http://heathersgen.blogspot.com/2017/03/heinrich-henry-zeller-1684-1756.html
In 2019, we were able to attend the Zeller family reunion, and tour the Zeller Fort. It was a wonderful experience! They do not tour the Fort at every reunion, and had not done so in a number of years. It is on private property, and no longer open to the public on a regular basis.
Fort Zeller, Newmanstown, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA
This marker is at the end of the lane, leading back to the fort.
This marker is at the end of the lane, leading back to the fort.
Location: At 10 North Fort Zellers Road, Newmanstown, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
Lat: 40.349285 Long: -76.225497
An artist's depiction of Fort Zeller from the 1892 survey of forts in PA.
Fort Zeller, 2019
"This State's oldest existing fort is half a mile to the north. Pioneers who came to the Tulpehocken from the Schoharie valley build it in 1723, rebuilt it in 1745. It was used as a place of refuge during Indian wars."
Memorials of the Huguenots in America: shows:
"About 1727 he came overland through the trackless wilderness to Tulpehocken, locating near the present town of Sheridan, where he established a considerable estate and where he died at a very advanced age in 1756. His house, a massive stone edifice, erected with a view to protect the family and neighbors in case of an attach from the Indians, is still standing." This house, now an historical relic of the section, and known as "Zeller's Indian Fort," was erected in 1745, on the banks of the mill creek and, as stated, was used for a fort. But the author of the paragraph quoted was not quite accurate when he called it a "massive stone edifice." The walls are massive enough, but the building could hardly be called an edifice. He also erected the first meeting place of these early Schohaire settlers for worship, defense and mutual conference. "
1754 - When Heinrich Died, he willed the "plantation" to his son, John George Zeller
"on 3 AUG 1754, he had his Will drawn. He gave the plantation "whereon I now live" and all his moveable estate to his son JOHANN GEORGE ZELLER, he to pay pds. 250 for it to the other heirs."
Fort Zeller, photo by John Stanton 25 Apr 2012 Fort Zeller North & East Sides
The follow text is excerpted from the much longer description of regional forts the Report of the Commission of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania (1896).
Mr. Croll says of the Zeller house of refuge that it is an old and well-preserved building built of solid masonry, and, in part, ornamented with carved stone door-jambs and head stones or lintels. It was erected in 1745 on land owned by Heinrich Zellers and now in possession of his eighth lineal descendant, Mr. Monroe P. Zellers. Even then it was built for protection and to guard against attack, the original windows being mere port holes, as shown in some still preserved. Many traditions still cluster about this old landmark. It is related of the original Mrs. Zellers that she superintended the construction of the house, whilst her husband was out on an expedition against the Indians, and that her laborers were colored slaves. It is said, also, of this same Christine Zellers that one day, whilst alone in the fort, she saw three prowling savages approaching and heading for the small hole in the cellar shown on the picture attached. She quickly descended the cellar steps and stationed herself at this window with an uplifted ax. Presently the head of the first Indian protruded through the hole when she quickly brought down the weapon with an effective blow. Dragging the body in, she disguised her voice and, in Indian language, beckoned his companions to follow, which they did and were all dispatched in like manner. It was here that the community found refuge during the Indian troubles, at which time it is said to have been attacked.
Fort Zeller, photo by John Stanton 25 Apr 2012 Fort Zeller South Side and Spring Race
From Fort Wiki -
The Zeller family immigrated from England to New York City in 1710. The family was French Huguenot having been expelled from France and Holland because of their beliefs and accepted by Queen Anne of England and offered sanctuary in the new world. Only the mother and two sons arrived in New York, the father having died before arrival. The mother was known as Lady Clothilde de Valois Zeller and her two sons as Jean Henri and Jean Zeller. They first settled in New York but moved into Pennsylvania along with a group of like minded people. The area became dominated by German speaking people and the family adopted the German language, German ways and they Germanized the family name.
The Zeller family home was first established 14 Jun 1723 as a log structure built over the output of a spring. The house was rebuilt in 1745 just north of the original log house and constructed with stone on the outside and with heavy timbers and plaster walls inside. Settler protections included a unique, for the time, iron door latch for the front door, stone and heavy timber construction, securable window shutters and a running spring under the house. The house was, for all intents and purposes, fireproof and impervious to Indians armaments of the day.
