The Printzhof

The Printzhof, located in Governor Printz Park in Essington, Pennsylvania, was the home of Johan Björnsson Printz, governor of New Sweden.

The Printzhof
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Pennsylvania state historical marker
View of the site
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Location	Taylor Ave. and 2nd St., Essington, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	39°51′39.8″N 75°18′11.35″W
Built	1643
NRHP reference No.	66000661
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHL	November 5, 1961[2]
Designated PHMC	Monday, June 28, 1948

History

In 1643, Johan Printz moved his capital from Fort Christina (located in what is now Wilmington, Delaware) to Tinicum Island. At that time Fort Gothenburg was established in addition to Printz's dwelling and headquarters. Two years later a fire swept over the newly established settlement. The Printzhof was reconstructed more solidly and lavishly. The two-story log structure contained lumber sent from Sweden, glass windows and lavish draperies.^[3]

Johan Björnsson Printz, his wife and younger children returned to Sweden during 1653. The Dutch West India Company subsequently captured the Swedish colony in 1655. Armegott Printz, the eldest daughter of Governor Printz, had married his successor, Lt. Johan Papegoja. She remained at The Printzhof even after the Dutch conquest. During 1662, she sold the estate for a partial down payment with the remainder due when she reached The Netherlands. When payment was refused, she returned to reclaim possession of her property. Ten years later in 1672, the Governor and Council ruled Armegott Printz should be in possession of the property. She subsequently sold the estate a second time and returned to Sweden where she died on November 25, 1695, at Läckö Castle.^[4]

Today, the Printzhof's stone foundations are the only remains of the settlement. The Printzhof site is located near the intersection of Taylor Avenue and Second Street in Essington, Pennsylvania. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.^[2][5]

The farmstead from the former New Sweden Farmstead Museum in Bridgeton, New Jersey, was moved to the site of The Printzhof in Governor Printz Park and reconstructed from 2019 to 2020, and officially dedicated on June 12, 2022.^[6][7]

See also

• List of European archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
2. "The Printzhof". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
3. Ashmead, Henry Graham History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania (Chapter II, Philadelphia: L. H. Everts & Co. 1884)
4. Weslager, C. A. New Sweden on the Delaware, 1638-1655 (Wilmington, Delaware: The Middle Atlantic Press. 1988)
5. Richard E. Greenwood (August 14, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Governor Printz Park / The Printzhof" (pdf). National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
6. Tepe, Jr., John B. (Fall 2021). "Open for Business" (PDF). The Swedish Colonial Society Journal. Vol. 5, no. 15. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 2. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
7. Steadham, Richard L. (Fall 2022). "The Stiddem Family: Returns to the Delaware Valley for their 15th National Reunion" (PDF). The Swedish Colonial Society Journal. Vol. 6, no. 2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. pp. 4–7. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

External links

• Governor Printz State Park
• Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
• Governor Printz Park - Historical Marker Database
• Tinicum - Historical Marker Database
• Johan Printz - Historical Marker Database
• New Sweden - Historical Marker Database
• Tinicum History Pdf