HOTTENSTEIN MANSION (1783):
Family History:
The Hottenstein family is descended from German nobility.
The family traces its origins to Riebold von Hottenstein
near Asschaffenburg, Germany in 380 A.D. Jacob Hottenstein
was born on February 18, 1697 in Esslingen, Germany.
Jacob Hottenstein was the original owner of the property
and was a German immigrant who settled in Oley Township
in 1727. Later, he would move into Maxatawny Township.
He was married to a Maria Dorothea Reber and was buried
in the family cemetery on the property when he died
in 1753. They were members of the local Reformed congregation.
The children of Jacob and Maria were Jacob, Dorothea,
Maria Catherine, William, David, and Henry.
Jacob Hottenstein’s 1753 will stated, in addition
to sons David and Henry inheriting the land, that David
received a stallion and that his widow, Maria, would
be allowed to remain on the property in either of two
stove rooms (this is a hint at the earlier structure
at this property). The will also left the following
yearly bequeathment to Maria unless she remarried: 20
bushels of wheat, 100 weight of pork, 50 weight of beef,
2 Pounds in money, 20 pounds weight of clean flax, as
much firewood as necessary, 1 hogshead of cider, the
grazing of a cow, and the pacing of a mare.
Henry Hottenstein was working as a physician in Lancaster
County at the time of his father’s death. David
Hottenstein was born in 1734 and lived until 1802. David
married a Sarah Herbein and their children were Jacob,
David, Daniel, Catherine, and Dorothea. I believe this
David Hottenstein is the one that served as a lieutenant
in Captain Henry Haller’s Regiment during the
battles for Long Island in the American Revolution.
David and Sarah’s son David is the one that built
the house.
David Hottenstein (the second) and his wife, Catherine,
had six children. David and Catherine’s son David
was the first in a long line of doctors in the family.
Dr. David Hottenstein attended the Medical Institute
in Philadelphia, practiced medicine in Berks County,
was married to an Elizabeth Kline, and died at age 82
in 1848. David and Elizabeth’s children were David,
Jacob, Daniel, William, Isaac, Henry, Catherine, and
Sarah. This David was a brigadier general during the
War of 1812.
There is some thought that the fact the Hottensteins
were pumping such a great deal of money into their architectural
wealth—unusual for Pennsylvania Germans—attests
to the fact the family was becoming assimilated into
the American culture. It appears, toward the end of
his life, the David Hottenstein which built the house
was the principle tax payer in Maxatawny Township. There
is some theory that David served in the Continental
Army on Long Island but there is no documentation for
this.
A number of the Hottensteins were instrumental in founding
what eventually became Kutztown University. Many of
them even sat on the Board of Trustees over the years.
Many are known to have studied medicine and dentistry
at Ursinus College. It is believed that one Edward Hottenstein
operated his dentistry practice out of the adjacent
doctor’s office on the property.
The last David Hottenstein to live in the home had
been a captain in the U.S. Navy until he retired in
1969. At one point, David was the head of the naval
hospital at Aberdeen, Maryland.
Social History:
Although little hard evidence has been discovered at
this time, it is clear that for at least some of its
history this house had to be a well-known location to
local residents. It appears as though the Hottenstein
family was financially powerful and influential in the
local community. The fact they helped found Kutztown
University attests to this fact. Also, with so many
of them being in the medical profession, people would
have sought them for advice and medical help. At least
some of the Hottenstein men operated their medical practices
on the property. Also, the home is located on what was
a major artery even in the 18th Century. At the time
the home was constructed, Route 222 was known as the
Easton Road.
Architectural History:
The main house was built in 1783 by David and Catherine
Hottenstein. The house is an outstanding example of
German style detailing added to a standard Georgian
floor plan. The two and a half story building is made
of limestone with dressed stone on the principle façade
and rubble stone on the three remaining sides. The cornice
and eaves of the original block consist of crown mold,
fascia, modillioned soffit with Greek key mold between
modillions, and bed mold. Each soffit corner has carved
sunflowers between modillions. There is a belt course
and a water course carved from native sandstone, even
though the majority of the structure is made from limestone.
Also, there are sandstone lintels with a raised key
stone over each window. The unique date stones are also
made from carved sandstone. All the exterior openings
in the structure are original and unaltered. A number
of shutters which appear to be original to the structure
are currently stored in the attic of the summer kitchen.
