The heritage
of almost three hundred years continues to live today.
Historic Preservation
This historical inertia is due in large part to the diligent
work of several local volunteer organizations in preserving the valley. In 1980,
due to these organizations' efforts, Oley Township was chosen to be one of two
demonstration communities for the Rural Project of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation. The National Trust needed real places to test its
theories concerning rural conservation and Oley Township had the two key
ingredients: exceptional historic, agricultural, and scenic resources and
potential threats and pressures affecting these resources.
In March of 1983, the entire Township of Oley was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. This represented a first-of-its-kind
designation, because of the valley's size and the diverse collection of rural
historic buildings. Indeed, the valley's 15,000 acres comprise the largest rural
historic district in the United States (McClelland, 1995). Volunteer
organizations worked with the National Trust to create the Oley Township
Historic District. Eventually, the Oley Valley Heritage Association was
established to maintain the integrity of the newly formed historic district.
Scattered throughout the Oley Valley are a number of historic
buildings that date back to its colonial era (Figure 4).
These historic buildings contain many architectural styles ranging from German
Vernacular to Colonial English. They are constructed from a variety of materials
such as brick and stone masonry. Even some log cabins constructed by German
settlers can still be found in the valley (Pendleton 1994, 58). The different
architectural style can distinguish the heritage of the building. One feature
that can be used to determine the original creator of the building is the roof.
English inhabitants used a hand-split wooden shingle to roof their homes while
German inhabitants used the same wooden shingles but with a distinctive
double-beveled or side lapped shingle which was common in the Swiss area of the
Rhine Valley (Pendleton 1994, 67). Many of the original historic buildings are
still in existence. These buildings are important because they convey a story
about the valley's heritage and history while depicting a facet of early
colonial life in the Oley Valley.
For a building to be considered a historic site it must meet
several requirements. According to Baer (1995), a building must be at least
fifty years old, have a distinct architectural style, and be in durable
condition. A majority of the buildings in the Oley Valley meet these
requirements. There are some drawbacks to historic preservation though. Baer
(1995) states that by the year 2000, three times as many homes will become
eligible for preservation than currently exist. This would lead to the potential
problem that as more land is designated as historic there will be less land to
urbanize. Many people are also misinformed about the rules and regulations
pertaining to historic preservation. Property owners feel that many of the
regulations are too restrictive and that often times the government becomes the
"de-facto owner of private property." (Preservation 1995).
What many property owners do not realize are the many personal
benefits that are associated with historic preservation. Listing on the National
Register qualifies property owners for certain grant funds and special tax
incentives. The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 gives property owners of
historic buildings up to a twenty-five percent tax credit in the rehabilitation
of their properties. The most significant economic benefit though is the
increased value of the historic property in the real estate market (Berks County
Planning Commission 1982, 10).
Buildings are not the only sites that can be preserved through a historic designation. According to Fitch (1992, 42-43), there are three types of historic designation depending on the size of the geographic area. The first level of designation is the historic site. These are usually buildings that are at least fifty years old and are of significant cultural value. Other examples of a historic site include covered bridges, statues, and fountains. The second level of designation is the historic district. These are usually a cluster or group of historic homes located in a neighborhood of a large urban area. The historic district of Society Hill in Philadelphia is an example. New York City alone contains over fifty historic districts such as Greenwich Village and Brooklyn Heights (Bovard 1994). Often times, cities such as New Orleans or Charleston, South Carolina will use historic districts as a tool to revitalize the central business districts and to attract tourism. The third level of designation is the historic town where the entire city is considered historic. Historic towns usually are located in the eastern United States and are related to their colonial past. Historic towns are small in number and only occur in relatively small communities. An example of a historic town would be Williamsburg, Virginia.