The Experience
Exquisite colonial furnishings make a tour of this 18th-century Georgian-Period house exceptional. Decorative arts and exciting displays add to the aura of the home completed in 1753 by Potts. Changing exhibit galleries on the second floor of the mansion currently focus on the 18th-century plantation, which at one time included many acres of farmland, orchards, woods, pastures and by 1762, a town of the same name.
Many of the 13 slaves on the plantation were used for agricultural purposes, iron producing, cooking and housekeeping duties. An original slave quarters on the third floor brings this facet of the colonial period to life.
History
John Potts and his wife Ruth (Savage) had 13 children, several of whom made the family even more prominent. Potts, a successful ironmaster and merchant was appointed Justice of the Peace and Judge on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. He was elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly from both Berks and Philadelphia counties.
Although only four acres of original property remain today, Pottsgrove Manor has lost none of its original charm and architectural beauty. The mansion has been restored to recreate the lifestyle and times of John Potts, his family, servants and slaves.