The history of this home located in Berks County, Pennsylvania revolves around farm, family and children. The story begins in June of 1736 when Henry Spingler submitted an application for a land warrant in 1736 for 200 acres in Tulpehocken Township.
The application, which is dated June 3, 1736, notes that Henry has “been about 18 months settled” on the land. The resulting survey yielded just over 211 acres in Tulpehocken and Bern Townships. This parcel was part of Lancaster County at the time.
An original deed on parchment from Henry Spingler hangs in the Bernville Area Community Library. The deed details the Spingler’s initial land claim in 1736 and the subsequent parceling of the land through 1758, the year that Lenni Lenape warriors attacked and killed families near Bernville.
This land was subsequently resurveyed and 185 acres were patented to Philip Kline in 1805. The name Kline is also found as Klein. We will use the spelling of Kline for simplicity in this document.
The connected warrantee map[i] at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission shows Philip’s tract. Shown as number 98 below, it consists of just over 185 acres and is called “Philipsburg”.
The original patent notes that Henry Spingler had settled on the land, but it is not clear where his residence stood, and Henry is not noted in early tax records. A Peter Spengler is found on the 1788 tax rolls in Tulpehocken as a single freeman[ii], it is conceivable that Peter is a relative of Henry’s. It is also unclear when Philip settled on the property. Philip Kline, Sr. was born in 1742 in New Jersey. He married Elizabeth Corbman in 1771. Eleven children were born to their union, the last being Philip Kline, Jr in 1782. Elizabeth died in 1787 and Philip, Sr. died in 1815. They are both buried in the Kline family graveyard in Bernville.
Philip appears in the tax rolls for 1783 and is recorded as having 1 house and barn, and is taxed on 160 acres, 3 horses, 4 cows, and 5 sheep.
He is found again in the 1787 Pennsylvania Tax and Exoneration lists[ii] residing in Tulpehocken on 150 taxable acres valued at 300 (presumably pounds), with 2 horses valued at 12 (pounds), and 3 cows valued at 4 and 10 pounds.
According to the deed transfer from Philip Kline, Sr. to William Kline in 1835 that will be subsequently discussed, Philip Sr. conveyed his lands to his son, Philip, Jr. when the property was resurveyed in 1804.
Philip Kline, Jr. was born in Tulpehocken in 1782 and lived his entire life there. He married Maria Elizabeth Staudt in 1802. Philip, Jr. and Maria Elizabeth had five children:
Daniel S. 1800-1888
William S. 1805-1873
Anna Maria 1806-1858
Elizabeth 1811-1842
John S. 1812-1884
It is interesting to note that according to the birth dates of their children, Philip and Maria’s eldest, Daniel, was born two years prior to their marriage. This is highly unlikely given the deep religious roots of the Kline family, and is likely due to genealogical error.
Philip is enumerated in the 1810 Census with:
1 male under 10 years
2 males between 10 and 16 years
1 male between 26 and 45 years (presumably Philip himself)
1 female under 10 years
1 female between 10 and 16 years
1 female between 26 and 45 years (presumably Philip’s wife Elizabeth)
It is noted that the ages of the children by 1810 do not match with the ages of the children as recorded in the Census. It is conceivable that there were other children living with the Kline’s at the time of the Census as the 1830 Census for their household lists 4 adults and 8 children.
A newspaper article dated August 13, 1833 describes the destruction of the Kline’s barn. The article could have been written by a lightning rod salesperson!
Philip and Elizabeth sold 86 acres of their property to their son William Kline on April 1, 1835 for $2433.37 and half cents. This deed also stipulates that William “keep in repair sufficient bridges at his own expense for the use of Philip Kline”. The deed also discusses additional uses Philip wished to retain: the “free liberty to enter over the above tract of land to take the water out of the creek erect a dam and dig a race for a well”, and dictates that William be paid “$50 for each and every acre taken up by the race or dam”.
