Pennsbury Manor
Encyclopedia
Pennsbury Manor, an estate in Falls Township
, Bucks County
, Pennsylvania
, was the American
home of William Penn
, founder and first Governor of Pennsylvania. The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on October 28, 1969.
to start his dream of a "Holy Experiment
" free from religious persecution. With a 26 million acres (10,521,836 ha) tract granted by the English King Charles II
, his dream became a reality. He met with the local Native American tribes to sue for peace and their blessing to settle the land, resulting in success. Penn then plotted out the village of Philadelphia
between the Delaware
and Schuylkill River
s. His focus then turned to platting and building a manor house.
The manor
do located along the banks of the Delaware River, between the river proper and Van Sciver Lake. Construction at Pennsbury was begun soon after Penn's arrival in the colony in 1682 and completed in about 1686. In addition to the house, there were separate buildings for baking and brewing, a large stable, a boathouse, and numerous farm buildings. Penn's plan was to establish the sort of gentleman's country estate that had been his home in England
.
Penn spent most of his time in Philadelphia governing his settlement leaving the house empty for long periods of time. The house had already fallen into disrepair by 1736 when one of Penn's sons remarked that the house "was very near falling, the roof open as well as the windows and the woodwork almost rotten." The house remained in the Penn family until 1792. Rebuilt in 1938, the house and grounds are administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
in association with The Pennsbury Society and are open to the public.
Along with Pennsbury Manor, Penn also rented The Slate Roof House
in Philadelphia as his second residence in the colony during the period 1699-1701.
windows piercing the hipped roof. The manor is designed in the Georgian style and stands five bays (architecture) wide and two piles deep. The white window and door trim contrast against the brick, which is laid in Flemish bond.
The manor house is surrounded by the support buildings, built in either matching red brick or whitewashed wood frames.
Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Falls Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 34,300 at the 2010 census. Portions of Fairless Hills and Levittown, Pennsylvania, are located in the township...
, Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, was the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
home of William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
, founder and first Governor of Pennsylvania. The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on October 28, 1969.
History
William Penn traveled to the New WorldNew World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
to start his dream of a "Holy Experiment
Holy Experiment
The "Holy Experiment" was an attempt by the Religious Society of Friends or to establish a community for themselves in Pennsylvania. They hoped it would show to the world how well they could function on their own without any persecution or dissension.William Penn, a son of the great Royal Navy...
" free from religious persecution. With a 26 million acres (10,521,836 ha) tract granted by the English King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, his dream became a reality. He met with the local Native American tribes to sue for peace and their blessing to settle the land, resulting in success. Penn then plotted out the village of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
between the Delaware
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
and Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
s. His focus then turned to platting and building a manor house.
The manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
do located along the banks of the Delaware River, between the river proper and Van Sciver Lake. Construction at Pennsbury was begun soon after Penn's arrival in the colony in 1682 and completed in about 1686. In addition to the house, there were separate buildings for baking and brewing, a large stable, a boathouse, and numerous farm buildings. Penn's plan was to establish the sort of gentleman's country estate that had been his home in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Penn spent most of his time in Philadelphia governing his settlement leaving the house empty for long periods of time. The house had already fallen into disrepair by 1736 when one of Penn's sons remarked that the house "was very near falling, the roof open as well as the windows and the woodwork almost rotten." The house remained in the Penn family until 1792. Rebuilt in 1938, the house and grounds are administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage...
in association with The Pennsbury Society and are open to the public.
Along with Pennsbury Manor, Penn also rented The Slate Roof House
The Slate Roof House
The Slate Roof House was a mansion that stood on 2nd Street north of Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from about 1687 until its demolition in 1867. Built for Barbadian Quaker merchant Samuel Carpenter, the house occupied a small hill overlooking the Delaware River...
in Philadelphia as his second residence in the colony during the period 1699-1701.
Exterior
The red brick house stands two stories tall with dormerDormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
windows piercing the hipped roof. The manor is designed in the Georgian style and stands five bays (architecture) wide and two piles deep. The white window and door trim contrast against the brick, which is laid in Flemish bond.
The manor house is surrounded by the support buildings, built in either matching red brick or whitewashed wood frames.
Further reading
- Seitz, Ruth Hoover & Blair; Pennsylvania's Historic Places; Good Books; Intercourse, Pennsylvania; ISBN 1-56148-242-0