Attn: the Morning Call News, Hellertown, PA

Attn: The Morning Call News, Hellertown, PA

This Old Farm House Dripping With American History

The French and Indian War had been heating up across the globe in places like Spain,Britain and France, Africa and India, Pacific Islands, as well as the British Colonies. In November of 1755, the French and Indians were within the borders of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, as a dozen Indian warriors in black war paint, carrying muskets, tomahawks and knives attacked and burned the village of New Gnadenhutten, at Lehigh Gap. Upon learning of this massacre, Governor Morris commissions General Dr. Benjamin Franklin to take charge of the construction of a line of forts along the base of the Blue Mountains. By February 1756, Franklin writes of his progress, reporting also that Ensign Sterling and 11 men werestationed at Dietz farmhouse.But just where exactly was the Dietz farmhouse located?

Working from 18th and 19th century maps, land records, military and church records, I was immediately led to the area around the St. Peters Church at Plainfield, explains Jon Sinatra, a descendant of both Adam Dietz and Adam’s son-in-law,Simon Heller.I spent most of my time trying to prove that this farmhouse was not located at the Plainfield Church. Records show the Dietz farmhouse as being a military outpost that housed provincial troops during the war. There was also a strong-house that was built in this area and usedbythe settlers as a shelter after the Keller Family was attacked in 1757.This is currently being investigated for exact location.

The location of the Dietz farmhouse is knownto have been in the area of the Wind Gap. In 1745, Adam Dietz arrived in this area and purchased 176acres of land, with 25 of these acres being warrantedfor the building of a house of worship for the LutheranReformed Congregations.Period maps and records show that as early as 1779, Wind Gap Township, where it stands today, was first named Hellerville, this was where Capt. Jacob Heller built a house and where General Sullivan and his troops encamped on Sullivan’s March in 1779. The Plainfield Church area in 1763,wasrecordedas being Dietz Gapand as early as 1782, Dietz Gap, became Wind Gap. It wasn’t until the mid-1870’s, with population growth, that Wind Gap P.O.and Hellervillemerged together and in 1893, Wind Gap was incorporated as the sole township name.

It is noted withincounty recordsthat Adam Dietz ran a licensed tavern early on and while on their travels through Totts Gap in 1750, Reverend Henry Muhlenberg and his father-in-law, Conrad Weiser, wrote that on“Aug. 3, we road on 5 miles above Nazareth, and put up for the night at a tavern”.As there were no other habitations at this time between Nazareth and Dietz Gap, this would put them in the area of the Plainfield Church. Upon Colonel James Burd’sarrival atDietzOutpost in 1758, it was reported that he was 6 miles from Nazareth, which by-way of the Indian trails that were being used at that time is exactly at Plainfield Church.In December of 1757, Lieutenant Engle reports from Ft. Lehigh that he sent “Serjt. Zoller with eightmen toAdam Deetses” and during Pontiacs uprising of 1763, militaryrecords report that the Northampton Cavalry was “stationed at Hellers - late Dietz Gap.” A deed of sale shows the Dietz property was transferred to Simon Hellerin February 1763andhe then continued building the Plainfield Church congregation. Both Simon and his wife Anna Louisa (Dietz), rest here in this churchyard. In 1774, Simon then transferred this land to his son, Jacob. Within National Archives Records Administration, it is noted that in 1804, a post office was established in Wind Gapand that Jacob Heller was appointed postmaster. Therefore, it would seem that during the French and Indian War, a military outpostexisted upon the Plainfield Church property. But where exactly were the soldiers quarteredupon this property?

In 1782, a German traveler wrote that while visiting Wind Gap, he had passed by a small log church which had been built by the Lutheran and Lutheran Reformed and served as a place of worship. Within the Plainfield Church records, it wasrecorded that in 1805 a new log church was to be built and that monies were collected from the sale of the contents of the old church. In 1832, a brick church was builtreplacing the 1805 church which was sold and moved below Wind Gap. In 1916, the present St. Peter’s Church replaced the brick church.This would make the old log church, which still stands today next to the St. Peters Lutheran Church,the first house of worship upon this property.

In 1756, LieutenantHyndshaw, while stationed at Dietz, reported that these quarters were “not a fit place for so many men, the room but small, so that we almost ly in heaps.” This old log church measures 24 ½’ x 22 ½’ and is a single story room with an attic loft.Throughout the war there were at times over 15 soldiersstationed at this outpost.Lt. Hyndshaw continued in his report that “Myself and Men almost continually Sick by reason of the stoves.”Upon inspection of this log church, 2 vent holes, now covered by plaster, do exist side by side within the center of the ceiling. During his 1758inspection of the Dietz Outpost,Colonel Burd reports “the House is built in a swamp.”It is said that the Delaware River may have once flowed through the Wind Gap within the Blue Mountains. In 18th century maps, it shows this area sits on the edge of the area known as The Great Swamp.The Little Bushkill Creek runs past and branches off surrounding much of the church area. Even today there are many large ponds that surround the church and the possible remnants of a pond may be seen in the cemetery against the curve in Knitters Road,about 300 feet from the old log church.

LieutenantHyndshaw,while stationed here also reported that “the house not stockaided round, and what there is but very poor.” Partially surrounding the church cemeterysits a stone wall. Although this wall is dated 1830, possibly it had replaced an earlier type of“fence” that Adam had built after he had buried his wife, Anna Catharine (Able), here in 1753, the first burial in this yard. If this is so, it would have made for a partial and poor stockade as reported by the Lieutenant.

Within a 1909 issue of a Pennsylvania German Magazine, Father William Heimer, of a most advanced age, stated“this old log church was schoolhouse and dwelling combined with a large hall and fire hearth chimney between the school room and the dwelling apartments.” Although the apartments, hallway and fire hearth no longer exist, the chimney is still present. Within a 1909 photograph, a building sits just yardsaway from the chimney and perhaps this was the dwelling apartments. Susan Hahn, the current owner of this property, had partially exposed an exterior wall of this church showing the original log frame still intact with remnants of a doorwaynext to the chimney.It seems logical that within FatherHeimer’sdescription,he may have also beendescribingthe first Dietz dwelling that would have been built upon the family’s arrival here in 1745, and was used as a military outpost during the French and Indian War, making this possibly the oldestand most historic building in the county.

OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE