1
Canal hotel for many years. Known as Cross Keys-Millers-Helricks-Sharffs Inn. Mules used on the canal were stabled close by. Brownstone wall in front of this stone dwelling is made from stone taken from canal locks. Sharffs opened the hotel upon completion of the Union Canal; concurrently they operated a grist mill a short distance to the northwest on the stream that flows into the Tulpehocken at this point.

2
Union Canal Lock 31. Tollhouse was northeast of locks between the canal and the Tulpehocken. Beautiful limestone mill, known as Sunday's or Cross Keys Mill, is not presently grinding grist, but the "works are still all there" complete with current water rights. It was built in 1820 by the Zerbe/Zerby family whose trade was so great that they even owned their own canal boats. Later, the mill was run by Wilhelm, J. D. Richard, and (from 1883 to the 1950's) Jacob Sunday and his heirs. In 1892 the roller process was added to produce a finer grade of flour; in 1895 a 20-horsepower horizontal (turbine) waterwheel replaced the earlier vertical wheel. A keen and appreciative interest is taken by the present owners, Dr. and Mrs. Ralph W. Hassler. Fittingly, Mrs. Hassler descends from the Zerby family, long and proudly associated with the milling interests of our county.

4
Union Canal Lock 33.

5
Lock 34 is evident by the mound, but the stone walling has been removed. . . . probably to build the foundation for the ancient-looking Schaeffer's Ford Bridge (built in 1889; 75 feet in length) located a block away.

6
Log cabin once owned by Seidels and Fidlers; located at end of dirt road. Reasonably well-preserved, 21/2 story building; no siding obscures the logs.

7
One-room schoolhouse in North Heidelberg Township. Very early school site.

8
Lock 35 is in rather good condition and is worth seeing; within walking distance (along the Tulpehocken) from the Heidelberg Golf Course. Close by is the beautiful Little Tulpehocken Church built in 1809 and renovated in 1926; good example of colonial church architecture. A block away, along the main (Womelsdorf) road, is an ancient burial ground.

9
Stump Burial Ground. Approximately ten graves, the last dating from 1850. Located along the newly surfaced Robe-'sonia Road. Original homestead lies to the south. The Stump lands ran to the Tulpehocken in the early days; a land-grant from the Penns to Caspar Stump dates from 1735.

10
SOUTH BERNVILLE, the heart" of the Union Canal in Berks County! This is a complete story in itself and will be fully explored in a future issue of the REVIEW. . . . complete with rare, early photographs. The Heidelberg Country Club presently occupies much of this area with its clubhouse, golf course, and skiing slope. Lock 36, a complicated affair, was here; lock walling is seen right along the road. The large structure between the bridges was a canal hotel known as Stout's South Bernville Hotel-or the Newport Hotel; after the closing of the canal, it became a farmhouse. Behind the Texaco gasoline station along Route 183 (a block away) one sees a vestige of the ill-fated South Mountain Railroad line: an elevated stretch ‘of earth upon which no tracks were ever placed. The South Bernville Covered Bridge (1849-1938) crossed the Northkill Creek opposite the South Bernville Hotel.

11
Northkill Covered Bridge crossed the Northkill Creek connecting 4th Street in Bernville with Jefferson Township. Built in 1848; single lane; 107 feet; rebuilt in 1885 with provision in the abutment, on the Bernville side, to allow for the passage of the proposed South Mountain Railroad line-examine the accompanying photograph carefully. Interestingly, the present Route 183 follows the path laid out by the railroad men. Part of the bridge abutment can be seen at the junction of 4th Street and present Route 183. About 20 years ago, this landmark burned completely.

12
Log cabin built by the Haag/Haak family. Situated near the creek beside the large farmhouse easily seen from Route 183. One story; single room. Near here, on the west bank of the Northkill Creek, is the Klein Burial Ground. These inscriptions have been noted: Philip Klein (1742-1815), David Klein (1746-1814) married Elizabeth Breneisen (1750-1827), Elizabeth Klein (1775-1812) daughter of Philip, Elizabeth Stump (1776-1854) married George Klein.

