Diehl, George, Homestead
Why it's listed
Set at the edge of open fields that slope toward Yellow Creek in Cherryhill Township, the George Diehl Homestead is a two-story house built in two stages. The main section is a log structure of square logs in corner post construction, dating to about 1835, set on a sandstone foundation with walls nearly two feet thick. A frame addition with a shed-roofed porch was added to its north side around 1850. Purchased by Martin Brechbill in 1835, the property passed in 1850 to George Diehl, an immigrant from the Duchy of Hesse, who owned it until his death in 1890. The house is regarded as the only known corner post log house in Indiana County and one of the few in western Pennsylvania. It is also distinguished as one of the best preserved and largest log buildings in the county. Its original hand-forged door hardware and whitewashed rafters remain largely intact, and the log walls were re-chinked in 1985 using matching mortar.
Significance in brief: The house is described as the only known corner post log house in Indiana County and one of the few in western Pennsylvania. It is also regarded as one of the best preserved and largest log buildings in the county, and it is larger and better preserved than the county's notched log homes. Its corner post construction is presented as marking the western boundary of this building form in Pennsylvania.
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 87000672, listed April 30, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E of US 422 on Diehl Rd., Indiana |
|---|---|
| County | Indiana County |
| Listed | April 30, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000672 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1835-1850 |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house has not been inhabited since about 1927, except for part-time use as a summer camp. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.60802, -78.97866 (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 87000672.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5538532
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.