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A  Guide  lo  Ike  Nations  Birlkplace 


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LD     PHILADELPHIA 

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PHILADELPHIA 

A  GUIDE  TO  THE  NATION'S  BIRTHPLACE 


PENN  IN  ARMOR 


American  Guide  Series 


PHILADELPHIA 


A  GUIDE  TO  THE  NATION'S  BIRTHPLACE 


Compiled  by  the  Federal  Writers'  Project 
Works  Progress  Administration  for  the 
Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania 


Sponsored  by  the 

PENNSYLVANIA  HISTORICAL  COMMISSION 


Illustrated 


First  Edition 


WILLIAM  PENN  ASSOCIATION 
OF  PHILADELPHIA,  INC. 
1937 


COPYRIGHT,  1937,  BY  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA  HISTORICAL  COMMISSION 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED  INCLUDING  THE  RIGHT  TO  REPRODUCE  THIS  BOOK 
OR  PARTS  THEREOF  IN  ANY  FORM 


The  Telegraph  Press 

HARR1SBURG  PENNSYLVANIA 

PRINTED  IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 


THE  AMERICAN  GUIDE  SERIES 

The  Philadelphia  Guide  is  one  of  the  publications  in  the  American  Guide 
Series,  written  by  members  of  the  Federal  Writers'  Project  of  the  Works  Progress 
Administration.  Designed  primarily  to  give  useful  employment  to  needy  unem- 
ployed writers  and  research  workers,  this  project  has  gradually  developed  the 
ambitious  objective  of  presenting  to  the  American  people  a  portrait  of  America 
—  its  history,  folklore,  scenery,  cultural  backgrounds,  social  and  economic  trends, 
and  racial  factors.  In  one  respect,  at  any  rate,  this  undertaking  is  unique  ;  it 
represents  a  farflung  effort  at  cooperative  research  and  writing,  drawing  upon  all 
the  varied  abilities  of  its  personnel.  All  the  workers  contribute  according  to  their 
talents  ;  the  field  worker  collects  data  in  the  field,  the  research  worker  burrows 
in  libraries,  the  art  and  literary  critics  cover  material  relevant  to  their  own 
specialties,  architects  describe  notable  historical  buildings  and  monuments  ;  and 
the  final  editing  of  copy  as  it  flows  in  from  all  corners  of  a  state  is  done  by  the 
more  experienced  authors  in  the  central  offices.  The  ultimate  product,  whatever 
its  faults  or  merits,  represents  a  blend  of  the  work  of  the  entire  personnel,  aided 
by  consultants,  members  of  university  faculties,  specialists,  officers  of  learned 
societies,  oldest  residents,  who  have  volunteered  their  services  everywhere  most 
generously. 

A  great  many  books  and  brochures  are  being  written  for  this  series.  As  they 
appear  in  increasing  numbers  we  hope  the  American  public  will  come  to  ap- 
preciate more  fully  not  only  the  unusual  scope  of  this  undertaking,  but  also  the 
devotion  shown  by  the  workers,  from  the  humblest  field  worker  to  the  most  ac- 
complished editors  engaged  in  the  final  rewrite.  The  Federal  Writers'  Project, 
directed  by  Henry  G.  Alsberg,  is  in  the  Division  of  Women's  and  Professional 
Projects  under  Ellen  S.  Woodward,  Assistant  Administrator. 


Administrator 
Works  Progress  Administration 


FOREWORD 


A  spirit  of  achievement  abounds  in  Philadelphia,  mark- 
ing the  renaissance  of  Philadelphia's  renown  as  a  center 
of  business,  culture  and  enterprise. 

Philadelphia  is  a  rich  city.  Not  only  is  it  wealthy  in 
memories  of  those  stirring  times  when  a  great  political 
philosophy  was  born  in  Independence  Hall,  but  it  is 
laden  with  things  which  are  richly  American,  such  as  the 
warm  sincerity  and  hospitality  of  its  people. 

I  like  to  think  of  Philadelphia  as  a  typical  Pennsyl- 
vania city,  shipping  the  stores  of  anthracite  coal  to  every 
part  of  the  world,  marketing  the  products  of  the  rich 
Pennsylvania  farmlands,  planning  its  future  greatness 
with  the  other  communities  throughout  the  Common- 
wealth. 

A  book  can  tell  only  a  part  of  Philadelphia's  story. 
The  whole  story  can  be  known  by  seeing  and  enjoying 
these  things  which  Philadelphia  holds  for  visitors  and 
Philadelphians  alike. 


Mayor  of  Philadelphia 


PREFACE 

THE  Philadelphia  Guide,  one  of  the  American  Guide  series  of  regional,  state, 
city,  county  and  sectional  Guides  being  compiled  by  the  Federal  Writers' 
Projects,  Works  Progress  Administration,  marks  the  completion  of  the  first  major 
publication  by  the  Pennsylvania  staff.  Representing  almost  two  years'  work  by 
the  Philadelphia  Project  and  the  State  staff,  it  presents  the  traditions  and  history 
of  the  old  city  and  the  swiftly  changing  contemporary  scene.  It  should  prove  in- 
teresting and  instructive  to  Philadelphians,  recalling  as  it  does  the  quaintness 
and  peace  of  the  Quaker  town,  which  served  as  the  nucleus  for  the  modern  in- 
dustrial city.  It  is  believed  visitors  will  find  it  valuable. 

The  first  material  was  assembled  in  November  1935,  when  the  Federal  Writers' 
Project  was  started  in  Pennsylvania.  During  the  following  months  a  staff  of 
editors,  reporters,  copy  desk  men,  artists,  map  makers,  research  workers,  and 
typists  compiled,  assembled,  and  edited  the  material.  Historic  lore  uncovered  by 
reporters  was  checked  for  authenticity  by  recognized  authorities.  Among  the  con- 
sultants were  religious  leaders,  industrialists,  educators,  geologists,  musicians, 
actors,  painters,  architects,  scientists,  librarians,  physicians,  labor  leaders,  social 
service  workers,  and  bankers,  who  have  given  freely  of  their  knowledge  to  ensure 
the  accuracy  of  the  Philadelphia  Guide.  During  this  period,  of  course,  work  on 
numerous  other  books  and  pamphlets  was  being  carried  forward. 

The  project,  part  of  the  WPA  program,  was  planned  to  provide  work  for  un- 
employed newspapermen  and  magazine  writers  in  a  sphere  where  their  talents 
and  abilities  could  find  expression  in  channels  of  value  to  the  Nation. 

The  first  phase  has  been  passed.  It  remains  for  those  who  read  the  Guide  to 
decide  whether  the  second  objective  has  been  attained. 

The  gradual  change  in  personnel  and  duties  which  has  necessarily  occurred  dur- 
ing the  long  months  the  Guide  was  in  the  course  of  preparation  makes  it  im- 
possible to  give  the  entire  staff,  individually,  the  credit  which  each  worker  so 
richly  deserves.  Since  the  inception  of  the  task,  more  than  two  hundred  and 
forty  men  and  women  have  at  various  times  been  engaged  in  some  phase  of  the 
work  of  compiling,  writing,  checking,  editing,  and1  illustrating  this  modern 
Baedeker  of  the  Quaker  City,  meanwhile  carrying  on  their  work  on  other  pub- 
lications of  the  American  Guide  Series.  Death  has  taken  the  pen  from  the  hands 
of  some  ;  opportunity  in  private  industry  has  called  others.  But  throughout  this 
kaleidoscopic  change  in  the  staff  there  has  persisted  a  fine  esprit  d°corps  of  which 
the  Philadelphia  Guide  is  the  first  tangible  memorial. 

We  offer  the  Guide  with  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  and  confidence  ;  satisfaction, 
that  we  have  contributed  something  worthy  to  the  city  ;  and  confidence,  that  it 
will  prove  of  real  value  to  those  who  use  it. 

Paul  Comly  French 
Pennsylvania  State  Director 
Federal  Writers'  Project 

Philadelphia 

December  1,  1937 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Page 

THE  AMERICAN  GUIDE  SERIES   vii 

by  Harry  L.  Hopkins,  Administrator 
Works  Progress  Administration 

FOREWORD ix 

by  S.  Davis  Wilson 

Mayor  of  Philadelphia 

PREFACE   •  • xi 

by  Paul  Comly  French,  State  Director 
Federal  Writers'  Project 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS      xv 

GENERAL   INFORMATION    xxi 

Information  Facilities  Climate 

Travel  Sports 

Accommodations  Theatres 

Shopping  Night  Clubs 

CALENDAR  OF  ANNUAL  EVENTS  xxviii 

POINTS  OF  SPECIAL  INTEREST   xxx 

THE  CITY  AND  ITS  BACKGROUND 

PORTRAIT  OF  PHILADELPHIA  3 

NATURE'S   HANDIWORK    11 

THE  FIRST  INHABITANTS   16 

THE  SAGA  OF  A  CITY 

Prologue    20 

Penn  and  the  Holy  Experiment    23 

Early  Settlement   31 

The   Revolutionary   Period    45 

A  Century  of  Growth   60 

The  Modern  Metropolis   77 

OLD  WAYS  AND  OLD  TALES  88 

THE  IMPRINT  OF  NATIONS  98 

GOVERNMENTAL  MACHINERY  109 

PHILADELPHIA'S  ECONOMIC  CHARACTER 

Hub  of  Commerce  and  Industry 112 

Cradle  of  American  Finance   125 

Public  Utilities   137 

Transportation   142 

Labor  and  Labor  Problems   147 

THE  CITY'S  CULTURAL  ASPECTS 

Religions 159 

Education    173 

Literature    •  • 184 

Growth  of  the  Press   202 

Stage  and  Screen    213 

Music    234 

Painting  and  Sculpture  243 

Colonial  Mansion  to   Skyscraper 

Architecture,  The  City  of  Yesterday  and  Today   256 

Old  Plans  and  New,  The  City  of  Tomorrow  279 

Science 284 

Medicine    293 

Social   Service    304 

xiii 


POINTS  OF  SPECIAL  INTEREST 

INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 319 

CARPENTERS'  HALL 339 

BETSY  ROSS  HOUSE  AND  THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  FLAG  342 

THE  POWEL  HOUSE 345 

THE  ACADEMY  OF  MUSIC   348 

LOGAN  SQUARE  LIBRARY   350 

FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE  AND  THE  FELS  PLANETARIUM  353 

PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  OF  ART   360 

GIRARD    COLLEGE    370 

UNITED  STATES  MINT   375 

ROADS  AND  RAMBLES  IN  AND  AROUND  THE  CITY 

(Maps  with  all  tours) 

HEART  OF  THE  CITY   379 

WHERE  THE  FATHERS  WALKED 

1.  North  of  old  "High  Street"    (City  Tour  1) 385 

2.  From  City  Hall  to  "Society  Hall"   (City  Tour  2)    399 

TO  THE  SCHUYLKILL'S  BANK   (City  Tour  3)    431 

"LONGEST  STRAIGHT  STREET" 

1.  South  Broad  Street— Through  the  Melting  Pot    (City  Tour  4)    . .  441 

2.  North  Broad  Street — Where  Houses  Stand  in  Regiments 

(City  Tour  5)    450 

HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN   (City  Tour  6)    475 

WEST  PHILADELPHIA 

1.  City  of  Apartments   (City  Tour  7)    493 

2.  Toward  the  Suburbs   (City  Tour  8)    505 

THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA   (City  Tour  9)    513 

ALONG  THE  WATER  FRONT  (City  Tour  10) 533 

FAIRMOUNT  PARK 

1.  East  Park   (City  Tour  11)    547 

2.  West  Park   (City  Tour  12)    561 

THE  TREE-LINED  PARKWAY   (City  Tour  13)    575 

AROUND  PENN'S  CAMPUS    (City  Tour  14)    587 

SIX  WOODLAND  HIKES 

Hills  and  Dales  of  the  Wissahickon 

1.  The  Lower  Valley   (City  Tour  15)    601 

2.  Along  Sparkling  Cresheim  Creek   (City  Tour  16) 607 

3.  Around  Valley  Green    (City  Tour  17)    615 

Woodland  Shadows  of  the  Pennypack 

1.  By  the  "OP  Swimming  Hole"   (City  Tour  18)    620 

2.  Rendezvous  for  Izaak  Waltons    (City  Tour  19)    621 

By  Placid  Cobbs  Creek   (City  Tour  20)    , 625 

JAUNTS  TO  THE  ENVIRONS 

To  Brandywine  Battlefield   (Environs  Tour  1)    629 

To   Bryn  Athyn  Cathedral    (Environs   Tour  2)    651 

To  New  Hope  and  Washington  Crossing   (Environs  Tour  3)    657 

Valley  Forge    (Environs   Tour  4)     673 

CHRONOLOGY    686 

BIBLIOGRAPHY    690 

INDEX    692 

xiv 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Among  the  consultants,  who  gave  generously  of  their  time  and  knowledge  are 
men  and  women  prominent  in  many  fields  of  activity  in  the  City.  While  it  would 
be  impossible  to  give  credit  individually  to  all  of  those  who  assisted  us,  yet  we 
are  anxious  for  them  to  know  that  their  advice  and  suggestions  aided  materially 
in  the  preparation  of  the  Guide. 

There  are  some,  however,  to  whom  we  are  especially  grateful.  Included  among 
these  are  Henry  B.  Allen,  Director,  Franklin  Institute ;  Dr.  Jacob  Billikopf,  Chair- 
man of  the  former  Philadelphia  Regional  Labor  Relations  Board;  Reverend 
Frederick  W.  Blatz,  St.  Peters  Church;  L.  Wharton  Bickley,  Building  Superin- 
tendent, Federal  Reserve  Bank;  Dr.  Samuel  Bradbury,  Medical  Director,  Penn- 
sylvania Hospital;  Lieut.  Com.  William  W.  Behrens,  U.  S.  N.;  Julian  P.  Boyd, 
Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania;  Carl  Boyer,  Director,  Wagner  Free  Institute 
of  Science;  Charles  M.  B.  Cadwalader,  President,  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences; 
Paul  P.  Cret,  Architect;  Horace  T.  Carpenter,  Curator,  Independence  Hall;  Frank 
A.  Cook,  Building  Manager,  Philadelphia  Saving  Fund  Society;  Mabel  Corry, 
Secretary,  New  Century  Club;  Charles  N.  Christman,  Director,  Philadelphia  Com- 
mercial Museum;  Karl  de  Schweinitz,  Secretary,  Pennsylvania  Department  of  Pub- 
lic Assistance;  John  C.  Donecker,  Secretary,  Girard  College;  E.  H.  Dressel, 
Superintendent,  U.  S.  Mint;  Ross  B.  Davis,  Chief  Engineer,  Bureau  of  Fire. 

George  H.  Fairchild,  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania;  Samuel  Fleisher, 
Graphic  Sketch  Club;  Harry  H.  Givens,  Periodical  Department,  Historical  Society 
of  Pennsylvania;  Samuel  G.  Gordon,  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences;  Dorothy  Grafly, 
Art  Critic;  Richard  Gimbel  of  the  Poe  House;  Carl  F.  Haussman,  Rector,  Zion 
German  Lutheran  Church;  WillB  Hadley,  City  Treasurer;  Norman  F.  Hall, 
Chamber  of  Commerce;  William  Heim,  Metropolitan  Opera  House;  J.  St.  George 
Joyce,  Director  of  Public  Relations,  Temple  University;  Fiske  Kimball,  Director, 
Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art;  Howard  A.  Keiser,  Superintendent,  Academy  of 
Music;  Dorothy  Kohl,  Executive  Director,  Philadelphia  Art  Alliance;  Elizabeth 
Kunkel,  Secretary  to  the  Director  of  Cedar  Grove  Mansion,  Letitia  Street  House, 
Memorial  Hall  and  Rodin  Museum;  George  I.  Lovatt,  Architect;  Reverend 
Clarence  Long  of  Old  Pine  Street  Church;  Percy  E.  Lawler,  Manager,  Rosenljach 
galleries;  Albert  Mordell,  Author;  J.  Hampton  Moore,  former  Mayor  of  Phil** 
delphia;  Henry  T.  Murdock,  Dramatic  Editor,  Evening  Public  Ledger;  Henri 
Marceau,  Assistant  Director,  Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art;  Edith  P.  MacKendrick, 
Assist.  Treas.,  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends;  Reverend  W.  R.  McKean,  Minister  in 
charge  of  Christ  Church;  Dr.  Louis  Nusbaum,  Board  of  Education. 

Reverend  Dr.  E.  A.  E.  Palmquist,  Executive  Secretary,  Philadelphia  Federation 
of  Churches;  Dr.  Francis  W.  Pennell,  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences;  Franklin  H. 
Price,  Librarian,  Logan  Square  Library;  Richard  Peters,  Jr.,  Secretary,  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania;  David  Philips,  Public  Relations  Manager,  P.  R.  T.; 
William  J.  Patterson,  Librarian,  Masonic  Temple  Library;  Ormond  Rambo,  Jr., 
American  Swedish  Historical  Museum;  Reverend  John  Craig  Roak,  of  Gloria  Dei 
Church;  Dr.  C.  Dudley  Saul,  Physician;  Judge  Frank  Smith;  Dr.  Frank  G.  Speck, 
Professor  of  Anthropology,  University  of  Pennsylvania;  Dr.  Witmer  Stone  Acad- 
emy of  Natural  Sciences;  R.  C.  Sutton,  Chief  Administrative  Assistant,  Fort  Mifflin; 
Herbert  J.  Tily,  President,  Strawbridge  and  Clothier;  Dr.  Francis  H.  Tees,  Minister 
of  St.  George's  Church;  William  Henry  Welsh,  Dir.  of  School  Extension,  Board 
of  Education;  Frances  A.  Wister,  President,  Philadelphia  Society  for  Preservation 
of  Landmarks;  Louis  W.  Wilgarde,  Secretary  to  Mayor  Wilson;  Harold  A.  West, 
Librarian,  Mercantile  Library;  Thomas  Washington,  Rear  Admiral,  U.  S.  N.;  and 
John  E.  Zimmermann,  President,  U.  G.  I. 

The  editors  of  the  Philadelphia  Guide  are  indebted  to  Mr.  William  M.  Camp- 
bell, delineator  ;  the  Philadelphia  Chapter,  A.I.A.  copyright  holders  ;  and  the 
J.  L.  Smith  Co.,  publishers  ;  for  permission  to  reproduce  as  an  end  piece  the 
map  Philadelphia  from  the  map  made  by  Johrt  Reed  in  1774. 

XV 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MAPS 


Penn  in  Armor 

Liberty   Bell 

Delaware  River  Bridge  Drawing  by 

Christ  Church  Tower  Drawing  by 

Scene  in  Fairmount  Park 

Perm's  Ship  "Welcome"  Drawing  by 

Workmans  Place 

Friend's  Meeting  House 

Portrait  of  Benjamin  Franklin 

by  Joseph  Wright 
State  House 
1776  and  1876 

Declaration  Table  in  Independence  Hall 

Betsy  Ross  House  Today 

Before  Its  Restoration 

Shippen-Wistar  House 

James  Wilson's  Grave  at  Christ  Church 

Musical  Fund  Hall  Drawing  by 

Monument  to  Negro  Soldiers 

Smith  Memorial 

Dewey's  "Olympia,"  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard 

Tacony-Palmyra  Bridge  Drawing  by 

Slum  Scene 

New  Year  "Shooter"  Drawing  by 

Fire  Plaques 

Old  Market 

Curb  Market  at  Ninth  Street  and 

Washington  Avenue 
City  Hall  Tower 
Hosiery  Worker 
Breaking  up  the  Final 


Courtesy  of  the  Historical  Frpntis- 


Society   of  Pennsylvania 
Ritter 
Schmidt 
Palmer 
Ritter 
Schmidt 
Ritter 
Ritter 

Courtesy  of  the 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts 
From  old  prints 
Courtesy  of  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania 
Ritter 
Ritter 
Carter 
Ritter 
Ritter 
Schmidt 
Ritter 
Ritter 
Ritter 
Schmidt 
Ritter 
Palmer 
Kalmar 
Ritter 


piece 


Old  Ships  and  New 

Statue  of  Robert  Morris  at  the 

Old  Custom  House 
Girard   Bank 
Old  Schuylkill  Navigation  Canal  Lock 

in  Fairmount  Park 
Melted    Steel 

St.  Paul's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 

Stenton  House 

Gateway  of  Old  Christ  Church 

Board  of  Education  Administration  Building 

Penn  Charter  School 

The  Poe  House 

Poe  House  Interior 

Thomas  Paine  Drawing  by 

Front  Page  News  in  The  Pennsylvania 

Evening  Post 

Transmitting   Station   of  WCAU 
Walnut  Street  Theatre 

First  Chestnut  Street  Theatre  Drawing  by 

Hedgerow  Theatre 

Memorial  Arch  at  Valley  Forge       Drawing  by 
Academy  of  Music 


Egan 
Ritter 
Drawing  by  Palmer 

Courtesy  of  John'  P.  Mudd 
The  Midvale  Company 
Egan 


Ritter 
Ritter 

Ritter 

Courtesy   of  John  P.  Mudd 

The   Midvale    Company 

Ritter 

Barnum 

Ritter 

Egan 

Egan 

Kalmar 

Kalmar 

Schmidt 

Reproduction  copy 

Courtesy  of  WCAU 

Egan 

Schmidt 

Ritter 

Palmer 

Ritter 


XVI 


Rodin's  "The  Kiss" 
Tosaic,  "The  Dream  Garden"  after 
Maxfield  Parrish 
our  Towers 

City  Hall  and  Independence  Hall 
Old  Stock  Exchange  and  Philadelphia 

Saving  Fund  Society 
The  Chew  Mansion 
Doorway  of  Mt.  Pleasant 

me  of  Robert  Morris 
iming  Pool  at  the  Carl  Mackley  House 


J  Mackley  House 
founder's  Hall,  Girard  College 
Federal  Reserve  Bank  Building 
Natural  Habitat  Exhibits 

Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 
Fitch's  Steamboat  "Perseverance' 
Laboratory 

An  Operation  at  Hahnemann 


Ritter 

Courtesy  of  Curtis 

Publishing  Company 

Ritter 

Ritter 
Highton 

Courtesy  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Museum  of  Art 
Egan 

Courtesy  of  Museum   of 
Modern  Art,  New   York 
Ritter 
Egan 
Ritter 


Ritter 
Drawing  by    Palmer 

Courtsey  of 

Sharp   &   Dohme 

Courtesy   of  Hahnemann 

Medical   College 

Kalmar 

Egan 


Preston  Retreat 

City  Skyline  from  the  Art  Museum 

Points  of  Special  Interest 

Old  Gate  at  Independence  Square  Drawing  by  Schmidt 

Statue  of  Barry  and  Independence  Hall  Hightort 

Congress  Hall  Ritter 

Old   City  Hall  Ritter 

American  Philosophical  Society  Ritter 

Interior  of  Independence  Hall  Ritter 

Benjamin  Franklin's  Chair  Ritter 

Carpenters'  Hall  ^Ritter 

The  Powel  House  Ritter 

Franklin  Institute  by  Night  Egan 
League  Island  Navy  Yard  Crane      Drawing  by  Palmer 

Zeiss  Projector  in  the  Fels  Planetarium  Ritter 

East  Wing  of  Art  Museum  Egan 

Art  Museum  and  the  Old  Water  Works  Kalmar 

Founder's  Hall  at  Girard  College  Egan 
Stephen  Girard  Sarcophagus  at  Girard 

College  Egan 


United  States  Mint 
City  Hall  and  Skyline 


Drawing  by  Palmer 
Ritter 

City  Tours 

St.  George's  Methodist  Church  Kalmar 

Elfreth's  Alley  Ritter 

Benjamin  Franklin's  Grave  Ritter 

Christ  Church  Doorway  Ritter 
Drinker  House                                        Drawing  by   Schmidt 

St.  Peter's  Church  Ritter 

St.  Joseph's  Roman   Catholic  Church  Ritter 

Philadelphia  Contributionship  Ritter 

Mikveh  Israel  Cemetery                     Drawing  by     Schmidt 
William  Penn  Statue,  Pennsylvania 

Hospital  Highton 

Camac  Street  Ritter 

Clinton  Street  Ritter 

Sailing   Boat                                          Drawing  by   Giordano 

Doorway  of  S't.  Mark's  Church  Ritter 
Armory  of  First  Troop,  Philadelphia 

City   Cavalry  Barnum 


252 
255 
260 

261 
269 

269 

273 

275 
275 
276 
276 

291 

292 

296 

302 
309 
316 


318 
322 
330 
330 
332 
335 
338 
340 
347 
354 
354 
361 
364 
369 
372 

372 
374 
378 


389 
391 
391 
397 
405 
409 
409 
413 
417 

419 
423 
423 
429 
434 

434 


xvn 


Rittenhouse  Square  Ritter  437 

Ridgway  Library  Ritter  446 

American  Swedish  Historical  Museum  Ritter  449 

Academy  of  Fine  Arts  Ritter  454 

Observatory  at  Central  High  School  Kalmar  460 

Rodeph  Shalom  Synagogue  Egan  460 

Dome  of  Lu  Lu  Temple  Egan  462 

Mitten  Hall,  Temple  University  Egan  465 

Rear  of  Temple  University  Dormitories  Barrtum  465 

Main  Altar,  Church  of  the  Holy  Child  Courtesy  of  William  Rittase       472 

Germantown  Academy  Highton  482 

The  Wyck  House  Barnum 

Germantown  Mennonite  Church  Barnum 

The  Billmeyer  House  Barnum 

Convention  Hall  Kalmar 

Detail  of  Bartram  House  Ritter  496 

Bartram  House  Ritter 

Interior  of  Bartram  House  Highton  499 

U.  S.  Naval  Home  Kalmar  502 

Thirtieth  Street  Station,  P.R.R.       Drawing  by  Palmer  507 

Wynnestay  Kalmar  509 

Seminary  of  St.  Charles  Borromeo  Ritter  511 

St.  Joseph's  College  Ritter  511 

Stetson  Hat  Company  Courtesy  of  John  B. 

Stetson  Co.  516 

Curtis  Publishing  Company  Courtesy   of   Curtis   Pub.   Co.     516 

Plant  of  J.  G.  Brill  Co.  Kalmar  522 

Delaware  River  Bridge  Egan  536 
Sail   Ship                                                  Drawing   by  Palmer 

Delaware  Avenue  at  Noon  Ritter  539 

Old  Swedes'  Church  Ritter  541 

Old  Swedes'  Church  Graveyard  Ritter  541 

Old  Sailing  Vessels  Egan  544 

Indian  Medicine  Man  Ritter  550 

Exterior  of  Mt.  Pleasant  Ritter  553 

Interior  of  Mt.  Pleasant  Courtesy  of  the  Pennsylvania 

Museum  of  Art  553 

Schuylkill  River  from  West  River  Drive  Ritter  556 

Boathouse  Row  Ritter  558 

Old   Solitude  Himes  563 

Interior  of  Letitia  Street  House  Highton  565 

Sweet  Briar  Highton  567 

Letitia  Street  House  Ritter  569 

Interior  of  Cedar  Grove  Mansion  Courtesy   of  Pennsylvania 

Museum  of  Art  569 

Horticultural  Hall  Kalmar  573 

Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  Himes  577 

Entrance  Gate  of  Rodin  Museum  Highton  577 

Facade  of  Rodin  Museum  Egan  582 

Train  Drawing  by  Palmer  585 

Irvine  Auditorium  Ritter  591 

Entrance  to  U.  of  P.  Quadrangle  Ritter  591 

Franklin   Field  Drawing  by  Palmer  593 

Dormitories  at  Pennsylvania  Ritter  595 

Statue  of  Benjamin  Franklin  Ritter  598 

Rittenhouse   Mill  Carter  606 

Devil's   Pool  Barnum  611 

Indian  S'tatue  Barnum  613 

Old  Covered  Bridge  Barnum  616 

Livezey  House  Carter  616 

Concrete  Bridge  over  Pennypack  Creek  Egan  620 

Pennypack  Baptist  Church  Egan  623 

Cobbs  Creek  Park  Trail  Ritter  626 


XVI 11 


Environs  Tours 


Swarthmore   College 

Glen  Riddle  Homes 

Concord  Meetinghouse 

Octagonal  Schoolhouse 

Sproul   Observatory 

Fort  Mifflin 

Fort  Mifflin — Basking  in  an  Olden  Glory 

The  Swedenborgian  Cathedral 

Swedenborgian  Cathedral,  A  Vaulted  Portico 

Robbins  House 

Old  Forge  Inn 

Friends  Meetinghouse  at  Horsham 

Keith  House  at  Graeme  Park 

Canal  at  New  Hope 

Gulph  Mills 

Sign  at  King  of  Prussia  Inn 

Valley  Forge  Chapel  Interior 

Washington  Memorial  National  Carillon 

Cabin  at  Valley  Forge 

MAPS 

HEART  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

WHERE  THE  CITY  FATHERS  WALKED 

1.  North  of  old  "High  Street" 

2.  From  City  Hall  to  Society  Hill 
TO  THE  SCHUYLKILL'S  BANK 
"LONGEST  STRAIGHT  STREET" 

1.  South  Broad  Street  and  Through 

the  Melting  Pot 

2.  North  Broad  Street  Where  Houses 

Stand  in  Regiments 
ROOSEVELT  BOULEVARD 
HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN 
WEST  PHILADELPHIA 

1.  City  of  Apartments 

2.  Towards  the  Suburbs 

THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA 
ALONG  THE  WATER  FRONT 
FAIRMOUNT   PARK 

1.  East  Park 

2.  West  Park 

THE  TREE-LINED  PARKWAY 
AROUND  PENN'S  CAMPUS 
SIX  WOODLAND  HIKES 

Hills  and  Dales  of  the  Wissahickon 

1.  The  Lower  Valley 

2.  Along  Sparkling  Cresheim  Creek 

3.  Around  Valley  Green 
Woodland  Shadows  of  the  Pennypack 

1.  By  the  "OF  Swimming  Hole" 

2.  Rendezvous  for  Izaak  Waltons 
By  Placid  Cobbs  Creek 

FOUR  TOURS  TO  THE  CITY'S  ENVIRONS 

Along  the  Brandywine 

Swarthmore   College   Campus 

To  Bryn  Athyn's  Cathedral 

New  Hope,  Artists'  Colonial 

Rendezvous 

Valley  Forge 

TRANSPORTATION  IN  THE  CITY 
FAIRMOUNT  PARK  PICTORIAL   (Reverse) 
HIGHWAY  BY-PASSES  AROUND  PHILADEI 


Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Egan 

Egan 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Ritter 

Himes 

Hitnes 

Ritter 


Introductory  Tour 

City  Tour  1 
City  Tour  2 
City  Tour  3 

City  Tour  4 
City  Tour  5 

City  Tour  5A 
City  Tour  6 

City  Tour  7 
City  Tour  8 
City  Tour  9 
City  Tour  10 

City  Tour  11 
City  Tour  12 
City  Tour  13 
City  Tour  14 


City  Tour  15 
City  Tour  16 
City  Tour  17 

City  Tour  18 
City  Tour  19 
City  Tour  20 

Environs  Tour  1 
Environs  Tour  1A 
Environs  Tour  2 
Environs  Tour  3 

Environs  Tour  4 


,PHIA 


633 
635 
635 
642 
642 
647 
647 
652 
655 
659 
659 
662 
662 
668 
675 
675 
677 
680 
682 


xx 

384 
398 
430 

442 
451 

470 
476 

492 
506 
514 
534 

548 
560 

574 
586 


600 
608 
614 

618 
622 
624 

628 
630 
650 
656 

672 
Pocket 

Pocket 


XIX 


HEART  OF 
LJHIE  CITY 

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TENTH 


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NINTH 


EIGHTH 


1.  City  Hall 

la.  City  Hall  Annex 
Ib.  Market   Street  Nat'l 
Bank  Bldg. 

2.  Wanamaker   Store 
Lincoln-Liberty  Bldg. 

4.  Girard  Trust  Co.  Bid 

5.  Mitten   Bank 

6.  Broad  Street  Station 

7.  Reyburn  Plaza 

8.  Masonic    Temple 

9.  Bulletin  Building 


Legend  numbers  refer 
points  of  interest  describ! 
in  chapter,  Heart  of  ti 
City,  page  379. 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 

The  Philadelphia  which  greeted  travelers 
in  former  days  is  revealed  in  the  excerpts 
from  old  Baedeker  Guides. 

Information  Facilities  in  Philadelphia 

Information  Service.  General  information  concerning  Philadelphia  may  be 
obtained  at  railroad  and  bus  stations  ;  street  railway,  air  line,  and  steamship 
offices ;  department  stores  ;  newspaper  offices  ;  and  various  civic  agencies.  (See 
Transportation  section.) 

Travelers'  Aid  Society,  307  S.  Juniper  St.,  maintains  information  desks  at 
principal  railroad  stations. 

Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company  (P.  R.  T.),  224  S.  Broad  St.,  supplies 
information  concerning  trolleys,  busses,  subways,  and  elevated  railways. 

American  Airlines,  Inc.,  Eastern  Airlines,  Inc.,  and  United  Air  Lines,  ticket 
office,  1339  Walnut  St.;  Pan-American  Airway  System,  1620  Walnut  St.;  Trans- 
continental &  Western  Air  Lines,  Inc.,  1417  Chestnut  St. 

The  two  major  automobile  clubs — the  A.  A.  A.,  at  23  S.  23d  St.,  and  the 
Keystone,  at  Broad  and  Vine  Sts. — furnish  road  maps  and  special  service  to  mem- 
ber and  keep  on  file  folders  descriptive  of  places  of  special  interest  to  visitors. 
They  outline  motor  routes,  indicating  detours  and  roads  under  construction. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce,  12th  and  Walnut  Sts.,  and  the  Board  of  Trade, 
Bourse  Bldg.,  5th  St.  near  Chestnut,  supply  data  concerning  commercial  Phila- 
delphia. 

The  leading  daily  newspapers  are:  Record  (morning)  ;  Inquirer  (morning)  ; 
Evening  Bulletin;  Evening  Public  Ledger;  Daily  News  (evening).  All  except  the 
Bulletin1  and  Daily  News  conduct  resort  and  travel  bureaus. 

Publications.  The  following  will  be  found  useful:  BoycTs  Official  Philadelphia 
Street  and  Trolley  Guide  and  the  Bulletin  Almartac  and  Year  Book,  both  avail- 
able at  newsstands  and  stationery  stores;  Glimpses  of  Philadelphia,  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  12th  and  Walnut  Sts.;  Hotel  Greeters  Guide  of  Philadelphia  and 
This  Week  in  Philadelphia,  both  available  at  most  of  the  large  hotels ;  Philadel- 
phia Guide  Book,  Horn  and  Hardart  "Automat"  restaurants;  The  PJ?T.  Traveler, 
P.R.T.  Traveler's  Lecture  List,  and  P.R.T.  Route  Map,  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit 
Co.,  N.W.  corner  Broad  and  Locust  Sts.;  and  Unique  Tours,  Automobile  Club  of 
Philadelphia,  23  S.  23d  St. 


Transportation 


Railroad  Stations.  Pennsylvania  R.R.— Thirtieth  St.  Station,  30th  and  Market 
Sts.;  Broad  St.  Station,  Broad  and  Market  Sts.;  Suburban  Station,  16th  St.  and 
Pennsylvania  Boulevard;  North  Philadelphia  Station,  Broad  St.  and  Glenwood  Ave. 

Baltimore  &  Ohio — 24th  and  Chestnut  Sts. 

Pennsylvania-Reading    Seashore   Lines — Market   St.    Ferry. 

Reading  Company— Terminal,  12th  and  Market  Sts.;  North  Broad  St.  Station, 
Broad  and  Huntingdon  Sts. 

Baedeker's  (1893) ;  .  .  .  Tramways  run  from  all  .  .  .  suburban 
stations  ...  or  ferries  to  the  chief  centres  of  the  city  and  Hotel 
Omnibuses  (25c)  meet  the  principal  trains. 

xxi 


Highways.  Six  US  highways  lead  into  Philadelphia. 

(See  Philadelphia  and  vicinity  map  for  highways  and  by-passes)  Two  bridges 
connect  Philadelphia  wilh  New  Jersey:  Delaware  River  Bridge  from  Camden 
(toll  20  cents)  ;  Tacony-Palmyra  Bridge  (toll  30  cents). 

Bus  Stations.   Greyhound  Lines — terminal,   Broad   Street   Station. 

Reading  Transportation  Co. — terminal,  12th  and  Market  Sts. 

Doylestown  and  Easton  Coach  Co. — terminals,  Broad  Street  Station,  Reading 
Terminal,  12th  and  Filbert  Sts.,  and  Broad  St.  and  Erie  Ave. 

Island  Beach  Stages— terminal,  1233  Filbert  St. 

Martz  Trailways — terminal,  13th  and  Filbert  Sts. 

Public  Service  Interstate  Transportation  Co. — terminal,  13th  and  Filbert  Sts. 

Trenton-Philadelphia  Coach  Co. — terminals,  13th  and  Filbert  Sts.,  Broad  Sit. 
and  Erie  Ave.,  5th  St.  and  Roosevelt  Blvd. 

Short  Line — terminal,  1311  Arch  St. 

Safeways  Trails  System — terminal,  13th  and  Filbert  Sts. 

Red  Star— terminal,  13th  and  Filbert  Sts. 

Pan-American  Bus  Lines — terminal,  1233  Filbert  St. 

In  addition  there  are  fleets  of  busses,  with  terminals  on  Filbert  St.  between 
12th  and  13th  Sts.,  that  cover  metropolitan  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  ad- 
jacent S'tates.  Broad  Street  (east  side),  is  the  converging  place  for  most  busses 
from  New  Jersey  points. 

Suburban  electric  railway  lines  with  their  terminus  at  69th  St.  provide  access 
to  the  city  via  69th  St.  Terminal. 

The  High-Speed  Line  (fare  10  cents),  between  Philadelphia  and  Camden,  across 
the  Delaware  River  Bridge,  connects  with  subway  lines  at  8th  and  Market  Sts., 
Philadelphia,  and  with  seashore  trains  in  Camden. 

Airports.  Central  Airport,  Crescent  Blvd.,  Camden,  5  mi.  S.  E.  of  city  for 
American  Airlines,  Inc.,  Eastern  Airlines,  Inc.,  Pan-American  Airways  System, 
and  United  Airlines.  Ticket  office,  1339  Walnut  St.  ;  Transcontinental  and  Western 
Airlines,  Inc.,  1417  Chestnut  St.  (regular  limousine  service  from  1417  Chestnut  St. 
and  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel,  75  cents;  taxi  fare  from  City  Hall,  $1.50;  bus 
fare,  20  cents). 

Planes  entering  Central  Airport  are  served  from  the  Eastern  Airlines,  T.W.A., 
American  Airlines,  and  United  States  Airmail  Service. 

Ferries  across  Delaware  River.  Pennsylvania  ferries  dock  at  the  Market  St. 
wharf  (fare  5  cents,  10  tokens  for  30  cents;  automobiles,  20  cents,  strip  of  10 
tickets,  $1.50).  Reading  ferries  dock  at  the  Chestnut  St.  wharf  and  South  St. 
wharf  (fare  4  cents,  10  tickets  for  25  cents  ;  automobiles,  25  cents). 

Passen'ger  Steamship  Piers.  Wilson  Line,  Delaware  Ave.  and  Chestnut  St.;  to 
Pennsgrove,  N.  J.,  Chester,  Pa.,  and  Wilmington,  Del.  This  line  also  offers  moon- 
light excursions  on  the  river. 

Ericsson  Line,  Inc.,  Delaware  Ave.  and  South  St.;  to  Baltimore,  by  way  of  the 
Delaware  &  Chesapeake  Canal. 

Local  Street  cars  and  busses.  The  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company  (trolley 
and  subway  fare,  8  cents;  2  tokens,  15  cents;  bus  fare,  10  cents)  operates  trolleys, 
subway  lines,  and  busses  to  virtually  every  part  of  the  city. 

Baedeker's  (1893)  :  .  .  .  Electric,  Cable  or  Horse  cars  traverse 
all  the  principal  Sts.,  (fare  5c,  transfer  tickets  8c)  .  .  .  Omni- 
buses ply  up  artd  down  Broad  St.  and  in  Diamond  Street.  .  .  . 

Passengers  may  obtain  free  transfer  tickets,  when  fare  is  paid  by  cash  or 
token,  enabling  them  to  connect  with  other  trolleys  or  subway  lines.  These  are 
accepted  on  most  of  the  routes.  To  connect  with  certain  other  routes  an  "ex- 
change ticket"  is  sold  for  three  cents,  at  the  time  fare  is  paid.  Conductors  will 

xxii 


explain  when  a  free  transfer  will  do   and  when  an   exchange  is  necessary,  if  in- 
formed  of  the   destination  desired. 

Taxis.  Adequate  service  to  all  parts  of  city  and  suburbs  (rates  20  cents  for 
first  l/4  mile,  5  cents  each  additional  Vi  mile). 

Baedeker's   (1893)  :   .    .    .  Hansoms   (1-2  persons)   ll/2   M.,  25c  .    .    . 

Four  wheelers,   1-2  pefrs.  50c.,   75c    .    .    .    One   trunk   or  valise   free, 

each  extra  article  of  luggage  6c  .    .    . 

Sight-seeing  Busses.  Tours  of  the  historical,  business,  and  residential  sections, 
Fairmount  Park,  and  Valley  Forge  are  offered  daily  by  two  companies:  the  Royal 
Blue  Line  Company  of  Philadelphia,  Benjamin  Franklin  Hotel,  Ninth  and 
Chestnut  Sis.;  the  Gray  Line,  Keith's  Theatre  Bldg.,  1116  Chestnut  St.  (rates, 
city  tour,  3  hours  $2.00;  ll/2  hours,  $1.00;  Valley  Forge  tour,  $3.00). 

Chartered  bus  transportation  is  obtainable  through  the  Mertz  White  Way  Lines, 
Inc.,  3210  Spring  Garden  St.;  the  P.R.T.  Co.,  Broad  and  Locust  S'ts.;  and  the 
two  sight-seeing  bus  companies  listed  above. 

Accommodations 

Hotels.  These  run  the  gamut  from  25-cent  "flop-houses"  to  the  palatial  central 
city  hotels.  Room  rates  in  the  better  hotels  range  from  $2  up.  (See  Central 
City  map.) 

Baedeker's  (1893)  :  .  .  .  Aldine,  1910  Chestnut  St.,  a  good  family 
hotel,  $3l/2-5  .  .  .  Greens,  8th  and  Ches.nut  Sts.,  R.  from  $1,  for 
men  .  .  . 

Restaurants.  Every  type,  from  lunch  wagons  and  automats  to  famous  sea  food 
houses  and  pretentious  dining  rooms.  There  are  a  number  of  foreign  restaurants, 
including  Italian,  French,  Jewish,  Russian,  Swedish,  German,  Rumanian,  and 
Chinese. 

Baedeker's  (1893)  .  .  .  Bellevue  Hotel  (somewhat  expensive)  .  .  . 
Reisser,  5th  St.  above  Chestnut,  for  men,  with  a  "Rathskeller"  down- 
stairs .  .  .  Dennett's  Lunch  Room,  529  Chestnut  St.,  13  S.  9th  St., 
an'd  1313  Market  St.  (Low  prices.) 

Liquor  Stores.  As  the  sale  of  liquors  and  wines  in  Pennsylvania  is  a  State 
monopoly,  spirituous  beverages  in  Philadelphia  are  dispensed  through  State 
liquor  stores  operated  by  the  Pennsylvania  Liquor  Control  Board.  Beverages  are 
sold  in  sealed  containers,  which  must  not  be  opened  on  the  premises.  Liquor  is 
sold  by  the  drink  only  in  taprooms  and  restaurants  licensed  for  the  purpose. 
Beer,  ale,  and  porter  cannot  be  obtained  in  liquor  stores,  but  are  offered  for 
sale  in  thousands  of  taprooms  throughout  the  city. 

State  liquor  stores,  conveniently  placed  in  every  section  of  the  city,  are  open 
from  10  to  9  daily,  except  Sundays  and  legal  holidays.  However,  two  central 
stores  are  open  until  11  p.  m. — one  at  1334  Walnut  St.,  the  other  at  734  Market  St. 


Street  Numbering 


The  numbered  streets  run  north  and  south.  A  system  which  allots  one  hundred 
numbers  to  each  block  is  used  for  designating  all  addresses.  In  general,  the 
north  and  south  streets  are  numbered  each  way  from  Market  St. — odd  numbers 
on  the  east  side,  even  numbers  on  the  west. 

In  the  central  section  of  the  city,  the  east-west  streets  are  numbered  westward 
from  Delaware  Ave.,  on  the  eastern  water  front.  Farther  north,  where  the  city 

xxiii 


stretches  eastward,  Front  St.  is  the  dividing  line  from  which  the  numbers  start 
in  either  direction.  On  all  east  and  west  streets,  odd  numbers  are  on  the  north 
side,  and  even  numbers  on  the  south. 

Germantown,  Manayunk,  Kensington,  and  other  outlying  sections  have  their 
own  numbering  arrangements,  dating  back  to  the  time  when  they  were  separate 
towns. 


Shopping  Information 

The  shopping  center  of  Philadelphia  a  half  century  ago  was  at  8th  and  Market 
Sts.  Today  most  of  the  leading  stores  are  on  Chestnut  St.  from  10th  to  19th,  on 
Walnut  St.  from  10th  to  17th,  and  on  Market  St.  from  7th  to  Broad.  Most  of 
the  city's  largest  department  stores  are  in  the  last-named  section. 

On  Market  St.  from  6th  to  16th,  and  on  cross  streets  between  Arch  and  Wal- 
nut, may  be  found  a  great  number  of  smaller  shops  which  deal  mainly  in  lower- 
priced  merchandise. 

The  important  retail  jewelry  establishments  are  on  Chestnut  St.,  east  of  Broad. 
The  wholesale  jewelry  trade  is  centered  on  Sansom  St.  between  7th  and  8th,  and 
the  jewelers'  "curb  market'.'  operates  in  this  vicinity. 

Exclusive  dress  and  fur  shops  are  on  Chestnut  and  Walnut  Sts.  between  10th 
and  17th,  as  well  as  on  cross  streets  between  these  thoroughfares.  Stores  carrying 
select  men's  goods  are  also  on  Chestnut  St.  between  10th  and  19th,  and  on 
Walnut  St.  east  of  Broad. 

Some  of  the  downtown  stores  have  branches  in  sections  outside  the  congested 
areas.  These  sections  include  West  Philadelphia,  Germantown,  Kensington,  and 
Frankford,  and  such  suburbs  as  Upper  Darby  (69th  St.),  Ardmore,  and  Jenkin- 
town. 

The  Dock  St.  Market  is  the  largest  wholesale  produce  center  in  Philadelphia. 
Prominent  among  the  retail  produce  centers  is  the  Reading  Terminal  Market, 
12th  St.  between  Filbert  and  Arch.  On  South  and  Bainbridge  Sts.,  from  2d  to 
10th  Sts.,  schleppers,  or  barkers,  buttonhole  the  passerby  in  front  of  many  stores. 

On  9th  St.,  between  Christian  and  Wharton,  is  the  city's  colorful  Italian  market. 
Here  pushcarts,  filled  with  fish,  meats,  and  vegetables,  line  the  curbs  on  both 
sides  of  the  street.  The  typical  Jewish  market  is  on  4th  St.  between  South  and 
Catharine.  Here,  in  addition  lo  foodstuffs,  a  large  assortment  of  dry  goods  and 
wearing  apparel  of  the  cheaper  grade  is  offered  for  sale.  Along  Marshall  St.  be- 
tween Poplar  St.  and  Girard  Ave.  is  another  Jewish  market. 

The  oldest  market  in  the  city  is  the  Second  St.  or  "Headhouse"  Market,  at  2d 
and  Pine  Sts.  The  first  section  of  the  market  house  was  built  in  1745,  the  "Head- 
house"  in  1800.  Here  is  carried  on  a  flourishing  trade  in  meats  and  general 
produce. 

Climate  and  Clothing 

Summer  temperatures  in  Philadelphia  occasionally  rise  above  100,  but  the 
summer  mean  is  well  below  that  figure.  The  high  humidity,  however,  often 
renders  the  atmosphere  oppressive.  Garments  suggested  for  the  warm  season  are 
those  of  pongee,  silk,  linen,  cotton,  Palm  Beach  cloth,  and  other  lightweight 
fabrics. 

In  winter,  as  a  rule,  there  are  fewer  than  100  days  with  a  temperature  below 
freezing.  Here  again,  however,  the  high  humidity  accentuates  the  discomfort.  Zero 
temperatures  are  seldom  experienced.  During  part  of  the  season  it  is  possible  to 
get  along  in  comfort  with  a  light  overcoat.  It  is  advisable  to  be  equipped  with  all 

xxiv 


the  accessories  for  winter  wear,  including  raincoats  and  overshoes,  since  much  of 
the  precipitation  occurs  in  the  form  of  rain  or  sleet,  rather  than  snow.  Blizzards 
are  rare — only  once  or  twice  in  a  lifetime  does  the  average  Philadelphian  see 
his  city  snowbound. 


Amusements  and  Sports 


Philadelphia  is  well  supplied  with  facilities  for  every  type  of  sport  and  amuse- 
ment, both  indoor  and  outdoor.  The  city's  great  breathing  spot,  Fairmount  Park, 
furnishes  exceptional  opportunities  for  recreation.  In  addition  there  are,  in  the 
city  and  vicinity,  numerous  baseball  fields,  among  them  the  two  major-league 
parks,  football  and  other  athletic  stadia,  golf  links,  tennis  courts,  bathing  beaches, 
swimming  pools,  a  famous  regatta  course,  gymnasiums,  concert  halls,  auditoriums, 
theatres,  and  night  clubs. 

Public  Parks.  Numbering  nearly  150  and  set  here  and  there  in  the  various  sec- 
tions of  the  city,  these  help  fill  the  recreational  needs  of  both  children  and 
adults.  Except  for  the  extensive  areas  covered  by  Fairmount  and  the  other  large 
parks,  each  occupies  one  or  two  city  blocks. 

The  central  city  parks  are:  Rittenhouse  Square,  19th  and  Walnut  Sts.;  Logan 
Circle,  19th  St.  and  the  Parkway;  the  Parkway  proper;  Independence  Square,  6th 
and  Chestnut  Sts.;  Washington  Square,  6th  and  Walnut  Sts.;  and  Franklin 
Square,  6th  and  Race  Sts. 

Amusement  Parks.  Woodside  Park,  Ford  Road  and  Monument  Ave.,  in  Fair- 
mount  Park  (open  June,  July,  and  August),  is  the  only  amusement  park  within 
the  city  limits.  Fireworks  displays  are  a  regular  Friday  evening  feature. 

Willow  Grove  Park,  Easton  and  Old  York  Roads,  Willow  Grove,  (open,  June, 
July  and  August),  has  served  as  a  popular  amusement  park  for  Philadelphians 
for  more  than  40  years. 

Lakeview  Park,  8400  Pine  Road,  Fox  Chase,  and  Penn  Valley  Park,  Trevose, 
are  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 

Stadia  and  Other  Athletic  Fields.  Municipal  Stadium,  Broad  St.  and  Pattison 
Ave.  (seating  capacity,  102,000),  owned  by  the  city,  is  one  of  the  largest  stadia 
in  the  world.  Among  the  sports  presented  here  are  football,  baseball,  track, 
boxing,  wrestling,  midget,  auto  racing,  bicycle  racing,  and  soccer. 

Major  league  baseball  fields:  National  League,  Broad  and  Huntingdon  Sts. 
(seating  capacity,  18,500)  ;  American  League,  21st  St.  and  Lehigh  Ave.,  (seating 
capacity,  29,000).  The  latter  is  generally  known  as  Shibe  Park. 

Franklin  Field,  34th  and  Spruce  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  80,000),  is  the  outdoor 
stadium  of  the  LTniversity  of  Pennsylvania. 

Temple  University  Stadium,  Vernon  Road  and  Michener  St.  (seating  capacity, 
40,000) . 

German-American  Field,  8th  St.  and  Tabor  Road  (seating  capacity,  1,500),  is 
equipped  for  soccer,  tennis,  and  trapshooting. 

Yellowjackets'  Field,  Frankford  Ave.  and  Devereaux  St.  (seating  capacity, 
5,000),  is  the  scene  of  motorcycle  and  midget  auto  races  and  football  games. 

Indoor  sports  events  are  presented  at  the  Arena,  4500  Market  St.  (seating 
capacity,  6,000  to  10,000).  Boxing,  wrestling,  and  tennis  matches  and  ice-hockey 
and  basketball  games  are  presented  here.  At  times  it  is  turned  into  a  public  ice- 
skating  rink.  Adjoining  is  an  outdoor  stadium  (seating  capacity,  9,500)  in  which 
boxing  and  wrestling  matches  are  held  in  warm  weather. 

The  University  of  Pennsylvania  Palestra,  33d  and  Chancellor  Sts.  (seating 
capacity,  10,000),  is  equipped  for  basketball. 

Golf  Links  and  Tennis  Courts:    (See  map  for  complete  list.) 

Municipal    and    semipublic    golf    courses    within    city    limits  :    Karakung    and 

XXV 


Cobbs  Creek,  72d  St.  and  Lansdowne  Ave.;  Holmesburg,  9500  Frankford  Ave.; 
Juniata,  M  and  Cayuga  Sts.;  and  League  Island,  League  Island:  Park. 

In  suburban  sections:  Baederwood  at  Noble;  Beverly  Hills  at  Beverly  Hills; 
Glenside  at  Glenside  ;  Hi-Top  at  Drexel  Hill  ;  Langhorne  at  Langhorne  ;  Mary 
Lyon  and  Sharpless  at  S'warthmore;  Pennsylvania  at  Llanerch;  Valley  Forge  at 
King  of  Prussia;  and  Wissahickon  at  Ft.  Washington.  In  all  of  these  the  "pay 
as  you  play"  plan  is  in  force. 

Numerous  private  golf  courses  and  country  clubs  lie  within  a  25-mile  radius  of 
the  center  of  Philadelphia.  Most  of  these  ar<e  available  only  to  members  and 
their  guests. 

Municipal  and  public  tennis  courts  within  city  limits:  Allen's  Lane,  283  Roch- 
elle  Ave.;  Baederwood,  Old  York  Road,  north  of  Hart  Lane;  Chamounix,  Return 
Drive  east  of  Ford  Road;  Cobbs  Creek,  63d  and  Walnut  Sts.;  English  Building, 
52d  St.  and  Parkside  Ave.;  Fisher's  Park,  5th  and  Spencer  Sts.;  Garden  Court, 
47th  and  Pine  Sts.;  Hunting  Park,  9th  St.  and  Hunting  Park  Ave.;  Kingsessing 
Recreation  Center,  49th  St.  and  Chester  Ave.;  League  Island  Park,  Broad  St.  and 
Pattison  Ave.;  Passon,  B  St.  and  Olney  Ave.;  Spruce  Tennis  Club,  49th  and 
Spruce  Sts.;  Walnut  Park  Plaza,  62d  and  Walnut  Sts.;  and  Woodford,  33d  and 
Dauphin  Sts. 

Private  tennis  courts  are  connected  with  colleges,  country  clubs,  and  athletic 
organizations,  such  as  the  Penn  Athletic  Club,  Drexel  University,  Y.M.C.A., 
Philadelphia  Country  Club,  Racquet  Club,  etc.  Their  use  is  limited  to  members 
and  their  guests. 

Swimming  Pools  and  Bathing  Beaches.  Most  of  the  public  recreation  grounds 
have  outdoor  swimming  pools,  and  virtually  every  sport  and  social  club,  as  well 
as  every  branch  of  the  Y.M.C.A.  and  Y.W.C.A.,  has  its  pool.  Most  of  the  latter 
are  indoors.  Other  swimming  pools  to  which  the  general  public  is  admitted  are 
in  hotels,  apartment  houses,  athletic  fields,  etc. 

The  city's  two  public  bathing  beaches  are  Pleasant  Hill  Park,  Torresdale,  on 
the  Delaware  River,  and  League  Island  Park,  near  the  junction  of  the  Delaware 
and  Schuylkill  Rivers.  These  facilities,  open  to  all,  are  well  policed  and  care- 
fully guarded. 

Concert  Halls  and  Auditoriums.  Academy  of  Music,  Broad  and  Locust  Sts. 
(seating  capacity,  2,729),  and  the  Academy  of  Music  Foyer,  in  the  same  build- 
ing, are  used  for  musical  productions  and  for  lectures,  debates,  and  addresses. 
This  building  is  the  home  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra  and  the  Philadelphia 
Forum. 

Municipal  Auditorium,  better  known  as  Convention  Hall,  34th  St.  and  Vintage 
Ave.  (seating  capacity,  13,500). 

Witherspoon    Auditorium,   Juniper   and   Walnut   Sts.    (seating    capacity,    1,000). 

Among  the  auditoriums  on  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  campus  is  Irvine 
Auditorium,  34th  and  Spruce  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  2,127). 

All  the  leading  hotels  have  ballrooms  which  are  used  for  amateur  theatricals 
as  well  as  for  dancing. 

Robin  Hood  Dell,  in  the  heart  of  Fairmount  Park,  (seating  capacity,  6,000),  is 
an  open-air  amphitheatre,  where  both  symphony  and  opera  are  presented  on 
summer  evenings. 

Theatres.  Philadelphia  supports  four  legitimate  theatres,  although  the  bookings 
are  not  continuous:  Forrest  Theatre,  Walnut  and  Quince  Sts.  (seating  capacity, 
2,000)  ;  the  Erlanger  Theatre,  21st  and  Market  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  2,000)  ;  the 
Locust  Theatre,  Broad  and  Locust  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  1,580)  ;  and  the  Chest- 
nut Street  Opera  House,  Chestnut  St.  between  10th  and  llth  (seating  capacity, 
1,646) . 

Several   of  Philadelphia's   theatres   have   become   landmarks.    Among   them   are 

xxvi 


the  Walnut  Street  Theatre,  9lh  and  Walnut  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  1,512),  which 
presents  Yiddish  plays;  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  Broad  and  Poplar  Sts., 
(seating  capacity,  3,482),  which  lends  itself  to  various  forms  of  entertainment 
from  motion  pictures  to  opera  ;  and  the  Academy  of  Music,  mentioned  above. 

Burlesque  :  Bijou,  8th  and  Race  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  1,400)  ;  Trocadero,  10th 
and  Arch  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  1,100)  ;  and  Shubert,  Broad  St.  below  Locust 
(seating  capacity,  1,700). 

Negro  productions:  Nixon  Grand,  Broad  St.  and  Montgomery  Ave.  (seating 
capacity,  3,200). 

Amateur  and  semi-professional  :  Plays  and  Players,  1714  Delancey  St.  ;  Alden 
Park  Little  Theatre,  Chelten  and  Wissahickon  Aves.;  Students'  Little  Theatre, 
2032  Chancellor  St.  ;  the  Germantown  Theatre  Guild,  4821  Germantown  Ave. 

Motion  Pictures:  There  are  approximately  200  motion  picture  houses.  The 
largest  of  those  in  central  city  are  the  Aldirie,  19th  and  Chestnut  S'ts.  (seating 
capacity,  1,400)  ;  the  Boyd,  Chestnut  St.  west  of  19th,  (seating  capacity,  2,500)  ; 
the  Fox,  16th  and  Market  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  2,467)  ;  the  Stanley,  19th  and 
Market  Sts.  (seating  capacity,  3,100). 

Night  Clubs:  Philadelphia  has  numerous  night  clubs  and  cabarets,  ranging 
from  those  having  a  cover  charge  to  the  less  luxurious  with  neither  cover  nor 
minimum  charge.  Some  of  the  best  of  the  night  clubs  are  operated  in  hotels  and 
restaurants  of  established  reputation,  mostly  in  the  central  city  section. 


