National Register of Historic Places

Old Swede's House

Douglassville, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Listed
January 21, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74001751

About this property

The Mouns Jones House, also known as the Old Swede's House, is an historic home that is located in Douglassville, Amity Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Built in 1686, this historic structure is a 2+1⁄2-story, three-bay, stone dwelling. It measures 24 ft (7.3 m) by 30 ft (9.1 m) and features a brick chimney for a large, 9 ft (2.7 m) kitchen fireplace. It is the oldest surviving house in Berks County and one of the few remaining examples of a Swedish settler's dwelling. The house was restored by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County. It is open to the public periodically during the year as part of the Morlatton Village historic site. This house was built by Mans Mouce Jonasson, who was born in Kingsessing, Philadelphia on November 10, 1663 and died Amity Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, March 29, 1727. His wife was Ingeborg Lycan (September 5, 1665 in Gunnarskog, Sweden - December 17, 1749 in Amity Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, daughter of Peter Nilsson Lyckan. Mans Jonasson was the son of Jonas (Joens) Nilsson who was one of fifty selected soldiers accompanying Governor Printz on the Fourth Expedition to New Sweden and helped construct Fort Nya Elfsborg. He obtained his discharge in 1653, became a Freeman and married Gertrude, the daughter of Sven Gunnarsson. Mans and Ingelborg's great-grandson was Colonel Abraham Bird who served as member of the House of Burgesses, and represented Dunmore County in the Fifth Virginia Convention in 1776. Additionally, Francis Duke (November 29, 1783 in Berkley, Virginia - December 8, 1836 in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia), speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1812 to 1816 was a descendant. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. National Register of Historic Places listings in Berks County, Pennsylvania Mouns Jones House (Ruins), U.S. Route 422 vicinity, Douglassville, Berks County, PA: 2 photos, 2 measured drawings, and 5 data pages, at Historic American Buildings Survey Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County: Mouns Jones House

Location

Douglassville, Berks County, Pennsylvania
40.25334, -75.72806

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Nearby Historic Sites

White Horse Tavern
Early Republic
0.2 mi
Douglass, George, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church, Old
Industrial
0.3 mi
Pine Forge Mansion and Industrial Site
Industrial
2.5 mi
Pottstown Landing Historic District
Modern
3.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Swede's House listed on the National Register?

Old Swede's House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Old Swede's House?

Old Swede's House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Swede's House?

The period of significance for Old Swede's House is recorded as the industrial era.

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