Zeller, Heinrich, House
Also known as: Fort Zeller
Why it's listed
Built into a bank over an everflowing spring near Newmanstown in Lebanon County, this one and one-half story stone house was constructed about 1745 by Heinrich Zeller, a Huguenot who had come from Alsace by way of Holland, England and New York. Its walls are stucco-covered limestone about two and a half feet thick, and a stream from the spring still flows through an arch beneath the basement entrance. Tunnel-like windows framed in sandstone, a carved main doorway with an armorial keystone, and herringbone-pegged doors reflect building traditions brought from Europe. The interior is simple, with a freestanding fireplace twelve feet wide and wattle and daub walls that survived an early twentieth-century fire. It is regarded as a transplant of Alsatian architecture and evidence of European tradition persisting among early settlers. The property is well maintained and operated as a small museum.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a transplant of Alsatian architecture into America, with stucco-covered limestone walls, sandstone-framed windows, and chamfered herringbone doors. Its architecture is regarded as largely unaltered and as evidence of European building tradition persisting among the original settlers. Local legends about its construction and defense are noted but not documented.
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 75001650, listed May 12, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Newmanstown off SR 419, Newmanstown |
|---|---|
| County | Lebanon County |
| Listed | May 12, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001650 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1745 |
| Architect / builder | Heinrich Zeller (builder) |
| Architectural style | Alsatian/Swiss |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Well maintained and operated as a small museum |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.34914, -76.22543 (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 75001650.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5700440
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.