List of the oldest buildings in Pennsylvania

This article attempts to list the oldest extant buildings surviving in the state of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

in the United States of America, including the oldest houses in Pennsylvania and any other surviving structures. Some dates are approximate and based upon dendochronology, architectural studies, and historical records. Sites on the list are generally from the First Period

First Period

First Period is a designation in colonial American architecture and design. It refers to the time period of approximately 1626 through 1725. Its successor is the Colonial Georgian Period.-Characteristics:...

of American architecture or earlier.
To be listed here a site must:

date from prior to 1776; or
be the oldest building in a county, large city, or oldest of its type (church, government building, etc.),

Building	Location	First Built	Use	Notes
Lower Swedish Cabin Lower Swedish Cabin Lower Swedish Cabin is a historic Swedish-style log cabin on Creek Road in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania along Darby Creek. The cabin may be one of the oldest log cabins in the United States.-History:...	Drexel Hill Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania Drexel Hill is a census-designated place in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel Hill is located southwest of Center City, Philadelphia and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area...	1640-1650	House	Possibly oldest log cabin or wooden house in Pennsylvania
Wall House	Elkins Park Elkins Park, Pennsylvania Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia, roughly from Center City, Philadelphia.-Points of interest:...	1682	House	Oldest house in Pennsylvania which has had continuous family residency, possibly the oldest stone house in Pennsylvania with part of the house dating to 1682
Caleb Pusey House	Upland Upland, Pennsylvania Upland is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Upland is governed by an elected seven member borough council. The population was 2,977 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Upland is located at ....	1683	House	Oldest English-built house in Pennsylvania. Only extant building known to have been visited by William Penn William Penn William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful... . Completed 1683-1696.
Farmar Mill Farmar Mill Farmar Mill is a historic mill building. The mill was powered by the Wissahickon Creek and is located on Mather's Lane near Skippack Pike , and just west of the historic Bethlehem Pike in the village of Whitemarsh , Pennsylvania, in the United States.The water-powered gristmill was built around...	Fort Washington Fort Washington, Pennsylvania Fort Washington is an unincorporated census-designated place and suburb of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,446 at the 2010 census.-Prior to the Revolutionary War:...	1690	Mill	Oldest surviving mill in Pennsylvania
Wyck House Wyck House The Wyck House, also called the Haines House and the Hans Millan House, is a historic mansion, museum, garden, and home farm in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...	Germantown Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...	1690	House	Oldest house in Germantown
Merion Friends Meeting House Merion Friends Meeting House Merion Friends Meeting House in Merion Station, Pennsylvania is the second oldest Friends meeting house in the United states and remains the place of worship of the of The Religious Society of Friends . The meeting was founded by the first known group of Welsh settlers in the Americas...	Merion Station	1695	Religious	One of the oldest Quaker meeting houses in America
Thomas Massey House Thomas Massey House The Thomas Massey House is a brick and stone colonial house, located on Lawrence Road near West Chester Pike in Broomall, Pennsylvania. The brick section was created by Thomas Massey, a Quaker, in 1696 as an addition to an earlier wooden house. Thomas's son Mordecai Massey likely tore down the...	Broomall Broomall, Pennsylvania Broomall is a census-designated place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 11,046 at the 2000 census. The community was named after John Martin Broomall, a 19th century U.S...	1696, later additions	House	One of the oldest "English" houses in Pennsylvania, one of the oldest Quaker homes in the state
Morton Homestead Morton Homestead Morton Homestead is a historic homestead that is part of Morton Homestead State Park at 100 Lincoln Avenue in Prospect Park, Pennsylvania.The homestead was founded in 1654 by Morton Mortenson, a Finnish immigrant, when the area was part of the New Sweden colony. Mortenson's great-grandson, John...	Prospect Park Prospect Park, Pennsylvania Prospect Park is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,594 at the 2000 census. It originated as a bedroom community of Philadelphia...	, later additions	House	Farm founded in 1654
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes' Church)	Philadelphia	1700	Religious	Oldest surviving church in Philadelphia
Old Trinity Church Old Trinity Church Old Trinity Church, also known as Trinity Church, Oxford, is a historic Episcopal church founded in Oxford Township, Pennsylvania, which is now part of Philadelphia....	Philadelphia	1711	Religious
Stenton Stenton (mansion) Stenton, also known as the James Logan Home, was the country home of James Logan, colonial Mayor of Philadelphia and Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court....	Philadelphia	1723	House	Home of James Logan James Logan (statesman) James Logan , a statesman and scholar, was born in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland of Scottish descent and Quaker parentage. In 1689, the Logan family moved to Bristol, England where, in 1693, James replaced his father as schoolmaster... , secretary of William Penn William Penn William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
Old Chester Courthouse 1724 Chester Courthouse The old Chester Courthouse was built in 1724 in Chester, Pennsylvania, to serve as the courthouse for Chester County. Chester County was one of the first three counties in the Province of Pennsylvania set up by William Penn. About 1790 the county seat was moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania and...	Chester Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...	1724	Government	This is the oldest public building in continuous use in the United States. Served as a courthouse from 1724 until 1851, town hall until the 1960s. Now used for miscellaneous city, county and civic functions.
Michael Billmeyer House Michael Billmeyer House The Michael Billmeyer House, aka the Bensell-Billmeyer House, is a historic twin house in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built around 1730 by John George Bensell. Michael Billmeyer, the noted printer of Germantown, purchased it in 1789...	Philadelphia	1730	House
