Lower Swedish Cabin

Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

United States historic place

Significant dates

Lower Swedish Cabin
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Pennsylvania state historical marker

Lower Swedish Cabin, November 2009
39°56′17.78″N 75°18′04.75″W / 39.9382722°N 75.3013194°W / 39.9382722; -75.3013194
Area	1.7 acres (0.69 ha)
Built	1640–1650
Architectural style	Swedish Plan
NRHP reference No.	80003484^[1]
Added to NRHP	June 9, 1980
Designated PHMC	October 21, 1989^[2]

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]

History

The 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.

References

^ ^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

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

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Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania

Founded 1736

Communities

Aronimink
Beverly Hills
Bywood
Drexel Hill
Drexel Park
Highland Park
Llanerch Hills
Kellyville
Kirklyn
Oakview
Primos
Secane
Stonehurst
Westbrook Park

Education

Upper Darby SD
- Upper Darby HS
Bonner & Prendergast Catholic HS (merger of Bonner HS & Prendergast HS)
Delco CC

Historic sites

Lower Swedish Cabin
Collen Brook Farm
Tower Theater

Infrastructure

Regional rail stations

Primos
Secane
Fernwood-Yeadon

Trolley/subway stations

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