Brobst Mill
Why it's listed
Built around 1780 on Pine Creek in rural Albany Township, this two-and-a-half-story gristmill has a stone first floor and log upper walls with squared, notched corners. Its second floor keeps an open mill floor plan with hand-hewn joists and a summer beam running the full length of the building, and a miller's office in one corner. The mill is tied to the Brobst family, early settlers who held a patent from the Penns in the 1730s, and a 1767 tax list names Michael Brobst as a miller. Later the site was linked to an iron works, and the mill supplied flour to its workers. After the ironworks closed, the mill ground grain for local farmers and was known for its fine cornmeal. The Long family operated it into the early 1960s. The nomination regards it as the only known surviving structure from the iron works and as a rare surviving example of log mill construction in Berks County.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill is significant under Criteria A and C: as the only remaining log-constructed mill in the county survey, it represents an 18th-century building method that was later abandoned, and as the surviving structure of a once-thriving iron works and milling complex that served the area for about 175 years.
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 90001613, listed November 8, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Off T 814 on Pine Cr., Albany Township, Lenhartsville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 8, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001613 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C 1780-1939 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mill operation ceased in the 1960s; the document states the mill is now vacant, and that the present owners are restoring it. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.62324, -75.89701 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 90001613.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4972593
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.