Siegfried’s Dale

By Carole Christman Koch

Visitors to the Rodale Institute Research Center can enrich their experience by being aware of the long history of the farm, which reaches back over two and one half centuries.

            In 1972 Bob and Ardath Rodale bought the 333-acre farm, which is now the country's leading facility for organic farming and gardening.  This farm was part of the original Siegfried plantation.

            A number of the homes and buildings have been restored and preserved by Rodale Press and the late Ardath Rodale.  Some of the older buildings are listed in the Register of Historic Places.  The Rodale complex consists of 3 farmhouses, two bank barns, a schoolhouse, and many agricultural structures.  The building inventory researched by John H. Timbrell Jr. includes the following:

            *Johannes and Gertraud Siegfried House

                        1790 (date stone)

            *John and Catherina Siegfried House

                        1827 (date stone)

            *Henry Siegfried House

c.1810 (deed histories)

            *John and Catherina Siegfried Barn

                        1819 (date stone)

                        1905 (date stone) reconstructed by Charles Grim

            *Barnyard to Siegfried/Grim Barn

                        calving barn, c. 1900

                        small barn, c. 1860

                        small barn, c. 1900

                        barn

                        corn-crib

            *Henry Siegfried Barn

                        mid-19th Century

            *Spring and Rendering House

                        c. 1790 and c. 1880

            *School House

                        c. 1820 (1906)

            *Carriage House

                        c. 1880

            This farm is located in Maxatawny Township approximately 2 miles north of Route 222 from Christman Road, one half mile east of the village of Monterey and a few miles west of Maxatawny, in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

            The 1742 petition to erect Maxatawny Township, presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions of Philadelphia County (Berks County was originally part of Philadelphia county) listed some 35 inhabitants.  Some of these early settlers were Nicolas Kutz, Jacob Levan, Jacob Hottenstein, and a Hans (Johannes or John) Sigfridt (there are various phonetic spellings such as Sigfried, Sigfrad, Sickfredt on various old documents).

            Johannes Siegfried (Sigfridt) purchased, on March 7, 1732, 294 acres in Maxatawny Township, later known as Siegfried's Dale, from Caspar Wistar, a Philadelphia County brass button maker, for 147 pounds.  On April 1, 1736 Johannes purchased another 196 acres for 79 pounds and 8 shillings from the sons of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.  The land in this valley originally was purchased on September 7, 1732 by the Penn family from the Lenni Lenape Indians.

            Siegfried and his family first lived in the Oley Valley area, also in Berks County.  The Pennsylvania Archives from 1724 show Johannes requested a grant of 300 acres of land above Oley.  At this time it is believed Johannes probably rented or worked someone's farm.  Later, also in 1724, Johannes and other settlers requested land at the “Sawcany” (Saucony, a stream flowing through Kutztown and environs) to be laid out—300 acres for Johannes Siegfried.  While living in Oley, in 1730, Johannes and other German Protestant settlers were naturalized.

            By 1732 Johannes and his family lived in Maxatawny Township, but it is not known the exact year he came.  Johannes, with his wife, Elizabeth, and family trekked their way through wooded forests following streams and Indian trails crossing the mountain from the Oley hills.  Records at the Moravian Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, record three births to Johannes and Elizabeth: Catharine born November 11, 1719; Joseph born February 21, 1721; Johannes born 1723.  It is believed these three

were born in Oley.  Five more children Mary Elizabeth (known as the first white child born in the area), Susan, Magdalena, Anna, and Margareth, were born at Siegfried's Dale.

            Although Johannes and Elizabeth were Mennonites they were also acquainted with the Brethren (Moravians) who lodged in their home during their missionary travels.  Probably, due to the Moravian influence in the home, several of Johannes and Elizabeth's children became Moravians.  Later records show some of the Siegfried family were involved in the planning and building—on the reformed side—of the Zion Union Church, Maxatawny.  Due to the Siegfried's involvement in spiritual affairs, some old maps labeled the Maxatawny Church as “Siegfried's Church.

            Some members of the Siegfried family are buried at Maxatawny Church.  Probably the first five generations of the Siegfried family are buried on the family burial plot in a field west of Christman Road.  There are a few unlettered field-stone markers; some have been removed, and others are weather beaten.

            The Siegfried family also had an interest in community affairs and the teaching of children.  In 1889 “A History of Ephrata” states that Johannes, in 1737, bought in Philadelphia an indentured person for four years.  Thomas Hardie was to teach English, but since he was also versed in law, he executed written papers for the entire neighborhood.  Johannes, the Ephrata history states, was so pleased with Hardie that he offered his daughter in marriage plus 100 acres.  Records show that none of the daughters ever married Hardie after all.  Continuing with the need for education, in 1906, the Siegfried family gave land to have a one-room schoolhouse built.  Today, the 105  year old Siegfried's Dale School is a Book and Gift Shop for the Rodale complex.

            Johannes died between December 4, 1747, the date of his will, and January 14, 1748, the date it was probated in Philadelphia County.  The will stated the land was to be divided between his two sons, Joseph and John.  Joseph was to have “300 acres, 4 horses, 3 cattle, and 5 sheep.”; John was to own “300 acres, 4 horses, 3 cattle, and 6 sheep.”  The six daughters of Johannes and Elizabeth married and moved away from the family farm.

            Naturally, the new proprietors, John and Joseph stayed on the farm.  John died in 1766, leaving his wife, Catherine (nee Fetherolf) to care for the 8 children, some still minors.  Joseph lived until 1795.  He and his wife, Anna Maria (nee Romig) were the parents of 13 children.

            The children of both John and Joseph re-divided more of their land amongst their sons.  They also added nearby parcels.  Some children moved on.

            Life today at Siegfried's Dale is still centered around farming.  The goal of the Rodale Institute,

in the late  Ardath Rodale's own words is “to develop for farmers and gardeners the information and methods to product good crops and improve their land and lives.  In our organic environment, beneficial insects often take care of the garden pests; garden flowers and vegetables thrive.  One of our major research efforts is to develop methods that help crops to be naturally resistant to drought, insect pests and disease.”  As farmers themselves, the Siegfried family would be pleased with their efforts.