Yoder Mill
Also known as: Renninger Mill
Why it's listed
Yoder Mill is a two and one-half story frame gristmill on Yoder Road at the eastern edge of Pikeville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, set on a stone basement and clad in painted horizontal wood siding. The site traces to a mill built by George Schall in 1796, and the present building was rebuilt in 1885 after a fire. The mill is important for its combination of French buhr millstones and roller mills, along with two large hurst frames with wooden spur gears that rank among the largest in Berks County mills. It also holds a Sectional Roller Mill with Sifter Corrugation, patented in 1883, which processed rolled oats and was not found in other surveyed county mills. Its upper floors are of frame construction, unusual in a county where most surviving mills are masonry. A stuccoed stone tenant house stands beside it. The mill operated as a merchant mill until 1948.
Significance in brief: The mill is significant for its combination of millstone and roller milling machinery, including two early hurst frames with wooden gearing and an unusual sectional roller mill for rolled oats. Its frame construction is unusual among Berks County mills, which are mostly masonry, and it is locally important as a merchant mill that influenced the siting of the village of Pikeville.
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 90001636, listed November 8, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Yoder Rd. at Oysterville Cr., Pike Township, Pikeville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 8, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001636 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c 1796 to 1939 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed as a mill in 1948; owners have added parts from other mills in hopes of future restoration as a working gristmill; the building is generally in need of repair. |
| Acreage | 13 |
| Within district | Oley Township Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.39719, -75.72113 (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 90001636.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8054280
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.