by Walter Ault

WORCESTER - One of the most fascinating places in all of Montgomery County is the Peter Wentz Farmstead, a historical and architectural gem in Worcester Township that those with an interest in local history should visit.
The farmstead is a beautifully preserved German-style farm bordering Skippack Pike, Shearer Road and Zacharias Creek, with the centerpiece being a large two-and-a-half-story stone house built in 1758.
The house is about 80 percent original, according to Morgan McMillan, who has been curator of the site for five years.
Peter Wentz inherited 300 acres from his land-speculator father in 1744 and subsequently began building a house on the plot. The house was completed in 1758 and is in excellent condition despite being 250 years old.
There are also many other, smaller structures on the site - re-creations built on original foundations. There is a barn, a sheep fold, an ice house and a smoke house, a privy and a wood shed, all carefully constructed to give the site an appearance of the late 18th century.
The Wentz family, Peter and his wife Roseanna, lived in the 10-room house until 1784, then sold it to a man named Devault Beiber. Ten years later, Beiber sold the house to Melchiore Schultz, a Schwenkfelder minister.
Schultz and his descendants lived in the house until 1969 when the county bought the property.
The house is intriguing for many reasons: one being that it has elements of both English- and German-style architecture, as McMillan explained. "The façade and floor plan are Georgian (English) style," he said, "with everything being symmetrical.
"The pent roof, the split doors or Dutch doors are German style."
The site is still a working farm, with sheep and horses, the barn and a vegetable and herb garden. There are also plenty of fields, meadows and nature trails for walking.
"The Wentzes were wealthy farmers and their property reflected that," McMillan said. "And the farmstead looks much as it would have back then."
Nevertheless, the house is definitely the main attraction. It is truly beautiful inside and out, with many interesting features.
Standing near the front door, the first floor pent roof is immediately noticeable. It keeps water off the foundation of the house and supports a small, outside balcony. The stonework and fancy window shutters are equally impressive.
Once inside the house, the pine wood floors, some of which are original, stand out. "The front rooms, a parlor and a kind of utility room or family room," McMillan points out, "are more fancy than the others, with more plaster and paint and more decoration."
Even on the second floor, the front rooms are more decorative and elaborate, with, among other things, a corner cupboard in each room.
The walls even have a surprising feature. From the chair rails down to the floors, all the walls are painted in decorative patterns, in accordance with the German style of the 18th century. One small section of the wall has some of the original paint exposed for visitors to examine.
All the rooms are elaborately decorated with period furnishings. Some rooms have fireplaces while others have what are called five plate (cast iron) stoves.
One of the most fascinating rooms is called the Washington bedroom, because that is where it is believed General Washington slept during his stay at the house.
As it turns out, General Washington stayed at the Wentz home in the fall of 1777 (using it as his headquarters) for two days before the Battle of Germantown.
The American troops moved from the farmstead toward Philadelphia, where they encountered the British forces in a battle Oct. 4.
The future president stayed at the house again after the battle.
"The Washington room is the most originally intact room in the house," McMillan said.
The room has some beautiful period furnishings, but what really draws attention are the closets that extend the entire length of one wall from floor to ceiling.
However, the interesting aspects of the house don't end there. The summer kitchen is also worth mentioning. It has a large, original fireplace, with a brick bake oven in one corner.
The summer kitchen, unlike many others at the time, is connected by a breezeway to the main house.
Above the breezeway is a loft now used to house a collection of 18th century tools and contraptions.
"This is a special place," McMillan said. "A lot of care and hard work went into making this place an attractive and interesting site for visitors. And we believe the farmstead's appearance gives visitors a feel that they are traveling back in time to the period of the Revolutionary War."
Montgomery County has owned and operated the farmstead for almost 40 years now, with support from the Peter Wentz Farmstead Society - a nonprofit volunteer group dedicated to the preservation of the site and educating visitors.
"People come here and are amazed at how beautiful this property is," McMillan said. "And they love the house and its rich history."