The Henry Antes house was designed and built by Henry Antes in 1736. It stands today as an example of Moravian settlement houses, in particular of a German three-room plan house. The house is unusual because so much of its original interior finish, including ceilings and board partition walls, have survived. Henry Antes, while largely unknown now, was an important regional, religious and political figure of the 18th century, and one of the region's best-known master builders.
It is a two-story structure, built out of local rubblestone and covered by a gabled roof. It is two bays wide and one deep, with the entrance in the leftmost bay of the front facade. Ground-floor openings for doors and windows are topped by segmented-arch stone headers, while those on the second floor are butted against the eaves on the long sides and topped by arches on the short sides. Small windows in the gable ends also have arched tops. The roof is made of wooden shingles.
The house was the site of frequent evangelical and political meetings held to promote understanding among colonists of different religions, cultures, and races. The Moravian school established here is recognized as one of the first interracial nonsectarian schools in the state of Pennsylvania.
In the American Revolutionary War, the house served as headquarters for General George Washington, September 23 to 26, 1777, during the Philadelphia Campaign. Henry's son, Colonel Philip Frederick Antes (1730–1801), was an officer in the 6th Philadelphia Militia.
As early as 1963, an informal assembly of interested persons that would later incorporate as The Goschenhoppen Historians, Inc., took an active interest in the house and began working cooperatively with the Girls Scouts of Philadelphia who owned the property, and the Antes Family Association. The Goschenhoppen Historians acted, in large part, as stewards of the house until, after twenty-five years of endeavor, they became owners and immediately undertook stabilization of the structure and planning for its restoration. The Henry Antes House, notable for its remarkable state of preservation and unusual features such as the massive central fireplace, the two-story attic and the liegender dachstuhl trusses, was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 27, 1992.
The Henry Antes House is open for tours during the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival which is held on the second Saturday in August and the day before. The house is also open for special tours by request.
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Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
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