Description of Historic Place

The Henry Killer Farmstead is located at 2541 Nafziger Road, on the east side of Nafziger Road, south of Carmel-Koch Road, and north of Wilby Road, in the Village of New Hamburg, now the Township of Wilmot. The two-storey cut fieldstone farmhouse was constructed in 1860, as well as a smokehouse, barn, and driving shed.

The property was designated, by the Township of Wilmot, in 1995, for its historical and architectural value and interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 95-33).

Heritage Value

The Henry Killer Farmstead, with its fieldstone farmhouse, smokehouse, driving shed, and barn, is representative of settler farmsteads, in the picturesque rural landscape, of the village of New Hamburg.

The Henry Killer Farmstead is a well preserved pioneer farmstead that dates to the early history of the Township of Wilmot. The property was originally purchased by Henry Killer, in 1854, from The Canada Company. Killer, who was a recent arrival from Hessen, Germany, constructed the farmhouse, in 1860, for his family of four. In 1880, Henry sold the property to his son, John Killer, who farmed the land until he sold it to George A. Koch, in 1900. George continued to use the land for agricultural purposes and the property stayed within the Koch family for three more generations, the last being Nelson H. Koch.

The Henry Killer farmhouse is a fine example of a Georgian style farmhouse. It is constructed of cut fieldstone, random on the north and east elevation but coursed on the south and west elevation. Typical of this style it has a five-bay façade and three-bay rear elevation. All the corners have cut limestone quoins. The roof has a medium pitched gable and the eaves, soffit and frieze are plain. The front door has six panels and is centrally located with a very wide flat transom with multiple sidelights. There is a buff-brick summer kitchen addition, on the rear elevation, that was probably built shortly after the main house was constructed. Attached to the summer kitchen on the east side is a board and batten addition that served as a wood shed.

Source: Township of Wilmot, By-law 95-33.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Henry Killer Farmstead include its:
- site layout to include, fields, farmhouse, smokehouse, drive shed and barn
- scale and massing of the accessory buildings including the smokehouse, driving shed, and barn
- rough fieldstone construction, tin roof, brick floor and open arched fireplace of the smokehouse
- stone foundation and hex symbol of the barn
- board and batten construction of the drive shed
- farmhouse with its:
- date stone with carved name “Henry Killer” and date 1860
- cut fieldstone and plaster construction
- rectangular floor plan
- five-bay façade
- three-bay rear elevation
- cut limestone corner quoins
- six panel centre façade front door
- buff-brick summer kitchen attachment