The fort was used a refuge for the Zeller family and neighbors during Indian hostilities and by the Pennsylvania colonial militia when it was deployed in the area. By one account, an Indian attack took place and the lone occupant of the home at the time, Christine Zeller, managed to dispatch three Indians who entered through or under the spring room door. She did this by luring them in, one at a time, taking an ax to the head of each and dragging the bodies into the fort.
It is difficult to establish a date for either the start or the end of the use of the dwelling as a fortification but it would seem that the original dwelling was a defense from the outset and that it probably was thought of as defense through 1763. With the end of Pontiac's War in 1763, the Indian conflict in Pennsylvania shifted to the western part of the state and away from Lebanon County.
Detail over the front door
Photos From The Interior:
The photo on the left is a window to allow you to view how the walls are constructed.
The photo on the right is one of the windows to the outside. 
The fireplace.
The stairs leading to the second floor, and the wide plant floor upstairs.
The window view from the inside, and then from the outside.
On the left, looking into the basement of the fort.
See more of my photos from this day here -
https://www.facebook.com/pg/HeathersGenealogy/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2937986332880143
See more of my photos from this day here -
https://www.facebook.com/pg/HeathersGenealogy/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2937986332880143
=============================================================
The Zeller Family Legacy
By Mark Doner, Fall 2010
Whilst alone in the fort, she (Christine Zellers) saw three prowling savages approaching and heading for the small hole in the cellar shown on the picture attached. She quickly descended the cellar steps and stationed herself at this window with an uplifted ax. Presently the head of the first Indian protruded through the hole when she quickly brought down the weapon with an effective blow. Dragging the body in, she disguised her voice and, in Indian language, beckoned his companions to follow, which they did and were all dispatched in like manner. It was here that the community found refuge during the Indian troubles, at which time it is said to have been attacked. —Clarence M.
The location for this true story is the oldest fort in Pennsylvania, located in Newmanstown, Lebanon County. The property the Zeller family called home was granted to them in the early 1700s by the Penns and the fort is presently nestled in the bosom of familiar farm. The times called for protection, yet the building methods and resources we associate with the times limited the means by which the Zeller family could protect itself from Native American attacks in their area of Lebanon County in 1745. From a distance one would surmise the fort is just another building on a homestead, for it looks little like the wooden stockades of Western films that the word “fort” conjures up. Upon further inspection, however, the historic significance of the structure is revealed through its simple configuration and the architectural protection it provided the family in times of trouble.
Location of Fort Zeller from 1898
Frontier Forts
Land surveyors' description of Fort Zeller from the 1892 survey of forts in PA.
According to the Fort Zeller website, “Zeller’s Fort is one of the few and rare remaining examples of Germanic Architecture in the Western Hemisphere and is also Pennsylvania’s oldest existing fort. Pioneers who came to the Tulpehocken from the Schoharie valley built it in 1723 and rebuilt it in 1745. It was used as a place of refuge during Indian Wars.” Historical societies have used Fort Zeller as a standard for period architecture when remodeling other historical buildings in the United States. There have been many other historical societies interested in the fort, most of which focused their interests on the architecture.
The landscape on which the Zellers settled provided a natural occurrence that allowed for such a successful shelter to be constructed, a spring. Water naturally emanating from the bedrock provides the foundation for the historic structure and the cellar was constructed in such a way that the water surfaces inside the fort before flowing out of the structure, down the man-made runway, and into the stream that feeds Blue Marsh Lake.
This structure, catalogued by the Library of Congress in the Historic American Building Survey, serves as a historical reminder of the earliest settlers of the area. Fort Zeller was originally built in 1723 as a log house that covered the spring as well as the runway that can be seen today. Due to the raids from Native Americans the log house was taken down and replaced with the current stone-sided structure that has stood the time wear of 270 years. Now the building’s fireproof walls were over twelve inches thick and its windows, which the Rev. P.C. Croll described to Clarence Busch as mere port holes, were only twelve by six inches. Fort Zeller was protected from all Native American attacks.
The historic front entrance of Fort Zeller; both the family crest and the cornerstone are visible.