The house is completely unique to the area for its
style, workmanship, and detail. The interior features
original mantles and paneling, corner cupboards, and
hand-wrought hardware. The central hall of the interior
is elaborately decorated with pilasters, pediments,
fluting, and crown molding among other things. Most
of the original woodwork is intact with some original
paint including stippling and graining. The door between
the current kitchen and the dining room is not original
(the frame of this opening dates from between 1840-1860).
The original stair to the basement would have been a
winding stair. The wood work and detailing from the
current kitchen has been completely gutted—some
of this work was moved to the large second floor bedroom.
All of the interior locks are Germanic. Most of the doors in the house are supported by rat-tail pintles. The attic door is hung on “ram’s horn” hinges. These types of features give this Georgian home a Germanic overtone. The asymmetry of the paneling may suggest unfamiliarity with the Georgian aesthetic. The three-room plan on both floors can be interpreted as either a Germanic survival plus central hall plan, or an adaptation of a central hall English Georgian plan.
The rear kitchen ell was built around 1847 and supposedly
is made from stones from a church that once stood near
Bowers Road. The windows and trim of this wing are of
the Federal style. There is also a summer kitchen which
was attached to the main house by a shed-roofed porch
around 1965. The interior of the loft in the summer
kitchen is blackened, as though it was used for smoking.
At some point a Victorian front porch was added which
the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County has
removed. The last David Hottenstein to live in the home
installed the modern kitchen in the home.
The interior of the largest bedroom was removed by
the Sittigs for $1,000 plus $700—which Francis
DuPont paid—for repairs (payable to George Grim)
to the room in 1950 and is currently known as the Fractur
Room at Winterthur near Wilmington, Delaware. The woodwork
was sold by family relative George Grim to antique dealers
Edgar and Charlotte Sittig who in turn sold it to Henry
Francis DuPont for $3,000. Apparently, the process of
removing the woodwork met with harassment from local
Kutztown residents. As a result, Grim tried to stall
the workers and get more money out of DuPont, but failed.
Today, in its new location at Winterthur, the room houses
a Hottenstein family cask which is painted to mirror
the woodwork.
Outbuildings include a smokehouse, bake house, root
cellar, and a two car garage with a workroom and greenhouse
attached. There is a separate building which housed
a doctor’s office. Across the street in a farm
field is located the Hottenstein family cemetery. Possibly,
the large barn across the street was once part of this
complex. The survival of this group of buildings at
this location gives a glimpse of a late eighteenth century
farm layout which is becoming rarer each day in Berks
County.
Property History:
The original farm that Jacob Hottenstein owned included
116 acres. Jacob had settled in what would eventually
become Maxatawny Township in 1729 after living in Oley
Township for a couple of years. After leasing his 116
acres for one year from Caspar Wistar, Jacob bought
the land on November 18, 1729 for 40 Pounds. Jacob acquired
50 more acres in 1742, another 176 acres in 1751 and
eventually even more to total an additional 327 acres
to his land holdings. Prior to 1734, Jacob was paying
a quit rent for his land. David Hottenstein inherited
half the land from his father Jacob. David acquired
the other half of the land by buying out his brother’s
(Henry’s) share of the inheritance. On the 1759
tax list, David Hottenstein is listed as paying 23 Pounds.
The 1854 Berks County Atlas lists a W. Hottenstein
as residing in the house and the 1862 Berks County Atlas
lists a David Hottenstein, esq. In 1876, a H.S. Hottenstein
was listed as a resident. However, by some time in the
early twentieth century, the home was lived in by tenant
farmers because the family had moved away.
The Hottenstein Mansion was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1972. The property
remained in the Hottenstein family though until 1976
when the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County
received it as a gift from Dr. David Fulmer Hottenstein.
David Fulmer Hottenstein was the last member of the
family to live in the home. In 1985, the home was occupied
by Mr. and Mrs. John Beard. By 1988, Marilyn Stewart,
an art professor at Kutztown University, was living
in the house. Currently the home has a resident curator.
The Hottenstein House is located along Rt. 222 in Kutztown.
The Hottenstein House is tenanted. If you are interested
in touring this property, please contact the Trust office.
The Historic Preservation Trust does not guarantee the
availability of a tour of this property.
Please respect the privacy of the tenant by not trespassing
on the property.
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