Jacobsburg Historic District
Why it's listed
Jacobsburg is a district of about 500 acres along Bushkill Creek in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, settled in 1740. Between the late 18th and early 19th centuries it held a gristmill, sawmill, tannery, iron furnace, forge, hotel and gun factory. The gun works were run by the Henry family, whose William Henry II built a factory around 1792 and erected the first wrought iron furnace in the Bethlehem area to supply it. Henry rifles were used in the War of 1812 and sold to fur trading companies. The Boulton House, built by John Joseph Henry in 1832, is a brick Federal-style house whose design shows strong Philadelphia influence. Most of the industrial sites are now ruins, and their foundations and mill races remain as archaeological evidence of early industrial life. The district was listed for its archaeological value in documenting that industry and for the architecture of the Boulton House.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1740 - early 1900's |
|---|---|
| Styles | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Military, Engineering, Transportation, Architecture, Invention |
| Acreage | 500 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Jacobsburg Historic District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.