The Yost Family and the Log House
- Yen Ho
- Jul 21, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 17
Whenever one walks inside McCafferty's supermarket in Blue Bell, PA, you might see a picture of the Yost Log Cabin displayed on the side along with other pictures of historical buildings and sites associated with the history of Whitpain.
The Yost Log Cabin formerly was located at 1819 Yost Road in Blue Bell, on the property next to Stoney Creek Elementary School. It is thought to be the oldest building in Whitpain Township still standing. It is also said to be the township's first industry began there: Weaving.
So how did this begin? Who purchased this land to start a business? How long did it last? We explore.
The Yost Family
The Yost Family were not one of the early settlers of Whitpain. Jacob Yost (1696-1776) was born on March 16th in Zweibrücken, Germany. He arrived in the New World as a single man of 31 years old on September 21, 1727, along with 109 other German Palatines on the ship William and Sarah.
Fun Fact #1: Palatinate was a historic region of southwest Germany. German Palatines were early 18th-century emigrants, primarily from the Middle Rhine region of the Holy Roman Empire, who sought a better life, often fleeing war, famine, and religious persecution. They became known as "Poor Palatines".
Jacob settled in Whitpain after his arrival and he built the small log house to live in and start his weaving business. In 1740, after his marriage, he purchased the "Yost/Homestead Farm."
and in 1761, Jacob was naturalized.
In 1768, he deeded the property to his son Daniel Yost (1736-1812). He decided to move to Philadelphia to live with his son in-law.
Fun Fact #2: Jacob's daughter Anna Maria married John Philip Boehm's son, John Philip Boehm, Jr.
Daniel carried on the business and learned to manufacture of steel edge tools. He also built a factory building where he made tools like axes, sickles, knives, etc. The factory operated from 1760 to 1816.
During the American Revolution, Daniel was a 6th Class Private in the 2nd Company, 6th Battalion under Captain Abraham Wentz. His son Jacob Yost (1761-1814) was also part of the militia as an 8th Class Private.
Fun Fact #3: The factory built by Daniel was used to manufacture rifles and edge tools for the soldiers during the Revolution.
Daniel's other son, Peter Yost (1765-1827), became the third owner of the log house. It subsequently was owned by his brother Jacob, then to Abraham after Jacob died. Finally it was passed down to their sister Sarah Yost (1772-1853)
Miraculously, the log house was purchased by Peter's son Isaac Yost (1812-1891). He learned the tanner's trade with his uncle Abraham Ziegler. He continued his practice in tanning after moving to Berks County for seven years, until he returned to the old log house in Centre Square and remained there until his death. His wife continued to stay on the homestead until she died in 1904.
Isaac's son Jacob R. Yost (1843-1916) was only 8 years old when his family moved to Centre Square. He was educated in Whitpain, and attended the Freeland Seminary (now Ursinus College). He worked in the Centre Square hotel for three years and later purchased it from Ephraim Shearer, his former boss. He operated the hotel until 1881 when he moved to Norristown with his family.
The log house was owned by the Yost Family for 158 years!
The Yost Log House
Throughout my blogging, I've analyzed a lot of Colonial homes, but I've never seen a log house like this.
This kind of architecture in Pennsylvania was common when the Germans arrived in the 18th century. It is called the "Pennsylvania German Traditional."
"The earliest PA German Traditional buildings were of log or stone construction and of distinctly medieval form with steep roofs, thick walls and small, irregularly spaced windows. These small early houses had floor plans which followed traditional layouts - some very simple one-room buildings, but more frequently a 2 or 3 room layout with a central chimney and corner "winder stair" leading up to a loft or second floor."
In this case, the log house had a combination of log and stone materials.
What I found odd about this house was the shed dormer. Never in my life I saw a dormer on a log house. It could be an addition to the house during the 20th century to help bring in more sunlight inside. Since the last owner of the Yost family died in the early 1890s, it's possible the following owners made alterations or additions to the property.
The log home was surveyed by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 2000. It was then moved the the Hass property on the corner of Lewis Lane and Morris Road. I'm searching for more information on how the home was moved and will update you when I find out.
Read below the survey done by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) here!
Bibliography
Bean, Theodore Weber. History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884): 1163.
"Died at the Age of 94: Sketch of Life and Family of Mary Yost, of Centre Square." Ambler Gazette. June 15, 1905. Page 4. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/1784/rec/2.
"Ellwood Roberts' Biographical Annals, 1904: Montgomery Co, PA
Vol II - Part 1: pp. 1-24." USGenWeb. Accessed September 30, 2021. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/montgomery/roberts/roberts201.html.
"Find A Grave." Find A Grave. Accessed September 30, 2021. https://www.findagrave.com.
Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator. Yost Log House, Lewis Lane & Morris Road, Ambler, Montgomery County, PA. Pennsylvania Whitpain Ambler Montgomery County Montgomery, 1994. Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/pa2969/.
Hopkins, G.M. Atlas of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Page 031, 1871.
"Jacob Yost (1696-1776)." Geni. Accessed September 30, 2021. https://www.geni.com/people/Jacob-Yost/6000000003432241012.
"Jacob Jost and Elizabeth Schambaugh of Whitpain Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania." Family-History.com. Accessed September 30, 2021. https://www.family-history.com/yost/Yost00Schambaugh.htm.
Morris, William E. Map of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: from original surveys. 1849.
"Pennsylvania German Traditional 1700 - 1870." Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Last modified August 26, 2015. http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/architecture/styles/pa-german.html.
"Peter YOST." wengerdc.com. Last modified November 23, 2003. http://www.wengerdc.com/Wenger/d0001/g0000033.html.
Smith, J. L. Montgomery County 1893, Whitpain and Worcester Townships, Bethel Hill, Fairview, Cedar Hill, Washington Square, Broad Axe Left, 1893.
"Yost Family Reunion." Ambler Gazette. September 1, 1898. Page 1. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/260/rec/3.
Yost, J. Irwin. "The Yost Family." The Pennsylvania German 7, no. 1 (1906): 337-341.
Yen Ho -- The cabin belonged to my husband's family before they gave it to Mrs. Haas, who moved it to her property on Lewis Lane in 1970. The name "Yost" merely refers to the fact that the cabin was located on the road of that name, not because it was owned by the Yost family. Deed research proves the cabin was never owned by the Yost family, as the cabin sat close to North Wales Road, and not where the circles appear on the maps. The history of the log cabin is accurately written in "Whitpaine's Creek," by Carol Hansberry Spacht, C. 2003. pp89-95. I also recommend you obtain a copy of "Whitpain Township: A Tricentennial Reflection," c. 2002…
The log cabin was relocated by Mrs., Haas to Lewis Lane and Morris Road circa 1970. Corrected the name of the owner. Mark Methlie