Broadcasting  Stations 


WCAU   (1170  kw)— 1622  Chestnut  Street.   (An  affiliate  of  the  Columbia  Broad- 
casting System) 
KYW    (1020  kw)— 1622   Chestnut  Street. 

WFIL   (560  kw)— Widener  Building    (KYW  and  WFIL  are  affiliated  with  the 
National  Broadcasting  Co.,  Inc.) 

WIP  Broadcasting  Station   (610  kw)— 35  So.  9th  St.   (An  affiliate  of  the  Mutual 
Broadcasting  System) 

WDAS  Broadcasting  Station,  Inc.   (1370  kw)— 1211  Chestnut  St. 
WHAT  Broadcasting  Station    (1310  kw)— Ledger  Building 
WPEN  Studios   (920  kw)— 22d  and  Walnut  Sts. 
WTEL  Studios   (1310  kw)— 3701  N.  Broad  St. 
All  may  be  visited  by  tourists. 


xxvii 


ANNUAL  EVENTS 


January 

1 

1 
17 


30 

n.f.d. 
February 

3d  wk 
n.f.d. 

n.f.d. 

March 

2dwk 
last  wk 
n.f.d. 
n.f.d. 

April 

last  wk 
Easter 

May 

30 

1st  wk 

2d  wk 
2dwk 
2dwk 
3d  wk 
3dwk 
n.f.d. 


Dates  in  many  of  the  following  events  of  general  interest 
vary  annually.  Events  lacking  definite  dates  are  either  listed 
in"  the  week  in  which  they  usually  occur  or  are  marked 
"rt.f.d."  (no  fixed  date)  and  take  place  during  the  month 
under  which  they  are  listed. 


Mummers   Parade,  northward   on   Broad  St. 

Welsh  Eisteddfod,  auspices  of  First  Presbyterian  Church. 

Poor    Richard    Celebration;    Christ    Church    Services;    Wreath    on 

Franklin's  grave;   Banquet  at  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel. 
Franklin    D.   Roosevelt's    Birthday    Ball,   Convention    Hall.    (While 

President) ; 
Saddle  Horse  Association  Indoor  Show,  103d   Cavalry  Armory. 


National  Home  Show,  Commercial  Museum. 

Presentation  of  Bok  Award  for  greatest  service  to  city,  Academy 
of  Music. 

Chinese  New  Year  Celebration — date  depending  on  lunar  con- 
dition—Race St.  between  9th  &  10th. 


Exhibition   of  works  by  blind,  Gimbel  Brothers   Store. 

Flower  Show,  Commercial  Museum. 

Charity   Horse   Show,   103d   Cavalry  Armory. 

Motorboat   and    Sportsmen's    Show,    Commercial   Museum. 


Penn  Relay  Carnival,  Franklin  Field.    (Last  Friday  and  Saturday). 
Sunrise    Services,    Reyburn    Plaza,    Franklin    Field,    and    Temple 
Stadium. 


Launching  of  ship  of  flowers  on  the  Delaware  in  memory  of 
deceased  naval  veterans,  Race  St.  Pier. 

Boys  Week,  ending  Saturday  with  parade  on  the  Parkway  to  In- 
dependence Hall  via  Chestnut  St. 

Dewey  Day   Celebration   at  Navy  Yard. 

Folklore   Festival,  Academy   of  Music. 

Philadelphia  on  Parade,  Convention  Hall. 

Flower  Mart,  Rittenhouse  Square. 

Germantown  May  Market,  Vernon  Park. 

Hobby  League,  Annual  Show  and  Exhibition,  Franklin  Institute. 
(Usually  held  early  in  May,  but  some  years  in  latter  part  of 
April). 


XXVlll 


June 

14 

1st  wk 
1st  wk 
1st  wk 
2dwk 
last  wk 

July 
4 
4 
4 

September 

6 
1st  wk 


October 

12 
27 

1st  wk 
2dwk 

n.f.d. 
n.f.d. 

November 

1-2 

2d  wk 
last  wk 

last  wk 


December 

24 

24 

31 

n.f.d. 

n.f.d. 


Flag   Day   Celebration,   Betsy   Ross   House. 

Field  Mass  for  Police  and  Firemen,  Logan  Circle. 

Clothes  Line  Art  Exhibit,  Rittenhouse  Square. 

Wissahickon  Day,  Riders  and  Drivers  Meet,  Wissahiekon  Farms. 

Historical  Pageant  and  Fete  at  Old  Swedes'   (Gloria  Dei)    Church. 

Opening  of  Robin  Hood  Dell  concert  season,  Fairmount  Park. 


Celebration  in  Independence  Square. 

People's  Regatta  on  the  Schuylkill  River. 

Clan-na-Gael  Athletic  Games,  Northeast  High  School  Field. 


Lafayette  Day,  observed  at  Independence  Hall. 

Constatter  Volkfest  Verein.    (German  Celebration  held  Labor  Day 
and  following  Tuesday),  Philadelphia  Rifle   Club. 


Columbus  Day  Celebration  at  monument  in  Fairmount  Park. 

Navy  Day,  open  house  at  Navy  Yard. 

Electrical  and  Radio  Show,  Convention  Hall. 

Opening    of    Philadelphia    Orchestra    concert    season,    Academy    of 

Music. 

Food  Fair  and  Better  Homes  Exposition  at  Commercial  Museum. 
Opening  of  Philadelphia  Forum  season,  Academy  of  Music. 


Kennel   Club   dog   show,  Convention  Hall. 

Automobile  show,  Convention  Hall. 

Thanksgiving  Day  Gimbel  Toyland  Parade    (morning). 

Penn-Cornell  Football  Game   (afternoon). 
Army-Navy    Football    Game,      Municipal    Stadium.      (Schedule    for 

Philadelphia  from  1936  to  1938. 

Takes  place  Saturday  following  Thanksgiving  Day. 


Christmas   Ball,  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel. 
Christmas   Eve  carol   singing,  Reyburn  Plaza. 
Sounding  of  Liberty  Bell,  Independence  Hall. 

Assembly  Ball,  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel.  (Held  1st  or  2d  Friday). 
Charity   Ball,   Bellevue-Stratford   Hotel.    (Some   years   held  late   in 
Nov.). 


XXIX 


POINTS  OF  SPECIAL  INTEREST 


Its  position  as  a  center  of  many  of  the  cultural  fields  enables  Phila- 
delphia to  offer,  from  its  wealth  of  sight-seeing  treasures,  an  array  of 
places  of  special  interest  to  the  visitor.  Reference  to  the  index  will 
guide  the  reader  to  more  complete  information  on  the  places  included 
in  the  following  lists  : 

HISTORIC  BUILDINGS 

Carpenters'  Hall,  Chestnut  St.,  east  of  4th. 

Christ  Church,  2d  St.,  north  of  Market. 

Independence  Hall,  Independence  Square,  6th  and  Chestnut  Sts. 

Old  Swedes'  Church,  Swanson  St.,  south  of  Christian. 

William  Penn    (Letitia  Street)    House,  Fairmount  Park,  west  of 

Girard  Ave.  Bridge. 
Betsy  Ross  House,  239  Arch  St. 

HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

American  Philosophical  Society,  5th  and  Chestnut  Sts. 
Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  13th  and  Locust  Sts. 
Independence  Hall,  Independence  Square,  6th  and  Chestnut  Sts. 
Library  Company  of  Philadelphia,  Juniper  and  Locust  Sts. 

PERMANENT  ART  COLLECTIONS 

Free  Library  of  Philadelphia,  19th  St.  and  the  Parkway. 

Graphic  Sketch  Club,  711-19  Catharine  St. 

La  France  Art  Museum,  4420  Paul  St.,  Frankford. 

Memorial  Hall,  Parkside  Ave.  at  43d  St. 

Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts,  Broad  and  Cherry  Sts. 

Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art,  25th  St.  and  the  Parkway. 

Rodin  Museum,  22d  St.  and  the  Parkway. 

SCIENTIFIC  COLLECTIONS 

Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  19th  St.  and  the  Parkway. 

Franklin  Institute  Museum  and  Fels  Planetarium,  20th  St.  and 
the  Parkway. 

Wagner  Free  Institute  of  Science  Museum,  17th  St.  and  Mont- 
gomery Ave. 

Wistar  Institute  of  Anatomy  and  Biology,  36th  St.  and  Woodland 
Ave. 

XXX 


LITERARY 

Edgar  Allan  Poe  House,  530  N.  7th  St. 

Free  Library  of  Philadelphia,  19th  St.  and  the  Parkway 

Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  13th  and  Locust  Sts. 

Leary's  Book  Store,  9  S.  9th  St. 

Library  of  University  of  Pennsylvania,  34th  St.,  north  of  Spruce. 

Mercantile  Library  of  Philadelphia,  14  S.  10th  St. 

Sullivan  Memorial  Library,  Park  Ave.  and  Berks  St. 

BOTANICAL 

Awbury  Arboretum,  Washington  Lane  and  Chew  St. 

Bartram's  Gardens,  54th  St.  and  Eastwick  Ave. 

Botanical  Gardens  of  University  of  Pennsylvania,  South  St.,  west 

of  Schuylkill  River. 
Fairmount  Park. 
Herbarium  of  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,   19th  St.   and  the 

Parkway. 

Horticultural  Hall,  Fairmount  Park  at  44th  St.  and  Parkside  Ave. 
Morris  Arboretum,  Meadowbrook  Lane  and  Stenton  Ave. 
Woodward  Estate,  Mermaid  Lane  and  McCallum  St. 

RELIGIOUS 

Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  18th  St.  and  the  Parkway. 

Church  of  the  Brethren,  6613 -Germ  an  town  Ave. 

Friends  Arch  Street  Meeting  House    (Orthodox),  4th  and  Arch 

Sts. 

Old  Pine  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  4th  and  Pine  Sts. 
Rodeph  Shalom  Synagogue,  Broad  and  Mount  Vernon  Sts. 

St.  George's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  4th  St.,  above  Race. 
St.  Joseph's  R.  C.  Church,  Willing's  Alley   (between  3d  and  4th 

Sts.,  south  of  Walnut) . 
Race  Street  Meeting  House  (Hicksite),  S.  W.  Cor.  15th  and  Race 

Sts. 

First  Church  of  Christ   (Scientist),  4012  Walnut  St. 
Holy  Trinity  Episcopal  Church,  S.  W.  Cor.  19th  and  Walnut  Sts. 
Grace  Baptist  Temple,  S.  E.  Cor.  Broad  and  Berks  Sts. 
Swedenborgian  Church    (Church  of  the  New  Jerusalem),  N.  E. 

Cor.  22nd  and  Chestnut  Sts. 

MUSIC 

Academy  of  Music,  Broad  and  Locust  Sts. 
Curtis  Institute  of  Music,  18th  and  Locust  Sts. 
Robin  Hood  Dell,  Fairmount  Park,  west  of  Ridge  Ave.  and  Hun- 
tingdon St. 
Settlement  Music  School,  416  Queen  St. 

xxxi 


ART  CLUBS 

Art  Alliance,  251  S.  18th  St. 

Art  Club  of  Philadelphia,  220  S.  Broad  St. 

Philadelphia  Sketch  Club,  235  S.  Camac  St. 

Plastic  Club,  247  S.  Camac  St. 

Print  Club,  1614  Latimer  St. 

Graphic  Sketch  Club,  719  Catharine  St. 

COMMERCIAL  ART  GALLERIES 

Boyer  Galleries,  Broad  St.  Suburban  Station  Building,  16th  St. 

and  Pennsylvania  Blvd. 

Gimbel  Galleries,  Gimbel  Store,  9th  and  Chestnut  Sts. 
Modern  Galleries,  1720  Chestnut  St. 
Newman  Galleries,  1625  Walnut  St. 
Rosenbach  Galleries,  1320  Walnut  St. 

BURIAL  GROUNDS 

Christ  Church  Burial  Ground,  5th  and  Arch  Sts.  (Grave  of  Benja- 
min Franklin) . 

Portuguese  Hebrew  Burial  Grounds,  Spruce  Street,  east  of  Ninth. 
(Grave  of  Rebecca  Gratz) . 

STATUES  AND  MEMORIALS 

Benjamin  Franklin  Statue,  9th  and  Chestnut  Sts. 

Catholic  Total  Abstinence  Union  Fountain,  Fairmount  Park  near 
52d  St.  and  Parkside  Ave. 

Christopher  Columbus  Statute,  Belmont  and  Parkside  Aves. 

Cowboy  Monument  (Frederic  Remington) ,  East  River  Drive 
above  Girard  Ave.  Bridge. 

Equestrian  Statue  of  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,  East  River  Drive,  Fair- 
mount  Park. 

Equestrian  Statues  of  Generals  McClellan,  Reynolds,  and  Meade, 
north  plaza  of  City  Hall. 

Joan  of  Arc  Statue,  Fairmount  Park  near  31st  St.  and  Girard 
Ave. 

Lincoln  Monument,  Lemon  Hill,  Fairmount  Park. 

Robert  Morris  Statue,  Chestnut  St.,  between  4th  and  5th  Sts. 

Smith  Memorial,  Fairmount  Park  near  42d  St.  and  Parkside  Ave. 

Washington  Monument,  25th  St.  and  the  Parkway. 

Washington  Statue,  Chestnut  St.  between  5th  and  6th  Sts. 

William  Penn  Statue,  atop  City  Hall. 


xxxi  i 


SeaZ  of  Philadelphia 
'Let  Brotherly  Love  Continue' 


The 
CITY 


and  its 
BACKGROUND 


Liberty  Bell 
"Ring  out  for  Liberty9 


PORTRAIT  OF  PHILADELPHIA 


PHILADELPHIA  through  the  countless  changes  of  the  past  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years  has  retained  something  of  the  rhythm 
and  color  of  its  pioneer  days  and  some  of  the  spirit  and  inten- 
tions of  its  founder.  While  it  lacks  a  certain  sophistication  common 
in  the  larger  American  cities,  yet  beneath  its  surface  calm  throbs  a 
pulse  of  activity  peculiarly  Philadephian.  Despite  its  air  of  provin- 
cialism, the  City  of  Penn  claims  justly  a  record  of  solid  accomplish- 
ments not  only  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  but  in  industry  and  commerce. 

Actually,  Philadelphia  is  neither  "slow"  nor  quiet.  Against  the 
bronze  statue  of  William  Penn  atop  City  Hall  beat  the  sound  waves 
of  a  million-tongued  titan  ;  alien  accents  and  the  stridency  of  the 
Machine  mingling  with  the  gentler  tones  of  an  older  day.  (Gone 
is  the  "Greene  Countrie  Towne"  established  'among  the  tall  pines 
two  and  one-half  centuries  ago;  the  alchemy  of  progress  has  trans- 
muted it  into  a  great  industrial  city,  and  the  ferment  of  commerce 
has  altered  its  face.)  Its  voice  is  the  voice  of  <aj  city  of  contrasts — 
a  city  of  wealth  and  poverty,  of  turmoil  and  tranquillity,  of  stern 
laws  often  mitigated  by  mild  enforcement ;  a  city  proud  of  its  world- 
molding  past  and  sometimes  slow  to  heed  the  promptings  of  modern 
thought. 

Its  Colonial  primacy,  which  the  Republic's  growth  has  long  since 
annulled,  has  set  it  apart,  in  some  respects,  from  its  American  sisters. 
But,  like  many  other  centers  of  conservatism,  Philadelphia  during 
the  1930's  has  given  evidence  of  a  better  understanding  of  the  place 
it  should  occupy  in  the  national  scene. 

Although  it  wears  with  somber  dignity  the  halo  of  great  age,  it 
was  only  yesterday  that  its  colonization  ceased,  and  time  began  to 
amalgamate  the  many  nationalities  composing  its  citizenry.  Thus 
it  bears  the  stamp  in  greater  or  less  degree  of  a  polyglot  humanity 
—the  sedate  Quaker;  the  Swede,  touched  by  mysticism;  the  thrifty 
and  methodical  German;  the  imperturbable  Englishman;  the  Celt, 
excitable,  idealistic;  the  energetic  and  vivid  Jew;  the  underprivileged 
Negro  ;  the  mercurial  Italian  ;  and  the  fatalistic  Slav. 

Except  for  its  tree-shaded  squares  and  parks,  Penn  could  not  have 
envisioned  the  present  municipality,  with  its  129  square  miles  en- 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

compassing  a  far-flung  checkerboard  of  streets — thoroughfares 
crowded  with  raucous  traffic  and  flanked  by  solid  rows  of  buildings. 
With  one  exception,  Penn's  open  squares  are  preserved  in  the  city's 
heart  just  as  he  laid  them  out. 

A  spirit  of  reserve  has  become  proverbially  characteristic  of  the 
city  and  its  people.  Philadelphia  is  hesitant  in  proclaiming  the 
efficiency  of  its  soundly  welded  commercial  and  industrial  mechanism. 
Sanctuary  of  artist  and  scientist  though  it  is,  it  makes  no  vulgar 
display  of  the  refinements  of  cultural  and  scientific  preeminence 
which  clothe  it  with  traditions  reminiscent  of  Old  World  capitals. 

Nucleus  of  a  "holy  experiment"  in  colonization,  it  was  dearly 
loved  by  the  early  settlers,  and  that  love  endures  among  its  people 
today.  Though  ranking  among  the  great  cities  of  America,  there  sur- 
vives beneath  its  urbanity  more  than  a  trace  of  provincialism.  Like 
most  American  centers  of  population,  its  growth  has  been  the  re- 
sult of  consolidation.  Made  up  of  a  number  of  communities,  it  is 
essentially  a  city  of  faubourgs  combined  with  Penn's  original  town 
under  a  dual  city  and  county  government.  Today,  despite  mass  trans- 
portation, mass  schooling,  and  mass  thought,  these  sections  retain 
many  of  the  mannerisms,  local  loyalties,  and  physical  idiosyncrasies 
inherited  from  the  Quaker,  Swede,  and  German  communities  of  early 
days.  Districts  such  as  Frankford,  Kensington,  Nicetown,  Rox- 
borough,  Manayunk,  Germantown,  and  West  Philadelphia — inde- 
pendent in  local  government  until  the  Act  of  Consolidation  of  1854 — 
have  their  own  newspapers,  community  interests,  shopping  centers, 
and  Main  Streets. 

The  staid  manner  of  the  early  Quakers  has  left  its  impress  on  the 
city's  character  and  has  perhaps  been  responsible  for  the  long  pres- 
ervation of  such  anachronistic  statutes  as  the  Sunday  Blue  Laws  of 
1794.  Some  of  these  laws  were  repealed  in  1935.  Although  the 
Quaker  element  in  general  has  abandoned  its  traditional  sedateness 
for  more  modern  modes  and  manners,  there  are  many  Friends  who 
still  observe  quaint  amenities  of  the  past  in  the  intimacy  of  their 
homes,  thee-ing  and  thou-ing  one  another  as  in  the  days  of  Penn. 
Philadelphia's  broad  expanse  rests  upon  lands  generally  flat  or 
rolling,  except  where  the  Wissahickon  and  Fairmount  hills  or  the 
Chestnut  Hill  and  the  Manayunk  elevations  break  the  terrain.  To 
the  stranger  it  may  seem  peculiar  that,  in  a  city  with  so  much  room, 
the  houses  crouch  side  by  side  in  rows;  and  that  in  congested  areas 
where  space  is  scarce  there  are  notably  few  skyscrapers.  The  reason 
for  the  prevailing  "row  house"  may  have  its  root  in  the  pro- 
vincialism of  the  city,  but  skyscrapers  are  few  for  a  reason  obviously 
economic — there  is  no  great  demand  for  them. 

Until  comparatively  recent  years  the  city's  low  horizon  was  broken 
only  by  the  looming  tower  of  City  Hall.     This  building  is  still  the 


PORTRAIT  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

city's  highest,  but  now  its  eminence  is  challenged  by  newer  giants 
nearby — in  particular,  the  ultra-modern  Philadelphia  Saving  Fund 
Society  building,  two  blocks  eastward.  Nearby  to  the  northwestward, 
where  in  former  years  sprawled  an  ugly  melange  of  dilapidated 
dwellings,  rise  stately  temples  of  art  and  science  which  overlook  the 
landscaped  Parkway  and  lend  grace  and  dignity  to  the  central  city. 

Also  pleasing  to  the  eye  are  such  remote  portions  of  the  city  as 
Germantown,  Chestnut  Hill,  Overbrook,  and  Oak  Lane.  These  are 
residential  sections  where  imposing  homes,  spacious  lawns,  and  a 
multiplicity  of  trees  provide  the  dominant  scene.  Even  the  row 
houses  here  have  individuality.  The  traditional  red  brick  often 
gives  way  to  stucco  and  field  stone,  and  variations  in  design  break 
the  monotony  of  constant  repetition. 

In  its  multiplex  building  design,  Philadelphia  presents  another 
facet  of  its  paradoxical  make-up.  Within  and  around  it  is  preserved 
a  heritage  of  fine  Colonial  architecture  in  brick  and  stone,  perhaps 
unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  other  city  in  the  Nation.  To  the  first 
structures,  built  by  the  Swedes,  have  been  added  buildings  by  Welsh- 
men, Englishmen,  and  later  craftsmen  of  various  nationalities. 

A  short  walk  in  older  sections  of  Penn's  "Towne"  reveals  a  wealth 
of  historic  buildings  —  public,  ecclesiastical,  and  domestic  —  and 
quaint  back  streets  and  courts.  The  many  well-designed  doorways, 
dormer  windows,  iron  handrails,  foot  scrapers,  and  fire  plaques  make 
a  stroll  through  these  streets  an  interesting  adventure.  Interspersed 
with  pre-Revolutionary  structures  are  public  buildings  of  the  early 
Republic  and  the  grotesque  architecture  of  the  late  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. The  twentieth  century,  too,  has  thrust  its  bulk  and  ultra- 
modernism  upon  the  city,  without  effacing  the  Philadelphia  of  yester- 
year. Though  the  shadow  of  skyscrapers  may  fall  across  such  hal- 
lowed shrines  as  Independence  Hall  and  Christ  Church,  the  heavy 
hand  of  commerce  leaves  them  unscathed. 

But  Philadelphia  has  its  "tenderloin"  and  its  slums.  The  former 
finds  its  fullest  expression  in  the  region  bordering  Eighth  Street  north 
of  Arch,  where  for  several  blocks  it  basks  in  the  tawdry  glory  of 
brash  neon  signs  and  burlesque  posters.  Cheap  restaurants  and  hot- 
dog  stands  fill  the  air  with  odors  that  mingle  with  the  reek  of  alcohol, 
the  stench  of  uncollected  garbage,  and  the  smell  of  humanity  un- 
washed. Here,  in  this  section  of  flophouses,  shooting  galleries,  mis- 
sions, and  bawdy  houses,  live  and  circulate  the  least  prepossessing 
of  Philadelphia's  citizenry. 

Even  more  odious  are  the  city's  slums.  Two  areas  especially 
poisonous  have  their  eastern  extremities  along  the  Delaware  River: 
one  bounded,  approximately,  on  the  south  by  Race  Street,  on  the 
west  by  Fifth,  and  on  the  north  by  Girard  Avenue;  the  other  em- 
braced in  the  area  between  Christian  Street  on  the  south  and  Lombard 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

on  the  north,  with  its  western  limit  near  Eighth  Street.  These  are 
neighborhoods  of  the  handbox  house  and  the  vermin-infested  hovel. 
Here  man's  need  for  shelter  has  been  exploited  to  the  utmost.  It  is 
only  fair  to  add  that  preliminary  steps  have  been  taken  to  eliminate 
not  only  these  slum  sections,  but  also  others  scattered  in  various  parts 
of  the  city. 

Viewed  from  an  airplane,  central  Philadelphia  presents  tan  orderly 
pattern  of  squares  laid  within  the  angles  formed  by  two  coordinate 
axes:  Broad  Street  and  Market  Street.  The  former,  reputedly  the 
longest  straight  intracity  thoroughfare  in  the  world,  forms  the  north- 
to-south  axis;  the  latter,  the  east-to-west.  Diagonal  avenues,  many 
following  across  the  city  the  course  of  Colonial  highways,  occasion- 
ally modify  the  geometrical  rigidity  of  these  squares. 

If  the  plane  approaches  from  the  west,  Fairmount  Park's  wooded 
hills  and  glens  appear  as  a  small  wilderness  entrapped,  but  un- 
ravaged,  by  the  encircling  tentacles  of  municipal  and  suburban 
development.  From  the  southernmost  limit  of  its  green  depths,  the 
broad,  tree-lined  Parkway  sweeps  majestically  toward  City  Hall, 
which  stands  directly  upon  what  would  be  the  intersection  of  Broad 
and  Market  Streets. 

The  mammoth  Thirtieth  Street  Station  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
and  the  new  Post  Office  building  can  be  picked  out  readily  from 
above,  standing  as  they  do  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Schuylkill  River 
—  a  stream  silvery  in  Penn's  time,  but  now  blackened  and  polluted 
by  the  waste  of  factories.  The  railroad  tracks  leap  across  the  river  to 
parallel  Market  Street,  flanking  the  northern  side  of  the  Market  Street 
axis  with  a  gigantic  welt  of  masonry  and  steel.  This  elevated  right-of- 
way,  or  "Chinese  Wall"  as  it  is  locally  termed,  has  long  been  con- 
sidered a  civic  nuisance. 

Not  far  south  of  the  wall  stand  ancient  dwellings,  once  the  homes 
of  Philadelphia's  old  families.  The  old  families  have  long  since  de- 
parted, and  many  of  the  homes  have  become  rooming  houses  or  tap- 
rooms. Nearby  are  the  luxurious  apartment  hotels  of  Ritlenhouse 
Square  and  the  age-mellowed  dwellings  of  Delancey  Street  —  last 
strongholds  of  that  old  aristocracy  most  of  whose  members  have  re- 
treated to  the  suburbs,  leaving  a  diminishing  rear  guard  to  stem  the 
tide  of  change. 

A  point  directly  over  City  Hall  offers  the  best  view  of  the  blocks 
of  squares  spreading  in  every  direction  —  big  blocks,  for  Penn  in- 
tended that  each  householder  should  have  sufficient  space  for  a  garden 
plot.  There  are  few  such  plots  now;  all  available  footage  has  been 
given  over  to  solid  ranks  of  houses,  one  row  backed  up  against  an- 
other in  shameless  intimacy. 

Farther  eastward,  beyond  the  Philadelphia  Saving  Fund  Society 
skyscraper,  the  skyline  undulates  to  the  water  front,  where  the  city 


PORTRAIT  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

ends  abruptly  in  a  region  of  piers,  wharves,  and  warehouses.  Here, 
on  the  Delaware  River's  west  bank  and  stretching  for  miles  to  north 
and  south,  lies  the  only  large  fresh-water  port  on  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board—  a  port  which,  though  88  miles  from  the  Delaware  capes, 
ranks  among  the  world's  greatest  shipping  terminals  in  point  of 
cargo  tonnage  as  well  as  in  wharfage  facilities. 

Stretching  across  the  river  is  one  of  the  world's  largest  suspension 
bridges  —  the  Delaware  River  Bridge,  linking  Philadelphia  with 
Camden,  N.  J.  Beneath  its  span  move  tug  and  barge  in  endless  pro- 
cession ;  in  its  shadow  huge  freighters  are  constantly  loading  and  un- 
loading cargoes  consigned  to  or  brought  from  every  corner  of  the 
globe. 

Southward  lies  a  virtual  honeycomb  of  homes.  Block  after  block 
of  houses  extend  to  the  brink  of  the  Delaware  River,  to  within  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  and  to  the  gigantic  oil 
refineries  that  have  added  to  Philadelphia's  economic  worth  at  the 
expense  of  its  fragrance. 

Immediately  south  of  the  business  district  is  the  second  largest 
Negro  section,  a  patchwork  made  up  of  bits  of  Memphis,  Birming- 
ham, and  New  Orleans  transplanted  to  Philadelphia.  Here  are  the 
laborers  and  the  children  of  laborers,  imported  principally  by  the 
politico-contractor  firms. 

Philadelphia's  "Little  Italy"  stretches  south  from  the  Negro  sec- 
tion to  the  oil-suffused  flats  of  the  Delaware  near  the  Navy  Yard.  This 
district,  thoroughly  alive,  teems  with  humanity;  reflecting  struggle, 
emotion,  and  Latin  intrigue.  Provalone  cheeses  dangle  in  store  win- 
dows, sloe-eyed  sons  of  Sicily  and  Calabria  loiter  on  corners,  and  the 
musty  odor  of  red  wine  predominates. 


Delaware  River  Bridge 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

South  of  Oregon  Avenue  and  a  bit  west,  the  marshes  that  fringe 
the  Delaware  are  dotted  with  huge  silvery  tanks.  Here  and  there  cabins 
and  the  frame  shacks  of  produce  farmers  appear,  but  the  rustic  cry 
of  the  rooster  is  lost  in  the  mournful  blasts  of  foghorns  as  oil  tankers 
move  into  their  slips  in  the  Delaware  or  the  lower  Schuylkill. 

Considering  facets  which,  even  though  intangible,  are  important 
in  a  summation  of  the  city's  character,  Philadelphia  is  figuratively 
two  cities.  One  is  the  sprawling  municipality  of  two  million  persons 
living  and  working  compactly  within  the  corporate  limits.  The  other 
is  the  "city"  of  a  half  million  which  does  its  work  within  Philadelphia, 
but  lives  its  private  life  on  the  exclusive  Main  Line  or  in  other  sub- 
urbs. Each  morning  by  train,  motorcar,  bus  and  trolley  the  half 
million  descend  upon  the  city  to  assume  their  duties  in  its  offices  and 
mills  and  factories,  until  evening  speeds  them  homeward. 

Among  these  half-million  commuters  are  most  of  those  who  hold 
social  and  commercial  hegemony  over  Philadelphia  —  members  of 
old  families  who  regard  themselves  as  the  real  Philadelphians.  They 
are  the  holders  of  the  city's  vested  trusts,  members  of  its  exclusive 
Assembly  ;  and  of  such  organizations  as  the  Racquet  Club  and  the 
Union  League  —  the  latter  a  political  stronghold,  where  tenets  of 
the  Republican  party  have  been  entrenched  since  the  Civil  War.  They 
govern  the  city's  banks  and  its  insurance  companies,  and  establish 
the  financial  policies  of  its  industries. 

Endowed  with  inherited  wealth  and  traditional  conservatism,  most 
of  them  are  reluctant  to  change.  Under  their  guidance,  until  recently, 
the  average  citizen  remained  quiescent;  with  few  exceptions  labor 
troubles  were  of  little  consequence,  despite  the  city's  heritage  in 
unionism,  and  radical  economic  philosophies  made  no  appreciable 
headway.  Much  of  this  apathy  may  have  been  due  to  the  fact  that 
Philadelphia,  prior  to  the  Wall  Street  panic  of  1929,  had  an  aver- 
age of  owner-occupied  homes  reaching  50  per  cent  or  higher.  It  is 
significant  that  when  many  of  those  homes  were  forfeited  by  fore- 
closures, chiefly  because  of  the  collapse  of  building  and  loan  associa- 
tions, the  yeast  of  change  began  to  ferment.  In  the  political  and 
economical  mutations  of  the  current  decade,  moreover,  there  per- 
meated through  every  strata  of  society  the  realization  that  the  right 
of  the  worker  to  a  job  is  an  essential  factor  in  the  economic  well- 
being  of  the  nation. 

Locally  known  as  the  "City  of  Homes"  and  the  "Workshop  of  the 
World,"  Philadelphia  is  both  of  these  within  certain  limitations.  The 
former  designation  has  lost  much  of  its  appropriateness  since  the 
social  cataclysm  of  the  early  1930's,  when  thousands  of  homeowners, 
bereft  of  their  property,  had  to  rent  apartments  or  portions  of  single 
dwellings.  With  the  easing  of  the  economic  tension,  some  of  these 
again  began  to  acquire  homes  for  themselves,  but  the  majority  have 

8 


PORTRAIT  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

demonstrated  their  ability  to  live  contentedly  in  apartments  or  rented 
dwellings. 

The  city's  reputation  as  a  world's  workshop  has  continued  up  to 
the  present  materially  undamaged.  Philadelphia  has  fulfilled  the 
economic  destiny  prescribed  for  it  by  its  geographical  position  close 
to  nature's  storehouses  of  ores  and  fuel,  and  linked  to  them  by 
ample  facilities  for  rail  and  water  transportation.  Within  its  bound- 
aries are  contained  thousands  of  factories  engaged  in  scores  of  differ- 
ent industries.  While  its  industrial  activities  are  centered  in  no  partic- 
ular section,  the  northeast  region,  embracing  Kensington,  Frankford, 
and  Tacony,  has  the  most  diversified  manufactures  and  the  greatest 
number  of  plants  in  operation.  This  is  the  country's  leading  district 
for  textiles  and  the  home  of  the  largest  saw-making  plant  in  existence. 
Other  famous  Philadelphia-made  products  are  radio  reception  units, 
hats,  streetcars,  automobile  bodies,  cigars,  and  carpets.  The  value 
of  its  industrial  output  is  approximately  a  billion  dollars  annually. 

Since  the  days  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  David  Rittenhouse,  James 
Logan,  and  Benjamin  West,  Philadelphia  has  maintained  a  high  posi- 
tion in  the  world  of  culture  and  learning.  Although  such  a  skyscraper 
institution  as  Temple  University  is  symptomatic  of  the  intrusion  of 
modern  influences  upon  the  city's  ancient  dignity,  this  college  has 
become  as  much  a  part  of  educational  Philadelphia  as  has  a  much 
older  institution,  the  famed  University  of  Pennsylvania.  The  city 
of  Penn  may  cherish  the  old,  but  it  does  not  shun  the  new.  Thus 
there  are  century-old  banks,  hospitals,  colleges,  manufactories,  clubs, 
hotels,  and  libraries  standing  side  by  side  with  those  of  recent  origin. 
Forces  ancient  and  modern,  along  with  those  transitional  influences 
which  link  the  new  and  the  old  in  Philadelphia,  impart  to  the  city 
an  atmosphere  distinctly  its  own,  and  place  their  indelible  imprint 
upon  the  living  mosaic  of  its  people. 

Thousands  of  its  residents  have  never  seen  the  Liberty  Bell  ;  many 
thousands  have  never  attended  a  concert  of  the  world-famous  Phila- 
delphia Orchestra.  Naturally,  only  a  small  percentage  of  the  city's 
population  is  represented  in  the  student  bodies  of  its  art  academies, 
music  schools,  and  other  institutions  of  specialized  or  general  in- 
struction. But  these  cultural  and  historic  institutions,  whether  or 
not  they  are  of  traditional  prominence  in  their  various  realms,  give 
to  the  Philadelphian  a  complacent  pride  which  outsiders  often  mis- 
interpret as  deliberate  snobbery. 

The  city  can  be  seen  in  its  most  rollicking  aspect  on  New  Year's 
Day,  when  King  Momus  and  his  court  rule  Broad  Street,  filling  the 
wide  thoroughfare  with  joyous  nonsense.  It  can  be  seen  in  its  quietest 
hours  from  two  to  five  every  morning,  when  even  downtown  streets 
are  virtually  deserted.  After  seven  and  up  to  nine  in  the  morning,  and 
from  five  until  seven  in  the  evening  the  central  area  is  a  bedlam 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

of  clanging  trolleys,  rumbling  busses,  snarling  motorcars,  and  hurry- 
ing throngs. 

Commuters  and  shoppers  from  outlying  districts  and  suburbs  en- 
train at  Reading  Terminal  or  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  stations,  or 
take  subway  or  elevated  line  leading  west  to  69th  Street,  north  to 
Olney,  northeast  to  Frankford,  or  east  across  the  Delaware  River 
Bridge  to  Camden.  Out  the  broad  Parkway  from  City  Hall  flows  a 
river  of  automobiles,  halting  at  regular  intervals  before  the  command- 
ing glare  of  intersection  lights. 

By  7:30  there  is  a  lull  in  the  central  city  as  the  sphere  of  activity 
shifts  to  the  home.  Though  in  any  large  community  the  suspension 
of  traffic  at  this  hour  is  noticeable,  in  Philadelphia  the  dinner  hour 
quietude  is  as  definite  a  demarcation  between  the  day's  work  and 
the  evening's  recreation  as  twilight  is  between  sunshine  and  darkness. 
To  many  Philadelphians  the  evening's  entertainment  may  include 
a  "show"  at  one  of  the  few  remaining  theaters,  a  film  at  one  of  the 
numerous  movie  palaces,  or  perhaps  an  athletic  contest  at  one  of  the 
sports  centers.  Others  may  attend  a  concert  or  a  lecture  at  the  Academy 
of  Music,  while  another  element  inevitably  gravitates  toward  taproom 
or  night  club.  But  the  greater  number  of  Philadelphians  will  remain 

at  their  hearths.  From  countless 
rows  of  houses,  standing  in 
block-long  anonymity  against 
the  blackness  of  night,  will  come 
in  imperishable  steadfastness 
the  soft,  warm  lights  of  home, 
and  the  gentle  tumult  of  chil- 
dren being  marshaled  for  bed. 
On  the  morrow  the  city  will 
arise  to  cope  anew  with  its  cur- 
rent problems;  it  will  turn  an 
inquiring  face  to  the  future, 
even  while  looking  back  in  mem- 
ory to  the  misted  glory  of  its 
yesterdays. 


Christ  Church  Tower 
Whose   bells  rang  on  market  day' 

10 


NATURE'S  HANDIWORK 


Topography 

PHILADELPHIA  and  its  suburbs  comprise  an  area  unusual  in 
the  variety  of  its  landscape.  The  region  lies  in  parts  of  three 
distinct  physiographic  provinces  —  tracts  of  country  in  which 
geographic  and  topographic  features  derive  from  definitely  different 
geological  conditions.  These  three  provinces,  which  form  the  border- 
lands of  the  Philadelphia  area,  are  known  scientifically  as  the  At- 
lantic Coastal  Plain,  the  Piedmont  Plateau,  and  the  Triassic  Lowland. 

Philadelphia  County,  coextensive  with  the  city,  forms  an  area  of 
129.714  square  miles.  The  entire  Philadelphia  district,  geologically, 
comprises  915.285  square  miles,  extending  approximately  34.50  miles 
from  north  to  south  and  26.53  miles  from  east  to  west. 

The  county  itself  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  Bow  Creek,  Back 
Channel,  Delaware  County  line,  and  the  Delaware  River  ;  on  the  east 
by  the  Delaware  River  and  Poquessing  Creek  ;  on  the  north  by  Po- 
quessing  Creek,  the  Montgomery  County  line,  the  Philadelphia,  New- 
town  &  New  York  Railroad  (a  branch  of  the  Reading  Co.),  Chelten- 
ham Avenue,  Cresheim  Avenue,  Stenton  Avenue,  and  Northwestern 
Avenue  ;  on  the  west  by  the  Schuylkill  River,  City  Line  Avenue,  and 
Cobbs  Creek. 

The  Coastal  Plain,  within  which  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
county  lies,  consists  of  a  raised  section  of  sea  deposits,  covered  in  part 
by  subsequent  erosion  products  brought  down  largely  by  the  Dela- 
ware and  Schuylkill  Rivers  from  higher  land  nearby,  and  in  part  by 
"glacial  outwashes,"  glacial  clay,  and  sands  washed  down  from  the 
region  north  of  Easton. 

The  process  by  which  the  Coastal  Plain  originated  causes  the  Phila- 
delphia area  to  be  flat,  with  a  gentle  rise  eastward  from  the  Schuyl- 
kill, and  a  gradual  decline  southward  to  the  Delaware.  The  formations 
in  this  area  are  composed  of  sands,  clays,  and  gravels,  with  subter- 
ranean watercourses  here  and  there  which  form  quicksands. 

The  Piedmont  Plateau,  a  higher  elevation,  underlies  the  major 
part  of  the  Philadelphia  area.  The  rock  formations  of  this  area,  very 
ancient  geologically,  appear  along  the  East  River  Drive  in  Fairmount 
Park,  along  Wissahickon  Creek,  and  in  the  Germantown  and  Chest- 
nut Hill  sections. 

11 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  rock  structure  of  the  Triassic  Lowland  is  scientifically  the  least 
revealing  within  the  Philadelphia  area.  It  lies  to  the  north  of  White- 
marsh  Valley,  and  includes  the  wide  region  of  flat  and  rolling  country 
extending  northeast  and  west  from  Fort  Washington,  Norristown,  and 
the  Trenton  cutoff  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  running  as  far  as 
the  Reading  Hills  and  even  extending  into  Lancaster  County.  The 
Triassic  Lowland  includes  a  great  part  of  Bucks,  Montgomery,  Lan- 
caster, Chester,  and  Delaware  Counties. 

Rivers  :  Two  major  streams,  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  Rivers, 
form  a  junction  at  the  southernmost  extremity  of  Philadelphia.  The 
former  skirts  the  city  on  the  east  ;  the  latter  takes  a  southerly  course 
through  the  city  before  flowing  into  the  larger  stream. 

The  Delaware  River,  from  its  source  to  the  point  where  it  flows  into 
Delaware  Bay,  is  410  miles  long,  and  drains  an  area  of  12,012  square 
miles.  It  is  navigable  by  ocean  steamers  as  far  as  Trenton,  the  tidal 
limit,  130  miles  from  the  Delaware  capes.  For  approximately  35  miles 
the  Delaware  flows  through  the  Philadelphia  area.  The  stream  is  sub- 
ject to  seasonal  fluctuations  in  volume. 

The  Schuylkill,  approximately  100  miles  long,  has  a  drainage  area 
of  1,915  square  miles.  With  headwaters  in  the  anthracite  belt  of 
Schuylkill  County,  it  flows  across  the  Triassic  Lowland  and  the  Pied- 
mont Plateau.  Its  chief  tributaries  are  the  Perkiomen  and  Wissa- 
hickon  Creeks. 

The  divide  separating  the  basins  of  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill 
Rivers  in  the  southwest  is  marked  in  general  by  the  route  of  the 
western  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  In  this  southern  re- 
gion, the  Delaware  watershed  is  drained  by  Cobbs,  Darby,  Crum, 
Ridley,  and  Chester  Creeks,  which  empty  into  the  Delaware  River  ; 
and  the  Brandywine,  Red  Clay,  and  White  Clay  Creeks,  which  empty 
into  the  Christiana  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Delaware.  On  the  divide 
between  the  Schuylkill  and  Delaware  basins  on  the  northeast  are 
Germantown  and  Chestnut  Hill.  In  this  section  the  watershed  is 
drained  by  Pennypack,  Tacony,  Poquessing,  Neshaminy,  Mill,  Com- 
mon, Durham,  Brock,  and  Pidcock  Creeks. 

Flora 

PHILADELPHIA'S  flora  differs  little  from  that  of  other  large  cities 
in  the  East.  However,  the  city's  progress  in  the  field  of  experi- 
mental horticulture  is  noteworthy.  This  experimentation  was  begun 
by  pioneer  settlers  in  the  district.  Members  of  the  Penn  family,  in 
fact,  brought  to  the  New  World  saplings  of  cherished  trees,  shoots  of 
cultivated  plants,  and  many  types  of  shrubs  and  flowers. 

By  far  the  greatest  of  early  horticulturists  was  John  Bartram. 
Not  satisfied  to  confine  his  researches  to  his  home  area,  Bartram 

12 


NATURE'S  HANDIWORK 

roved  from  Canada  to  Florida,  obtaining  an  inclusive  collection  of 
American  plants  for  the  botanical  gardens  of  Colonial  Philadelphia, 
and  for  shipment  to  England.  Many  of  the  trees  he  planted  before  the 
Revolutionary  War  still  stand. 

The  horticultural  halls  and  greenhouses  of  Philadelphia  contain  a 
myriad  of  trees,  plants  and  shrubs,  and  the  naturalist  finds  the  flora  of 
Fairmount  Park  most  interesting.  Trees  comparatively  rare  may  be 
found  throughout  the  city's  park  system.  These  include  the  trans- 
planted balsam  fir,  red  spruce,  Chinese  juniper,  and  Chinese  elm, 
and  the  native  shagbark  hickory  and  sweet  gum.  Poisonous  plants 
found  in  the  section  are  poison  ivy  and  poison  sumach. 

Among  the  more  common  American  trees  growing  in  the  Phila- 
delphia district  are  the  red  or  soft  maple,  a  tree  that  graces  the  banks 
of  streams  or  marshes  ;  the  flowering  dogwood  ;  the  white  ash  ;  the 
black  oak  ;  the  white  oak  ;  and  the  beech. 

Common  locally  are  the  black  locust,  the  wood  of  which  is  valuable 
for  shipbuilding  and  lathe  work  ;  the  American  plum,  a  small  tree 
productive  of  delicious  fruit ;  the  wild  cherry  ;  the  black  or  sour 
gum  ;  the  black  ash  ;  the  green  ash  ;  the  hackberry,  and  the  red 
mulberry. 

Other  trees  familiar  in  the  area  include  the  sycamore  or  button- 
wood  ;  the  black  walnut ;  the  butternut ;  the  mockernut  hickory  ; 
the  shellbark  hickory  ;  the  red  birch  ;  the  sweet  or  black  birch  ;  the 
hop-hornbeam  or  ironwood  ;  the  linden,  and  the  sugar  or  hard  maple. 

In  the  glades  and  woods  of  the  area  are  found  the  blue-water 
beech  ;  the  large-toothed  poplar  ;  the  hemlock  spruce,  and  the  red 
cedar. 

Members  of  Philadelphia's  arboreal  family  more  rarely  encountered 
in  or  near  the  city  include  the  tulip  tree  ;  the  papaw,  a  small  tree 
found  in  the  rich  bottom  lands  ;  the  horse  chestnut,  originally  a 
native  of  southern  Asia  but  long  since  naturalized  as  a  shade  tree  ; 
the  box  elder,  or  ash-leaved  maple,  a  tree  that  occasionally  beautifies 
the  banks  of  streams  and  lakes  in  the  area,  and  the  white  pine. 

According  to  tree  census  figures  for  1937,  Philadelphia  contains 
more  trees  than  any  other  city  in  the  world.  Reports  of  the  Fairmount 
Park  Commission  show  that  there  are  157,773  trees  on  the  city  streets, 
and  approximately  500,000  in  Fairmount  Park,  and  a  million  in  the 
various  other  parks  throughout  the  city. 

Some  curious  kinds  of  plants  may  be  found  in  certain  sections 
of  Philadelphia.  Some  are  indigenous,  others  have  been  transplanted 
from  foreign  countries  and  various  parts  of  the  United  States.  The 
common  dodder's  or  love  vine  has  small  white  flowers  ;  a  parasite, 
it  feeds  on  the  herbs  and  shrubs  to  which  it  clings.  The  ghost  plant, 
usually  found  under  pine  or  oak  trees,  takes  its  nourishment  from 
the  roots  of  other  plants.  The  compass  plant,  a  foreign  species,  re- 

13 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

ceives  its  name  from  the  fact  that  some  of  the  leaves  point  north, 
others  south,  enabling  the  lost  traveler  to  reestablish  his  position. 
The  mad  dog  skullcap,  found  in  shaded,  wet  places,  was  once  con- 
sidered a  cure  for  rabid  dogs  ;  this  plant  belongs  to  the  mint  family, 
and  has  blue  flowers  and  a  smooth  stem. 

The  indigenous  skunk  cabbage,  known  to  the  early  Swedish  settlers 
in  the  Philadelphia  section  as  "bear  weed,"  is  among  the  first  har- 
bingers of  spring.  It  has  a  thick  rootstalk  and  a  cluster  of  large  veiny 
leaves.  It  is  a  perennial  herb,  with  an  unpleasant  odor.  Brightening 
sandy  spots  of  suburban  Philadelphia  is  the  butterfly  weed,  so  named 
because  of  its  gaily  colored  flowers.  The  flowers  are  brilliant  orange 
and  borne  in  dense  clusters. 

Fauna 

DURING  the  migratory  season,  many  transient  birds  visit  south- 
eastern Pennsylvania.  Among  the  winter  birds  are  the  song, 
tree,  and  English  sparrows;  starling,  winter  wren,  slate-colored  snow- 
bird, white-throated  cardinal,  tufted  titmouse,  red  and  white-winged 
crossbills,  pine  finch  and  gold  finch,  herring  gull,  titlark,  brown 
creeper,  and  golden-crowned  kinglet.  Birds  of  prey  include  the  red- 
tailed,  sharp-shinned  and  sparrow  hawks  ;  the  snowy  owl,  and  the 
long-eared,  short-eared  and  saw-whet  owls. 

With  the  arrival  of  spring,  Philadelphia's  bird  kingdom  is  well  es- 
tablished. Crows  fill  the  moist,  warm  air  with  raucous  cries,  snow- 
birds and  tree  sparrows  linger  in  the  fields,  the  fox-colored  sparrow 
appears,  cedar  birds  perch  on  the  branches  of  red  cedars,  and  the 
melody  of  song  sparrows  vies  with  the  hammered  tattoo  of  the  wood- 
peckers. Other  visitors  are  the  robin,  bluebird,  house  wren,  dove, 
red-winged  blackbird,  and  purple  grackle.  The  crow,  quail,  horned 
owl,  downy  woodpecker,  screech  owl,  barn  owl,  and  cedar  bird  are 
found  here  through  the  year. 

The  European  starling,  now  common  to  many  Atlantic  coastal 
cities,  where  it  nests  in  the  niches  of  public  buildings,  first  appeared 
in  Philadelphia  in  1904.  According  to  ornithologists,  the  starling  now 
outnumbers  even  the  English  sparrow  in  the  city  and  suburbs. 

The  starling  has  "taken  over"  many  of  Philadelphia's  central  city 
commercial  buildings  and  many  public  buildings  on  the  Parkway.  In 
the  autumn  countless  flocks  nightly  perch  in  the  eaves  of  the  Art 
Museum  and  the  Public  Library,  to  the  annoyance  of  custodians.  At- 
tempts to  discourage  this  pest  by  firing  roman  candles  at  their  roost- 
ing places  have  resulted  in  only  temporary  relief. 

With  so  much  of  the  wildwood  atmosphere  still  preserved,  Phila- 
delphia has  its  share  of  bats,  squirrels,  chipmunks,  rabbits,  weasels, 
and  the  smaller  rodents,  such  as  the  meadow  mouse  and  the  white- 

14 


NATURE'S  HANDIWORK 

footed  deer  mouse.  The  raccoon  and  opossum  are  now  rarely  found, 
but  are  still  encountered  in  the  deeper  rural  sections  of  this  district. 


Scene  in  Fairmount  Park 
"Sylvan  glades  and  purling  streams9 


THE  FIRST  INHABITANTS 


THE  first  men  known  to  occupy  what  is  now  Philadelphia  were 
Indians  of  the  Lenni-Lenape  tribes.  The  Lenni-Lenape,  whom 
the  English  later  named  the  Delawares,  were  one  of  the  more 
important  nations  inhabiting  the  eastern  regions  when  Europeans 
first  arrived.  They  belonged  to  the  great  Algonkian  linguistic  stock 
a:nd,  according  to  their  own  legends,  had  migrated  eastward  from  the 
country  beyond  the  Mississippi. 

The  Lenni-Lenape  nation  was  divided  into  three  main  tribal  groups 
—  the  Munsee,  Unami,  and  Unalachtigo.  Philadelphia  history  is  con- 
cerned chiefly  with  the  Unami  (or  "Turtle")  tribe  of  Lenape,  though 
the  Susquehannocks  and  Shawnees  (the  former  of  Iroquoian  stock, 
the  latter  of  Central  Algonkian)  figured  in  the  city's  early  history. 

Penn's  land  treaties  were  negotiated  with  the  Unami,  who  occupied 
both  sides  of  the  Delaware  from  the  mouth  of  the  Lehigh  River  to 
what  is  now  New  Castle,  Del.  Their  main  village  or  capital,  Shacka- 
maxon,  (Ind.,  place  of  eels)  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  the 
scene  of  the  famous  treaty  conference  held  by  William  Penn  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Delaware  in  the  autumn  of  1682.  The  village  site, 
now  part  of  Philadelphia,  is  known  as  Penn  Treaty  Park,  and  one  of 
the  streets  in  the  vicinity  bears  the  name  "Shackamaxon." 

Many  other  sections  of  the  city  retain  names  given  them  by  the 
Indians.  Some  of  the  more  picturesque  are  Manayunk,  "where  we  go 
to  drink"  ;  Wissahickon,  "yellow  stream"  or  "catfish  stream"  ;  Pass- 
yunk,  "in  the  valley"  ;  and  Wingohocking,  "a  favorite  spot  for  plant- 
ing." Others  are  Kingsessing,  "bog  meadow"  or  "the  place  where 
there  is  a  meadow"  ;  Pennypack,  "still  water"  ;  Tacony,  "wood  or 
uninhabited  place"  ;  Tioga,  "at  the  forks"  ;  Tulpehocken,  "the  land 
of  turtles"  ;  and  Wissinoming,  or  Wissinaming,  "where  we  were 
frightened"  or  "a  place  where  grapes  grow."  The  area  embraced  in 
Philadelphia  was  called  Coaquannock,  or  "grove  of  tall  pines." 

The  Unamis  had  large  heads  and  faces,  and  their  noses  were 
sharply  hooked.  Mainly  a  sedentary  and  agricultural  people,  they 
lived  on  maize,  fish,  and  game.  Men  of  the  tribe  dressed  in  breech 
clout,  leggings,  and  moccasins,  with  skin  mantle  or  blanket  thrown 
over  one  shoulder.  Their  heads  were  shaved  or  clipped,  except  for  a 
scalp  lock  generously  pomaded  with  bear's  grease  and  bedecked  with 
ornaments.  The  women  garbed  themselves  in  leather  shirt  or  bodice, 

16 


FIRST  INHABITANTS 

with  skirt  of  the  same  material.  They  wore  their  hair  plaited,  the 
long  tails  falling  over  their  shoulders. 

Before  the  advent  of  Dutch  and  Swede  upon  the  Philadelphia 
scene,  the  Indians  lived  in  lodges  of  birch  hark.  The  more  sturdy  log 
hut  of  later  date  probably  was  copied  from  the  whites,  although  Iro- 
quoian  peoples  lived  in  log  dwellings  prior  to  white  contact.  . 

Not  long  before  Penn  arrived  in  the  New  World,  a  group  of 
Shawnees  had  migrated  northward  into  Pennsylvania,  some  of  them 
locating  for  a  time  on  the  flats  below  Philadelphia.  The  Susquehan- 
nocks  from  Maryland,  known  as  "Black  Minquas"  to  the  Swedes,  had 
preceded  them  and  were  well  known  to  the  early  settlers. 

After  a  brief  sojourn  in  the  vicinity,  the  Shawnees  moved  north- 
ward to  the  Wyoming  Valley,  and  thence  to  western  Pennsylvania  and 
Ohio.  The  Susquehannocks,  waging  bitter  warfare  with  the  Iroquois 
Confederacy,  were  driven  from  their  Pennsylvania  strongholds  early 
in  the  period  of  white  colonization. 

Probably  no  more  intimate  picture  of  the  Indian  living  in  and  near 
Philadelphia  can  be  given  than  that  of  William  Penn  to  the  Free 
Society  of  Traders  in  his  letter  of  1683.  Penn  wrote  : 

For  their  persons,  they  are  generally  tall,  straight,  well  built,  and 
of  singular  Proportion.  They  tread  strong  and  clever,  and  mostly  walk 
with  a  lofty  Chin.  Of  complexion  Black,  but  by  design,  as  the  Gipsies 
in  England.  They  grease  themselves  with  Bear's  fat  clarified  ;  and  us- 
ing no  defence  against  sun  or  weather,  their  skins  must  needs  be 
swarthy.  Their  eye  is  little  and  black,  not  unlike  a  straight-look't 
Jew.  The  thick  Lip  and  flat  Nose,  so  frequent  with  the  East  Indians 
and  Blacks,  are  not  common  to  them  ;  for  I  have  seen  as  comely 
European-like  faces  among  them,  of  both  sexes,  as  on  your  side  of 
the  Sea.  And  truly  an  Italian  Complexion  hath  not  much  more  of 
the  White  ;  and  the  Noses  of  several  of  them  have  as  much  of  the 
Roman.  Their  Language  is  lofty,  yet  narrow  ;  but  like  the  Hebrew  in 
signification,  full.  Like  short-hand  in  writing,  one  word  serveth  in  the 
place  of  three,  and  the  rest  are  supplied  by  the  Understanding  of  the 
Hearer  ;  Imperfect  in  their  Tenses,  wanting  in  their  Moods,  Parti- 
ciples, Adverbs,  Conjunctions  and  Interjections.  I  have  made  it  my 
business  to  understand  it  that  I  might  not  want  an  Interpreter  on  any 
occasion,  and  I  must  say  that  I  know  not  of  a  language  spoken  in 
Europe  that  hath  words  of  more  sweetness  or  greatness,  in  Accent 
and  Emphasis  than  theirs ;  For  instance,  Octokekon,  Rancocas, 
Oricton,  STiak,  Marian,  Poquesian,  all  of  which  are  names  of  places, 
and  have  grandeur  in  them  —  Sepassen,  Passijon,  the  names  of  places; 
Tamane,  Secane,  Menanse  and  Secatareus,  are  the  names  of  persons. 

If  an  European  comes  to  see  them,  or  calls  for  Lodgings  at  their 
House  or  Wigwam,  they  give  him  the  best  place,  and  first  cut.  If  they 
come  to  visit  us  they  salute  us  with  an  Itah!  which  is  as  much  as  to 
say,  "Good  be  to  you  !"  and  set  them  down,  which  is  mostly  on  the 
ground,  close  to  their  heels,  their  legs  upright  ;  it  may  be  they  speak 
not  a  word,  but  observe  all  passages.  If  you  give  them  anything  to 

17 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

eat  or  drink,  be  it  little  or  much,  if  it  is  given  with  kindness  they 
are  well  pleased  ;  else  they  will  go  away  sullen,  but  say  nothing. 

In  sickness,  impatient  to  be  cured  ;  and  for  it  give  anything,  es- 
pecially for  their  children  to  whom  they  are  extremely  natural.  They 
drink  at  those  times  a  tisan,  or  Decoction  of  some  Roots  in  Spring 
Water  ;  and  if  they  eat  any  flesh  it  must  be  of  the  Female  of  any 
Creature.  If  they  dye,  they  bury  them  with  their  Apparel,  be  they 
Men  or  Women,  and  the  nearest  of  Kin  fling  in  something  precious 
with  them  as  a  token  of  Love.  Their  Mourning  is  blacking  of  their 
faces,  which  they  continue  for  a  year.  Some  of  the  young  women  are 
said  to  take  undue  liberty  before  Marriage  for  a  portion  ;  but  when 
married  chaste. 

Their  Government  is  by  Kings,  which  they  call  Sachama,  and  those 
by  succession,  but  always  of  the  Mother's  side.  For  instance,  children 
of  him  who  is  now  King  will  not  succeed,  but  his  Brother  by  the 
Mother,  or  the  Children  of  his  Sister,  whose  Sons  (and  after  them  the 
Children  of  her  Daughters)  will  reign ;  for  Woman  inherits.  The 
Reason  they  render  for  this  way  of  Descent  is,  that  their  issue  may 
not  be  spurious.  The  Justice  they  have  is  Pecuniary.  In  case  of  any 
Wrong  or  evil  Fact,  be  it  Murther  itself,  they  atone  by  Feasts  and 
Presents  of  their  wampun,  which  is  proportioned  to  the  quality  of 
the  Offence,  or  Person  injured  or  of  the  Sex  they  are  of. 

For  their  Original,  I  am  ready  to  believe  them  of  the  Jewish  Races. 

