Daniel Lindenmuth, from an important Schuylkill County family of German heritage, built this extraordinary house in 1828-29, and a paper trail of evidence indicates that it is the oldest Gothic Revival house in America. Fine workmanship by its craftsmen and conscientious ownership preserved it, and Oliver T. Bechtel, a school teacher, lawyer, state senator, and judge for Schuylkill County, made it his family home for many years beginning about 1882. The present owners, the Partidge's [sic], meticulously refurbished and updated the interior while preserving its heritage. The residence is a prime example of Gothic Revival design, with master craftsmen woodwork and trim, one-story bay windows, verge boards and finials, gothic windows, steep pitched roofs, and gothic front doors.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.