Dreibelbis, Joel, Farm
Why it's listed
Near Virginville in Richmond Township, the Joel Dreibelbis Farm is a farmstead of 181 acres bordered by Maiden Creek. Its 2-1/2 story brick farmhouse was completed in 1868 by Joel Dreibelbis, who took over the family farm in 1857 and rebuilt the farmstead. The house keeps its original center hall, Victorian wallpaper, painted woodwork and furnishings. The complex includes a brick summer kitchen, a stone and frame smokehouse, a stone ice house, a large frame bank barn of 1908, a corn crib and wagon shed, and a brick chicken house. Buildings were arranged for convenient daily work, and the farm's fields, fence rows and lanes have changed little. The nomination regards the property as a well-preserved example of a self-sufficient late 19th-century Pennsylvania German family farm, and as a representative example of the farms drawn by Ferdinand Brader in Berks County in the 1880s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is an intact example of a Pennsylvania German family farm that changed little from the late 19th century, with buildings that were largely built under one man's direction. It states the buildings show a unified design guided by function and that the farm's landscape, fence rows, lanes and furnishings survive largely unaltered. It also presents the property as an example of long-term family conservation practices.
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 89001820, listed October 30, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | PA 143, Virginville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | October 30, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001820 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1868-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Joel Dreibelbis (builder of the contributing buildings, except the three built c.1930 by his son George) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular with Federal style elements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Farm remains in agricultural use; about 130 of 181 acres are cultivated and the original buildings are retained. |
| Acreage | 181 |
| Coordinates | 40.51773, -75.87597 (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 89001820.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6213389
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.