Penn's  entire  approach  to  the  native  was  the  outgrowth  of  a  com- 
bination of  characteristics  that  today  seem  contradictory.  He  held  an 
unquestioning  belief  in  the  right  of  the  white  men,  whom  he  con- 
sidered God's  chosen  people,  to  populate  the  new  land,  in  the  right 
of  Christians  to  dispossess  the  aborigines.  But  his  abiding  sense  of 
humanity  softened  to  gentleness  the  stern  measures  to  which  such  a 
belief  would  appear  naturally  to  lead.  Although  a  shrewd  real  estate 
man,  promoting  his  interests  even  to  the  extent  of  circularizing 
Europe,  he  dealt  generously  with  the  Indians.  The  result  indicated 
the  promptings  of  his  heart,  which  softened  his  views  on  the  subject 
of  white  invasions  and  confirmed  his  belief  that  peaceful  expansion 
of  the  Colony  depended  on  the  courteous  and  kind  treatment  of  the 
natives. 

It  is  doubtful  if  even  the  best  intentions  could  have  saved  the 
Indians  from  a  fate  that  hinged,  not  so  much  on  the  wishes  of  in- 
dividual men,  as  on  the  inexorable  forces  working  upon  European 
society.  Penn  treated  the  Indians  with  more  consideration  than  any 
other  Colonial  Governor.  His  successors  acted  in  a  quite  different 
spirit.  It  was  not  long  after  Penn  was  in  his  grave,  that  the  Pro- 
prietors tricked  the  Indians  out  of  a  large  slice  of  land  by  means  of 
the  notorious  Walking  Purchase. 

The  Walking  Purchase  of  1737  was  resorted  to  in  settling  a  contro- 
versy due  to  a  loosely  drawn  deed  covering  a  tract  extending  from  a 
point  a  short  distance  above  Trenton,  west  to  Wrightstown  in  Bucks 
County,  northwest  and  paralleling  the  Delaware  River  as  far  as  a 

18 


FIRST  INHABITANTS 

man  could  walk  in  a  day  and  a  half,  and  then  east  to  the  Delaware, 
following  a  line  not  denned  in  the  deed. 

Thomas  Penn  finally  prevailed  upon  the  Indians  to  agree  to  the 
terms  of  the  document,  and  preparations  were  made  for  the  walk. 
Instead  of  the  leisurely  method  of  walking,  which  the  natives  ex- 
pected, the  whites  advertised  for  fast  walkers,  marked  trees  to  in- 
sure a  straight  line  of  travel,  and  made  every  effort  to  procure  the 
greatest  amount  of  land.  Three  walkers  were  hired,  two  of  whom  fell 
out,  hut  the  third  reached  a  point  more  than  60  miles  from  the  start. 
The  deceit  was  continued  by  drawing  the  line  at  an  angle,  rather  than 
straight,  thus  claiming  the  best  lands  of  the  Minisink  region. 

With  the  development  of  Philadelphia,  Indians  retreated  to  the 
outskirts,  and  finally  to  remoter  regions,  being  pushed  northward  and 
westward  as  the  frontiers  spread  out.  Not  long  after  the  Walking 
Purchase,  the  last  Delaware  council  fire  died  out  upon  the  Wis- 
sahickon's  hills,  leaving  Philadelphia  to  the  white  man  and  the  white 
man's  ways.  Today  about  150  Indians  live  in  the  city.  They  are  not 
subjected  to  discrimination,  and  on  the  whole  are  entirely  adjusted 
socially.  The  descendants  of  the  Delawares  and  their  historic  allies 
are  now  domiciled  in  Oklahoma,  numbering  about  1,200  ;  in  Ontario 
about  400;  with  some  scattered  in  Kansas  and  Wisconsin.  Research 
in  this  important  field,  long  neglected,  has  been  carried  on  since  1928 
through  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  Research  Fund. 

Two  small  plots  of  ground  were  set  aside  in  1755  by  John  Penn, 
William  Penn's  grandson,  as  camping  sites  for  Indian  delegations 
visiting  the  city.  One  plot,  formerly  part  of  the  Penn  lawn,  is  off 
Second  Street,  behind  the  Keystone  Telephone  Building,  between 
Walnut  and  Chestnut  Streets.  The  other  is  behind  the  Ritz  Carlton 
Hotel.  Believed  to  have  been  deeded  to  the  Six  Nations,  the  grants  in 
recent  years  have  been  the  source  of  much  publicity  and  a  certain 
amount  of  legal  bickering.  In  1922  five  Indian  chiefs  from  New  York 
visited  Philadelphia  to  ascertain  the  legal  status  of  their  claim  upon 
the  onetime  reservations.  At  this  time,  John  Caskell  Hall,  a  descendant 
of  William  Penn,  "rededicated"  the  Second  Street  tract  as  an  Indian 
camping  site  in  the  presence  of  Pennsylvania's  Governor  and  Phila- 
delphia's mayor.  The  ceremony  was  considered,  even  by  the  visiting 
chiefs,  as  nothing  more  than  a  rhetorical  gesture. 

Philadelphia  is  unimportant  archeologically.  Although  most  of  the 
city  stands  upon  a  very  ancient  land  mass,  possibly  rich  in  paleonto- 
logical  and  archeological  remains,  no  evidence  that  man  existed  in 
the  area  prior  to  the  coming  of  the  Indian  has  been  found.  The 
nearest  approach  to  a  paleontological  discovery  was  a  section  of  a 
petrified  tree  dug  up  in  1931  by  workmen  excavating  for  the  Eighth 
Street  Subway.  Even  that  find  has  not  yet  proved  to  be  of  scientific 
value,  since  neither  its  age  nor  its  origin  has  been  determined. 

19 


HISTORY 


And  thou,  Philadelphia,  the  virgin  settlement  named  before  thou 
wert  born,  what  love,  what  care,  what  service  and  what  travail  has 
there  been  to  bring  thee  forth,  and  to  preserve  thee  from  such  as 
would  abuse  and  defile  thee. 

WILLIAM  PENN 


PROLOGUE 


A    TINY  ship,   with   weather- 
beaten  sails  billowing  above 
her    cluttered    deck,    limped 
into   Delaware  Bay   on   the   after- 
noon of  October  24,  1682,  and  beat 
slowly  upriver  against  a  northerly 
wind.    She   was   the   300-ton   Wel- 
come, bound  from  Deal,  England, 
to    New    Castle,    Delaware,    with 
Capt.    Robert    Greenway    in    com- 
mand  and   William   Penn    as    one 
Penn's    Ship    "Welcome"  of  her  70  passengers. 

High-sterned,  and  perilously  low  at  the  stem,  the  vessel  was 
crowded  with  men,  women,  and  children.  Cows,  pigs,  and  sheep  took 
up  much  of  her  deck  space  ;  her  alleyways  were  glutted  with  masses 
of  baggage,  household  utensils,  and  boxes  of  provisions.  Her  'tween- 
decks  exuded  the  miasma  of  contagion  ;  and  from  everywhere  came 
the  stench  of  crowded  humans  and  penned-up  livestock. 

For  eight  weeks  the  Welcome,  pushing  her  slender  bow  through 
the  North  Atlantic  seas,  had  battled  gales  and  the  scourge  of  small- 
pox. On  September  1,  she  had  raised  anchor  and  stood  down  the 
English  Channel  with  100  passengers,  among  them  one  who  had  come 
aboard  at  Deal  bearing  the  deadly  germs.  Within  a  few  weeks  nearly 
half  the  crew  and  passengers  were  down  with  the  plague.  The 
bodies  of  30  victims  had  been  committed  to  the  sea  before  land  was 
sighted. 

Under  such  discouraging  circumstances  did  William  Penn  first  look 
upon  American  soil,  and  to  the  travail  of  storm  and  death  there  was 

20 


HISTORY-PROLOGUE 

now  to  be  added  the  opposition  of  wind  and  tide.  Though  within  the 
capes,  the  Welcome  had  to  struggle  against  headwinds  for  three  days 
before  reaching  New  Castle. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th  (the  Welcome  actually  had  arrived  the 
evening  before)  Penn  landed  in  New  Castle,  there  to  be  greeted  by 
his  cousin,  Capt.  William  Markham,  resplendent  in  naval  uniform, 
and  by  a  gathering  of  Dutch,  Welsh  and  English  settlers.  Tall,  hand- 
some, and  still  of  slender  figure,  Penn  made  an  impressive  appearance 
on  that  autumn  Saturday  as  he  formally  took  possession  of  the  Dela- 
ware territory  by  receiving  the  "turf,  twig  and  water"  symbols  of 
ownership,  and  renewed  the  commissions  of  incumbent  magistrates. 

Impatient  to  see  his  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  he  proceeded  that 
afternoon  to  Upland  (now  Chester)  — settled  by  the  Swedes  about  40 
years  before  —  and  landed  at  the  mouth  of  Chester  Creek,  named  by 
the  Indians  Mee-chop-penack-han,  or  "the  stream  where  large  pota- 
toes grow."  Here  he  was  entertained  over  the  weekend  at  Essex 
House,  home  of  Robert  Wade,  a  Friend  whom  Penn  had  known  in 
London. 

Sometime  during  the  first  week  in  November,  Penn  and  a  party  of 
friends  rowed  up  river  to  the  tongue  of  land  formed  by  the  converg- 
ing Schuylkill  and  Delaware  Rivers,  where  the  town  of  Philadelphia 
was  being  laid  out.  They  continued  past  the  Schuylkill's  mouth,  pro- 
ceeding up  the  Delaware  to  where  Dock  Creek  led  into  a  large  green 
clearing  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  The  place  was  called  Coaquan- 
nock  by  the  Indians  because  of  its  tall  pines.  In  the  vicinity  such 
small  Swedish  settlements  as  Wicaco  and  Tacony  had  been  estab- 
lished. 

Some  of  the  land  desired  by  Penn  was  owned  by  these  early 
Swedes,  and  still  more  belonged  to  the  original  owners  —  the  Indians, 
particularly  the  Unamis  of  the  Lenni-Lenape  nation.  Adjustments 
were  made  later  with  the  Swedes  ;  but  since  Penn's  agents  already 
had  acquired  considerable  acreage  from  the  Indians,  the  clearing  on 
the  Delaware  was  even  now  taking  on  the  semblance  of  a  real  estate 
development. 

Under  the  supervision  of  Capt.  Thomas  Holme,  the  surveyor  gen- 
eral whom  Penn  had  sent  to  America  with  the  advance  guard  of 
settlers,  trees  were  being  felled  and  cut  into  logs,  plots  were  being 
leveled,  streets  graded,  houses  built,  and  the  city  was  being  laid  out 
in  accordance  with  Penn's  plan. 

During  the  next  few  weeks  Penn  was  busy.  He  visited  New  York  to 
pay  his  respects  to  representatives  of  the  Duke  of  York  (from  whom 
he  had  received  the  Lower  Counties),  made  frequent 'trips  to  Phila- 
delphia to  observe  the  growth  of  his  "greene  countrie  towne,"  and  in 
Chester  worked  on  the  plan  of  government  for  his  Province.  Mean- 
while he  kept  in  contact  with  his  agents  in  London,  circularizing 

21 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Europe  with  pamphlets  —  in  English,  German,  and  other  languages 
—  which  pictured  the  beauties  of  America  and  outlined  the  ad- 
vantages to  he  gained  by  coming  to  the  new  land. 

As  a  result  of  this  promotion  campaign,  immigrants  poured  into 
Pennsylvania  during  the  ensuing  years.  Among  them  were  so  many 
Germans  that  James  Logan,  Penn's  secretary,  expressed  a  fear  that  it 
would  become  a  German  colony.  One  of  the  features  attracting 
Europeans  was  Penn's  Great  Law  and  Frame  of  Government,  which 
made  provisions  for  free  education,  promotion  of  the  arts  and 
sciences,  religious  toleration,  freely  elected  representatives,  and  trial 
by  jury  in  open  court. 

Many  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Philadelphia  found  existence  far 
from  comfortable.  Great  numbers  of  them  had  to  live  for  a  time  in 
dug-outs  gouged  from  the  Delaware's  banks.  There  was  no  let-up  in 
building  ;  during  the  first  year  after  Penn's  arrival  more  than  100 
dwellings  of  brick,  logs,  and  wide  clapboards  were  constructed,  among 
them  homes  with  balconies  as  well  as  porches.  Brick  houses  were  few 
at  first,  but  the  number  increased  rapidly  as  soon  as  bricks  could  be 
manufactured  locally,  making  importation  of  that  material  unneces- 
sary. 

Within  a  year  of  Penn's  landing  the  growing  town  boasted  600 
houses.  The  Blue  Anchor  Inn,  built  in  1682  on  the  bank  at  the  mouth 
of  Dock  Creek,  and  serving  as  Philadelphia's  tavern,  trade  head- 
quarters, and  community  center,  was  no  longer  the  most  substantial 
building  in  town.  Some  of  the  homes  were  becoming  almost  pre- 
tentious, wharves  were  growing  in  size  and  number  along  the  Dela- 
ware, and  surrounding  farms  by  the  hundreds  were  being  cleared 
and  tilled.  Penn,  with  pardonable  pride,  was  able  to  write  to  his 
friends  in  England  :  "I  have  led  the  greatest  colony  into  America 
that  ever  man  did  upon  a  private  credit.  I  will  show  a  province  in 
seven  years  equal  to  her  neighbors  of  forty  years'  planting." 

Thus  was  founded  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love  —  not  only  a  haven 
for  the  persecuted,  but  also  a  sound  business  venture  promoted  by 
one  who  had  a  clearer  understanding  of  human  nature  than  most 
men  of  his  time.  This  latter  trait  was  especially  made  manifest  in 
his  dealings  with  the  Indians.  "Be  grave,"  he  had  importuned  his 
commissioners  before  coming  himself  to  America,  "they  (the  Indians) 
like  not  to  be  smiled  upon." 


22 


PENN  AND  THE  HOLY  EXPERIMENT 


BORN  October  14,  1644,  the  son  of  Admiral  Sir  William  Perm, 
Pennsylvania's  founder  received  his  early  education  at  a  small 
free  school  at  Chigwell,  near  Wanstead,  England.  A  brooding 
lad,  with  a  leaning  toward  spiritual  thoughts,  his  behavior  frequently 
exasperated  his  energetic  sire.  On  October  26,  1660,  after  being  tu- 
tored at  home,  young  Penn  was  sent  to  Christ  Church  College,  Ox- 
ford. Here  he  associated  with  members  of  a  growing  sect  known  as 
Friends,  or  Quakers,  and  became  a  convert.  In  this  environment  he 
heard  Quaker  leaders  discussing  plans  for  a  colony  across  the  sea. 
Members  of  the  established  Anglican  Church  already  had  such  a 
settlement  in  Virginia  ;  the  Puritans  had  a  refuge  in  New  England  ; 
and  the  Quakers  now  dreamed  of  escaping  persecution  by  establish- 
ing a  colony  in  America. 

At  first  intimation  of  his  son's  interest  in  the  Quaker  faith,  Sir  Wil- 
liam became  greatly  perturbed.  Then,  when  young  Penn  was  expelled 
for  refusing  to  wear  a  surplice  in  chapel,  he  ordered  his  son  home 
and  attempted  to  break  the  boy's  will  by  physical  discipline.  In  ref- 
erence to  the  incident,  Pennsylvania's  founder  later  spoke  bitterly 
of  the  "Usage  I  underwent  when  I  returned  to  my  father  ;  whipping, 
beating,  and  turning  out  of  doors  in  1662." 

But  punishment  proved  useless,  so  young  Penn  was  sent  on  a  tour 
of  France.  At  Saumur  he  spent  a  year  and  a  half  studying  in  the 
Huguenot  College  under  Moses  Amyraut.  Upon  his  return  to  England 
he  studied  law  for  a  while,  then  accompanied  his  father  to  sea  with 
the  British  fleet.  Naval  life  did  not  appeal  to  him,  however,  and  in 
1666  (the  year  of  the  great  London  fire)  he  was  sent  to  Ireland  to 
manage  his  father's  Shannigary  estate.  Once  again  Penn  came  under 
Quaker  influence,  and  this  time  he  was  committed  irrevocably  to  the 
faith. 

In  1668,  at  the  age  of  24,  he  began  to  preach  and  write,  producing 
the  pamphlet  The  Sandy  Foundation  Shaken,  which  offended  the 
Anglican  clergy.  That  same  year  he  was  confined  in  the  Tower  of 
London  for  nine  months  because  of  his  religious  activities.  A  few 
years  later  he  was  a  prisoner  in  Newgate.  "My  prison  shall  be  my 
grave  before  I  will  budge  a  jot,"  he  declared  stubbornly.  After  his 
release  he  continued  to  campaign,  winning  a  wide  reputation  as  a 
Quaker  leader  and  as  author  of  No  Cross,  No  Crown  and  Innocency 

23 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

With  Her  Open  Face.  His  father  at  last  in  1670  was  forced  to  recon- 
cile himself  to  the  son's  work,  but  that  reconciliation  did  not  come 
until  the  elder  Penn  lay  upon  his  deathbed. 

On  April  4,  1672,  Penn  married  Gulielma  Maria  Springett.  There 
followed  an  idyllic  interlude,  marred  only  by  repeated  persecution 
of  the  Quakers.  In,  1680  more  than  10,000  were  thrown  into  prison, 
243  dying  in  loathsome  cells.  On  others  exorbitant  fines  were  imposed, 
or  their  estates  confiscated.  By  this  time  Penn's  wife  had  given  birth 
to  seven  children,  three  of  whom,  including  twins,  died  in  infancy. 

In  1681,  as  payment  for  a  debt  of  £16,000  owed  by  Charles  II  to  his 
father  "for  money  advanced  and  services  rendered,"  Penn  received 
the  grant  of  a  vast  territory  in  the  New  World.  Thus  his  role  in 
history  entered  a  newer,  brighter,  and  more  glorious  period. 

In  signing  the  patent,  the  King  stipulated  that  "two  beaver  skins 
be  delivered  at  our  castle  of  Windsor  on  the  first  day  of  January  in 
every  year,  and  also  the  fifth  part  of  all  gold  and  silver  ore  found." 

The  patent  was  signed  March  4,  1681,  and  on  April  2  Charles  issued 
a  public  proclamation  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Province,  enjoining 
them  to  yield  obedience  to  Penn  and  his  deputies.  At  the  same  time 
Penn  addressed  a  message  to  the  colonists,  expressing  the  hope  that 
he  would  be  able  to  join  them  without  delay,  and  urging  them  to 
pay  their  dues  to  his  deputy  governor,  Captain  Markham,  who  left 
for  America  that  summer. 

On  April  25,  1682,  he  completed  his  famous  "Frame  of  Govern- 
ment." He  called  the  document  The  Frame  of  Government  of  the 
Province  of  Pennsylvania  in  America.,  together  with  certain  laws 
agreed  upon  in  England  by  the  Governor  and  divers  Freemen  of  the 
aforesaid  Province  to  be  further  explained  by  the  First  Provincial 
Council  that  shall  be  held  if  they  see  fit.  In  the  constitution  he  de- 
clared the  divine  right  of  government  was  twofold,  to  "terrify  evil- 
doers and  to  cherish  those  that  do  well."  He  also  pointed  out  thai 
"any  government  is  free  to  the  people  under  it,  whatever  be  the  frame, 
where  the  laws  rule  and  the  people  are  a  party  to  those  laws." 

Meanwhile  the  Free  Society  of  Traders  was  incorporated,  with  a 
capital  stock  of  £10,000  for  the  purpose  of  developing  the  Province. 
Penn  sold  the  society  20,000  acres  in  a  single  tract.  The  company  did 
not  prosper,  but  the  generous  terms  under  which  the  land  was  offered 
resulted  in  many  purchases  in  London,  Bristol,  and  even  in  Dutch 
and  German  cities. 

On  May  5,  1682,  Penn's  Code  of  Laws  was  passed  in  England  to  be 
altered  or  amended  in  Pennsylvania.  In  this  historic  document,  40 
statements  were  promulgated  which,  in  large  measure,  became  the 
fundamental  law  of  the  Province.  Among  the  provisions  were  that 
elections  should  be  voluntary  ;  taxes  were  to  be  levied  by  law  for 
purposes  specified  ;  complaints  were  to  be  received  upon  oath  or  af- 

24 


HISTORY — PENN  AND  THE  HOLY  EXPERIMENT 

firmation  ;  trials  were  to  be  by  a  jury  of  twelve  men,  peers  of  good 
character  and  of  the  neighborhood.  If  the  crime  carried  the  death 
penalty,  the  sheriff  was  to  summon  a  grand  inquest  of  twenty-four 
men  ;  fees  were  to  be  moderate  ;  each  county  was  to  have  a  prison 
that  would  serve  also  as  a  workhouse  for  felons,  vagrants,  and  idle 
persons  ;  and  public  officers  and  legislators  were  to  take  oath  to  speak 
the  truth  and  profess  belief  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Penn  was  now  ready  to  turn  his  back  upon  England  and  start  a  new 
chapter  in  the  wilderness  of  America.  So,  winding  up  the  last  of  his 
affairs,  he  boarded  the  Welcome  at  Deal  on  September  1,  1682,  and 
set  sail  for  Pennsylvania.  For  three  quarters  of  a  century  Europe  had 
looked  with  covetous  eyes  upon  that  virgin  wilderness,  and  for  about 
40  years  there  had  been  attempts  to  colonize  it.  Now  it  was  to  become 
the  scene  of  action  of  one  of  history's  most  colorful  characters  —  the 
testing  ground  for  his  "holy  experiment." 

The  Years  of  Discovery 

A  MAJESTIC  river  skirted  one  boundary  of  the  wilderness  com- 
•^*-  monwealth  in  which  Penn  was  to  make  his  great  experiment.  Im- 
portant to  the  Indians  before  the  arrival  of  the  whites,  the  Delaware 
River  later  played  an  important  part  in  the  development  of  town  and 
Province,  city  and  State. 

The  first  European  known  to  have  viewed  the  stream  was  Henry 
Hudson,  who  on  August  28,  1609,  sailed  his  Half  Moon  up  the  bay 
while  seeking  a  northwest  passage  to  China.  The  second  recorded 
voyage  to  Delaware  Bay  was  made  in  July  1610,  by  Capt.  Samuel 
Argall,  English  navigator.  Argall  named  the  bay  Delaware,  in  honor 
of  Thomas  West — Lord  de  La  Warr — who  but  recently  had  arrived 
in  Jamestown  as  Governor  of  Virginia. 

In  1614  the  Dutch  States  General  passed  an  ordinance  claiming  ex- 
clusive trade  privileges  to  all  America.  That  same  year  Capt.  Corne- 
lis  Jacobson  Mey,  representing  the  United  New  Netherland  Company, 
explored  Delaware  Bay,  giving  to  the  east  cape  the  name  of  Cape  Mey 
(May) ,  and  to  the  west  cape  the  name  of  Cornelis,  which  he  after- 
wards changed  to  Hindlopen  —  later  corrupted  to  Henlopen.  When 
Mey  returned  to  Europe,  Capt.  Cornelis  Hendricksen,  an  associate  of 
Mey,  determined  to  explore  the  Zuydt,  or  South  (now  Delaware) 
River  more  fully.  He  went  as  far  north  as  the  mouth  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill,  and  in  his  report  to  the  States  General  declared  he  had  dis- 
covered a  bay  and  three  rivers. 

In  1621  the  States  General  chartered  the  Dutch  West  India  Com- 
pany with  sovereign  powers,  giving  it  a  trade  monopoly  and  rights 
to  colonize  on  the  coast  of  Africa  from  the  Tropic  of  Cancer  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  on  the  American  coast  from  the  Straits  of 

25 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Magellan  to  Newfoundland.  The  territory  claimed  by  the  company  in 
North  America  was  called  the  Province  of  New  Netherland.  Thus 
culminated  a  long-drawn  fight  by  the  Amsterdam  merchant,  William 
Usselincx,  for  a  powerful  colonizing,  navigation,  and  trading  organi- 
zation. The  company  did  not  prove  successful.  Usselincx  was  later 
appointed  Swedish  agent  in  Holland. 

The  company  sent  its  first  ship  to  America  in  March  1623,  under 
command  of  Captain  Mey.  The  latter  erected  Fort  Nassau  on  the  New 
Jersey  side  of  the  Delaware  at  Timber  (now  Sassackon)  Creek,  op- 
posite what  is  now  League  Island.  Here  trade  with  the  Indians  was 
carried  on  for  a  time,  the  site  being  alternately  abandoned  and  re- 
occupied  by  the  Dutch  until  1651,  when  they  moved  to  Fort  Casimir 
at  New  Castle,  Del.  This  was  the  first  European  attempt  at  permanent 
settlement  on  the  Delaware. 

Some  time  after  the  formation  of  the  Dutch  West  India  Company, 
the  disappointed  Usselincx  persuaded  Gustavus  Adolphus,  King 
of  Sweden,  to  grant  him  a  commission  to  form  a  Swedish  West  India 
Company.  Letters  patent  were  issued  July  2,  1626,  and  the  project 
was  recommended  to  the  people  of  Sweden  and  Germany.  Gustavus 
himself  pledging  the  Royal  Treasury  up  to  450,000  riksdalers.  The 
Diet  confirmed  the  measure  in  1627,  but  the  German  war  delayed 
organization.  Gustavus  was  killed  in  battle,  in  1632,  and  the  plan  was 
dropped  temporarily.  Chancellor  Axel  Oxenstierna,  regent  and  guard- 
ian for  the  little  Queen  Christina,  soon  renewed  the  patent  of  the 
company,  with  Usselincx  as  director.  Pamphlets  and  circulars  outlin- 
ing the  project  were  distributed  throughout  Europe.  Several  wealthy 
Dutchmen  became  interested  in  the  enterprise,  and  by  1637  actual 
preparations  were  under  way  to  found  a  Swedish  colony  on  the  Dela- 
ware. 

Meanwhile,  in  America,  the  Dutch  West  India  Company  had  per- 
mitted a  landed  aristocracy  to  develop.  Wealthy  Dutchmen,  acquir- 
ing large  grants  from  the  company,  set  themselves  up  as  patroons  or 
feudal  chiefs  of  extensive  territories.  Among  those  interested  in  colon- 
izing the  Delaware  was  David  Pieterszen  (or  Pieterszoon)  De  Vries. 
The  site  of  Philadelphia,  however,  lay  untouched  by  white  coloniza- 
tion, in  fact,  unseen  until  on  January  10,  1633,  De  Vries  sailed  his 
ship  up  the  river  beyond  the  Schuylkill's  mouth,  anchoring  off  what 
is  now  Camden,  N.  J.  The  Indians  were  then  at  war  with  one  another, 
and  De  Vries,  afraid  to  trust  them,  did  not  go  ashore,  but  dropped 
down  the  river  to  Chester  Creek,  where  his  vessel  was  ice-bound  for 
two  weeks.  He  then  sailed  down  the  Delaware  and  went  on  to  Vir- 
ginia. Returning  to  the  river  in  March,  he  captured  a  few  whales,  but 
because  of  their  small  yield  in  oil  he  decided  to  return  to  Holland. 

That  same  year  Arent  Corssen,  commissary  at  Fort  Nassau,  was 
commissioned  by  the  Dutch  governor  at  New  Amsterdam  to  buy  from 

26 


Workmarfs  Place 
'A  Bit  of  Stockholm' 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  Indians  a  tract  of  land  on  the  Schuylkill.  Upon  this  land,  about 
a  half  mile  north  of  the  present  Penrose  Ferry  Bridge,  Fort  Beversrede 
later  was  erected.  In  the  meantime,  difficulties  sprang  up  between  the 
patroons  of  New  Netherland  and  the  Dutch  West  India  Company.  It 
finally  was  agreed  that  the  company  would  purchase  the  property 
and  rights  of  the  patroons,  and  on  November  27,  1634,  all  the  claims 
to  the  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Delaware  passed  to  the  West  India 
Company. 

The  influence  of  the  Swedes  on  the  Delaware  was  now  to  be  felt. 
The  New  Sweden  Company,  a  hybrid  organization  financed  equally 
by  Dutch  and  Swedes,  founded  its  first  colony  in  1638,  on  the  present 
site  of  Wilmington,  Del.  The  first  governor,  Peter  Minuit,  had  been 
the  Dutch  governor  at  New  Amsterdam  for  six  years,  until  replaced 
by  Wouter  Van  Twiller.  As  governor  of  New  Sweden,  Minuit  erected 
Fort  Christiana  and  purchased  from  the  Indians  all  the  land  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Delaware  as  far  north  as  the  Schuylkill.  Pursuing  a 
policy  of  fair  dealing  with  the  Indians,  Minuit  gained  their  good  will 
and  succeeded  in  obtaining  almost  all  the  fur  trade. 

Settlement  of  the  Swedes  upon  the  Delaware  was  sharply  resented 
by  the  Dutch  at  New  Amsterdam,  who  declared  the  Zuydt  River  of 
New  Netherland  had  long  been  in  their  possession.  Minuit  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1640  by  Peter  Hollandaer  (or  Hollander) ,  who  purchased 
the  land  extending  from  the  Schuylkill  north  to  Falls  of  the  Delaware, 
at  what  is  now  Trenton. 

Then  came  John  Printz,  a  huge  man  of  400  pounds.  Printz  was  to 
become  the  greatest  of  New  Sweden's  governors.  After  a  career  in  five 
universities  and  meritorious  service  in  the  Baltic  wars,  he  had  been 
knighted  and  sent  to  America.  In  1643  he  built  New  Gotheberg  (or 
Gottenburg)  — a  log  fort,  and  a  cluster  of  rude  shelters  for  the  im- 
migrants— on  Tinicum  Island,  now  part  of  Tinicum  Township,  Dela- 
ware County.  For  himself  he  erected  a  fine  brick  house  called  "Printz 
Hall,"  which  stood  as  a  landmark  for  a  century  and  a  half.  The  fort 
was  soon  destroyed  by  an  accidental  fire. 

Printz,  known  among  the  Indians  as  the  "Big  Tub,"  ruled  Tinicum 
for  ten  years.  He  liked  neither  the  Indians  nor  the  Dutch,  and  his 
hatred  of  the  latter  was  intensified  when  in  1645  the  New  Amsterdam 
governor  sent  Andreas  Hudde  to  erect  Fort  Beversrede.  Despite  his 
grievances,  Printz  developed  a  brisk  trade  in  pelts  and  tobacco,  and 
made  plans  for  the  building  of  mills  and  forts.  He  married  off  his 
daughter,  Armegat,  to  the  valiant  Johan  Papegoja,  vice  governor  of 
the  Swedes  on  the  Delaware.  This  was  the  first  marriage  ceremony 
between  white  persons  within  the  present  limits  of  Pennsylvania. 
Printz  then  returned  to  Sweden,  leaving  affairs  in  the  hands  of  his 
new  son-in-law.  Papegoja  was  soon  relieved  by  John  Classon  Rysingh. 

At  last  the  friction  between  Dutch  and  Swedes  resulted  in  open 

28 


HISTORY — PENN  AND  THE  HOLY  EXPERIMENT 

violence.  A  new  governor,  "Headstrong"  Peter  Stuyvesant,  had  come 
to  New  Amsterdam.  Passionate,  honest,  and  blunt,  Stuyvesant  stumped 
through  the  affairs  of  the  New  World  on  his  wooden  leg,  hating  the 
Swedes  with  characteristic  intensity.  He  removed  the  Fort  Nassau  gar- 
rison to  Fort  Casimir,  and  when  told  of  the  fall  of  his  new  fort,  he 
gave  way  to  a  mighty  rage.  In  the  autumn  of  1655,  with  an  expedition 
of  seven  vessels  and  600  men,  he  entered  the  Delaware,  lowered  the 
Swedish  flag  everywhere  and  hoisted  the  Dutch  in  its  place,  reestab- 
lishing the  mastery  of  Holland  throughout  the  lower  valley. 

Rysingh  returned  to  Sweden  and  died  in  poverty.  The  leading  Swed- 
ish settlers  followed  him  home,  while  others  surrendered  their  fur 
trade  and  moved  upstream  ahead  of  the  conquering  Dutch.  Thus  the 
wavelets  of  Swedish  migration  beat  upon  the  shores  of  the  Delaware, 
to  leave  the  church,  Gloria  Dei,  as  a  monument  to  their  courage  and 
their  faith. 

But  there  was  never  any  extensive  settlement  by  either  Swedes  or 
Dutch.  In  the  entire  section  of  Tacony,  as  the  Swedes  called  what  is 
now  Philadelphia,  court  records  in  1677  showed  65  males  between  the 
ages  of  16  and  60.  The  Dutch  as  well  as  the  Swedes  were  destined  to 
lose  their  hold  in  this  part  of  the  New  World,  and  at  last  evil  days 
fell  upon  "Old  Wooden  Leg"  Stuyvesant.  Geographically,  the  English 
had  him  bottled  up  and  were  pressing  their  advantage.  "Alas,"  he 
wrote  in  despair  to  the  West  India  Company,  "the  English  are  ten  to 
one  in  number  to  us,  and  are  able  to  deprive  us  of  the  country  when 
they  please." 

English  Encroachment 

4  S  early  as  1634,  two  Englishmen,  Thomas  Young  and  Robert 
-^*-  Evelyn,  journeyed  as  far  north  on  the  Delaware  as  the  present 
site  of  Philadelphia.  They  built  a  small  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Schuylkill  River,  but  remained  there  only  five  days.  The  next  year, 
by  order  of  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  an  expedition  under  Capt. 
George  Holmes  attempted  to  seize  Fort  Nassau  on  the  New  Jersey 
side.  The  attempt  was  frustrated  by  the  Dutch,  who  captured  Holmes 
and  sent  him  to  New  Amsterdam  in  chains.  In  1641,  sixty  Puritans 
from  New  Haven  went  up  the  Delaware  with  the  intention  of  settling 
permanently  at  the  Schuylkill's  mouth.  (All  Delaware  River  way- 
farers recognized  the  value  of  that  particular  spot,  the  embryonic 
Philadelphia) .  The  Puritans  erected  a  blockhouse,  but  before  long 
it  was  burned  to  the  ground  by  raiders  in  the  Dutch  service,  and  the 
Connecticut  colonizers  were  sent  to  New  Amsterdam. 

At  last,  after  the  long  years  of  claims  and  counter-claims,  of  voyages 
of  exploration  and  attempts  at  colonization,  came  the  Treaty  of  Breda 
in  1667,  whereby  England  gained  possession  of  the  territory  now  con- 

29 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

tained  in  the  States  of  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  and  New 
York.  Vital  changes  in  affairs  of  the  New  World  were  linked  inti- 
mately with  developments  in  the  Old.  On  March  20,  1664,  Charles  II 
presented  to  his  brother  James,  Duke  of  York  and  Albany,  the  lands 
between  the  Connecticut  and  Delaware  Rivers.  James  gave  to  Sir 
George  Carteret  and  John,  Lord  Berkeley,  courtiers  and  favorites, 
possession  of  the  territory  between  the  Hudson  and  the  Delaware. 
Carteret  had  held  the  Island  of  Jersey  for  the  Cavaliers  against  the 
might  of  Cromwell,  and  so  the  new  province,  at  first  named  Nova 
Caesarea,  was  then  called  New  Jersey. 

The  fortunes  of  Col.  Richard  Nicolls,  a  follower  of  the  Duke  of 
York,  also  entered  a  period  of  brightness  under  the  favor  of  the  royal 
brothers.  Nicolls  dispossessed  Stuyvesant  in  1664  but  he  treated  the 
Dutch  and  Swedes  on  the  Delaware  with  consideration.  He  established 
the  Duke  of  York's  system  of  laws,  which  provided  for  trial  by  jury, 
religious  freedom,  and  equality  of  taxation. 

After  Nicolls,  Col.  Francis  Lovelace  governed  on  the  Delaware 
(1667-1673),  and  then,  the  Dutch  gained  ascendancy  in  1673,  follow- 
ing the  fortunes  of  a  fresh  war  overseas.  They  maintained  this  posi- 
tion for  only  a  year,  during  which  time  Peter  Alrichs  was  deputy 
governor  of  the  Colonies  on  the  west  side  of  the  Delaware.  With  the 
Treaty  of  Westminster,  in  1674,  the  English  again  were  masters  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

Four  years  later,  in  1678,  the  English  ship  Shield  sailed  up  the 
Delaware,  passing  the  Indian  place,  Coaquannock,  which  lay  under 
a  thin  mantle  of  snow  on  the  river's  western  bank.  The  site  of  Phila- 
delphia was  then  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  save  for  a  few 
scattered  clearings  and  an  occasional  log  cabin  sending  its  wreaths  of 
smoke  upward  through  the  trees. 

The  Shield,  bound  up-river  for  the  new  settlement  of  Burlington 
(N.  J.),  tacked  close  in  to  shore  —  so  close  that  some  of  the  rigging 
scraped  against  branches  of  trees  lining  the  water's  edge.  One  of  the 
crew  gazed  in  awe  at  the  broad  flat  forests  stretching  away  from  the 
placid  Delaware,  then  turned  to  a  shipmate  and  exclaimed  :  "Here 
is  a  fine  place  for  a  town  !" 


30 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT 


ON  April  23,  1682,  Captain  Holme  set  sail  from  London 
on  the  Amity.,  having  been  commissioned  by  William  Penn  as 
surveyor  general  of  Pennsylvania.  Holme  arrived  on  the  site  of 
Philadelphia  late  in  June,  and  immediately  began  the  task  of  laying 
out  the  city  on  the  elevated  ground  between  the  Delaware  and  Schuyl- 
kill  Rivers. 

The  starting  point  of  the  city  rose  from  tide  level  to  an  altitude  of 
no  more  than  50  feet,  its  forest-covered  surface  drained  by  a  half 
dozen  creeks.  Most  of  the  area,  except  for  early  Swedish  clearings 
along  rivers  and  creeks,  was  primitive  wilderness  ;  Indian  encamp- 
ments had  encroached  very  little  upon  the  tall  pines. 

Several  plots  had  already  been  surveyed  before  the  arrival  of 
Holme,  and  a  small  number  of  buildings  had  been  erected,  princi- 
pally along  Dock  Creek.  Choice  sections  of  water-front  land  were  ob- 
tained from  the  Swedes,  who  were  given  other  tracts  in  exchange, 
and  during  midsummer  a  large  area  in  what  is  now  Bucks  County 
was  purchased  from  the  Indians. 

The  acreage  obtained  from  the  Swedes  included  frontage  on  both 
rivers.  In  plan  at  least,  the  city  was  extended  westward  to  the  Schuyl- 
kill  River  and  from  Vine  Street  to  South  —  two  miles  east  to  west, 
and  one  mile  north  to  south.  In  the  shadow  of  the  Coaquannock 
woods  Philadelphia  thus  slowly  began  to  rise,  while  in  England  Wil- 
liam Penn  was  busily  engaged  in  preaching  the  gospel  of  emigra- 
tion and  making  last-minute  preparations  for  departure. 

Among  his  many  schemes  for  development  of  the  city  and  Province, 
Penn  set  great  store  on  the  Free  Society  of  Traders,  a  land  and  com- 
mercial company  chartered  in  London.  Its  president  was  Nicholas 
Moore,  a  London  doctor,  who  came  to  Philadelphia  shortly  after 
Penn's  arrival  and  later  became  speaker  of  the  assembly  and  chief 
justice.  The  treasurer  was  James  Claypoole,  an  able  and  energetic 
man  who  also  made  his  home  in  the  New  World. 

One  of  the  plans  of  the  society  was  to  erect  an  autonomous  "Manor 
of  Frank,  which  should  hold  its  court-baron,  court-leet  and  view  of 
frankpledge."  For  this  purpose  to  the  society  was  granted  a  tract  of 
20,000  acres  about  20  miles  northwest  of  the  city.  By  June  1682,  the 
total  stock  subscribed  to  the  company  had  reached  £10,000,  but  the 
undertaking  later  collapsed  for  a  reason  still  undetermined.  Possibly 

31 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  society  had  made  plans  on  too  vast  a  scale.  At  any  rate,  manorial 
reservations  and  courts  were  not  adaptable  to  democratic  society. 

In  order  to  attract  wealthy  individuals,  Penn  offered  parcels  of 
5,000  acres  for  £100,  with  50  acres  additional  for  every  indentured 
servant  brought  to  Pennsylvania.  An  opportunity  was  given  entire 
families  to  purchase  tracts  of  500  acres,  to  be  paid  for  in  annual  in- 
stallments over  a  period  of  years.  Moreover,  Philadelphia  was  to  be 
built  up  "after  the  proportion  of  10  acres  for  each  500  acres  pur- 
chased, if  the  place  would  allow  it."  (Instead  of  becoming  a  colony 
of  landed  gentry,  Philadelphia  became  a  center  for  tradesmen,  labor- 
ers, and  seekers  after  homesteads.) 

Penn  had  been  expected  in  Philadelphia  for  a  long  time  before 
he  arrived.  The  reason  for  his  delay  was  that  he  was  busy  on  his 
Frame  of  Government  constitution.  He  consulted  many  persons, 
notably  Algernon  Sidney,  who  wished  England  to  become  a  republic 
and  who  finally  gave. his  life  for  his  liberal  principles.  Sidney  did 
not  approve  some  of  Penn's  ideas,  although  both  were  Whigs,  and 
each  was  in  his  own  way  eager  to  help  mankind.  Penn  made  as  many 
as  20  drafts  of  his  constitution,  each  a  considerable  advance  over  the 
first,  which  would  have  created  a  landed  aristocracy. 

Under  Penn's  rule  there  was  to  be  a  governor,  a  provincial  council, 
and  an  assembly.  The  council"  was  to  be  composed  of  72  freemen,  who 
were  to  serve  for  three  years,  one-third  being  replaced  each  year.  The 
governor  was  to  have  three  votes  in  the  council,  but  no  power  of  veto. 
The  council  alone  had  the  right  to  originate  bills.  The  governor  and 
council  together  constituted  the  executive  power,  and  by  division  into 
committees  were  to  manage  the  affairs  of  the  Province.  The  assembly 
was  to  consist,  for  the  first  year,  of  all  the  freemen  of  the  Province, 
and  after  that  of  200  persons  to  be  elected  each  year. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  changes  were  necessary.  Under  the 
existing  arrangement,  the  governor  was  impotent,  and  therefore  the 
right  of  veto  was  granted  him  in  1696.  Penn  also  modernized  the 
method  of  impeachment,  and  was  the  first  person  to  lay  down  the 
principle  that  any  law  which  violated  the  constitution  should  be  void. 
The  final  draft  was  completed  April  25,  1682. 

When  Penn  and  his  contingent  of  settlers  finally  arrived,  they 
found  the  season  well  advanced  and  the  problem  of  shelter  for  their 
first  winter  in  the  new  land  a  grave  one.  Of  the  situation  Pastorius 
wrote:  "The  caves  of  that  time  were  only  holes  digged  in  the  ground, 
covered  with  earth,  a  matter  of  5  or  6  feet  deep,  10  or  12  feet  wide 
and  about  20  feet  long.  Whereof  neither  the  sides  or  the  floors  have 
been  planked.  Herein  we  lived  more  contentedly  than  many  nowa- 
days in  their  painted  and  wainscoted  palaces,  as  I,  without  the  least 
hyperbole,  may  call  them  in  comparison  of  the  aforesaid  subter- 
raneous catacombs  or  dens." 

32 


HISTORY — EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

Building  construction  was  carried  on  with  renewed  vigor  in  the 
spring.  For  himself  Penn  had  ordered  a  house  commanding  a  view 
of  the  Delaware,  but  it  was  not  until  March  10,  1683,  that  he  took 
up  residence  in  Philadelphia.  By  this  time  the  Province  had  been 
divided  into  Philadelphia,  Chester  and  Bucks  counties,  and  both  the 
Great  Law  and  the  Frame  of  Government  had  been  adopted  by 
the  assembly,  which  had  its  first  session  in  Chester,  December  4,  1682. 
During  1683  a  number  of  settlers  made  their  way  into  the  wilder- 
ness. More  than  20  vessels  loaded  with  immigrants  arrived  in  Phila- 
delphia before  the  end  of  the  year.  Penn's  great  plan  apparently  was 
moving  toward  the  success  for  which  he  had  prayed  and  labored. 
His  gratification  at  the  progress  of  his  Province  found  expression  in 
many  letters.  "Colonies,"  he  wrote,  "are  the  seeds  of  the  Nation."  He 
called  the  Delaware  a  "glorious  river,"  and  declared  that  the  Schuyl- 
kill  being  "boatable  100  miles  above  the  falls  —  and  opening  the  way 
to  the  heart  of  the  Province,  is  likely  to  attract  settlers  in  that  di- 
rection." 

In  sending  back  to  England  a  copy  of  the  city  plan,  he  wrote: 

This  I  will  say  for  the  good  Providence  of  God,  that  of  all  the  many 
places  I  have  seen  in  the  world,  I  remember  not  one  better  seated, 
so  that  it  seems  to  me  to  have  been  appointed  for  a  town,  whether 
we  regard  the  rivers  or  the  conveniency  of  the  coves,  docks,  springs, 
the  loftiness  and  soundness  of  the  land  and  the  air  held  by  the  people 
of  these  parts  to  be  very  good.  It  is  advanced  within  less  than  a  year 
to  about  fourscore  houses  and  cottages,  such  as  they  are,  where  mer- 
chants and  handicrafts  are  following  their  vocations  as  fast  as  they 
can,  while  the  countrymen  are  close  at  their  farms. 

Thomas  Paschall,  a  pewterer,  may  be  taken  as  a  typical  colonist. 
He  came  from  Bristol,  and  with  his  family  of  seven  children  set- 
tled on  a  500-acre  tract  between  what  are  now  Angora  and  Mount 
Moriah  Cemetery.  Paschallville  was  named  for  him.  "Here  is  a  place 
called  Philadelphia  where  is  a  market  kept  as  also  at  Upland,"  he 
wrote  in  1683.  Attending  a  fair  at  Burlington,  N.  J.,  he  saw  "most 
sorts  of  goods  to  be  sold  and  a  great  resort  of  people.  The  country 
is  full  of  goods."  He  declared  that  within  a  year  24  ships  had  sailed 
up  the  Delaware,  which  he  termed  "a  brave,  pleasant  river  as  can  be 
desired."  The  same  year  saw  the  arrival  of  at  least  50  ships,  bringing 
hundreds  of  Welsh  settlers  and  the  first  of  the  German  immigrants. 

From  the  very  beginning  the  Welsh  seemed  to  prefer  the  Schuyl- 
kill.  In  a  short  time  other  Quaker  colonists  arrived  from  Wales,  pur- 
chasing 5,000  acres  of  unsurveyed  land,  a  part  of  a  larger  tract  set 
aside  by  Penn  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Welsh.  Penn's  charter  per- 
mitted him  to  erect  manors,  and  perhaps  the  Welsh  expected  to  have 
"manorial  jurisdiction."  However,  only  for  a  time  did  they  enjoy 
special  privileges  of  local  self-government.  The  tract  of  40,000  acres 
which  they  ultimately  obtained  was  often  called  the  Welsh  Barony. 

33 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Here  were  founded  the  townships  of  Merion,  Radnor,  and  Haverford, 
west  of  the  Schuylkill.  Many  notable  Philadelphians  trace  their  an- 
cestry to  the  first  settlers  of  the  Welsh  tract. 

Gwynne  Friends  canie  later  than  the  Quakers  who  settled  on  the 
Welsh  tract.  Hugh  Roberts,  "a  man  of  much  enthusiasm,"  went  to 
Wales  and  stirred  up  the  ancient  Britons  to  a  realization  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  new  Province.  As  a  result  a  new  group  arrived  and 
purchased  from  Robert  Turner  a  tract  18  miles  from  the  heart  of 
Philadelphia. 

Not  all  the  Welsh  immigrants  were  Quakers,  however.  A  large  num- 
ber of  Welsh  churchmen  from  Radnorshire  settled  at  Radnor,  some- 
times called  Welshtown,  and  built  the  famous  St.  David's  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church.  Here  the  old  Tory,  Judge  Moore,  of  Moore  Hall, 
and  the  patriot,  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  worshiped  and  were  buried. 

Pastorius  and  the  Founding  of  Germantown 

N  JUNE  10,  1683,  the  ship  America,  with  Capt.  Joseph  Wasey  in 
command,  sailed  from  Deal,  England,  with  a  scholarly  gentleman 
aboard  —  a  man  who  was  to  play  an  important  role  in  the  history  of 
Philadelphia.  He  was  Francis  Daniel  Pastorius,  founder  of  German- 
town  and  forerunner  of  a  great  wave  of  immigration.  Pastorius  and 
his  party  of  nine  arrived  in  Philadelphia  on  August  20,  six  weeks 
earlier  than  the  main  body  of  the  first  Germantown  colonists,  the  so- 
called  Mennonite  weavers.  These,  coming  from  Crefeld,  arrived  on 
the  Concord,  commanded  by  Capt.  William  Jefferies,  on  October  6, 
1683.  They  were  not  of  German  origin,  as  is  commonly  supposed,  but 
were  Dutch  Quaker  descendants  of  Mennonites  who  had  taken  up 
residence  in  the  Rhine  country  after  being  driven  from  the  Nether- 
lands. 

The  Krisheimers  (or  Cresheimers)  likewise  had  their  origin  in  the 
Netherlands,  afterwards  migrating  to  Switzerland  and  then  to  Ger- 
many before  coming  to  America.  Preceding  the  bulk  of  German  mi- 
gration to  Germantown  and  its  environs,  the  Krisheimers  and  Cre- 
f elders  did  much  to  industrialize  the  Wissahickon  region  and  develop 
agriculture  along  Cresheim  Creek  before  the  turn  of  the  eighteenth 
century. 

Pastorius  was  born  at  Sommerhausen  on  the  Main,  Franconia,  Sept. 
26,  1651,  three  years  after  the  close  of  the  Thirty  Years  War.  His 
name  in  Low  German  was  Scepers,  but  was  Latinized  into  Pastorius. 

He  attended  four  universities  and  spent  years  in  study,  travel,  and 
association  with  cultured  persons,  becoming  one  of  the  great  scholars 
of  his  time.  One  of  the  Frankfort  Pietists,  he  was  an  important  in- 
fluence in  the  great  religious  awakening  that  took  place  in  the  second 
half  of  the  seventeenth  century. 

34 


HISTORY — EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

Pastorius  had  as  a  fellow-passenger  on  the  trip  from  Deal,  Thomas 
Lloyd,  who  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  nine  children.  The 
weather  was  foul,  whales  struck  the  ship,  and  sailors  went  crazy  ;  hut 
Pastorius  and  Lloyd  paced  the  deck,  conversing  in  Latin  and  discuss- 
ing their  hopes  for  the  new  colony. 

The  America  brought  over  80  persons,  among  them  Catholics, 
Lutherans,  Calvinists,  Anabaptists,  Episcopalians,  and  one  Quaker. 
Pastorius  at  first  lived  in  a  cave  dwelling,  but  soon  built  a  "little  house 
in  Philadelphia  30  feet  long  and  15  feet  wide."  Further  describing 
his  home,  he  wrote  :  "Because  of  the  scarcity  of  glass,  the  windows 
were  of  oiled  paper.  Over  the  house  door  I  had  written  :  'Parva 
domus,  sed  arnica  bonis,  procul  este  prophani'  (A  little  house,  but  a 
friend  of  the  good  ;  remain  at  a  distance,  ye  profane) ." 

Six  days  after  his  arrival,  Pastorius  obtained  from  Penn  a  warrant 
for  approximately  6,000  acres  on  the  east  side  of  the  Schuylkill.  The 
tract  was  divided  between  the  German  Company  or  Society  (the  so- 
called  Frankfurters)  and  the  Cref elders.  German  Town  settlement 
was  laid  out  with  a  main  street  60  feet  wide,  and  cross  streets  40  feet 
wide.  For  each  house  a  lot  of  three  acres  was  provided.  Pastorius 
doubling  the  acreage  for  his  own  dwelling.  The  little  settlement 
grew,  and  in  1685,  Pastorius  reported  that  12  families,  numbering  41 
persons,  were  living  in  the  colony. 

Germantown  was  incorporated  as  a  borough  in  1689,  by  a  patent 
William  Penn  had  issued  in  England.  Pastorius  acted  as  the  bor- 
ough's first  bailiff.  Two  members  of  the  Op  de  Graeff  family,  and 
Jacob  Fellner,  were  selected  to  serve  as  magistrates.  These,  together 
with  eight  yeomen,  formed  a  general  court  which  sat  once  a  month, 
making  laws  and  levying  taxes. 

In  August  1700,  Pastorius  turned  over  to  the  agents  of  the  reorgan- 
ized German  Company  all  the  property  in  his  charge.  Then  he  be- 
came lawgiver,  schoolmaster,  burgher,  scrivener,  and  writer  of  prose 
and  verse.  He  served  as  schoolmaster  of  the  Friends  School  from 
1698  to  1700.  He  was  the  prototype  of  the  titular  character  in  Whit- 
tier's  Pennsylvania  Pilgrim. 

Perm's  Policy  of  Good  Will 

TN  LONDON  on  March  4,  1681,  Penn  had  written  triumphantly  to 
-*-  Robert  Turner  :  "This  day  my  country  was  confirmed  to  me  under 
the  great  seal  of  England."  On  April  8  he  sent  a  letter  to  America, 
assuring  the  Swedes  on  the  Delaware  and  all  other  settlers  in  his 
Province  that  "You  shall  be  governed  by  laws  of  your  own  making, 
and  live  a  free,  and  if  you  will,  a  sober  and  industrious  people." 

Under  the  Duke  of  York,  the  Swedes  had  obtained  title  to  large 
tracts  of  fine  land.  Penn  either  purchased  their  properties  or  gave 

35 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

better  lands  in  exchange  for  them.  One  instance  of  this  policy  is 
furnished  in  his  treatment  of  the  Svenssons  or  Swansons.  These  were 
Sven,  Olave,  and  Andrew,  the  sons  of  Sven  Gunnasson,  all  of  whom, 
including  the  father,  had  settled  at  Wicaco,  in  the  vicinity  of  what 
is  now  Front  Street  and  Washington  Avenue.  Penn  gave  the  Swansons 
good  land  on  the  Schuylkill,  and  they  surrendered  the  Wicaco  title. 
On  April  10,  1681,  Penn  sent  his  cousin,  William  Markham,  as 
deputy  governor,  to  take  possession  of  the  Province.  Markham  was 
to  read  the  King's  proclamation  and  the  proprietor's  letter  to  the 
inhabitants,  call  a  council,  settle  boundary  disputes,  erect  courts,  and 
preserve  order.  Markham  was  bold,  resolute,  and  devoted  to  the 
proprietor.  He  is  believed  to  have  landed  at  Boston.  By  June  26  he 
was  in  New  York,  where  Lieut.  Anthony  Brockholls,  president  of 
the  council,  governing  in  the  absence  of  Sir  Edmund  Andros,  yielded 
his  authority  on  the  Delaware  in  the  name  of  the  Duke  of  York 

At  Upland  (or  Mecopanoca,  as  the  Indians  called  it) ,  nine  men, 
selected  by  Markham,  met  in  council  on  August  3.  A  court  was  set 
up,  and  government  was  established.  Thomas  Revail  was  chosen  clerk 
of  the  court,  and  John  Test  named  sheriff.  The  court  took  the  place 
of  the  Kingsesse  or  Kingsessing  Court  on  the  West  Bank  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill— Philadelphia's  Blockley  Township.  There  were  two  Swedes  in 
Penn's  first  council  :  Justice  Otto  Ernest  Cock,  an  old  Tinicum  man, 
and  Capt.  Lasse  Cock  of  Passyunk.  Among  the  English  members  was 
Robert  Wade,  of  Upland,  first  Quaker  west  of  the  Delaware.  His 
place,  Essex  House,  was  a  popular  resort  for  Friends. 

Others  in  the  Council  were  the  Burlington  settlers  :  Morgan 
Drewet,  of  Marcus  Hook  ;  William  Warner,  William  Clayton,  William 
Woodmanson,  Friends  of  the  Upland  section  ;  and  Thomas  Fairman, 
surveyor,  who  had  built  a  house  in  the  projected  town  of  Shacka- 
maxon  on  a  300-acre  tract.  Fairman  had  boats  and  horses,  and  was 
of  great  service  in  the  founding  of  Philadelphia. 

Philadelphia  is  a  name  taken  out  of  ancient  history  (from  Lydia, 
in  Asia  Minor)  and  means  "brotherly  love,"  a  term  that  expresses 
the  very  essence  of  Penn's  philosophy.  Another  ancient  city  also  was 
said  to  have  been  in  Penn's  mind,  not  for  its  name,  but  for  its  plan 
—  Babylon,  with  its  miracles  in  masonry. 

At  any  rate,  Penn  did  astonish  the  world  by  the  Babylonian  big- 
ness of  his  plans.  He  told  Markham  to  allocate  10,000  acres  as  a  site 
for  the  new  city.  Holme's  assistant,  Henry  Hollingsworth,  is  said  to 
have  left  a  journal,  believed  destroyed  by  the  British  at  Elkton  in 
1777,  in  which  he  declared  that  notwithstanding  the  manifest  advan- 
tages of  the  Philadelphia  site,  Penn  would  have  located  his  capital 
at  Upland  if  he  had  not  feared  that  place  was  too  close  to  the 
northern  boundary  of  Lord  Baltimore's  grant. 

According  to  Watson,  Penn  said  :   "Let  the  rivers  and  creeks  be 

36 


HISTORY — EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

sounded  on  my  side  of  the  Delaware  River,  especially  Upland,  in 
order  to  settle  a  great  towne."  Watson  also  mentions  the  once  pro- 
jected site  of  "Old  Philadelphia"  near  the  "Bakehouse,"  on  the  south 
side  of  Poquessing  Creek  in  Byberry,  which  was  abandoned,  it  is 
said,  because  of  sunken  rocks  known  as  "the  hen  and  chickens." 

"Pennsbury  (in  Bucks  County)  was  rejected  after  survey,"  says 
Westcott,  "probably  because  the  water  was  insufficient."  Other  sites 
were  considered,  but  all  were  rejected  for  Coaquannock,  the  grove  of 
tall  pines  between  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  Rivers. 

Boundaries  and  Treaties 

A  LTHOUGH  the  infant  colony  continued  to  make  steady  progress, 
-^*-  Penn  soon  became  troubled  by  boundary  disputes.  In  June. 
1683,  the  year  after  his  arrival,  Maryland  commissioners  crossed  from 
Chesapeake  Bay  to  the  Delaware  on  a  grand  hunt  for  the  fortieth  de- 
gree of  latitude,  which  had  been  fixed  by  Charles  I  as  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  Maryland  grant. 

At  New  Castle  the  Marylanders  borrowed  a  ship  sextant.  To  their 
intense  joy  they  found,  according  to  their  calculations,  that  they  were 
far  below  the  fortieth  degree.  With  Lord  Baltimore  and  40  armed 
men,  they  proceeded  to  Upland  that  autumn,  telling  Markham  that 
Upland,  and  probably  Philadelphia  itself,  was  in  Maryland  territory, 
and  the  Quakers  would  have  to  vacate.  The  Marylanders  charged 
Penn's  London  lawyers  with  trickery  in  an  effort  to  obtain  a  water 
exit  at  the  mouth  of  the  Susquehanna. 

Markham  pointed  out  that  Penn  had  no  seacoast,  and  all  he  wanted 
was  an  outlet  to  the  Atlantic.  Penn,  Markham  informed  them,  had 
an  instrument  with  which  to  lay  out  the  bounds,  but  the  instrument 
was  out  of  order.  The  Marylanders  laughed  at  this,  and  told  Markham 
they  already  had  determined  the  latitude  at  Upland  by  means  of  the 
borrowed  sextant,  and  that  it  was  39°  47'  5". 

Markham  reminded  them  that  whatever  Charles  I  might  have 
granted  to  Cecil  Calvert,  Charles  II  had  granted  to  William  Penn 
the  land  "from  12  miles  distance  northward  of  New  Castle  Towne." 
The  Marylanders  replied  that  "His  Majesty  must  have  long  com- 
passes." Markham  refused  permission  for  the  expedition  to  proceed 
farther  up  the  Delaware,  and  Lord  Baltimore  demanded  and  re- 
ceived the  refusal  in  writing.  As  the  Chesapeake  party  journeyed 
homeward,  they  stopped  at  Marcus  Hook  to  warn  the  residents 
against  paying  quit-rent  to  Penn. 