13
Mill built in 1838 by John Haag/Haak. Modest in size; still operating but not by water power. For about a century it has been called the Kissling Mill.

14
Shower's Mill was razed within relatively recent years. The Stouts established this mill site quite early. Harrison Kalbach bought the mill from Jonathan Staudt (Stoudt) and later converted it to produce electricity for the area, especially Bernyille Borough. It provided electricity, after sundown, for 300 lamps (in 1909). Lloyd Showers and his brothers acquired the interest and provided power until it was sold to Metropolitan Edison. The mill race tunnel (stone arch) and the foundation are the only remains. At this point was a ford used even after Conrad's Bridge had been erected.

15
Double Locks. Lock 37 is a block east from the Shower Mill site. This is the largest lock remaining in the Blue Marsh Project Area and the only one having "West Chester greenstone" blocks at the base; examine the photograph carefully (lower left portion) noting the bottom two layers of pitted stone. At Mr. Bubbenmoyer's elbow one can see another unusual type of stone that was used: a single block that resembles marble! Farther east a short distance is Lock 38, or what little remains of it. Looking to the side, one sees the Blatt homestead (located along Route 183). Note the early buildings covered with Oley Valley (red) tile.

16
Warehouse built by Joseph Conrad is one of the most interesting remains on the canal. It is built on a brownstone outcropping that forms part of the canal wall. Conrad's Mill was along Route 183 (Site 18 on the map). The cement walls seen here were built within recent years in a futile attempt to convert part of the canal into a swimming hole.

17
Conrad's Covered Bridge occupied the spot now taken by Sheidy's Bridge. The former was built in 1839; the one span stretched 145 feet; existed until recent years.

18
Mill site. The splendid home of the miller still remains. The mill was once operated by Reigle, then Witman & Conrad, and best known as Joseph Conrad's-who added steam power in the 1880's as the water power never was strong. Old residents of the area remember the structure.

19
Mill site of which nothing remains. Owned by the Conrads, too. A powder mill existed here 150 years ago; Joseph Long was killed in an explosion on July 25, 1838. A clover mill was erected in its place which disappeared about a century ago.

20
Bright's School (or Mount Penn School) closed in 1928. Probably this is the second or third building at this point. The first one was on the opposite side of the dirt road. . . . or had the road once run behind the school. Early maps indicate a schoolhouse being in this general area.

21
Mill site; last known as Kalbach's (Lower Kalbach's) Mill. Built by the Staudts/Stouts. Daniel Staudt sold it to Jacob Bohn who later sold it to Harrison Kalbach. (SEE PHOTOGRAPH) One source stated that Levi Kalbach, who acquired ownership of both the Stoudt mills from Harrison Kalbach, had generators in both of his mills. . . . refer to notes for Site 14. The illustration accompanying was taken around World War I and seems to indicate that many repairs were needed; note also that there is no evidence of this being an electrical plant. In the 1930's the building was razed because many parents felt the crumbling walls might injure children of the area who frequently played around it. The mill stood for about a century. The fine home of the miller is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Glassmire.

22
Log cabin; 21/2 story; fine condition. It stands beside the large farmhouse, both of which can be seen from the iron truss bridge. Situated on land once owned by the Stouts; presently a part of the Walter Berger farm.

23
Union Canal Lock 39.

24
Speicher Iron Truss Bridge; 200 feet long; built in 1878. The Tivoli Club (and outing grove) lies on the Penn Township side of the bridge. The parking lot is built on the canal bed.

25
Philip (Schmidt) Smith House; limestone dwelling built in 1791. Mass was read here for a small group of Catholics as early as 1793. Later it became a Deppen home.

26
Deppen Private Cemetery enclosed by limestone wall containing about 50 burials dating from 1808 (Philip Schmidt) to 1876 (Jonathan Lam-bert). In addition to Kisslings, Deppens, Obolds, Greths, etc., Irish Catholic Union Canal laborers who died of "canal fever" also are interred here in unmarked graves . . . dating from the latter days of canal construction.