Ephrata Cloister Ephrata Cloister The Ephrata Cloister or Ephrata Community was a religious community, established in 1732 by Johann Conrad Beissel at Ephrata, in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...	Ephrata Ephrata, Pennsylvania Ephrata is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, south east of Harrisburg and about west by north of Philadelphia. It is named after Ephrath, a biblical town in what is now Israel. Ephrata's sister city is Eberbach, Germany, the city where its founders originated. In its...	1732	Religious	Established in 1732 by Johann Conrad Beissel, it is one of the oldest religious communities in the United States. It had the second German printing press in the American colonies which published the largest book in Colonial America, Martyrs Mirror Martyrs Mirror The Martyrs Mirror or The Bloody Theater, first published in 1660 in Dutch by Thieleman J. van Braght, documents the stories and testimonies of Christian martyrs, especially Anabaptists... .
Augustus Lutheran Church Augustus Lutheran Church Augustus Lutheran Church, built during 1743-1745 in Trappe, Pennsylvania, is the oldest unchanged Lutheran church building in the United States in continuous use by the same congregation....	Trappe Trappe, Pennsylvania Trappe is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,509 at the 2010 census. Augustus Lutheran Church, built in 1743, is the oldest unchanged Lutheran church building in the United States in continuous use by the same congregation...	1743	Religious	Oldest unchanged Lutheran church building in the United States in continuous use by the same congregation.
Grumblethorpe Grumblethorpe Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the home of the Wister family. It was built as a summer residence in 1744 by Philadelphia merchant and wine importer John Wister. It eventually became the family's year-round residence when they withdrew from the city during the Yellow...	Philadelphia	1744	House
Belmont Mansion (Philadelphia) Belmont Mansion (Philadelphia) Belmont Mansion is a historic mansion located in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built in the early 18th century, the mansion is one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in the United States....	Philadelphia	1745	House
Germantown White House	Philadelphia	1752	House	Twice served as temporary residence of George Washington George Washington George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of... during his presidency.
Old Germantown Academy and Headmasters' Houses Old Germantown Academy and Headmasters' Houses Old Germantown Academy and Headmasters' Houses is a historic school campus, the original site of Germantown Academy, located at Schoolhouse Lane and Greene Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...	Philadelphia	1760	School
Cliveden (Benjamin Chew House)	Philadelphia	1763	House	Scene of fighting at the Battle of Germantown Battle of Germantown The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
Fort Pitt Blockhouse Fort Pitt Blockhouse The Fort Pitt Blockhouse is a historic building in Point State Park in the city of Pittsburgh...	Pittsburgh	1764	Defense	Oldest structure in Pittsburgh and one of the oldest colonial structures west of the Allegheny Mountains Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
Concord School House (Philadelphia) Concord School House (Philadelphia) The Concord School House is a historic one-room schoolhouse in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is operated today as a museum....	Philadelphia	1775	School
Harris Cameron Mansion Simon Cameron House Simon Cameron House, also known as John Harris Mansion and the Harris Cameron Mansion is a site in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The structure is one of the oldest buildings in Harrisburg and has undergone numerous additions and significant renovations since it was first constructed in 1766...	Harrisburg Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...	1766	House	One of the oldest structures in Harrisburg built right after the French and Indian War French and Indian War The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war... .
The Headhouse at New Market	Philadelphia	1804	Firehouse	Oldest firehouse in the United States
Dickson Tavern Dickson Tavern The Dickson Tavern, or the Perry Memorial House, is the oldest building in the city of Erie in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located at the corner of 2nd and French Streets in downtown Erie, the structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990...	Erie Erie, Pennsylvania Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...	1815	Commercial	Oldest building in Erie
Academy Hall Academy Hall (Edinboro University of Pennsylvania) Academy Hall is an academic building on the campus of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. Originally known as Austin Hall for its architect, the hall has since been called a variety of names that reflected its use at the time, including Literary Hall, Commercial Hall and...	Edinboro University Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro University is a public liberal arts university located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, USA and one of 14 schools associated with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The town is named after Edinburgh, Scotland. It is also not to be confused with the University of Edinburgh...	1857	Educational	Oldest normal school Normal school A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name... building in Pennsylvania
Sturgis Pretzel House Sturgis Pretzel House The Sturgis Pretzel House of Lititz, Pennsylvania, founded in 1861, is the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in the United States. The bakery remains active in pretzel production and is a tourist attraction.- History :...	Lititz Lititz, Pennsylvania Lititz is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 6 miles north of the city of Lancaster.-History:Lititz was founded by members of the Moravian Church in 1756, and was named after a castle in Bohemia near the village of Kunvald where the ancient Bohemian Brethren's Church had...	1861	Commercial	Oldest commercial pretzel Pretzel A pretzel is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors in a unique knot-like shape, originating in Europe... bakery in the United States
Leap-The-Dips Leap-The-Dips Leap-The-Dips is the world's oldest operating wooden roller coaster and North America's last surviving side friction roller coaster. It is located at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania and was built in 1902 by the E. Joy Morris Company. Leap-the-Dips operated until 1985, when it closed due to...	Altoona Altoona, Pennsylvania -History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...	1902	Entertainment	Oldest wooden roller coaster in the United States

See also