The  dispute  in  the  London  courts  over  Penn's  southern  boundary 
lasted  as  long  as  did  the  proprietorships  of  the  contending  families. 
A  compromise  in  1760  fixed  the  line  at  39°  43'  26.3",  and  in  1767 
Charles  Mason  and  Jeremiah  Dixon  ran  the  line  that  exists  as  the 
boundary  today. 

37 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Concerning  this  trouble  with  Lord  Baltimore,  Penn  wrote  to  Lord 
Halifax  in  England  : 

The  only  interruption  I  meet  with  is  from  the  unkindness  of 
my  neighbour  proprietor,  who  not  only  refuseth  compliance  to  the 
King's  commands,  and  the  grant  he  and  the  duke  have  gratuitously 
made  me,  but  as  impatient  of  the  decision  of  our  joynt  sovereign, 
would  anticipate  that  by  indirect  ways  of  his  own.  He  taketh  himself 
to  be  a  prince,  that,  even  to  his  fellow  subject  and  brother  proprietor, 
can  by  right  determine  difference  by  force,  and  we  have  been 
threatened  with  troops  of  horse. 

Penn's  relations  with  the  Indians,  however,  were  always  amicable. 
Before  his  arrival  in  America,  he  had  entrusted  to  Markham  the  task 
of  making  several  land  treaties  with  the  red  men,  and  also  had  sent 
letters  addressed  to  them  to  be  read  at  treaty  conferences,  When  he 
came  to  Pennsylvania  he  visited  the  various  tribes,  cultivating  their 
good  will  and  establishing  friendships  that  were  to  last  throughout 
his  lifetime. 

He  sat  with  them  at  feasts,  watched  their  games,  took  part  in  their 
sports,  and  smoked  (though  he  detested  smoking)  the  pipe  of  peace 
with  them.  To  white  audiences  Penn  may  often  have  seemed  verbose, 
pompous,  and  somewhat  of  a  bore,  but  the  Indians  received  him  as 
a  man  without  guile,  a  man  in  whom  dwelt  a  passion  for  fair  play. 

Among  relics  preserved  by  The  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania 
in  Philadelphia  is  a  wampum  belt  of  white  and  purple  shells.  This 
commemorates  the  treaty  "not  sworn  to  and  never  broken."  The 
Indians  gave  it  to  Penn  in  token  of  their  love  and  friendship,  to 
last  "as  long  as  the  sun  and  moon  shall  endure."  The  emblem  tradi- 
tionally has  been  identified  with  the  celebrated  Elm  Treaty  of 
Shackamaxon,  which  treaty  may  have  been  negotiated  in  the  autumn 
of  1682  or  the  summer  of  1683,  on  the  site  marked  by  a  srigantic  elm 
until  1810,  and  now  by  a  marble  obelisk.  This  meeting  with  the  Dela- 
wares,  Susquehannocks,  and  possibly  the  Shawnees  has  been  incor- 
rectly portrayed  on  canvas  by  Benjamin  West,  and  embroidered  with 
fiction  by  careless  writers.  Some  of  the  most  dependable  historians 
are  prone  to  regard  the  Great  Elm  Treaty  as  a  beautiful  legend  rather 
than  as  a  historic  fact,  because  the  time  and  place  of  the  meeting 
have  been  a  source  of  so  much  dispute.  No  written  record  was  pre- 
served ;  Penn  never  specifically  mentioned  it  in  anv  of  his  numerous 
letters  ;  and  repeated  searches  disclosed  no  land  deeds  associating 
Shackamaxon  with  Penn  and  the  Indians. 

These  arguments,  however,  do  not  have  sufficient  force  to  dislodge 
the  monument  of  marble  from  the  site  of  Shackamaxon's  famous  elm. 
And  this  is  as  it  should  be.  In  time's  inexorable  perspective,  Penn 
has  to  some  extent  lost  fame  as  a  colonizer,  as  an  administrator,  and 
as  a  true  leader  in  the  cause  for  which,  earlier  in  life,  he  braved 

38 


HISTORY — EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

the  wrath  of  kings  and  suffered  the  ignominy  of  prison.  However, 
no  historian  can  annul  the  covenants  of  amity  written  by  Penn 
under  countless  unmarked  trees.  Whether  or  not  he  held  a  treaty 
conference  with  the  Indians  at  Shackamaxon  is  immaterial  ;  he 
treated  with  them  often,  and  in  various  places.  The  monument  should 
be  regarded  not  as  a  memorial  to  a  single  historic  episode,  but  as  a 
symbol  of  that  quality  in  Penn  which  alone  would  give  him  im- 
mortality—  the  quality  that  made  him  the  beloved  Miquon  of  Indian 
council  fires  long  after  land-hungry  heirs  had  succeeded  him. 

Later  Years  of  Proprietorship 

T  N  1684,  Penn  sailed  for  Europe,  to  remain  there  15  years.  During 
-•-this  protracted  sojourn  in  England  and  on  the  Continent,  he  ex- 
perienced many  important  changes  in  his  private  and  public  life. 
Becoming  involved  in  royal  intrigue,  he  was  arrested  on  several  oc- 
casions and  had  to  submit  to  humiliating  investigations.  He  was 
ousted  from  the  proprietorship  of  Pennsylvania  on  March  10,  1692  ; 
not  until  August  9,  1694,  was  the  Province  restored  to  him. 

On  February  23  of  the  latter  year  his  wife  died,  and  was  buried 
beside  four  of  their  children.  A  fifth  child  died  in  1696.  In  February, 
1696,  Penn  married  Hannah  Callowhill,  daughter  of  a  Bristol  linen 
dealer,  a  woman  of  character  and  determination.  Of  his  second  union 
there  were  six  children  :  John,  born  in  the  slate-roofed  house  in 
Philadelphia  ;  Thomas,  Hannah,  Margaret,  Richard,  and  Dennis.  He 
was  64  when  his  youngest  child  was  born. 

Eager  now  to  return  to  Pennsylvania,  the  Founder  set  about 
winding  up  his  affairs  in  England.  He  made  a  preaching  tour  through 
Ireland,  stayed  for  a  while  at  the  Shannigarry  estate,  and  then  sailed 
for  America  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  Letitia.  They  took  passage 
on  the  Canterbury,  which  left  Cowes  Road,  Isle  of  Wight,  on  Sep- 
tember 9,  1699.  The  passage  was  long  and  tedious,  and  by  the  time 
they  arrived  in  Philadelphia  winter  had  set  in.  It  was  not  a  pleasant 
home-coming,  though  Penn's  heart  must  have  thrilled  at  sight  of  the 
busy  water  front,  the  long  rows  of  red-brick  houses,  and  the  tidy 
little  farms  girdling  his  compact  town. 

At  Chester  he  had  found  yellow  fever  epidemic,  and  in  Phila- 
delphia he  was  to  find  the  assembly  a  difficult  body  of  men  with 
which  to  deal.  This  latter  fact  was  not  long  in  making  itself  ap- 
parent. Two  bills  presented  by  Penn  —  one  to  prohibit  the  sale  of 
rum  to  Indians,  the  other  to  provide  for  the  decent  marriage  of 
Negroes  —  were  rejected  with  humiliating  bluntness.  The  council 
was  even  more  hostile.  Penn  soon  realized  he  was  proprietor  in 
name  only.  To  the  Indians  he  was  still  the  great  sachem,  the  King 
of  Men,  but  to  the  settlers  in  Philadelphia  and  the  growing  Province 
he  was  an  over-scrupulous  old  man  obstructing  progress. 

39 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

For  a  while  the  Founder  lived  in  the  slate-roofed  house  at  Second 
Street  and  Norris  Alley  (now  Sansom  Street) ,  afterward  moving  to  his 
Pennsbury  estate  along  the  Delaware  River  in  Bucks  County.  Here  he 
lived  in  more  or  less  political  seclusion,  though  his  restless  nature 
took  him  abroad  throughout  the  Province  on  visits  to  Indian  villages 
and  to  outlying  settlements.  He  maintained  a  six-oared  barge  on  the 
river  ;  he  kept  blooded  horses,  a  well-stocked  pantry  and  cellar. 
Always  a  lover  of  good  victuals,  he  now  began  to  take  on  consider- 
able weight. 

This  bucolic  existence  was  rudely  interrupted  in  1701  by  news 
that  the  English  Parliament  was  attempting  to  bring  Pennsylvania 
under  direct  royal  control.  Though  keenly  desirous  that  Penn  should 
hurry  to  England  and  thwart  the  bill,  the  assembly  appropriated 
money  for  the  purpose  only  after  repeated  and  maddening  delays. 
By  that  time  Penn's  finances  were  in  a  deplorable  condition,  and  even 
the  large  acreage  of  his  Pennsbury  estate  had  dwindled. 

Word  of  the  Founder's  imminent  departure  was  treated  with  in- 
difference by  Philadelphians,  but  Indians  by  the  score  came  into 
the  little  city  to  say  farewell  to  their  Onas.  Penn  appointed  Col. 
Andrew  Hamilton,  the  former  Governor  of  East  and  West  Jersey, 
as  deputy  governor  of  Pennsylvania,  and  James  Logan  as  Colonial 
secretary.  Then,  in  October,  1701,  he  set  sail  for  Portsmouth,  England, 
with  his  wife  and  family. 

Penn  intended  to  remain  abroad  only  long  enough  to  straighten 
out  the  affairs  of  the  Province.  However,  forces  which  had  no  con- 
nection with  problems  of  state  kept  him  from  ever  returning  to 
America.  By  1705  he  had  obtained  unquestioned  autonomy  for  Penn- 
sylvania, through  a  grant  obtained  from  Queen  Anne,  despite  the 
Crown's  growing  tendency  to  check  proprietary  power  in  the  New 
World.  His  private  affairs,  however,  became  so  involved  in  claims 
and  counter-claims  that  eventually  he  became  a  voluntary  inmate 
of  a  debtor's  prison. 

The  autumn  of  1708  found  him  living  quietly  with  his  wife  and 
some  of  their  children  at  Brentford,  England.  Penn  was  now  in  his 
middle  sixties,  extremely  corpulent,  and  constantly  ailing.  His  health 
declined  rapidly  and  his  mind  became  affected.  In  spite  of  this  mental 
and  physical  decay,  there  persisted  a  stubborn  spark  of  that  energy 
which  in  middle  age  had  driven  him  to  wild  frontiers,  and  now  in 
the  twilight  of  life  guided  his  tottering  footsteps  in  restless  walks 
through  the  garden. 

In  the  spring  of  1712  he  suffered  a  paralytic  stroke  while  on  a 
visit  in  London.  He  had  a  second  stroke  in  Bristol  that  autumn,  and 
a  third  at  Ruscombe  in  January  1713.  During  1715  he  suffered  several 
minor  strokes  ;  his  memory  for  long  periods  at  a  time  thereafter 
was  a  complete  blank.  He  died  July  30,  1718,  at  the  age  of  74,  and 

40 


HISTORY — EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

was  buried  August  5  at  Jordan's  Cemetery  near  Chalfont  St.  Giles, 
Buckinghamshire. 

Ben  Franklin  Appears 

rT!HE  next  score  of  years  saw  the  waning  of  Penn's  empire  in  Penn- 
•*-  sylvania,  and  the  gradual  decline  of  Quaker  dominance  in  the 
political  affairs  of  Philadelphia.  These  years  also  witnessed  civic  im- 
provement, expansion  of  foreign  industry,  and  periodic  epidemics 
of  malignant  diseases.  While  Philadelphia  itself  was  engaged  in  pav- 
ing streets,  organizing  fire  companies,  and  developing  industries, 
pioneers  on  the  remote  frontiers  were  struggling  with  a  stubborn 
wilderness. 

Probably  the  greatest  public  figure  to  make  an  impression  upon 
Philadelphia's  consciousness  during  this  era  was  Benjamin  Franklin. 
His  influence  began  to  be  felt  shortly  after  his  arrival  from  Boston 
in  the  summer  of  1723,  but  it  was  not  until  after  his  two-year  so- 
journ in  England  that  he  became  a  really  important  factor  in  Phila- 
delphia affairs. 

Franklin  had  little  sympathy  with  the  pacific  leanings  of  the 
Quakers,  and  less  with  their  stern  sectarian  morality.  He  badgered 
them  and  ridiculed  them.  Though  he  earned  the  lifelong  enmity  of 
many,  he  managed  to  win  over  others,  together  with  the  Germans 
and  the  Irish,  in  his  relentless  campaign  against  British  pretensions. 

He  entertained  a  lasting  dislike  for  Thomas  Penn,  who  took  over 
the  proprietorship  of  Pennsylvania  after  the  death  of  his  mother, 
Hannah.  Of  the  Founder's  son,  Franklin  in  1758  wrote  :  "I  conceive 
a  more  cordial  and  thorough  contempt  for  him  than  I  ever  felt  for 
any  man  living,  a  contempt  that  I  cannot  express  in  words."  Ten 
years  before,  Thomas  Penn  had  written  of  Franklin  :  "Mr.  Franklin's 
doctrine  that  obedience  to  governors  is  no  more  due  them  than  pro- 
tection to  the  people  is  not  fit  to  be  in  the  heads  of  the  unthinking 
multitude.  He  is  a  dangerous  man  and  I  should  be  glad  if  he  in- 
habited any  other  country.  However,  as  he  is  a  sort  of  tribune  of  the 
people,  he  must  be  treated  with  regard." 

Printer,  scientist,  journalist,  lawmaker,  business  man,  and  philoso- 
pher, Franklin  was  concerned  with  every  trend  and  every  movement 
affecting  Philadelphia  from  long  before  the  Revolutionary  War  until 
his  death  in  1790.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  French  and  Indian  War, 
he  went  to  the  frontiers  to  superintend  personally  the  building  of 
forts,  and  through  his  untiring  efforts  among  Pennsylvania  farmers 
General  Braddock  was  supplied  with  wagons  for  the  march  upon 
Fort  Duquesne. 

After  the  French  and  Indian  War  he  was  conspicuous  in  the  con- 
troversy with  the  proprietary  government,  meanwhile  receiving  a 
membership  in  the  Royal  Society  for  his  contributions  to  science. 

41 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

For  some  years  he  represented  the  Colony  in  England,  and  upon 
his  return  in  1762  was  considered  the  foremost  personage  in  America. 

Franklin  hardly  had  become  settled  at  home  when  the  Paxton 
Massacre  occurred  at  Lancaster.  A  band  of  enraged  Scotch-Irish  set- 
tlers in  Lancaster  County,  aroused  by  an  Indian  uprising  on  the 
frontier,  had  slaughtered  an  unresisting  group  of  Conestoga  (Susque- 
hannock)  Indians  who  had  sought  refuge  in  the  Lancaster  jail.  As  a 
result  of  this  atrocity,  about  150  peaceful  Indians  from  nearby  regions 
fled  in  terror  to  Philadelphia.  The  Lancaster  men,  known  as  the 
Paxton  Boys,  from  the  township  of  that  name,  recruited  a  large  force 
and  began  to  march  on  Philadelphia,  determined  to  slay  these  ref- 
ugees. 

Franklin  quickly  organized  a  force  of  1,000  armed  citizens  to  pro- 
tect the  Indians.  Even  the  peace-loving  Quakers  declared  their  will- 
ingness to  aid  in  the  defense.  There  was  no  bloodshed,  however.  The 
Paxton  Boys  reached  Germantown,  and  there  Franklin  and  three 
others  conferred  with  their  leaders  and  persuaded  them  to  return 
home. 

In  the  autumn  of  1763,  John  Penn,  last  of  the  proprietaries,  arrived 
in  Philadelphia  to  assume  his  duties  as  governor.  He  was  followed  in 
a  few  days  by  Mason  and  Dixon,  who  immediately  undertook  their 
boundary  line  survey. 

Meanwhile,  most  Philadelphia  merchants,  like  those  of  other  lead- 
ing ports,  were  engaged  in  a  brisk  smuggling  business.  England  had 
attempted  to  obtain  a  monopoly  of  Colonial  trade  by  means  of  the 
Navigation  Act,  but  this  measure  was  flagrantly  evaded.  Shipping 
men  in  Philadelphia  we^-e  building  up  fortunes  by  trading  with 
countries  other  than  Britain,  in  violation  of  the  law.  As  long  as  King 
and  Parliament  were  occupied  in  warfare,  no  serious  attempt  was 
made  to  enforce  the  act. 

Not  long  after  the  French  and  Indian  War,  however,  Great  Britain 
began  to  tighten  her  reins  of  government  in  the  Colonies  in  order  to 
bring  them  under  direct  control,  and  at  the  same  time  enjoy  increased 
revenue  by  taxation.  Although  some  members  of  parliament  saw 
danger  in  this  step,  the  King  and  landed  interests  did  not.  On  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  men  of  vision  read  clearly  the  handwriting  upon 
the  wall,  and  prepared  to  resist  usurpation. 

In  1765  the  Stamp  Act  was  passed  by  Parliament.  This  measure 
stipulated  that  certain  types  of  legal,  commercial,  religious,  and 
academic  papers  could  not  be  used  in  the  Colonies  unless  stamped 
by  the  British  Government.  As  soon  as  word  reached  Philadelphia 
that  the  bill  had  become  law,  a  wave  of  indignation  spread  through- 
out the  city.  Merchants  assembled  at  the  courthouse  to  adopt  non- 
importation resolutions;  and  on  the  day  the  law  went  into  effect, 
law  offices,  newspapers,  and  other  publishing  houses  closed  their 

42 


HISTORY — EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

doors,  while  the  populace  refrained  from  eating  imported  foods  or 
wearing  imported  clothes.  Stamps  were  destroyed  whenever  they  were 
found,  and  ship  captains  carrying  them  were  burned  in  effigy  and  at 
times  threatened  with  bodily  harm. 

King  and  Parliament  soon  came  to  realize  they  had  stirred  up  a 
gigantic  hornet's  nest.  To  pass  a  law  was  one  thing  ;  to  enforce  it  was 
another.  Strong  opposition  to  the  Stamp  Act  rose  belatedly  among 
several  of  the  ministry,  and  its  days  thereafter  were  numbered. 


.  ,*.<*?  *w 


Friends'  Meeting  House 
"Gray-clad  they  came  to  worship" 


43 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 


Portrait  of  Benjamin  Franklin   (by  Joseph  Wright) 
"Statesman,  Scientist  and  Philosopher" 


44 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD 


ON  March  18,  1766,  the  hated  Stamp  Act  was  repealed  by  Parlia- 
ment. The  joyous  tidings  were  brought  to  Philadelphia  on  May 
20  by  the  brig  Minerva,  commanded  by  Captain  Wise.  Im- 
mediately there  was  public  rejoicing.  The  people  gave  Wise  an  ef- 
fusive reception,  and  huge  bonfires  blazed  throughout  the  night  as 
the  town  celebrated  the  great  event.  The  following  day  toasts  of  al- 
legiance were  drunk  to  the  King  at  a  public  dinner  held  in  the 
State  House,  and  on  June  4  the  King's  birthday  was  loyally  com- 
memorated with  a  great  open-air  feast  on  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill. 

The  general  feeling  of  amity  toward  the  mother  country  turned 
to  indignation,  however,  when  it  became  apparent  that  the  Crown 
had  no  intention  of  abandoning  the  rich  revenues  to  be  derived  from 
the  Colonies.  The  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act  had  a  string  attached  to 
it  in  the  way  of  an  accompanying  Declaratory  Act,  which  reiterated 
the  right  of  Parliament  to  tax  the  Colonies  in  any  way  it  deemed 
fit.  Those  colonists  who  were  disposed  to  minimize  the  significance  of 
this  proviso  were  disillusioned  when  the  Townshend  Acts,  levying 
heavy  duties  on  paper,  glass,  tea  and  lead,  were  passed  by  Parliament, 
June  29,  1767. 

The  reaction  of  the  colonists  to  this  new  imposition  manifested  it- 
self in  a  boycott  of  all  British  goods.  The  trenchant  arguments  of 
John  Dickinson's  famous  Farmer's  Letters,  a  series  of  articles,  of 
which  the  first  appeared  on  December  2,  1767,  and  the  last  on  Febru- 
ary 15,  1768,  in  William  Goddard's  Pennsylvania  Chronicle,  helped 
to  stiffen  the  determination  of  the  colonists  to  resist  taxation 
without  representation.  Philadelphia,  as  the  metropolis  of  the  Colo- 
nies, fittingly  assumed  the  lead  in  the  movement  of  resistance,  which 
grew  in  intensity  during  the  following  six  years. 

The  situation  became  increasingly  ominous  when  Goddard's 
Chronicle  on  September  27,  1773,  reported  that  a  shipload  of  British 
tea  was  on  the  way  to  Philadelphia.  Successive  amendments  had 
modified  the  acts  of  1767  to  a  tax  on  tea  only,  importation  of  which 
now  had  become  the  main  issue.  By  permitting  the  financially  em- 
barrassed East  India  Company  to  ship  untaxed  tea  to  American  con- 
signees, the  British  government  was  forcing  the  issue,  in  that  a  three- 
penny Colonial  tax  was  to  be  imposed  upon  the  commodity.  The 
Colonies  retaliated  by  refusing  to  permit  the  landing  of  the  tea.  In 

45 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Boston  citizens  disguised  as  Indians  boarded  a  newly  arrived  tea  ship 
one  night  and  dumped  the  cargo  into  the  harbor.  In  Philadelphia 
the  resistance,  though  less  destructive,  was  no  less  determined. 

News  of  the  Boston  Tea  Party  reached  Philadelphia  on  December 
24.  On  the  following  day  word  was  received  that  the  Polly,  a  ship 
from  London,  commanded  by  Captain  Ayres  and  carrying  a  consign- 
ment of  tea  to  Philadelphia  from  the  East  India  Company,  was  ly- 
ing off  Chester.  This  fanned  the  flames  of  resentment  into  brighter 
glow.  A  committee  of  action  was  organized,  and  threats  were  openly 
made  that  any  pilot  who  dared  to  bring  a  British  tea  ship  to  Phila- 
delphia would  be  hanged.  Promises  to  reject  the  consignment  were 
obtained  from  the  two  Philadelphia  tea  firms  involved. 

Meanwhile  the  Polly  continued  her  course  up  the  Delaware  to 
Gloucester,  N.  J.,  where  Captain  Ayres  was  told  politely  but  firmly 
that  he  would  not  be  permitted  to  land  his  cargo.  After  conferring 
with  the  committee,  he  agreed  to  leave  the  ship  and  go  over  to  Phila- 
delphia to  determine  more  fully  the  popular  feeling.  On  the  next 
day,  December  27,  a  large  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  State  House, 
and  it  was  unanimously  resolved  that  the  tea  should  be  rejected  and 
returned  at  once  to  England,  and  that  Ayres  should  be  allowed  one 
day  in  which  to  provision  his  ship  for  the  return  voyage.  After  mak- 
ing a  formal  protest,  Ayres  agreed  to  comply  with  the  demands  of 
the  committee,  and  on  December  28  boarded  the  Polly  at  Reedy 
Island,  whence  he  set  sail  for  London  with  the  cargo  of  rejected  tea. 

This  incident,  together  with  the  Tea  Party  at  Boston,  constituted 
acts  of  defiance  which  the  London  government  could  no  longer  afford 
to  ignore.  As  a  consequence,  Parliament  enacted  a  bill  to  close  the 
port  of  Boston  to  all  shipping.  This  act  was  put  into  effect  in  June 
1774,  by  the  arrival  of  royal  troops  under  General  Gage  and  the  com- 
ing of  British  men-of-war  to  the  New  England  port.  Paul  Revere  had 
reached  Philadelphia  in  May,  bringing  a  letter  concerning  the  King's 
threat  to  close  the  Port  of  Boston,  and  earnest  requests  from  the 
Boston  leaders  for  support. 

In  Philadelphia  public  excitement  increased  daily.  At  a  meeting 
of  leading  citizens  held  in  the  City  Tavern,  a  resolution  favoring 
support  of  Boston  was  adopted.  Letters  were  dispatched  to  the 
Southern  Colonies  to  enlist  their  support,  and  the  Governor  was  asked 
to  convoke  the  assembly.  On  June  1  a  popular  demonstration  against 
the  Boston  Port  Bill  was  staged.  Stores  were  closed,  the  chimes  in 
Christ  Church  were  muffled,  and  flags  were  hung  at  half-staff.  Neces- 
sity for  drastic  action  was  fast  becoming  acute. 


46 


State  House, in  1776 
'Where   freedom  was  fledged" 


State  House  in  1876 


A 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
The  First  Continental  Congress 

T  A  MEETING  held  June  18,  1774,  at  the  State  House,  the  calling 
of  a  general  congress  for  all  the  Colonies  was  decided  upon.  A 
committee  of  correspondence  for  the  city  and  county  was  formed, 
with  John  Dickinson  as  chairman.  The  counties  were  urged  to  send 
delegates  to  a  preliminary  state  conference  to  be  held  at  Carpenters' 
Hall  on  July  15. 

This  conference,  attended  by  77  delegates  from  11  counties,  was 
presided  over  by  Thomas  Willing,  as  chairman  ;  Charles  Thomson 
served  as  secretary.  The  meeting  asserted  the  right  of  the  Colonies 
to  resist  the  unjust  measures  of  Parliament  and  requested  the  Provin- 
cial Assembly  to  appoint  delegates  to  the  forthcoming  Continental 
Congress.  Meeting  July  21,  the  Provincial  Assembly  named  the  fol- 
lowing as  delegates  to  the  Continental  Congress  :  Joseph  Galloway, 
Samuel  Rhoades,  Charles  Humphreys,  Edward  Biddle,  George  Ross, 
and  Thomas  Mifflin. 

Since  the  Provincial  Assembly  was  holding  sessions  in  the  State 
House,  the  First  Continental  Congress  was  perforce  obliged  to  con- 
vene in  Carpenters'  Hall.  The  opening  session  was  held  on  Septem- 
ber 4,  1774,  with  44  delegates  first  assembled  and  within  a  few  weeks 
the  number  increased  to  52,  who  represented  eleven  of  the  Thirteen 
Colonies.  Peyton  Randolph  of  Virginia  was  chosen  president,  and 
Charles  Thomson  secretary.  Other  prominent  delegates  were  John 
Adams,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  George  Washington,  John  Jay,  Patrick 
Henry,  and  Samuel  Adams. 

In  keeping  with  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  deliberations  of  the 
Congress  were  held  behind  closed  doors,  and  continued  through  a 
period  of  six  weeks.  When  the  body  finally  adjourned  on  October 
26,  resolutions  foreshadowing  the  movement  for  independence  had 
been  adopted.  The  most  important  of  these  were  the  Declaration  of 
Rights  and  the  Articles  of  Association.  The  latter  may  be  regarded 
as  the  forerunner  of  the  Articles  of  Confederation. 

At  the  close  of  the  Congress,  the  Provincial  Assembly  entertained 
the  delegates  at  a  banquet  in  the  City  Tavern,  at  which  time  hopes 
of  reconciliation  with  the  Crown  were  still  expressed.  The  proceed- 
ings of  the  Congress,  which  had  been  submitted  to  the  assembly  for 
approval,  were  unanimously  ratified  December  10,  1774. 

By  the  opening  months  of  1775,  tension  between  the  mother 
country  and  the  Colonies  had  increased.  The  Articles  of  Association 
adopted  by  the  Continental  Congress  especially  aroused  the  ire  of 
King  George,  who  saw  in  this  covenant  an  overt  act  of  treason  against 
the  Crown.  On  April  19  the  long-brewing  storm  broke  at  last  when 
the  King's  troops  clashed  with  the  Minute  Men  at  Lexington  and 
Concord.  The  War  for  Independence  had  begun  ! 

48 


HISTORY — REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD 

News  of  the  hostilities  in  Massachusetts  reached  Philadelphia  on 
April  24,  and  the  machinery  of  war  was  immediately  set  in,  motion. 
Military  committees  were  organized  for  the  enlisting  and  drilling 
of  soldiers.  The  Second  Continental  Congress  convened  May  10  in  the 
State  House,  in  a  session  which  lasted  until  December  30.  As  the 
delegates  arrived  in  town  they  were  greeted  by  officers  of  the  mili- 
tary companies  with  their  bands.  In  addition  to  the  delegates  who 
had  figured  prominently  in  the  first  Congress,  there  were  present 
John  Hancock,  who  subsequently  replaced  Peyton  Randolph  as  presi- 
dent of  the  body,  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  who  had  lately  returned 
from  London.  Seventy-eight  delegates  representing  the  Thirteen 
Colonies  attended  the  Congress,  which  adjourned  August  1,  reas- 
sembled September  5,  and  finally  adjourned  December  30.  Through- 
out its  sessions  in  1775,  the  Congress  assumed  to  a  great  extent  the 
responsibility  of  government,  and  appointed  George  Washington 
commander-in-chief  of  the  army  of  the  United  Colonies. 

Receiving  his  commission  on  June  17,  Washington  left  for  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  to  take  command  of  the  Continental  Army.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  Thomas  Mifflin,  Joseph  Reed,  and  Philip  John  Schuy- 
ler.  The  light-horse  troop,  since  known  as  the  First  City  Troop,  and 
all  the  officers  of  the  city  militia  served  as  Washington's  escort  as  far 
as  Kingsbridge,  N.  Y. 

Beginning  with  the  Second  Continental  Congress,  Philadelphia  be- 
came the  center  of  the  movement  for  independence.  There  was  no 
longer  any  hesitation  among  local  patriots  in  regard  to  the  course 
to  be  taken.  Young  and  old  alike  were  eager  to  offer  their  services  to 
the  cause  of  freedom.  A  Committee  of  Safety  was  formed,  consist- 
ing of  25  members,  with  Franklin  at  its  head.  The  committee  was 
organized  May  11,  1775,  and  was  empowered  to  call  out  troops  and 
provide  for  the  defense  of  the  Province. 

Except  for  brief  intervals  of  disturbance  occasioned  by  the  prog- 
ress of  the  war,  the  Congress  sat  in  Philadelphia  from  1774  to  1783. 
Military,  financial,  and  legislative  affairs  of  the  Colonies  were  ad- 
ministered here;  Philadelphia's  geographical  position,  midway  be- 
tween the  North  and  the  South,  made  it  the  logical  choice  as  the  war- 
time capital. 

The  Declaration  of  Independence 

T¥7HILE  the  Congress  was  in  session,  the  question  of  independence 
™  assumed  greater  importance  in  public  debates.  Although 
many  of  the  more  conservative  leaders  held  that  the  time  was  not 
yet  ripe  for  so  drastic  a  step,  public  opinion  was  veering  steadily  to- 
ward action.  Thomas  Paine,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Thomas  Jefferson, 
and  others  succeeded  in  convincing  the  majority  of  the  people  that 

49 


Declaration  Table  iri  Independence  Hall 
'.    .    .we  mutually  pledge  to  each  other  our  Lives  .    .    .' 


HISTORY — REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD 

the  time  was  past  for  any  conciliation  with  Britain  and  that  complete 
independence  was  the  only  worthwhile  goal.  It  was  this  growing  con- 
viction which  led  delegates  in  the  Second  Continental  Congress  to 
sign  the  death  warrant  of  British  authority  in  the  Thirteen  Colonies. 

On  June  7,  1776,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  acting  on  instructions  from 
the  Virginia  Convention,  offered  to  Congress  the  resolution  that 
"these  United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  in- 
dependent States,  and  that  they  are  absolved  from  all  allegiance 
to  the  British  Crown,  and  that  all  political  connection  between  them 
and  the  state  of  Great  Britain  is,  and  ought  to  be,  totally  dissolved." 
The  resolution  was  debated  in  the  Congress  for  three  days,  and  then 
held  over  until  July  1  in  order  to  allow  the  Colonies  sufficient  time 
in  which  to  instruct  their  delegates.  Meanwhile  two  committees 
were  appointed  by  the  Congress  :  one  to  prepare  a  declaration  of 
independence,  the  other  to  draw  up  a  plan  of  confederation  for  the 
Colonies. 

The  committee  appointed  to  draw  up  a  declaration  consisted  of 
Thomas  Jefferson  (who  had  replaced  Richard  Henry  Lee  of  Vir- 
ginia), John  Adams,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Robert  Livingston,  and 
Roger  Sherman.  As  head  of  the  committee,  Jefferson  prepared  the 
draft  at  his  lodgings  in  a  house  which  stood  on  the  southwest  corner 
of  Seventh  and  High  (now  Market)  Streets. 

The  draft  of  the  Declaration  had  been  reported  to  the  Congress  by 
the  committee,  but  was  held  over  pending  the  vote  on  Lee's  resolu- 
tion. After  nine  hours  of  debate  on  July  1,  there  were  still  four 
Colonies  not  in  favor  of  the  resolution.  Pennsylvania  and  South  Caro- 
lina voted  against  it,  Delaware  was  divided,  and  the  New  York  dele- 
gates were  unable  to  vote  pending  instructions  from  home.  It  was 
decided  to  postpone  the  final  vote  until  the  next  day. 

By  the  evening  of  July  2,  however,  Delaware  and  South  Carolina 
had  voted  in  the  affirmative.  Pennsylvania  had  reconsidered  its  ac- 
tion and  had  voted  in  favor  of  the  motion  by  a  slim  margin.  New 
York  alone  of  all  the  Colonies  failed  to  participate  in  the  voting. 
Two  days  later,  on  July  4,  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  for- 
mally adopted,  after  some  alterations  had  been  made  in  Jefferson's 
original  draft.  John  Hancock,  as  presiding  officer,  and  Charles  Thom- 
son, as  secretary,  signed  the  document.  On  the  morning  of  July  8, 
John  Nixon  read  it  in  public  in  the  State  House  yard.  The  crowd 
responded  with  enthusiastic  cheers,  the  militia  fired  their  guns  in 
salute,  and  the  Liberty  Bell  in  the  State  House  clanged  lustily.  Bells 
were  rung  all  that  day  and  night  as  the  city  gave  itself  up  to  celebrat- 
ing the  birth  of  the  Nation.  The  royal  coat-of-arms,  which  had  hung 
on  the  wall  of  the  State  House,  was  torn  down  and  burned  in  a  great 
bonfire  in  the  State  House  yard.  Thus  ended,  in  an  uproar  of  rebel™ 
lious  jubilation,  British  rule  in  the  Colonies. 

51 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
The  Wartime  City 

T^kESPITE  Philadelphia's  preoccupation  with  political  matters,  the 
-Asocial  and  economic  growth  of  the  city  had  steadily  increased  in 
the  decade  since  1768.  Civic  improvements  in  the  way  of  additional 
fire  companies,  newspapers,  shops,  and  theatres  continued  to  be  made. 
Ships  loaded  with  immigrants  from  the  British  Isles  sailed  up  the 
Delaware.  In  the  years  just  prior  to  the  Revolution,  several  thousand 
Irish  immigrants  arrived  in  the  city.  Several  enterprising  merchants 
were  making  Philadelphia  an  ever  more  important  center  of  com- 
merce and  finance.  Improvements  had  been  made  along  the  Delaware 
for  the  protection  of  shipping. 

With  the  war  under  way,  civic  activities  moved  into  the  back- 
ground. Every  effort  was  made  to  strengthen  the  city's  defenses  and  to 
speed  the  enlistment  of  troops.  The  old  British  barracks  in  the 
vicinity  of  what  is  today  Third  and  Green  Streets  had  been  evacuated 
by  the  royal  troops  in  1775,  and  were  now  used  as  a  training  camp 
for  local  recruits  of  the  Continental  Army.  In  July  1776,  five  Phila- 
delphia battalions  were  sent  to  support  Washington's  forces  around 
New  York,  and  saw  service  there  for  several  weeks.  River  defenses 
below  the  city  were  constructed,  and  a  fleet  of  boats  was  armed  to 
patrol  the  Delaware. 

The  general  optimism  that  had  prevailed  in  Philadelphia  during 
the  early  months  of  the  war  began  to  fade  as  succeeding  weeks 
brought  news  of  defeat  in  the  north.  The  theatre  of  war  was  moving 
nearer.  Sick  and  wounded  troops  were  being  brought  in  greater 
numbers  to  the  city.  Smallpox  and  camp  fever  broke  out  among  the 
soldiers  and  the  civilian  populace,  causing  many  deaths.  Trenches 
were  hastily  dug  in  Washington  Square  to  bury  the  bodies. 

On  November  19,  1776,  the  city  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  alarm 
by  news  that  General  Howe  had  driven  back  the  Continentals  in  New 
York  and  had  captured  Fort  Washington  on  the  Hudson.  A  month 
later  the  British  were  at  New  Brunswick  in  New  Jersey,  and  this 
news  caused  a  veritable  panic  in  Philadelphia.  Fear  that  the  city 
would  be  captured  led  many  families  to  load  their  belongings  on 
wagons  and  leave  for  safer  places.  The  Congress  hastily  departed  for 
Baltimore,  leaving  a  committee  in  charge.  All  able-bodied  men  were 
ordered  to  muster  for  the  militia,  as  martial  law  was  declared. 

Fortunately,  Washington's  bold  tactics  at  Trenton  and  Princeton 
in  the  last  weeks  of  1776  relieved  the  situation,  and  for  a  time  the 
city  was  safe  from  capture.  During  the  middle  months  of  1777,  ani- 
mosity against  the  activities  of  local  Tories  was  manifested  by  the 
arrest  of  about  40  pro-British  citizens,  many  of  whom,  such  as 
John  Penn,  Jared  Ingersoll,  and  Benjamin  Chew,  were  men  of  promi- 
nence in  the  city.  Some  Tories  were  jailed,  others  were  banished. 

52 


(Above)  Betsy  Ross  House  Today 

(Left)  Before  Its  Restoration 
"Here  linger  rich  traditions  of  the  nation's  early  days.' 


On  June  14,  1777,  the  Congress  decreed  that  the  first  American 
flag  should  have  13  stripes,  alternately  red  and  white,  with  a  circle 
of  13  white  stars  on  a  field  of  blue.  The  first  Fourth  of  July  anniver- 
sary was  celebrated  with  enthusiasm.  A  salute  of  13  guns  was  fired  in 
the  afternoon,  and  a  great  dinner  was  given  for  the  Congress  and 
the  leading  military  and  civil  leaders.  Music  was  furnished  by  a  band 
of  captured  Hessians.  In  the  evening  the  Congress  reviewed  a  parade 
of  troops  and  observed  a  display  of  fireworks. 

Meanwhile,  Howe's  army,  which  had  been  moved  south  to  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  had  landed  near  the  head  of  the  Elk  River  in  Maryland 
and  was  advancing  northward.  The  city  was  again  in  danger. 

53 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
The  Philadelphia  Campaign 

T  EARNING  on  August  22  of  Howe's  advance,  Washington  prepared 
-•-'to  meet  the  British.  His  troops,  concentrated  north  of  Phila- 
delphia, were  marched  into  the  town  on  August  24,  prior  to  meeting 
the  enemy  at  the  Brandywine  Creek.  The  army  made  an  imposing 
sight  as  it  marched  through  the  city,  with  Washington  riding  at  the 
head  and  Lafayette  at  his  side.  The  troops  crossed  the  Schuylkill 
and  moved  south  toward  Wilmington. 

By  constant  pressure  against  Washington's  right  flank,  Howe  forced 
the  Americans  to  fall  back.  On  September  11  the  artillery  duel  across 
the  Brandywine  at  Chadd's  Ford  could  be  heard  in  Philadelphia. 
By  more  skillful  maneuvering,  Howe  had  succeeded  in  placing  his 
forces  between  Washington's  positions  and  Philadelphia.  As  the  battle 
progressed,  fears  increased  in  the  city.  After  the  fierce  night  attack 
of  the  British  at  Paoli  on  September  20,  little  hope  was  held  for 
success.  The  Congress  had  fled  to  Lancaster  on  September  27,  1777, 
and  to  York  on  September  30.  The  battle  of  the  Brandywine  was  a 
distinct  defeat  for  the  Americans,  and  enabled  the  British  to  occupy 
Philadelphia. 

By  September  25  Howe's  army  had  reached  Germantown,  and  the 
next  day  Cornwallis's  division  marched  into  Philadelphia.  Local 
Tories  emerged  from  hiding  to  welcome  the  British.  On  October  4, 
eight  days  after  Howe's  occupation  of  Philadelphia,  Washington 
launched  a  surprise  attack  on  British  positions  around  Germantown 
and  Mount  Airy.  After  three  hours  of  fierce  combat,  the  American 
attack  was  repulsed.  Washington  withdrew  his  men  to  the  upper 
Perkiomen,  while  Howe  strengthened  his  position  north  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

Towards  the  end  of  October  1777,  Washington  aa;ain  advanced 
nearer  to  the  city,  concentrating  his  troops  around  Whitemarsh.  On 
December  3  Howe  moved  a  large  body  of  troops  out  of  Philadelphia, 
intending  to  take  the  Americans  by  surprise  at  Whitemarsh.  Warned 
beforehand,  Washington  was  prepared  for  the  attack.  After  several 
sharp  skirmishes,  Howe  abandoned  his  offensive  and  marched  his 
men  back  to  Philadelphia  on  December  8,  while  Washington  moved 
his  troops  across  the  Schuylkill  and  lay  at  Gulph  Mills  until  Decem- 
ber 19,  when  he  marched  to  Valley  Forge. 

The  hills  at  Valley  Forge,  overlooking  all  the  approaches  from 
Philadelphia,  constituted  a  vantage  point  that  precluded  any  success- 
ful surprise  attack  by  the  British,  and  there  Washington  established 
his  winter  quarters,  remaining  until  evacuation  of  Philadelphia  by 
the  enemy  the  following  summer. 

A  tragicomic  incident  occurring  on  the  Delaware  River  off  Phila- 
delphia during  this  period  has  gained  immortality  by  reason  of 

54 


HISTORY — REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD 

Yankee  cunning  arid  Colonial  wit.  The  affair  took  place  while  Wash- 
ington was  bivouacked  at  Valley  Forge  and  the  British  were  billeted 
in  Philadelphia. 

Some  "rebels"  on  the  Delaware  north  of  the  city  conceived  the 
idea  of  sending  down  on  the  ebb  tide  a  number  of  kegs  loaded  with 
gunpowder  and  so  arranged  that  any  impact  would  cause  them  to 
explode.  The  purpose  was  to  sink  or  damage  British  ships  then  lying 
at  anchor  in  the  river  off  Philadelphia. 

A  heavy  frost  came  the  night  the  kegs  were  put  into  the  water 
upstream,  and  the  ships  in  the  meantime  were  hauled  into  the  docks 
—  unwittingly  removed  out  of  harm's  way.  One  of  the  first  kegs  to 
come  down  the  river,  however,  was  observed  by  an  inquisitive  barge- 
man, who  attempted  to  lift  it  aboard.  The  innocent-appearing  object 
exploded,  killing  the  man  and  several  of  his  companions.  The  noise 
and  confusion  caused  considerable  alarm  throughout  the  city  ;  British 
troops  massed  at  the  water  front,  firing  at  every  obstacle  they  saw 
floating  by. 

Rumors  flew  thick  and  fast.  It  was  asserted  that  the  wily  Conti- 
nentals were  drifting  down  the  river  doubled  up  in  kegs,  determined 
to  retake  Philadelphia  somewhat  as  the  ancient  Greeks  in  the 
wooden  horse  took  Troy.  While  squads  of  British  soldiers  on  the 
bank  were  keeping  up  an  incessant  fire  at  the  kegs,  others  went  out 
on  the  river  in  vessels,  bent  upon  checking  the  "invasion"  at  close 
quarters.  It  is  related  that  just  about  the  time  the  furor  began  to  die 
down,  an  old  marketwoman  dropped  a  keg  of  cheese  into  the  water  ; 
and  the  strange  "battle"  was  renewed  with  vigor. 

The  incident  is  commonly  referred  to  as  the  "Battle  of  the  Kegs," 
after  Francis  Hopkinson's  doggerel  of  that  title.  The  Philadelphia 
poet's  version  puts  these  words  in  the  mouth  of  a  terrified  redcoat  : 

"These  kegs  I'm  told,  the  rebels  hold, 
Packed  up  like  pickled  herring  ; 
And  they've  come  down  to  attack  the  town, 
In  this  new  way  of  ferrying." 

Of  General  Howe,  Hopkinson  gleefully  relates  : 

Now  in  a  fright  he  starts  upright, 
Awak'ed  by  such  a  clatter  ; 
He  rubbed  both  eyes  and  boldly  cries  ; 
"For  God's  sake,  what's  the  matter?" 

At  his  bedside  he  espied 
Sir  Erskine,  at  command,  sir  ; 
Upon  one  foot  he  had  one  boot, 
The  other  in  his  hand,  sir. 

"Arise,  arise!"  Sir  Erskine  cries, 
"The  rebels  —  more's  the  pity  — 
Without  a  boat  are  all  afloat 
And  ranged  before  the  city.  ..." 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Save  for  minor  skirmishes  and  forays,  military  operations  around 
Philadelphia  were  suspended  during  the  winter  and  spring  of  1778. 
While  the  American  troops  were  enduring  cold  and  hunger  in  the 
snow  at  Valley  Forge,  the  British  were  snugly  billeted  in  Philadelphia 
during  the  long  winter  months.  Howe's  officers  whiled  away  the  time 
pleasantly.  Balls,  theatre-going,  and  gambling  were  the  chief  diver- 
sions. The  troops  were  quartered  in  the  old  British  barracks,  in  pub- 
lic buildings,  and  in  private  homes.  The  artillery  was  parked  on 
Chestnut  Street  from  Third  to  Sixth  Streets,  and  in  the  yard  of  the 
State  House.  Until  British  transports  arrived  in  the  Delaware  with 
provisions,  conditions  in  the  city  were  straitened.  Food  and  other 
commodities  were  scarce,  and  there  was  much  privation  among  the 
poor.  Pillaging  of  private  homes  was  a  common  occurrence. 

The  crowning  social  event  of  the  British  occupation  was  the  Mis- 
chianza  pageant,  held  May  18,  1778,  as  a  farewell  to  General  Howe, 
who  was  returning  to  England  after  relinquishing  his  command  to 
Sir  Henry  Clinton.  Lasting  throughout  the  day  and  evening,  the  Mis- 
chianza  was  a  combination  of  regatta,  military  parade  and  tourna- 
ment, ball  and  banquet,  attended  by  Tory  belles  and  British  officers. 

When  Howe  departed  for  England  on  May  24,  preparations  had 
already  been  made  to  abandon  the  city.  Clinton  called  a  council  of 
war,  and  by  June  18  had  moved  his  army  across  the  Delaware  to 
New  Jersey  and  was  marching  to  New  York.  News  of  the  British 
evacuation  reached  Washington  at  Valley  Forge  within  a  few  hours  ; 
and  before  the  last  of  the  enemy  had  left,  the  American  advance 
guard  had  entered  the  city  and  was  picking  up  British  stragglers  in 
the  streets.  The  general  aspect  of  the  town  was  one  of  disorder, 
squalor,  and  desolation  after  the  nine  months  of  British  occupation. 
Many  houses  had  been  plundered  and  burned. 

The  Congress  returned  to  the  city  on  June  25  and  convened  in  In- 
dependence Hall.  Benedict  Arnold,  who  later  was  to  become  in- 
famous for  his  treacherous  conduct  at  West  Point,  was  appointed 
military  commander  of  the  city  by  General  Washington.  The  follow- 
ing months  were  marked  by  extreme  bitterness  against  the  Tories,  by 
treason  trials,  law  suits,  and  heated  controversies. 

French  support  of  the  American  cause  changed  the  tide  of  war  and 
led  to  the  final  capitulation  of  the  British  at  Yorktown.  On  April  16, 
1783,  the  conclusion  of  peace  and  Britain's  acknowledgment  of  Ameri- 
can independence  were  officially  proclaimed  in  Philadelphia  amid 
great  public  rejoicing. 

With  the  return  of  peace,  industry  and  commerce  soon  revived. 
Despite  high  prices,  money  became  more  abundant,  and  the  general 
prosperity  of  the  city  increased.  By  the  middle  of  June,  1783,  200 
vessels  had  sailed  up  the  Delaware  River.  While  many  fortunes  had 
been  lost  by  the  Revolution,  many  others  had  been  acquired.  The 

56 


Shippen-Wistar  House 
"they  spoke  of  ships  and  sealing  wax  and  cabbages  and  kings" 


old  Tory  families  for  the  most  part  had  lost  their  affluence  and  social 
standing,  and  were  now  supplanted  by  a  new  aristocracy  composed 
mainly  of  Whigs. 

The  Bank  of  North  America,  first  to  be  chartered  by  the  Congress, 
was  opened  on  January  17,  1782,  on  Chestnut  Street  near  Third.  Two 
years  earlier,  Robert  Morris  and  others  had  founded  the  Bank  of 
Pennsylvania.  In  1786  the  first  medical  dispensary  in  America  was 
opened  in  the  city  by  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush.  In  the  following  year,  the 
archetype  of  present-day  chambers  of  commerce  was  established  as 
the  Pennsylvania  Society  for  the  Encouragement  of  Manufactures 
and  Useful  Arts.  Mail  and  stagecoach  service  to  Reading  and  Pitts- 
burgh was  inaugurated. 

During  this  period,  the  population  of  the  city  had  grown  from 
about  30,000  in  1778,  during  the  British  occupation,  to  about  42,000. 
New  houses  and  shops  were  built  to  replace  those  destroyed  during 
the  war,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  city  had  all  the  aspects  of  a 
thriving  center  of  trade,  with  clean  and  neatly  ordered  streets  and 
substantial  homes. 

57 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
The  Constitutional  Convention 

VjfTITH  political  activity  centering  on  problems  of  internal  organi- 
™  zation,  a  growing  need  for  a  framework  of  stable  government 
began  to  be  felt.  The  earlier  Articles  of  Confederation  had  proved 
inadequate  for  an  integrated  national  government.  Men  of  promi- 
nence were  urging  that  a  convention  be  called  to  consider  a  new  sys- 
tem of  unification.  Finally,  by  a  resolution  of  the  Congress,  the  Con- 
stitutional Convention  was  called  to  meet  on  May  14,  1787,  for  the 
ostensible  purpose  of  revising  the  Articles  of  Confederation. 

Presided  over  by  Washington,  the  Convention  met  (behind  closed 
doors)  in  Independence  Hall.  Delegates  from  half  of  the  States 
did  not  arrive  in  the  city  until  ten  days  after  the  opening.  Soon  after 
the  proceedings  began,  the  sentiment  increased  for  discarding  alto- 
gether the  obsolescent  Articles  of  Confederation,  and  the  drafting  of 
a  new  constitution  was  urged. 

This  new  measure  engendered  considerable  excitement  among  the 
delegates.  Heated  debates  continued  for  many  weeks,  feeling  ran  high. 
Franklin,  now  grown  old  and  garrulous,  had  to  be  accompanied  con- 
stantly by  a  delegate,  whose  duty  it  was  to  keep  him  from  talking  too 
freely  about  the  secret  sessions. 

Supporters  of  the  doctrine  of  State  sovereignty  violently  assailed 
the  new  Constitution,  the  provisions  and  amendments  of  which  finally 
were  adopted  by  the  Convention.  A  committee,  consisting  of  James 
Madison,  Alexander  Hamilton,  William  Samuel  Johnson,  Rufus  King, 
and  Gouverneur  Morris,  was  appointed  to  arrange  and  draft  the  docu- 
ment, which  was  ready  for  signing  on  September  17.  The  Convention 
recommended  to  the  Congress  that  the  new  instrument  be  submitted 
to  the  sovereign  people  for  ratification.  This  was  accordingly  done 
and  the  Constitution  became  the  basic  law  of  the  United  States  when 
it  was  ratified  by  the  ninth  State  on  June  21,  1788. 

In  connection  with  the  Pennsylvania  State  convention,  called 
on  November  21  to  ratify  the  Constitution,  considerable  disorder 
occurred.  Two  of  the  State  delegates,  Jacob  Miley  of  Dauphin  County 
and  James  McCalmont  of  Franklin  County,  incurred  the  displeasure 
of  the  people  by  deliberately  absenting  themselves  from  the  conven- 
tion hall  in  order  to  prevent  a  quorum.  Rioters  did  considerable 
damage  to  their  property,  and  the  authorities,  including  Benjamin 
Franklin,  made  no  real  effort  to  find  and  punish  the  guilty  parties. 

The  following  Fourth  of  July,  ratification  of  the  new  Constitution 
was  celebrated  with  fitting  enthusiasm.  Ships  decorated  to  represent 
the  ratifying  States  were  anchored  in  the  Delaware  River  from  Cal- 
lowhill  to  South  Streets.  General  Mifflin  led  5,000  soldiers  and  civilians 
in  a  parade  through  the  streets.  One  of  the  features  of  the  parade  was 
a  float  with  a  great  dome  supported  by  13  columns. 

58 


HISTORY — REVOLUTIONARY  PERIOD 

The  new  city  charter,  superseding  the  old  charter  of  1701,  became 
operative  in  March,  1789.  It  inaugurated  a  system  of  popular  self- 
government,  establishing  the  electoral  offices  of  mayor,  aldermen, 
and  members  of  a  common  council. 

During  the  last  decade  of  the  century,  Philadelphia  was  the  seat 
of  National  Government.  However,  with  the  removal  of  the  Federal 
Capital  to  Washington  in  1800,  and  the  State  Capital  to  Lancaster 
in  1799,  Philadelphia  ceased  to  be  the  center  of  National  and  State 
politics. 

James  Wilson's  Grave  at  Christ  Church 
"they  sleep  among  the  immortals" 


sin 


c     o«f-(c«*~ >vir*  '°r<,.     r>»  r»><-  ^^ 


A  CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 


THE  first  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  marked  by  grad- 
ual expansion  of  the  city,  with  emphasis  upon  municipal  affairs, 
industry,  and  commerce.  Hunting  Park  was  laid  out,  and  what  is 
now  Nicetown  became  a  pleasure  resort  known  as  Bellevue,  where 
sports  events  and  picnics  were  held.  The  tongue  of  land  between  the 
rivers  was  now  fairly  well  developed,  and  much  of  the  city's  activity 
was  spreading  westward  beyond  the  Schuylkill.  Traffic  across  the 
stream  had  been  handled  adequately  by  ferries  until  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  when  a  temporary  bridge  on  floating  barges  was  constructed 
at  Market  Street  late  in  August  1776.  It  was  used  by  the  Continental 
Army  when  enroute  to  the  Brandywine  in  1777. 

This  bridge  was  removed  at  the  approach  of  the  British  ;  replaced 
when  the  enemy  evacuated  the  city  ;  and  then  washed  away  by  a 
freshet  in  1780.  It  was  replaced  by  a  wooden  bridge  completed  in 
1805  and  covered  the  year  following.  This  served  for  a  half  century, 
when  it  was  reconstructed  to  bear  the  increased  weight  of  railroad 
traffic.  Fire  destroyed  it  in  1875,  and  for  several  years  traffic  was 
served  by  a  temporary  bridge.  Then,  in  1881  the  City  Council  passed 
an  ordinance  for  the  construction  of  a  wrought-iron  cantilever  span. 
In  the  meantime  bridges  had  been  built  at  Gray's  Ferry,  at  Callowhill 
Street  and  at  Chestnut  Street. 

Impetus  was  given  civic  improvements  as  early  as  1800  by  the  in- 
stallation of  water  mains  under  the  city's  streets.  During  that  year 
the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  was  built,  and  in  1809  the  South  Street  ferry 
across  the  Delaware  to  connect  Philadelphia  with  Kaighn's  Point, 
Camden,  was  opened.  Within  the  decade  came  the  Navy  Yard,  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  the  Pennsylvania  Company  for  Insur- 
ances on  Lives  and  Granting  Annuities.  Meanwhile,  Stephen  Girard 
was  making  his  influence  felt  in  banking  circles.  He  purchased  the 
building  of  the  United  States  Bank,  Third  Street  below  Chestnut,  and 
converted  it  into  the  Girard  Bank,  with  a  capital  of  $1,200,000. 

In  cultural  activities  the  city  made  headway.  Literary  clubs, 
theatres,  and  dancing  schools,  flourished.  The  Pennsylvania  Academy 
of  Fine  Arts  was  founded,  together  with  the  Wistar  Museum  and  the 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences. 

The  War  of  1812,  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  was 
supported  enthusiastically  in  Philadelphia,  where  volunteers  were 

60 


HISTORY — CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 

recruited  without  difficulty.  Among  the  Philadelphians  to  distin- 
guish themselves  in  the  war  were  Maj.  Gen.  Jacob  Brown,  who  cap- 
tured Fort  Erie,  and  Capt.  Thomas  Biddle,  commander  of  artillery  at 
Lundy's  Lane.  While  some  of  the  Philadelphia  troops  were  serving 
on  the  Canadian  border,  others  under  Col.  Lewis  Rush  served  on  the 
Delaware  peninsula.  In  1815,  there  were  21  companies  on  duty  there 
under  Gen.  Thomas  Cadwalader.  When  news  was  received  of  the 
capture  of  Bladensburg  by  the  British  in  1814,  entrenchments  were 
thrown  up  by  civilian  volunteers  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  Militia 
was  held  in  readiness  at  Kennett  Square  and  at  Gray's  Ferry.  Numer- 
ous engagements  with  British  men-of-war  were  fought  in  Delaware 
Bay  by  Philadelphia  naval  officers  commanding  Philadelphia  ships. 
These  were  the  days  when  Decatur,  Bainbridge,  Stewart,  Porter, 
James  Biddle,  and  others  won  renown  for  themselves  and  the  Navy. 

When  news  of  the  Treaty  of  Ghent  reached  Philadelphia  in  1815, 
the  city  returned  to  peacetime  pursuits.  During  the  next  20  years 
roads,  canals,  and  railroads  opened  new  avenues  of  trade  with  the 
West.  The  first  railroad  in  Philadelphia  was  constructed  in  1832 
connecting  the  city  with  Germantown,  six  miles  away.  A  few  years 
later  the  Camden  and  Amboy  Railroad  to  New  York  was  completed, 
as  was  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington  and  Baltimore  line.  The  Schuyl- 
kill  Canal  was  opened  to  traffic  in  1825. 

New  banks  were  organized,  among  them  the  Philadelphia  Savings 
Fund  Society.  Jefferson  Medical  College,  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy  and  Science,  the  Franklin  Institute,  and  the  Apprentices' 
Library  were  founded.  In  September  1822  the  visit  of  Lafayette  as 
"guest  of  the  Nation"  was  the  occasion  of  a  gala  celebration. 

The  third  decade  saw  the  first  public  school  for  Negroes  opened 
(1820),  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania  was  organized  (1824), 
the  first  locomotive  came  from  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  plant  (1831), 
the  greatest  parade  thus  far  held  in  the  city — to  celebrate  the  cen- 
tennial anniversary  of  Washington's  Birthday — February  22,  1832, 
and  the  manufacture  of  the  first  illuminating  gas  for  general  consump- 
tion (by  a  private  company  in  1836) .  The  concern  was  soon  bought 
up  by  the  city,  which  began  operating  other  gas-works  set  up  in 
various  districts. 

An  epidemic  of  cholera  marked  1832.  Hundreds  died  before 
the  scourge  could  be  checked.  Fifty  inmates  of  the  Arch  Street 
Prison  alone  died  of  the  disease  within  a  few  days.  Religious  and 
race  riots  also,  prevalent  throughout  the  country  in  1834,  had  their 
repercussions  in  Philadelphia,  where  a  Negro  meeting-house  was  torn 
down  by  rioters  in  August  of  that  year. 