William’s mother, Maria Elizabeth Staudt died in 1840 and his father, Philip, Jr. died in 1838. They are both buried at the Old Bernville Graveyard.
William Staudt Kline was born in 1805 and married Margaret Wagner (born about 1813 to John Jacob Wagner and Margaretha Klopp) around 1833. They had eleven children in 20 years. William, age 45, is found in the 1850 Census living with Margaret, age 37 and nine of their children from infant to 17 years of age:
Adam, age 17
John, age 15
William, age 13
Sarah A., age 11
Matilda, age 9
Eliza, age 7
Rebecca, age 5
Ellen, age 3
Philip, age 7 mos.
Their 10th child, Issac was born in 1851 and their 11th child, Amanda Margaret was born in 1853.
The Klein children were enumerated at two houses in the 1860 Census. Sarah, Matilda, Elizabeth, Isaac, and Amanda are shown living with their parents while siblings Rebecca, Ellen, and Philip are living at the next house with their older brother John and his family.
The Census record for John Kline’s household includes the name of a monthly laborer, Jonathan L.B. Reber. A signature found by the current homeowners on a beam in the stone portion of the home appears to match Reber; it is certainly conceivable that Reber had a hand in construction projects at the house. Jonathan Levi Bender Reber was born in 1840 and served as a Sargent in the Army in the Civil War.
The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Series Number: M123; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Record Group Number: 15; Census Year: 1890
A map of the area from 1860 (below) shows the Kline families (Wm. Kline and John Kline) living on the Little Northkill Creek.
William’s wife Margaretha (Margaret) died in May 1871 of a “body inflammation”. Her death notice indicates she had 33 grandchildren[i], a testament to the strength of the Kline name!
William died in March 1873 without a will. Their youngest child, Amanda was a minor, albeit 20 years old. Court records indicate Amanda chose John Stoudt as her guardian[ii]. John was likely a relative of Amanda’s grandmother Maria Elizabeth Staudt (also Stoudt). William’s sons Adam and John, along with Henry Wenrich drafted the Estate papers, which contain transactions from 1873 to 1875. Among the transactions, we find $6.70 paid to Johnathan B. Miller. This name will appear again in the deed trail. It appears improvements were being made to the property between 1873 and 1874. The estate papers list payments to the following[iii]:
February 16, 1873 Francis R. Kirst, painting $30.00
April 4, 1873 Francis R. Kirst, painting $78.59
April 6, 1873 John Stoudt, lumber $17.97
November 18, 1873 John Wentzel, plastering $13.50
January 19, 1874 Catherine Kiebach, stove $24.96
February 17, 1874 Samuel Hicks, mason work $3.50
April 1, 1874 John C. Kline, wood $18.38
April 4, 1874 Jacob S. Werner, repairing $25.25
April 6, 1874 W.B. Keisherer, tailorwork $25.95
April 28, 1874 Albert Kline, wood $3.00
According the next deed transfer, William’s estate fell into the hands of Jacob Blass and Jacob P. Snyder. Jacob and his wife, Rebecca assigned their rights to the property to Henry R. Lutz on March 10, 1879. Jacob Blass had died (will 2-27-1860) and appointed Jacob Snyder as executor of his estate. This complicated transfer ends with Henry R. Lutz assigned to sell William Kline’s property.
Lutz sold the property at public sale on November 2, 1879 to Adam W. Heck for $5870.61. Adam W. Heck was born in 1844 in Pennsylvania. He married Sarah Ann Klopp (1841-1925) [ii]. They had three children: Mary Margaretn (born 1878), John Daniel (born 1879), and Anna Rebecca (born July 1881).
Adam only owned the property for 2 years, he died suddenly “after a comparatively short illness” in June of 1881 at the age of 37. Sarah was pregnant with their third child, Anna Rebecca, when Adam died.
Adam’s widow, Sarah, appointed Adam Minnich (her brother-in-law) and William L. Klopp (her brother) as administrators of the estate.
(photo) William L. Klopp, age 75, 1906