Van Leer Cabin, is a historic cabin and one of the last historical dwellings in
Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Tredyffrin Township ( ) is a township located in eastern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The population was 29,332 at the 2010 census.
Settled in the late 17th century, Tredyffrin is bounded by Delaware and Montgomery counties. It includes on ...
. It still stands on the grounds of Conestoga High School.
History
The original structure belonged to several homes owned by the
Van Leer family who immigrated from Prussia in 1759. Dr.
Bernardhus Van Leer a well known doctor bought 109 acres at the location of the Cabin the same year. Dr. Bernardhus Van Leer is considered notable for traveling on horseback until the age of 102, and being one of the first medical doctors in New York. Dr. Van Leer's son Captain
Samuel Van Leer
Captain Samuel Van Leer (January 7, 1747 – October 15, 1825) was a military officer from Pennsylvania who served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and as lieutenant in the Chester County Light Horse Volu ...
and family would later play an important role in American history as a revolutionary war soldier. Van Leers were noted in the anti-slavery cause and built nearby
free negro communities for newly freed slaves. Van Leer's also financially supported the Underground Railroad.
In the mid-1960s students and volunteers helped restore the cabin, located on Conestoga High School. The Cabin is also utilized as part of an American History Course.
Architecture
In the Pennsylvania colony, log cabins play a significant part of architectural history.
The Van Leer Cabin appears to follow the German type, where logs are set tightly together and even at the corners.
See also
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Van Leer House
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Van Leer Pleasant Hill Plantation
Pleasant Hill Plantation, also known as Van Leer Place, is a historic stone farmhouse located near Glen Moore in West Nantmeal Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Home
The original structure of two stories and three bays was built by Matt ...
*
Mortonson-Van Leer Log Cabin
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Bernardhus Van Leer
References
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Houses completed in 1780
Houses in Chester County, Pennsylvania
National Register of Historic Places in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Van Leer family
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American Anti-Slavery Society