Shelter House | |
Shelter House in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, October 2012 | |
Location of Shelter House in Pennsylvania | |
Location | 601 S. 4th St., Emmaus, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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Coordinates | 40°31′50″N75°29′6″W / 40.53056°N 75.48500°W |
Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | c. 1734, 1741 |
Architectural style | Germanic log house |
NRHP reference No. | 78002426 [1] |
Added to NRHP | February 17, 1978 |
Shelter House is a historic home located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1734, it is believed to be the oldest continuously occupied building structure in both Lehigh County and the Lehigh Valley and among the oldest still-standing building structures in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. [2]
The first floor was built around 1734. In 1741, a three-room second story and a two-story annex were added. The house was built by early Pennsylvania German settlers and is a medieval-type Germanic log house made out of oak and chestnut and measuring approximately 40 feet by 25 feet. Mud, straw, and horse hair were used as the filling, or chinking, in between the gaps in the log walls, providing protection and insulation from outside elements. [3] It has a gable roof and large, square stone chimney.
The Shelter House got its name from the German word "zufluchtshaus," meaning "house of refuge or shelter." [4] The House is situated in a clearing of woods along a well-traveled Indian path and often served as a stopover for travelers. The house was inhabited at a time when there existed conflicts in the area between American settlers and British colonialists and Native Americans. Many years later after the founding of Emmaus in 1759, the House became a hostel and tavern for wayfarers. [5]
In 1952, the cabin was purchased at a public sale by a group of preservationists who raised $35,000 to stabilize and restore the structure and its grounds. In 1963, the Borough of Emmaus assumed ownership of the property, while the Shelter House Society continues with the responsibility of maintenance and preservation.
In 1978, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. [1]
Lehigh County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 374,557. Its county seat is Allentown, the state's third-largest city after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Emmaus is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 11,652. Emmaus is located in the Lehigh Valley, the third-largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and 68th-largest metropolitan area in the nation.
South Whitehall Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township's population was 19,180 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of Allentown and is part of the Lehigh Valley, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. as of the 2020 census.
Light's Fort was built in 1742 by Johannes Leicht [John Light] (1682-1758). Light's Fort is the oldest standing building of any kind in the county and city of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. John Light purchased the land on December 29, 1738, from Caspar Wistar, and wife, Katherine, of the City of Philadelphia, Brass Button Maker, for 82 pounds and 4 shillings. Light's Fort was built in 1742 on a tract of land, which was situated on a branch of the Quittapahilla Creek in Lancaster County at North 11th and Maple Streets. It contained 274 acres including an allowance of 6% for roads together with woods, water courses, etc.
The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, also known as the 1741 Gemeinhaus and the Lewis David de Schweinitz Residence, is a historic house museum at 66 West Church Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Built in 1741 to house the early Moravian community as well as the community's place of worship, the Saal, it is the oldest surviving building in Bethlehem, the largest surviving log house in continuous use in the U.S. and also significant for its association with the botanist and mycologist Lewis David de Schweinitz (1780–1834). It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975. The building is part of the Historic Moravian Bethlehem District which was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 2012 and later named to the U.S. Tentative List in 2016 for nomination to the World Heritage List.
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The Neill Log House is a historic log cabin in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It was built during the second half of the 18th century and has been most commonly attributed to Robert Neill (Neal), with an estimated construction date possibly anywhere from 1765 to 1795. This estimate is based on architectural evidence as well as the large increase in value of the land during Neill's period of ownership which would indicate he made substantial improvements. However, the earlier date of 1765 claimed in some sources, would associate the building with an earlier landowner, Ambrose Newton. In 2024, a dendrochronology study determined that the beam over the fireplace, believed to be original to the house's construction, was dated to be from 1795, which was the date that Robert Neal sold the cabin to John Reed. It is known by records that Robert Neal purchased the land in 1779 and sold the cabin and land in 1795. Extrapolation of the known dates of Robert Neal's purchase and date the property was sold and the large increase in value during Robert Neal's ownership indicating he made substantial improvements likely mean it may have been built by him between 1779-1794.
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The Troxell-Steckel House is an historic, American home that is located in Egypt, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.
Bogert Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge located at Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is a 145-foot-long (44 m), Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1841. It has vertical plank siding and a gable roof. It was restored by the Allentown Parks Department.
The David Ashbridge Log House is a historic home located at 1181 King Road in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. One of the historic properties included within the Battle of the Clouds Historic District, it was erected in 1782 by Quaker farmer David Ashbridge. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
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