Ridgewood Farm
Also known as: Dick,Jacob,Farm
Why it's listed
Red sandstone farm buildings dating from 1809 to 1811 form the core of Ridgewood Farm, a 136-acre working farm beside the Schuylkill River in Cumru Township, Berks County. Jacob Dick, who owned the farm from 1806 to 1858, built a barn, a vaulted produce storage building, a house with a side-hall plan and a summer kitchen in this period. The main house wing is in the Federal style, with a pedimented doorway and interior features that the nomination describes as largely unaltered. The barn is a triple-decker design with ramps at two levels, a type regarded as uncommon in the county. The farm was held by the Dick family until 1947 and later passed to several owners and tenants. Its surviving fields and fence-row pattern are also cited as reasons for listing, along with its archaeological interest.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is a good example of a fashionable farm of the 1790-1839 agricultural prosperity period in Berks County, with an unusually intact Federal-style house and a rare triple-decker barn. Its farm buildings, field pattern and landscape are said to survive largely unchanged, and its location near Reading is presented as a threat to continued farm use.
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 92000399, listed May 7, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of PA 724 and I-176, Cumru Township, Seyfert |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | May 7, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000399 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1809-1940 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Working farm; the house's main wing is described as unoccupied, and the farm is rented to tenant farmers. |
| Acreage | 136 |
| Coordinates | 40.29495, -75.89688 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 92000399.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7332847
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.