Swedeland, Pennsylvania

Swedeland, Pennsylvania

Matsunk
Swedeland, Pennsylvania Matsunk
Unincorporated community
	Swedeland
	Coordinates: 40°05′16″N 75°19′52″W / 40.08778°N 75.33111°WCoordinates: 40°05′16″N 75°19′52″W / 40.08778°N 75.33111°W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Montgomery
Township	Upper Merion
Elevation	128 ft (39 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	19406
Area code(s)	610 and 484
GNIS feature ID	1189158

Swedeland is a small unincorporated community in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, in the suburbs of Philadelphia. It was founded as "Matsunk" by Swedish settlers in 1710. The name was changed to Swedeland sometime in the late 19th century.

History[]

Situated along the Schuylkill River and the Matsunk creek the Swedish villages was composed of about 19 homes. After the conquering of the Swedish colony by the Dutch, followed by English control, in 1664, a third generation settler with the New Sweden Colony named Peter Yocum the Third (1678-1753) established Swedeland.^[2] William Penn offered the Swedish and Finnish colonists land from his grant in this Upper Merion area.^[3]

By the mid-19th century Abraham Supplee operated a factory producing Kentucky Jean, employing some 25 hands. The extensive works of the Swede Iron Company were also here, consisting of two large furnaces and a rail road leading from the Iron ore mines to the Schuylkill River.

The land in the vicinity Swedeland/Matsunk was known for its fertile soil, limestone and Iron ore quarries. The Alan Wood Steel Company built a massive steel Plant and Coking Facility in Swedeland in 1919 this brought forth a need for additional housing. Alan Wood Steel operated into the early 1980s.

The Swedeland Volunteer Fire Company was formed in 1920 and continues to protect the citizens of Upper Merion and nearby communities. Swedeland has continued its industrial heritage and is surrounded by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, chemical manufacturer Lonza, the Renaissance Business Park and The Philadelphia Newspapers Incorporated Complex.

References[]

^ "Swedeland". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
^ "NOTES OF FAMILY HISTORY - THE ANDERSON, SCHOFIELD, PENNYPACKER, YOCUM, CRAWFORD, SUTTON, LANE, RICHARDSON, BEVAN, AUBREY, BARTHOLOMEW, DeHAVEN, JERMAIN AND WALKER FAMILIES".
^ Hoffecker, Carol E. (1 January 1995). New Sweden in America. University of Delaware Press. p. 210.

show v t Municipalities and communities of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
County seat: Norristown
Boroughs	Ambler Bridgeport Bryn Athyn Collegeville Conshohocken East Greenville Green Lane Hatboro Hatfield Jenkintown Lansdale Narberth Norristown North Wales Pennsburg Pottstown Red Hill Rockledge Royersford Schwenksville Souderton Telford‡ Trappe West Conshohocken
Townships	Abington Cheltenham Douglass East Norriton Franconia Hatfield Horsham Limerick Lower Frederick Lower Gwynedd Lower Merion Lower Moreland Lower Pottsgrove Lower Providence Lower Salford Marlborough Montgomery New Hanover Perkiomen Plymouth Salford Skippack Springfield Towamencin Upper Dublin Upper Frederick Upper Gwynedd Upper Hanover Upper Merion Upper Moreland Upper Pottsgrove Upper Providence Upper Salford West Norriton West Pottsgrove Whitemarsh Whitpain Worcester
CDPs	Arcadia University Ardmore‡ Audubon Bala Cynwyd Blue Bell Bryn Mawr‡ Cheltenham Village Eagleville Elkins Park Evansburg Flourtown Fort Washington Gilbertsville Glenside Halfway House Harleysville Haverford College‡ Horsham King of Prussia Kulpsville Maple Glen McKinley Merion Station Mont Clare Montgomeryville Oreland Penn Wynne Plymouth Meeting Pottsgrove Rosemont‡ Roslyn Sanatoga Skippack Spring House Spring Mount Stowe Swedeland Trooper Villanova‡ Willow Grove Woxall Wyncote Wyndmoor
Other communities	Arcola Ardsley Ashmead Village Barren Hill Belmont Hills Bethayres Camp Hill Cedarbrook Cedars Center Point Center Square Chapel‡ Colmar Congo Creamery Crestmont Dresher Earlington Edge Hill Erdenheim Eureka‡ Fairview Village Fitzwatertown Franconia Frederick Fulmor Geryville‡ Gladwyne Graterford Gulph Mills Gwynedd Gwynedd Valley Haverford‡ Hollywood Huntingdon Valley Jarrettown Lafayette Hill La Mott Laverock Layfield Lederach Line Lexington‡ Linfield Mainland Meadowbrook Melrose Park Mingo Miquon Montgomery Square New Hanover Square Noble North Hills Oaks Obelisk Palm Penn Valley Perkiomenville Port Indian Port Kennedy Port Providence Prospectville Rahns Roychester Rydal Salford Salfordville Sassamansville Spring Mill Sumneytown Three Tuns Tylersport Unionville‡ West Point Worcester Wynnewood‡ Yerkes Zieglerville
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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show v t Upper Merion Township (King of Prussia area) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Neighborhoods	Gulph Mills King of Prussia Swedeland Wayne (part)
Attractions	Bridge in Upper Merion Township Hanging Rock King of Prussia Mall King of Prussia Town Center King of Prussia Inn King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company 9/11 Memorial Valley Forge Casino Resort Valley Forge National Historical Park (part) National Memorial Arch Washington's Headquarters Washington Memorial Chapel
Education	Upper Merion SD Upper Merion HS Armenian Sisters Academy
Industry	AmeriGas Universal Health Services Radial, Inc.

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General	VIAF 1 WorldCat (via VIAF)
National libraries	United States

Swedeland, Pennsylvania

History[]

References[]

See also[]