Beydler, Abraham, House
Also known as: Valhalla Farm; DHR file no. 0085-0096
Why it's listed
Valhalla Farm is a brick farmhouse of about 1800 on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, near Maurertown in Shenandoah County. Abraham Beydler, a German immigrant and Mennonite, had it built; his family held the farm for more than a century. The two-story house has six rooms, limestone and slate fieldstone foundations, and walls of bricks made on the property, partly in Flemish bond. Inside are heart-of-pine floors, horsehair plaster, chair rails and an ornate parlor with Palladian-style cupboards and a Federal mantel with carved pineapples. An ell was added around 1850, along with a brick smokehouse/summer kitchen, and the remains of a springhouse survive. The property was listed for architecture as a well-preserved example of Federal-style building in the northern Shenandoah Valley. No master builder is identified, but the house shows direct use of popular Federal elements alongside traditional forms brought from Pennsylvania. Later porches and a garage were added, yet the house has changed little.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a fine example of Federal-style architecture in the northern Shenandoah Valley under Criterion C. It shows skilled craftsmanship, especially in the parlor mantel, and reflects German immigrant adoption of the Federal style. The house and smokehouse are described as surviving in nearly pristine condition from their construction.
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 01001568, listed February 7, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2748 Zion Church Rd., Maurertown |
|---|---|
| County | Shenandoah County |
| Listed | February 7, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001568 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1800-ca. 1850 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and in continuous use for two hundred years; the house is now multiple dwelling and the smokehouse was restored in the early 1990s as a residence. |
| Acreage | 9.3 |
| Coordinates | 38.91005, -78.42793 (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 01001568.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15177971
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.