History

It seems appropriate to start the history of Windswept Farm not with the first European settlers in the area, but with those who lived there for many centuries before: the native American tribes. 

Northern Lancaster County was primarily inhabited by members of the Susquehannock tribe, although other tribes (Lenape, Shawnee, and Iroquois) were also present or passed through the region. The Susquehannock lived along the Susquehanna River in palisaded villages, spoke the Iroquoian language, and were known for trade with both Native peoples and Swedish, Dutch, and English colonists.​ Today, while no federally recognized tribes reside in Lancaster County, the legacy of Native peoples lives on in place names (like Conestoga) and archaeological sites, and through the efforts of historical and indigenous organizations.

Dating back to the days of the earliest settlers in the area, the heart of Windswept Farm is an extraordinary well preserved log cabin. Thanks to the research of the dendrochronology lab at Cornell University in Ithaca, we know when it was built, with large, hand-hewn red oak logs: between October 1740 and April 1741. The logs were felled after the harvest, in October - November 1740. During the winter months the ground would have been frozen hard enough to drag and skid logs easily. A log raising also required neighbors - it was a community event. Before planting began (roughly April), was therefore when labor was available. And Niclaus Walter, the farmer who most likely built the cabin, needed to be under a roof and ready to plant by spring.

The warrant for the land on which the cabin was built, 57 acres and 25 perches, was issued on April 29,1745, to Niclaus/Nicholas Walter. He was an early settler in the region and was part of the German-speaking immigrant community that began arriving in Pennsylvania in significant numbers in the early 1700s, particularly from regions like the Palatinate in present-day Germany. These "Pennsylvania Dutch" sought religious freedom, economic opportunities, and a better life in the American colonies. Many of these settlers arrived through the port of Philadelphia.

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Warrants were legal orders issued by the colonial government granting a person the right to claim land in Pennsylvania. A warrant didn't grant ownership directly, but it authorized the holder to survey a specific piece of land. It was the first step in the process of acquiring land. After receiving a warrant, a person could hire a surveyor to map out the boundaries of the land they wished to claim. Surveys recorded the land’s size, shape, and features. These surveys were crucial for settling boundaries and making sure land claims were legitimate before ownership could be granted. Patents: a patent was the final document, essentially a deed that officially granted ownership of the land. Once a survey was completed, the land was formally patented by the Pennsylvania government, and the patent holder became the recognized owner of the land.

Between 1732 and 1765 Pennsylvania warrant applications consisted of an individual's request that was either written on a small scrap of paper or listed on a longer sheet of paper, together with other requests originating from the same geographic area, and carried to the Land Office by a representative. These applications rarely contain any information except the name of the applicant, the acreage, and the general location of the tract, nor do they normally bear the applicant's handwriting or signature. Given this (probably somewhat time consuming) application process, it is not surprising the cabin would have been constructed in 1740/1741.

The earliest evidence of Niclaus' presence in the area dates from 1743. On May 19 of that year he was one of sixty-two men from the local Muddy Creek Church congregation who were so impressed by the sermon of Jacob Lischy, that they signed the list that he be called. Jacob Lischy was a Moravian preacher, born in Mühlhausen, Switzerland. He arrived in Philadelphia on board the Snow Catherine, in 1742 and was ordained the next year as a German Reformed minister. He settled in Cocalico and preached prolifically in Berks, Chester, Lancaster, York, Montgomery, and Lebanon counties. His 'Muddy Creek' church (also a log cabin) was founded in 1732 as a 'union church' for both Lutheran and Reformed congregations, reflecting the religious affiliations of most German immigrants ate that time (though some were also Mennonites or Amish).

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Below you see a section of the map of all warrants, surveys and patents as published by the Pennsylvania Department of Internal Affairs on January 22, 1934. 

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On the map (4.) we find the information on the tract of land  that now holds Windswept Farm. The warrant was issued on April 29, 1745. The land was not surveyed until over forty years later, on August 11, 1787, and the patent followed on June 12, 1788. Apparently, the land was combined on the same date with another new patent held by the neighbor, Ludwick/Lodowick Bary/Barry, also recorded as Ludwig Borry. Ludwick was an early German immigrant arrived in 1738 from Gommersheim in the Rhineland-Palatinate and established himself in Cocalico Township, like many of his brethren. Ludwick's son, Peter Barry, inherited his father's estate in 1805. Peter was married to Margarethe Elisabeth Mauntz, also known as "Credliss" Barry. ​