The Swedish Cabin

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 local trees and featuring a simple, two pen plan, it was a farmstead and its occupants engaged in trade with the local Lenape native residents. When these settlers moved on, waves of new immigrants moved in during the 1700s and into the 1800s. As mills were built on Darby Creek, this cabin was one of many tenant houses for millworkers.

After 1900 it was a locale for area artists, including filmmaker Sigmund Lubin. Local residents had roles as “extras”. In 1941 Upper Darby Township bought the property intending to build an incinerator. Instead, it offered it to the Girl Scouts, who had a camp there for several years.

A series of Township tenants next lived there, up to the mid-1960s. Thereafter, it stood empty and was vandalized. A brief respite came around the time of the US Bicentennial in 1976. It was after this that concerned local citizens formed the caretaker group, The Friends of the Swedish Cabin – including members of DCVA’s Historic Sites Committee. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Lobbied Upper Darby officials then obtained state funding to restore the building. The work was done in 1988-89, and won several awards. The Cabin is open to visitors from 1 – 4 pm on Sundays from April through October. It is located at the end of Creek Road, in Drexel Hill.

This nearly 400-year-old building stands as a testament to the ingenuity and craftsmanship of its builders, and its subsequent stewards. It is the oldest log cabin in the United States.

Additional resources:

The Swedish Cabin Facebook page

Explore Pa History Lower Swedish Cabin

The Blue Bell Tavern

Built by Henry Paschall in 1766 The Blue Bell Inn , also know as Blue Bell Tavern was the location of a 1777 battle during the British occupation of Philadelphia. Blue Bell 's oldest section still stands at 7303 Woodland Avenue which at one time was the main stagecoach road between Philadelphia and the southern Colonies.

Picture By J. HaigisThe Blue Bell Inn is an 18th-century, two-story tavern resting on the cusp of Southwest Philadelphia and the borough of Darby. Originally built by Henry Paschall in 1766, the Blue Bell was noted for its prominent location on Kings Highway (now called Main Street/Woodland Avenue), a popular stagecoach route into the city that sat in close proximity to Pennsylvania’s first water-driven grist mill. While traveling, George Washington and his soldiers frequented the Inn on several occasions, once on their way to the Battle of Brandywine. It also a witness site to the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route(W3R). Where the French and American troops marched to Yorktown Virginia and the surrender of Cornwallis effectively ending the Revolutionary War,1781.

In November of 1777 the British were in control of Philadelphia but did not have control of the river approaches or Fort Mifflin or Fort Mercer, and could not bring supplies upriver. In order to get supplies the British had to forage, or send wagons down to the fleet at Chester, which made them vulnerable to the American raiding parties. One such party of about 28 Americans was stationed at the Blue Bell on the Darby Road. When Fort Mifflin finally fell after a valiant defense,Lord Cornwallis sent some 2500 troops down the Darby Road to Chester. Accounts vary but one account says that when the British were passing the Blue Bell, a shot was fired from an upstairs window. The British rushed into the building and bayoneted 5 Americans on the stairs and took the remainder prisoners.

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John Heinz Wildlife Refuge

John Heinz Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is America's First Urban Refuge and was established in 1972 for the purpose of preserving, restoring, and developing a natural area known as Tinicum Marsh.

John Heinz Wildlife Refuge is made up of 1,200 acres, which consist of over 10 miles of hiking trails, 4.5 miles of tidal marshes for canoeing or kayaking, and an Environmental Center with plenty of parking. The diverse ecosystem of old fields, woods, streams, and tidal marshes provides numerous wildlife habitats.

The refuge has been designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. Binoculars are available to borrow at the visitor center front desk free of charge and must be returned by 3:30 PM.

The refuge is a green respite nestled within the urban setting of Philadelphia. Refuge lands are a thriving sanctuary teeming with a rich diversity of fish, wildlife, and plants native to the Delaware Estuary.

The Ridley Marina

DCVA holds our annual Canoe/Kayak Race at Ridley Marina each fall. The marina is located at 401 S Swarthmore Ave, Ridley Park.