Scheetz Farm, House, 7161 Camp Hill Road, Fort Washington, Montgomery County, PA

Significance: The Scheetz Farm is significant for its architecture and history. The vernacular house on the property demonstrates an additive construction history with portions dating to the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. The original one-and-one-half-story portion of the house appears to date to the 1750s, representing a rare survival of a little known dwelling type from the Colonial period. Subsequent additions, all of them architecturally intact before recent decay, show a transition from traditional ethnic building techniques to nationally popular architectural trends. The additive character of the house reflects the growing agricultural and industrial prosperity of Montgomery County during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the local prominence of the Scheetz family, who were farmers, paper millers, public officials, and military veterans. The structure also conveys its more recent history as a dual occupancy residence, fulfilling the needs of both tenant farmers and suburban commuters.
Survey number: HABS PA-6666-A
Building/structure dates: ca. 1750 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: ca. 1800 Subsequent Work