Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published in the Winter 2026 issue of Extant, a publication of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.
Built in 1757, the Hiester House has Flemish bond glazed header bricks on all four sides. | Photo: Michael E. Myers, Steadfast Imaging
Lisa Minardi and her husband, Philip Bradley, purchased the Hiester House in 2017 and began a five-year journey to restore the house as authentically as possible to its original appearance in 1757, when it was one of the first brick buildings in Montgomery County. Philip passed away in 2021, and Lisa carried on the faithful restoration as general contractor, enlisting experts in historic timber framing, carpentry, windows, roofing, and masonry. Extant spoke with Minardi about the outstanding restoration of the house, which she has furnished with compatible antiques mostly dating from 1750 to 1800 and made in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Extant Magazine (EM): What attracted you to this building?
Lisa Minardi (LM): I grew up nearby and was familiar with the Hiester House since I was a child, although no one was allowed into the house by the former owners. That only piqued my interest more, especially as I became a historian who focuses on Pennsylvania German architecture and material culture. Thus, the Hiester House, with its over-the-top Germanic details–such as elaborate ironwork, staircase with flat vasiform balusters, and robust moldings–was love at first sight for me. I also love the fact that it is one of the earliest brick structures in what is now Montgomery County, and that it is Flemish bond, glazed header brick on all four sides. Talk about showing off!
The plainer of two kitchens retains the original 12-foot wide fireplace. | Photo: Michael E. Myers, Steadfast Imaging
EM: What was the building’s original use?
LM: The house was built in 1757 by Daniel and Catharina Hiester as their family home. Hiester emigrated from Germany in 1737 and settled in Upper Salford Township, now part of Montgomery County. The house is situated near the confluence of the Unami and Ridge Valley creeks, where Hiester had a tannery operation.
EM: What was most important to preserve?
LM: With a house this architecturally significant and well preserved, our mission was to restore as much as possible back to its original appearance. We documented and removed what few later changes had been made, mostly to the first floor. The second floor was virtually untouched since the house was built, retaining all of its original woodwork, plaster, flooring, three fireplaces and more. We hired experts to do paint analysis, dendrochronology, archaeology–everything we could think of to help us document and understand the house and its historical context.
For example, we took up the Victorian floorboards and carefully mapped out the nailing pattern of the original floorboards, then used that to develop a cut list for the local sawmill. This attention to detail revealed that the grander front rooms of the house had fairly narrow, regular-width floorboards, whereas the two rear kitchens had wide, random-width flooring. We used white oak and hand-forged nails just like the original flooring.
Paint analysis revealed that verdigris was the original color in one of the upstairs bedchambers. | Photo: Michael E. Myers, Steadfast Imaging
EM: What was the biggest preservation challenge?
LM: There were the usual challenges of incorporating heat, plumbing, and other modern systems into the building. We opted not to install central air conditioning as the attic of the house is so extraordinary that I couldn’t bear the thought of cluttering it with ductwork. One of the biggest challenges was that the house had six inches of sag in the middle due to badly cracked and failing structural beams in the cellar. We worked with a structural engineer who advised us on how to save and shore up the beams while jacking up much of the sag to reduce the significant sloping.
Other challenges were how to recreate some of the rare Germanic details of the house, such as the five-plate stoves, paled insulation in the ceiling of the cellar, and built-in stone sinks to drain wastewater to the outside from the two rear kitchens. We studied the architectural evidence carefully, looked at other houses for comparison, and made our best effort to accurately restore all of these distinctive features. I’m especially proud of having restored all three of the missing five-plate stoves. We have even used one several times and are likely the first people to do so in over 200 years.
The original built-in schrank, or wardrobe, retains a peg rack inside for clothing. | Photo: Michael E. Myers, Steadfast Imaging
EM: Did you look to any role model for inspiration or example?
LM: In 2007, I attended the Poplar Forest Restoration Field School and was deeply impressed with the painstaking methodology employed there as well as at Montpelier. I came away determined to apply these lessons in my own restoration efforts, first at the Speaker’s House, home of Frederick Muhlenberg, in Trappe, Pennsylvania, as part of my professional career and then at the Hiester House when I became the owner. For my graduate work at the University of Delaware, I also studied with amazing professors such as Bernie Herman and Ritchie Garrison, who furthered my love of vernacular architecture and helped me realize how truly special the Hiester House is.
This five-plate stove retains the original masonry collar. Its decorative side and front plates were cast at Durham Furnace in 1756. | Photo: Michael E. Myers, Steadfast Imaging
EM: What was the project’s biggest surprise (good or bad)?
LM: There were so many surprises along the way. One that stands out to me is that the paint analysis revealed that all the woodwork in one of the upstairs bedrooms was originally painted with verdigris and would have been a vivid green color. I was stunned, as the woodwork was bright pink when we bought the house. I couldn’t imagine it being green instead. I also was surprised as verdigris was a very expensive pigment and its use is nearly unheard of in other extant 18th century Pennsylvania houses. The only examples I could think of were in Virginia at Mount Vernon and Gunston Hall. I worried about what the room would look like once it was painted bright green, but stayed the course in my commitment to authenticity. Now that it is green, I absolutely love it and how the color looks even when dimly lit at night. Another surprise was the discovery of blue polka dots painted beneath the chair rail in the best parlor, a rare feature found in a few other nearby Pennsylvania German houses.
