Description of Historic Place

The Frenzel-Kuebart House is located at 3851 Weimar Line, on the north side of the road, east of Bamberg on Regional Road 14, in the Township of Wellesley. This one-and-a-half-storey pioneer log cabin was constructed in circa 1851.

This property was designated, for its historic and architectural significance by the Township of Wellesley, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, By-law 38-91.

Heritage Value

The Frenzel-Kuebart House represents the type of home built by German immigrants who settled within the Waterloo Region during the 19th century. This log house was the home of Adam and Anna Marie Frenzel. Adam and his wife were early settlers who came from Germany in 1844 and lived in the house with their 11 children. The date 1823 is scratched into the cement between the logs, however, it is unclear if the date was put there by the builder or at a later time by someone else. It is also one of the last log houses in Wellesley Township that has survived without exterior alterations. When Adam died in 1879, the property was left to his youngest son, Michael. It was used as a residence until 1976 when a modern house was erected on the property.

The Frenzel-Kuebart House is approximately 155 years old and is a good example of the simple rural homes of the earliest settlers of the Township. This structure is valued as its exterior features have undergone very little alteration. The walls of the one-and-a-half-storey building are constructed with horizontal logs stacked 12 feet high and squared at the ends. The house is built upon a 21 inch thick foundation made of concrete and plain or split fieldstone and cement. Due to the authenticity of their construction, the four elevations, the porch, the roof and the fieldstone foundation contribute greatly to the architectural value of the Frenzel-Kuebart House.

Sources: Township of Wellesley, By-law, 38-91; Reasons for Designation, 1991.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Frenzel-Kuebart House include its:
- original log exterior
- porch
- roof
- fieldstone foundation