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Pottstown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Pottsgrove Manor

Historic Pottstown Walking Tour

 
 
Pottsgrove Manor Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
1. Pottsgrove Manor Marker
Inscription. In November of 1751, John Potts, iron master and merchant, entered into an indenture to purchase two tracts of land from Samuel McCall, Jr. and his wife Anne. This land, situated at the confluence of the Manatawny Creek and the Schuylkill River, comprised one thousand acres and had been part of a tract of 14,000 acres once known as McCall's Manor. Potts took full property rights on September 8, 1752, when he finished paying £3000 for the property. He named the place Pottsgrove and construction was soon begun on the Georgian mansion. When the house was completed in late 1753, it reflected the eminence the Potts family had attained by the mid-18th century.

During his ownership, John Potts developed the land into a large working plantation, which by 1762 included a town of the same name. This town officially became Pottstown in 1815. John and his wife Ruth (Savage) had thirteen children, several of whom made the family name even more prominent. The oldest son Thomas inherited Pottsgrove Manor following his father's death in 1768. He sold the plantation in 1783 to Col. Francis Nichols, Chief Marshall [sic] of Pennsylvania. A succession of owners held the house until the 1930's.

In 1939, a group of local citizens led by Marjorie Potts Wendell purchased the house with four surrounding acres and began to restore it to its former
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elegance. Ownership was later transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which completed the restoration process in 1952. Since a precedent setting transfer of jurisdiction in September 1988, the Manor is now maintained and administered by the Montgomery County Commissioners and The Department of History and Cultural Arts. It has been carefully restored and furnished to recreate the lifestyles and times of John Potts, his family, servants and slaves.
—William Brobst

 
Erected 2002 by Pottstown 250th Anniversary Committee.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African AmericansAgricultureCharity & Public WorkColonial EraIndustry & CommerceSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1865.
 
Location. 40° 14.896′ N, 75° 39.58′ W. Marker is in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in Montgomery County. Marker is on King Street, 0.1 miles east of Pottstown Pike (Pennsylvania Route 100), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 W King Street, Pottstown PA 19464, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named Pottsgrove Manor (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Pottstown Brewing Co. (approx. ¼ mile away); Pottstown World War II Memorial
Pottsgrove Manor Recognition Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
2. Pottsgrove Manor Recognition Marker
In grateful recognition to
Marjorie Potts Wendell
and the descendants of John Potts
for making possible the restoration
of Pottsgrove Manor.
Mrs. Wendell's unending interest,
her generous support and endeavors
throughout the years will forever
stand as evidence of her sympathetic
concern for the welfare and progress
of Pottstown.
(approx. ¼ mile away); M5 3-Inch Anti-Tank Gun (approx. ¼ mile away); In Honor and Remembrance (approx. ¼ mile away); Varsity Club Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); All Veterans Walk of Honor (approx. 0.3 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pottstown.
 
Also see . . .  Pottsgrove Mansion. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on April 11, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 
 
Pottsgrove Manor and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
3. Pottsgrove Manor and Marker
Pottsgrove Manor image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
4. Pottsgrove Manor
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on April 11, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,145 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 30, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 19, 2024