Pennsbury Manor facts for kids
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Pennsbury Manor
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Pennsbury Manor in Tullytown, Pennsylvania in October 2012
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| Nearest city | Tullytown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Built | Original: 1683 Recreation: 1939 |
| Architect | Original: Unknown Recreation: R. Brognard Okie |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000154 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 28, 1969 |
Pennsbury Manor is a special historical place in Pennsylvania. It was once the home of William Penn, who founded the colony of Pennsylvania. He lived here from 1699 to 1701. After he left, the original house slowly fell apart.
But don't worry! In 1939, a new version of the manor was built exactly where the old one stood. Today, you can visit Pennsbury Manor to learn about William Penn and life in colonial times.
William Penn had his manor built on a large piece of land. It was about 25 miles north of Philadelphia. This land was along the Delaware River in what is now Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
In 1929, the state of Pennsylvania decided to get the property. A company donated nearly ten acres in 1932. The Pennsylvania Historical Commission then took charge. Money was given to rebuild the estate's buildings. They wanted to make it look just like it did in the past. This became a house museum in 1939.
Over time, more land was bought. The property now covers 43 acres. Pennsbury Manor was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 28, 1969. The manor house and its grounds are open to the public. They are managed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Contents
The Story of Pennsbury Manor
William Penn's Dream
William Penn (1644-1718) was from England. He came to the New World in 1682. He wanted to start a place where people could have religious freedom. This was called his "Holy Experiment." Penn was a Quaker, a group that faced unfair treatment in England.
King Charles II of England gave Penn a huge piece of land. Penn met with the local Lenape Native American tribes. He wanted to be fair and make peace with them. He got along well with them. Then, he planned the city of Philadelphia. It was built north of where the Delaware River and the Schuylkill River meet.
Building Penn's Summer Home
Pennsbury Manor was meant to be a summer home for Penn and his family. It was built along the Delaware River. Construction started soon after Penn arrived in 1682. It was finished around 1686.
Besides the main manor house, there were other buildings. These included places for baking and brewing. There was also a large stable, a boathouse, and many farm buildings. Penn wanted to create a country estate like the ones in England.
Penn spent most of his time in Philadelphia. This was the capital city of his new colony. So, the manor house was often empty. From 1699 to 1701, he rented another house in Philadelphia. He left the colony for England in 1701. He needed to deal with problems there. He passed away in England in 1718.
By 1736, the Pennsbury house was in bad shape. One of Penn's sons said it was "very near falling." The roof and windows were open, and the wood was rotting. The property stayed in the Penn family until 1792.
Rebuilding a Piece of History
Before 1820, a farmhouse was built over part of the original Pennsbury foundations. This farmhouse, called the Crozier House, is still on the property today. A company that dealt with building materials bought much of the land where the manor once stood.
In 1932, it was 250 years since Penn arrived. The company donated some of the land to Pennsylvania. The president of the company gave the deed for nearly ten acres. This was the spot where the Pennsbury buildings had been. It was meant to be a lasting memorial to Penn. The Pennsylvania Historical Commission became responsible for it.
In the 1920s and 1930s, people became very interested in saving colonial American history. Many historical sites were rebuilt during this time. This included places like Wakefield, George Washington's birthplace.
The Pennsylvania Historical Commission worked with others to rebuild Pennsbury Manor. They wanted to create a colonial-style manor house and other buildings. It would be a house museum dedicated to William Penn. The reconstruction was finished in 1940. Today, it is run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. It is open for everyone to visit. More land was bought, making the site 43 acres. The manor and grounds were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
How Pennsbury Manor Was Rebuilt
William Penn often wrote letters about the estate's construction. These letters helped people understand his plans. The Pennsylvania Historical Commission studied the site. They did archaeological digs and looked at old documents. In 1934, a historian found the buried foundations of the house. He also found a rough drawing on an old map. These discoveries helped them rebuild a typical red-brick manor house.
R. Brognard Okie (1875-1945) was the architect who designed Pennsbury Manor. He was known for his Colonial Revival style. He also restored the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia. It seems he designed a larger and more detailed house than the original Pennsbury. The original house was likely T-shaped. Pennsbury Manor was built between 1938 and 1940. Okie's design was inspired by other buildings from that time in Pennsylvania.
The rebuilt manor has two stories. It has a dormered hipped roof that covers an attic. The design is a Georgian-influenced Colonial Revival style. It has five bays wide and two rooms deep. The roof is covered with special tiles that look like colonial roof tiles. White wooden doors and windows stand out against the red brick. Other buildings around the home are made of matching brick or whitewashed wood.
Some early details of the reconstruction were not quite right. For example, a white picket fence and brick walkways were used. These have since been replaced with more accurate styles. Bricks were too expensive for walkways when the original manor was built. Even the original house was not fully made of brick. Since the late 1900s, the museum staff has focused on the inside. They have made it look more like life in Penn's time. They use period-appropriate wall colors, fabrics, and furniture.
The landscape design also changed over time. Early designs included plants that were not in America during colonial times. These included plants from Asia. The brick-bordered "colonial" herb garden was also a design from the 1800s.
Returning Ancestors Home
The land where Pennsbury Manor was built originally belonged to the Lenape tribe. On April 11, 2022, a special event happened. About 200 Lenape ancestors and their sacred objects were returned to their homelands. These ancestors and objects had been kept in different universities and museums across the country. This included the Pennsylvania State Museum.
It took about 15 years of hard work. Lenape tribal leaders and Pennsbury Manor staff worked together. They brought not only the five tribes but also hundreds of ancestors back home. After talks, all five tribes of the Delaware Nation agreed to own the new cemetery. Their lawyer signed the deed to the cemetery on April 19, 2022.
