Boyer-Mertz Farm
Also known as: Angstadt Farm
Why it's listed
Rural farmstead of brick and frame buildings in Maxatawny Township near Kutztown, built between about 1871 and 1940 and still operated as a dairy farm. The 1871 brick bank barn carries a datestone naming Benneville and Mary Boyer, and the family's cherry-trimmed brick farmhouse dates from 1905 and combines Late Victorian and Colonial Revival features. The complex includes a ca. 1850 stone summer kitchen, a 1871 brick tenant house, a butcher house, corn cribs, a carriage shop once used to make buggies, a milk house, and five stone cisterns that supplied water for the farm. The property is listed for its long agricultural use in Berks County and for its intact group of vernacular outbuildings that were adapted to mechanized dairy farming. Ownership passed from the Mertz family to the Angstadts in 1945, and the farm has stayed in that family's hands since.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is important for its over-100-year association with Berks County agriculture, having moved from a diversified non-mechanized farm to a mechanized dairy operation. It also argues the farmstead is an architecturally significant example of Berks vernacular buildings, with the 1905 house described as a fine example of a vernacular farmhouse using high style features.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 92000937, listed September 9, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Noble St. and Bastian Rd., Maxatawny Township, Kutztown |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | September 9, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000937 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1871-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Benneville and Mary Boyer (barn datestone, 1871); the Mertz family is named as builder of the 1905 house |
| Architectural style | Vernacular with Late Victorian high style features; Colonial Revival porch; Pennsylvania bank barn |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Working farm in active use; the 1871 house now serves as the tenant house, and some outbuildings are used for storage or as chicken houses. |
| Acreage | 102 |
| Coordinates | 40.49788, -75.76730 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 92000937.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4952440
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.