Ogden House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
The Ogden House is a three-story stone dwelling built in 1736 in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. Its walls feature dressed stone on the front and rough stone with stucco on one side, while a double-pitched roof and two large stone chimneys are defining features of its structure.
Built in 1736, the house represents early colonial settlement in Pennsylvania during a period of growing community development. Its 1979 listing on the National Register of Historic Places acknowledged its importance as evidence of regional building practices and heritage.
The house reflects how settlers in early Pennsylvania built homes using locally available stone and simple designs suited to the colonial period. Walking past it, you notice how the sturdy construction and lack of ornament tell a story about practical living and the values of that era.
The house has no modern amenities such as parking, restrooms, or wheelchair access and offers no guided tours or detailed exhibits. Plan to visit during daylight hours and wear comfortable shoes for walking around the exterior to appreciate the stonework and overall structure.
The house was originally built by John Maddock, a detail often overlooked despite the building's prominence in the area's heritage. Its continuous occupation by families for nearly three centuries provides a rare window into how one household witnessed the transformation of the region around it.
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