Reiff Farm
Why it's listed
Reiff Farm lies in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and preserves a complete colonial working farm begun by Conrad Reiff I. The main farmhouse is a two and one-half story Georgian structure of rough-cut fieldstone with dressed quoins, and the older log house is a two and one-half story building later covered with German siding. Around them stand a blacksmith and butcher shop, reportedly built in 1742, with a walk-in fireplace and red clay tile roof; a springhouse with a second-floor smokehouse; a summer kitchen and bake-oven; an icehouse; and a pig barn. The farm's buildings are regarded as remarkably intact for their rural setting. Its significance rests on its record of agricultural and building practice in the Oley Valley, where local stone, lime and fertile soil shaped early settlement. Reiff's forge and dwelling show the progression from trade to farming in the eighteenth century.
Significance in brief: The farm is argued to be an excellent example of a self-sufficient colonial farm that worked continuously from the 1740s until 1945 and remains largely well preserved. Its buildings illustrate how a Pennsylvania family farm developed over time. The nomination also ties the farm to the agriculture and architecture of the limestone Oley Valley, where stone, lime and rich soil supported early settlement.
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 82003759, listed February 25, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Oley on T 454, Oley Township, Oley |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | February 25, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003759 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1742, 1815-1820 |
| Architect / builder | Conrad Reiff I (builder) |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continuously worked as a farm from the 1740s until 1945 |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Oley Township Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.38205, -75.80787 (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.
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 82003759.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7310066
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.