The  disturbances  were  caused  by  growing  agitation  for  the  abolition 
of  slavery,  with  sporadic  outbreaks  of  violence  occurring  almost  every 
year  until  the  Civil  War.  In  1838  a  mob  destroyed  Pennsylvania  Hall, 

61 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

a  large  edifice  used  for  public  meetings  by  the  Pennsylvania  Society 
for  the  Abolition  of  Slavery.  Meanwhile,  stations  on  the  "Under- 
ground Railroad"  for  the  assistance  of  runaway  slaves  were  main- 
tained in  the  Philadelphia  area,  especially  after  adoption  of  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law. 

Riots  again  broke  out  in  1840,  when  the  Philadelphia  and  Trenton 
Railroad  Company  attempted  to  lay  tracks  on  Front  Street  in  Ken- 
sington, a  populous  section  of  the  city.  Opposition  manifested  itself 
in  the  tearing  up  of  rails,  burning  of  houses,  and  general  rioting,  in 
which  many  persons  wTere  injured. 

Despite  prevailing  disorders  during  the  1840's,  social  reforms  and 
civic  improvement  continued.  These  included  abolition  of  imprison- 
ment for  debt,  and  granting  of  property  rights  to  married  women. 
It  was  during  this  period  also  that  Port  Richmond  was  incorporated, 
the  School  of  Design  for  Women  founded  (1844)  and  Girard  College 
for  orphan  boys  established  (1848).  A  year  prior  to  the  latter  date, 
in  1847,  the  American  Medical  Association  was  formed. 

The  Native  American  or  "Know-Nothing"  movement,  directed 
mainly  against  foreign-born  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  resulted  in 
the  bloodiest  riots  in  the  city's  history.  Kensington,  with  its  large 
Irish  population,  was  the  starting  point  of  the  disorders.  The  Irish 
resented  the  insulting  implications  of  the  Native  Americans  ;  conse- 
quently, when  the  latter  held  an  open-air  meeting  on  May  3,  1844, 
at  Second  and  Master  Streets,  the  Irish  broke  up  the  gathering.  Three 
days  later,  another  meeting  at  American  and  Master  Streets  ended  in 
a  pitched  battle,  during  which  a  member  of  the  Native  Americans 
was  fatally  wounded  ;  by  the  end  of  the  day  three  deaths  had  resulted. 

The  next  day  fighting  was  continued  with  renewed  fury.  Six  of 
the  Native  Americans  were  killed.  At  Nanny  Goat  Market,  near 
American  and  Master  Streets,  the  Hibernia  Hose  House  and  a  num- 
ber of  dwellings  were  burned  by  the  Native  Americans  in  reprisal. 
The  Catholic  Church  of  St.  Michael,  Second  and  Jefferson  Streets, 
was  burned  to  the  ground,  as  was  the  adjoining  girls'  school  con- 
ducted by  Catholic  nuns.  Although  troops  under  Gen.  George  Cad- 
walader  attempted  to  quell  the  rioters,  another  mob  that  same  even- 
ing attacked  the  Catholic  Church  of  St.  Augustine,  Fourth  Street  be- 
low Vine,  setting  fire  to  the  church  building  and  adjoining  rectory. 

On  July  4  there  was  a  recrudescence  of  rioting.  Although  the  Native 
Americans  held  a  big  parade  without  any  disturbance  arising,  a 
rumor  reached  their  ears  that  the  Catholics  had  concealed  firearms 
in  the  Church  of  St.  Philip  de  Neri,  on  Queen  Street  in  Southwark. 
This  news  so  intensified  the  feeling  that,  on  July  5,  enormous  crowds 
gathered  near  the  church,  which  was  heavily  guarded  by  troops. 

Tension  still  ran  high  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  church  two  days 
later.  The  troops  were  ordered  to  disperse  the  assembled  crowds.  Re- 

62 


HISTORY — CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 

sistance  was  shown  and  the  troops  opened  fire.  Some  of  the  rioters 
returned  the  fire.  Two  soldiers  and  seven  civilians  were  killed,  and 
many  others  were  wounded.  The  Southwark  commissioners  decided 
that  withdrawal  of  troops  would  ease  the  situation.  The  soldiers  were 
withdrawn,  and  hostilities  gradually  ceased. 

During  the  Mexican  War,  Philadelphia  supplied  several  regiments 
of  volunteers,  who  saw  service  in  Texas  and  Mexico.  Gens.  George 
Cadwalader,  Robert  Patterson,  and  Persifor  Smith  participated  in 
the  war,  as  did  many  other  Philadelphia  officers  who  later  distin- 
guished themselves  in  the  Civil  War. 

The  year  1848  was  marked  by  the  first  visit  of  Abraham  Lincoln  to 
the  city,  and  by  the  Whig  National  Convention  at  which  Zachary 
Taylor  was  nominated  for  the  Presidency.  In  1849  the  Philadelphia 
County  Medical  Society  was  founded.  The  next  year  saw  the  begin- 
ning of  Philadelphia's  police  force,  with  the  appointment  of  two 
assistants  to  the  constable.  In  1851  the  Spring  Garden  Institute  and 
the  Shakespeare  Society  were  founded. 

Consolidation  of  the  City 

VI^TTTH  the  growth  of  the  city  and  its  adjoining  districts,  each  of 
™  which  had  separate  municipal  powers,  a  situation  arose  that 
necessitated  the  annulment  of  authority  of  the  petty  district  govern- 
ments, and  their  consolidation  with  the  city.  Southwark,  Spring 
Garden,  Moyamensing,  Northern  Liberties,  Richmond,  Kensington, 
West  Philadelphia,  Belmont,  Germantown,  Roxborough,  Frankford, 
Manayunk,  Bridesburg,  Kingsessing  —  all  of  these  and  other  districts 
and  boroughs  formed  a  congeries  of  independent  and  conflicting 
municipalities.  These  overlapping  governments  and  jurisdictions  gave 
rise  to  many  abuses  and  costly  inefficiencies  that  hampered  develop- 
ment. The  old  charter  restricted  the  city  to  conditions  no  longer  con- 
sistent with  the  times.  In  1850  the  city  and  suburban  population  was 
more  than  360,000.  But  the  city  proper,  as  delimited  by  the  charter 
of  1789,  had  a  population  of  only  121,000.  Thus,  while  the  city  was 
steadily  growing,  its  governmental  structure  was  lagging  behind. 

Convincing  proof  of  the  evils  arising  from  this  disjointed  local 
government  was  given  in  connection  with  the  riots  of  1844.  Because 
of  the  absence  of  unified  authority  the  rioters  in  Southwark  were 
immune  to  interference  from  the  rest  of  the  city's  governing  bodies, 
as  none  of  the  latter  had  jurisdiction  outside  its  own  separate  baili- 
wick. Under  such  a  system  a  criminal  could  commit  a  felony  in  one 
district  and  evade  arrest  by  crossing  the  street  into  the  adjoining  dis- 
trict. These  evils  accumulated  to  such  an  extent  that,  despite  com- 
munity opposition,  measures  were  finally  taken  to  consolidate  the 
adjacent  districts  with  the  city. 

The  Act  of  Consolidation  was  passed  January  30,   1854,  and  was 

63 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

signed  on  February  2  by  Governor  Bigler.  Boundaries  of  the  city  were 
extended  to  include  the  entire  county,  and  the  new  City  of  Philadel- 
phia took  over  all  the  property  and  debts  of  the  incorporated  dis- 
tricts. Twenty-four  wards  were  established  with  a  select  councilman 
for  each,  and  a  common  councilman  for  every  1,200  taxable  inhabi- 
tants. The  mayor  was  elected  for  a  term  of  two  years.  Executive 
duties  were  transferred  from  the  councils  to  the  various  city  depart- 
ments. The  first  mayor  to  head  the  consolidated  city  was  Robert  T. 
Conrad,  Whig. 

With  consolidation,  the  city  entered  upon  a  new  era  of  progress. 
Save  for  several  financial  panics  and  business  depressions,  it  enjoyed 
an  interrupted  development.  On  July  24,  1844,  Lemon  Hill,  com- 
prising a  tract  of  45  acres,  was  bought  by  the  city  and  later  dedicated 
as  an  addition  to  Fairmount  Park.  On  April  28,  1857,  the  city  pur- 
chased the  Sedgeley  Park  estate,  and  in  1866  the  Lansdowne  estate, 
adding  these  to  the  park  also.  In  1856  the  first  Republican  National 
Convention  was  held  at  Musical  Fund  Hall,  when  John  C.  Fremont 
was  nominated  for  the  Presidency.  The  Academy  of  Music  was  opened 
in  1857.  It  was  also  in  1857  that  Mayor  Richard  Vaux  organized  the 
fire  and  police  systems.  This  same  year  the  Schuylkill  Navy  was 
organized,  and  two  years  later  the  Zoological  Society.  In  1860  Cole- 
man  Sellers  made  the  first  photographic  motion  pictures. 

During  this  period  the  city's  developments  suffered  a  temporary 
setback  because  of  a  serious  economic  depression.  The  first  symptoms 
appeared  when  the  Bank  of  Pennsylvania  closed  its  doors  in  Sep- 
tember, 1857.  Within  a  few  hours  several  other  banks  suspended 
specie  payments.  Excitement  ran  high,  and  police  were  called  out  to 
protect  the  banks  from  depositors  clamoring  for  their  money.  Rival 
mass  meetings  were  held  in  Independence  Square  either  to  protest 
against  or  to  urge  laws  to  suspend  specie  payments.  George  M.  Whar- 
ton,  John  Cadwalader,  and  other  leading  citizens  were  opposed  to 
legalization.  The  legislature,  however,  passed  the  bill. 

The  financial  panic  threw  the  city  into  such  confusion  that  many 
business  houses  closed  their  doors,  and  thousands  of  unemployed 
soon  were  walking  the  streets.  A  general  shut-down  of  mills  and 
factories  augmented  the  number  of  idle  workers  and  increased  the 
general  unrest.  A  mass  meeting  of  10,000  workmen  was  held  in  In- 
dependence Square  to  demand  action  from  State  and  municipal  au- 
thorities toward  remedying  conditions.  In  view  of  the  gravity  of  the 
situation  and  the  pressure  from  the  unemployed,  Mayor  Vaux  insti- 
tuted a  program  of  public  works  and  municipal  improvements,  al- 
though the  council  had  favored  a  drastic  reduction  of  municipal  ex- 
penditures on  the  ground  of  economy.  Mayor  Vaux  contended  that 
the  city's  funds  should  be  spent  freely  in  order  to  relieve  distress 
and  allay  the  discontent  then  arising  among  the  workers,  some  of 

64 


HISTORY — CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 


whom  already  were  shouting  their  slogan  :  "Bread  or  fight  !"  The 
sane  liberalism  of  the  mayor  and  other  responsible  citizens  did  much 
to  relieve  the  suffering  of  the  people  and  bring  about  a  restoration  of 
normal  conditions. 

While  the  depression  that  followed  the  panic  of  1857  caused  a  gen- 
eral stagnation  of  business  during  the  following  year,  railway  con- 
struction in  the  city  was  continued  on  an  increasing  scale.  No  fewer 
than  14  charters  were  granted  for  the  construction  of  railways,  and 
workmen  were  kept  busy  tearing  up  streets  and  laying  tracks.  The 
West  Philadelphia  line  on  Market  Street  was  put  into  operation. 
Shortly  afterwards  the  Tenth  and  Eleventh  Streets  route  was  com- 
pleted, as  were  the  lines  on  Spruce  and  Pine  Street's,  and  Chestnut 
and  Walnut  Streets.  Considerable  opposition  was  manifested  for  a 
time  to  the  running  of  street  cars  on  Sundays,  but  this  difficulty  sub- 
sequently was  overcome. 

John  Brown's  raid  at  Harper's  Ferry  caused  intense  and  high  ex- 
citement in  the  city.  When  he  was  hanged,  December  2,  1859,  local 
abolitionists  gave  vent  to  bitter  indignation  at  the  "murder."  Feeling 
ran  so  high  that  Mayor  Alexander  Henry  refused  the  abolitionists  per- 
mission to  bring  Brown's  body  into  the  city.  Prominent  business  men 
viewed  with  misgivings  the  predominance  of  anti-Southern  sentiment, 
convinced  that  much  of  their  business  with  the  South  would  be  se- 
riously curtailed  by  such  hostility.  A  number  of  young  Southerners 
studying  at  local  medical  schools  withdrew  and  returned  home  as  a 

protest  against  the  furor  raised 
by  the  abolitionists.  It  was  only 
by  the  strength  and  vigilance  of 
the  police  force  that  serious  riot- 
ing was  prevented. 


Musical  Fund  Hall 

"memories  of  Jenny  Lind 

and  Adelina   Patti" 


65 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
Philadelphia  and  the  Civil  War 


abolitionist  movement,  the  birth  of  the  Republican  party, 
John  Brown's  raid  —  these  and  other  events  that  had  occupied 
the  attention  of  Philadelphians  during  the  years  preceding  the  Civil 
War  slipped  into  the  background  as  war  clouds  gathered  over  the 
Nation.  By  1860  relations  with  the  South  were  approaching  a  crisis. 
The  threat  of  war,  present  so  long  that  people  had  come  to  regard  it 
as  nothing  more  than  a  remote  possibility,  now  grew  serious. 

The  general  sentiment  in  Philadelphia  was  one  of  conciliation,  a 
feeling  inspired  mainly  by  the  desire  of  financial  and  industrial 
leaders  to  maintain  their  lucrative  trade  with  the  South.  Because  of 
its  proximity  to  the  Mason-Dixon  line,  Philadelphia  received  the  bulk 
of  Southern  business.  There  were  more  than  25  millionaires  in  the 
city,  many  of  whom  owed  their  wealth  to  this  trade.  Baldwin  loco- 
motives were  used  on  all  railroads  below  the  Mason-Dixon  line,  and 
Southern  belles  showed  a  preference  for  shoes  and  wearing  apparel 
made  in  Philadelphia.  The  city  gave  the  South  most  of  its  manu- 
factured products,  and  took  in  return  such  raw  materials  as  cotton, 
turpentine,  and  lumber.  In  the  latter  part  of  1860,  however,  there 
was  a  considerable  falling  off  in  this  trade. 

Despite  the  efforts  of  prominent  business  men  to  maintain  a  posi- 
tion of  neutrality,  public  sentiment  in  the  city  began  to  veer  definitely 
away  from  the  South.  This  was  due  in  large  part  to  the  Quakers,  who 
from  Colonial  times  had  bitterly  opposed  slavery.  With  others  it  was 
a  question  of  preserving  the  Union,  even  at  the  cost  of  armed  conflict. 

As  the  war  fever  increased,  social  distress  added  itself  to  com- 
mercial dislocation.  Southerners  and  their  sympathizers  formed  a 
considerable  part  of  the  population.  Many  of  the  city's  prominent 
families  had  intermixtures  of  Southern  blood,  and  with  the  mounting 
agitation  these  families  were  rent  asunder.  It  was  brother  against 
brother,  and  friend  against  friend. 

Abraham  Lincoln's  appearance  in  the  city  as  President-elect,  his 
raising  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  on  Independence  Hall,  February  22, 
1861,  and  the  pomp  and  circumstance  attendant  upon  the  event 
earned  him  his  first  real  popularity  in  Philadelphia.  Until  then  he 
had  been  considered  merely  a  crude  Illinois  lawyer.  So  far  as  this 
city  was  concerned,  his  inauguration  started  a  chain  of  events  that 
overshadowed  everything  previous  to  it.  The  firing  on  Fort  Sumter 
April  12,  1861,  and  Lincoln's  call  for  volunteers  two  days  later,  set 
the  city  ablaze  with  enthusiasm. 

Philadelphia  became  a  veritable  armed  camp,  with  the  arsenals 
working  overtime  to  supply  material  and  munitions.  Every  section  of 
the  city  was  filled  with  cantonments  of  soldiers.  The  Navy  Yard 
seethed  with  the  activity  of  -^quipping  men-of-war  for  active  sea  serv- 

66 


HISTORY — CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 

ice.  Every  member  of  the  old  military  units  in  the  city  became  a  hero 
overnight.  The  armories  were  overtaxed  with  men  and  munitions.  A 
bill  appropriating  $500,000  for  the  militia  was  passed  by  the  legis- 
lature. The  city  council  appropriated  large  sums  for  the  care  of 
soldiers'  families.  The  city  at  last  had  determined  upon  one  goal  — 
defense  of  the  Union. 

Among  those  taking  a  prominent  part  in  the  drive  for  volunteers 
were  Commodore  Charles  Stewart,  hero  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  Maj. 
Gen.  Robert  Patterson.  Although  70  years  of  age,  Patterson  entered 
active  service  and  commanded  troops  on  the  Potomac  above  Harper's 
Ferry.  The  Scott  Legion,  named  for  Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  and  the 
Buena  Vista  Guards  tasted  some  of  the  bitterest  fighting  of  the  war. 


Monument  to 

Negro  Soldiers 

"from  cotton  fields 

to  Flartders  fields" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  First  City  Troop  also  played  a  leading  part,  many  of  its  members 
becoming  officers  in  the  Union  Army.  The  State  Fencibles,  the  Na- 
tional Guards,  Washington  Grays,  and  other  units  saw  active  service. 

During  this  period  Philadelphia  was  one  of  the  principal  concen- 
tration points  for  New  England  troops.  The  Girard  House  was  com- 
mandeered temporarily  by  the  Sixth  Massachusetts  Regiment,  which 
joined  the  Buena  Vista  Guards  and  the  Scott  Legion  at  the  front. 
One  regiment  would  hardly  leave  Philadelphia  for  the  scene  of  hos- 
tilities before  another  arrived  in  the  city  to  take  its  place.  Late  in 
April  1861,  General  Patterson  led  his  First  Division,  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  to  Washington  —  the  first  Philadelphia  unit  to  arrive  in 
the  Capital. 

About  the  same  time,  business  in  Philadelphia  entered  a  period  of 
wartime  boom.  Trade  with  the  South  which  had  been  lost  was  more 
than  offset  by  the  inrush  of  war  orders.  Baldwin's,  hitting  a  peak  of 
production,  turned  out  456  locomotives  during  the  war.  The  South- 
wark  Navy  Yard,  employing  more  than  1,700  mechanics,  hummed 
with  activity.  Other  shipyards  worked  at  top  speed,  as  did  the  Schuyl- 
kill  and  Frankford  Arsenals,  the  textile  mills,  and  the  armament 
factories.  Emergency  arsenals  and  storehouses  were  established  in 
various  parts  of  the  city. 

Meanwhile,  the  steady  trek  to  the  battle  front  was  under  way. 
Among  the  first  troops  to  reach  Fort  McHenry  were  three  Philadel- 
phia regiments  under  command  of  Gen.  George  Cadwalader.  The 
units  were  composed  of  volunteers  who  had  enlisted  for  three  months. 
The  First  City  Troop  saw  service  under  General  Patterson  on  the 
Potomac  and  elsewhere.  In  all,  about  5,700  short-enlistment  soldiers 
from  such  organizations  as  the  Philadelphia  Grays,  Cadwalader  Grays, 
Washington  Grays,  Independent  Grays,  State  Fencibles.  and  Mc- 
Mullin's  Independent  Rangers  were  under  fire. 

When  the  Confederate  Congress  voted  an  appropriation  of  $50,- 
000,000  and  called  for  100,000  men,  President  Lincoln  sounded  a 
counter  call  to  arms —  for  enlistments  of  three  years,  or  for  duration 
of  the  war.  The  early  Philadelphia  regiments  were  mustered  out  and 
reorganized.  The  honor  roll  of  the  Union  Army  was  to  be  studded 
with  names  of  Philadelphia  men,  including  nearly  400  officers  who 
fell  in  action  during  the  war.  Alumni  and  students  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  Central  High  School,  and  Girard  College  distin- 
guished themselves  on  the  fields  of  battle. 

Although  the  city  was  preoccupied  with  war  activities  during  the 
four  years  of  conflict,  events  of  local  importance  continued  to  fill  the 
calendar.  Religious  services  in  the  Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul 
were  held  for  the  first  time  on  April  20,  1862.  League  Island  was 
purchased  by  the  city  this  same  year,  and  an  epidemic  of  scarlet  fever 
swept  the  city  in  1863. 

68 


HISTORY — CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 

After  a  year  and  a  half  of  war,  the  cause  of  the  Union  still  seemed 
to  be  hanging  in  the  balance.  Prominent  citizens  felt  that  a  more 
concerted  effort  was  needed  to  strengthen  the  forces  of  the  Govern- 
ment. It  was  decided  to  form  a  patriotic  organization  whose  members 
would  pool  their  resources  for  raising  and  equipping  additional  regi- 
ments for  the  Union  Army.  A  meeting  was  called  at  the  residence  of 
Benjamin  Gerhard,  226  South  Fourth  Street,  on  November  15,  1862, 
when  measures  were  adopted  for  the  formation  of  a  Union  club.  The 
original  founders  were  Gerhard,  George  Boker,  Morton  McMichael, 
Judge  J.  Clarke  Hare,  Horace  Binney,  Jr.,  and  Charles  Gibbons.  The 
present  title,  Union  League,  was  adopted  on  December  27,  1862. 

The  league  made  its  headquarters  at  1118  Chestnut  Street,  the  site 
now  occupied  by  Keith's  Theatre.  The  first  president  was  William 
Morris  Meredith,  Attorney  General  of  the  State.  By  February  1863, 
the  membership  had  grown  to  more  than  500.  A  fund  was  subscribed 
by  members  to  form  and  equip  regiments  for  the  Union,  and  the 
League  became  a  potent  factor  in  the  city's  contribution  to  the  defeat 
of  the  Confederacy.  It  published  thousands  of  copies  of  patriotic  cir- 
culars and  pamphlets,  and  in  other  ways  maintained  the  city's  war- 
time morale.  In  May  1865,  the  league  moved  into  its  present  quarters 
at  Broad  and  Sansom  Streets. 

One  of  the  outstanding  figures  of  Civil  War  days  in  Philadelphia 
was  Jay  Cooke,  banker.  Formerly  with  E.  W.  Clark  &  Co.,  Cooke 
established  his  own  banking  house  of  Jay  Cooke  &  Co.  in  January 
1861.  Until  news  of  the  defeat  of  the  Union  Army  at  Bull  Run 
reached  the  city  on  July  22,  1861,  Cooke's  company  had  been  allotted 
only  a  small  part  of  the  Government  bond  issues,  New  York  and 
Boston  bankers  having  received  the  greater  part  of  the  allotments. 
During  the  excitment  that  followed  upon  the  Union  defeat,  Cooke  on 
his  own  initiative  canvassed  every  financial  institution  in  the  city, 
and  in  a  few  days  had  obtained  pledges  to  a  loan  to  the  Government 
of  $1,737.500.  Cooke  became  subscription  agent  for  the  national  loan 
on  March  7,  1862,  and  in  1863  he  was  appointed  fiscal  agent  for  the 
Government  by  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Chase. 

Cooke  organized  a  small  army  of  agents  to  cover  the  country,  and 
began  a  national  advertising:  campaign  remarkable  for  its  scope  and 
originality.  It  is  estimated  that  he  raised  from  a  billion  and  a  half 
to  two  billion  dollars  during  the  four  years  of  war.  Total  profits  of 
Jay  Cooke  &  Co.  on  bond  issues  f^om  July  17,  1861,  to  March  3,  1865 
(according  to  official  statement  of  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Hugh 
McCulloch  April  23,  1868)  were  $6,873,934.96.  Commission  on  gold 
sales  amounted  to  $293,782. 


69 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
Defense  of  the  City 

T>  Y  1863  Philadelphia  had  settled  down  to  a  routine  varied  only 
-"-^  by  newspaper  reports  of  casualties  and  losses  and  gains  of  the 
Federal  armies.  All  the  glamor  and  excitement  of  the  early  days  had 
been  replaced  by  the  prosaic  day-to-day  business  of  seeing  the  war 
through  to  the  end.  Factories  still  worked  to  capacity  on  war  orders, 
but  it  was  generally  believed  that  the  conflict  was  nearing  its  con- 
clusion. The  Union  League  and  other  organizations  began  to  make 
preparations  for  a  gala  Fourth  of  July  celebration. 

Then  came  rumors  that  all  was  not  well  with  the  armies  of  the 
Union.  News  dispatches  began  to  hint  that  the  Confederate  forces 
were  advancing  farther  north  each  day.  Confederate  cavalry  was 
thrusting  nearer  to  the  lower  reaches  of  the  Susquehanna  River.  Con- 
sternation mounted  in  the  city  at  the  imminence  of  danger.  When 
word  first  arrived  that  Lee's  army  was  marching  through  Maryland, 
Philadelphia  was  thrown  into  a  turmoil.  Business  was  disrupted,  shops 
were  closed,  and  people  gathered  in  groups,  fearing  the  worst. 

On  June  15  President  Lincoln  issued  a  new  call  for  100,000  militia 
to  be  enlisted  for  six  months.  Governor  Curtin  and  Mayor  Henry  also 
issued  calls  for  volunteers.  The  mayor  ordered  all  business  suspended, 
and  urged  every  able-bodied  man  to  volunteer  for  emergency  service 
in  preparing  the  city  against  attack.  Breastworks  were  thrown  up  at 
strategic  points  in  the  outskirts.  As  fast  as  volunteers  were  forthcom- 
ing, they  were  equipped  and  sent  to  Harrisburg,  where  other  Union 
forces  were  assembling. 

Meade's  smashing  repulse  of  Lee  at  Gettysburg  occurred  on  July 
1-3,  but  it  was  not  until  the  7th  that  accurate  reports  of  the  battle 
reached  Philadelphia.  Gettysburg  proved  costly  to  the  city  of  Penn. 
Thousands  of  its  citizens  fell,  killed  or  wounded,  during  the  three 
days.  Although  won  at  high  cost,  the  victory  saved  Philadelphia  and 
determined  the  outcome  of  the  war. 

Upon  the  battlefields  of  Bull  Run,  Antietam,  and  Ball's  Bluff  many 
Philadelphians  laid  down  their  lives.  At  Ball's  Bluff  the  Philadelphia 
Brigade  experienced  its  first  fire,  to  begin  a  period  of  meritorious 
service  that  was  to  end  in  glory  at  Petersburg.  Except  for  three  up- 
State  companies,  the  brigade  was  composed  of  local  volunteers.  It  also 
saw  service  at  Gettysburg,  turning  back  a  Confederate  charge.  Sur- 
vivors fought  with  other  regiments  until  the  final  victory  at  Ap- 
pomattox.  When  the  brigade  was  disbanded  on  June  28,  1864,  its 
battle-flag  bore  39  shot-holes. 

An  equally  gallant  combat  unit  was  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  to 
which  Philadelphia  contributed  20  companies  of  infantry  and  four 
batteries  of  artillery,  numbering  in  all  3,000  men.  Gen.  George  A. 
McCall  succeeded  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan  as  its  commander.  Later, 

70 


HISTORY — CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 

Gen.  Samuel  Wylie  Crawford,  a  surgeon  in  the  Regular  Army,  led  the 
remnants  of  the  force  down  from  Little  Round  Top  into  the  "wheat- 
field"  on  the  bloody  second  day  at  Gettysburg.  Regiments  of  Phila- 
delphia Negroes  won  honor  and  glory  for  themselves  during  the  war, 
displaying  great  courage  on  the  fields  of  battle. 

The  two  most  conspicuous  military  figures  of  Philadelphia  during 
the  war  were  Maj.  Gen.  George  Brinton  McClellan,  commander  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  from  1861  to  1862,  and  Maj.  Gen.  George  Gor- 
don Meade,  who  commanded  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Gettysburg 
and  during  the  remainder  of  the  war.  Among  the  Philadelphians  who 
figured  prominently  in  naval  activities  were  Rear  Admirals  Charles 
Stewart,  John  A.  Dahlgren,  David  D.  Porter,  and  George  Campbell 
Read  ;  Commodores  Joseph  Beale,  William  McKean,  William  Trux- 
tun,  Garrett  Pendergrast,  and  John  C.  Febiger  ;  and  Commander 
Abner  Reed. 

Military  hospitals  were  maintained  in  the  city  and  suburbs  for  the 
care  of  the  sick  and  wounded.  Local  women  displayed  great  ability 
and  devotion  in  volunteer  relief  work.  The  Christian  Commission, 
organized  by  George  H.  Stuart,  John  Wanamaker,  and  others  con- 
nected with  the  Philadelphia  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  also 
did  valuable  relief  work. 

Philadelphia,  during  these  dark  days,  was  the  scene  of  America's 
first  important  fair  —  the  Council  Fair  of  the  Sanitary  Commissions 
from  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Delaware.  It  was  held  in  Logan 
Square,  and  began  June  7,  1864.  President  Lincoln  was  unable  to  at- 
tend the  opening  ceremonies,  but  he  and  Mrs.  Lincoln  visited  the 
fair  on  June  16,  together  with  Governor  Packer  of  New  Jersey,  Gov- 
ernor Cannon  of  Delaware,  and  Governor  Curtin  of  Pennsylvania. 

On  the  morning  of  April  3.  1865,  the  Philadelphia  Inquirer  issued 
a  bulletin  announcing  the  fall  of  Richmond.  Later  dispatches  con- 
firmed the  occupation  of  the  Southern  capital  by  Grant's  troops.  This 
event  was  the  signal  for  spontaneous  demonstrations  on  the  part  of 
Philadelphia's  war-weary  citizens.  The  bell  in  Independence  Hall 
pealed  forth  the  message  of  jubilation,  as  thousands  formed  im- 
promptu victory  processions.  School  children  marched  through  the 
streets,  waving  flags  and  singing  songs.  Steam  whistles  shrieked 
throughout  the  city,  adding  their  strident  tones  to  the  tumult.  A 
cannon  was  placed  on  the  top  of  the  Evenmg  Bulletin  building  and 
fired  incessantly  all  afternoon.  Business  was  at  a  standstill,  and  at 
night  the  city  was  ablaze  with  lights  and  the  <rlare  of  countless  bon- 
fires. The  Union  was  saved,  and  war  was  about  to  end.  What  more 
fitting  cause  for  jubilation  !  On  April  10,  news  of  Lee's  surrender  at 
Appomattox  threw  the  city  into  another  riot  of  celebration.  The 
names  of  Grant  and  Meade  were  cheered,  while  guns  thundered  all 
through  the  day. 

71 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Gaiety  and  rejoicing  changed  to  sorrow,  however,  when  news  of 
President  Lincoln's  assassination  arrived  on  April  15.  From  a  city  be- 
decked with  gay  colors,  Philadelphia  was  transformed  overnight  into 
a  place  of  mourning.  Office  buildings,  shops,  and  dwellings  were 
draped  with  black.  Requiem  services  were  held  in  all  churches.  On 
Saturday,  April  22,  when  the  President's  body  arrived  from  Washing- 
ton, the  many  bells  of  the  city  were  tolled.  The  hearse  was  escorted 
by  a  vast  procession  to  Independence  Hall,  and  the  body  lay  in  state 
in  the  room  where  the  Declaration  had  been  signed. 

Early  the  following  morning  the  hall  was  opened  to  the  public.  By 
midnight  more  than  85,000  persons  had  viewed  Lincoln's  remains. 
Multitudes  paid  their  last  respects  to  the  great  man  in  prayer  and 
fasting.  The  next  afternoon  the  casket  was  borne  to  the  Kensington 
Depot,  and  placed  on  a  train  to  resume  its  journey  through  sorrowing 
throngs  to  its  last  resting  place  in  Springfield,  111.,  Lincoln's  home 
town.  *  i 

The  Post-War  Years 

A  MID  the  turbulence  of  national  and  local  politics,  returning 
-^*-  soldiers,  loyalist  demonstrations,  financial  panics,  and  a  mush- 
room growth  of  saloons,  Philadelphia  entered  upon  a  post-war  era 
of  expansion.  Rise  of  the  saloons  was  probably  one  of  the  most  sig- 
nificant features  of  the  immediate  post-war  period.  Owned  for  the 
most  part  by  Germans  and  Irish,  the  saloons  at  first  served  only  the 
finest  brews,  aged  until  wholesome  and  then  drawn  from  the  keg  at 
spring-water  temperature.  Later,  as  competition  became  keen,  iced 
beer  was  served  almost  as  soon  as  brewed.  In  1887,  when  the  Brooks 
High  License  Law  was  passed,  there  were  nearly  6,000  saloons  in  the 
city.  A  power  in  politics  ever  since  the  days  of  the  first  tavern,  the 
saloon  was  now  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with  in  every  local  political 
struggle. 

The  Democrats  and  the  Andrew  Johnson  Republicans  set  the  city 
aflame  with  political  controversy  when  they  held  their  famous  "arm- 
in-arm"  convention  on  August  14,  1866.  The  picturesque  name  sprang 
from  an  incident  at  the  gathering  in  which  two  convention  delegates, 
one  a  Unionist  and  the  other  a  former  Confederate,  marched  down 
the  aisle  of  the  Convention  Hall  arm-in-arm. 

Johnson's  appearance  in  the  citv  with  Grant  and  Seward  was  the 
signal  for  a  series  of  disorders.  Although  John  W.  Geary,  Republican 
candidate  for  Governor,  carried  the  city  in  the  following  October  by 
a  plurality  of  5,000,  Col.  Peter  Lyle,  a  staunch  Democrat,  was  elected 
Sheriff.  In  November  1868,  Grant's  presidential  plurality  in  the  city 
was  5,818,  notwithstanding  that  Daniel  Fox,  Democratic  candidate, 
had  been  elected  mayor  the  preceding  month. 

72 


HISTORY — CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 

With  the  opening  of  the  Chestnut  Street  bridge  on  June  23,  1866, 
the  city's  westward  expansion  began.  An  increase  in  population  from 
562,529  in  1860  to  673,726  in  1870  necessitated  the  development  of 
outlying  districts  across  the  Schuylkill.  Factories,  homes,  churches, 
and  schools  sprang  up.  The  central  city  section  had  already  begun  to 
take  on  the  appearance  of  a  metropolis.  The  main  streets,  such  as 
Market,  Chestnut,  and  Broad,  were  crowded  with  buildings  and  shops 
of  substantial  size. 

Many  large  industries  were  making  Philadelphia  one  of  the  most 
important  centers  of  trade  in  the  country.  Firms  such  as  the  Cramp's 
Shipbuilding  Company,  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  and  others 
had  placed  the  city  in  the  vanguard  of  industry  and  commerce.  Dur- 
ing this  period,  George  W.  Childs,  who  had  acquired  the  Public  Ledger 
from  William  M.  Swain^  built  the  new  home  of  the  newspaper  at  Sixth 
and  Chestnut  Streets.  This  building  was  one  of  the  largest  newspaper 
plants  of  the  time. 

In  1870  the  Germans  in  Philadelphia  evinced  great  interest  in  the 
Franco-Prussian  War.  A  mass  meeting  of  Negro  citizens  celebrated 
the  adoption  of  the  Fifteenth  Amendment  to  the  Constitution.  In  the 
same  year  the  city  fire  department  was  organized,  and  the  Philadel- 
phia Record  first  appeared. 

Numerous  public  disturbances  occurred  in  1871.  Much  animosity 
was  aroused  in  certain  sections  by  the  enfranchisement  of  the  Negroes. 
Riots  broke  out  in  the  Fourth  and  Fifth  Wards,  during  which  two 
prominent  Negroes,  Isaiah  Chase  and  Prof.  Octavius  Catto,  were 
slain.  Racial  bitterness  was  so  intense  that  the  militia  was  called  out 
to  restore  order. 

The  death  of  General  Meade  on  November  6,  1872,  threw  the  city 
into  mourning.  His  funeral  was  held  with  impressive  ceremony,  and 
notables  from  the  entire  country,  including  President  Grant,  attended. 

The  failure  of  the  banking  houses  of  E.  W.  Clarke  &  Co.  and  Jay 
Cooke  &  Co.,  on  September  18,  1873,  precipitated  a  financial  panic 
that  resulted  in  the  closing  of  a  number  of  large  banks  in  the 
city  and  throughout  the  country.  Another  local  bank,  the  Franklin 
Savings  Fund,  in  which  many  of  the  poorer  citizens  had  placed  their 
meagre  savings,  went  into  bankruptcy  on  February  6,  1874.  The  pre- 
vailing financial  disorders  and  the  accompanying  depression  of  in- 
dustry and  commerce  produced  much  labor  unrest.  Strikes  occurred 
frequently  during  this  period,  and  labor  agitation  for  an  eight-hour 
working  day  was  carried  on  with  vehemence. 

The  new  Masonic  Temple,  at  Broad  and  Filbert  Streets,  was  dedi- 
cated in  the  presence  of  a  large  gathering  on  September  26,  1873. 
Three  events  marked  July  4,  1874.  These  were  the  laying  of  the  cor- 
nerstone of  the  new  City  Hall  in  Penn  Square,  the  breaking  of  ground 
in  West  Fail-mount  Park  for  the  Centennial  Exhibition,  and  the  open- 

73 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

ing  of  the  Girard  Avenue  bridge  over  the  Schuylkill.  Built  at  a  cost 
of  nearly  a  million  and  a  half  dollars,  this  bridge  was  probably  the 
widest  in  the  world  at  the  time. 

The  Centennial 

AS  the  year  1875  drew  to  a  close,  preparations  were  made  to  wel- 
come the  advent  of  the  Nation's  centennial  year.  On  New  Year's 
Eve  the  city  was  ablaze  with  lights.  Particularly  resplendent  was 
Carpenters'  Hall,  which  displayed  in  a  sign  lighted  by  candles  the 
words  :  "The  Nation's  Birthplace."  A  brilliant  display  of  fireworks 
was  set  off  at  Southwark.  Festivities  were  centered  in  the  area  from 
South  Street  to  Girard  Avenue,  and  westward  to  the  Schuylkill. 

As  midnight  approached,  Independence  Hall  was  surrounded  by 
dense  crowds.  At  11:45  Mayor  William  Stokeley  addressed  the  as- 
semblage ;  and  after  a  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Walter  Scott  and  a  speech 
on  the  Centennial  Exhibition  by  Benjamin  Harris  Brewster,  the  bell 
in  Independence  Hall  tolled  for  the  departing  year.  As  the  last  note 
died  away,  Mayor  Stokeley  raised  a  Colonial  flag  aloft,  while  a  band 
played  The  Star  Spangled  Banner  and  the  Second  Regiment  fired 
salute  after  salute. 

The  Centennial  Exhibition,  commemorating  100  years  of  American 
Independence,  opened  on  May  10,  1876,  in  Fairmount  Park.  President 
and  Mrs.  Grant,  with  Dom  Pedro  de  Alcantara,  Emperor  of  Brazil, 
and  his  wife  as  guests  of  honor,  presided  at  the  opening,  which  was 
attended  by  notables  from  all  over  the  world  and  a  crowd  of  100,000. 
The  dedication  ceremonies  were  held  in  the  space  between  the  Main 
Building  and  Memorial  Hall,  two  of  the  180  buildings  erected  on  the 
grounds.  A  200-piece  orchestra  and  a  chorus  of  900  voices  accom- 
panied the  action  of  the  President  as  he  unfurled  the  flag.  After  the 
unfurling  a  100-gun  salute  was  fired  and  chimes  were  rung.  The 
President  and  Dom  Pedro  started  the  mammoth  Corliss  engine  in 
Machinery  Hall,  and  then  a  reception  was  held  for  them  in  the 
Judges'  Pavilion. 

Thirty-eight  foreign  nations  and  39  States  and  Territories  were 
represented.  Of  these  Massachusetts  led  with  an  appropriation  of 
$50,000  ;  New  Jersey  voted  $10,000,  and  Delaware  $10,000.  The  250 
judges  of  the  exposition,  of  whom  125  were  foreigners,  were  divided 
into  28  groups.  All  through  the  summer  months  the  city  was  thronged 
with  visitors.  Record  attendance  for  a  single  day  was  reached  on 
Pennsylvania  Day,  September  28,  when  275.000  persons  passed  through 
the  turnstiles.  Governor  Tilden  of  New  York  attracted  a  crowd  of 
134,588  on  Empire  State  Day;  while  his  rival  for  the  Presidency, 
Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  drew  an  equally  large  crowd  on  Ohio  Day, 
October  26.  Hundreds  of  special  events,  such  as  the  first  public  dem- 
onstration of  the  telephone,  were  held  during  the  six  months  of  the 

74 


HISTORY — CENTURY  OF  GROWTH 

exhibition.  The  German  population  dedicated  a  monument  to  Hum- 
holdt,  the  West  Point  cadets  visited  the  fair  in  a  body,  and  a  number 
of  regattas  were  held  on  the  Schuylkill.  On  November  10,  1876,  the 
Exhibition  was  officially  closed  by  President  Grant. 

The  year  1876  marked  the  beginning  of  a  new  period  of  archi- 
tectural expression.  Not  only  to  Philadelphia,  but  to  the  Nation  at 
large,  the  Exhibition  had  given  impetus  to  the  Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts 
influence,  together  with  other  styles  tending  toward  eclecticism  in 
building  design.  The  period  was  marked  also  by  business  expansion 
and  labor  troubles. 

In  July  1877  the  great  railroad  strike  that  had  spread  over  the 
country  broke  out  in  Philadelphia.  Employees  of  the  Reading  and 
Pennsylvania  Railroads,  organized  in  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers,  struck  for  better  wages  and  improved  working  conditions, 
such  as  full  crews  on  all  trains,  and  abolishment  of  the  double  train. 
There  was  little  rioting,  however,  as  major  disorders  were  prevented 
by  police  and  the  National  Guard. 

In  Pennsylvania  the  strike  ended  July  27,  after  freight  and  pas- 
senger service  had  for  a  short  time  been  suspended.  The  men  went 
back  to  work  with  an  understanding  that  the  issues  would  be  settled 
by  arbitration.  Both  sides  claimed  a  victory. 

Electric  lighting  came  into  use  in  stores  and  offices  in  the  later 
seventies  and  early  eighties.  The  city  council  opposed  the  use  of 
electricity  for  municipal  lighting,  maintaining  that  its  cost  would  be 
too  great.  The  Brush  Electric  Light  Company,  however,  offered  in 
1882  to  light  Chestnut  Street  for  one  year  without  charge.  The  offices 
of  the  Public  Ledger,  at  Sixth  and  Chestnut  Streets,  and  those  of  the 
Record,  on  Chestnut  Street  near  Ninth,  were  equipped  with  electric 
lights  in  that  year.  Within  a  brief  period  nearly  all  the  central  city 
section  adopted  the  new  method  of  lighting.  About  the  same  time 
came  the  telephone.  The  Bell  company  established  its  first  central 
office  in  the  city  at  400  Chestnut  Street  in  1878.  In  1884  two  other 
companies,  the  Baxter  Overland  Telephone  Companv  and  the  Clay 
Commercial  Telephone  Company,  opened  offices  on  Chestnut  Street. 
As  with  the  telegraph,  which  had  come  into  use  more  than  30  years 
earlier,  the  electric  light  and  telephone  soon  became  indispensable 
adjuncts  to  city  life.  During  the  next  two  decades  the  city,  despite 
political  bossism,  enjoyed  uninterrupted  development. 

The  Bullitt  Act,  giving  the  city  a  new  charter,  was  passed  by  the 
legislature  in  1885.  This  reduced  the  number  of  city  departments 
from  28  to  eight,  and  placed  them  under  the  direct  supervision  of 
the  mayor,  who  was  empowered  to  appoint  the  department  directors. 

During  the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century  such  figures  as 
Matthew  S.  Quay,  Boies  Penrose,  Alexander  McClure,  David  and 
Peter  Lane,  William  R.  Leeds,  and  Israel  Durham  occupied  the 

75 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

political  limelight.  Graft  and  corruption  were  rife  in  connection 
with  traction  franchises  and  the  administration  of  the  city  gas  works. 
Many  large  fortunes  were  made  during  this  period  by  clever  manipu- 
lators working  in  connivance  with  the  political  bosses.  John  Wana- 
maker,  always  on  the  side  of  civic  virtue,  attempted  to  overthrow  the 
Quay  machine  in  1898-99,  but  was  unsuccessful.  The  machine  was 
too  well  organized.  Would-be  reformers  were  told  bluntly  by  the 
"bosses"  to  stop  wasting  their  breath. 

In  1892  the  first  trolley  car  was  operated  on  Catharine  and  Bain- 
bridge  Streets.  The  Reading  Terminal  at  Twelfth  and  Market  Streets 
was  opened  the  following  year.  In  1894  Broad  Street  became  the  first 
thoroughfare  in  the  city  to  be  paved  with  asphalt.  In  1897  the  Com- 
mercial Museum  was  officially  opened  by  President  McKinley.  The 
next  year  came  the  Spanish-American  War,  in  which  many  Phila- 
delphians  and  organizations,  including  the  First  City  Troop,  saw 
service.  The  first  motor  car  to  appear  in  the  city  was  brought  from 
France  in  1899  by  Jules  Junker,  a  local  merchant. 

Smith  Memorial 
"We  are  engaged  in  a  great  civil  war'9 


THE  MODERN  METROPOLIS 


MANY  innovations  marked  the  transition  from  the  old  city  of 
the  nineteenth  century  to  the  high-tensioned  metropolis  of  to- 
day. By  1900  the  population  exceeded  one  and  a  quarter  mil- 
lions, of  which  native  Americans  constituted  75  percent.  The  influx 
of  immigrants  from  Europe  and  of  Negroes  from  the  South,  together 
with  the  steadily  increasing  birthrate,  had  transformed  the  city  proper 
into  a  hive  of  human  beings  living  in  congested  streets.  The  wealthier 
families  began  their  exodus  to  the  outlying  districts  of  the  city  and 
to  the  suburbs  along  the  Main  Line  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

With  the  advent  of  the  automobile,  the  city's  roughly  paved  streets, 
intended  for  horse-drawn  vehicles,  were  replaced  gradually  by  thor- 
oughfares of  asphalt. 

During  the  first  decade  of  the  twentieth  century  a  new  crop  of 
skyscrapers  added  height  to  Philadelphia's  skyline.  Among  the  tallest 
of  these  were  the  Land  Title  Building  and  the  Real  Estate  Trust 
Building  at  Broad  and  Chestnut  Streets  ;  the  North  American  Build- 
ing, Broad  and  Sansom  Streets  ;  the  Pennsylvania  Building,  Fifteenth 
and  Chestnut  Streets  ;  the  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel,  Broad  and  Wal- 
nut Streets  ;  Wanamaker's,  Thirteenth  and  Market  Streets,  and  the 
Morris  Building,  Chestnut  Street  west  of  Broad.  Row  upon  row  of 
brick  dwellings  were  being  constructed.  The  Market  Street  subway- 
elevated  (opened  in  1907)  and  additional  trolley  lines  were  built  to 
link  the  new  sections  with  the  city  center. 

Events  of  importance  during  this  period  were  the  Republican  Na- 
tional Convention  in  June,  1900,  at  which  President  William  Mc- 
Kinley  was  renominated  and  Governor  Theodore  Roosevelt  of  New 
York  designated  as  Vice-Presidential  nominee ;  the  purchase  by 
Gimbel  Brothers  of  the  Girard  House,  at  Ninth  and  Chestnut  Streets 
(May,  1900),  as  a  site  for  an  addition  to  their  department  store  ;  the 
first  Mummers'  Parade  (January  1,  1901)  to  welcome  the  twentieth 
century  ;  the  opening  (March  1901)  of  a  new  Gray's  Ferry  Bridge 
over  the  Schuylkill  ;  the  first  official  message  sent  (January  1902) 
over  the  Keystone  telephone  system  ;  and  purchase  (March  1902) 
of  the  site  of  Lit  Brothers'  store.  Also  in  1902,  the  Philadelphia  Rapid 
Transit  Company  was  chartered  ;  the  new  Central  High  School  at 
Broad  and  Green  Streets  was  dedicated  by  Theodore  Roosevelt,  who 

77 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

had  succeeded  to  the  Presidency  after  McKinley's  assassination  ;  and 
Keith's  Chestnut  Street  Theatre  was  opened. 

The  Poor  Richard  Club  was  organized  July  23,  1907  ;  and  on  July 
1,  1907,  the  first  contract  between  the  city  and  the  Philadelphia 
Rapid  Transit  Company  was  executed.  In  April  1908  Shibe  Park, 
home  of  the  Philadelphia  American  League  baseball  club,  was 
opened.  The  same  year  saw  the  establishment  of  Oscar  Hammerstein's 
Philadelphia  Opera  House,  which  opened  with  a  presentation  of 
Bizet's  Carmen,  and  the  dedication  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building  on 
Arch  Street.  In  1909  regular  passenger  service  over  the  new  elevated 
tracks  of  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  was  begun  from  the 
Reading  Terminal. 

Motormen  and  conductors  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Com- 
pany declared  a  strike  for  higher  wages  in  May  1909.  Another  fol- 
lowed in  February  1910,  the  men  receiving  instructions  not  to  return 
to  work  until  their  union  was  recognized  by  the  company  and  the 
hourly  wage-rate  increased  from  20  to  25  cents.  During  the  strike, 
which  lasted  about  five  months  before  an  agreement  was  reached, 
there  was  much  rioting  and  disorder.  Hundreds  of  cars  were  dam- 
aged, many  persons  were  injured,  and  numerous  arrests  of  strikers 
and  union  officials  were  made. 

In  the  same  year,  the  first  airplane  flight  from  New  York  to  Phila- 
delphia was  made  by  Charles  K.  Hamilton,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
New  York  Times  and  the  Philadelphia  Public  Ledger  ;  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania  opened  its  new  building  at  Thirteenth  and 
Locust  Streets  ;  the  Aquarium  in  Fairmount  Park  was  completed  ;  and 
the  census  of  1910  showed  an  increase  of  population  to  1,549,008. 

During  this  period  and  up  to  the  third  decade  of  the  century,  local 
political  affairs  were  controlled  by  dynasties  of  boss-rule,  in  which 
such  figures  as  Boies  Penrose,  James  P.  McNichol,  and  the  Vare 
brothers,  George,  Edwin,  and  William,  were  predominant.  Headed 
by  these  bosses,  the  Republican  organization  enjoyed  uninterrupted 
control  of  Philadelphia  politics,  save  for  a  temporary  setback  when 
Rudolph  Blankenburg,  independent  reform  candidate,  won  the  mayor- 
alty election  in  1911  against  the  Republican  machine  controlled  by 
Penrose,  in  alliance  with  McNichol.  The  tie-up  between  the  political 
bosses  and  the  utilities  had  been  scandalously  close  ;  both  had  waxed 
rich  at  the  expense  of  the  citizenry.  But  under  Blankenburg's  admin- 
istration many  of  these  abuses  were  discontinued.  In  their  stead,  there 
was  maintained  a  steady  campaign  of  municipal  development  carried 
on  in  such  a  forthright  manner  that  even  the  political  machine  could 
not  criticize  it. 

The  great  fortunes  founded  in  the  previous  century  by  such  finar 

78 


HISTORY — MODERN  METROPOLIS 

cial,  industrial,  and  commercial  pioneers  as  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  Francis 
and  Anthony  Drexel,  John  Wanamaker,  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Justin 
Strawbridge,  Isaac  Clothier,  William  L.  Elkins,  and  Peter  A.  B. 
Widener  had  by  now  become  consolidated,  and  formed  an  integral 
part  of  the  city's  growth.  Newcomers  were  carving  their  fortunes  in 
banking,  real  estate,  motion  picture  theatres,  oil,  and  other  fields. 

In  1913,  militant  women  suffragists  crusaded  in  the  city  to  win  for 
their  sex  the  right  to  vote  and  participate  in  the  direction  of  public 
affairs.  Prominent  in  the  movement  was  Mrs.  Lucretia  Blankenburg, 
wife  of  Mayor  Blankenburg.  President  Taft  and  his  Cabinet  attended 
the  Union  League's  fiftieth  anniversary  banquet  in  February  of  that 
year,  and  in  October  President  Woodrow  Wilson  dedicated  the  re- 
stored Congress  Hall. 

Philadelphia  During  the  World  War 

A  SLIGHT  earthquake  shook  the  city  in  February  1914.  A  few 
•^*-  months  later,  in  midsummer,  a  far  greater  earthquake,  non- 
seismic  in  origin,  rocked  the  entire  continent  of  Europe  and  the 
whole  world,  with  repercussions  of  gradually  heightening  intensity  in 
Philadelphia  during  the  following  four  years. 

The  war  seemed  very  remote  from  the  city  until  the  steamship 
Lusitania  was  sunk  by  a  German  submarine  on  May  7,  1915.  Then 
public  sentiment,  which  had  been  rather  divided  in  its  sympathies 
for  the  belligerents,  began  to  swing  towards  the  side  of  the  Allies. 
Meanwhile,  Philadelphia  industries  were  obtaining  lucrative  contracts 
for  munitions  and  war  material  from  the  Allied  powers.  Wages 
mounted  as  factories  operated  day  and  night  to  turn  out  their  mer- 
chandise of  death. 

A  phenomenon  of  the  times  was  the  sudden  swarm  of  "jitney" 
busses  which  appeared  on  Broad  Street  and  other  main  thorough- 
fares in  1915.  Indifferent  street-car  service  and  the  novelty  of  riding 
in  automobiles,  which  at  that  time  were  still  luxuries  out  of  reach 
of  many  citizens,  accounted  for  the  popularity  of  the  "jitney"  (the 
name  sprang  from  a  slang  term  meaning  five  cents,  the  amount  of 
fare  charged  by  the  new  conveyances).  Eventually,  opposition  insti- 
tuted by  the  traction  company,  under  Thomas  E.  Mitten,  forced  the 
"jitneys"  out  of  business. 

On  January  22,  1917,  the  last  contingent  of  Philadelphia  troops 
which  had  been  sent  to  the  Mexican  border  the  previous  July  in  the 
campaign  against  Villa  was  ordered  home.  As  if  in  preparation  for 
the  inevitable,  many  civilians  were  joining  the  National  Guard  units, 
which  were  conducting  sham  battles  and  drills.  Army  and  Navy  re- 
cruiting stations  were  opened,  and  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  was 
closed  to  the  public.  Expectation  that  America  would  enter  the  war 
grew  stronger. 

79 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Prices  began  to  soar  as  commodities  became  more  scarce  and  prof- 
iteering grew  rampant.  Potatoes  sold  at  $3.60  per  bushel.  Crowds 
kept  vigil  before  bulletin  boards  of  the  large  newspaper  offices,  await- 
ing developments.  A  mass  meeting  was  held  in  Independence  Square, 
where  citizens  pledged  themselves  to  uphold  the  national  honor 
against  German  aggression.  The  city  adhered  to  its  pledge  when  Con- 
gress declared  war  on  the  Central  Powers  on  April  6.  The  machinery 
of  mobilizing  the  city  for  war  was  set  in  motion  immediately.  Within 
two  months  the  First  Liberty  Loan  campaign  was  in  full  swing,  the 
Red  Cross  drive  for  funds  and  volunteers  had  started,  and  local  draft 
boards  were  already  conscripting  civilians  for  the  Army.  In  the  first 
local  draft  quota,  161,245  Philadelphians  were  sent  to  training  camps. 

On  April  10,  1917,  a  terrific  explosion  occurred  at  the  Eddystone 
Ammunition  Works,  between  Philadelphia  and  Chester.  More  than 
100  men  and  women  workers,  many  of  them  Philadelphians,  were 
killed  in  the  blast,  and  more  than  300  maimed  and  injured.  So  ter- 
rific was  the  concussion  that  the  small  town  of  Eddystone  was  all  bat 
demolished,  and  thousands  of  homes  in  Chester  and  Philadelphia 
were  shaken. 

During  the  primary  election  on  September  19,  1917,  bitter  factional 
strife  broke  out  in  the  Fifth  Ward.  Patrolman  George  Eppley  was 
shot  and  killed  at  Sixth  and  Delancey  Street  while  protecting  two 
citizens  from  imported  gunmen.  The  murder  resulted  in  the  indict- 
ment of  several  public  officials  on  conspiracy  charges,  though  the 
most  prominent  among  them  were  acquitted.  Feeling  against  the  gun- 
men implicated  in  the  murder  ran  so  high  that  a  change  of  venue  was 
necessary.  Several  of  the  defendants  were  convicted  of  second-degree 
murder  and  imprisoned. 

The  city  entered  upon  its  war  work  with  feverish  activity.  Great 
industries,  such  as  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  and  the  Midvale 
Steel  Company,  were  transformed  into  arsenals  of  the  Army  and 
Navy,  turning  out  war  materials.  The  largest  ship  construction  plant 
in  the  world  was  established  at  Hog  Island,  on  the  southeastern  fringe 
o£  the  city.  The  first  keel  was  laid  on  February  12,  1918  ;  and  the 
first  ship,  a  cargo  vessel  of  7,500  tons,  slid  down  the  ways  on  August 
5,  as  Mrs.  Woodrow  Wilson,  accompanied  by  the  President,  christened 
it  the  Quistconk. 

High  wages  were  paid  to  both  men  and  women  workers  in  industry. 
This  tended  to  some  extent  to  offset  the  rising  cost  of  living  caused  by 
the  scarcity  of  commodities  and  the  rationing  of  fuel  and  foodstuffs. 
As  intensive  drives  for  recruits  and  money  were  carried  on,  exhorta- 
tions such  as  "Give  Till  It  Hurts  !"  and  "Your  Country  Needs  You  !" 
became  the  slogans  of  the  time. 

One  of  the  most  notorious  figures  in  wartime  Philadelphia  was 

80 


HISTORY — MODERN  METROPOLIS 

Grover  C.  Bergdoll,  scion  of  a  wealthy  family  of  brewers.  Bergdoll's 
refusal  to  be  drafted  into  the  infantry  created  a  cause  celebre  which 
even  today  remains  unsettled.  Prominent  as  a  daring  aviator  and  au- 
tomobile racer,  Bergdoll  demanded  to  be  assigned  to  the  aviation 
corps.  Placed  under  arrest,  he  escaped  from  the  custody  of  Federal 
agents  and  fled  to  Germany. 

The  city  had  just  reached  the  height  of  its  production  of  men, 
money,  and  material  for  war,  when  news  of  the  Armistice  arrived  on 
November  11,  1918.  All  activity  was  suspended  immediately,  as  the 
entire  population  gave  vent  to  unbounded  joy.  The  months  im- 
mediately following  were  occupied  with  celebrations  of  victory  and 
the  welcoming  home  of  soldiers  and  sailors.  The  prevalent  elation  was 
dampened,  however,  by  an  epidemic  of  influenza  which  caused 
thousands  of  deaths  in  the  city. 

The  Boom  Years 

A  NEW  city  charter  went  into  effect  on  January  5,  1920.  By  its 
-^~*  terms  the  two  city  councils,  select  and  common,  were  merged  into 
one,  and,  instead  of  each  ward  having  its  councilman,  the  city  was 
divided  into  councilmanic  districts,  each  comprising  several  wards. 

By  1922  Philadelphia  had  resumed  its  normal  momentum  of  civic 
activity.  The  deafening  obbligato  of  riveting-machines  and  roaring 
motor-trucks  introduced  the  Golden  Age  of  Prosperity.  New  resi- 
dential communities  sprang  up  in  the  outlying  districts  of  Frankford. 
Olney,  Logan,  and  elsewhere.  A  branch  of  the  Market  Street  subway- 
elevated  extending  to  Frankford  Avenue  and  Bridge  Street  began 
operation  November  5,  1922,  linking  the  new  residential  sections  to 
the  central  city.  Tall  office  buildings  and  apartment  houses  appeared 
with  each  succeeding  year.  On  Market  and  Chestnut  Streets,  palatial 
movie  theaters  were  constructed  to  keep  pace  with  the  ever-growing 
population,  which  had  increased  to  nearly  2,000,000. 

