Kitchen Remodeling in Myerstown, PA

Borough streets and farm lanes

Myerstown grew from a plan by Isaac Meier, who was deeded 249 acres in 1757 and began selling lots in 1763. He called it Tulpehocken Town, though the name that stuck was Meier's Town. The Isaac Meier Homestead has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. The borough itself has about 3,100 residents, while the 17067 zip code reaches well out into the surrounding countryside.

That gives you two rather different kitchen stories. In the borough, older homes sit close together and kitchens tend to be small and tucked to the back. Out on the farms, kitchens are often big, with wide floors, thick walls, a mudroom at the back door and additions built across several generations.

Permit rules, from the borough itself

Myerstown has unusually clear guidance. The borough adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code in 2004, and its building codes page includes a chart for common residential projects.

The borough's page names Commonwealth Code Inspection Service as its building code official (717-664-2347). Permit applications can start at the borough office, 101 South Railroad Street, 717-866-5038. Those details can change, so confirm them before you apply. Keep in mind that this chart is the borough's. Other municipalities can draw the lines differently.

Outside the borough, Jackson Township, which surrounds much of Myerstown, handles zoning locally and has used Commonwealth Code Inspection Service for building code work. Check with your own township if your address is out of town.

Farmhouse kitchens

Pennsylvania German farmhouses in Lebanon County were built to last, and some have the stone walls to prove it. They bring their own set of kitchen questions:

• Several rooms in one. A kitchen may be two older rooms joined up, with a step or a floor height change where they meet.
• Wells and septic. Rural homes may run on a private well and septic. Adding a dishwasher or a second sink is a good moment to check that the system can take it.
• Hard water. Well water can be hard on fixtures. Test yours, and make space under the sink for a filter or softener if you need one.
• Fuel. Propane or oil setups affect where a range can go. Ask early if you want gas cooking.
• The back door. Boots, dogs and mud come through the kitchen. Tough flooring and a real mudroom corner matter as much as the cabinets.
• Room for a table. Big kitchens can suit a long table as an island, which keeps an old-house feel.

Borough home kitchens

Smaller houses in town face many of the same issues as Lebanon rowhomes. A kitchen may have a door on each wall, older wiring and little counter space. The small kitchen guide covers ideas that apply, such as slim pantries and moving a doorway to gain a full wall. Painted cabinets with a new counter are a popular refresh when the layout already works.

Winter out in the open

Farmhouses take more wind than town houses. In a Lebanon County January, that can mean a very cold north wall, drafty old sashes and frozen pipes where lines run along an outside wall. If you're opening up a wall anyway, it's the time to insulate and to move water lines to the warm side. Radiant floor heat is sometimes worth a question, too, if the floor is coming up.

Nearby towns

Newmanstown (17073), Richland (17087) and Schaefferstown (17088) are close by and covered as well. If you live out that way, call the same number. See the service areas page for all the zips.

What to say when you call

Tell the remodeler whether you're in the borough or out in a township, whether you're on a well and septic, and how old the oldest part of the house is. If your kitchen has been added onto, describe how it's laid out now. It's easier to explain on the phone than in any form, and you can ask your own questions as you go.