27
Mount Pleasant Schoolhouse; one-teacher building; closed in 1931.

28
Village of Mount Pleasant generally will be unaffected by the Blue Marsh Dam Project. Henry Hetrich resided here in 1812, in 1835 Benjamin Haas opened a "public house", and shortly the settlement became known as Heitrichstown or Hetrichastettle. The Lower Bern post office was established here in 1841; it was changed to Obold Post Office in 1886 and continued thusly until 1907. Two structures in the village are quite interesting. On the south side of the "main street" (nearer Route 183) is the old, frame Haas, Reber, Obold, Brecht, etc. Hotel-really a piece of the past. Opposite it is the former Obold Post Office and store, a rambling general store complex. The Gruber family played a major role in the industry of this settlement years ago.

29
Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse, closed in 1931.

30
Gruber property. (SEE PHOTOGRAPH, previous page) The structure marked "C", now a dwelling, had been for many years a store and country hotel complete with a double porch typical of the era. The 1816 Richards map of Berks County indicates that Jacob Good had already occupied this site. His tavern and store business existed until about 1830. Obolds and Daniel Billman traded here also prior to the Grubers moving over from Mount Pleasant. The old Bernville Road passed right by the side of this building. The Wagon Works (marked "D" on the photograph), familiar to practically every reader of this REVIEW, was erected in 1883 and still is being operated by Frank Gruber. The interior of this building has to be seen to be appreciated; it pays tribute to the superlative craftsmen who labored here throughout the years. Frank Gruber deserves to be a legend in his own time.

31
Pleasant Valley Hotel, along the canal, was operated for well over a century. It closed in the 1960's. The Stam(m) family probably began the business; they also conducted a tannery opposite the Pleasant Valley Bridge, a short distance away. In 1876 Daniel Klapp/Klopp had the hotel.

32
Union Canal Lock 40.

33
Union Canal Lock 41. Surprisingly, none of the old maps available to the author indicated the location of Lock 42. From all indications, it was located about a block north of the point where Palisades Road joins Gruber Road.

34
Log cabin built against an early stone cabin; datestone on the latter gives the dates of 1812 and 1848; both 2½ story; State Game Commission plans to raze these structures in the very near future. Referred to as Dundore property historically.

35
Octagon House. The jewel of the Blue Marsh Area! Fortunately, this structure lies on an elevation high enough to spare it from the waters of the reservoir. Beneath the frame siding, one finds walls one foot thick constructed of stone seemingly placed within wooden supports not too unlike the old Germanic half-timbering method of construction . . . the Oley Moravian Church had been built along these lines. It's interesting to note that some early settlers of this immediate area were Moravians who attended the North Heidelberg Church. The Dundores (who owned this property) and the Conrads were the first settlers of this region, and the Conrads were influential in the Moravian movement. Definite plans should be made to restore the building on this site or have it removed to some suitable location where it could be seen and appreciated by greater numbers of people.

36
Lamm's Mill and Bridge on Spring Creek. Built around 1800 by the Fishers; known and operated as Lamm's Mill for about a century.

37
Schoolhouse converted into a dwelling. Known as Highland School #1. Originally a stone building; present structure dates from 1900. This had been a school of few pupils. In fact, on one occasion when Matthias Speicher was the teacher, he was the only one present for a whole week!

38
Brossman operated a saw mill here at an early day. Philip Von Neida erected a grist mill on the site in 1855. In 1876, a J. Flickinger was operating this mill and the store and post office in Brownsville. The mill is gone, but the miller's home still remains. * *? Brownsville had sometimes been called by its post office designation "Lower Heidelberg". Although once an active business center, it never contained many houses. A hotel, post office, and general store had been conducted in the large building, now a residence, on the northeast side of the road. In addition to Flickinger, Hubert and Spayd traded here. In 1860, M. W. Kieth had a store in the large home directly opposite Heffner Road. This same person was listed in 1886 as running the post office and general store. The postal facilities at this place were curtailed many years ago. The present hotel in the village is quite old, but the building was enlarged to the size it now appears after the turn of the century. Across the street is a brick dwelling which had been the Brownsville School prior to its closing in 1930; the structure dates from 1888.

