Pottstown Historical Society.

"William Penn deeded the land, which is now Pottstown and the surrounding area to his son John in 1701. As early as 1714 the first iron forge was built. Among the early settlers were Germans, Swedes, and English. By the 1720s, the first blast furnace was in operation for the production of cast iron and wrought iron. In 1732, the first steel furnace was in production in the Pottstown area.

"The Potts family, who were iron masters, moved to [the] area and established a forge [there]. The Potts home was a showplace on a small hill just west of town. John Potts, the oldest son of Thomas Potts, purchased nine hundred ninety-five acres in the area and in 1752 Pottstown was founded. When the town was first laid out, it stretched from York Street to Charlotte Street and from the Schuylkill River to Beech Street.

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