The Printzhof, Archaeological site and National Historic Landmark in Essington, Delaware County, United States
The Printzhof is an archaeological site in Essington located within Governor Printz Park that preserves the remains of a 17th-century Swedish colonial settlement. The stone foundations and excavated artifacts show the layout and daily life of this early European community in Pennsylvania.
Johan Printz founded this settlement in 1643 as the governing center of New Sweden, building a log mansion to serve as his residence and seat of power. Swedish control of the area eventually ended when English forces took command of the region.
The site shows how Swedish settlers adapted their building methods and way of life to this new land in the 1600s. What remains reflects a community that mixed their European origins with practical responses to their American surroundings.
The site sits at the intersection of Taylor Avenue and Second Street in Essington, near Pennsylvania routes 291 and 420, making it easy to find. The excavated foundations and information boards help you understand the layout, though much of what remains is below ground level and requires some imagination to picture the original structures.
A historic Swedish farmstead from New Jersey's former Swedish Farmstead Museum was taken apart and reconstructed on this site between 2019 and 2022. This moved building brings a physical connection to descendants who had operated the original farm generations earlier.
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