Kutz Mill
Why it's listed
Built of stone around 1850 by the Kutz family, the gristmill stands on Sacony Creek in rural Greenwich Township, beside the Kutz Mill Covered Bridge, built in 1854. The one and one-half story mill has a hoist hood, vertically aligned loading doors and arched openings for the wheel pit, and retains an open interior with post and beam construction and a large wooden spur gear eight feet in diameter. Early maps list it as the Kutz Mill and later as the Charles Kutz Grist and Saw Mill. It operated as a custom mill serving local farmers until the 1930s. The complex includes a brick farmhouse dated 1855 with a twin-front-door plan typical of Pennsylvania German houses, a stone summer kitchen with a walk-in fireplace, and a stone bank barn with hex signs. Its significance rests on its close relationship with the county's grain milling history and its mostly intact group of mid-nineteenth-century buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill is directly associated with grain milling in Berks County and is an example of a custom mill serving local needs, with its exterior showing its milling function. Its farmhouse, summer kitchen and barn are presented as appropriate adjuncts from a similar period, and the setting next to the covered bridge is cited for scenic quality. The mill is also described as one of the better examples in the county of a small-scale water-powered grain and saw milling system.
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 90001622, listed November 8, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Kutz Mill Rd. at Sacony Cr., Greenwich Township, Kutztown |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 8, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001622 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1850-1935 |
| Architect / builder | Jacob Kutz family (builders of the gristmill) |
| Architectural style | Pennsylvania German vernacular (farmhouse, bank barn); mill form not further classified |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a rental property in recent decades; mill was formerly an antiques shop and is used for storage; summer kitchen in poor condition. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.53428, -75.80508 (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 90001622.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6448690
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.