Lower Swedish Cabin facts for kids
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Lower Swedish Cabin
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Lower Swedish Cabin, November 2009
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Drexel Hill, Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 1.7 acres (0.69 ha) |
| Built | 1640–1650 |
| Architectural style | Swedish Plan |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003484 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 9, 1980 |
The Lower Swedish Cabin is a very old log cabin. It is located in Drexel Hill, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. You can find it right by Darby Creek. This cabin is special because it might be one of the oldest log cabins in the entire United States. It is also one of the few cabins built by early Swedish settlers that is still standing today.
Contents
History of the Cabin
Early Days and Swedish Settlers
The Lower Swedish Cabin was likely built a long time ago. It was probably built between 1640 and 1650. Swedish and Finnish immigrants built it. They were part of the New Sweden colony. This was a Swedish settlement in North America.
Movies and Changes
In the early 1900s, a movie pioneer named Siegmund Lubin filmed movies at the cabin. Some local people even say they were extras in these films! The filming caused a bit of a stir. It distracted workers at a nearby mill. So, the mill owner asked for filming to stop during work hours.
The cabin was a private home until 1937. That year, it was officially recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey. This group documents important historic buildings. In 1941, the cabin became property of Upper Darby Township.
New Uses and Restoration
After that, local Girl Scouts used the cabin as a campsite. Later, different people rented and lived in the cabin. This continued until 1964. In 1976, some repairs were made for the United States Bicentennial. The cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This list includes important historic places in the U.S.
A full restoration of the cabin happened in 1989. Archeologists also dug around the site. Today, the Friends of the Swedish Cabin group takes care of it.
Visiting the Cabin
You can visit the Lower Swedish Cabin from April through October. It is open on Sundays from 1 PM to 4 PM. There is no charge to get in. However, donations are welcome to help keep the cabin special.
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See also
- List of the oldest buildings in Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
