Pennypacker Mills
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Pennypacker Mills is a Colonial Revival mansion surrounded by 170 acres of farmland located in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania () on the shore of the Perkiomen Creek, approximately 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia . Originally built around 1720, it was purchased in 1747 by the Pennypacker family, 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 Pennypacker 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 1900's, 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. 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 the National Park Service, 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.
