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The sawmill along Angelia Creek was constructed in the early 1800’s. Today the Historic Sawmill is not only where nearly all visitors begin their hikes, it’s the place where the concept of Nolde’s Forest originated. As the story goes, Jacob Nolde first visited the water-powered sawmill here on Angelica Creek in 1904. At that time, most of the trees in the surrounding area had been cut and sawn into boards and beams for local homes and barns. A single white pine grew near the dam breast, opposite the sawmill. Nolde’s understanding of forestry from his years growing up in Germany (where there had already been a rich history of replanting forests), led him to reason that if one pine tree could grow here, so could many others. Nolde purchased the land and planted more than a million trees here over the next two decades. The forest of today stands as a testament to what one individual’s vision and hard work can achieve.

Today, Nolde Forest is a public park that welcomes visitors to stroll trails along streams and through a forest planted more than 100 years ago. The Historic Sawmill is in need of stone masonry work, as well as wooden joist repairs. Stone work includes minor foundation work to improve stability, and masonry repairs on the raceway retaining wall (shown in image). The floor joist repairs include shoring up or replacing approximately four failing timbers that are causing the first floor to sag. 

The historic Pennsylvania Bank Barn that greets visitors as they pass Nolde Forest on New Holland Road dates to the 1830’s when New Holland Road was a dirt path from Lancaster County farmland to the banks of the Schuylkill River in Reading. The traditional bank barn was once the center of farm life in rural Pennsylvania as it housed horses and stored feed and farm implements. Nolde Forest staff and volunteers recently undertook some significant renovations to help protect the barn that is nearly 200 years-old. Volunteers have spent countless hours removing invasive plants from the perimeter, repairing damaged drainage, and applying a fresh coat of paint to this stately structure. Visitors may also note the addition of traditional hex signs—meant to beautify the barn and bring luck to the land. Additional work is needed to repair and secure a section of the foundation and several wooden beams, as well as restore electricity that will help improve climate control. If you would like to help support the restoration of this and other historic structures of Nolde Forest, please make a contribution today using the Donate button above.