Morton Morton House
Norwood, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Built c. 1750 by the great-grandson of Morton Mortonson, Swedish settler who built nearby Morton Homestead, and cousin to Declaration of Independence signer John Morton. The house is a reminder of Norwood Borough's connection to the early settlement of Delaware County.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Long before there was a United States, Swedish colonists settled the lower Delaware Valley as part of New Sweden. This house, raised around 1750, was built by a great-grandson of that pioneer line — kin to John Morton, the Delaware County farmer whose vote helped carry Pennsylvania for independence in 1776. Its walls tie a quiet borough to the region's earliest European roots.
Why it matters
The house links Pennsylvania's Swedish colonial beginnings to the founding generation, a reminder that the American Revolution grew out of communities planted more than a century earlier.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Bridgette Mayer8.6 mi away · 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Hill-Physick House8.7 mi away · 321 South 4th Street
- Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial8.7 mi away
- Congress Hall8.7 mi away · Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Hall8.8 mi away · 520 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Philosophical Hall8.8 mi away · PA
Attractions
- Commandant's Quarters6.1 mi away
- American Bandstand6.7 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo8.0 mi away
- Italian market8.1 mi away · Christian Street
- One Liberty Observation Deck8.1 mi away
- The Universal Sphere8.1 mi away
Food & drink
- Talula's Garden8.5 mi away · 210 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Talula's Daily8.5 mi away · 208 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Fat Salmon8.6 mi away · 719 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Maya's Pizza & Grill8.6 mi away · 716 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cafe Walnut8.6 mi away · 703 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Munchie’s Cafe8.6 mi away · 728 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City8.1 mi away · 237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cambria Hotel Philadelphia Downtown - Center City8.1 mi away · 219 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Fairfield Inn & Suites8.1 mi away · 261 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Alexander Inn8.2 mi away · 301 301 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Philadelphia, PA
- Holiday Inn Express8.2 mi away · 1305-11 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City8.4 mi away · 1 East Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related people
- · Morton Mortonson
- · John Morton
Related events
- · Declaration of Independence
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Morton Homestead
Prospect Park, PA · est. 1966
This riverside homestead was begun around 1654 by Morton Mortonson, part of the Swedish and Finnish settlement of New Sweden along the Delaware, and it is among the oldest European-built structures in the region. The family line ran forward to John Morton, the Pennsylvania delegate who cast a decisive vote and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Tinicum
Tinicum Township, PA · est. 1947
In 1643 Colonel Johan Printz, the imposing governor of New Sweden, established his seat at Tinicum, founding what is recognized as the first permanent European settlement in present-day Pennsylvania. For a dozen years the Swedish colony held this ground along the Delaware, until the wider contest for the river swept it away — first to the Dutch in 1655, then to the English in 1664. Tinicum's brief Swedish chapter left a lasting mark on the region's earliest colonial identity.
Lazaretto Quarantine Station
Tinicum Township, PA · est. 2008
Established in 1799 after a devastating yellow fever epidemic, the Lazaretto stood as Philadelphia's line of defense against imported disease. For nearly a century, ships bound for the port stopped here first so that cargo could be inspected or fumigated and passengers examined; the sick were hospitalized and held until they recovered — or died. For countless arriving immigrants, this quarantine station was their very first taste of America.
Governor Printz Park
Tinicum Township, PA · est. 1948
On this low island in the Delaware, Swedish colonists founded New Sweden's foothold in 1643, the first permanent European settlement in what is now Pennsylvania. Here stood the Printzhof, the fortified residence and capitol of Governor Johan Printz, the imposing leader who governed the tiny colony. Though New Sweden was short-lived, this ground marks where organized European settlement in Pennsylvania began, decades before William Penn's arrival.