39
Former one-room school; named Ruth's in honor of B. G. Ruth, a school director; 1888 to 1930. For many years a schoolhouse stood along the Brownsville Road (north side) where Justa Road branches off. Overcrowding and antiquity closed the Freyberger School; "Brownsville" and "Ruth's" took its place.

40
Site of Dry Tavern (1776-1890's). Once was one of the best known hotel stands for miles around; 21/2 story log cabin; had many owners but Benjamin Meiser operated it the longest: a quarter century. Anthony Spayd sold the tavern to Adam Greth (in the 1870's) and he closed it. All that remains is the old well in the yard of the apartment building.

41
Blue Marsh School; two-room building ("one up and one down") ; present structure was erected around the turn of the century; closed in 1930. The building previously on this site was a one-story school containing two classrooms; possibly it was the first graded rural school in Berks County; erected in 1852.

42
Blue Marsh Hotel. This abandoned hotel, once quite well known, is on the site of the Spayd homestead; built during the last days of the canal; liquor license never renewed after Prohibition . . . operated as a confectionary, odds-and-ends store until the mid-1950's. For many years, Harry Miller dealt in horses here. The present condition is the result of a fire that caused considerable damage. The iron bridge beside the hotel dates from 1909 and is similar in size to the former covered bridge (120 feet long). The earlier structure (1846-1908) was called Spayd's or Stateville Bridge. The entire settlement from present Blue Marsh Village to Brownsville was referred to loosely as Stateville years ago. This village has existed nearly two centuries. As you look about, notice that many homes are of the "cabin" type. Several log cabins are apparent, and when razing begins prior to dam construction, more log buildings surely will be found as the siding is torn away.

43
Lock 43 can be seen from the road. A tollhouse had once been at the lock.

44
Lock 44. The large limestone home was built by the Rebers. In 1860 Levi Reber ran a canal store (in the small stone structure next to the house?); in 1876 Spatz had the business. When the canal closed, so did the store. Close to the lock a toll-house had existed. A veteran of the area recalls hearing an old-timer tell about the small building that had been inhabited by an old man. From the description, it may have been similar to the frame tollhouse pictured in this article.

45
Lock 45 is located behind the farm on the prison property.

46
Union Canal Lock 46.

47
Reber's Mill and Bridge. Two hundred years ago, Gabriel and Jonathan Hiester built a small mill here. The Hiesters and Rebers intermarried; Joseph Reber enlarged the mill to its full size around the Civil War. In 1886 Frank Ham owned it. The grist mill (pictured) was on the south side of the canal; the saw mill was on the north side. Little remains today. The 1854 map of Berks County shows another Reber mill that was operating at the same time as the one described above and was located perhaps two blocks away-on the other side of the Tulpehocken (to the west) in Lower Heidelberg Township. All traces of it were gone by 1860. Does any reader know anything more about this mill? Reber's Covered Bridge was built in 1837; was one span running 129 feet. It stood until rather recently.

48
Hiester's School (one-room) closed in 1926; converted to a dwelling.

49
Reber home right along the canal. Beautiful and imposing structure.

50
Pleasant Valley Rolling Mill still produces ‘White Rose Flour" that is sold in local stores. See illustration and caption in the Autumn 1970 issue of the REVIEW. Currently operated by Mrs. Gordon Weidenhammer and her son. Was a Hiester mill for many years; remodeled in 1839; roller mill since the 1890's; water power used to run the flour mill until the dam and race were severely damaged in 1946. Run in former years by Levingood, John Reber, Frey, Miller, and the Bechtels. The addition was constructed in 1945 to process feed. A post office was established in the mill in 1865 and functioned until around 1900. A foot bridge crossed the Tulpehocken near the mill at one time.

51
Stoudt Log Cabin. The large farmhouse is also partly log. Rarely will you see a farmstead in better condition!

52
North Heidelberg Church. The first building on this site had been a Moravian place of worship. The present brick structure in its splendid setting dates from 1846 and had been built in union with the Reformed and Lutherans. Until recently, no Moravian services had been held for years; the last regular services were conducted in the 1880's. Now, there is an annual observance; this year it is on June 20th. The Lutheran congregation disbanded in 1955. The interior of the church is charming; the old organ with its beautifully painted pipes catches the eye of every visitor.