Bergt, Christian A., Farm - Frohna, Missouri - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The Bergt Farm Complex is significant for having retained buildings representing the spectrum of the 19th century Missouri rural architecture, as an exemplary embodiment of the German Culture in 19th century Perry County, and as a tangible link with the Saxon-Lutheran Migration to Missouri in 1838.

No finer example of pioneer log in combination with later frame construction can be found in the State of Missouri than the Bergt Residence and barn. The frugal sense to preserve and reuse is not a trait of the typical Anglo-American settler, but it is a notable characteristic of the Missouri German and probably explains the unusual survival intact of the Bergt Farm Complex. The saddlebag log house is of unmistakable pioneer vintage, but it is not yet clear whether its builders were the original settlers of Perry County - Anglo Americans who had entered the county well before statehood from Kentucky and Tennessee bringing the folk building traditions of the upland south with them, or the Saxon German settlers who descended upon Perry County in one wave in 1838, but who either hired Anglo-Americans to build their first dwellings for them or quickly adopted the upland south building tradition in the dwellings they personally erected. One assumption (which is reflected in the labeling of the floor plans) is that the saddlebag log house was erected by the "Yankee" settlers from whom the Bergts purchased their parcel of land. These people, named Twyman, were believed, according to this view,to have built a single pen cabin which the Bergts later expanded by adding another pen on the opposite end of the chimney. The Twymens were known to be slave holders and the small log outbuildings were presumed to be "slave quarters". This picture is complicated by a paper in the files of the Concordia Historical Institute written by a student identified only as Martin S. who feels the evidence suggests that the eighty acres upon which the log structures are located were patented directly from the U.S. Government in 1848, by the Bergts suggesting that is is unlikely that the Twymans built buildings or, land that was not theirs. The fabric of the saddlebag log house offers no decisive clues as to which theory is the correct one. The difference in floor levels of the respective pens in the loft area might suggest different construction phases, but the half dovetail notching appears consistent throughout the entire building, so that it is impossible to say whether the log house was built in one or more stages. The upland South folk character is no guide as Van Ravenswaay has noted that Germans tended to erect their log buildings according to the same local customs employed by their Anglo American neighbors. Van Ravenswaay notes certain qualities, however, that Germans tended to incorporate into their Ion buildings including a preference of butt joints to ridge rafter, the bringing of ceiling joists through the walls of their houses, the preference for central chimneys to the end chimneys and corresponding double pen or dogtrot subtypes favored by Anglo-Americans, the use of joists to support loft floor boards and the use of the boxed-in staircase. All of these features are present in the Bergt log house. But as these characteristics can also occur in Anglo-American log construction, it is by no means a definitive indication that the Berqts built the saddlebag log house.

More significant is the fact that this early 19th century log house was not only utilized and maintained by the Bergt family, but that it was skillfully incorporated into an orderly succession of additions built at later times by Bergt family members, culminating in the 1912 I house. The same is true of the log barn which was cleverly incorporated into the larger frame barn of ca. 1900. This reflects the tendency of German populations of the Ozark highlands to hand property down from father to son as happened in this instance, and to build and continue using quality houses, barns and other outbuildings. The I house of 1912 which represents the culminating construction phase of the Bergt family is a well preserved example, typical of the Perry County German settlement area. Indeed, this style predominates in German settlement areas - accounting for 52% of all rural dwellings as compared to 15% for non-German settlement areas. According to Kniffen the I house has traditionally been an indicator of agricultural prosperity in the United States. Therefore, the Bergt I house indicates the success that the Bergt family had achieved in their rise above the hardship and poverty that accompanied their arrival to this country a generation earlier. All phases of that rise are preserved in the Berqt Farm Complex.

The Bergt Farm Complex also holds special significance for members of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod as the only surviving pioneer farmstead of the dating from the period of the Saxon Immigration of 1838.

Approximately 600 people in five ships departed from Germany in 1838 for the United States and ultimately settled in Perry County. It was from this group that the 3 million member Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod developed. Among that group was Christian Adolph Bergt who sailed on the ship Copernicus. He was 23 and his occupation was listed as a weaver. On September 2, 1841 he married Caroline Louise Voelker who had sailed on the ship Olbers. Six years later he acquired the properties on which the Bergt Farm Complex is now located. Around this time, the Bergt homestead was opened to Christian H. Loeber, a candidate of theology, and a bachelor, who conducted elementary school classes in the cabin. The Bergt cabin, therefore, may be the oldest existing building used for parish school purposes in the Missouri Synod.

Christian Adolph Bergt died in 1908 at the age of 93. His wife had died 13 years earlier at the age of 79. Christian's son Adolph was also involved in managing the Bergt Farm Complex until his death in 1922. The last member of the Bergt family to occupy the farm complex was Una Bergt who died at the age of 80 in 1957 without leaving a will. Her property and belongings were subsequently sold at auction. At the urging of Charles Van Ravenswaay and through the efforts of Gerhardt Kramer, August R. Suelflow, Director of the Concordia Historical Institute, and others the property was acquired after many frustrations by the Concordia Historical Institute. Then began the restoration process, done on a volunteer basis by the Lutheran Layman's League of Frohna under the close supervision of Mr. Kramer. In 1964 the property dedicated and opened to the public as a "walk-in History Book" of German Immigrant Life in America. Some 4,000 visitors annually visit the site to view the numerous memorabilia, household artifacts and farming implements and to gain an authentic insight into the Saxon Heritage of Perry County." - National Register Nomination

Besides the original farm buildings, several other early log homes and other buildings have been moved to the site thus giving a good insight to the early homes in the area. The curators who live in the main house are very willing to tell more about the buildings and the site. There is a self guided walk available with brochure available in the visitors center on site.

Street address: 296 Saxon Memorial Dr Frohna, Missouri County / Borough / Parish: Perry Year listed: 1980 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Person, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1825-1849, 1875-1899, 1900-1924 Historic function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Domestic, Religion Current function: Recreation And Culture Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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