The  streets  became  congested  with  automobiles  and  motor-trucks. 
With  the  advent  of  prohibition,  bootleggers,  speakeasies,  and  gang- 
sters sprouted  like  fungi.  Vice,  racketeering,  and  official  corruption 
increased  to  such  an  extent  that  in  January  1924,  at  the  request  of 
Mayor  W.  Freeland  Kendrick,  Maj.  Gen.  Smedley  D.  Butler  obtained 
a  leave  of  absence  from  the  Marine  Corps  to  accept  the  post  of 
Director  of  Public  Safety.  For  more  than  a  year  General  Butler  led 
an  intensive  drive  against  organized  crime,  whipping  into  greater 
efficiency  the  police  department  and  its  personnel. 

Construction  of  the  Delaware  River  Bridge  began  in  1922,  and 
it  was  opened  July  1,  1926.  Work  on  the  North  Broad  Street  Subway 
started  in  August  1924.  "The  City  Beautiful"  as  exemplified  in  the 
Parkway  —  the  city's  most  ornate  thoroughfare  —  became  a  reality, 

81 


Dewey's  Flagship  "Olympia"  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard 
"o'er shadowed  by  the  Maine" 


thanks  to  the  talents  of  Jacques  Greber  and  Paul  Philippe  Cret,  its 
designers. 

Culturally,  too,  the  city  was  expanding.  Under  the  direction  of 
Leopold  Stokowski,  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra  had  developed  into 
one  of  the  world's  outstanding  symphonic  organizations.  The  Curtis 
Institute,  the  Art  Alliance,  the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts,  the  Free 
Library,  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Temple  University,  and 
other  institutions  were  increasing  Philadelphia's  prestige  as  a  center 
of  culture  and  learning. 

A  stimulus  to  civic  betterment  was  the  founding  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Award  in  1921  by  Edward  W.  Bok,  editor  of  the  Ladies9 
Home  Journal.  A  trust  fund  of  $200,000,  established  by  Mr.  Bok,  pro- 
vides the  $10,000  award  that  annually  goes  to  the  man  or  woman 
living  in  Philadelphia  or  its  vicinity  who  has  performed  the  service, 
or  brought  to  culmination  the  achievement  considered  most  con- 
ducive to  the  advancement  of  the  city's  best  interests. 

The  Sesqui-Centennial  Exposition 

T>LANS  for  celebrating  the  150th  anniversary  of  American  inde- 
•*-  pendence  with  a  great  international  exposition  were  first  formu- 
lated in  1920,  during  the  first  administration  of  Mayor  J.  Hampton 

82 


HISTORY — MODERN  METROPOLIS 

Moore.  In  April  1921  Mayor  Moore  requested  an  appropriation  of 
$50,000  for  furtherance  of  the  plans.  The  public  remained  apathetic 
until  the  inauguration  of  Mayor  W.  Freeland  Kendrick,  in  1924,  and 
his  election  to  the  presidency  of  the  Sesqui-Centennial  Exhibition 
Association.  Sufficient  funds  to  begin  work  on  the  undertaking  were 
raised  by  public  subscriptions  and  through  appropriations  by  the 
city  council.  The  site  chosen  for  the  exposition  was  a  section  of  1,000 
acres  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  adjacent  to  the  Navy  Yard. 

From  the  outset,  administration  of  the  exposition  was  strongly 
criticized  because  of  the  political  graft  involved.  William  S.  Vare, 
construction  contractor  and  political  boss,  along  with  his  coterie 
of  real  estate  speculators,  had  convinced  the  officials  that  the  best 
site  for  the  exposition  was  on  their  marshlands,  upon  which  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  build.  There  resulted  a  paradoxical  situation 
in  which  owners  of  the  swamp  were  paid  by  the  association  not  only 
for  the  right  to  fill  it  in,  but  also  a  rental  for  using  it  as  a  site  for  the 
exposition. 

By  the  time  this  location  finally  was  chosen,  many  speculators  had 
learned  the  value  of  caution.  Several  artifically  stimulated  real  estate 
booms  had  taken  place  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  after  erroneous 
information  had  been  given  out.  Those  who  bought  up  tracts  near 
rumored  sites  of  the  fair  found  themselves  in  possession  of  land  miles 
from  where  it  eventually  was  held. 

The  exposition  opened  on  May  31,  1926,  although  work  on  some 
of  the  buildings  and  exhibits  was  not  completed  until  July  15.  A 
host  of  visitors  was  attracted  to  Philadelphia  during  the  six  months 
of  the  exposition.  Hundreds  of  displays,  pageants,  special  exhibitions, 
and  sporting  events  provided  endless  attractions  and  interests.  (The 
Municipal  Stadium,  erected  for  the  exposition,  was  the  scene  of  the 
famous  championship  boxing  match  between  Jack  Dempsey  and 
Gene  Tunney  on  September  23,  1926,  and  the  Army-Navy  foot- 
ball game  in  1936.)  Almost  every  State  in  the  Union  and  many  foreign 
nations  were  represented  at  the  exposition,  either  with  special  pavil- 
ions and  exhibits  or  with  temporary  displays.  Notables  from  many 
countries  attended,  among  them  Queen  Marie  and  the  Princess  Ileana 
of  Rumania,  Crown  Prince  Gustavus  Adolphus  and  the  Princess 
Louise  of  Sweden,  and  President  Calvin  Coolidge  and  Mrs.  Coolidge. 

Innovations  in  architectural  design  and  building  illumination,  as 
well  as  the  latest  inventions  of  applied  science,  were  features  of 
the  exposition.  Such  new  devices  as  electric  refrigerators,  audible 
motion  pictures,  radios,  and  sound  amplifiers  marked  the  progress 
achieved  in  invention  during  the  50  years  since  the  Centennial  Ex- 
hibition of  1876.  The  national  air  races  and  aviation  exhibits  also 
were  outstanding  features. 

When  the  exposition  closed  on  November  30,  the  city  had  expended 

83 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

a  total  of  $9,667,896.83  on  the  enterprise.  Owing  to  the  vastness  of 
the  undertaking,  financial  difficulties  were  encountered,  but  a  fairly 
satisfactory  settlement  of  all  expenses  and  liabilities  was  eventually 
made. 

The  fact  that  a  once-proposed  subway-elevated  line  to  Roxborough 
is  still  in  the  category  of  "plans"  is  traced  to  the  Sesqui-Centennial. 
A  large  sum  of  money  had  been  set  aside  by  the  city  council  for 
use  in  constructing  the  subway-elevated  line.  A  referendum,  taken 
among  the  citizens  of  Roxborough,  turned  the  money  over  to  the 
exposition  as  an  investment,  although  it  is  now  generally  considered 
as  having  been  a  gift. 

The  first  commercial  transatlantic  telephone  call  between  Phila- 
delphia and  London  was  made  on  January  29,  1927,  when  Josiah 
H.  Penniman,  provost  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  spoke  to 
Lord  Dawson  of  Penn  at  the  other  end  of  the  wire.  The  Free  Library 
on  the  Parkway  was  opened  June  2,  1927.  On  March  26,  1928,  the 
Art  Museum  at  the  head  of  the  Parkway  was  opened,  and  the  ne^v 
Broad  Street  Subway  was  placed  in  operation  on  September  1  of  that 
year.  On  August  14,  1929,  the  Tacony-Palmyra  Bridge  was  opened, 
and  the  North  Philadelphia  Station  of  the  Reading  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  dedicated  on  September  28.  The  Rodin  Museum  on  the 
Parkway,  gift  of  the  late  Jules  E.  Mastbaum,  was  dedicated  on  Novem- 
ber 29,  1929,  and  the  Martin  Maloney  Memorial  Clinic  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania  on  September  20,  1929. 

Philadelphia  and  the  Great  Depression 

TT^EW  Philadelphians  who  awoke  on  a  crisp  autumn  morning  in 
•^-  late  October,  1929,  suspected  that  by  the  afternoon  of  that  day 
the  great  American  dream  of  unlimited  and  uninterrupted  prosperity 
would  be  rudely  dispelled  by  the  crash  of  the  stock  market  and  the 
plunge  of  the  entire  Nation  into  the  lowest  depths  of  misery,  priva- 
tion, and  despair.  Not  many  could  have  foreseen  that  the  next  four 
years  would  be  among  the  darkest  in  the  city's  history,  and  that  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  unemployed  would  walk  the  streets. 

Despite  rosy  assurances  which  had  been  freely  broadcast  for  more 
than  three  years  that  "recovery  was  just  around  the  corner"  and 
"the  worst  was  over,"  banks  continued  to  close,  bankruptcies  in- 
creased, financiers  and  business  men  committed  suicide,  bread  lines 
in  Philadelphia  grew  longer  as  unemployment  increased,  and  the 
future  appeared  to  be  ever  more  hopeless.  There  seemed  to  be  no 
remedy  for  the  situation.  Each  day  that  passed  saw  conditions  grow 
worse  instead  of  better,  until  even  the  most  optimistic  became  even- 
tually the  most  rabid  of  pessimists. 

Meanwhile,  numbers  of  desperate  workers  were  being  converted  to 

84 


.  HISTORY — MODERN  METROPOLIS 

radicalism.  In  1931,  a  large  May  Day  demonstration  of  radical  labor 
organizations  was  broken  up  by  the  police  ;  many  arrests  were  made. 

Probably  the  most  impressive  result  of  the  depression  in  Philadel- 
phia, politically,  was  the  change  in  party  sentiment  from  Republican 
to  Democratic  and  the  conviction  among  die-hard  conservatives  that 
the  time  had  come  for  property  rights  and  interests  to  give  way  to 
human  rights.  The  election  of  November  1932  recorded  an  amazing 
Democratic  vote,  although  the  city  had  been  regarded  as  the  strong- 
hold of  entrenched  Republicanism  since  the  Civil  War,  and  among 
the  adherents  of  the  new  administration  were  those  who  had  been 
pillars  of  the  old.  Meanwhile,  greater  numbers  of  desperate  workers 
were  being  converted  to  radicalism.  In  1931  a  large  May  Day  demon- 
stration of  radical  labor  organizations  was  broken  up  by  the  police 
and  many  arrests  were  made. 

The  election  of  November  1932  recorded  an  amazing  Democratic 
vote,  although  the  city  had  been  regarded  as  the  stronghold  of  en- 
trenched Republicanism  since  the  Civil  War. 

Upon  assuming  office  in  March  1933,  President  Roosevelt  adopted 
measures  to  "fight  the  depression  as  we  fought  the  war."  Federal 
funds  were  appropriated  for  the  relief  of  the  destitute  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  later  for  the  employment  of  the  jobless.  Through  the 
efforts  of  the  Civil  Works  Administration  and  later  the  Works  Prog- 
gress  Administration,  thousands  of  Philadelphians  caught  in  the  mael- 
strom of  the  depression  were  enabled  to  earn  a  livelihood  for  the 
first  time  since  the  depression.  Local  business  was  greatly  stimulated 
through  the  increased  purchasing  power  of  thousands  of  WPA  em- 
ployees. 

With  the  repeal  of  prohibition,  State  liquor  stores  were  opened  in 
Philadelphia  in  1934,  giving  employment  to  many  persons  and  in- 
creasing the  revenue  of  the  State.  With  repeal  of  some  of  the  "Blue 
Laws"  a  year  later,  Sunday  baseball  games  became  legalized,  while 
movie  houses  and  other  amusements  were  permitted  to  operate  on 
the  Sabbath. 


Tacony-Palmyra  Bridge 
'a  tie  that  binds  the  states' 


85 


SZum  Scene 
"the  place  of  abandoned  hope' 


HISTORY — MODERN  METROPOLIS 

In  spite  of  hard  times,  a  number  of  new  and  imposing  buildings 
were  erected,  such  as  the  new  Pennsylvania  Station,  Thirtieth  and 
Market  Streets  ;  the  new  Post  Office,  directly  opposite  ;  the  Franklin 
Institute,  with  the  Fels  Planetarium,  on  the  Parkway ;  the  new 
Custom  House,  Second  and  Chestnut  Streets  ;  the  Lincoln-Liberty 
Building,  Broad  and  Chestnut  Streets;  the  Philadelphia  Saving  Fund 
Society  Building,  Twelfth  and  Market  Streets  ;  and  the  Administra- 
tion Building  of  the  Board  of  Education,  Twenty-first  Street  and 
the  Parkway. 

One  of  the  highlights  of  1936  in  Philadelphia  was  the  Democratic 
National  Convention,  held  in  the  Municipal  Auditorium  during  the 
week  of  June  23.  Democratic  delegations  from  all  the  States  and 
Territories  thronged  the  once  mighty  stronghold  of  Republicanism 
during  the  week  of  the  convention.  President  Roosevelt  was  renom!- 
nated  by  tumultuous  acclamation  ;  and  on  Saturday  evening,  June 
27,  the  President  made  his  acceptance  speech  before  a  huge  crowd  in 
Franklin  Field.  Of  the  throng  of  nearly  200,000  persons,  only  105,000 
could  be  crammed  into  the  stadium,  the  rest  packing  the  streets  out- 
side. 

Local  Republicanism  received  its  worst  defeat  on  November  3, 
1936,  when  President  Roosevelt  and  the  Democratic  ticket  swept  the 
city  with  a  plurality  of  more  than  200,000.  As  the  election  returns 
began  to  come  in  that  night,  crowds  of  gleeful  Democrats  paraded 
through  the  musty  courtyards  and  arcades  of  City  Hall,  north  and 
south  on  Broad  Street,  and  east  and  west  on  Market,  Chestnut,  and 
Walnut  Streets.  Traffic  was  at  a  standstill  as  one  of  the  most  spectacu- 
lar and  uproarious  political  demonstrations  ever  held  in  Philadelphia 
rocked  the  central  section. 

Some  progress  in  slum  clearance  was  made  during  the  first  six 
months  of  1937.  As  a  result  of  the  collapse  of  two  slum  dwellings 
in  late  December  1936  when  7  occupants  were  killed,  a  systematic 
program  for  clearing  substandard  areas  of  the  city  was  started.  More 
than  1,200  dwellings  and  buildings  unfit  for  habitation  were  con- 
demned and  demolished  by  order  of  the  municipal  authorities.  How- 
ever, no  provisions  were  made  for  rehousing  the  tenants. 

Celebration  of  the  150th  anniversary  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  was  officially  inaugurated  May  14,  1937,  with  opening 
ceremonies  in  Independence  Hall,  during  which  the  original  draft 
of  the  Constitution  was  exhibited,  and  the  Liberty  Bell  was  rung 
by  Mayor  S.  Davis  Wilson,  who  used  a  gavel  made  of  wood  from  old 
trees  at  Valley  Forge. 


87 


OLD  WAYS  AND  OLD  TALES 


MANY  nationalities  and  religions  have  contributed  over  a  period 
of  more  than  250  years  to  the  traditions,  social  customs,  habits 
of  dress,  entertainment,  and  folklore  of  Philadelphia  —  some 
elements  of  which  still  stand  out  like  broken  strands  of  silk  in  an  old 
tapestry. 

Although  the  Swedes  were  the  earliest  colonists  in  Philadelphia, 
the  Quakers,  who  followed  soon  afterwards,  were  most  instrumental 
in  giving  direction  to  the  trend  of  daily  life.  They  brought  to  the 
New  World  a  philosophy  of  simplicity  and  conservatism.  Their  rather 
drab  style  of  dress  and  staid  deportment  soon  were  to  be  influenced, 
however,  by  the  influx  of  Germans,  Scotch-Irish  and  Welsh.  By  1712 
the  note  of  rigid  simplicity,  at  least  in  its  superficial  aspect,  had 
begun  to  change.  Human  vanity,  rather  than  religious  restraint,  be- 
came the  dictator  of  fashion. 

The  well-dressed  Philadelphia  belle  of  that  era  wore  a  silk  petti- 
coat, distended  by  hoops,  and  a  tightly  laced  stomacher  ornamented 
with  gold  braid.  The  sleeves  were  short  and  edged  with  wide  point 
lace.  Curls  fell  at  her  neck,  and  her  head  was  protected  by  a  light 
silk  hood.  On  her  feet  were  satin  slippers.  Her  escort  wore  a  silk 
coat,  its  skirts  stiffened  with  wire  and  buckram.  His  waistcoat  was 
long-flapped,  with  wide  pockets,  and  short  sleeves  terminating  in 
large,  rounded  cuffs.  A  point-lace  cravat  protected  his  throat.  His 
shoes  were  square-toed,  with  small  silver  buckles  ;  his  silk  stockings 
reached  above  his  knees  to  meet  his  silk  breeches.  On  his  tie-wig 
perched  a  small  cocked  hat  trimmed  with  lace. 

Tradesmen  dressed  simply.  Their  garb  was  generally  of  stout  gray 
cloth,  trimmed  in  black,  with  worsted  stockings,  and  leather  breeches 
and  shoes. 

Colonial  days  in  Philadelphia  witnessed  rapid  changes  in  styles 
and  fashions.  While  pro-French  feeling  was  at  its  height,  the  styles 
of  France  came  into  vogue.  With  the  elaboration  and  brightening 
of  fashions,  the  Quakers  became  so  alarmed  that  at  a  Yearly  Meet- 
ing of  Friends  they  rigidly  enforced  their  rules  regulating  dress. 

Today  the  gray  garb  of  the  Quaker  founders  has  disappeared  al- 
most entirely,  except  in  some  nearby  rural  sections.  In  the  city,  some 
elderly  ladies  still  cling  to  a  modified  form  of  the  prescribed  apparel, 
while  others  dress  in  real  Quaker  style. 

88 


OLD  WAYS  AND  OLD  TALES 

Colonial  Philadelphia  did  not  remain  a  citadel  of  conservative  life 
for  long,  however.  Even  in  pre-Revolutionary  days  the  city  became 
famous  for  its  entertainment,  good  food,  rare  wines,  and  fine  clothes. 
Many  well-to-do  Quakers  were  not  averse  to  tasting  these  worldly 
pleasures. 

The  city  became  noted  for  its  sumptuous  dinners,  which  were  in 
sharp  contrast  to  the  formerly  frugal  pioneer  repast.  John  Adams, 
describing  one  of  these  feasts,  said  :  "It  was  a  Quaker  hostess  who 
pressed  upon  me  at  a  single  meal  :  duck,  ham,  chicken,  beef,  pig, 
tarts,  creams,  jellies,  truffles,  floating  island,  beer,  porter,  punch,  and 
wine." 

Tea  drinking  likewise  marked  social  life,  and  dancing  occupied 
the  attention  of  the  younger  set.  In  1740  several  young  men,  members 
of  families  living  near  Christ  Church,  established  a  dancing  assembly, 
which  met  every  Tuesday  during  the  winter.  Concerts  were  given 
from  time  to  time. 

In  1748  a  group  representing  the  more  aristocratic  families  founded 
the  Philadelphia  Assembly.  Subscriptions  sold  for  40  shillings  per 
year.  The  assembly's  social  affairs  usually  lasted  from  6  p.  m.  to  mid- 
night, with  card  tables  provided  for  those  who  did  not  dance.  Refresh- 
ments consisted  of  punch  and  "milk  bisket."  The  present  day  As- 
sembly Ball,  held  annually  in  the  second  week  of  December,  is  a 
development  of  the  original  Philadelphia  Assembly. 

During  the  British  occupation  of  Philadelphia  in  1777-8,  there 
was  a  continuous  round  of  suppers,  dances,  gay  theatre  parties,  and 
entertainments  of  all  kinds.  The  most  notable  was  the  Mischianza, 
an  elaborate  pageant  in  which  British  officers  and  Tory  civilians 
participated.  Much  of  the  gaiety,  as  far  as  the  patriotic  Philadel- 
phians  were  concerned,  was  undoubtedly  simulated. 

After  the  war,  Philadelphia  returned  to  a  comparative  sobriety. 
Isaac  Weld,  a  French  writer,  commenting  on  the  citizenry  in  general, 
said  in  1795  :  "There  is  a  coldness  and  reserve,  as  if  they  were  sus- 
picious of  some  designs  against  them.  This  chills  the  very  heart  of 
those  who  come  to  visit  them."  Other  foreigners  and  visitors  from 
other  States  likewise  criticised  the  Philadelphia  attitude  toward 
strangers. 

Sports  and  Amusements 


WVTITH  the  diminishing  of  the  Quaker  influence,  sports  and  arnuse- 
™  ments  increased  in  scope  and  variety.  From  the  earliest  days, 
however,  such  sports  as  riding,  swimming,  fishing,  and  skating  were 
countenanced  even  by  the  sedate  Quaker  founders.  Many  leaders  in 
the  life  of  the  growing  city  could  be  seen  in  those  days  skating;  on 
the  Delaware  River. 

89 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Sleighing,  a  sport  that  found  favor  with  the  early  Colonials,  has 
survived.  The  Wissahickon  Valley  in  winter  still  resounds  to  the 
jingle  of  sleighbells  ;  while  in  summer  the  creek,  once  the  haunt 
of  Indians  and  pioneer  fishermen,  is  popular  with  anglers. 

Horse  racing  in  Philadelphia  made  its  appearance  in  Colonial 
times,  and  soon  became  general  on  the  city's  streets.  Finally  it  was* 
stopped  by  law.  Race  Street  was  so  named  because  it  led  directly 
to  the  race  grounds.  Cockfighting  was  popular  with  the  more  aristo- 
cratic families,  while  bull  baiting  and  bear  baiting  were  patronized 
by  the  working  population. 

Boxing,  a  sport  later  to  hold  the  attention  and  interest  of  thou- 
sands of  Philadelphians,  at  first  was  inhospitably  received.  A  prize 
fight  advertised  in  1812  was  stopped  by  constables  and  aldermen,  but 
12  years  later  an  English  pugilist  was  able  to  interest  many  Phila- 
delphians in  the  "manly  science  whereby  gentlemen  after  a  few 
lessons  will  be  enabled  to  chastise  those  who  may  offer  violence  and 
protect  themselves  from  attacks  of  ruffians." 

Thus,  as  Philadelphia  acquired  a  more  cosmopolitan  population 
and  became  correspondingly  more  liberal  in  its  customs,  there  came 
into  popular  favor  many  of  today's  amusements.  Billiards,  originally 
denounced  as  a  means  of  gambling,  became  a  favorite  pastime,  along 
with  bowls,  ten-pins,  quoits,  bullets  or  lawn-bowls,  and  shuffleboard. 
Even  the  time-honored  English  game  of  cricket  had  its  enthusiasts, 
though  they  were  not  many.  Baseball,  the  national  game,  made  its 
bow  in  Philadelphia  in  1860. 

A  favorite  game  of  the  younger  boys,  still  indulged  in  to  a  certain 
extent,  was  "pecking  eggs,"  an  amusement  popular  at  Easter  time. 
Any  youngster's  challenge,  "Upper  !  Upper  !  Who's  got  an  egg  ?" 
yelled  at  the  top  of  his  lungs,  would  be  promptly  answered  by  a  con- 
tender. Then  would  ensue  a  session  in  which  the  boys  tested  the 
strength  of  their  eggs  by  striking  them  together,  point  to  point,  but 
not  before  a  careful  examination  of  the  opponent's  ammunition,  to 
make  sure  that  no  china  or  guinea  egg  —  or  perhaps  an  egg  shell 
cleverly  filled  with  plaster  —  had  been  surreptitiously  introduced. 
Whichever  egg  was  cracked  by  the  impact  became  the  property  of 
the  boy  who  owned  the  uncracked  one. 

Another  interesting  game  was  "plugging  tops."  The  tops  were  made 
of  lignum  vitae  and  fitted  with  long  and  sharp  steel  points.  The 
object  of  the  game  was  to  split  the  opponent's  top  while  it  was  spin- 
ning on  the  ground  by  spearing  it  with  another  top. 

"Shinny"  or  "bandy,"  a  rudimentary  form  of  hockey,  was  a  sport 
for  the  hardy.  "Duck  on  Davy"  was  a  game  in  which  the  players  at- 
tempted from  a  distance  to  knock  a  small  stone  off  a  larger  one. 

90 


OLD  WAYS  AND  OLD  TALES 
Annual  Celebrations 

of  a  maze  of  recreational  pursuits  and  customs,  one  has  be- 
a  tradition  not  only  to  Philadelphians  but  to   the   entire 

Nation.  This  is  the  Mummers'  Parade,  first  held  on  January  1,  1901. 

to  celebrate  the  arrival  of  the  new  century.  It  has  become  as  integral 

a  part  of  Philadelphia's  lighter  life  as  the  Mardi  Gras  has  of  that  of 

New  Orleans. 

The  Mummers'  Parade  is  the  outgrowth 
of  a  custom  imported  from  England  in  the 
early  nineteenth  century.  At  that  time, 
during  Christmas  week  and  on  Christmas 
Eve,  the  streets  of  Philadelphia  were  alive 
with  brightly  costumed  groups  of  "mum- 
mers." They  went  from  door  to  door,  ex- 
plaining in  rhyme  the  meaning  of  their 
strange  garb,  and  requesting  donations. 
The  ancestor  of  the  mummers'  celebration 
was  apparently  the  English  saturnalia 
celebration,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Lord  of  Misrule,  a  fantastic  personage 
known  to  the  Scotch  as  the  Abbot  of  Un- 


Mummer 


reason. 


The  Mummers'  tradition  has  been  perpetuated  by  numerous  clubs 
organized  exclusively  for  the  New  Year's  Day  affair.  Prizes  are  offered 
by  the  city  and  by  various  civic  and  business  associations.  Through- 
out the  year  the  clubs  work  diligently  upon  their  costumes  in  pre- 
paration for  the  clebration.  Then,  on  New  Years  Day,  the  city's  long, 
straight  thoroughfare,  Broad  Street,  becomes  a  pattern  of  moving 
color.  Groups  in  fancy  dress,  with  elaborate  headgear  and  huge  capes, 
march  over  miles  of  paved  roadway. 

String  bands,  comic  divisions,  and  groups  which  burlesque  current 
figures  and  events  weave  in  gay  abandon  along  the  Mummers'  right- 
of-way.  At  varying  intervals  in  the  procession  are  elaborately  deco- 
rated floats.  Along  the  sidewalk  throng  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
spectators.  On  New  Year's  Day  Philadelphia's  spirit  is  truly  festive. 

In  recent  years  many  Mummers  have  been  stricken  with  pneumonia 
because  of  exposure  to  the  cold  in  their  flimsy  costumes.  As  a  result, 
a  movement  was  started  to  change  the  time  of  the  celebration  to 
spring  or  summer,  in  order  to  insure  the  comfort  of  spectators  and 
participants  alike.  However,  the  tradition  of  holding  the  parade  on 
New  Year's  Day  was  too  strong.  An  exception  was  made  during  the 
Democratic  National  Convention  in  1936,  when  the  Mummers  paraded 
on  a  hot  night  in  June  before  more  than  1,000,000  persons. 

As  the  "Cradle  of  Liberty,"  Philadelphia  has  long  cherished  the 

91 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Fourth  of  July  as  a  day  of  celebration.  One  feature  is  a  speech  by 
the  mayor  delivered  at  Independence  Hall.  There  was  a  time  when 
Independence  Day  was  marked  by  the  incessant  noise  of  exploding 
firecrackers,  with  an  attendant  loss  of  life  and  limb.  A  present-day 
ordinance  bars  this  method  of  celebrating,  except  for  controlled  pyro- 
technic displays  in  parks  and  recreational  centers.  Philadelphians  on 
Independence  Day  now  go  to  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill  to  watch 
the  regatta,  spend  the  day  picnicking  in  the  country,  or  motor  to 
resorts  along  New  Jersey's  seashore. 

On  July  14,  the  "Independence  Day"  of  the  French  Republic,  mem- 
bers of  the  city's  French  societies  march  to  the  statue  of  Joan  of  Arc 
at  the  eastern  end  of  Girard  Avenue  Bridge.  Here  a  speech  is  de- 
livered and  a  wreath  placed  upon  the  statue. 

May  Day  in  Philadelphia  is  greeted  by  the  usual  terpsichorean  dis- 
plays at  various  colleges.  In  bygone  years  it  was  claimed  unofficially 
by  fish  hucksters  and  shad  fishermen  as  their  particular  holiday. 
Maypoles  were  placed  outside  the  taverns  along  the  water  front,  and 
the  day  was  given  over  to  dancing,  drinking,  and  feasting.  Labor's 
traditional  May  Day  celebration  is  observed  in  a  mild  manner  by 
Philadelphia  workingmen,  who  prefer  picnics  and  shore  trips  to 
the  standardized  oratory  frequently  offered  by  old-line  labor  leaders. 
The  left-wing  groups,  however,  assemble  annually  on  Reyburn  Plaza 
in  a  demonstration  of  their  strength  and  unity. 

Fire  Companies 

TJHILADELPHIA'S  earliest  fire  insurance  companies,  (the  first  one 
-*-  was  established  in  1752)  formed  as  protecting  associations  for  the 
benefit  of  subscribers,  offered  generous  rewards  to  encourage  volunteer 
fire  brigades.  An  alarm  was  the  signal  for  a  race  between  two  or 
more  brigades,  the  winner  earning  the  right  to  save  the  building  and 
collect  the  reward.  The  losers  waited  on  the  sidelines,  no  doubt 
hopeful  that  the  flames  would  get  beyond  control,  in  which  event 
they  would  be  called  into  service  and  share  in  the  reward.  Frequently 
there  were  scrimmages  between  the  companies  on  the  way  to  a  fire, 
while  in  the  interval,  the  blaze  continued  unchecked. 

Each  insurance  company,  using  its  individual  device,  marked  the 
houses  under  its  protection  with  plaques  placed  high  on  an  outside 
wall,  so  that  the  fire  brigades  knew  bv  whom  they  would  be  rewarded. 
The  unfortunate  householder  who  had  neglected  to  subscribe  might 
see  the  apparatus  race  to  his  burning  home,  and  then  turn  back  when 
the  volunteers  failed  to  espy  a  plaque. 

With  the  formation  of  the  city's  paid  fire  department  in  1871  these 
"fire  marks"  no  longer  served  any  purpose,  but  many  of  them  may 
still  be  seen  on  the  older  houses,  especially  in  the  central  part  of 

92 


OLD  WAYS  AND  OLD  TALES 

the  city.  These  plaques  depict  a  hydrant,  a  hose,  or  some  other  form 
of  early  fire-fighting  equipment. 

Legends  and  Superstitions 

PHILADELPHIA'S  rich  heritage  of  folklore,  the  legends  inherited 
-*-  from  the  many  races  settling  in  the  tongue  of  land  between  the 
Schuylkill  and  Delaware,  today  is  preserved  largely  in  historical  an- 
nals. Some  of  the  quaint  beliefs,  superstitions,  and  mythology  of 
the  early  and  later  settlers  are  still  retained,  but  the  majority  have 
passed  like  the  Indian  legends  that  preceded  them. 

To  understand  the  legendary  background  of  Philadelphia,  a  glance 
at  the  racial  and  religious  ancestry  of  the  city  is  necessary.  The 
Quakers  generally  were  free  from  superstitions,  yet  a  few  odd  beliefs 
that  arrived  with  the  rather  somber  followers  of  Penn  are  still  cher- 
ished by  their  descendants.  Although  Philadelphia's  Quaker  popula- 


Fire   Plaques 
.  .  arid  rang  the 
midnight  fire 
alarm   . 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

tion  is  now  comparatively  small,  some  Friends  still  consider  it  a  bad 
omen  to  move  into  a  new  house  on  "Sixth  Day"  (Friday) . 

The  early  Swedes  who  preceded  the  English  Quakers  in  the  Phila- 
delphia section  had  various  legends  and  superstitions  that  were  looked 
upon  with  disfavor  by  later  settlers.  Descendants  of  the  first  Scandi- 
navians still  repeat  tales  of  phantom  ships  and  of  sailors  carried  away 
in  the  night  by  winged  devils. 

Welsh  Quakers  who  followed  William  Penn  in  his  search  for 
religious  freedom  early  acquired  a  40,000-acre  tract  of  land  to  the 
west  of  Philadelphia.  This  area  became  known  as  the  Welsh  Barony. 
Despite  the  fusion  of  other  nationalities,  it  still  retains  a  strong 
Welsh  influence.  One  of  the  richest  residential  sections  in  the  United 
States,  this  suburban  territory  lends  a  credulous  ear  to  tales  of 
haunted  houses,  lonely  roads  infested  with  ghosts,  and  spirits  rising 
from  dark  graveyards. 

The  Welsh  settlers  were  endowed  with  the  native  imagination  of 
the  Celt.  Descendants  of  those  in  the  remoter  farmlands  have  retained 
a  belief  in  the  supernatural.  Charms  are  supposed  to  provide  im- 
munity from  disease,  and  are  sought  as  a  means  to  reconcile  estranged 
lovers. 

One  of  the  early  Welsh  beliefs  was  that  if  a  person  suffering  from 
a  disease  were  to  pass  between  the  forks  of  a  split  tree,  his  malady 
would  disappear  in  transit.  This  superstition  is  now  in  the  limbo  of 
forgotten  things.  Until  about  1850,  settlers  of  Welsh  ancestry  also 
believed  that  horned  cattle  uttered  prayers  upon  their  knees  at  mid- 
night on  Christmas  Eve. 

Several  interesting  legends  have  clung  to  the  city  and  the  memories 
of  its  inhabitants,  and  in  a  measure  have  become  sectional  traditions. 
One  of  these  centers  about  the  old  Chalkley  House,  or  Chalkley  Hall 
as  it  is  more  popularly  known,  the  residence  of  an  old  Quaker  family 
in  what  is  now  Frankford.  The  legend  described  a  tempestuous 
romance,  disavowed  by  the  Chalkley  family,  between  one  of  the 
Chalkley  girls  and  a  suitor  who  failed  to  win  the  family's  approval. 
The  affair  culminated  in  the  suicide  of  the  girl,  who  had  been  dis- 
traught over  her  misfortune.  For  many  years,  residents  of  the  dis- 
trict declared,  the  wraith  of  the  unhappy  young  woman  hovered 
about  the  old  mansion.  Even  with  the  advent  of  modern  skepticism 
and  the  apparent  disappearance  of  many  ghostly  traditions  of  the 
past,  there  are  those  who  believe  the  girl's  ghost  still  walks  in 
Chalkley  Hall.  A  local  historian  who  had  been  chatting  with  the 
watchman  of  a  factory  nearby,  was  whimsically  assured  by  the  latter  : 
"That  Chalkley  ghost  comes  around  once  in  a  while  at  night." 

Unlike  most  other  cities  in  its  treatment  of  so-called  "witches"  in 
the  seventeenth  century,  Philadelphia  was  not  inclined  to  place 
much  credence  in  the  stories  of  witchcraft  that  were  prevalent. 

94 


OLD  WAYS  AND  OLD  TALES 

In  1683  Margaret  Mattson  and  Yeshro  Hendrickson  were  brought 
before  the  Provincial  Council,  in  session  at  Philadelphia,  on  charges 
of  witchcraft.  William  Penn  presided  at  the  trial.  Lasse  Cook,  or 
Cock,  an  early  Swedish  settler  in  the  Philadelphia  area,  acted 
as  interpreter.  Among  the  witnesses  questioned  was  Henry  Drystreet, 
who  swore  that  he  had  been  told,  twenty  years  before,  that  Margaret 
Mattson  was  a  witch  and  had  cast  spells  upon  several  cows.  A  woman, 
Amnaky  Coolin,  told  of  an  occasion  when  she  and  her  husband  were 
at  home  boiling  the  heart  of  a  calf  that  had  died.  The  Mattson  woman 
came  to  the  house  and  asked  what  they  were  doing.  When  they  told 
her  they  were  boiling  flesh,  she  said,  "You  had  better  boil  the  bones." 
The  verdict  returned  was  :  "Guilty  of  the  common  fame  of  being  a 
witch,  but  not  guilty  in  manner  and  form  as  indicated." 

Since  that  day  no  official  cognizance  has 'been  taken  of  witchcraft. 
The  belief  may  still  persist  that  hags  ride  through  the  air  on  broom- 
sticks in  Pennsylvania,  but  the  police  and  courts  do  not  interfere 
unless  the  broomstick  falls  upon  someone's  head. 

Foods 

LIQUID  notes  of  the  Negro  oysterman's  cry  once  trembled  upon 
the  chill  air  of  old  Philadelphia  during  the  "R"  months.  Then, 
before  the  echoes  of  his  voice  had  died  away,  there  came  in  a  differ- 
ent key  the  rousing  tones  of  a  lusty  Negro,  calling:  "Here  comes  de 
hominy  man  f'um  wa-ay  daown  blow  de  Navy  Yahd,  a-comin'  wid 
he's  hom-min-ee  !" 

During  the  hot  summer,  as  though  to  compensate  for  the  absence 
of  these  hucksters  and  their  wares,  came  the  ice  cream  man,  with 
his  "Tr-r-r-r-rah,  Ia9  la,  la  !  Here's  lemon  ice  cream  and  vanilla,  too  !'* 
And  as  the  trundlebarrow  with  its  cargo  of  delights  appeared,  dozens 
of  children  ran  to  meet  it,  equipped  with  cup  and  spoon.  Welcome 
also  were  the  cantaloupe  man  and  the  strawberry  woman,  who  sang 
their  songs  of  luscious  fruits  to  receptive  ears. 

Still  to  be  heard  on  the  streets  on  a  frosty  morning  is  the 
rasping  cry  of  "Horseradish,  Hor-r-r-se-radish  /"  accompanied  by  a 
loud  whirr,  as  the  aged  vendor  grinds  his  condiment  fresh  for  each 
customer  on  a  portable  machine  operated  by  a  foot  pedal. 

Philadelphians  of  earlier  years  waited  anxiously  for  all  the  deli- 
cacies that  add  the  festive  touch  to  an  ordinary  meal  ;  but  in  recent 
years  restaurants  and  well-stocked  stores  have  made  it  easy  for  con- 
noisseurs to  obtain  the  food  specialties  that  "tickle  their  palates." 
And  there  are  many  dishes  of  local  origin  or  preparation  for  which 
Philadelphia  has  gained  wide  renown. 

During  the  "R"  months,  from  September  to  April,  restaurants 
specializing  in  sea  foods  enjoy  great  popularity,  and  Philadelphia  al- 

95 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

ways  has  had  many  such  eating  places.  Lack  of  adequate  transporta- 
tion facilities  in  the  old  days  prevented  the  transport  of  oysters  and 
other  sea  foods  inland,  thus  limiting  the  fisherman's  market  to  sea- 
ports and  to  river  towns  near  the  sea.  Philadelphia  thus  became  an 
important  sea-food  market,  and  Philadelphians  during  the  years  have 
retained  their  fondness  for  bivalves  and  shad. 

Of  the  latter  species  of  sea  food,  the  Delaware  shad  is  fast  dwind- 
ling, and  within  a  few  years  will  have  disappeared  entirely  from 
the  market.  The  first  shad  of  the  season — in  early  spring — come 
from  southern  waters,  but  they  do  not  compare  in  flavor  with  those 
caught  later  in  the  Delaware. 

To  many  there  is  nothing  that  delights  the  taste  more  than  a 
fine,  fresh  Delaware  shad,  nicely  broiled  over  the  coals,  or  planked, 
properly  seasoned  with  salt,  pepper,  a  piece  of  fresh  butter,  a  dash  of 
lemon  juice,  ornamented  with  sprigs  of  parsley,  and  flanked  on  either 
side  by  roe  broiled  a  delicate  brown.  The  shad  is  perhaps  the  only 
fish  that  has  given  its  name  to  the  cut  of  a  garment  —  the  shad-belly 
coat  of  the  Quaker. 

A  dish  long  associated  with  Philadelphia  is  pepper  pot,  a  Colonial 
soup  which  has  become  so  popular  that  large  canning  factories  now 
prepare  it  for  export.  The  pepper  pot  of  Colonial  Philadelphia 
originally  was  made  in  such  large  quantities  that  the  community 
kettle  of  tradition  was  employed.  Whether  or  not  the  amount  had 
anything  to  do  with  the  quality  is  a  moot  question,  but  the  fact  re- 
mains that  the  soup  became  identified  exclusively  with  the  Quaker 
City.  Women  trundled  their  carts  through  the  streets,  crying,  "Pepper 
pot  !  Old  time  pepper  pot  !"  selling  the  product  of  their  kitchens 
from  door  to  door. 

The  recipe  for  this  spicy  dish  was  evolved  in  the  early  days  to 
utilize  beef  tripe.  It  may  well  be  imagined  how  stintingly  the  first 
colonists  prepared  every  edible  part  of  the  imported  beef.  Finely  cut 
cubes  of  tripe  were  used  as  the  basis  for  this  soup,  with  red  peppers 
(possibly  to  "cover"  the  flavor  of  the  meat),  onions,  potatoes,  and 
carrots  to  give  it  body  and  variety.  The  broth  was  thickened  with 
flour  and  small  egg-dumplings,  the  whole  being  well  seasoned  and 
served  piping  hot. 

The  early  Dutch  and  Swedes  along  the  Delaware  also  contributed 
a  prominent  item  to  the  list  of  dishes  of  Philadelphia  fame.  These 
settlers  accepted  many  of  the  savory  foods  of  the  Indians  as  sub- 
stitutes for  those  they  had  left  at  home,  and  concocted  many  dishes 
popular  today.  One  of  these  delicious  early  foods  was  scrapple,  which 
was  called  pon-haus. 

Scrapple  is  made  from  the  liquid  of  boiled  pig's-head  mixed  with 
corn  meal  and  highly  seasoned,  then  recooked  until  it  has  acquired 
the  proper  consistency  to  be  sliced  when  cold.  This  is  a  favorite 

96 


OLD  WAYS  AND  OLD  TALES 

local  breakfast  dish.  It  is  fried  to  a  crisp  brown,  and  served  with 
fried  or  poached  eggs  and  fried  potatoes.  Philadelphia  leads  in  its 
production.  Though  its  manufacture  has  spread  to  other  parts  of 
the  country,  the  early  Colonial  recipe  alone  has  the  zest  really  identi- 
fied with  scrapple.  There  are  several  meat-packing  houses  in  the 
city,  specializing  in  pork  products,  which  prepare  great  quantities 
of  scrapple  every  year.  Many  farmers  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State 
make  their  own. 

And  sticky  cinnamon  buns!  Where  can  they  be  found  better,  in 
all  their  sweet  "gooey"  tastiness,  than  in  Philadelphia,  the  city  of 
their  origin  ?  Made  of  sweet  dough,  the  buns  are  generously  sprinkled 
with  cinnamon,  currants  or  raisins,  and  sugar.  The  dough  is  spread 
out  upon  the  baking  board,  rolled  tight,  and  cut  into  sections  from 
two  to  three  inches  long.  The  buns  are  baked  slowly,  so  that  the  syrup 
formed  by  the  heated  filling  will  be  absorbed  by  the  dough,  while  a 
thin  coating  will  be  left  on  the  outside. 

Mince  pie,  which  has  become  a  popular  dessert  in  many  parts  of 
the  country,  is  another  product  that  early  found  favor  in  Penn's 
city  ;  it  is  said  that  a  Quaker  family  from  England  popularized  mince- 
meat in  Philadelphia  in  1830. 

In  Philadelphia  ice  cream  first  made  its  appearance  about  1782. 
More  than  a  half  century  later  an  ingenious  Philadelphian,  Eben  C. 
Seaman,  invented  an  ice  cream  freezer  operated  by  steam  power,  and 
this  refreshing  dessert  became  popular  the  country  over.  Philadel- 
phia is  now  the  home  of  the  largest  ice  cream  manufactory  in 
the  world,  and  its  product  is  widely  distributed.  One  feature  that 
distinguishes  the  local  product  is  the  use  of  the  powdered  vanilla 
bean,  rather  than  the  extract. 

From  the  beginning,  Philadelphia  has  cherished  a  full  pantry 
and  a  substantial  table.  That  fondness  for  good  food,  and  plenty  of 
it,  has  not  diminished  with  the  years. 


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THE  IMPRINT  OF  NATIONS 


(Population  figures  based  on  1930  Census) 

THE  varied  characteristics  of  a  majority  of  the  nationalities  of 
the  world  have  blended  with  and  balanced  one  another  to  form 
the  personality  of  Philadelphia.  Although  many  of  them  have 
settled  in  compact  national  communities  established  by  compatriots 
who  preceded  them,  yet  the  leaven  of  their  customs  and  culture  has 
permeated  the  life  of  the  whole  city. 

Settlers  of  Colonial  and  Revolutionary  times,  emigrating  chiefly 
from  northern  and  western  Europe  and  bound  in  many  cases  by  a 
similarity  in  tongue  and  customs,  found  few  obstacles  to  intermar- 
riage ;  thus  they  merged  the  characteristics  of  their  respective  nations 
into  a  homogeneous  whole.  Ceasing  to  think  of  themselves  as  Ber- 
liners,  Londoners,  or  Amsterdammers,  they  became  Philadelphians. 

The  Swedes,  Dutch,  English,  and  Germans  were  followed  by  im- 
migrants from  virtually  all  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia.  Numerically 
strongest  wrere  the  Irish,  Russians,  Jews,  and  Italians.  From  China, 
and  in  smaller  numbers  from  Japan,  came  immigrants  who  are  vir- 
tually unassimilable.  Through  the  years  there  was  a  steady  influx  of 
Jews,  reaching  its  peak  during  the  early  part  of  the  twentieth  century, 
many  coming  from  Russia  and  Eastern  Europe.  A  few  Jews  from 
other  regions  are  believed  to  have  preceded  William  Penn  to  Phila- 
delphia. 

The  formation  of  special  quarters  by  peoples  not  easily  assimilated 
—  the  Italians,  the  Jews,  and  the  Greeks  —  gives  the  city  a  certain 
cosmopolitan  air.  Sights  and  sounds  of  the  Old  World  characterize 
these  localities.  European  peasant  customs  and  folkways,  surviving 
the  pressure  or  compensating  for  the  meagerness  of  the  new  environ- 
ment, frequently  have  left  an  imprint  on  the  American-born  children 
of  immigrants. 

The  population  of  Philadelphia,  according  to  the  1930  census,  is 
composed  of  69  percent  native  white,  totaling  1,359,833  ;  about  19 
percent  foreign-born  white,  totaling  368,624;  and  11  percent  Negro, 
totaling  219,599.  The  other  groups  comprise  the  remainder. 

Closest  knit  of  all  the  various  nationalities  and  races  are  the 
Chinese.  This  is  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  disinclination  of  the  whites  to 
accept  them  socially,  as  well  as  to  an  innate  desire  on  their  part  to 

98 


THE  IMPRINT  OF  NATIONS 

be  left  strictly  alone.  There  are  approximately  1,500  Chinese  in  Phila- 
delphia, of  whom  about  three-fourths  reside  on  Race  Street,  between 
Eighth  and  Eleventh  Streets. 

Although  small  racial  groups  usually  scatter  over  the  city,  the 
Greeks  are  an  exception.  Numbering  only  3,415,  they  live  for  the  most 
part  in  the  vicinity  of  Tenth  and  Locust  Streets. 

Early  settlers  came  principally  to  escape  religious  persecution. 
Hence,  religion  occupied  much  of  their  time  and  thoughts.  Life  was 
slow,  earnest,  and  conservative  ;  and  Philadelphia  came  to  embody 
these  characteristics.  Not  until  the  later  groups  arrived  did  the  tempo 
of  existence  become  accelerated. 

The  primary  motive  for  later  immigration  was  a  desire  for  economic 
betterment.  To  that  end  the  later  contingents  directed  their  talents 
and  energies,  and  to  them  must  go  much  of  the  credit  for  building 
industrial  and  commercial  Philadelphia.  With  their  Continental 
habits  of  life  and  un-Puritanical  conception  of  morality,  they  did 
much  to  liberalize  the  outmoded  Blue  Laws  which  had  made  the 
Quaker  City  unique  among  great  metropolitan  centers. 

Numbering  270,000  according  to  the  1930  American  Jewish  Year 
Book,  the  Jews  represent  a  potent  force  in  Philadelphia  life.  Rep- 
resenting, as  they  do,  many  nations,  they  can  hardly  be  regarded  as 
a  distinct  race.  The  fact  remains,  however,  that  though  they  differ 


Old  Market  on  Second 
Street   at  Pine 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

from  one  another  in  physical  characteristics,  background,  and  home- 
land, they  are  united  by  the  common  bond  of  their  religion. 

Jews  are  found  in  the  most  densely  settled  sections  of  Philadelphia, 
largely  in  Strawberry  Mansion,  Logan,  Wynnefield,  and  the  area  be- 
tween Oregon  Avenue  and  South  Street  from  Third  Street  to  Eighth 
Street.  Other  localities  with  a  considerable  Jewish  population  are 
the  section  bounded  by  Sixth  and  Eighth  Streets,  Poplar  Street  and 
Susquehanna  Avenue  ;  the  area  around  Fifty-eighth  Street  and  Osage 
Avenue  ;  and  the  neighborhood  of  Fortieth  Street  and  Girard  Avenue. 

Little  is  known  of  the  Jews  in  Philadelphia  prior  to  the  Revolution, 
although  the  first  Hebrew  congregation,  Mikveh  Israel  (Hope  of 
Israel),  was  established  here  in  1747.  Many  prominent  Philadelphia 
citizens  and  American  patriots  have  been  members  of  Mikveh  Israel. 
Among  them  were  Simon  Gratz,  merchant  prince  and  philanthropist ; 
Isaac  Moses,  who  subscribed  three  thousand  pounds  to  the  Bank  of 
Pennsylvania  so  that  the  Continental  Army  might  be  provisioned  for 
two  months  ;  and  Haym  Solomon,  banker  and  broker,  who  came  to 
the  Colonies  from  Poland  and  negotiated  all  Revolutionary  War  se- 
curities from  France  and  Holland  on  his  own  personal  security  with- 
out loss  of  a  cent  to  America.  When  Solomon  died  in  1784,  the  United 
States  was  indebted  to  him  to  the  extent  of  $300,000.  This  debt,  al- 
though acknowledged  by  the  Federal  Government,  has  never  been 
paid. 

Because  the  laws  of  many  European  countries  forbade  Jews  to  own 
land,  the  early  Jewish  immigrants  had  little  agricultural  knowledge. 
In  1726  a  special  act  was  passed  in  Pennsylvania  permitting  Jews 
to  own  land  and  engage  in  trade  and  commerce.  This  act  was  in- 
directly responsible  for  much  of  Philadelphia's  industrial  and  com- 
mercial growth. 

Numerous  European  countries  had  also  denied  cultural  and  edu- 
cational advantages  to  the  Jews,  and,  because  of  this,  their  apprecia- 
tion of  both  became  more  acute.  Since  such  restrictions  were  not 
maintained  by  William  Penn,  the  Jews  emigrated  hopefully  to  the 
New  World  colony  he  founded. 

Without  the  Jews,  Philadelphia  would  still  have  an  orchestra  and 
an  Academy  of  Music,  but  the  impetus  given  to  the  musical  move- 
ment in  this  city  by  members  of  the  Jewish  race  cannot  be  denied. 
The  Italians,  too,  with  their  passion  for  all  forms  of  music,  especially 
the  opera,  share  in  the  credit  for  its  local  development.  In  the  ticket 
lines  at  the  Academy  of  Music  there  are  always  large  numbers  of 
Italians,  their  faces  alight  with  anticipation. 

The  Italian  population  in  Philadelphia  numbers  182,368,  of  which 
nearly  70,000  are  foreign-born.  Apparently  preferring  the  foods  and 
customs  of  their  homeland,  these  people  do  not  assimilate  as  easily 
as  some  of  the  other  groups,  and  are  inclined  to  settle  in  sharply  de- 

100 


THE  IMPRINT  OF  NATIONS 

fined  districts  —  notably  South  Philadelphia  and,  to  a  lesser  degree, 
in  sections  of  Chestnut  Hill,  Mount  Airy,  Germantown,  and  West 
Philadelphia. 

Like  the  Irish,  they  are  much  interested  in  politics,  and  they 
formed  an  integral  part  of  the  huge  Vare  machine  which  dominated 
Philadelphia  for  a  number  of  years.  As  has  been  the  case  with  other 
large  immigrant  groups,  they  have  been  imposed  upon  by  "ward- 
heelers,"  who  attach  themselves  to  the  bewildered  newcomers  almost 
as  soon  as  they  arrive.  These  small-fry  politicans  help  them  to  obtain 
naturalization  papers,  and  as  a  result  the  vote  of  the  immigrant 
usually  goes  to  his  "benefactor."  Naturally  light-hearted,  and  fond  of 
good  music,  spicy  food,  and  sour  wine,  this  group  has  done  much  to 
soften  the  sterner  ways  of  earlier  Quaker  and  German  settlers. 

At  the  top  of  the  Italian  social  scale  are  musicians,  artists,  phy- 
sicians, jurists,  and  writers.  Others  work  as  barbers,  vendors,  and 
laborers.  The  restaurant  business  has  attracted  them,  and  Philadel- 
phia contains  a  number  of  establishments  specializing  in  the  foods 
and  wines  of  Italy. 

The  vast  majority  being  of  Catholic  faith,  they  lend  color  to  the 
city  with  religious  festivals.  Street  parades  in  which  sacred  statues 
are  carried  frequently  wind  through  the  Italian  quarter.  Even  in 
sports  the  Italian  clings  to  the  games  of  his  fatherland.  Bocce,  a 
game  related  to  bowling,  is  played  extensively  enough  to  warrant 
space  on  the  sport  pages  of  large  daily  newspapers,  as  well  as  in 
the  Italian  press. 

Districts  densely  settled  by  Italians  are  those  areas  between  Snyder 
Avenue  and  Bainbridge  Street  from  Twenty-third  to  Seventh  Streets, 
and  the  neighborhoods  near  Sixty-fourth  and  Carleton  Streets  and 
Fiftieth  and  Thompson  Streets. 

The  German-born  population  in  Philadelphia,  numbering  37,923 
in  1930,  appears  to  assimilate  easily.  Intermarriage  is  common,  and 
the  average  German  is  quick  to  adopt  many  American  customs  and 
to  acquire  a  facile  knowledge  of  English.  The  large  numbers  of 
"German- American"  clubs  and  organizations  in  the  Quaker  City, 
however,  indicate  a  strong  attachment  to  the  Fatherland. 

The  Germans  flock  to  their  200  singing  societies  in  the  city,  and 
seem  glad  to  drop  American  ways  for  an  evening  devoted  to  songs  of 
the  Rhine  country.  This  Teutonic  love  for  community  singing,  in- 
deed, has  done  much  toward  the  development  of  music,  especially 
of  choral  work,  in  this  city.  That  the  German  in  Philadelphia  is 
reluctant  to  break  away  completely  from  the  Old  Country,  its  lan- 
guage, customs,  and  viewpoint,  is  further  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
there  are  two  daily  and  two  weekly  newspapers  printed  in  German. 

Rigidly  trained  in  his  homeland  to  respect  all  forms  of  con- 
stituted authority,  and  imbued  with  the  Teutonic  ideal  of  "Church, 

101 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Home,  and  Children,"  the  transplanted  German  makes  a  good  citi- 
zen. Unspectacular  by  nature,  he  goes  ahead  with  his  plans  in  a 
determined  manner  which  makes  not  for  brilliant  but  for  lasting 
accomplishments. 

Philadelphia  crime-news  seldom  features  German  names.  Home- 
loving  as  it  is,  the  German  population  has  played  a  considerable  part 
in  gaining  for  Philadelphia  its  reputation  as  a  "city  of  homes." 

A  large  percentage  of  the  German-born  came  to  this  city  in  the 
years  following  the  Great  War,  when  economic  conditions  abroad  had 
become  intolerable.  Another  wave  of  immigration  from  Germany  fol- 
lowed the  advent  of  Adolf  Hitler  as  Reichsfuehrer.  These  immigrants 
included  many  of  the  Jewish  faith  who  sought  relief  from  laws  de- 
priving them  of  citizenship  and  (in  many  instances)  property  rights. 
This  latter  group  contained  a  number  of  educators  and  scholars  seek- 
ing a  land  where  free  expression  of  ideas  would  be  tolerated.  They 
have  added  in  large  measure  to  the  cultural  development  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

Strangely  enough,  the  principal  causes  of  the  latest  German  immi- 
gration to  Philadelphia  were  identical  with  those  of  the  first  —  reli- 
gious persecution  and  poverty.  Warfare  had  torn  Germany  in  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  ;  and  from  the  Palatinate,  bor- 
dering the  Rhine,  came  these  first  immigrants.  Most  important  among 
the  early  Teutonic  settlers  was  Francis  Daniel  Pastorius,  who  came  to 
Philadelphia  in  1683  as  a,  representative  of  the  Frankfort  Land  Com- 
pany. With  him  came  a  group  which  settled  that  section  of  Philadel- 
phia now  known  as  Germantown.  The  Teutonic  love  of  home  life  is 
reflected  today  by  this  part  of  the  city,  Germantown,  which  is  noted 
as  one  of  the  finer  residential  sections.  Other  German  neighborhoods 
are  in  the  vicinities  of  Fifth  Street  and  Girard  Avenue,  Eighth  Street 
and  Lehigh  Avenue,  Twenty-ninth  Street  and  Girard  Avenue,  and 
Olney. 

Spicing  the  melting  pot  with  Celtic  aggressiveness  are  the  Irish, 
to  the  number  of  51,941  foreign  born  who  keep  in  close  contact  with 
the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Irish  descent  among  the  city's  popu- 
lation. Prime  factors  in  the  military  and  civil  work  of  forming  the 
new  Nation,  they  are  attracted  by  the  hurly-burly  of  politics  —  per- 
haps because  the  element  of  competition  in  a  political  fight  appeals 
to  their  traditional  pugnacity,  or  perhaps  because  a  successful  poli- 
tican  must  be  a  successful  "mixer,"  a  type  to  which  the  Gaelic  sense 
of  humor  and  love  of  conversation  are  peculiarly  adapted.  At  any 
rate,  the  Irish  have  made  themselves  a  power  in  shaping  the  political 
destinies  of  the  Quaker  City.  Many  societies  named  after  Ireland's 
counties  help  immigrants  to  establish  themselves  and  to  keep  in  con- 
tact with  friends  from  their  native  soil. 

Although  the  majority  of  Irish  came  to  Philadelphia  after  the  great 

102 


THE  IMPRINT  OF  NATIONS 

potato  famine  in  Ireland  in  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
and  during  the  early  days  of  the  twentieth  century,  a  number  resided 
here  at  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  city's  Polish  population,  totaling  30,582  foreign  born,  is  a  stabi- 
lizing influence.  Home-loving,  hard  working,  and  unobtrusive,  they 
maintain  in  large  measure  the  customs  and  language  of  their  native 
country.  Nevertheless,  Poles  prize  American  citizenship,  and  the 
great  majority  are  either  citizens  or  have  applied  for  citizen's  papers. 
Polish  immigration  on  a  large  scale  began  in  1870,  the  main  reason 
for  its  growth  being  political  persecution  in  the  homeland.  Most 
Poles  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  in  Philadelphia  their 
children  are  educated  in  parochial  schools  situated  in  the  Polish 
districts.  The  Polish  National  Church,  of  recent  origin  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, has  grown  steadily  as  a  result  of  the  large  Polish  immigration 
of  late  years. 

Impetus  was  given  to  Philadelphia  shipping,  and  to  the  textile  and 
lace  industries  by  immigrants  from  England,  Scotland,  and  Wales, 
who  were  among  the  earliest  groups  to  settle  in  the  city.  Bound  close 
to  one  another  and  to  America  by  a  similarity  of  tongue  and  custom, 
they  assimilate  readily.  Like  the  Germans,  however,  the  English  are 
intensely  devoted  to  their  homeland.  The  Empire  and  the  things 
which  it  connotes  seem  to  be  forever  in  the  foreground  of  their  in- 
terest. 

Of  these  foreign-born  groups  in  Philadelphia,  the  English  number 
24,415,  the  Scots  11,313,  and  the  Welsh  865.  These  groups,  for  the 
most  part  scattered  throughout  the  city,  are  slightly  predominant  in 
the  vicinity  of  Kensington. 

