Kulp, Isaac, Farm
Also known as: Roth Living Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1832 by Andrew Layman, a cordwainer, the Isaac Kulp Farm in Upper Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County, combines a three-story stone residence with a stucco exterior, a stone Pennsylvania bank barn, and a root cellar. Layman intended the house as both a tavern and his home, but he never opened the tavern and lost the property to creditors within a few years. Isaac Kolb, a Mennonite farmer, bought the property in 1847 and the Kolb and Kulp family farmed it for roughly ninety years. Census records from 1850 to 1880 show the farm, though smaller than its neighbors, often matched them in the quantity and value of its products, including butter, hay, and dairy cattle. The residence is regarded as an excellent example of the Georgian double-pile plan, with a symmetrical five-bay facade and interior end chimneys. The barn, which has an overhanging forebay and banked entrance, is an example of its type. The property is listed for its agricultural and architectural significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is significant for its agricultural history, as a productive small dairy and grain farm operating through the late nineteenth century, and for its architecture, as a well-preserved example of a Georgian double-pile residence and a nineteenth century Pennsylvania bank barn. It notes the residence was built in 1832 by Andrew Layman as a tavern and residence, and that the property was sold out of the family in 1937.
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 99000323, listed March 12, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. North Swedesford Rd. and Hancock Rd., Upper Gwynedd Township |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | March 12, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000323 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1832-1937 |
| Architectural style | Colonial/Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Contributing residence, barn and root cellar; a circa 1960 concrete block office building does not contribute. The porch was reconstructed circa 1994 and the basement of the barn restored circa 1994. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 40.21501, -75.25287 (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 99000323.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15228832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.