Pennypacker Mills
Encyclopedia
Pennypacker Mills is a Colonial Revival mansion surrounded by 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) of farmland located in Schwenksville
, Pennsylvania
on the shore of the Perkiomen Creek
, approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) northwest of Philadelphia. Originally built around 1720, it was purchased in 1747 by Peter Pennebacker, and remained privately owned by Pennypackers for eight generations. In 1976, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
During the American Revolutionary War
, George Washington
used Pennepacker Mills in 1777 as a headquarters prior to the Battle of Germantown
, and also as a field hospital for injured soldiers after the battle.
Pennsylvania governor Samuel Pennypacker made the Mills his summer home in the early 1900s, and lived there for much of his term in office (1903–1907). He was an avid collector of antiques and manuscripts, and many of these can still be found on display at the Mills, along with letters and orders written by George Washington.
Pennypacker Mills is open to the public for tours Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm with the last daily tour at 3:30 pm. Admission is free. It also hosts special events such as Civil War
reenactments on a regular basis.
Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
Schwenksville is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,385 at the 2010 census. It is notable for being located near the site of the Philadelphia Folk Festival. The borough was founded in in 1684, when the Lenni-Lenape Indians ceded to William Penn the...
, 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...
on the shore of the Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.Perkiomen Creek begins in Hereford Township, Berks County, initially flows eastward into Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, and turns southward to reenter...
, approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) northwest of Philadelphia. Originally built around 1720, it was purchased in 1747 by Peter Pennebacker, and remained privately owned by Pennypackers for eight generations. In 1976, the house was added to 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...
.
During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
used Pennepacker Mills in 1777 as a headquarters prior to the Battle of Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
, and also as a field hospital for injured soldiers after the battle.
Pennsylvania governor Samuel Pennypacker made the Mills his summer home in the early 1900s, and lived there for much of his term in office (1903–1907). He was an avid collector of antiques and manuscripts, and many of these can still be found on display at the Mills, along with letters and orders written by George Washington.
Pennypacker Mills is open to the public for tours Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm with the last daily tour at 3:30 pm. Admission is free. It also hosts special events such as Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
reenactments on a regular basis.
External links
- Pennypacker Mills visitors website
- National Register, listing for Pennypacker Mills
- A History of Schwenksville, including detailed history of Samuel and the Mills
- Montgomery County website, including a photographic tour of Pennypacker Mills.