Originally published in 1939
Some of this information may no longer be current and in that case is presented for historical interest only.
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2002

Although the influence of the Swedes on the Dutch diminished after 1655, the architecture of the southern region of the State may be referred to as "Swedish." The predominant local building material was clay suitable for brick. The development of the glass industry, along with that of brick, resulted in the production of a glazed brick characteristic of the houses of West Jersey, and to this day a heritage in State industry. By 1700 William Bradway had built a house, still standing at Stowe Creek, in which a pattern of two-colored glazed brick was used, and by 1725 this practice had become quite common locally. Occasionally red and white bricks were used, but usually the body of the wall was red, bearing geometric patterns in dull blue. Often the owner's initials and the date of erection were worked into the gables in large letters and figures. This peculiarity appears to have culminated locally in 1754 with the ornate gable designs of the Dickinson house at Alloway.

These early brick houses are tall, narrow and rather urban in character. Dutch influence on the architecture of the Swedes first appeared in a small one-story house with gambrel roof, such as the William Penn house (1685) in Burlington. It became usual, however, to add a second story, leaving the projecting eaves along front and rear; this produced the "pent eaves" that became a fixed characteristic of the so-called Swedish style. Outstanding examples are the William Hancock house (1734) at Lower Alloways Creek and the Oakford house (1736) at Alloway.

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