KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
Senior Thesis, Department of Geography
Spring Semester 1999
Historic Preservation in the Oley
Valley, Pennsylvania: A Spatial Strategy
Abstract: The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze the geographic location of the buildings currently registered with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to determine if the Oley Township Historic District can be enlarged to include neighboring Earl Township. This study also examines an alternative to the creation of a larger historic district; which is the designation of a possible historic scenic route that contains many of these historic buildings. The thesis analyzes the three basic steps involved in creating a historic district; conducting a survey of historic buildings, structures and sites within a chosen area, the development of the historic district ordinance, and the adoption of the ordinance by the governing body of the municipality and the certification by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission or the National Register of Historic Places as to the historic significance of the district (Berks County Planning Commission 1982, 2). To determine the significance of Earl Township as a rural historic district, an analysis of the eleven characteristics of the rural landscape according to the National Trust of Historic Places must be conducted. These eleven characteristics can be classified into two components; processes that were instrumental in shaping the land and physical components that are evident in the land today. Processes include land uses and activities, patterns of spatial organization, response to the natural environment, and cultural traditions. Physical components include circulation networks, boundary demarcations, vegetation related to land use, architectural structures, clusters, archeological sites, and small-scale elements. A comparison between the expansion of the historic district and the creation of a historic scenic route was made. A historic scenic tour through the Oley Valley and the rest of the Manatawny Creek watershed can provide a glimpse of the Oley Valley's past by viewing the various land uses, farmlands, and buildings. It was determined that although the historic scenic route contains several modern buildings, the overall integrity has been maintained, thus providing a more viable option that the expansion of the rural historic district.
I. Introduction
II. Methodology
III. Results
IV. Analysis
VI. Conclusion
VII. References