Swedeland, Pennsylvania

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.^[1] William Penn offered the Swedish and Finnish colonists land from his grant in this Upper Merion area.^[2]

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

See also

• New Sweden

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 Blue Bell Bryn Mawr Eagleville Evansburg Flourtown Fort Washington Gilbertsville Glenside Halfway House Harleysville Haverford College‡ Horsham King of Prussia Kulpsville Maple Glen Montgomeryville Oreland Penn Wynne Plymouth Meeting Pottsgrove Sanatoga Skippack Spring House Spring Mount Stowe Trooper Willow Grove Woxall Wyncote Wyndmoor
Unincorporated communities	Arcola Ardsley Ashmead Village Bala Cynwyd Barren Hill Belmont Hills Bethayres Camp Hill Cedarbrook Cedars Center Point Center Square Chapel‡ Colmar Congo Creamery Crestmont Cheltenham Dresher Earlington Edge Hill Elkins Park 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 Merion Mingo Miquon Mont Clare Montgomery Square New Hanover Square Noble North Hills Oaks Obelisk Palm Penn Valley Perkiomenville Port Indian Port Kennedy Port Providence Prospectville Rahns Rosemont‡ Roslyn Roychester Rydal Salford Salfordville Sassamansville Spring Mill Sumneytown Swedeland Three Tuns Tylersport Unionville‡ Villanova‡ Wayne‡ West Point Worcester Wynnewood‡ Yerkes Zieglersville
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Coordinates: 40°05′16″N 75°19′52″W / 40.08778°N 75.33111°W / 40.08778; -75.33111