Kauffman Mill
Also known as: Spengler Mill
Why it's listed
Built in the later eighteenth century on a slope above Mill Creek in Upper Bern Township, the Kauffman Mill combines a stone gristmill with an attached house of half-timber construction, a rare pairing in Berks County. The mill was powered first by a vertical water wheel fed from a storage pond and later by a turbine. It served local farmers as a custom mill, grinding feed and flour on two pairs of millstones into the 1930s, and it was operated by Sam Kauffman until about 1939. The house section, which was added soon after the mill, retains original plaster with painted polka dots and borders, wide poplar floorboards, paneled doors and wrought iron hardware. Its layout and surviving machinery remnants are considered valuable for understanding eighteenth-century milling. The mill is the only one of its type still standing in Upper Bern Township and is considered exceptionally intact for its period. The building has been vacant since its last operation and remains at risk of vandalism.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill is one of the oldest in Berks County and a rare surviving example of a custom gristmill that ground grain for local farmers. It is also regarded as an uncommon house-mill combination, with the house section of half-timber construction, and its interior retains early features and evidence of earlier water-wheel machinery.
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 90001620, listed November 8, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Mill and Mill Hill Rds., Upper Bern Township, Shartlesville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 8, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001620 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1780 to 1939 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant since the mill operation ended; the building is not in good repair and has serious structural problems. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.52517, -76.06273 (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 90001620.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6378672
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.