National Register of Historic Places

Boyer-Mertz Farm

Kutztown, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Listed
September 8, 1992
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
92000937

About this property

The Boyer–Mertz Farm, also known as Angstadt Farm, is a historic farm complex and national historic district located in Maxatawny Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The historic Boyer–Mertz Farm complex had its genesis in a land patent granted to John Coates on November 27, 1800, by John Penn and Richard Penn, descendants of Pennsylvania's founder, William Penn. That patent, which was subsequently transferred to Phillip Mertz on June 30, 1802, became the basis for possession of the farm's acreage by the Mertz family until 1845 when it sold to Solomon and Benneville Boyer with Benneville Boyer ultimately retaining sole ownership of the property with his wife, Mary. In 1871, the Boyers improved the property by erecting a barn there, per that barn's datestone. According to historians who researched the property's history in preparation for its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the Boyers were also likely responsible for erecting the brick tenant house and stone summer kitchen. On April 26, 1901, Benneville Boyer resold the property, returning it to the Mertz family, members of whom were subsequently responsible for building the residence on the property which dates to 1905. The Mertzes retained control of the property until 1941 when it was resold to Morris Shafer, who then resold it to Kuney and Arlene Angstadt in 1945. Nearly thirty years later, on August 17, 1972, they transferred the property to Ernest Angstadt. The Boyer–Mertz Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. In February 2017, a major storm moving through Maxatawny Township damaged part of the farm complex. The storm's strong winds lifted the roof off of one of the barns. The Boyer–Mertz Farm has nine contributing buildings and eleven contributing structures, including a 2+1⁄2-story, brick tenant house (1871); brick-and-frame Pennsylvania bank barn (1871); and a 2+1⁄2-story, brick farmhouse (1905). The remaining buildings include a stone summer kitchen (c. 1850), three wagon / buggy sheds, a carriage shop, and privy. The contributing structures include a pumphouse, four chicken houses, five stone cisterns, and a corn crib.

Location

Kutztown, Berks County, Pennsylvania
40.49808, -75.76781

Categories

AGRICULTUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Kutztown 1892 Public School Building
Civil War
1.1 mi
Deisher, H. K., Knitting Mill
Industrial
1.3 mi
Kemp's Hotel
Civil War
2.2 mi
Hottenstein Mansion
Industrial
2.9 mi
Sally Ann Furnace Complex
Industrial
3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Boyer-Mertz Farm listed on the National Register?

Boyer-Mertz Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 8, 1992.

What type of historic resource is Boyer-Mertz Farm?

Boyer-Mertz Farm is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Boyer-Mertz Farm?

The period of significance for Boyer-Mertz Farm is recorded as the listed era.

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