Heller, Michael and Margaret, House
Also known as: Heller Homestead
Why it's listed
Stone farmhouse on a wooded slope above Saucon Creek in Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, with a core built around 1751 and a main block of about 1820. In 1934-1935 local builder Stanley Yeager remodeled it in the Colonial Revival style, adding a slate roof with snow guards, a half-oval fanlight, a Doric portico, stone jack arches, and a stair closely matching a Curtis Woodwork catalog plate. The house is regarded as a representative example of older Colonial and Federal farmhouses in the Saucon Valley that were updated in this manner during the early to mid-twentieth century. Its significance rests on that renovation and on the catalog-derived woodwork and interior changes that it preserves. The property also stands on land settled by Michael Heller, who named his tract Hellerton in 1783. A nearby Widow's House, built in 1850, and a root cellar remain on the site. The property is now a historic house museum and township park.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a representative example of Colonial and Federal style farmhouses in the Saucon Valley that were modernized in the Colonial Revival style in the early to mid-20th century. It is locally significant under Criterion C for architecture, with the 1934-1935 renovation and its catalog-derived woodwork and details central to the argument. The property also has early associations with settler Michael Heller and the Hellerton name.
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 10000399, listed June 28, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1890-1892 Friedensville Rd, Lower Saucon |
|---|---|
| County | Northampton County |
| Listed | June 28, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000399 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1751-1935 |
| Architect / builder | Stanley Yeager (builder) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by Lower Saucon Township and operated as a house museum and township park, with the Saucon Valley Conservancy leasing it. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.57859, -75.34562 (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 10000399.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15253313
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.