Pottstown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Pottsgrove Manor
Historic Pottstown Walking Tour
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
1. Pottsgrove Manor Marker
Inscription.
Pottsgrove Manor. Historic Pottstown Walking Tour. 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 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 ,
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.
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.
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.
Also see . . . Pottsgrove Mansion. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on April 11, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
3. Pottsgrove Manor and Marker
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 1,148 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 30, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.