Over the door rests a pronounced stone carving to show the Zeller family crest as well as a sign of their faith. Technology allowed the family to equip the still hanging doors with a modern lock of the times. This device allowed the fort to be locked in such a way that the attackers would not have the ability to break the door down. According to the current owners, most of the locks of the time consisted of a plank of wood mounted as a fulcrum. This plank was then tied to a length of twine, which in turn was strung out of a hole in the door. In order to unlock the door one had to pull on the string and the fulcrum would pull the plank out of its metal nest. This action allowed the door to open. Native Americans in the area quickly learned how to operate these primitive devices, thus making them virtually ineffective against raids. Fort Zeller, however, was equipped with a metal flange which could only be moved by a custom made hook. This hook was placed through a hole in the door and then twisted. This action released the metal flange from its nest and the door was free to open. There was also a backup mechanism. Once the occupants were inside a curve of wood could be placed at the back of the flange preventing it from its designed action.
A twelve foot fireplace located in the center of the fort not only provided heat but also meals for the inhabitants during siege. The first floor provided a kitchen, a living room, and a storage room in an open layout. The windows were originally designed with washbasins built into the sills. The sill would be plugged with a piece of wood and water poured into it from the spring. The water would then be used to wash up, after which removal of the wooden plug would allow the water to exit the fort underneath the window pane. These ingenious designs are present in the kitchen as well as the second floor.
The centralized fireplace provided heat and meals to the Fort's occupants.
The fort has a second floor which the Zellers used as a bedroom. Today this room is home to the oldest shutter still hanging in Pennsylvania. Other notable features are found in the basement of the building. Cellar access was granted in two ways. One is an exterior door that leads out the same direction as the stream and the second is a trap door located in the living room, for use in times of siege. The schematics have changed over the years due to updates and restoration of the structure.
Over the years many different augmentations were made to update the historic structure. The structure has been fortified with steel support beams to prolong its life. The front windows were also replaced with larger windows, these were placed in the structure once it was no longer used as a fort. Electricity was also installed to provide light and supply the pump, which now provides fresh water from the spring to the main house. The trap door has also been removed from the living room in order to keep the building’s wood floor from warping. Finally, the water flow was redirected out of the cellar in a different path to keep the water from deteriorating the structure. These updates were required to keep the fort intact for generations to come.
As one travels to this historic monument there are a few signs dedicated to the site. The first is a state placed information sign on the main road and the second is at the entrance to the property. The historical marker, on the main road, is a standard Pennsylvania marker. The sign at the front of the property, however, is a silver recreation of the deed which grants the Zeller family ownership of the land. Included on this piece of history is an inscription:
Here the Zellers built a fort to protect themselves and their neighbors and procured deeds for land from three Penns – John, Thomas and Richard. Somewhat later they helped to start the first church of that vicinity. Under pressure of Indian raids, in 1745 they rebuilt their log fort with stone outside and plaster over wattles inside, placing over the door the carved emblem of their faith and the family crest as knights of the Holy Roman Empire. About this time the Zeller name was Germanized – Heinrich Zeller – for the America all about them was German in speech and behavior.
The original documents from the colony were replicated on this metal plaque. The Fort is shown in the background.
The crest, the silhouette of Clothilde Valois de Zeller, and a reproduction of the Zeller land grant are placed on a large boulder found on the property. As an historic site, Fort Zeller has been used as a family gathering center for last 200 years. Since the days of Heinrich Zeller, the property has gone in and out of the hands of the family. The current co-owner’s father, Alvin Zeller, brought the property back into the family in the 1950s. The 300 year anniversary of the Zellers settlement occurred in 2010 and was celebrated by a gathering of the Zellers from throughout the country. The current owner also provides tours by appointment, which is quite informative as well as interesting.
Fort Zeller is the oldest fort of its type in Pennsylvania. Its simple design and natural features provided shelter and protection to the nearby locals during Native American raids. Over the years its role has changed, but the structure has remained essentially the same. The lineage of the Zeller family still uses this location as a meeting point for family reunions. The fort is now an historic site listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and can now serve as a meeting point with history.
Sources:
Busch, Clarence M. Report of the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania. Vol. 1. State Printer of Pennsylvania, 1896. USGenWeb Archives - Census Wills Deeds Genealogy. 19 Oct. 2010.
