Attn: The Morning Call News, Hellertown, PA
This Old Farm House Dripping With American History
By Jon Sinatra ©2012
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 were stationed at Dietz farm house. But just where exactly
was the Dietz farm house 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 farm house was not located at the Plainfield Church. Records show the
Dietz farm house 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 used by the 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 farm house is known to have been in the area of the Wind Gap. In 1745,
Adam Dietz arrived in this area and purchased 176 acres of land, with 25 of these acres being
warranted for the building of a house of worship for the Lutheran Reformed 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, was
recorded as being Dietz Gap and 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 Hellerville merged together and in
1893, Wind Gap was incorporated as the sole township name.
It is noted within county records that 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’s arrival at Dietz Outpost
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 eight men to Adam Deetses” and during
Pontiacs uprising of 1763, military records report that the Northampton Cavalry was “stationed at
Hellers - late Dietz Gap.” A deed of sale shows the Dietz property was transferred to Simon Heller in
February 1763 and he 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 Gap and that Jacob Heller was appointed postmaster. Therefore,
it would seem that during the French and Indian War, a military outpost existed upon the Plainfield
Church property. But where exactly were the soldiers quartered upon 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 was recorded 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 built replacing 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, Lieutenant Hyndshaw, 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 soldiers stationed 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 1758 inspection 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.
Lieutenant Hyndshaw, while stationed here also reported that “the house not stockaided round, and
what there is but very poor.” Partially surrounding the church cemetery sits 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 yards away 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 doorway next to the
chimney. It seems logical that within Father Heimer’s description, he may have also been describing
the 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 oldest and
most historic building in the county.
OLD LOG SCHOOL HOUSE