Old  Philadelphia  —  the  Quaker  City  of  Colonial,  Revolutionary, 
and  Civil  War  days  —  was  much  more  influenced  by  the  habits  and 
viewpoint  of  the  English  than  is  the  case  today.  In  the  early  days, 
those  of  English  birth  or  descent  were  in  the  majority,  and  the  names 
of  most  of  Philadelphia's  leaders  in  the  commercial  and  professional 
fields  were  of  Anglo-Saxon  derivation.  Today,  although  not  so  im- 
portant in  industry  and  commerce  as  formerly,  those  of  British  de- 
scent still  guard  the  forbidding  portals  of  the  city's  "400."  In  the 
Quaker  City  Social  Register,  admittedly  one  of  the  most  select  in  the 
country,  the  names  are  preponderantly  of  English  origin. 

Canadians,  exclusive  of  the  636  French-Canadians  living  in  the  city, 
total  3,593.  So  similar  a^e  they  to  Philadelphians  in  thought,  lan- 
guage, and  custom  that  they  can  hardly  be  regarded  as  a  foreign 
group.  They  do  not  reside  in  any  particular  section,  nor  do  they  flock 
into  particular  industries  or  professions. 

Only  2,245  Swedes  live  in  the  city.  They  do  not  support  a  foreign- 
language  paper,  and  are  well  assimilated.  Descendants  of  the  early 
Swedish  settlers  have  lost  their  identity  in  the  melting  pot.  Little  re- 

103 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

mains  today  of  Swedish  influence  save  ancient  churches,  and  grave- 
stones bearing  the  names  of  men*  who  lived,  loved,  fought,  and  died 
in  another  and  different  Philadelphia. 

.  The  970  Danes  living  here  are  almost  lost  in  the  city's  swirl  of 
humanity.  Arriving  in  Philadelphia  around  1890,  most  of  them  now 
have  become  an  integral  part  of  the  American  scene.  Virtually  the 
only  remaining  vestige  of  their  homeland  lies  in  their  cookery,  al- 
though there  are  no  Danish  restaurants  in  Philadelphia.  The  same  is 
generally  true  of  the  city's  1,309  Norwegians. 

The  Russian  population  of  Philadelphia,  totaling  80,959,  exclusive 
of  Russian  Jews,  is  a  closerknit  group  that  rarely  mingles  in  a  social 
way  with  other  groups.  Most  of  its  members  today  work  in  oil  re- 
fineries, leather  plants,  cigar  factories,  textile  mills,  and  steel  found- 
ries, but  rarely  in  executive  positions. 

Mass  immigration  from  Russia  did  not  begin  until  1905.  Almost  all 
the  newcomers  sought  the  New  World  to  escape  poverty,  compulsory 
military  service,  and  religious  persecution  aimed  mainly  at  Russian 
Jews.  Locomotive  works,  foundries,  and  shipyards  provided  employ- 
ment for  most  of  them.  For  convenience  sake  they  settled  near  their 
workshops,  first  in  the  area  between  Tenth  Street  and  the  Delaware 
River  from  Spring  Garden  Street  to  Girard  Avenue.  Later  they  in- 
habited the  section  between  Point  Breeze  and  Snyder  Avenues,  from 
Twenty-second  to  Thirtieth  Street. 

The  peak  in  Russian  immigration  was  reached  in  1915-17.  In  1921 
the  vanguard  of  "White  Russians,"  those  loyal  to  the  Tsarist  regime, 
reached  Philadelphia  from  New  York.  Approximately  50  White  Rus- 
sians are  living  here  today,  and  (in  contrast  with  the  major  Russian 
group)  virtually  all  are  engaged  in  either  the  arts  or  the  professions. 
Because  of  their  disinclination  to  mingle  outside  their  own  circles, 
Russians  have  not  become  prominent  in  civic  affairs.  However,  they 
have  aided  the  artistic  development  of  Philadelphia  by  their  patron- 
age of  dance  and  music  recitals, 

Coming  to  Philadelphia  in  great  numbers  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  nineteenth  century  and  the  early  part  of  the  twentieth,  Philadel- 
phia's 7,639  Rumanians  plunged  into  the  active  life  of  the  city  and 
were  soon  assimilated.  They  readily  adopted  American  ways  and  the 
English  language,  and  chose  to  live  in  widely  separated  sections  of 
the  city  rather  than  segregate  themselves.  This  Americanization  has 
become  complete  in  all  phases  except  that  of  cuisine,  for  they  still 
prefer  the  foods  of  their  mother  country.  Several  restaurants  cater 
to  the  Rumanian  palate. 

The  Rumanian  population  tends  toward  the  "white-collar"  occu- 
pations, music,  and  the  arts  in  general.  A  lesser  number  are  laborers. 
Aside  from  their  cooking,  the  one  link  Philadelphia  Rumanians 
maintain  with  their  homeland  is  the  celebration  of  May  10  in  com- 

104 


THE  IMPRINT  OF  NATIONS 

memoration  of  Rumania's  independence.  On  this  occasion  folk 
dances  are  featured  and  native  dress  lends  color  to  the  affair. 

Although  Austrians  arrived  in  Philadelphia  as  early  as  1712,  they 
were  but  a  handful  in  number  and  scarcely  influenced  the  city's 
thought.  The  majority  came  during  the  latter  nineteenth  and  early 
twentieth  centuries.  At  present,  10,707  live  in  Philadelphia.  They  are 
closely  allied  by  tongue  and  customs  to  the  Germans.  No  definite  sec- 
tions are  inhabited  by  them,  although  the  early  settlers  lived  in  the 
neighborhood  between  Fourth  and  Eighth  Streets  from  Girard  Ave- 
nue to  Norris  Street.  Many  now  live  in  the  section  between  Twenty- 
fifth  and  Twenty-eighth  Streets  from  Spring  Garden  to  Oxford  Street. 

Another  group  which  had  but  little  effect  in  shaping  the  city's  life 
and  traditions  is  the  Yugoslavs,  of  whom  there  are  approximately 
1,394.  Most  of  these  are  factory  workers  or,  in  the  case  of  young 
womein^  domestics.  Yugoslavs  are  concentrated  in  numbers  in  the 
vicinity  of  Twenty-fourth  and  Wolf  Streets. 

Czechoslovaks  number  3,868.  Many  of  these  are  Bohemians,  gener- 
ally of  fair  education.  Many  find  employment  in  "white-collar"  posi- 
tions. They  live  mainly  in  the  section  between  Spring  Garden  Street 
and  Columbia  Avenue  from  Front  to  Sixth  Street. 


Curb  Market  at  Ninth  and  Christian  Streets 
"The  Piazza  del  Mercato  of  Philadelphia" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Philadelphia's  7,102  Hungarians  are  scattered  throughout  the  var- 
ious trades  and  professions.  They  mix  easily,  and  are  readily  assimi- 
lated. Hungarian  and  German  are  spoken  by  them,  in  addition  to 
English.  Those  coming  from  a  section  near  the  Polish  border  also 
speak  Polish.  One  Hungarian  newspaper  is  printed  in  Philadelphia, 
with  a  two-page  English  supplement  for  American-born  readers. 

Many  of  Philadelphia's  3,415  Greeks  seem  attracted  to  the  restau- 
rant business  above  other  commercial  ventures.  Greek  domination  is 
especially  true  of  the  smaller  quick-lunch  establishments,  as  devoid 
of  elaborate  cuisine  as  they  are  of  tablecloths.  The  bulk  of  the 
Greeks  came  here  between  1900  and  1910.  They  settled  in  the  Rich- 
mond section,  along  Gaskill  Street  between  South  and  Lombard 
Streets,  and  in  the  area  between  Eighth  and  Twelfth  Streets  from 
Locust  Street  to  Spruce  Street. 

Philadelphia  contains  many  other  racial  and  national  groups,  but 
these  are  so  few  in  number  that  their  effect  in  molding  the  city's 
appearance,  customs,  and  institutions  have  been  negligible.  Outstand- 
ing among  these  minority  groups  are  the  Armenians,  who  are  de- 
voted mostly  to  the  rug  business,  and  the  Belgians,  who  engage 
mainly  in  the  textile  industry. 

Negro  Progress 

rT1HE  story  of  the  Negro  in  Philadelphia  is  a  repetition  of  the  saga 
-*-  of  struggle  marking  his  progress  elsewhere.  Here,  however,  he 
found  the  advantages  of  what  in  early  days  was  a  comparatively  sym- 
pathetic environment. 

A  few  Negro  slaves  were  owned  by  the  earliest  Dutch  and  Swedes  ; 
but  when  the  Quakers  came  to  found  Penn's  city,  they  looked  with 
disfavor  upon  slaveholding,  and  many  began  almost  immediately  to 
agitate  for  its  abolition.  A  State  law  providing  for  gradual  emancipa- 
tion was  enacted  in  1780,  just  81  years  before  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War.  Those  who  could  afford  it  purchased  slaves  for  the  purpose 
of  freeing  them,  and  then  assisted  the  freedmen  in  adjusting  them- 
selves to  their  new  life.  Others  participated  in  the  operation  of  the 
Underground  Railroad,  a  system  which  assisted  escaping  slaves  to 
reach  the  North  and  the  Canadian  border. 

Work  of  the  first  freedmen  was  limited  to  the  domestic  field,  but 
by  1800  they  were  finding  employment  as  seamen,  mechanics,  car- 
penters, wagonsmiths,  and  as  skilled  workers  of  other  types.  Despite 
racial  oppression,  they  became  home-owners,  supported  their  own 
schools,  contributed  to  beneficial  societies,  and  financed  their  own 
business  enterprises.  A  group  duplicated  in  no  other  city  was  the 
guild  of  caterers,  which  had  a  monopoly  on  the  catering  business  and 

106 


THE  IMPRINT  OF  NATIONS 

was  so  successful  that  some  of  its  members  reached  affluence.  The 
business,  carried  on  from  generation  to  generation,  deteriorated  only 
after  modern  youth  became  attracted  to  new  fields. 

In  1780  Philadelphia's  Negro  population  of  about  3,000  was  con- 
centrated in  the  area  between  Fifth  and  Ninth  Streets  from  Pine  to 
Lombard  Street.  The  population  doubled  in  the  next  10  years,  spread- 
ing westward  across  Broad  Street  to  form  a  center  of  Negro  business 
activity  at  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  Streets,  and  a  residential  dis- 
trict in  southwest  Philadelphia.  The  spread  took  a  northward  trend 
in  1793,  when  about  one-fourth  of  the  Negro  population  was  living 
between  Market  and  Vine  Streets.  The  trend  continued  northward, 
until  now  the  north  central  section  rivals  South  Philadelphia  as  a 
Negro  residential  center. 

Today  about  2,500  Negroes  are  employed  in  the  government  of  the 
city  and  county,  drawing  annual  salaries  totaling  approximately  $2,- 
000,000.  They  include  policemen,  detectives,  school  teachers,  clerks, 
inspectors,  chemists,  draftsmen,  and  janitors. 

The  mayoralty  campaign  of  1880  evoked  the  first  sign  of  concerted 
action  on  the  part  of  the  city's  Negro  voters.  Led  by  William  Still, 
Robert  Purvis,  and  James  Forten,  they  revolted  against  the  Republi- 
can Party.  The  Democrats  rewarded  them  with  appointments  to  the 
city  police  force.  Negroes  became  increasingly  political-minded  there- 
after, and  today  their  vote  is  recognized  as!  an  important  factor.  Al- 
though members  of  the  race  served  on  the  Common  Council  as  early 
as  1893,  James  H.  Irvin,  elected  councilman  in  1935,  has  been  the 
only  Negro  to  sit  in  the  new  City  Council. 

A  writer  on  Negro  society  of  the  nineteenth  century  cites  the 
graciousness  of  manner  and  success  in  entertaining  of  the  Negro 
matrons  in  Philadelphia.  A  knowledge  of  music  was  general.  Musical 
instruments  were  found  in  every  home  and  an  interest  and  appre- 
ciation for  melody  and  rhythm  was  cultivated.  Often  the  first  music 
lessons  were  given  in  a  church.  Still  the  canter  of  social  activity,  the 
churches  have  taught  the  fundamentals  of  music  to  talented  youth. 
In  this  manner  the  voice  of  Marian  Anderson,  now  a  marvel  to  music 
lovers  the  world  over,  was  discovered. 

As  early  as  1820  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  this 
city  founded  a  publishing  company,  which  still  operates  under  the 
original  charter.  This  institution,  the  A.M.E.  Book  Concern,  is  situ- 
ated at  716  South  Nineteenth  Street.  Near  its  former  site  on  South 
College  Avenue  stands  another  important  Negro  institution,  the 
Berean  Church,  built  in  the  nineteenth  century.  The  Bethel 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  Sixth  and  Lombard  Streets,  was  built 
by  Bishop  Richard  Allen  in  1794  ;  first  of  its  denomination  in  the 
country,  the  church  still  stands  on  the  original  site.  In  1791,  St. 
Thomas'  Church,  first  African  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in 

107 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

America,  was  founded  by  Absalom  Jones.  Originally  on  Second  Street 
below  Walnut,  the  church  is  now  on  Twelfth  Street  below  Walnut. 
Both  these  men  were  responsible,  in  the  main,  for  the  formation  of 
the  first  Negro  religious  groups  in  the  country  operating  alone  and 
independent  of  the  white  sects. 

During  the  decade  of  1860-70,  there  was  a  decrease  of  17  percent 
in  the  Negro  population  of  Philadelphia.  Following  the  Civil  War 
and  emancipation,  great  hopes  were  entertained  by  Negroes  for  the 
rapid  cultural  and  social  advancement  of  their  race.  Nowhere  was 
there  a  more  fertile  field  than  Philadelphia,  seat  of  Quakerism  in 
the  United  States.  A  growing  spirit  of  liberalism  toward  the  Negro 
was  manifested  here,  many  being  disposed  to  grant  him  a  chance  to 
make  his  way  in  the  world.  Slowly  but  surely,  petty  hindrances  were 
brushed  away  and  the  shackles  of  racial  prejudice  loosened.  The 
Negro  population  increased  by  degrees,  starting  in  1870.  In  the  fol- 
lowing decade  the  increase  amounted  to  43.13  percent. 

When  the  influx  began,  "old  Philadelphians"  —  Negroes  that  had 
been  serving  aristocratic  Philadelphia  families  for  years  —  regarded 
the  newcomers  with  disfavor,  partly  because  Northern  Negroes  were 
better  educated  and  their  standard  of  living  was  much  higher.  This 
created  among  Negroes  a  class-consciousness  that  still  exists. 

Poor  housing  facilities  and  the  rigorous  Northern  climate  took  its 
toll  of  these  migrants.  Census  returns  in  1880,  erroneous  in 
figures,  seemed  to  indicate  the  race  was  dying  out.  But  such  was  not 
the  case.  The  death  rate,  32.5  per  1,000  for  the  period  from  1830  to 
1840,  remained  at  approximately  the  same  level,  31.25  per  1,000  for 
the  years  1884-90.  Strong  constitutions,  improved  living  conditions, 
and  better  educational  and  medical  facilities  reduced  the  death  rate 
to  24.42  per  1,000  by  1937. 

Negro  workers  were  hard  hit  during  the  depression  that  followed 
the  Wall  Street  crash  in  1929,  and  the  businests  and  professional  men 
depending  upon  them  for  success  suffered  in  their  turn.  Those  in  the 
medical  field  were  affected  with  especial  severity.  Negro  doctors,  de- 
pendent almost  entirely  upon  their  own  people  for  patronage,  found 
thousands  of  these  patrons  unemployed  and  without  funds.  Both 
white  and  Negro  workers  discovered  during  this  period  the  common 
bond  of  their  economic  status,  and  Negroes  now  form  part  of  the 
membership  of  labor  unions,  in  addition  to  their  own  many  fraternal 
and  social  organizations. 

Numerous  social  agencies  are  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  race 
in  the  city,  the  principal  one  being  the  Armstrong  Association,  a 
member  of  the  Welfare  Federation.  The  city's  Negro  mewspapers  are 
the  Tribune,  established  in  1884,  and  the  Independent,  founded  in 
1930. 

108 


GOVERNMENTAL  MACHINERY 


FAR  exceeding  even  the  optimistic  hopes  of  William  Penn,  Phila- 
delphia grew  in  area  and  governmental  jurisdiction  until  the 
boundaries  of  the  city  coincided  with  those  of  Philadelphia 
County.  This  was  accomplished  by  the  absorption  of  many  small 
towns  that  even  as  late  as  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  were 
suburbs  of  the  city. 

Francisville,  Belmont,  Kensington,  Northern  Liberties,  Richmond, 
Southwark,  Penn,  Manayunk,  Bridesburg,  Roxborough,  Lower  Dub- 
lin, Crescentville,  Fish  Town,  Morrisville,  Holmesburg,  Haddington, 
Spring  Garden,  Blockley,  Byberry,  Delaware,  Fox  Chase,  German- 
towln,  Frankford,  White  Hall,  Mount  Airy,  Franklinville,  Mechanics- 
ville,  Hestonville,  Kingsessing,  Moreland,  Moyamensing,  Oxford, 
Tacony,  Aramingo,  Coopersville,  Feltonville,  Hollinsville,  Chestnut 
Hill,  Eastwick,  Overbrook,  Wynnewood,  Oak  Lane,  Ogontz  and  Har- 
rowgate  —  all  of  these  villages  and  towns,  together  with  Penn's  origi- 
nal Philadelphia,  compose  the  city  of  today. 

Nevertheless,  a  legal  fiction  persists  in  treating  county  and  city  as 
separate  entities,  causing  a  somewhat  complicated  dual  legislative 
and  executive  machine.  For  several  years  action  has  been  proposed 
to  consolidate  the  two  coextensive  governments,  in  order  to  simplify 
the  set-up  and  to  cut  down  expenditures. 

Prior  to  February  2,  1854,  when  the  Act  of  Consolidation  went  into 
effect,  Philadelphia  proper  was  bounded  by  South  Street,  Vine  Street, 
the  Schuylkill,  and  the  Delaware.  With  the  passage  of  the  act,  the 
boundaries  of  Philadelphia  were  fixed  virtually  as  they  are  today. 
A  part  of  Cheltenham  Township,  in  Montgomery  County,  however, 
was  annexed  in  1916. 

The  principal  law  uinder  which  the  present  city  government  oper- 
ates is  the  act  of  June  25,  1919,  with  a  number  of  amendments, 
popularly  known  as  the  City  Charter.  Philadelphia  has  the  "mayor 
and  council"  form  of  government.  The  Mayor,  who  is  one  of  73 
officials  elected  by  the  voters  of  the  city  at  large,  is  the  chief  execu- 
tive, chosen  for  a  term  of  four  years.  It  is  his  duty  to  enforce  the 
ordinances  enacted  by  the  22  members  of  the  City  Council,  elected 
by  voters  in  the  eight  Councilmanic  Districts  (coinciding  with  State 
Senatorial  Districts)  into  which  Philadelphia  is  divided.  In  all,  some 
6,400  officials  are  elected  in  the  various  districts  and  wards. 

109 


City  Hall  Tower 

"where    Penrt   stands    watchfi 

guard   o'er   his   city" 


GOVERNMENTAL  MACHINERY 

Under  the  Mayor  are  his  thirteen  assisting  executive  departments  : 
Public  Safety;  Public  Works;  Public  Welfare;  Public  Health; 
Wharves,  Docks  and  Ferries;  City  Transit;  City  Treasurer;  City  Con- 
troller; Law  (City  Solicitor)  ;  Civil  Service  Commission;  Receiver  of 
Taxes;  Supplies  and  Purchases;  and  City  Architecture.  The  City 
Treasurer,  City  Controller,  and  Receiver  of  Taxes  are  elected  for 
terms  of  four  years. 

The  Director  of  Public  Safety  is  the  central  head  of  the  Police, 
Fire,  Electrical,  Maintenance  and  Repairs,  Building  Inspection,  Ele- 
vator Inspection,  and  Steam  Engine  and  Boiler  Inspection  Bureaus. 
Bureaus  under  the  Department  of  Public  Works  include  :  City 
Property,  Lighting  and  Gas,  Water,  Highways,  Street  Cleaning,  and 
the  combined  department  of  Engineering,  Zoning,  and  Surveys.  The 
Department  of  Public  Welfare  directs  the  Bureaus  of  Charities  and 
Correction,  Personal  Assistance,  and  Recreation. 

Several  other  agencies  function  along  specialized  lines.  They  are 
the  Sinking  Fund  Commission,  Registration  Commission,  Gas  Com- 
mission, Board  of  Pensions,  Art  Jury,  Zoning  Commission,  and  the 
Commission  on  City  Planning. 

The  Commissioners  of  Fairmount  Park,  appointed  by  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  have  charge  not  only  of  Fairmount  Park,  but  also  of 
25  small  parks  and  squares,  the  Parkway,  and  Roosevelt  Boule- 
vard. This  branch  of  the  city  government  is  virtually  autonomous. 
It  maintains  the  park  guards — a  special  police  force  which  is  en- 
tirely independent  of  the  Municipal  Bureau  of  Police. 

The  Free  Library  system  and  the  museums  of  the  city  are  con- 
trolled by  special  boards  of  trustees. 

In  addition  to  the  Magistrates'  Courts,  which  are  not  tribunals  of 
record,  there  are  four  trial  courts  :  Common  Pleas,  Quarter  Sessions 
of  the  Peace,  Orphan's  Court,  and  the  Municipal  Court.  The  Court  of 
Oyer  and  Terminer  and  General  Jail  Delivery  hears  only  murder 
trials. 

The  division  of  governmental  authority  between  city  and  county 
is  not  distinct,  some  of  the  principal  officers  receiving  dual  salaries 
for  similar  duties  in  city  and  county  governments.  The  City  Treasurer 
is  the  County  Treasurer  ;  the  City  Controller  is  County  Controller  ; 
the  City  Commissioners  serve  also  as  County  Commissioners.  This 
quality  exists  likewise  with  the  Corner,  District  Attorney,  Clerk  of 
Quarter  Sessions,  Prothonotary,  Register  of  Wills,  and  Recorder  of 
Deeds. 

Public  education  in  Philadelphia  is  conducted  under  supervision 
of  the  Board  of  Public  Education,  the  15  members  of  which  are  ap- 
pointed by  a  board  of  judges  of  the  Common  Pleas  Court  for  over- 
lapping terms  of  six  years. 

Ill 


HUB  OF  COMMERCE  AND  INDUSTRY 


PHILADELPHIA  was  born  into  a  world  still  in  the  handicraft 
stage  of  economic  development ;  the  home  was  no  less  the  pro- 
ducing than  the  consuming  center  of  economic  life  in  that  slow- 
moving,  candle-lit  period  when  the  prime  motive  force  was  the  energy 
of  man  and  beast.  For  many  the  basis  of  living  was  a  subsistence 
standard  in  the  narrowest  meaning  of  the  term;  for  a  few  there  were 
some  luxuries,  but  such  luxuries  as  today's  Philadelphia  worker  would 
deem  commonplace. 

The  early  settlement  was  on  the  fringe  of  the  frontier.  Its  economy 
was  a  pioneer  economy  in  large  part,  a  basic  struggle  for  the  bare 
necessities  of  existence.  With  the  passing  years,  Philadelphia  has  at- 
tained maturity  in  a  world  where  the  economics  of  plentitude  have  re- 
placed the  pioneer  economy — a  machine  world  in  which  the  stand- 
ard of  living  of  the  prosperous  is  so  high  that  it  would  have  astonished 
the  founding  fathers.  Despite  the  productivity  of  the  machine,  how- 
ever, many  Philadelphians  today  live  under  conditions  which  are  only 
a  slight  improvement  over  those  existing  in  the  days  of  the  pioneers. 
In  Penn's  time  industry  in  the  town  was  centered  mainly  in  the 
home.  Women  and  children  carded,  spun,  and  wove  wool  for  cloth- 
ing ;  they  also  produced  knitted  wear  and  made  articles  of  leather 
and  fur.  Iron  was  melted  and  wrought,  bricks  were  pressed  in  hand- 
operated  molds,  and  stone  was  quarried  by  the  men  according  to 
their  individual  needs. 

Today  Philadelphia  is  an  industrial  city.  Thousands  of  factories 
meet  the  diversified  needs  of  a  technological  civilization,  and  a 
modern  transportation  system  distributes  to  every  quarter  of  the  world 
the  commodities  made  here.  It  is  a  great  and  growing  port  through 
which  flow  the  products  and  resources  of  a  teeming  hinterland  : 
bituminous  coal  and  anthracite,  irons  steel,  and  other  mineral  prod- 
ucts, together  with  the  harvests  of  forest  and  farm  —  the  diversified 
output  of  a  giant  and  highly  creative  national  industry.  Great  munic- 
ipal piers  for  coastwise  and  transocean  shipping,  belt  line  and  ele- 
vated-subway transportation  systems,  spacious  manufacturing  and 
storage  plants,  and  a  river  alive  with  traffic  attest  the  city's  share  in 
the  forward  thrust  of  America. 

The  city's  economic  destiny  was  determined  by  its  location  and  by 
the  industrious  character  of  its  people.  It  possessed  the  potentialities 

112 


HUB  OF  COMMERCE  AND  INDUSTRY 

of  a  manufacturing  center  and  a  port  easily  accessible  from  the  sea, 
with  harborage  on  a  deep  and  wide  river.  The  neighboring  region 
was  rich  in  timber,  minerals,  water  power,  and  arable  land.  Being 
close  to  the  sea,  it  had  the  assurance  of  a  constant  labor  supply  in 
the  steady  stream  of  immigration  from  the  Old  World.  These  natural 
advantages  are  today  supplemented  by  the  presence  in  the  city  of  a 
large  supply  of  skilled  labor,  and  the  fact  that  the  city  itself  furnishes 
an  excellent  home  market  for  the  products  of  the  industrial  plants, 
more  than  2  billion  dollars  being  expended  annually  in  the  whole- 
sale and  retail  marts  of  business. 

Philadelphia's  first  important  industry,  the  manufacture  of  textiles, 
has  remained  its  greatest.  Its  mills,  the  majority  of  which  are  in  the 
Kensington  and  Frankford  sections,  produce  5  percent  of  the  Nation's 
output  in  textiles.  This  industry  originated  with  the  German  settlers, 
whose  families  produced  woolen  hose  on  home-made  wooden  frames, 
the  product  being  sold  for  the  equivalent  of  a  dollar  a  pair.  In 
another  phase  of  textile  manufacture,  the  making  of  rugs  and  car- 
pets, the  city  was  a  pioneer.  The  first  woven  carpet  produced 
in  the  New  World  was  made  in  Philadelphia  in  1775,  and  by  1845 
the  industry  had  attained  considerable  magnitude  and  prosperity. 
The  manufacture  of  knitted  and  hooked  rugs,  from  strips  of  cloth 
torn  off  wornout  garments,  began  with  the  city's  founding. 

The  textile  industry's  92,573  workers  now  maintain  an  average  an- 
nual production  with  a  value  exceeding  a  quarter  billion  dollars. 
A  great  diversity  of  items  is  represented,  such  as  clothing,  lace,  blan- 
kets and  robes,  flags  and  banners,  print  goods,  tents  and  awnings, 
cordage,  burlap  and  jute  bagging,  knitted  goods,  hats,  uniforms, 
braids,  tapes,  and  bindings. 

The  manufacture  of  hats,  a  specialized  branch  of  textile  making, 
had  Colonial  roots  in  Germantown.  The  high-crowned  Germantown 
beaver  hat,  hand-felted  and  hand-blocked,  adorned  the  head  of  many 
a  Colonial  aristocrat  and  was  worn  and  admired  even  beyond  the 
Alleghenies.  Today  another  Philadelphia-made  hat,  the  Stetson, 

is  so  widely  known  that  it 
trade  name  has  become  a 
vernacular  synonym  for  a 
man's  headgear.  The  fac- 
tory in  which  it  is  made, 
in  normal  times,  provides 
employment  for  5,460  men 
and  women  and  occupies 
a  floor  area  of  25  acres. 
Multifold  are  the  beavers, 
otters,  muskrats,  Belgian 


Hosiery  Worker 
"a  maker  of  silken  sheaths* 


113 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

hares,  Scottish  rabbits,  and  South  American  nutria  whose  fur  conies 
to  commercial  use  in  this  establishment. 

Closely  related  to  textile  manufactures  is  the  leather  industry.  Its 
expansion  in  Philadelphia  has  been  stimulated  by  a  plentiful  supply 
of  water  soft  enough  to  be  used  in  tanning  and  a  climate  favorable 
to  the  proper  processing  of  leather.  Philadelphia-made  shoes  are  in 
many  places  deemed  a  superior  product,  owing  doubtless  to  local 
manufacturers'  concentration  on  a  higher  quality  of  footwear. 

In  the  preparation  of  glazed  kid  the  city  excels.  It  was  a  Phila- 
delphian,  Robert  H.  Foerderer,  who  perfected  the  first  American 
process  for  making  that  type  of  leather  which  previously  had  been 
imported.  As  a  consequence  of  its  predominance  in  the  leather  in- 
dustry, the  city  has  become  one  of  the  Nation's  leading  markets  for 
hides  and  peltries. 

Although  the  city  takes  a  large  proportion  of  the  country's  pro- 
duction of  hides,  few  of  them  are  from  animals  slaughtered  in  Phila- 
delphia. Its  supply  of  meat  and  other  products  comes  mainly  from 
the  packing  houses  of  the  Middle  West  and  the  Southwest.  There  was 
a  time  when  the  central  city  was  dotted  with  abattoirs.  Now,  however, 
excepting  two  large  slaughterhouses  on  Gray's  Ferry  Avenue,  and  one 
at  Third  Street  and  Girard  Avenue,  all  are  far  from  the  city  center. 

The  production  of  other  articles  of  food  is  a  highly  diversified  and 
widely  scattered  industry.  Eight  hundred  and  seventy-six  firms  are 
engaged  in  it,  with  an  average  annual  production  exceeding  $200,- 
000,000  in  value.  Philadelphia  scrapple  and  Philadelphia-made  ice 
cream  are  two  specialties  that  have  a  wide  sale  within  the  radius  fixed 
by  their  perishable  nature. 

In  the  refining  of  sugar  Philadelphia  is  second  in  the  world.  The 
first  sugar  refinery  in  the  United  States,  established  on  Vine  Street 
above  Third  in  1783,  functioned  for  more  than  a  century.  Today 
there  are  three  great  refineries  in  the  city,  giving  employment  to  about 
2,477  persons. 

From  its  earliest  days,  Philadelphia  has  produced  liquors  and  malt 
beverages.  The  early  colonists  made  sassafras  beer,  persimmon  brandy, 
and  small  beer  from  Indian  maize.  As  the  city  expanded,  brewhouses 
and  distilleries  were  established.  Like  the  public  houses,  they  were 
confined  to  the  water  front,  but  their  products  had  a  wide  distribu- 
tion. The  early  brewhouses  and  distilleries  were  the  beginning  of  an 
important  industry,  and  although  the  largest  distillery  is  near  the 
Delaware  in  South  Philadelphia,  many  large  plants  have  located  on 
the  outskirts  or  in  the  suburbs.  After  the  period  of  "hibernation" 
enforced  by  the  Eighteenth  Amendment,  the  industry  here  prospered 
again. 

The  tobacco  trade  is  also  important  on  Philadelphia's  commercial 
horizon.  Cigars  are  the  chief  output  of  the  city's  59  tobacco  factories. 

114 


HUB  OF  COMMERCE  AND  INDUSTRY 

Snuff  manufacture,  of  major  importance  in  the  nineteenth  century, 
has  declined  in  recent  years. 

A  once  important  Philadelphia  industry,  the  manufacture  of  cook- 
ing and  heating  stoves,  has  been  curtailed.  These  stoves  were  turned 
out  in  great  'number's  for  two  centuries.  In  Colonial  days  the  stoves 
were  small  "foot"  models,  taken  along  to  the  unheated  churches  of 
the  time.  Later,  the  Franklin  and  the  so-called  "cannon"  types  were 
Philadelphia  specialties.  The  market  was  greatly  reduced  by  the  rise 
of  oil  and  gas  stoves  for  cooking,  and  of  hot-air  furnaces,  hot  water, 
steam,  and  vapor  boilers,  and  oil-burning  devices  for  heating.  The 
former  importance  of  this  industry  may  readily  be  judged  by  the 
fact,  that,  even  under  these  conditions,  the  city  still  produces  more 
than  $3,000,000  worth  of  stoves  and  furnaces  annually. 

Another  Philadelphia  industry  that  has  languished  is  the  carriage- 
building  trade.  It  began  humbly  in  a  wheelwright's  shop  on  Market 
Street  near  the  water  front,  a  few  years  before  the  Revolution.  By 
the  middle  of  the  following  century  it  had  progressed  to  such  extent 
that  the  local  carriage  makers  and  coach  builders  were  capable  of 
competing  with  and  in  some  instances  surpassing  the  craftsmen  of 
Europe.  In  an  age  when  the  world  of  fashion  drove  behind  spanking 
teams  to  its  gaslit  soirees,  a  barouche  or  a  landau  was  the  moving 
symbol  of  sound  social  position,  and  the  task  of  supplying  the  ve- 
hicles was  one  of  no  little  importance. 

Carriages  gave  way  before  the  relentless  advance  of  the  internal 
combustion  engine,  and  the  carriage  builders  turned  to  other  pursuits. 
One  branch  of  the  industry  still  remains  in  the  city,  the  manufacture 
of  baby  carriages  —  a  vehicle  conceived  in  the  fertile  mind  of  a 
Philadelphia  carriage  maker  in  1831.  They  were  first  produced  as 
miniature  coaches  for  the  children  of  the  wealthy,  but  time  has  so 
democratized  them  that  they  have  become  an  embarrassment  to  male 
parents  the  country  over. 

The  city  shares  also  in  the  automotive  industry.  The  J.  G.  Brill 
Company,  the  world's  largest  maker  of  city  transit  equipment,  and 
pioneer  in  the  development  of  traction  equipment  from  early  horse- 
car  days,  is  situated  here.  Another  Philadelphia  concern,  the  Budd 
Company,  has  built  many  of  the  modern  light-weight  streamlined 
trains  which  are  revitalizing  American  railroad  transport.  It  was 
here  that  the  Burlington  Zephyr,  among  the  first  of  the  streamlined 
trains,  was  designed  and  constructed. 

An  outstanding  achievement  of  the  Budd  Company  in  1937  was 
the  completion  of  the  first  "desert  dreadnought,"  a  huge,  light-weight, 
stainless  steel  bus  trailer  designed  especially  for  passenger  service  in 
the  Syrian  desert.  Styled  for  speed  and  built  on  principles  similar  to 

115 


Midvale  Steel  Workers 
"Breaking  up  the  Final" 


HUB  OF  COMMERCE  AND  INDUSTRY 

those  employed  in  the  stainless  steel  streamlined  railroad  coaches 
produced  by  the  same  company,  the  bus  has  succeeded  in  cutting  ex- 
isting schedules  more  than  a  third. 

It  was  built  for  the  Nairn  Transport  Company,  Ltd.,  and  delivered 
to  that  company  at  Beirut.  Because  the  length  of  the  vehicle  —  57 
feet,  6  inches  —  was  too  great  to  permit  turning  of  ordinary  corners, 
it  was  necessary  for  the  company  to  make  advance  studies  of  the  road 
to  New  York  and  lay  out  special  routes  to  get  it  through  city  streets. 
The  trailer,  drawn  by  a  150-horsepower  Diesel  tractor,  is  an  air- 
conditioned  sleeper  with  upper  and  lower  berths.  It  was  designed  to 
make  the  600-mile  run  between  Damascus  and  Baghdad  in  15  hours. 

Philadelphia  has  also  made  an  important  contribution  to  steam  rail 
transport  through  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  which  operated 
for  many  years  on  Broad  Street  at  Spring  Garden,  but  was  later  re- 
moved to  Eddystone,  south  of  the  city  in  Delaware  County.  The  first 
Baldwin  locomotive,  Old  Ironsides,  was  built  in  Philadelphia  in 
1832,  in  the  shops  of  Matthias  Baldwin  and  David  H.  Mason,  at 
Fourth  and  Walnut  Streets.  It  was  dubbed  the  "fair  weather  engine," 
because  its  weight  of  only  five  tons  was  not  sufficient  to  give  it  trac- 
tion on  rails  made  slippery  by  rain.  It  puffed  along  valiantly  on  fair 
days,  but  during  bad  weather  horses  replaced  it.  From  that  uncer- 
tain beginning  the  Baldwin  production  has  grown,  until  today  its 
locomotives  traverse  the  rails  of  almost  every  nation. 

In  shipbuilding,  likewise,  Philadelphia  has  figured  largely.  The  vast 
Cramps'  shipyard  on  the  Delaware,  until  its  closing  in  recent  years, 
was  the  birthplace  of  fine  vessels  from  the  days  of  the  sail  to  those 
of  the  turbine.  Many  of  the  country's  war-craft  were  built  in  that 
yard,  and  some  of  the  world's  renowned  pleasure  craft  took  shape 
upon  its  way  —  among  them  Jay  Gould's  famed  yacht  Atalanta.  Phila- 
delphia was  also  the  home  of  the  first  propeller  steamer  built  in  the 
United  States.  This  steamer,  the  Princeton,  was  constructed  at  the 
Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  in  1843.  Two  years  earlier,  the  Mississippi, 
in  which  Commodore  Matthew  Calbraith  Perry  sailed  to  Japan  where 
he  negotiated  a  treaty  opening  the  ports  of  Shimoda  and  Hakodate 
to  United  States  commerce,  was  built  here. 

As  it  has  contributed  to  speedier  transportation,  so  has  the  city 
had  a  part  in  improving  the  world's  means  of  communication.  Two 
of  its  prominent  manufacturing  plants  were  pioneers  in  the  radio  in- 
dustry, and  some  of  the  improvements  which  have  given  the  air  a 
voice  had  their  origin  in  Philadelphia  laboratories.  In  the  related 
field  of  electrical  equipment,  the  city  has  shared  honors  with  Pitts- 
burgh and  Schenectady. 

The  manufacture  of  iron  and  its  alloys  is  now  concentrated  around 
the  sources  of  raw  materials  —  the  coal  and  iron  mines  west  of  the 

117 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Alleghenies.  In.  Colonial  days,  however,  Philadelphia  was  the  leading 
iron  producer  of  the  Nation,  and  today  it  maintains  a  prominent 
position  in  the  manufacture  of  light  steel  and  non-ferrous  products. 
Especially  is  the  city  a  factor  in  the  production  of  edged  tools  es- 
sential to  high-speed  machine  manufacturing.  Toolmaking  in  the 
city  had  an  early  beginning,  the  first  saw  in  America  having  been 
forged  in  Philadelphia  before  the  Revolution.  Today  the  variety  of 
tools  produced  is  limited  only  by  the  requirements  of  the  market. 
From  the  molten  metal  there  eventually  emerge  machetes  to  cut  the 
cane  of  Cuba,  knives  to  behead  the  pineapple  plants  of  Hawaii,  and 
a  great  variety  of  cutting  tools  for  the  lathes,  shapers,  and  planers 
of  American  industry. 

In  two  other  industries  that  are  factors  in  modern  life,  the  pro- 
duction of  paper  and  printing,  Philadelphia  ranks  among  the  first 
flight  cities.  Its  45  paper  factories  turn  out  products  ranging  from 
paper  towels  and  railroad  ticket  stock  to  the  finest  bond  and  linen 
papers.  The  city's  first  paper  mill  was  erected  about  1693.  Its  nat- 
ural corollary,  the  printing  press,  soon  followed.  In  the  United 
States  today,  only  New  York  exceeds  Philadelphia  in  the  volume  and 
variety  of  periodicals  and  commercial  matter  produced  by  its  publish- 
ing houses  and  printing  shops.  In  the  allied  fields  of  bookbinding, 
engraving,  and  lithography  the  city  has  many  establishments. 

In  still  another  modern  industry,  the  making  of  chemicals,  Phila- 
delphia claims  a  "first."  From  the  Colonial  retorts  of  Christopher 
and  Charles  Marshall  emerged  in  1793  probably  the  first  American- 
made  sulphuric  acid.  John  Harrison,  a  pioneer  in  the  manufacture 
of  nitric  acid,  is  also  credited  with  having  produced  sulphuric  acid 
at  that  time. 

In  1789  Samuel  Wetherill  and  his  son  Samuel,  Jr.,  began  the  pro- 
duction of  white  lead,  the  first  to  be  manufactured  in  the  United 
States.  In  1804  they  erected  a  white  lead  factory.  Prior  to  the  death 
of  Christopher  Marshall,  in  1797,  the  Marshall  laboratory  also  was 
producing  white  lead  regularly.  Some  years  later  this  firm  was  making 
ether  in  commercial  quantities;  in  the  1830's  it  added  quinine  and 
strychnine  to  its  catalog.  The  Marshall  laboratory  is  dwarfed  in 
size  now  by  many  Philadelphia  chemical  plants,  in  which  are  pro- 
duced a  diversity  of  reagents  and  pharmaceuticals. 

In  1839  a  Philadelphian  discovered  that  by  using  superheated 
sulphur  instead  of  nitric  acid,  he  could  harden  India  rubber  and 
still  preserve  its  pliancy.  The  experimenter  was  Charles  Goodyear. 
Aided  by  his  brother-in-law,  William  De  Forrest,  and  exhausting  the 
financial  resources  of  his  entire  family  over  a  period  of  five  years, 
Goodyear  in  1844  perfected  a  vulcanizing  process  that  is  now  fol- 
lowed in  the  rubber  industry  throughout  the  world,  but  he  lost  his 
patents  for  France  and  England. 

118 


HUB  OF  COMMERCE  AND  INDUSTRY 

In  1844  Samuel  S.  White,  then  only  22  years  of  age,  embarked  in 
the  artificial-tooth  manufacturing  business  at  what  was  then  116  North 
Seventh  Street,  using  his  attic  for  a  "factory"  and  a  downstairs  room 
for  a  "store."  Up  to  that  time,  dentists  carved  crude  teeth  from  blocks 
of  porcelain  —  wretched  imitations  of  nature's  handiwork.  Young 
White  strove  to  make  his  dental  work  resemble  the  original  as  nearly 
as  possible.  His  success  was  accelerated  by  the  accidental  discovery 
of  feldspar  as  a  base  for  porcelain,  and  within  a  short  time  he  and 
two  assistants  were  forced  to  seek  larger  quarters.  Today  there  are  a 
half  hundred  dentistry  laboratories  in  Philadelphia,  turning  out  ap- 
proximately 83,000,000  artificial  teeth  every  year. 

An  interesting  sidelight  on  the  history  of  Philadelphia's  industrial 
development  is  afforded  by  the  "Keely  Motor  Hoax,"  perpetrated  by 
John  W.  Keely  on  credulous  investors  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  About  1872,  Keely,  who  had  a  laboratory  at  1422 
North  Twentieth  Street,  invited  scientists  to  watch  him  demonstrate  a 
machine  which  he  asserted  was  motivated  by  a  new  and  hitherto  un- 
known force.  By  using  a  system  of  concealed  rubber  bulbs  and  tubes 
and  employing  compressed  air  as  his  power,  Keely  set  a  water  motor 
in  operation,  the  trick  being  executed  so  cleverly  that  it  defied  even 
the  scientific  scrutiny  of  the  day. 

Public  interest  and  excitement  was  aroused,  and  before  long  a 
corporation  \vas  formed  with  $5,000,000  capital.  The  "invention" 
failed  to  show  practical  results  during  ensuing  years,  and  interest  in 
it  died  out.  Meanwhile  Keely  had  spent  his  money  lavishly  ;  he  was 
at  the  end  of  his  resources  when  a  rich  Philadelphia  widow  came 
to  his  assistance  with  $100,000. 

In  1895,  suspecting  that  she  had  been  swindled,  the  widow  ap- 
pealed to  Addison  B.  Burk,  president  of  the  Spring  Garden  Institute, 
and  E.  Alexander  Scott,  of  the  Engineers  Club.  These  two  investigated 
and  found  there  WTHS  not  the  slightest  evidence  that  Keely  had  dis- 
covered or  developed  a  riewr  force.  Other  investigators,  searching  the 
laboratory  at  a  later  date,  unearthed  the  hidden  attachments  of 
Keely's  "force-producing"  machine.  By  that  time,  however,  Keely  was 
in  his  grave. 

Imports  and  Exports 

AS  DEFINED  for  customs  purposes,  the  port  of  Philadelphia  is 
88  nautical  miles  (about  101  statute  miles)  from  the  sea.  The 
total  water  frontage  is  37  miles,  of  which  20  are  along  the  Delaware 
and  17  on  the  Schuylkill.  Main  activities  are  centered  on  approxi- 
mately six  miles  of  the  Delaware,  extending  from  Greenwich  piers, 
three  miles  south  of  Market  Street,  to  Port  Richmond,  about  the  same 
distance  north  of  Market.  There  are  267  wharves  of  various  sizes,  in- 

119 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

eluding  84  individual  sections  of  improved  bulk-head.  Rail  service 
extending  along  Delaware  Avenue,  which  parallels  the  river,  has 
direct  touch  with  all  piers. 

The  port  of  Philadelphia  had  a  shipping  business  of  32,378,567 
tons  in  1935,  with  an  aggregate  value  of  $958,491,268.  All  previous 
high  records  in  tonnage  and  value  were  shattered  by  those  totals. 
The  principal  raw  and  manufactured  materials  handled  at  the  piers 
were  anthracite,  bituminous  coal,  sugar,  chemicals,  fruits,  molasses, 
crude  drugs,  textiles,  lumber,  iron  and  steel,  automobile  parts,  general 
merchandise,  and  petroleum  and  its  products.  Among  these  classifica- 
tions, crude  petroleum  and  petroleum  products  led  by  a  wide  margin. 

By  1936  shippers  in  the  foreign  and  domestic  trades  were  showing 
even  greater  interest  in  the  Philadelphia  port.  During  that  year  cus- 
tom receipts  increased  more  than  $4,000,000,  the  total  estimated 
receipts  amounting  to  $24,105,718  as  compared  with  $28,574,914  for 
1935. 

Traffic  on  the  Schuylkill,  an  important  arm  of  the  Philadelphia 
harbor,  increased  from  9,268,828  tons,  with  a  value  of  $103,396,308, 
in  1934,  to  10,066,667  tons,  with  a  value  of  $116,047,297,  in  1935.  The 
bulk  of  the  Schuylkill  commerce  is  coastwise,  and  consequently  does 
not  come  under  either  the  export  or  import  classification. 

Since  the  first  ships  began  plying  between  the  Old  World  and  the 
New,  Philadelphia  has  been  a  center  of  maritime  activity.  The  early 
colonization  days  saw  Philadelphia  elevated  to  a  leading  role  in  com- 
merce and  trade.  Since  then  the  city  has  kept  well  up  among  the 
shipping  ports  of  the  United  States.  In  his  charter,  William  Penn 
designated  Philadelphia  as  the  port  and  harbor  of  Pennsylvania,  em- 
powering the  mayor,  aldermen,  and  councilmen  to  erect  quays  and 
wharves  to  accommodate  trade. 

During  the  period  preceding  the  Revolution,  English  statesmen  saw 
in  the  Colonies  an  opportunity  to  expand  the  manufacturing  and 
commercial  marts  of  the  King.  In  attempting  to  create  a  huge  nation 
of  agriculturists,  Parliament  offered  bounties  to  the  colonists  for  the 
exportation  of  agricultural  products.  What  little  was  manufactured 
was  shipped  to  England  in  English  ships  as  raw  material,  to  be  re- 
turned to  the  Colonies  in  the  form  of  finished  products. 

Thus  the  colonists  were  forced  to  till  the  soil  for  their  livelihood. 
Their  products  were  used  first  for  their  own  maintenance,  and  second 
as  a  means  of  procuring  money  with  which  to  meet  their  needs.  As 
a  last  resort,  to  break  the  English  stranglehold  on  American  com- 
merce, the  Colonies  banded  together  and  refused  either  to  purchase 
British  goods  or  to  export  tobacco  to  the  British  Isles. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  Philadelphia  was  far  from  pros- 
perous. Its  commerce  was  virtually  ruined,  and  its  manufacturers  were 
forced  to  encounter  disastrous  competition  from!  imported  goods. 

120 


HUB  OF  COMMERCE  AND  INDUSTRY 

The  collection  of  debts,  suspended  during  the  war,  was  again  taken 
up.  Court  dockets  were  filled  with  suits,  while  goods  flooded  the 
market  because  of  greatly  reduced  buying  power. 

When  the  Constitution  went  into  effect,  however,  provisions  were 
made  for  a  custom  house,  commercial  treaties,  and  duties  on  imports. 
With  the  revival  of  commerce  it  became  necessary  to  increase  the 
facilities  of  the  port.  Stephen  Girard  led  the  drive  for  much-needed 
improvements.  Until  his  death  Girard  was  a  leading  figure  in  the 
advancement  of  the  port,  and  his  will  set  aside  a  large  sum  of  money 
to  continue  the  work. 

In  the  early  years  foodstuffs,  as  well  as  manufactured  goods,  were 
imported  by  the  Colony.  When  European  crops  became  acclimated 
and  native  crops  developed,  imports  of  foodstuffs  grew  smaller.  Im- 
plements and  tools  as  well  as  various  manufactured  articles,  however, 
were  regularly  purchased  abroad  during  the  entire  Colonial  period. 

The  greater  part  of  the  imports  from  the  mother  country  in  1721 
was  woolen  manufactures,  with  wrought  iron  and  nails  next  in  im- 
portance. The  others,  in  the  order  of  their  importance,  were  silk, 
leather  goods,  linen  and  sailcloths,  cordage,  pewter,  lead  and  shot, 
brass  and  wrought  copper,  gunpowder,  iron,  hemp,  and  wrought  silk. 

The  colonists  early  discovered  that  they  could  produce  more  than 
they  could  sell  to  England.  Therefore  they  engaged  in  a  surreptitious 
commerce,  chiefly  with  the  West  Indies,  exporting  lumber  of  all  sorts, 
fish,  beef,  pork,  butter,  horses,  cattle,  poultry,  tobacco,  corn,  flour, 
cider,  and  even  small  vessels.  This  trade,  however,  was  almost  entirely 
ruined  through  the  rigorous  enforcement  by  Britain  of  the  laws 
against  smuggling,  and  the  collection  of  duties  in  hard  money. 

The  value  of  foreign  trade,  which  was  not  quite  $4,000,000  in  1791, 
had  risen  to  more  than  $17,000,000  in  1796.  The  chief  factor  in  this 
large  increase  was  the  life-and-death  struggle  between  France  and 
England,  which  began  in  1793  and  continued  with  few  intermissions 
until  Napoleon's  fall  in  1815.  The  superior  naval  forces  of  England 
gave  her  control  of  the  seas,  so  that  her  enemies  were  compelled  to 
depend  upon  neutrals  to  handle  their  trade.  Because  the  United 
States  was  well  situated  in  relation  to  the  West  Indies,  and  because 
it  had  long  before  established  connection  with  them,  it  naturally  had 
a  large  part  of  trade.  Philadelphia's  trade,  however.,  was  not  confined 
to  the  West  Indies,  but  extended  to  the  Orient  and  to  a  majority  of 
the  ports  of  the  world. 

There  was  a  general  decline  in  American  commerce  during  the 
War  of  1812,  and  Philadelphia  particularly  was  affected  by  the  de- 
creased tonnage.  With  the  end  of  the  war,  and  the  realignment  of 
national  interests  throughout  the  world,  new  commercial  and  ship- 
ping trends  developed.  European  nations,  their  energy  no  longer 
dissipated  by  war,  tunned  their  attention  to  the  protection  of  their 

121 


MLt 


Old   Ships   and   New 
"the  derelicts  of  seven  seas' 


manufacturing  interests  and  the  development  of  their  commerce. 
With  the  general  increase  in  European  sailings,  Philadelphia's  ship- 
ping virtually  came  to  an  end.  Some  exports  continued,  however, 
and  records  indicate  that  grain,  flour,  iron  utensils,  flaxseed,  soap 
and  candles,  lumber,  pork,  and  beef  left  the  port  in  Philadelphia 
bottoms. 

By  1854  the  exports  had  risen  to  a  little  more  than  $10,000,000, 
with  imports  close  to  $22,000,000.  At  this  time  preparations  for  the 
Crimean  War  occupied  the  attention  of  England,  France,  Italy,  and 
Russia  ;  consequently,  the  United  States,  and  Philadelphia  in  par- 
ticular, obtained  an  increased  share  of  the  carrying  trade,  which  ac- 
counts for  the  sudden  rise  in  the  value  of  exports. 

Exports   and   imports   increased   through   many   fluctuations    from 

122 


HUB  OF  COMMERCE  AND  INDUSTRY 

1861  to  1900,  the  former  increasing  to  $81,145,966.  The  imports 
doubled,  climbing  to  a  total  of  $49,191,003.  From  1860  to  1875  there 
were  only  three  years  in  which  the  balance  of  trade  was  unfavorable. 

The  year  1900  was  notable  in  two  respects.  First,  it  set  a  new  high 
mark  for  total  exports  ;  and  second,  it  established  a  new  top  not  only 
in  the  exportation  of  manufactured  goods  but  also  in  the  importation 
of  raw  materials. 

From  1860  to  1900  the  outstanding  developments  of  the  export 
trade  centered  in  the  increasing  importance  of  agriculture,  the  grow- 
ing value  of  minerals,  and  the  rise  in  volume  of  manufactured  goods. 
Of  the  chief  agricultural  exports,  only  cotton  showed  a  decrease  in 
relative  importance.  Among  the  breadstuff's  exported,  wheat  was  first. 
The  substitution  of  rollers  for  millstones  in  flour-making  resulted  in 
a  sizable  gain  in  the  export  of  wheat.  Also,  instead  of  most  of  the 
wheat  going  out  in  the  form  of  grain,  as  in  1860,  more  than  half 
the  export  wheat,  by  value,  in  1900,  left  the  port  as  flour.  Toward 
the  close  of  the  period,  exports  of  livestock,  mainly  beef  cattle,  were 
valued  at  nearly  $3,000,000. 

The  chief  change  in  the  import  trade  during  the  period  from  1860 
to  1900  was  a  decline  in  volume  of  manufactured  goods.  In  1860, 
these  articles  made  up  almost  half  the  total  value,  but  by  1900  thev 
had  declined  to  slightly  more  than  one  third.  Wool  and  cotton  ex- 
ports made  little  advance  over  1860,  but  silk  showed  a  decided  in- 
crease. 

In  1915  the  total  of  the  foreign  trade  —  combined  exports  and  im- 
ports—at the  port  of  Philadelphia  reached  $201,911,539.  The  total 
steadily  increased  until  1920,  when  the  impressive  figures  of  $733,- 
201,047  were  achieved.  The  sharp  upturn  was  due  to  the  abnormal 
activity  induced  by  the  World  War. 

For  the  period  of  1901-17  inclusive,  exports  reached  a  yearly 
average  of  $119,924,514  ;  while  from  1918  to  1924,  the  average  was 
$181,817,267,  despite  the  fact  that  a  slowing  down  in  the  demand  for 
our  products  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  war.  This  latter  tendency 
continued  until  1932,  when  bottom  was  touched  at  $42,461,145.  The 
demand  improved  in  1933  and  increased  further  in  1934,  the  exports 
for  these  two  years  being  valued  at  $48,742,253  and  $57,774,738. 
respectively. 

The  important  exports  in  the  year  1919  were  food  products,  non- 
metallic  minerals,  metals,  and  manufactures.  Probably  the  outstand- 
ing feature  in  the  heavy  outgo  was  the  remarkable  increase  shown 
in  the  value  of  manufactured  goods,  which  had  a  combined  worth 
in  excess  of  $80,000,000.  During  the  war,  and  for  about  a  year  after, 
the  exportation  of  foodstuffs  was  heavy.  There  was  a  sharp  drop  in 
this  classification  in  1920. 

While  a  marked  increase  was  shown  in  1933  and  1934  in  Phila- 

123 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

delphia's  exports  to  South  America,  Canada,  Asia,  Union  of  South 
Africa,  and  New  Zealand,  the  bulk  went  to  Europe.  Generally,  the 
best  customers  were  France,  Great  Britain,  Japan,  Germany,  Belgium, 
the  Netherlands,  and  Brazil. 

Among  the  ports  of  the  country,  Philadelphia  ranked  fifth  in 
exports  in  1910,  with  4.2  percent.  In  1914  it  was  fifth  with  2.7  percent. 
It  became  fourth  in  1920,  with  5.3  percent,  dropping  to  eighth  place 
in  1933,  with  2.9  per  cent.  In  1934  it  was  still  eighth,  with  2.6  percent. 

There  was  a  notable  increase  in  the  import  trade  in  the  1901-1934 
period,  with  the  yearly  average  from  1901  to  1917,  inclusive,  reach- 
ing $76,125,989.  A  much  larger  increase  was  reported  for  the  years 
from  1918  to  1924,  when  the  average  jumped  to  $171,351,091.  The 
peak  year  was  1920,  with  a  total  of  $282,157,831.  "But  from  that  time 
there  was  a  decline  to  a  low  level  of  $89,780,480  in  1932,  undoubtedly 
traceable  to  the  depression  which  followed  the  Wall  Street  crash  of 
1929. 

There  were  upturns  in  the  dollar  value  of  imports  in  both  1953 
and  1934,  the  aggregate  climbing  to  $103,468,886  in  the  former  year 
and  $111,056,443  in  1934.  In  the  present  century  up  to  1934,  the  port 
of  Philadelphia  ranked  third  in  imports  in  1910,  1914,  1920,  1933 
and  second  in  1934,  with  the  percentages,  respectively,  of  2.6,  5.9,  5.3, 
6.2,  and  6.0. 

The  port's  foreign  shipping,  impressive  as  it  is,  represents  only 
about  one  sixth  of  the  tonnage  carried  by  the  ships  which  ply  the 
river,  the  rest  of  the  river  traffic  being  devoted  to  coastwise,  inter- 
coastal  and  local  shipping. 

Agriculture 

DESPITE  real  estate  development,  Philadelphia  has  approximately 
13,889  acres  of  farmland  within  the  city  limits.  The  majority 
of  these  farms  (the  1935  farm  census  listed  286)  are  devoted  to  the 
cultivation  of  truck  crops.  Many  are  owned  by  institutions;  other 
represent  country  estates  and  private  greenhouses.  Some  livestock 
is  raised.  The  size  of  the  farm  holdings  is  not  large  enough  to  make 
power  farming  economical. 


124 


CRADLE  OF  AMERICAN  FINANCE 


ON  A  WARM  spring  day  in  1754,  four  men  sat  around  a  table 
in  William  Bradford's  Coffee  House,  sometimes  called  the  Old 
London  Coffee  House,  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Front  and 
High  (now  Market)   Streets,  Philadelphia.  They  were  Robert  Morris, 
Thomas  Willing,  Tench  Francis,  and  Archibald  McCall. 

This  was  the  opening  day  of  Bradford's  tavern  and  merchants'  ex- 
change. As  the  four  drank  their  ale  and  occasionally  glanced  out  the 
window  at  the  craft  upon  the  Delaware  River,  they  were  figuratively 
rocking  the  cradle  of  a  giant  —  the  cradle  of  American  finance.  They 
were  launching  a  fiscal  system  that  was  destined  not  only  to  finance 
America's  first  four  wars,  but  to  rear  the  foundation  for  that  colossal 
structure  which  is  American  finance  today. 

Second  only  to  that  of  gunpowder  was  the  part  played  by  finance 
in  molding  the  American  Colonies  into  a  Nation.  Philadelphia,  in 
the  lean  days  when  independence  was  at  stake,  had  the  only  fiscal 
structure  that  was  equal  to  the  need.  For  the  existence  of  this  struc- 
ture, the  city  and  the  Nation  were  indebted  to  a  man  who  was  to 
climax  a  glamorous  financial  and  political  career  in  a  debtors'  prison. 
That  man  was  Robert  Morris. 

