Brubaker Valley Homestead

A-2 John Brubaker home E. Brubaker Valley Rd composite

The oldest portion of this home having been erected in 1770, this was the home of A-2 John Brubacher, son of immigrant A-1 Hans Brubacher and grandfather of A-76 John Brubacher who emigrated to Waterloo County, Ontario. The second portion of this home was built in 1816 by A-70 Jacob Brubacher and his wife Maria Eby Brubacher. A-70 Jacob was the oldest brother of A-76 John Brubacher.

This home was built on a 100 acre tract purchased by A-1 Hans Brubaker/Brubacher in 1743 from Adam Ulrich. Hans bequeathed this tract to his oldest son A-2 John in 1767. Twelve years prior, in 1731, Hans had purchased 300 acres from one Lewis Lewis. The 100 acre tract of which this home was built on adjoins the northern boundary of the 300 acre tract.

Additional Brubacher/Brubaker descendants purchased land in the area and by 1860 there were 13 Brubaker farms in the valley surrounding Hammer Creek. Because of the numerous Brubaker Farms that came to be in the area, this became known as “Brubaker Valley”, which exists to this day.

This home and farm was the site of the first family reunion, a joint Brubaker-Hershey reunion on September 13th, 1919.