Lower Swedish Cabin
About this property
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. The house was likely built sometime between 1640 and 1650 by Swedish immigrants who were part of the New Sweden colony. During the early 1900s, film pioneer Siegmund Lubin filmed several movies at the site. Despite this being disputed, 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. 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 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. National Register of Historic Places listings in Delaware County, Pennsylvania 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). 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
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Lower Swedish Cabin listed on the National Register?
Lower Swedish Cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 8, 1980.
What type of historic resource is Lower Swedish Cabin?
Lower Swedish Cabin is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Lower Swedish Cabin?
The period of significance for Lower Swedish Cabin is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Lower Swedish Cabin?
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