Knabb-Bieber Mill
Also known as: John Knabb Mill; See Also:Oley Township Historic District
Why it's listed
Built in 1809 on Monocacy Creek in Stony Creek Mills, the Knabb-Bieber Mill is a two and one-half story stone gristmill with a basement, measuring 40 feet 4 inches by 54 feet 6 inches. Its Georgian features include pedimented doorways, pent roofs at the gable ends and panelled Dutch doors. Its windows sit at different heights to light the wheel pit, stone floor and office, which reflects the several levels the machinery required. Inside, massive summer beams, beaded joists and a German-style trussed roof show heavy construction built to carry stored grain. The mill retains two pairs of French-style millstones driven by a turbine, and it was never converted to roller milling. A surviving wagon scale and weigh house from the 1930s remain in use. The building is regarded as a well-preserved example of an early merchant mill and its working equipment, and it is valued for its integrity and engineering.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill is significant for its direct association with grain milling in Berks County and as an early 19th-century merchant mill with Georgian architectural detail. It also stresses the building's structural integrity, its surviving evidence of changing milling technology, and its last traditional one-man operator.
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 90001621, listed November 8, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bieber Mill Rd. at Monocacy Cr., Oley Township, Stony Creek Mills |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 8, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001621 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1809-1939 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operating gristmill; the document states the mill is still actively used and its water courses were recently restored. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Within district | Oley Township Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.35888, -75.81019 (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.
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 90001621.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6421707
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.