Lincoln, Mordecai, House
Why it's listed
Stone buildings in a narrow valley along Hiester's Creek in Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, the Mordecai Lincoln House consists of an east section built c.1733 and a west addition of c.1757-1760, both of stone walls about eighteen inches thick. The plan of the original section is one room wide and two rooms deep, with a walk-in basement kitchen, and its banked gable orientation combines features associated with Chester County Penn Plan houses and Pennsylvania German bank houses. A stone summer kitchen of the early 19th century stands nearby, with a hand-dug well about forty feet deep beneath it. The house is regarded as a rare survivor of the primitive stone dwellings of the settlement period in Berks County, one of only about twenty pre-1740 stone dwellings known there. It is locally important for its early eighteenth-century English architecture and for illustrating the settlement of the Oley Valley. The house was restored in 1987-1988 using original materials where possible.
Significance in brief: The house is regarded as a rare surviving example of a primitive stone settler's dwelling from the early settlement period in Berks County, one of only about twenty pre-1740 stone dwellings known there. It is locally important as an example of early to mid-eighteenth century English architecture and as representative of buildings illustrating the settlement of the Oley Valley by different ethnic groups. Its association with Mordecai Lincoln, great-great grandfather of President Abraham Lincoln, is also cited.
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 88002370, listed November 3, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Lincoln Rd., Lorane |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 3, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002370 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1733-1760, C. 1824 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Abandoned and neglected for about twenty years before a restoration begun in fall 1987 and scheduled for completion in 1988. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.28155, -75.83354 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 88002370.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6909618
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.