Fisher, Henry, House
Why it's listed
Built of limestone and finished in 1801, the Fisher house in Berks County, Pennsylvania, is a two-and-a-half-story dwelling with a steep gable roof, brick chimneys on each gable end, and two gable dormers with semicircular windows. Henry and Susanna Fisher commissioned it, and carpenter Gottlieb Drexel built it at a cost of $6,000, taking about three years. The five-bay facade has dressed ashlar masonry, a recessed panel doorway with a fanlight, and a pent eave with tapered brackets. Its symmetrical plan and carved stairway reflect the Georgian style, with some Federal features. Interior fireplaces have marble mantels, and the walls and ceilings are plastered with wainscoting and chair rails. Its woodwork is regarded as copied from a standard building book, placing the house above the usual country Georgian type. The house has remained in the Fisher family through successive generations, and it is considered a well preserved, little altered example of elegant southeastern Pennsylvania houses of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a fine example of the late Georgian style with some Federal features, with strict symmetrical design and woodwork that may have been copied from a standard building book. Its interior woodwork and plastered walls set it above the usual country Georgian house. It is described as a well preserved, little modified example of the elegant houses of southeastern Pennsylvania in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
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 73001591, listed June 4, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | About 1.25 mi. N of Yellow House on PA 662, Oley Township, Yellow House |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | June 4, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001591 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1801 |
| Architect / builder | Gottlieb Drexel (carpenter) |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian with some Federal features |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continuously occupied by successive generations of the Fisher family since completion; original site. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Oley Township Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.34106, -75.76080 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 73001591.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5721245
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.