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All the United States Pennsylvania Upper Darby The Lower Swedish Cabin

The Lower Swedish Cabin

One of the oldest log cabins in America is one of the last of its kind this historic Swedish dwelling remains a piece of living history.

Upper Darby, Pennsylvania

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zalen
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The Lower Swedish Cabin   zalen / Atlas Obscura User
The Lower Swedish Cabin   zalen / Atlas Obscura User
The Lower Swedish Cabin   fyrefiend on Flickr
The Lower Swedish Cabin   zalen / Atlas Obscura User
The Lower Swedish Cabin   zalen / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Built sometime between the 1630s and the 1650s, Pennsylvania's Lower Swedish Cabin is one of the last remaining log cabins built by America's Swedish settlers and still stands, relatively unaltered, from when it was constructed hundreds of years ago.

Sitting not far from the bustling 20th century construction surrounding it, the historic Lower Swedish Cabin seems like a house out of time. Built from wooden timbers and featuring a simple, two-story floor plan, Swedish settlers built the cabin to act as a trading post with the local American Indian population. They would trade simple tools, furs, and goods for beads and native crafts. When the original builders left the area, the cabin continued to be used by further groups of settlers from the 1700s through to the late 1800s.

In the early 1900's the cabin was used extensively as a set for early motion pictures, especially those of Siegmund Lubin whose movies ended up coining the phrase "cliffhanger." After this brief spate of fame, the cabin was essentially abandoned for most of the 20th century when it fell victim to rampant vandalism and neglect.

Luckily the cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and fully restored in 1987. Today the Lower Swedish Cabin still stands as a testament to the ingenuity and craftsmanship of America's settlers.     

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Architecture Cabins

Community Contributors

Added By

zalen

Edited By

hrnick, michpc, Ahmie, anders55...

  • hrnick
  • michpc
  • Ahmie
  • anders55
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

September 23, 2014

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Sources
  • Archives of The Friends of the Swedish Cabin; The Log Cabins of New Sweden (2003), and direct personal experience.
  • https://www.facebook.com/pages/Swedish-Cabin/241128337656
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Swedish_Cabin
  • http://articles.philly.com/1989-10-26/news/26117988_1_trading-post-cabin-site-swedes
The Lower Swedish Cabin
80-98 Creek Rd
Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, 19026
United States
39.938227, -75.30129
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Unmarked Grave of H.H. Holmes

Yeadon, Pennsylvania

miles away

Mount Moriah Cemetery

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Upper Darby

Upper Darby

Pennsylvania

Places 2

Nearby Places

Unmarked Grave of H.H. Holmes

Yeadon, Pennsylvania

miles away

Mount Moriah Cemetery

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Upper Darby

Upper Darby

Pennsylvania

Places 2

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