“Richard Rathe’s Reading Room » Fort Zeller Pennsylvania.” Richard Rathe’s Reading Room. 19 Oct. 2010.
Home - Fort Zeller. 19 Oct. 2010.
Hoffman, Gene. Personal interview. 28 Sept. 2010.
Kahl, Lewis. Personal interview. 26 Sept. 2010.
Pfingsten, Bill. “Fort Zeller Marker.” The Historical Marker Database. 19 Oct. 2010.
Biddle, Gertrude (Bosler), and Sarah Dickson Lowrie. Notable Women of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1942.
http://pabook2.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Zeller.html
The Zeller Family Legacy
By Mark Doner, Fall 2010
Whilst alone in the fort, she (Christine Zellers) saw three prowling savages approaching and heading for the small hole in the cellar shown on the picture attached. She quickly descended the cellar steps and stationed herself at this window with an uplifted ax. Presently the head of the first Indian protruded through the hole when she quickly brought down the weapon with an effective blow. Dragging the body in, she disguised her voice and, in Indian language, beckoned his companions to follow, which they did and were all dispatched in like manner. It was here that the community found refuge during the Indian troubles, at which time it is said to have been attacked. —Clarence M.
The location for this true story is the oldest fort in Pennsylvania, located in Newmanstown, Lebanon County. The property the Zeller family called home was granted to them in the early 1700s by the Penns and the fort is presently nestled in the bosom of familiar farm. The times called for protection, yet the building methods and resources we associate with the times limited the means by which the Zeller family could protect itself from Native American attacks in their area of Lebanon County in 1745. From a distance one would surmise the fort is just another building on a homestead, for it looks little like the wooden stockades of Western films that the word “fort” conjures up. Upon further inspection, however, the historic significance of the structure is revealed through its simple configuration and the architectural protection it provided the family in times of trouble.
Location of Fort Zeller from 1898
Frontier Forts
Land surveyors' description of Fort Zeller from the 1892 survey of forts in PA.
According to the Fort Zeller website, “Zeller’s Fort is one of the few and rare remaining examples of Germanic Architecture in the Western Hemisphere and is also Pennsylvania’s oldest existing fort. Pioneers who came to the Tulpehocken from the Schoharie valley built it in 1723 and rebuilt it in 1745. It was used as a place of refuge during Indian Wars.” Historical societies have used Fort Zeller as a standard for period architecture when remodeling other historical buildings in the United States. There have been many other historical societies interested in the fort, most of which focused their interests on the architecture.
The landscape on which the Zellers settled provided a natural occurrence that allowed for such a successful shelter to be constructed, a spring. Water naturally emanating from the bedrock provides the foundation for the historic structure and the cellar was constructed in such a way that the water surfaces inside the fort before flowing out of the structure, down the man-made runway, and into the stream that feeds Blue Marsh Lake.
This structure, catalogued by the Library of Congress in the Historic American Building Survey, serves as a historical reminder of the earliest settlers of the area. Fort Zeller was originally built in 1723 as a log house that covered the spring as well as the runway that can be seen today. Due to the raids from Native Americans the log house was taken down and replaced with the current stone-sided structure that has stood the time wear of 270 years. Now the building’s fireproof walls were over twelve inches thick and its windows, which the Rev. P.C. Croll described to Clarence Busch as mere port holes, were only twelve by six inches. Fort Zeller was protected from all Native American attacks.
The historic front entrance of Fort Zeller; both the family crest and the cornerstone are visible.
Over the door rests a pronounced stone carving to show the Zeller family crest as well as a sign of their faith. Technology allowed the family to equip the still hanging doors with a modern lock of the times. This device allowed the fort to be locked in such a way that the attackers would not have the ability to break the door down. According to the current owners, most of the locks of the time consisted of a plank of wood mounted as a fulcrum. This plank was then tied to a length of twine, which in turn was strung out of a hole in the door. In order to unlock the door one had to pull on the string and the fulcrum would pull the plank out of its metal nest. This action allowed the door to open. Native Americans in the area quickly learned how to operate these primitive devices, thus making them virtually ineffective against raids. Fort Zeller, however, was equipped with a metal flange which could only be moved by a custom made hook. This hook was placed through a hole in the door and then twisted. This action released the metal flange from its nest and the door was free to open. There was also a backup mechanism. Once the occupants were inside a curve of wood could be placed at the back of the flange preventing it from its designed action.
