Most stories of Philadelphia architecture begin with William Penn and his dream for a utopian community. This vision certainly impacted the layout of the city. This session, however, focuses on the ethnic diversity of settlements. In addition to Penn’s attention to the needs of the Welsh and German immigrants, there was a pre-existing Swedish community. The “Swedish” log cabins that dotted the colonial landscape were largely the product of conscripted Finns and other Baltic peoples whose knowledge of logging was useful to the new colony. British and Swedish churches by the late colonial period employed brick masonry techniques most closely associated with the Dutch. Several ethnic groups seem to have been erased from the built environment. The Lenape did not establish permanent structures, believing that land ownership was fluid. The vast majority of people of African descent arrived in Philadelphia as slaves. Their buildings will be more evident from the Revolutionary period through the 19th century. Although Penn envisioned a gentleman’s settlement, at the time of the uprising, Philadelphia was increasingly a mercantile city. You might want to visit the American Swedish Historical Museum for history of Sweden or the Chew Family’s Cliveden—where you can also learn more about slaves living there.