Susan, This was really interesting. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. Murna -----Original Message----- From: SUSAN BURGESS [SMTP:suekbee@home.net] Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001 12:22 AM To: KEIM-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [KEIM] Jacob Keim Homestead I finally got this written after our trip to Pennsylvania and our tour of the Jacob Keim Homestead. Jacob KEIM was born the 24th of October, 1724 in Oley Valley, Philadelphia County which is now near Pikeville, Berks County, Pennsylvania to Johannes "John" "Hans" KEIM and Bertha DETURCK. He married Maria Magdalena HOCH in October, 1746 in Pennsylvania. She was born the 2nd of December, 1730 in Maiden Creek Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania to Johannes HOCH (John High) and Susanna ____. Jacob bought 50 acres from John and Susanna High (Hoch) the 30th of June, 1753. This acreage was located in an area covered in black walnut trees. Tradition says that John Hoch built a six room, two story, stone house for Jacob and Magdalena on this property in 1753. The date 1732 is found near the roof line at the end of the house but it is thought this was added much later and is incorrect. The Jacob Keim homestead is located on Boyer Road near the intersection of Boyer Road and Lobachsville Road in Berks County, Pennsylvania. This home is an example of a stove-room house with an enclosed winder staircase located near the great walk-in cooking fireplace. For warming the adjoining room there is a hole in the back of the fireplace for a five plate stove. This was five iron plates formed into a box with the open side butted up against the hole in the wall, making transfer of hot coals from the fireplace to the stove easy. Using the same chimney there is a fireplace in the second floor room directly above the first floor stove-room with a five plate stove hearth in an adjoining bedroom. This largest upstairs room also has a door leading to the outside. There is no balcony and it was probably used to facilitate hoisting grain sacks to the second floor for safe storage in the third floor attic. The ancillary house, a smaller house near the main house combines the functions of a variety of outbuildings under one roof. The ancillary cellar has a spring channel which is a lined trench with a stream running through it for cold storage and fresh water. It also has a walk-in fireplace. "This area was probably used for food storage, laundering, distilling, and dairying activity such as cheesemaking and rendering of butchered meat." Up the stairs the first floor stove-room has a side hearth for a five plate stove. This allows the area at the back of the chimney stack to have a large chamber covered by a big iron door that opens into the main workroom. This chamber was probably used as a smoke house for meat and a kiln for drying wood. The first floor workroom has four windows giving lots of light unlike the rest of the rooms in either building. It was probably used as the woodworking shop since Jacob was a turner, a craftsman who used a lathe powered by a large manually driven wheel to shape chair and table legs etc. It is thought that Jacob's great granddaughters later used this room for their loom. Jacob's son, John Keim later added onto the east end of the main house. John's son raised his eleven children in this home. John's granddaughter, Elizabeth Keim was the last Keim to own the Jacob Keim farmstead. After her death in 1911 and the sale of the property in 1912 one hundred-fifty acres of old growth black walnut trees were cut into timber in 1913. Some of the trees were said to be 4 to 5 feet across and 100 feet tall. The two houses and newer barn remain and have had few alterations since they were constructed. They are now maintained by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County in Douglassville, Pennsylvania. Jacob Keim died the 18th of October, 1799 in Rockland Township, Berks County Pennsylvania. Magdalena died the 21st of April, 1804 in Lobachville, Berks County, Pennsylvania. They were both buried on the Jacob Keim farmstead on Boyer Road. Their graves are located in a small walled graveyard under a lone cedar tree in the middle of an open field across Boyer Road and slightly to the right of their home. A second larger walled Keim graveyard is also across Boyer Road behind the second house to the left of the Keim home. This graveyard is up a hill hidden behind a row of (cedar or cypress) trees. It contains the graves of John Keim and his progeny. Jacob and Magdalena had at least two children Barbara and Johannes "John" Jacob Keim. Susan ==== KEIM Mailing List ==== To post a query so everyone on receives it, send it to: KEIM-L@RootsWeb.com Your message will be sent to everyone in both modes.