The Lower Swedish Cabin is a historic Swedish-style log cabin which is located on Creek Road in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, along Darby Creek. The cabin may be one of the oldest log cabins in the United States and is one of the last cabins built by the Swedish settlers that remains intact.[3]
Lower Swedish Cabin | |
 Lower Swedish Cabin, November 2009 | |
   | |
| Location | Drexel Hill, Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°56′17.78″N 75°18′04.75″W / 39.9382722°N 75.3013194°W |
| Area | 1.7 acres (0.69 ha) |
| Built | 1640–1650 |
| Architectural style | Swedish Plan |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003484[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 9, 1980 |
| Designated PHMC | October 21, 1989[2] |
History
editThe house was likely built sometime between 1640 and 1650 by Swedish/Finnish immigrants who were part of the New Sweden colony.[4] During the early 1900s, film pioneer Siegmund Lubin filmed several movies at the site. Despite this being disputed,[5] several local residents have evidence of being used as extras. The filming became such a distraction to the workers of the nearby mill, that the owner filed for an injunction to prevent Lubin filming during work hours.
The house served as a private residence until 1937, when it was recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey. In 1941, the cabin became the property of the township of Upper Darby.[6]
Afterwards, it was offered to local Girl Scouts who used it as a campsite for several years. Then, a series of Township-appointed tenants lived there until 1964. A partial attempt to fix-up the house was done for the Bicentennial in 1976. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places[1] in 1982.
A full historical restoration and archeological excavation were completed in 1989. The site is now cared for by the Friends of the Swedish Cabin.
It may be visited from April through October, on Sundays from 1 - 4 pm. Admission is free. Donations are accepted.
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "PHMC Historical Markers". Historical Marker Database. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
- ^ "The Lower Swedish Cabin". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ "National Park Service - Explorers and Settlers (Pennsylvania)". Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
- ^ Eckhardt, Joseph P. (1997-01-01). The King of the Movies: Film Pioneer Siegmund Lubin. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. ISBN 9780838637289.
- ^ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes David C. Stacks (October 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Lower Swedish Cabin" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-01-06.
Ambrose, George. —'The Log Cabins of New Sweden'.The New Sweden Centre, Wilmington, DE (2003).
Smith, Thomas R. Drexel Hill 1875-1912. Life in Addingham and Garrettford/America's Clandestine Hollywood. Drexel Hill, PA (1980).
External links
edit- Friends of the Swedish Cabin
- Built circa 1638 - Lower Swedish Cabin - Drexel Hill, PA on YouTube
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-135, "Lower Swedish Log Cabin, Darby Creek vicinity (Clifton Heights), Darby, Delaware County, PA", 4 photos, 8 measured drawings, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page, supplemental material
- HABS No. PA-136, "Upper Swedish Log Cabin, Darby Creek vicinity, Clifton Heights (Upper Darby Township), Darby, Delaware County, PA", 5 photos, 4 measured drawings, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page - survey from 1937 of a nearby log cabin of similar date and construction, since demolished
