Grand View Dairy Farm
Why it's listed
Grand View Dairy Farm lies on the slope of South Mountain near Wernersville, Berks County, with about 100 acres of which 85 are tillable. Its farmhouse was built in three sections, with the earliest part dating to the late 18th century, and a stone smokehouse of the same period stands among the farmstead buildings. John Wenrich built the original section of the barn in 1849 using red sandstone, and a 1901 enlargement produced a 176-foot dairy barn with five cupolas, dormers for ventilation and a stable holding 65 cows. The barn is regarded as one of the most advanced dairy facilities of its period in the county, relying on gravity-fed water and air-current ventilation. The farm is significant for showing the change from a family maintenance farm to a dairy operation in the early twentieth century, and for its well-preserved buildings spanning 200 years.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is significant in agriculture and architecture under Criteria A and C as a representative late 18th to 20th century diversified family farm that shifted to dairying in the early twentieth century. The 1901 dairy barn is presented as a culmination of the Pennsylvania standard barn with advanced ventilation, automatic waterers and a built-in silo, and it is said to be little altered since its enlargement.
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 92000933, listed July 29, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Preston Rd. S of Wernersville, South Heidelberg Township, Wernersville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | July 29, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000933 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1790-1940 |
| Architectural style | Pennsylvania standard barn; vernacular house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operated as a working dairy farm by the Schaeffer family; the 1901 barn remains in use with its original plan and equipment. |
| Acreage | 100 |
| Coordinates | 40.31719, -76.08523 (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 92000933.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5595231
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.