SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE INFORMATION AND EVENT UPDATES

2014 UPCOMING EVENTS & MEETINGS

JOIN US!
Scroll down for event posters and more information. Hope to see you soon.

2014 SVC- HH events

2014 SVC- HH events

Maria Kazakia Art Exhibit & Artist Reception

Maria Kazakia Art Exhibit & Artist Reception

Saucon Valley: Past & Present Juried Photo Exhibit Call for Entries - Deadline - March 30

Saucon Valley: Past & Present Juried Photo Exhibit Call for Entries - Deadline - March 30

Heller Homestead Art Gallery, Antiques & Collectibles Gift (Consignment) Shop, Museum

Free and open to the public on most weekends & during special events March 1 – December 14 [closed most holiday weekends].
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays: 1 pm to 4 pm (Sundays, 12 to 3 pm, May - November)
Tours of the Heller Homestead Museum “A Journey in Time” are available by appointment (donations appreciated).
Due to an unexpected circumstance, the Art Gallery and Gift Shop may be closed.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
For more information, call 610-216-0566, SVConservancy@aol.com, or visit www.sauconvalleyconservancy.org.
Proceeds benefit the Saucon Valley Conservancy, Inc. a not for profit 501(c) 3 corporation founded in 1993

Heller Homestead located 1890 - 92 Friedensville Road, Bethlehem PA 18015


Then…

Europeans from Germany and Switzerland began to settle in the Saucon Creek area of eastern Pennsylvania around 1730. The Lenni Lenape Indians, who lived in the area, called the creek “Sakunk,” meaning “place of outlet” where a small stream empties into a larger stream.

The Saucon Creek is a haven to many forms of plant and animal wildlife, and a treasure of natural beauty.

One prominent family to settle the area was the Johan Christoph Heller family. Johan Christoph and his wife, Veronica Lawall, had nine children. Their third child, Johan Michael Heller, purchased 250 acres of forested land on July 30, 1751. The property was on both sides of the Saucon Creek and one-half mile west of Main Street in Hellertown. He built his home, later known as the Stever Farm. Michael Heller served in Colonel Anthony Lerch’s Saucon Cavalry during the Indian War of 1756. They were the first body of armed men to reach the massacre of Moravians at Gnadenhuetten, now Lehighton. The Cavalry compelled the Indians to retreat to the mountains.

Records show that Michael Heller took provisions from his barn to George Washington’s troop at Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War when merchants no longer extended credit to the army.

The Heller family left their name in Hellertown, which was for many years part of Lower Saucon Township. The Heller House, Widow’s House and Root Cellar still stand today. Until February of 1998, all four sides of the original stone barn stood erect. In the aftermath of a severe storm, a portion of the roof collapsed. Deeming it a danger, township officials decided to bring down all but about one-third of the barn, preserving its very unusual arch.

The Heller barn was actually a complex of two barns – an early stone bank barn and a frame bank barn that was constructed considerably later. A feature of the English Lake District stone bank barn was a basement level pent roof and its four stone walls. The adjacent foundations are from an even larger wooden companion barn. The side-by-side nature of the two barns is quite unusual but the sheer size of the two barns and their juxtaposition to each other is very impressive since the over-all appearance and condition is infrequently seen at other homesteads in the southeast area of the state.

Today…

The 2.2 acre Heller Homestead (Michael & Margaret Heller House) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is locally significant under National Register Criterion C for Architecture. The Period of Significance is c. 1751 to 1935, when the earlier Colonial and Federal style farmhouse was renovated to reflect the popular Colonial Revival style. The architecture of the House demonstrates the distinctive design characteristics of the class of pre-existing farmhouses in the Saucon Valley that were remodeled using Colonial Revival designs in the early 20th century. These changes occurred during a time in which
property owners, architects, and builders were influenced by both historic antecedents and the availability of catalog designs and woodwork. It is part of the 15-acre Heller Homestead Park owned by Lower Saucon Township and leased by Saucon Valley Conservancy.

Of the existing structures, the Heller House features four rooms that are decorated in different historic periods. Meetings are held in the public meeting room. The restored 1850s Widow’s House features a kitchen with a small beehive oven in the fireplace. The stone Root Cellar has been restored and is within the grounds of the homestead.

Between the barn ruins and the Widow’s House is a replicated Pennsylvania German four-square herb garden featuring seasonal vegetables, climbing roses, and medicinal and culinary herbs.

A sawmill was located east of the Widow’s House, on the west side of a historic railroad bed. The foundation was recently uncovered.

Stop by and visit the Heller Homestead Art Gallery which features local artists and the Antiques & Collectables Gift Shop located in the Heller House. Items can be donated or sold on consignment in the Gift Shop. Proceeds benefit the Saucon Valley Conservancy.

Tomorrow…

The Conservancy continues pursuing its goal to preserve the natural environment and history of the Saucon Valley through a number of ongoing activities.

When you become a member of the Conservancy, you help preserve the natural beauty of Saucon Valley. Through public programs and cultural awareness we offer an enriching experience while attracting supporters like you, our neighbors.

You also receive a newsletter, Heller Homestead News, which keeps you informed on current events, features and meetings of the Conservancy.

Please join us today!

Help restore and preserve another community treasure.
Tours of the Homestead are available by appointment.

ABOUT

The Saucon Valley Conservancy, Inc., founded January 7, 1993, is an all volunteer, 501 (c) (3) nonprofit tax-exempt organization dedicated to work in partnership with government bodies, business groups and concerned citizens.

Its Mission is to preserve the historic and natural environment of the Saucon Valley as an educational and recreational resource for the area citizens and visitors.

The major stewardship of the Conservancy is the Michael Heller Homestead and the Saucon Creek corridor.

Help is always needed and volunteers are a vital part of the Conservancy’s success.


Map

Map
Histororic Heller Homestead Grounds
No posts.
No posts.

Followers