A twelve foot fireplace located in the center of the fort not only provided heat but also meals for the inhabitants during siege. The first floor provided a kitchen, a living room, and a storage room in an open layout. The windows were originally designed with washbasins built into the sills. The sill would be plugged with a piece of wood and water poured into it from the spring. The water would then be used to wash up, after which removal of the wooden plug would allow the water to exit the fort underneath the window pane. These ingenious designs are present in the kitchen as well as the second floor.
The centralized fireplace provided heat and meals to the Fort's occupants.
The fort has a second floor which the Zellers used as a bedroom. Today this room is home to the oldest shutter still hanging in Pennsylvania. Other notable features are found in the basement of the building. Cellar access was granted in two ways. One is an exterior door that leads out the same direction as the stream and the second is a trap door located in the living room, for use in times of siege. The schematics have changed over the years due to updates and restoration of the structure.
Over the years many different augmentations were made to update the historic structure. The structure has been fortified with steel support beams to prolong its life. The front windows were also replaced with larger windows, these were placed in the structure once it was no longer used as a fort. Electricity was also installed to provide light and supply the pump, which now provides fresh water from the spring to the main house. The trap door has also been removed from the living room in order to keep the building’s wood floor from warping. Finally, the water flow was redirected out of the cellar in a different path to keep the water from deteriorating the structure. These updates were required to keep the fort intact for generations to come.
As one travels to this historic monument there are a few signs dedicated to the site. The first is a state placed information sign on the main road and the second is at the entrance to the property. The historical marker, on the main road, is a standard Pennsylvania marker. The sign at the front of the property, however, is a silver recreation of the deed which grants the Zeller family ownership of the land. Included on this piece of history is an inscription:
Here the Zellers built a fort to protect themselves and their neighbors and procured deeds for land from three Penns – John, Thomas and Richard. Somewhat later they helped to start the first church of that vicinity. Under pressure of Indian raids, in 1745 they rebuilt their log fort with stone outside and plaster over wattles inside, placing over the door the carved emblem of their faith and the family crest as knights of the Holy Roman Empire. About this time the Zeller name was Germanized – Heinrich Zeller – for the America all about them was German in speech and behavior.
The original documents from the colony were replicated on this metal plaque. The Fort is shown in the background.
The crest, the silhouette of Clothilde Valois de Zeller, and a reproduction of the Zeller land grant are placed on a large boulder found on the property. As an historic site, Fort Zeller has been used as a family gathering center for last 200 years. Since the days of Heinrich Zeller, the property has gone in and out of the hands of the family. The current co-owner’s father, Alvin Zeller, brought the property back into the family in the 1950s. The 300 year anniversary of the Zellers settlement occurred in 2010 and was celebrated by a gathering of the Zellers from throughout the country. The current owner also provides tours by appointment, which is quite informative as well as interesting.
Fort Zeller is the oldest fort of its type in Pennsylvania. Its simple design and natural features provided shelter and protection to the nearby locals during Native American raids. Over the years its role has changed, but the structure has remained essentially the same. The lineage of the Zeller family still uses this location as a meeting point for family reunions. The fort is now an historic site listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and can now serve as a meeting point with history.
Sources:
Busch, Clarence M. Report of the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania. Vol. 1. State Printer of Pennsylvania, 1896. USGenWeb Archives - Census Wills Deeds Genealogy. 19 Oct. 2010
“Richard Rathe’s Reading Room » Fort Zeller Pennsylvania.” Richard Rathe’s Reading Room. 19 Oct. 2010
Home - Fort Zeller. 19 Oct. 2010
Hoffman, Gene. Personal interview. 28 Sept. 2010.
Kahl, Lewis. Personal interview. 26 Sept. 2010.
Pfingsten, Bill. “Fort Zeller Marker.” The Historical Marker Database. 19 Oct. 2010
Biddle, Gertrude (Bosler), and Sarah Dickson Lowrie. Notable Women of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1942.
http://pabook2.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Zeller.html
===========================
The two pages above are from the Lebanon County book, cover below.
Continue this awesome work! You are saving our history and putting it out there for other Zeller desendents to find.
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