Gehman, John, Farm
Why it's listed
Hilly farmland on a dirt road in Hereford Township, Berks County, holds a group of stone and log buildings begun in the 1760s by the Gehman family. The farm was bought in 1767 by Rev. John Gehman, a Mennonite minister, and the Swiss bank house, a multi-purpose domestic building with a basement kitchen and a log upper floor, is probably his work. His son John S. Gehman built a large stone bank barn in 1806, dated on a wooden board, along with a stone farmhouse, a stable, a stone wagon shed and a springhouse dated 1847. The farm is regarded as a rare survival of an early nineteenth century hill farm. John S. Gehman was a farmer and distiller who sent applejack by wagon to Philadelphia. The farm's buildings, fields and fencerows have changed little since the 1800s, which gives the group its importance for understanding Berks County farm life.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is significant in agriculture and architecture under Criteria A and C. Its buildings are described as outstanding examples of farm architecture from c.1767 to c.1840, including a Swiss bankhouse said to be the only one of its kind in Berks County. The dated 1806 barn is called one of the earliest examples of its type to be dated, and the farm is tied to early distilling and apple production.
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 92000398, listed May 7, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Township Rd. N of Harlem, Hereford Township, Seisholtzville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | May 7, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000398 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1767-1940 |
| Architect / builder | John S. Gehman (builder of the barn, stone farmhouse, stable, wagon shed and springhouse); Rev. John Gehman (probable builder of the Swiss bank house) |
| Architectural style | Swiss bankhouse; standard Pennsylvania banked forebay barn |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a summer home and country residence after 1945, with fields rented to a tenant farmer; buildings kept in repair. |
| Acreage | 87 |
| Coordinates | 40.46817, -75.58506 (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 92000398.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6235051
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.