{"nrhp_refnum":"09000384","name":"Alleghany Mennonite Meetinghouse","other_names":["Bauman--Eshleman Cemetery"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"39 Horning Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Brecknock Township","county":"Berks County","state":"PA","lat":40.23330000000004,"lon":-75.97160999999994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-06-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story sandstone Pennsylvania German Mennonite meetinghouse built in 1855 at 39 Horning Road in Brecknock Township, Berks County, with an associated cemetery across the road.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the meetinghouse is a well-preserved example of mid-19th century Pennsylvania German Mennonite worship architecture, with simple construction, original furnishings and little alteration. The adjoining cemetery, with markers dating from 1754 onward, is also part of the listed property.","narrative":"Built in 1855 by volunteer members of the local Mennonite society and their neighbors, the Alleghany Mennonite Meetinghouse is a one-story building of local sandstone and wood, measuring 35 by 27 feet with walls 18 inches thick. It has a gable roof of red cedar shingles, six-lite double-hung windows with shutters, and two entrances that separate women, who used a cloakroom that also served as a nursery, from the men, who entered the main assembly room. The interior is unadorned, with original benches, a singer's table, hat racks and cast iron hooks. Its plain design reflects Mennonite rejection of pulpits, steeples and bells. Across the road lies a cemetery begun with a burial in 1754, containing 145 surviving markers in sandstone, limestone and marble. The building was used for regular services until 1954. It is regarded as one of the oldest surviving, least-altered and originally furnished Mennonite meetinghouses in the nation.","period_of_significance":"1855","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"No style","criteria":["A","D"],"status_note":"Restored roof and repointed walls; the building is maintained by the Alleghany Mennonite Historical Association and used for an annual outdoor service and other events.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:10:27.50053-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/09000384.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000384/6acab18a5e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000384/6acab18a5e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Shuvaev","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alleghany_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_01.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Shuvaev</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alleghany_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_01.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994745","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleghany_Mennonite_Meetinghouse","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4731262"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/berks-county/alleghany-mennonite-meetinghouse-09000384/"}