A Guide to Perkasie’s Classic Architects

Perkasie’s charm is related to its collection of unique older buildings. Here is a look at 10 architects who created some of the borough’s iconic houses, schools, churches, factories, and other buildings. The designers also worked in other regions, but were attracted to Perkasie during its boom years.

Milton Bean is the probably the best known Victorian-era architect who worked in Perkasie. Bean designed numerous buildings that were Queen Anne style with irregular symmetry and corner turrets (or witches’ hats). His two most spectacular buildings, the Hendricks’ Mansion (at 7^th and Market Streets) and the Arch Street School, are long gone. Two good examples of Bean’s work remain at the former Dr. John Irwin House at 5^th and Market, and Henry O. Moyer’s building, now the law offices of Grim, Biehn and Thatcher on Chestnut Street.

Henry O. Moyer’s Building

Clayton J. Lappley, based in Harrisburg, worked on the state Capitol building and also Quakertown’s high school. His contribution locally was the design in 1926 for the Perkasie Mausoleum on Ninth Street. Lappley was mainly known for schools, churches, banks, and public buildings.

Perkasie Mausoleum, 1929

Oscar Martin is another name associated with historic architecture in Perkasie. Some of Martin’s earliest plans included the South Perkasie school house on Main Street, the Marie Brown Clothing Factory on West Chestnut Street, and the old Perkasie Firehouse on Seventh Street. Martin worked in various styles. His Arts and Crafts house on Fifth Street for attorney Mark Thatcher (most recently a dentist office) and the residence of Emma Gehman at 4^th and Spruce Street were built in the late 1920s.

Oscar Martin’s Marie Brown Clothing Factory

Oscar Martin’s Thatcher House

Edward William Martin was a significant architect connected to the DuPont family in Delaware, but one of his earliest projects was the Sell-Perk High School. In October 1928, Martin came to Perkasie High School on Third Street to present plans for a new $150,000 high school building. Martin later designed the Delaware Legislative Hall and parts of Longwood Gardens.

William Martin’s Conceptual Sketch of new High School, 1928

Tilghman Hubert Moyer was a prominent architect from Allentown who designed more than 400 banks. His Perkasie National Bank in 1924 was featured in his book, “Building the Bank for Business.” Moyer also designed the Union National Bank and Trust building in Souderton.

tilghman Moyer’s Promotional PHOTO, 1924

Carl Muller, an architect and contractor based at the Bourse Building in Philadelphia, designed and built the Fraternity Temple building on Sixth Street in 1922 and the Perkasie Trust Building (now QNB Bank) in 1923.

Abner Ritcher and Howard Eiler were well-known architects based in Reading, Pa., who primarily planned churches and banks. In 1926, they were retained to design the new First Evangelical Church on Fifth Street, which is now the former Methodist Church. They also designed parts of the Kutztown State Teachers College during that period.

First Evangelical Church

Wallace Ruhe and Robert Lange were noted architects based in Allentown and they planned the Hess building, the Leh’s building, and parts of Muhlenberg College. In Perkasie, the firm designed the Lehigh Valley Transit Trolley Station in 1912, now the home of the Perkasie Historical Society.

Lehigh Valley Transit Station

Edward L. Smith was active in Perkasie for more than 30 years and he planned many commercial and residential buildings. The former Thompson Hardware store (now Rams Pint House) and the former Seltzers clothing store (now Black Cat Collective) were some of his designs. Smith also designed many smaller bungalow and American four square brick structures.

Smith’s Thompson’s Hardware Building

Charles Middleton Talley was born in Philadelphia and studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. In the late 1920s, Talley moved to Telford, where he designed many churches regionally, but he also did commercial work. In 1938, Talley planned the last expansion of the Royal Pants factory in South Perkasie, which is currently Free Will Brewing.

Talley’s Royal Pants Factory, 1954

Wilson Brothers & Company was one of the most famous Victorian architects in Philadelphia, and it designed the magnificent Broad Street Station, the Bryn Mawr Hotel, and many grand structures. One of the firm’s smaller projects was Perkasie’s train station, completed in 1892.