Douglassville, Pennsylvania

Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church, founded 1720. This building built in 1801.

Douglassville is a community in Amity, Union Townships, and Douglass Townships Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Douglassville is situated along U.S. Route 422. Developments include the Amity Gardens subdivision, the West Ridge subdivision, the Briarwood subdivision, and the High Meadow subdivision. Douglassville also includes Cider Mill and The Woods Edge subdivision along Pennsylvania Route 562.

History

Monce Jones House, built 1716

Swedish pioneers were the first European settlers in present Berks County on land granted by William Penn. Swedish Lutheran Minister Andreas Rudman secured an order from William Penn on October 21, 1701 setting aside 10,000 acres (40 km²) up the Schuylkill, near Manatawny Creek, for members of his congregation. The boundaries of Amity Township are almost identical to the boundaries of the original area known as Swedes’ tract. Morlatton Village, an early settlement which became part of what is now Douglassville, was Berks County's first settlement site along the Schuylkill River. The settlement later became the location of Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church or Old Swedes, founded in 1720 as the oldest church in Berks County. The site also included the Mounce Jones House, built by Swedish settlers in 1716. The house is the oldest documented dwelling in Berks County.^[1][2]

Parks

Lake Drive Park and Recreation Area

It is on Lake Drive in the Amity Gardens Subdivision. Facilities include Basketball and Tennis Courts, a skateboard park, a pavilion, and a picnic area.

Hill Road Park

Hill Road Park is located on Hill Road in the West Ridge subdivision.

Monocacy Hill Preserve

Douglass House

Monocacy Hill Preserve is an undeveloped park used for hiking and environmental education on Monocacy Hill, it is right outside of Douglassville.

Notable Residents

Daniel Boone - (Oct 1734 - Sept 1820) An American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States.

References

1. ^ Mouns Jones House (1716) (Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County) [1]
2. ^ Andreas Rudman and his Family (by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig . Swedish Colonial News, Volume 2, Number 1 . Winter 2000) [2]

External links

• Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area
• Morlatton Village
• St. Gabriel’s Episcopalian Church
• Thun Trail to Morlatton Village in Douglassville
• Morlatton Village Gallery
• Mouns Jones House

• Douglassville, Pennsylvania is at coordinates 40°15′26″N 75°43′35″W / 40.2572°N 75.7263°W / 40.2572; -75.7263 (Douglassville, Pennsylvania)Coordinates: 40°15′26″N 75°43′35″W / 40.2572°N 75.7263°W / 40.2572; -75.7263 (Douglassville, Pennsylvania)