the Saucon Valley 
     Conservancy A non-profit organization, founded in 1993, dedicated to   preserving  and maintaining historically significant properties and  to helping conserve natural resources in the Saucon Creek corridor, Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania

Europeans from Germany and Switzerland began to settle in the Saucon Creek area around 1730. The native Lenni Lenape Indians, called the Creek "Sakunk," meaning "place of outlet," where a small current of water empties into a larger stream. 

   One prominent family to settle the area was  the Johan Christoph Heller family. They landed in Philadephia on the ship "Winter Galley" in September 5,1738. Johan Christoph and his wife, Veronica Lawall, had nine children. 

   Johan Michael Heller ( more commonly known as Michael Heller) was the the third child of Johan Chrisoph and Veronica. He was born in Pfeddersheim 27 Febuary 1724, and when he was 14, he came to America with his parents and siblings on the Winter Galley. Sometime after April 16, 1749, Johan Michael Heller married Magdalena Catharina Keiper.

On July 30,1751, "Michael" Heller purchased 250 acres of land . The original tract was located to the west of Main Street in Hellertown, on both sides of the Saucon Creek. He built a large stone home and a barn. The main house and a "widow's house" still stand today. The archway entrance to the barn is standing and the stone has been saved. 

   Michael Heller, 1724-1803, served in Colonel Anthony Lerch's Saucon Cavalry during the Indian War of 1756. They were the first body of armed men to reach the massacre of Moravians near Lehigh Gap. The Saucon Cavalry compelled the Indians to retreat to the mountains. At the time of the Revolutionary War, during the terrible winter of 1777-78, when merchants would no longer extend credit to the army, records show that Sergeant Michael Heller, of the 8th Company, 1st Battalion, Northampton County Militia, took provisions from his farm to George Washington's troops at Valley Forge. 

  Years later, the homestead site became known as Stever's Sawmill and Stever's Farm.  For three generations a saw mill was operated on the property, part of the Heller tract. The first mill was north of the farm along Creek Road; the second was in front of the farmhouse; the third was south of the house. The Stevers also farmed their land surrounding the mill. Mrs. Charles Stever, seated in front of the small house, was a descendant of the Hellers. Other persons shown are Mrs. Charles Stevers,Jr., Charles Stever, Lizzie Stever (Reily), Mary Stever (Unangst). Seated on the wagon are Stella Unangst (Anders) and John Stever. The hill alongside the farmhouse is still known by some as Stever's hill. 

  Today, theMichael Heller Homestead property is a 2.2 acre public park owned by the Lower Saucon Township and  home of the Saucon Valley Conservancy.The park faces the Saucon Creek (good fishing) and provides a large picnic and walking area. A new feature to the homestead is the Pennsylvania Dutch herb garden to be completed this summer (2002). 
The Saucon ValleyConservancy, a not-for- profit organization of volunteers, is dedicated to maintaining properties of historic significance and helping to conserve resources along the Saucon Creek . The Michael Heller Homestead,a property the Conservancy is dedicated to preserving, is of great historical value, representing one of the few pre-Revolutionary Colonial American farmsteads in our region. 

   The Main House is a good example of late 18th and early 19th century farmhouses in this region. It was built shortly after 1751 and constructed of native stone.  The exterior has seen little change (repairs when needed, an addition to the rear of the house, and the addition of a main entrance porch). Inside there are deeply recessed windows as well as wide-board flooring. The home is open to visitors on Saturday and Sunday, 1-4, or by appointment, or when ever a Conservancy member is on the grounds. The Main House also hosts the  7:00 P.M.  Conservancy meetings  the first Thursdayof each month (visitors invited), social events, meetings of other civic organizations,  as well as  the Heller Homestead Series  , a program of events that feature educational speakers and historical exhibitions . 

   Behind the Main House is the original  RootCellar , still in working order. The small stone building adjacent to and similiar to the Main House is the Widow'sHouse ,   sometimes called the Tenant House. Today, it serves as a gift and consignment shop and is open Saturday and Sunday from 1-4. 
 

   A major, long term goal of the Saucon Valley Conservancy has been to raise the money needed for the stablization of the Michael Heller Barn (circa 1751). 

   A barn was usually the first permanent structure on a farm. The Pennsylvania Germans (Dutch/Deutch) built large house-barns similiar to those in their countries of origin, Upper Bavaria, Germany and Switzerland.Using materials at hand, fieldstone, they built massive stone walled barns.The Heller barn has four stone walls, twenty inches thick. Many rural Pennsylvania barns had only two end walls of stone or three stone walls. 

   This barn is a German Bank Barn which had stalls for livestock on the ground floor and a large threshing floor and hay loft above. The upper level was entered at the rear by a ramp. Through the great doors a loaded hayrick was driven onto the threshing floor. 

   Until February 1998 all four walls of the original barn stood intact. However, in the aftermath of a severe storm, a portion collapsed. Deeming it a danger, local officals decided to bring down all but about one-third of the building, preserving its unique arch.

  The Mission of the Conservancy is to preserve the history and natural environment of the Saucon Valley, along with the special agricultural life-style of rural pre-Revolutionary colonials. The Conservancy views these as educational and recreational resources for the citizens of our area and for the many thousands of persons who visit this area each year. To meet these goals the Conservancy has sought to: 

• list the Heller Homestead in the National Register of Historic Places 
• continue writing grants for the preservation of the site 
• continue the preservation activities in the Main and Widow's Houses 
• restore and upgrade the Root Cellar 
• stabilize and beautify the Barn Ruins 
• pursue the preservation of the nearby Lime Kiln Cemetery on Creek Road, containing 18 early Heller headstones 
• increase the visibility of  the Widow's House as a gift and consignment shop 
• research and determine the decor of the Main House and furnish it appropriately. 


  Here are some of our achievements from 2001:
• Awarded a Keystone Historic Preservation Grant for the restoration of the Widow’s house.  
• Listed the Heller Homestead with the the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau for Historic Preservation.  
• Awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Council in support of the Heller Homestead Series lectures . The lectures are a program presented by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council 
• Hosted lectures on : PennsylvaniaBarns, The Folklife of Pennsylvania Towpaths, Pow- Wowing and other Local Superstitions, and PA Germans: a Persistent Minority. 
• Participated in Northampton County’s Founders Day Parade which launched the county’s celebration of its founding 250 years ago, in 1752. 
• Successfully opened The Consignmentand Gift Shop for fund raising. 
• Hosted the annual Tag and Bake Sale. 
• Promoted use of the Michael Heller Homestead grounds as recreational park land for public use. 
• Conducted tours of the Michael Heller Homestead. 
• Participated in a conference on Historic Preservation hosted by the PA Historic and Museum Commission.  
• Published quarterly newsletter: "The Michael Heller Homestead News." 
• Hosted groups of students from several local schools and universities on numerous occasions, students who volunteered to help with ongoing projects.  
• Created web sites for both the SauconValley Conservancy ( www.members.aol.com/SauconValleyCons) and the Lime Kiln Burial Ground on Creek Road ( www.members.aol.com/limekilnBG ) 
• Revised the Brochure on Historic LimeKiln Burial Ground. 
• Won first prize in Hellertown’s Halloween Parade. 
• Featured in a Valley Voice article about the LimeKiln Burial Ground. 
• Hosted Annual Holiday Open House at the Heller House. 
• Designed and creating an authentic Pennsylvania German style herb garden. 
• Currently restoring the 18^thcentury root cellar on the Heller Homestead property. 
• Continued preservation of the LimeKiln Burial Ground. 
• Pursuing restoration of the Widows House as a living museum.  Return to Top