It was a very handsome edifice indeed.  David F. Reinert, along with his wife Hannah, lived at 249 Chestnut from its construction in 1875 until the late 1890s.  Mr. Reinert supervised every detail of the house construction, from the layout of the exotic gardens to the matching design of the etched glass on the beautifully carved nine foot double Chestnut front doors and interior foyer double doors. 

When Mr. Reinert purchased Lot Number 97 in August of 1875, it included the lot to the east (Lot 98 – the present site of 253 Chestnut), making the entire lot 60 feet wide (the south side of Chestnut) by 140 feet long (Chestnut to Rowan’s Alley).  The layout and design of Mr. Reinert’s unique Second Empire home was typical of the Pennsylvania Victorians built in the 1870s, it included a grand parlor for entertaining, sitting room, dining room, working kitchen, double staircases, heavily moulded woodwork, several bedrooms, a sleeping porch, bay window, gas lighting, Pennsylvania slate roofing and ornate ironwork.  By the mid 1890s, Mr. Reinert suffered a series of traumatic life events, from the death of his beloved wife Hannah in 1894, to financial business losses stemming from the Panic of 1893.  Mr. Reinert, in an effort to satisfy his creditors, was forced to sell Lot 98 prior to 1897.  Even with the sale of Lot 98, Mr. Reinert was in a devastating financial position.  On March 14, 1898, Mr. Reinert’s real estate interests, including 249 Chestnut, were seized.  A sheriff’s sale commenced on April 16, 1898 and his beloved 249 Chestnut, along with three additional properties, were sold at auction to Brown and Bernhard real estate agents for $4,500.  On May 5, 1900, Wilson R. Brown, of Brown and Bernhard, sold 249 Chestnut to George Smith Miller.  A few years later on October 24, 1905, David F. Reinert died from complications of pneumonia at his residence on 324 King Street…a short distance from his “beautiful residence” of 249 Chestnut.

Like David F. Reinert, George Smith Miller was a successful businessman, whereas Mr. Reinert built his fortune in real estate, Mr. Miller built his fortune in the manufacture of tobacco.  Mr. Miller received a limited education during his formative years in Sumneytown, Montgomery County.  It was during these years that he learned the trade of tobacconist and started an eight year partnership with his brother Frank, under the firm name of Miller & Brother.  Mr. Miller also dabbled in other business interests, but his real love was tobacco.  In 1893, Mr. Miller partnered with C.F. Shively and embarked in the manufacture of cigars in Sumneytown under the firm name of Shively, Miller & Company.  The business was very successful, at one point employing as many as 100.  In addition to his cigar manufacturing operation in Sumneytown, Mr. Miller also operated a facility on North Hanover Street in Pottstown, next to the Pottstown Cemetery, making his purchase of 249 Chestnut an advantageous one.  Mr. Miller lived at 249 Chestnut along with his wife Elmira (Ella) and two daughters Georgiana and Lucretia.  For the next 83 years, 249 Chestnut would be passed through the Miller family.  Upon Mr. Miller’s death in 1915, the house was deeded to daughter Georgianna and granddaughter Sarah Elmira Brey.  Georgianna and her husband Benjamin Morris Kratz Morris lived in the house, along with Georgianna’s niece Sarah, and Sarah’s husband Robert Wean.  Mr. Kratz, a cigar maker, grist mill operator and farmer, lived at 249 Chestnut until his death on April 25, 1942.  Georgianna lived a short while longer, having died the next year on September 7, 1943.  For the next forty years, 249 Chestnut was the sole residence of Sarah Elmira Brey (Myra) and her husband Robert Wean.  Robert was an engineer with Bethlehem Steel and Sarah was employed at The Hill School.  When the Weans sold 249 Chestnut in 1983, they sold the property fully furnished and in pristine condition.  Myra lived at 249 Chestnut her entire life and in January of 1982, at the age of 89, entered Manatawny Manor, a nearby retirement home.  Robert shortly followed Myra to the home in May of 1983 at the age of 90.  Robert died on June 25, 1984 and Myra died the next year on March 25, 1985, having both lived a full life at 249 Chestnut.  From the period of 1983 until 1996, 249 Chestnut experienced a series of lackluster owners.  1986-1996 was a particularly dark time for 249 Chestnut, as the home became an illegal rental property and suffered greatly from transient tenants and substandard house repairs.  The current owners purchased the home in 1996 in an uninhabitable state and embarked on a series of major restoration projects to bring the house back to its former glorious and stately appearance.  249 Chestnut has a wonderful 134 year history and is one of Pottstown’s most unique Victorians. 

