The Block House is a historic building located off Naamans Road in Claymont, Delaware. The Block House is believed to be the only structure remaining of original settlement on

Naamans Creek Naamans Creek (spelled Naaman Creek on federal maps) is a tributary of the Delaware River in northeast New Castle County, Delaware and southeast Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The stream rises near the intersection of Foulk Road and Naamans Cree ...

History

The Block House is believed to have been constructed in 1654 under instruction of

Johan Risingh Johan Classon Risingh (1617 in Risinge – 1672) was the last governor of the Swedish colony of New Sweden. Biography Risingh was born in 1617 in Risinge, Östergötland, Sweden. After gymnasium at Linköping, he attended the University of Uppsa ...

, who was the last Governor of the Colony of

New Sweden New Sweden ( sv, Nya Sverige) was a Swedish colony along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now the United States from 1638 to 1655, established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a great military power. New Sweden form ...

. Chief Peminacka of the Minqua tribe had deeded the large tract of land along Naaman's Creek to John Risingh on behalf of the Swedish colony. The structure was originally designed for defense. During September 1655, the Block House was taken by the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ( ...

under

Peter Stuyvesant Peter Stuyvesant (; in Dutch also ''Pieter'' and ''Petrus'' Stuyvesant, ; 1610 – August 1672)Mooney, James E. "Stuyvesant, Peter" in p.1256 was a Dutch colonial officer who served as the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Net ...

at the same time Dutch forces captured

Fort Christina Fort Christina (also called Fort Altena) was the first Swedish settlement in North America and the principal settlement of the New Sweden colony. Built in 1638 and named after Queen Christina of Sweden, it was located approximately 1 mi (1.6 ...

. In 1671, the Block House was attacked by Native Americans. It was captured by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

in 1777 during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Several yards south of the Block House is the Robinson House. The Block House consists of one room with a lower and upper level. Inside is a relatively large fireplace and the former living quarters for the Robinson House cook. The correct date of construction has recently been disputed. Some say the Block House was not built until later, possibly around the time the Robinson House was built in 1723.

References

Other sources

* Johnson, Amandus ''Johan Classon Rising: The Last Governor of New Sweden'' (Philadelphia: The Swedish Colonial Society, 1915) * Ward, Christopher. ''Dutch and Swedes on the Delaware, 1609 - 1664'' (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1930)

External links

Delaware FortsLandmarks of the United StatesNew Castle County Markers
Pre-statehood history of Delaware Houses in New Castle County, Delaware New Sweden Swedish migration to North America Swedish-American culture in Delaware 1654 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Blockhouses {{Delaware-struct-stub

History

See also

References

Other sources

External links