Pennypacker Mills
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pennypacker Mills is a Colonial Revival mansion surrounded by 170 acres (0.69 km²) of farmland located in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania ( ) on the shore of the Perkiomen Creek, approximately 35 miles (56 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 Mills became a national historic site.
During the Revolutionary War, George Washington used Pennebacker 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.
Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 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.
As part of the agreement that turned the Mills over to Montgomery County, the site closes to the public whenever members of the Pennypacker family wish to hold reunions there.
[edit] 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.