History of Pottstown

In 1701, William Penn, the “True and absolute Proprietor and Governor in chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and All Territories thereunto belonging”, deeded some 14,000 acres to his son John.  These lands became known as “Johnny’s Land” and encompassed the area of present day Pottstown.  With lands rich in minerals, and the advantageous location of the nearby Manatawny and French Creeks, iron forges were soon built as early as 1714.  Among the early settlers of the Pottstown area were Germans, Swedes and English.

By the 1720s, the first blast furnace was in operation for the production of cast iron and wrought iron.  In 1732, the first steel furnace was in production in the Pottstown area.
 
The Potts family, who were iron masters, moved to this area from Philadelphia and established a forge here.  In 1752 John Potts started construction of Pottsgrove Manor, his showplace home, built on a small hill along the Great Road, just west of the Manatawny.  The home was completed in 1754 and the result was equal to the vision, taste and labor spent upon it.

Also in 1752, John Potts purchased “…two tracts of land situate in Mahanatawny Creek and Schuylkill River, containing together nine hundred and ninety-five acres…” and began to lay out and plan a new town.  This town, the first to be laid out in what is now Montgomery County, became Pottstown.  When the town was first laid out, it stretched from York Street to Charlotte Street and from the Schuylkill River to Beech Street.  The blocks were divided into lots with a street front of 60 feet and a depth of 300 feet.
 
Before 1800, the village was called Pottsgrove, however, as the population increased, this slowly evolved into Pottstown.  On February 6, 1815, this area was incorporated as a Borough, the second Borough formed in the county, Norristown being the first. The first election of town officers was held in April of 1815.

Soon after 1842, the Reading Railroad completed a series of lines from Philadelphia to Mt. Carbon, near Pottsville.  Raw materials and coal were moved easily, and markets were more readily accessible. At this time, the population of the Borough was six hundred.  Since the first forge, Pottstown has received much recognition in the metal industries.  The most significant projects include the locks for the Panama Canal and the Golden Gate Bridge.

By 1880, Pottstown had become “Boomtown USA.” The iron factories were attracting hundreds of workers from Philadelphia and beyond. The population of 5,305 in 1880 had again more than doubled to 13,285 in 1890. The borough had also gained a gas company, a water company, an electric company, a five man police department, and three fire companies.

As the town grew, the industrial base diversified. The mid 1900s witnessed a gradual decline in Pottstown’s role as an industrial community, a trend consistent with industrial America nationwide. The opening of the Pottstown Expressway (Route 422) in the spring of 1985, connecting Pottstown with road access connections to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and major markets, established a new industrial base in the form of smaller, more competitive forms of industry.  Pottstown enters the 21st century with a renewed sense of optimism and an exciting growth trend.

www.pottstown.org
www.tricountyareachamber.com
www.thehill.org
www.pottstownschools.com
www.pottstownhistory.org

	Stately fully restored three-story 1875 French Second Empire Victorian located in the Old Pottstown National Historic District. 6 bedrooms with updated kitchen and 2 renovated baths. Original interior/exterior doors and woodwork throughout, nine foot hand-carved Chestnut double exterior doors, original cobalt etched double foyer doors, customized leaded and stained glass, ornamental fireplace mantel, bay window, French doors, glass-paned pocket doors, pine and parquet flooring, dual staircases, private off street parking, 1st and 2nd floor porches, ornate ironwork, fenced backyard, spacious rooms and 9' ceilings, full basement. A distinctive and unique home in move-in condition. Call Today!  You can also view listing at www.HistoricProperties.com
	Type	Bed	Full Bath	Square Footage
MLS#5465080	Single-family	6	2	4998