Antes, Henry, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1720 as a 2½ story stucco-over-stone house in Pottstown, Montgomery County, the Henry Antes House is a typical example of early Pennsylvania German building. Its three-room plan has a central open hearth fireplace, and a rauchkanal, an early smoke channel that predates the enclosed flue, survives on the fireplace wall. A later addition of about 1745 was made to accommodate a boys' school. Antes, described as a wheelwright, millwright and carpenter, helped build the Crefeld paper mill in 1730 and worked on several industrial buildings in the Bethlehem Moravian complex. In 1745 the Moravian community at Bethlehem used the house as a school for boys, where English was taught and the records list White, Indian and Negro pupils. The house is regarded as a fine example of early Pennsylvania German architecture, and its floor plan, fireplace, and insulation methods are the features that make it important.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as a fine example of early Pennsylvania German architecture, with its three-room floor plan, central open hearth fireplace, and early insulation and smoke-control features. It is also tied to Henry Antes, a millwright and carpenter who worked on Moravian industrial buildings, and to the use of the house as a Moravian boys' school in the 1740s.
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 75001657, listed May 12, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Pottstown on Colonial Rd., Pottstown |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | May 12, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001657 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Early Pennsylvania German architecture |
| Areas of significance | Education, Religion, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, Local |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated April 27, 1992 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Fair condition and altered; the Goschenhoppen Historians are restoring the house, with plans to reinstall the central chimney and open-hearth fireplace. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.29226, -75.54020 (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 75001657.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5717331
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.