Born  in  Liverpool,  England,  Morris  came  to  America  at  an  early 
age.  He  was  in  his  teens  when  he  entered  the  counting  house  of 
Charles  Willing  (a  name  perpetuated  in  Willing's  Alley,  the  city's  old 
financial  district) ,  and  only  21  when  he  helped  found  Philadelphia's 
first  stock  exchange  in  1754.  Immortalized  as  the  father  of  American 
banking,  Morris  not  only  was  the  foremost  financier  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, but  helped  to  establish  a  mint  and  to  found  America's  first 
banks  —  the  Bank  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  Bank  of  North  America 
—  in  Philadelphia.  Thomas  Willing  became  the  first  president  of  the 
latter  institution,  serving  for  10  years.  He  also  headed  the  first  Bank 
of  the  United  States  for  the  first  17  of  its  20  years'  existence. 

It  was  largely  through  the  leadership  of  a  handful  of  its  citizens 
that  Philadelphia  became  the  Nation's  principal  money  center.  As 
early  as  1752  it  had  become  the  home  of  the  first  insurance  company, 
although  a  limited  amount  of  underwriting  had  been  done  even 
earlier.  It  maintained  that  leadership  through  succeeding  decades, 
by  the  establishment  of  the  first  bank,  the  first  United  States  Mint, 
the  first  saving  fund  society,  the  first  building  and  loan  society,  and 
one  of  the  first  trust  companies. 

125 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

On  such  firm  ground  were  they  built  that  many  of  these  original 
companies  are  still  functioning,  among  them  the  Pennsylvania  Com- 
pany for  Insurances  on  Lives  and  Granting  Annuities,  the  Philadel- 
phia Saving  Fund  Society,  and  the  Philadelphia  Contributionship  for 
Insuring  Houses  from  Loss  by  Fire. 

More  institutions  of  a  fiduciary  character  were  established  within 
Philadelphia's  borders  in  its  early  history  than  in  any  other  American 
city.  The  scope  and  ramifications  of  many  of  the  financial  projects 
begun  in  this  city  more  than  a  century  ago  have  reached  world  wide 
proportions.  Philadelphia  today  has  more  century-old  companies  than 
any  other  American  municipality. 

The  record  of  the  first  century  of  America's  financial  development 
may  be  traced  in  the  careers  of  three  Philadelphia  bankers  —  and  be- 
hind that  record  lie  the  triumphs  and  the  tragedies  of  their  lives. 
Financial  giants  and  chief  supporters  of  the  American  wars  of  their 
times,  Robert  Morris,  Stephen  Girard,  and  Jay  Cooke  all  knew  not 
only  the  pinnacles  of  success  but  also  the  depths  of  sorrow  and  defeat. 

Girard's  sufferings  were  personal.  His  business  life  unmarred,  he 
nevertheless  knew  the  handicap  of  semi-blindness,  suffered  the  loss  of 
his  only  child,  and  saw  his  wife  committed  to  a  hospital  for  the  in- 
sane. Morris  and  Cooke  found  their  sorrows  in  financial  failure.  De- 
serted by  many  of  those  whose  admiration  they  had  won  while 
scaling  the  heights,  one  Morris,  went  to  debtors'  prison  with  obliga- 
tions estimated  at  $3,000,000,  and  the  other,  Cooke,  saw  the  collapse 
of  his  financial  empire  precipitate  the  panic  of  1873. 

The  seed  from  which  the  stock  exchange  movement  grew  was  sown 
by  Mayor  James  Hamilton  on  October  17,  1746,  when  he  proposed 
that  £150  be  used  to  erect  an  exchange  or  public  building  for  the 
purpose  of  barter.  Willing,  Morris,  Francis,  and  McCall  undertook 
its  active  promotion  in  1753.  The  London  Coffee  House  was  opened 
in  the  following  year  by  William  Bradford,  the  printer,  as  "a  licensed 
place  to  which  will  come  and  be  centered  the  news  from  all  parts  of 
the  world,  an  exchange  upon  which  our  merchants  may  walk,  and  a 
place  of  resort  where  our  chief  citizens  of  every  department  of  life 
can  meet  and  converse  upon  subjects  which  concern  City  and  State." 
A  considerable  traffic  gradually  grew  in  bills  of  exchange,  promissory 
notes,  and  early  forms  of  negotiable  capital.  Members  of  the  exchange 
were  known  as  merchants  and  traders. 

During  the  Revolution  the  coffeehouse  was  closed,  and  a  rival  in- 
stitution known  as  the  City  Tavern,  later  called  the  Merchants'  Coffee 
House*  at  Second  Street  near  Walnut,  took  its  place.  From  that  time 
the  Merchants'  Coffee  House  was  the  favored  gathering  place  for  the 
traders.  As  stock  brokerage  developed  into  a  separate  business,  the 
brokers  finally  obtained  private  quarters  in  the  same  establishment 
and  formed  an  association. 

126 


CRADLE  OF  AMERICAN  FINANCE 

This  group,  organized  in  1790  and  then  known  as  the  Philadelphia 
Board  of  Brokers,  met  regularly  in  the  coffeehouse  until  1834,  when 
it  moved  into  the  newly  completed  Merchants'  Exchange  Building  at 
Third  and  Walnut  Streets.  There  it  remained  until  July  1876,  when 
it  moved  to  Third  Street  below  Chestnut.  From  1888  to  1902  the  ex- 
change was  in  the  Drexel  Building,  at  Fifth  and  Chestnut  Streets  ; 
and  then  it  returned  to  the  Merchants'  Exchange  Building.  On  March 
1,  1913,  it  moved  to  its  present  quarters,  at  1411  Walnut  Street. 

The  membership  fee  was  raised  at  various  times  from  $30,  in  1790, 
to  $50,  $250,  $300,  $400,  $500,  $1,000,  $2,000.  In  November  1868,  it  was 
increased  to  $5,000,  and  in  1881  to  $10,000.  By  1886  the  income  from 
operation  of  the  exchange  was  sufficient  to  make  it  self-supporting. 
On  December  8,  1875,  its  name  was  changed  from  the  Board  of  Brokers 
to  the  Philadelphia  Stock  Exchange.  In  1902  the  membership  was 
fixed  at  225  ;  in  February  1923,  it  was  reduced  to  its  present  num- 
ber, 206. 

In  1780  and  1781,  more  than  a  quarter  century  after  the  opening  of 
Bradford's  combined  exchange  and  coffeehouse,  Philadelphia  estab- 
lished the  first  American  banks.  While  the  needs  of  peaceful  trade 
dictated  the  founding  of  the  stock  exchange,  it  was  war  that  sired 
these  first  two  banks;  both  were  established  to  finance  the  needs  of 
America's  armed  forces  in  time  of  conflict. 

The  credit  of  Robert  Morris  was  better  than  that  of  the  entire 
country  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution,  and  it  was  said  that  he  gave 
his  personal  notes  for  $1,400,000  to  finance  Washington's  army  in  its 
Yorktown  campaign.  This  sum  was  later  repaid  by  the  Government. 
He  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  Finance,  on  February  20,  1781, 
and  retained  office  until  1784.  Later  reelected  to  the  State  assem- 
bly, he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  and  be- 
came one  of  the  first  United  States  Senators  to  be  elected  from  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Morris  and  his  associates,  the  Bank  of 
Pennsylvania  was  opened  in  July  1780,  on  Front  Street  north  of 
Walnut.  Its  purpose  was  to  borrow  money  to  purchase  rum,  pro- 
visions, and  transportation  for  the  Continental  Army.  The  two  di- 
rectors chosen  to  conduct  that  business  were  authorized  to  borrow 
on  the  credit  of  the  bank  for  six  months  or  less,  and  to  issue  to  the 
lenders  special  notes  bearing  interest  at  6  percent.  Congress  wafe  to 
reimburse  the  bank  from  time  to  time  for  sums  advanced,  and  all 
moneys  borrowed  or  received  from  Congress  were  to  be  used  to  sup- 
ply the  needs  of  the  Army  and  to  discharge  notes  and  expenses  of 
the  bank. 

To  start  the  bank,  10  percent  in  cash  was  required  from  the 
lenders.  If  money  did  not  come  in  fast  enough,  the  bond  issuers  were 
to  lend  a  proportionate  sum  of  their  subscriptions  in  cash.  Notes 

127 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

were  to  be  taken  by  the  creditors.  They  were  to  be  paid  off  and 
cancelled,  accounts  settled,  and  the  bank  discontinued  when  Congress 
should  complete  its  reimbursements.  That  was  done,  and  the  in- 
stitution concluded  its  operations  towards  the  end  of  1784. 

Morris'  detailed  plan  for  the  Bank  of  North  America  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Continental  Congress  on  May  18,  1781.  Nine  days  later, 
Congress  reported  in  favor  of  its  adoption,  and  the  charter  was 
granted.  The  bank  was  organized  on  November  1  of  that  year,  and 
began  active  operation  on  January  7,  1782. 

Through  the  services  of  this  bank,  supplies  were  furnished  to  tho 
Army,  and  the  expenses  of  various  branches  of  the  Government  were 
defrayed.  Some  of  the  most  prominent  financiers  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary period  were  among  its  directors  and  supporters.  When  the  so- 
called  Whiskey  Insurrection  reached  its  climax  in  the  western  part 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1794,  with  an  army  of  19,500  men  engaged  in 
quelling  the  disturbance,  the  bank  not  only  laid  aside  or  renewed 
the  notes  of  all  persons  in  military  service  but  also  contributed  cash 
to  the  expedition. 

The  Bank  of  North  America  was  brought  into  being  through  the 
sale  of  stock,  the  first  offering  being  1,000  shares,  tendered  at  $400 
a  share.  The  offering  was  well  received,  and  was  followed  in  a  short 
time  by  another  1,000  shares,  this  time  at  $500  each.  (This  bank,  on 
March  1,  1923,  was  merged  with  the  Commercial  Trust  Company 
under  the  title  of  the  Bank  of  North  America  and  Trust  Company, 
and  on  June  1,  1929,  the  new  company  was  merged  with  the  Penn- 
sylvania Company.) 

The  institution  was  opened  on  the  north  side  of  Chestnut  Street 
west  of  Third,  where  it  remained  for  65  years.  Subsequently,  as  busi- 
ness expanded,  it  moved  several  times  to  other  locations.  The  bank 
was  brought  under  the  National  Bank  Act  in  November  1864,  thus 
becoming  one  of  the  few  national  banks  that  did  not  have  the  word 
"national"  in  its  title. 

Before  retiring  from  public  life  at  the  expiration  of  his  six-year 
term  in  the  United  States  Senate,  Morris  became  one  of  the  largest 
real  estate  investors  in  the  land.  Envisioning  a  great  country,  ex- 
panding rapidly  and  attracting  thousands  of  immigrant  settlers. 
Morris  in  partnership  with  John  Nicholson  and  James  Greenleaf 
purchased  thousands  of  lots  in  the  new  Federal  City,  then  unnamed 
and  existing  on  paper  only,  and  took  title  to  more  than  15.000.000 
acres  in  Pennsylvania,  Massachusetts,  and  elsewhere. 

He  was  the  nabob  of  Philadelphia,  with  a  mansion  at  526-530 
Market  Street  and  a  fine  estate  in  "The  Hills,"  later  called  Lemon 
Hill,  and  Fairmount  Park.  With  the  removal  of  the  seat  of  National 
Government  from  New  York  to  this  city,  he  placed  the  Market 
Street  residence  at  the  disposal  of  President  Washington,  and  took 

128 


CRADLE  OF  AMERICAN  FINANCE 

up  quarters  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Sixth  and  Market  Streets. 

Then  came  the  crash  !  Although  the  sound  of  crumbling  timbers 
did  not  press  upon  his  ears  until  three  years  later,  it  was  in  1794  that 
he  made  the  flourish  which  at  once  crowned  and  destroyed  his 
achievements.  Selecting  a  lot  on  the  south  side  of  Chestnut  Street, 
between  Seventh  and  Eighth,  for  the  site  of  an  ornate  palace,  he 
enlisted  Maj.  Pierre  Charles  L'Enfant,  engineer-architect  who  planned 
the  city  of  Washington,  to  design  it. 

Three  years  later,  he  went  to  live  in  a  mansion  on  the  north  side 
of  Chestnut  Street,  at  Eighth,  a  building  which  stood  until  1934  and 
was  known  in  its  last  half  century  as  Green's  Hotel.  About  this  time, 
his  creditors  began  action.  Morris  retired  to  his  suburban  estate,  but 
finally  was  arrested  under  the  Insolvent  Debtors'  Act,  and  confined 
in  the  debtors'  prison,  at  Sixth  and  Locust  Streets.  Committed  on 
February  16,  1798,  he  remained  in  prison  until  August  26,  1801  ; 
then,  less  than  five  years  before  his  death,  his  release  was  obtained 
under  provisions  of  the  United  States  Bankruptcy  Act  of  1800. 

"Morris's  Folly,"  as  the  great  palace  upon  which  he  had  spent 
a  considerable  sum  of  money  came  to  be  known,  was  never  completed. 
Upon  his  release  from  prison,  Morris  went  to  live  with  his  family 
in  the  house  then  numbered  2  South  Twelfth  Street.  Here  he  died 
on  May  8,  1806.  He  was  buried  in  the  family  vault  of  his  wife's 
brother,  Bishop  William  White,  in  the  churchyard  of  Christ  Church. 

The  first  Bank  of  the  United  States  had  meantime  become  a 
factor  in  the  city's  banking  activity.  It  was  the  materialization  of 
Alexander  Hamilton's  idea,  conceived  in  1779,  of  a  Government- 
organized  and  Government-controlled  bank,  based  on  landed  security. 
The  institution  was  chartered  by  Congress  on  February  14,  1791,  and 
President  Washington  signed  the  bill  on,  February  25.  It  was  the 
limitation  of  the  Bank  of  North  America  by  its  acceptance  of  a  State 
charter  narrowing  its  scope  and  reducing  its  capital  from  $10,000.000 
to  $2,000,000  that  finally  brought  action  on  the  plan  for  a  Federal 
bank. 

Two  days  after  subscription  books  for  the  new  bank  were  closed, 
a  premium  was  being  offered  for  the  shares.  A  general  meeting  of 
stockholders  was  held  in  Philadelphia's  City  Hall  on  October  21. 
1791,  and  four  days  later  the  directors  selected  Thomas  Willing,  presi- 
dent of  the  Bank  of  North  America  and  former  business  partner  of 
Robert  Morris,  as  president. 

By  its  liberal  policy,  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  stemmed  a 
tide  of  loss  and  embarrassment  resulting  from  the  Coinage  Act  of 
1793.  This  act  decreed  that  all  foreign  silver  coins,  except  Spanish 
milled  dollars  and  parts  of  such  dollars,  should  cease  to  be  legal 
tender  after  October  15,  1797.  Such  foreign  coins  constituted  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  silver  in  circulation.  The  Federal  bank,  how- 

129 


Statute  of  Robert  Morris  at  the  Old  Custom  House 
"Financiej  and  Patriot" 


CRADLE  OF  AMERICAN  FINANCE 

ever,  showed  a  willingness  to  receive  French  crowns  and  other  silver 
coins  at  current  rates  of  exchange,  and  it  was  not  until  1857  that 
foreign  gold  and  silver  coins  ceased  to  be  respected  as  a  medium  of 
exchange.  Despite  a  three-year  controversy  involving  John  Jacob 
Astor,  Albert  Gallatin,  and  many  of  the  Nation's  other  financial 
leaders,  Congress  failed  to  renew  the  charter  of  the  bank  when  it 
expired  in  1811,  and  the  institution  was  dissolved. 

The  prologue  to  the  next  test  of  American  banking  —  the  financ- 
ing of  the  War  of  1812  —  had  its  setting  on  the  deck  of  a  fog-bound 
sloop  at  the  mouth  of  Delaware  Bay  in  June,  1776.  On  its  voyage  from 
the  West  Indies  to  New  York,  the  La  Jeune  Babe  had  lost  its  bear- 
ings ;  and  when  its  26-year-old  French  master  leaned  over  the  rail 
to  ask  directions  from  a  passing  vessel,  he  was  told  that  British  men- 
of-war  were  hovering  nearby.  The  young  'captain,  instead  of  pro- 
ceeding to  New  York,  brought  his  sloop  up  the  river  to  Philadel- 
phia. Here  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  vessel  and  opened  a  small 
store  on  Water  Street.  Thus  the  career  of  Stephen  Girard  as  a 
sailor  ended,  and  his  career  as  a  Philadelphia  merchant  began.  In 
1777  he  married  Mary  Lum,  daughter  of  a  Kensington  shipbuilder; 
and  during  the  time  the  British  occupied  Philadelphia  he  ran  a 
humble  store  in  Mount  Holly,  N.  J. 

During  the  yellow-fever  epidemics  of  1793  and  1798,  Girard  first 
earned  his  reputation  as  a  philanthropist.  He  contributed  substantial 
sums  of  money,  served  as  a  manager  of  the  Municipal  Hospital,  and 
performed  the  duties  of  a  nurse  when  the  plagues  were  at  their  worst. 

The  Revolution  had  turned  the  French  mariner's  course  up  the 
Delaware  to  Philadelphia,  and  the  threat  of  a  second  war  with  Eng- 
land turned  Girard's  career  into  the  banking  field.  Surveying  the 
gathering  war  clouds,  and  foreseeing  more  of  the  depredations  on 
neutral  commerce  which  already  had  inflicted  severe  losses  on  him, 
Girard  began  recalling  his  ships  and  converting  his  property  in 
foreign  lands  into  American  securities.  In  this  manner  he  became 
the  owner  of  a  controlling  interest  in  the  first  Bank  of  the  United 
States.  In  the  spring  of  1812,  when  Congress  failed  to  renew  the 
charter  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States,  Girard  purchased  the 
buildings  and  other  assets  and  embarked  on  his  career  as  a  private 
banker,  starting  the  Bank  of  Stephen  Girard.  During  the  struggle 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  the  latter  having  failed 
utterly  in  its  efforts  to  raise  funds,  Girard  risked  his  entire  fortune 
for  the  benefit  of  his  adopted  country.  (Girard  was  born  in  Bordeaux, 
France.)  With  David  Parrish  and  John  Jacob  Astor  of  New  York, 
he  took  over  the  unsubscribed  portion  of  the  war  bonds  authorized 
by  Congress. 

Resuming  his  maritime  ventures  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  still 
actively  engaging  in  banking,  Girard  accumulated  a  fortune  then 

131 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

unequalled  in  America.  He  died  on  December  26,  1831,  and  his  will 
became  one  of  the  most  discussed  instruments  of  its  kind.  More  than 
$6,000,000  in  cash  and  real  estate  represented  the  residue  of  his 
estate,  after  provision  had  been  made  for  improving  the  entire 
eastern  front  of  Philadelphia  and  for  paying  bequests  to  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania  and  the  city  of  New  Orleans  for  public  uses.  This 
residue  was  devoted  to  the  founding  of  Girard  College,  "for  poor 
white  male  orphans."  The  advancing  value  of  central  Philadelphia 
real  estate,  in  which  $3,000,000  of  the  total  was  invested,  had  in- 
creased the  endowment  in  1936  to  more  than  $86,000,000. 

In  1816,  four  years  after  Girard's  debut  as  a  banker  and  nearly  a 
half  century  after  the  founding  of  the  first  American  banks,  the  next 
major  development  in  banking  appeared  in  Philadelphia  and  in 
America  —  the  founding  of  the  first  saving  fund  society  by  Col.  Condy 
Raguet.  Although  Colonel  Raguet  turned  his  talents  at  various  times 
to  the  callings  of  lawyer,  merchant,  volunteer  soldier,  writer  on 
economic  and  financial  subjects  and,  in  1822,  United  States  consul 
at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  his  most  enduring  claim  to  fame  lies  in  his  un- 
tiring efforts  to  spread  the  gospel  of  thrift. 

In  witness  to  the  soundness  of  his  principles  stands  the  institution 
he  founded  in  1816  —  the  Philadelphia  Saving  Fund  Society.  With 
steady,  measured  strides,  romantic  in  their  very  consistency  and  con- 
tempt of  circumstance,  the  society  rose  to  its  present  position  of 
leadership  among  institutions  of  its  kind  in  Philadelphia,  and  to 
favorable  comparison  with  leading  saving  fund  societies  of  the  Na- 
tion. As  early  as  October  1869,  when  it  first  occupied  its  present  main 
office  at  Seventh  and  Walnut  Streets,  the  society  boasted  29,000  ac- 
counts, with  deposits  totaling  approximately  $6,380,000.  Symbolic  of 
its  progress  and  growth  is  the  architecturally  renowned  ultra-modern 
skyscraper  built  by  Howe  and  Lescaze  in  1932  at  Market  and  Twelfth 
Streets,  to  house  the  society's  mid-city  branch. 

The  second  Bank  of  the  United  States,  which  was  destined  to  be- 
come a  political  football  and  parent  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States 
of  Pennsylvania,  was  chartered  in  1816.  The  ultimate  collapse  of  the 
latter  precipitated  the  panic  of  1841. 

Plans  for  the  institution  were  submitted  to  Congress  by  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury  Dallas  in  September  1814.  The  bank  was  to  have  had 
a  capital  of  $50,000,000,  three  fifths  to  be  subscribed  by  individuals 
and  corporations  and  two  fifths  by  the  United  States.  The  capital 
requirements  later  were  reduced  to  $35,000,000.  Unavailing  efforts 
to  modify  the  plan  were  instituted  by  John  C.  Calhoun  and  Daniel 
Webster.  The  bill  was  passed  and  approved  by  President  Madison 
on  April  10,  1816,  and  the  bank  was  chartered  to  continue  until 
March  3,  1836. 

132 


CRADLE  OF  AMERICAN  FINANCE 

When,  because  of  financial  conditions  following  the  War  of  1812, 
the  bank  found  no  buyers  for  $3,038,300  worth  of  its  stock,  Stephen 
Girard  subscribed  the  entire  amount.  Operations  began  on  January 
7,  1817.  Nicholas  Biddle  became  a  director  of  the  bank  in  1819.  In 
the  same  year,  Langdon  Cheves  became  its  president.  The  bank,  al- 
though virtually  bankrupt,  engaged  in  a  vigorous  effort  to  fulfill  its 
obligations.  Its  efforts  toward  recovery,  however,  even  at  a  time  when 
the  depreciation  of  paper  money  all  over  Europe  had  created  a 
favorable  financial  condition  in  America  through  increased  com- 
mercial exchange,  prostrated  the  whole  industry  of  the  country. 

Nicholas  Biddle  became  president  of  the  bank  in  1823.  Andrew 
Jackson,  who  assumed  office  as  President  of  the  United  States  in 
1829,  was  hostile  to  the  bank  and  to  Biddle.  Open  conflict  flared  in 
the  summer  of  1829,  with  the  refusal  of  Biddle  to  remove  Jeremiah 
Mason,  a  friend  of  Webster,  from  the  presidency  of  the  Portsmouth 
branch,  and  with  President  Jackson's  intimations  that  the  charter 
of  the  bank  was  unconstitutional. 

A  new  charter,  applied  for  in  1832,  four  years  before  the  ex- 
piration of  the  old  one,  was  denied.  Upon  the  expiration  of  the  old 
charter  in  1836,  the  institution  became  the  Bank  of  the  United  States 
of  Pennsylvania,  under  a  State  charter.  The  change  was  made  without 
loss  to  either  the  Government  or  stockholders.  A  period  of  general 
expansion  and  over-trading,  led  to  the  failure  of  the  State  bank 
on  September  4,  1841,  and  the  crash  spread  disaster  to  business  and 
trade  throughout  the  Union. 

Although  the  companv  that  was  to  conduct  it  had  been  formed  in 
1812,  it  was  not  until  1836,  two  decades  after  the  introduction  of  the 
saving  fund  idea,  that  Philadelphia's  first  trust  business  came  into 
being.  The  Pennsylvania  Company  for  Insurances  on  Lives  and 
Granting  Annuities  was  organized  for  the  purpose  indicated  by  its 
title.  It  carried  on  this  business  for  a  number  of  years,  but  in  1836 
was  authorized  to  accept  trusts.  Its  development  from  that  year 
forward  was  almost  entirely  along  trust  lines.  The  company's  powers 
were  further  enlarged  in  1853  to  permit  it  to  act  as  executor  and 
administrator,  and  in  1872  it  discontinued  its  original  activities  in 
the  life  insurance  field. 

The  company's  first  dividend  of  4  percent  on  the  amount  of  capital 
then  paid  in  was  declared  in  July  1815.  Thus  was  started  a  dividend 
record  that  today  ranks  among  the  best  in  American  corporation  his- 
tory; beginning  with  that  year,  the  Pennsylvania  Company  has  made 
uninterrupted  dividend  payments  for  122  years.  The  main  office  of 
the  institution  is  at  Fifteenth  and  Chestnut  Streets. 

Completing  the  local  banking  structure,  the  Philadelphia  Clearing 
House  Association  came  into  being  in  1858  as  a  voluntary,  unincor- 
porated organization  enabling  member  banks  to  adjust  their  daily 

133 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

balances  without  the  necessity  and  accompanying  risk  of  transferring 
large  sums  of  money  through  the  streets.  Its  office  is  at  311  Chestnut 
Street,  and  it  includes  trust  companies  as  well  as  National  and  State 
banks  in  its  membership. 

Third  and  last  of  the  great  Philadelphia  bankers  to  uphold  the 
city's  position  as  the  financial  center  of  America  was  Jay  Cooke.  Son 
of  Eleutheros  Cooke,  lawyer  and  member  of  Congress  from  1831 
to  1833,  Jay  Cooke  left  his  home  in  Sandusky,  Ohio,  at  18,  and  found 
a  clerk's  job  in  the  Philadelphia  office  of  a  packet  line.  A  little  later 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  private  banking  house  of  E.  W.  Clark 
&  Co.,  and  in  1842,  at  21,  was  admitted  as  a  partner. 

Hostilities  in  the  Mexican  War  began  three  years  later,  and  Cooke's 
firm  negotiated  a  large  part  of  the  Government  loans  required  to 
finance  the  conflict.  He  retired  from  the  banking  business  for  a  time 
to  specialize  in  negotiating  railroad  securities.  His  deals  included  the 
sale  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  canals,  but  the  peak  of  his  career  was 
to  be  reached  some  years  later,  with  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  "War. 

The  beginning  of  the  war  found  the  Government  in  great  need 
of  money.  Prospects  for  preservation  of  the  Union  were  dark  when, 
in  July,  following  the  Battle  of  Bull  Run,  Cooke  started  to  interest 
other  Philadelphia  bankers  in  the  problem  of  a  Government  loan. 
Cooke  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  Salmon  P.  Chase,  then  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury,  and  after  raising  $2,000,000  in  his  first  effort 
here,  he  went  with  Chase  to  New  York.  Bankers  of  that  city  were 
persuaded  to  lend  an  initial  sum  of  $50,000,000.  Jay  Cooke  &  Co.,  with 
branch  offices  in  New  York,  Washington,  and  later  in  London,  then 
advertised  and  sold  the  bonds,  from  the  proceeds  of  which  the 
bankers  were  to  be  repaid. 

The  next  big  venture  to  which  Cooke  turned,  the  disposal  of  securi- 
ties of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  was  his  last.  His  firm  was  com- 
pelled to  close  its  doors  on  September  18,  1873,  and  panic  gripped 
the  country.  His  failure  was  the  more  sensational  because  of  wide- 
spread belief  that  the  house  was  of  great  financial  strength.  Cooke 
turned  over  all  assets  to  his  creditors,  and  eventually  succeeded  in 
paying  off  all  obligations.  Indeed,  by  1880  he  had  regained  con- 
siderable wealth  through  fortunate  investments  in  the  Horn  Silver 
Mine,  Utah.  He  died  on  February  16,  1905. 

Philadelphia's  outstanding  financier  in  the  first  part  of  the 
twentieth  century  has  been  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  manager  and 
virtual  head  of  Drexel  &  Co.  since  the  death  of  Anthony  J.  Drexel, 
and  a  partner  in  the  firm  since  its  reorganization  on  January  1, 
1882.  Like  his  predecessors  in  the  field,  he  lost  no  time  in  starting 
his  business  career.  When  he  entered  the  employ  of  Drexel  &  Co. 
at  the  age  of  17,  he  had  already  been  employed  in  turn  by  Rutter 
&  Patterson,  wholesale  grocers,  and  by  his  father's  sugar  refining 

134 


Girard  Bank 
"the  hub  of  early  commerce" 

firm,  Harris  &  Stotesbury.  He  was  quick  to  master  banking  details. 

Among  the  various  affiliates  of  finance  which  had  their  American 
beginnings  in  Philadelphia,  the  first  was  fire  insurance,  which  ante- 
dated even  the  formation  of  the  stock  exchange.  This  business,  whose 
almost  uninterrupted  growth  has  placed  it  among  the  Nation's  great- 
est enterprises,  was  begun  by  a  group  of  men  who  met  April  13,  1752, 
and  organized  the  Philadelphia  Contributionship  for  Insuring  Houses 
from  Loss  by  Fire.  The  first  insurance  issued  by  the  company  covered 
two  houses  on  King  Street,  later  renamed  Water  Street.  The  first 
directors  were  Benjamin  Franklin,  William  Coleman,  Philip  Syng, 
Samuel  Rhoads,  Hugh  Roberts,  Israel  Pemberton,  Jr.,  John  Mifflin, 
Joseph  Norris,  Joseph  Fox.  Jonathan  Lane,  William  Griffiths,  and 
Amos  Strettell.  The  plan  was  that  of  mutual  insurance,  and  the  mem- 
bers were  called  "contributors."  Policies  were  issued  for  a  term  of 
seven  years,  upon  the  payment  of  a  deposit,  the  interest  on  which, 
during  the  continuance  of  the  policy,  belonged  to  the  company.  The 
"Hand  in  Hand"  seal  was  adopted  £/  the  company  in  1768, 

Still  leading  the  way,  Philadelphia  came  forward  just  seven  years 
later  with  the  first  scheme  of  life  insurance  established  in  the  Colo- 

135 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

nies.  On  petition  of  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  a  charter  was  granted 
by  the  Proprietary  government  in  1759  to  the  "Corporation  for  the 
Relief  of  Poor  and  Distressed  Presbyterian  Ministers,  and  of  the  Poor 
and  Distressed  Widows  and  Children  of  Presbyterian  Ministers." 

^he  first  United  States  Mint  was  established  here  in  1792,  through 
the  efforts  of  Robert  Morris,  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  Alexander  Hamil- 
ton. Hamilton,  then  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  prepared  the  plan  in 
1790  and  presented  it  at  the  next  session  of  Congress.  The  act  received 
President  Washington's  approval  on  April  2,  1792.  Ground  was  pur- 
chased on  the  east  side  of  Seventh  Street,  below  Arch,  and  an  old 
still-house  that  stood  on  the  lot  was  demolished.  An  entry  in  the 
mint's  account  book  of  that  time,  dated  July  31,  1792,  shows  that 
the  materials  of  the  demolished  still-house  sold  for  seven  shillings 
and  six  pence.  The  structure  that  replaced  it  and  housed  the  mint 
was  the  first  building  erected  for  public  use  under  authority  of  the 
Federal  Government.  The  mint  later  occupied  a  structure  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Chestnut  and  Juniper  Streets,  where  the  Widener 
Building  now  stands.  Its  present  home  is  on  Spring  Garden  Street, 
from  Sixteenth  to  Seventeenth  Streets. 

The  first  coinage  of  the  United  States  was  silver  half  dimes,  minted 
in  October  1792.  The  use  of  four  different  rates  of  exchange  at  first 
caused  much  perplexity.  In  Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  Massachusetts, 
Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  Virginia,  and  Kentucky  the  dollar  was 
reckoned  at  six  shillings  ;  in  New  York  and  North  Carolina  at  eight 
shillings  ;  in  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland  at  seven  shil- 
lings and  sixpence  ;  and  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  at  four 
shillings  and  eightpence.  These  differences  were  corrected  by  the 
Federal  Government's  passage  of  a  law  regulating  the  exchange  rates. 

The  building  and  loan  movement  was  largely  an  importation  from 
England.  It  had  its  local  origin  in  a  tavern  at  what  is  now  4219  Frank- 
ford  Avenue,  where  in  1831  leaders  of  the  community  formed  the 
Oxford  Provident  Beneficial  Association,  the  first  organization  of  its 
kind  in  the  United  States.  The  par  value  of  shares  was  set  at  $500 
each,  with  no  member  holding  more  than  five.  Money  received  as 
dues  was  offered  as  loans  to  the  highest  bidder  among  the  stock- 
holders, who  were  entitled  to  borrow  $500  for  everv  share  held.  The 
first  loan  was  made  to  Comly  Rich,  who  borrowed  $500  at  a  premium 
of  $10.  In  1854  the  association  brought  its  business  to  an  end,  some 
of  its  membership  merging  with  a  newer  organization. 

Although  many  of  Philadelphia's  ancient  financial  landmarks  have 
been  razed  to  make  room  for  modern  structures,  the  imposing  edifice 
of  the  old  United  States  Bank,  on  the  south  side  of  Chestnut  Street 
west  of  Fourth,  still  stands.  For  niany  years  it  was  used  as  the  Custom 
House  and  by  the  Assistant  United  States  Treasurer  —  an  office 
abolished  with  the  advent  of  the  Federal  Reserve  System. 

136 


PUBLIC  UTILITIES 


AUTOMOBILES   today  traverse   well-paved   Philadelphia   streets 
which  conceal  uncounted  pipes  and  conduits  supplying  homes 
with  water,  gas,  electricity,  and  telephone  communication.  An 
intricate  yet  carefully  planned  network  provides   conveniences  now 
considered  indispensable.  When  Philadelphia  began  to  take  on  the 
aspect  of  a  growing  urban  community,  necessary  improvements  fol- 
lowed in  due   course;    but   development  of  public  utilities   to  their 
present  smoothly  functioning  status  required  many  years  of  trial  and 
effort. 

Water 

r  I^HE  problem  of  a  water  supply  was  the  first  to  occupy  the  early 
-^-  settlers.  Individuals  dug  wells  and  pumped  water  for  their  own 
use,  charging  small  sums  for  supplying  their  neighbors.  In  1713  the 
Common  Council  drafted  regulations  authorizing  owners  of  pumps 
to  charge  water  rent.  Not  until  1756  did  the  city  actually  gain  con- 
trol of  the  water  supply  by  buying  up  most  of  the  private  pumps 
in  front  of  houses. 

Philadelphians  were  forced  to  depend  upon  this  means  of  water 
supply  until  1800.  A  proposal  to  bring  water  from  Spring  Mill  Creek 
had  been  rejected,  but  the  movement  for  a  central  supply  resulted  in 
the  city's  commissioning  Benjamin  H.  Latrobe,  architect  and  engi- 
neer, to  plan  a  water  distributing  system. 

The  result  was  a  waterworks  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Schuylkill 
River,  at  about  Twenty-second  and  Chestnut  Streets.  Here  water 
was  raised  from  the  river  and  sent  by  gravity  through  a  six-foot  aque- 
duct under  Chestnut  Street  to  a  central  enginehouse  built  on  the  spot 
where  City  Hall  now  stands.  There  the  water  flow  was  raised  by 
means  of  a  steam  pump  to  an  upper  floor  to  gain  pressure,  and  then 
distributed  through  wooden  mains  to  the  consumers. 

The  system  was  woefully  inadequate.  The  reservoirs  at  Broad  and 
Market  Streets  stored  only  a  half  hour's  supply,  and  repairs  were 
needed  continually.  In  1801  only  63  dwellings,  four  breweries,  a 
sugar  refinery,  and  87  hydrants  were  using  the  system.  The  service 
was  abandoned  in  1815  when  a  new  waterworks  was  constructed  at 
Fairmount.  This  plant  was  constantly  improved  ;  and,  with  the  con- 
solidation of  the  city  in  1854,  the  plants  of  the  various  districts  be- 
came parts  of  one  large  municipal  system. 

Purification  of  the  water  was  still  inadequate,  however.  Epidemics 

137 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

of  typhoid  fever  broke  out  frequently.  In  1899  three  experts  were 
commissioned  to  plan  an  improved  and  extended  water  system.  Their 
report  led  to  the  development  of  the  present  plan.  By  1909  the 
entire  city  was  supplied  with  filtered  water,  and  the  ravages  of  disease 
were  lessened  greatly. 

Today  there  are  11  pumping  stations,  eight  fresh-water  reservoirs, 
and  four  raw-water  reservoirs.  The  average  daily  supply  of  325,- 
500,000  gallons  comes  from  both  the  Schuylkill  and  Delaware  Rivers, 
and  the  water  is  subjected  to  constant  chemical  and  bacteriological 
analysis. 

Gas 

R  several  years  after  its  introduction,  gas  as  an  illuminarit  was 
considered  not  only  a  novelty  but  a  menace.  The  first  hotels  to 
employ  it  displayed  large  signs  near  every  gas  jet,  warning  their 
guests  :  "Don't  blow  out  the  gas."  Many  leading  citizens  doubted  the 
feasibility  of  its  successful  use.  Even  Sir  Walter  Scott,  from  his  home 
across  the  Atlantic,  issued  a  diatribe  against  its  employment.  His 
castle  at  Abbottsford,  however,  was  one  of  the  first  buildings  to  be 
piped  for  illuminating  gas. 

Agitation  for  city  manufacture  of  gas  for  street  lighting  started 
early  in  the  nineteenth  century.  There  was  opposition  from  many 
quarters;  but  in  1835  the  city  government  authorized  erection  of  the 
Philadelphia  Gas  Works  as  a  municipally  controlled  project.  An 
area  of  7l/2  acres  was  set  aside  near  Twenty-second  and  Market 
Streets,  and  a  plant  established  there.  By  1852  the  total  extent  of 
pipes  had  reached  115  miles,  and  the  plant  had  attained  a  maximum 
production  of  962.000  cubic  feet  of  gas  in  24  hours. 

About  that  time,  it  was  found  necessary  to  remove  the  gas  works 
to  larger  quarters.  The  site  selected  was  on  the  banks  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill at  Point  Breeze.  Meanwhile,  constant  improvements  in  the  gas 
production  process  were  being  made. 

The  Northern  Liberties  Gas  Company  was  chartered  in  1838, 
supplying  illumination  to  the  Northern  Liberties  and  Kensington 
districts.  Gas  works  were  also  built  in  Manayunk,  Frankford,  Ger- 
mantown,  and  Kensington. 

In  1887  Philadelphia's  new  city  charter  eliminated  the  Gas  Trust, 
as  the  city  gas  works  under  the  trustee  system  was  called.  Duties  of 
supervision  devolved  upon  a  Bureau  of  Gas,  a  division  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Works.^A  decade  later,  after  much  wrangling  on  the 
part  of  the  public  both  in  and  out  of  the  courts,  the  United  Gas  Im- 
provement Company,  an  interstate  utility  corporation,  obtained  a 
lease  on  the  municipal  gas  works. 

The  lease  covered  a  period  of  30  years.  Before  its  expiration  an- 

138 


PUBLIC  UTILITIES 

other  lease  was  signed  by  the  city  in  1926  for  an  undetermined  period, 
but  either  party  could  terminate  the  lease  on  December  31,  1937, 
or  at  expiration  of  any  10-year  period  thereafter,  by  giving  to  the 
other  18  months'  notice  of  such  intention.  Under  the  terms  of  the 
lease,  the  Philadelphia  Gas  Works  Company  is  designated  as  the 
operating  concern.  Supervision  of  the  lease  was  placed  in  charge  of 
a  gas  commission  of  three  members.  The  city  receives  an  annual 
rental  of  $4,200,000;  the  U.  G.  I.  is  paid  an  operating  fee  of  $600,000 
annually,  plus  an  amount  ranging  from  $200,000  to  $500,000  for 
efficiency  of  management,  the  extra  payment  varying  directly  with 
the  quantity  of  gas  sold  and  inversely  with  the  cost  per  1,000  cubic 
feet.  The  prevailing  rate  to  consumers  is  90  cents  per  thousand  cubic 
feet  for  the  first  2,000  cubic  feet,  with  relative  reductions  for  quan- 
tities used  in  excess  of  this  amount.  All  gas  used  by  the  city  is  paid 
for  at  wholesale  rates. 

Electricity 

ELECTRIC  service  for  the  city  of  Philadelphia  and  adjacent  terri- 
tories—  Delaware  County  and  substantial  parts  of  Bucks,  Chester, 
and  Montgomery  Counties  —  is  supplied  by  the  Philadelphia  Electric 
Company,  which  furnishes  electric  current  to  homes,  factories,  and 
industrial  plants,  and  supplies  street  lighting  to  a  majority  of  the 
cities,  towns,  and  boroughs  in  this  area.  All  electrical  energy  provided 
by  the  company  is  of  the  alternating  current  type,  which  can  be 
transmitted  much  farther  than  the  direct  current  type  formerly  sup- 
plied to  central  Philadelphia.  The  Philadelphia  Electric  Company 
also  furnishes  gas  service  to  suburban  sections  near  the  city. 

An  area  of  approximately  1,547  square  miles  is  served  by  the 
company.  The  population  in  this  territory  is  2,757,000,  with  slightly 
more  than  two  million  of  those  served  residing  in  Philadelphia. 
Electricity  is  generated  in  the  company's  plants  in  Philadelphia  and 
in  its  hydro-electric  plant  on  the  Susquehanna  River  at  Conowingo. 
The  latter  is  the  second  largest  hydro-electric  plant  in  the  United 
States.  Its  location  is  four  miles  above  tide  water  ;  the  lake  is  a 
mile  wide  at  the  dam  and  extends  eighteen  miles  up  the  river.  Thi? 
gigantic  plant,  opened  in  1928,  is  connected  with  Philadelphia  steam 
plants  by  means  of  220,000-volt  transmission  lines,  and  its  present 
capacity  is  1,046,015  kilowatts.  At  its  Plymouth  Meeting  substation, 
the  largest  outdoor  substation  in  the  world,  the  plant's  220,000-volt 
transmission  lines  inter-connect  the  Philadelphia  Electric  Company 
with  two  other  companies  —  the  Pennsylvania  Power  and  Light  Com- 
pany and  the  Public  Service  Electric  and  Gas  Company  of  New  Jer- 
sey— the  whole  forming  a  pool  which  distributes  more  than  two  mil- 
lion horsepower  in  electrical  energy. 

139 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  company  furnishes  energy  for  the  operation  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad's  electrified  lines  running  between  Perryville,  Mary- 
land, and  the  State  line  at  Trenton,  New  Jersey;  the  line  between 
the  State  Line  and  New  York  City  ;  the  Chestnut  Hill  branch,  and 
the  Main  Line  as  far  as  Paoli.  All  the  electrified  lines  of  the  Reading 
Railroad  running  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  Philadel- 
phia Rapid  Transit  Company,  operators  of  the  city's  street  car 
system,  receive  their  electrical  energy  from  the  Philadelphia  Electric 
Company. 

Philadelphia's  first  electric  service  was  supplied  by  the  Brush 
Electric  Light  Co.,  which  in  1881  installed  street  arc  lights  in  the 
section  of  Chestnut  Street  between  the  Delaware  and  the  Schuylkill 
Rivers.  Then  26  neighborhood  electric  companies,  all  of  them  gen- 
erating direct  current,  opened  within  the  span  of  18  years.  In  1899 
these  plants  were  consolidated  to  form  the  Philadelphia  Electric  Com- 
pany, the  nucleus  of  the  present  company.  In  1928  the  Philadelphia 
Electric  Company  became  an  affiliate  of  the  United  Gas  Improve- 
ment Company.  A  year  later  the  Philadelphia  Electric  Company, 
which  still  operates  independently,  acquired  the  Philadelphia  Sub- 
urban Counties  Gas  and  Electric  Company. 

Telephone 

ABOUT  a  quarter-century  after  the  adoption  of  telegraphy  for  rail- 
road communications,  the  world's  first  public  telephone  "system" 
was  successfully  demonstrated  in  Philadelphia  —  at  the  Centennial 
Exhibition  of  1876.  The  device,  consisting  of  two  instruments  con- 
nected by  500  feet  of  wire,  was  installed  in  the  Exhibition's  main 
building,  where  it  lay  neglected  for  six  weeks  —  until  an  inquisitive 
visitor  discovered  its  amazing  potentialities. 

The  telephone,  which  has  revolutionized  transportation  and  com- 
munications the  wTorld  over,  was  invented  by  Alexander  Graham  Bell, 
Boston  elocution  teacher,  and  sent  to  Philadelphia  at  the  opening 
of  the  Exhibition.  Bell  himself  was  not  urged  to  attend  in  person,  and 
only  by  the  promptings  of  a  last-minute  impulse  did  he  board  a  train 
to  bring  him  here.  Neither  he  nor  his  contrivance  provoked  any  at- 
tention until  Dom  Pedro  de  Alcantara,  Emperor  of  Brazil,  picked  up 
the  receiver  and  heard  a  human  voice  come  from  the  transmitter  at 
the  other  end  of  the  500-foot  wire.  "My  God  !"  he  exclaimed  as- 
toundedly  to  a  crowd  which  included  Sir  William  Thomson,  then  the 
foremost  electrical  scientist  in  the  world.  "It  talks!" 

Soon  thereafter  Bell's  invention  was  first  applied  commercially  in 
Philadelphia  by  an  organization  known  as  "The  Telephone  Company 
of  Philadelphia."  Later  Bell's  name  was  added.  The  first  practical 
switchboard  was  housed  in  the  second  floor  of  1111  Chestnut  Street. 

140 


PUBLIC  UTILITIES 

The  first  directory,  which  appeared  in  1878,  contained  only  25  sub- 
scribers. Another,  issued  later  during  the  same  year,  had  85  ;  the 
third,  put  out  the  following  year,  contained  the  names  of  420  sub- 
scribers. 

Today  the  Bell  Telephone  Company  has  42  central  offices  in  the 
city  handling  1,377,927  local  and  79,362  toll  calls  daily.  In  1937  there 
were  more  than  155,000  business  telephones  and  approximately  191,- 
000  residence  telephones  in  operation.  The  directory  has  grown  to  an 
issue  of  400,000  copies. 

The  Keystone  Telephone  Company  of  Philadelphia  came  into  exist- 
ence Nov.  12,  1902.  Five  years  later  it  absorbed  the  property  of  the 
Keystone  State  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company,  extending  its  serv- 
ice to  cities  and  towns  in  south  New  Jersey.  Later  it  acquired  the  en- 
tire capital  stock  of  the  Eastern  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company, 
and  a  majority  of  the  stock  of  the  Camden  &  Atlantic  Telephone 
Company.  The  United  Telephone  Company,  likewise,  was  absorbed 
in  1923. 

The  Keystone  system  operates  six  exchanges  in  Philadelphia,  and 
18  in  nearby  cities  and  towns.  The  company  holds  a  perpetual  charter 
from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a  perpetual  franchise  from  the 
city  of  Philadelphia.  It  cooperates  with  the  Bell  system  on  telephone 
service  outside  the  city. 


141 


TRANSPORTATION 


PHILADELPHIA'S  development  from  a  compact  little  city  to  a 
sprawling  metropolis  made  public  transportation  facilities  im- 
perative at  an  early  date.  Prior  to  the  establishment  of  urban 
transportation  facilities,  however,  there  were  only  certain  ancient  dirt 
roads  to  depend  on,  such  as  Darby  Road,  Old  York  Road,  and  an- 
other that  went  north  by  way  of  Second  Street.  A  Federal  road  was 
laid  out  in  1788  from  Gray's  Ferry  to  Southwark.  Within  city  limits, 
the  so-called  streets  were  not  much  more  than  dirt  roads  either.  Ac- 
cording to  the  presentment  of  the  Grand  Jury  in  1738,  the  streets 
were  impassable.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a  crusade  to  compel  the 
paving  of  certain  thoroughfares,  notably  Front,  Sassafras,  and  High. 

The  first  adequate  public  means  of  urban  travel  was  supplied  in 
1831  by  Joseph  Boxall,  who  established  a  stagecoach  line  on  lower 
Chestnut  Street  with  an  hourly  schedule.  "Boxall's  Accommodation," 
as  the  line  was  called,  was  the  only  satisfactory  public  conveyance 
until  July  1833,  when  an  additional  line  was  started  by  Edward  Des- 
champs,  to  provide  service  between  the  Navy  Yard  and  Kensing- 
ton, via  Second  Street  and  Beach  Street.  This  also  proved  successful, 
and  within  a  short  time  lines  were  running  on  nearly  every  important 
street  in  the  city. 

The  need  of  some  better  mode  of  transportation  to  outlying  sec- 
tions became  pressing.  The  first  locomotive  made  at  the  Baldwin 
Works  in  Philadelphia  was  "Old  Ironsides,"  which  had  been  placed 
on  the  Philadelphia  &  Germantown  Railroad  on  November  23,  1832. 
Steam  transportation  had  come  to  stay.  There  was  a  project  to  con- 
nect the  Columbia  Railroad  and  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington  & 
Baltimore  Railroad,  which  led  to  the  passage  of  the  Act  of  April 
15,  1845,  by  which  the  Schuylkill  Railroad  was  incorporated. 

In  1854  the  Philadelphia  &  Delaware  Railroad  Company  took  out 
a  charter  to  operate  a  steam  railroad  from  Kensington  to  Easton. 
Failing  to  realize  their  ambition,  the  promoters  envisioned  the  possi- 
bility of  running  a  horse-car  line  from  what  is  now  Sixth  Street  and 
Montgomery  Avenue,  in  Kensington,  to  the  village  of  Southwark. 

In  1856  preparations  were  made  by  the  North  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
way Company  to  establish  a  line  of  passenger  cars  drawn  by  horses. 
On  January  3  the  company  put  such  a  line  in  operation  on  a  route 

142 


TRANSPORTATION 

about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length,  extending  from  Willow  Street  along 
Front  to  Germantown  Road,  thence  to  Second  Street,  to  Cadwalader, 
to  Washington,  to  Cherry,  connecting  with  what  was  known  as  the 
Cohocksink  depot.  These  vehicles  were  14  feet  long,  and  seated  24 
persons. 

In  April  1858,  by  Act  of  Assembly,  the  Philadelphia  &  Delaware 
Railroad  Company  became  the  Frankford  &  Southwark  Philadelphia 
City  Passenger  Railroad  Company,  forerunner  of  the  many  traction 
and  motor  companies  that  have  been  incorporated  to  serve  Phila- 
delphia. Shortly  before  reorganization,  the  Philadelphia  &  Delaware 
Railroad  Company,  on  January  21,  1858,  ran  its  first  horsecars  from 
Kensington  to  Southwark,  carrying  10,000  persons  on  15  cars  during 
the  year.  Such  was  the  beginning  of  what  long  was  known  as  "the 
Fifth  and  Sixth  Street  line." 

For  a  time  the  cars  were  banned  from  operation  on  Sundays.  Minis- 
ters complained  that  the  noise  interrupted  Sunday  worship  ;  but  a 
Supreme  Court  decision  held  that  operation  On  the  Sabbath  was  not 
a  breach  of  the  peace,  and  thereafter  the  cars  ran  seven  days  a  week. 
In  1857  the  City  Councils  passed  an  ordinance  permitting  the  car 
lines  to  operate  sleighs  in  winter. 

Strong  opposition  to  street  railways  flared  up  and  was  slow  in 
subsiding.  Nevertheless,  capitalists  were  stimulated  by  the  success  of 
the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Street  line,  and  immediately  began  to  project 
similar  railways  on  Spruce  and  Pine  Streets,  Ridge  Avenue,  Second 
and  Third,  and  other  thoroughfares.  Although  the  depression  that 
followed  the  1857  panic  served  to  make  the  year  1858  a  dull  one 
generally  in  Philadelphia,  the  stagnation  was  not  evident  in  railway 
circles.  The  West  Philadelphia  road,  on  Market  Street,  was  the 
second  to  go  into  operation  and  was  closely  followed  by  the  Tenth 
and  Eleventh  Street  line  on  July  29.  At  that  time,  the  Spruce  and 
Pine,  Second  and  Third,  Green  and  Coates,  and  Race  and  Vine  Street 
lines  were  in  course  of  construction,  and  the  Chestnut  and  Walnut 
Street  Company  was  still  engaged  in  beating  down  a  bitter  opposition. 
The  fourth  road  to  go  into  operation  was  the  Spruce  and  Pine,  on 
November  2.  Among  other  events  of  this  period  was  the  opening  on 
March  14,  1859,  of  the  Girard  College  (Ridge  Avenue)  Railway. 

In  1863,  the  Frankford  &  Southwark  Company  received  authority 
to  operate  steam-driven  cars  over  its  route  from  Berks  Street  to 
Frankford.  Their  noisy  engines,  usually  called  "dummies,"  proved 
quite  satisfactory.  They  ran  for  the  first  time  on  November  7,  1863, 
and  survived  about  30  years.  Other  attempts  to  use  steam  power  were 
made  by  the  West  Philadelphia  Passenger  Railway  Company  and  by 
the  Haddington  Line. 

About  this  time  the  cable-car  system  began  to  be  used  successfully 
in  some  cities,  and  Philadelphia  decided  to  experiment  with  it.  The 

143 


Old  Schuylkill  Navigation  Canal  Lock  in  Fairmount  Park 
"Along  its  path  the  straining  tow  mules  plodded" 


Assembly  passed  an  act  permitting  use  of  the  cable,  and  in  April 
1883  a  line  was  opened  along  Columbia  Avenue  from  Twenty-third 
Street  to  Fairmount  Park.  This  proved  successful,  and  two  years  later 
the  Philadelphia  Traction  Company  opened  a  cable  line  along  Mar- 
ket Street  from  Front  Street  to  Forty-first  Street.  The  system  was 
used  for  10  years,  then  was  replaced  by  the  electric  trolley  system. 

In  1888  Frank  J.  Sprague  developed  in  Richmond,  Va.,  a  success- 
ful electric  street-car  system,  and  again  Philadelphia  was  eager  to  try 
an  innovation.  The  Philadelphia  Traction  Company  stepped  to  the 
fore  and  made  practical  use  of  the  new  method,  operating  in  1892 
the  first  of  such  railways  in  Philadelphia.  The  route  ran  eastward 
from  the  Schuylkill  River,  with  tracks  on  Catharine  and  Bain- 
bridge  Streets.  During  the  next  four  years  the  400  miles  of  horse 
and  steam  car  lines  in  Philadelphia,  with  the  exception  of  the  Cal- 
lowhill  Street  line,  were  electrified  ;  and  on  January  15,  1897,  the 
last  horse  car  was  driven  over  the  latter  line,  marking  the  end  of  this 
antiquated  system  in  Philadelphia. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  city  made  it  necessary  to  evolve  a  speedier 
means  of  transportation.  In  1901  the  State  Legislature  enacted  the 
legislation  necessary  to  establish  such  a  system  (subway-elevated) 

144 


TRANSPORTATION 

along  Market  Street,  and  six  years  later  the  first  high-speed  line 
began  operation.  In  1902  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company 
was  incorporated,  taking  over  all  the  transit  companies  in  Philadel- 
phia, with  the  absorbed  companies  acting  as  "underliers,"  a  name 
by  which  they  have  since  been  known.  They  hold  the  leases  of  the 
systems  and  collect  rent  from  the  P.R.T. 

With  formation  of  the  P.R.T.  the  transportation  history  of  Phila- 
delphia becomes  the  story  of  a  single  large  system.  The  Market  Street 
Subway-Elevated  was  opened  in  March  1907,  from  Sixty-ninth  Street 
(Delaware  County)  to  Fifteenth  Street.  In  October  1908  the  line  was 
extended  eastward  to  Delaware  Avenue,  and  thence  south  to  South 
Street.  In  November  1922  another  branch  extending  north  to  Frank- 
ford  was  built  by  the  city  and  the  three  branches  became  a  con- 
tinuous system. 

In  1923  the  first  P.R.T.  double-decked  bus  began  operation,  run- 
ning from  Broad  Street  and  Erie  Avenue  to  Frankford  Avenue  and 
Arrott  Street.  Trackless  trolley  coaches  began  operation  in  1923  from 
Twenty-second  Street  and  Passyunk  Avenue  to  Delaware  and  Oregon 
Avenues. 

The  Broad  Street  subway,  built  by  the  city  and  leased  to  the 
P.R.T.,  began  operation  in  1928  under  Broad  Street  from  Olney 
Avenue  to  Market  Street.  Two  years  later  it  was  extended  to  South 
Street.  In  1932  the  Ridge  Avenue  and  Eighth  Street  spur  was  opened; 
and  on  June  7,  1936,  the  high-speed  line  over  the  Delaware  River 
Bridge,  linking  Philadelphia  and  Camden,  began  operation.  The  latter 
line  was  built  by  the  city  under  the  direction  of  the  Delaware  River 
Joint  Commission,  and  was  turned  over  to  the  Philadelphia  Rapid 
Transit  Company  for  operation.  It  connects  the  Camden  downtown 
section  with  the  Eighth  and  Market  Street  subway  station  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

Figures  for  1937  showed  the  P.R.T.  operating  2,150  trolley  cars, 
303  busses,  465  subway  and  elevated  cars,  and  8  trackless  trolley 
coaches.  In  1936  the  system  had  a  gross  operating  revenue  of  $34,- 
732,768.  It 'also  operated  about  930  taxicabs  until  February  1936, 
when  the  cab  holdings  were  sold  to  another  company. 

The  necessity  for  some  form  of  transportation  of  supplies  and  com- 
modities across  the  Delaware  River  was  realized  as  early  as  1695, 
when  the  court  at  Gloucester,  N.  J.,  authorized  establishment  of  a 
ferry  from  the  New  Jersey  shore  to  Pennsylvania.  As  traffic  grew 
through  the  years,  Philadelphia  became  more  and  more  dependent 
upon  these  ferries.  Until  1926,  when  the  Delaware  River  Bridge  was 
opened  to  traffic,  ferries  were  the  only  means  of  direct  public  trans- 
river  travel. 

Besides  the  horsecars  that  were  used  during  the  early  days  of  the 
city's  public  transportation,  steam  railroads  played  an  important 

145 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

part.  The  Philadelphia  &  Germantowii  Company  as  early  as  1832 
operated  a  steam  railroad  from  Germantown  to  the  Philadelphia 
depot  at  Green  and  Ninth  Streets.  The  steam  trains  ran  only  in  fair 
weather,  the  more  reliable  horse-drawn  trains  being  depended  upon 
to  maintain  the  schedule  in  bad  weather. 

In  1834  the  Philadelphia  &  West  Chester  Railroad  was  begun,  pro- 
viding steam-hauled  transportation  between  the  city  and  West  Ches- 
ter. Many  companies  were  soon  in  operation,  running  trains  within 
Philadelphia,  and  from  Philadelphia  to  suburban  points.  Gradually 
a  strong  central  company  was  formed,  absorbing  the  smaller  lines 
and  providing  a  few  great  systems,  thus  increasing  efficiency  in  both 
passenger  and  freight  carriage. 

The  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  began  operation  in  1842, 
running  trains  between  Philadelphia  and  Pottsville.  The  purpose  of 
the  new  line  was  to  provide  some  means  of  shipping  from  the  coal 
regions  to  the  industrial  center  of  Philadelphia.  The  company  devel- 
oped swiftly  and  in  a  short  time  was  one  of  the  largest  systems  in 
this  section. 

The  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  begun  as  the  Columbia  Railroad,  was 
started  in  1832.  Its  development  also  was  swift.  It  branched  into  the 
western  part  of  the  State,  carrying  freight  by  means  of  a  gigantic 
network  of  lines  to  Philadelphia.  The  Broad  Street  Station  was 
erected  in  1881,  and  the  Suburban  Station  in  1930.  A  short  time 
later,  the  Thirtieth  Street  Station — a  huge  and  imposing  structure— 
was  opened  to  traffic. 

The  third  great  railroad  system  serving  Philadelphia,  the  Balti- 
more &  Ohio,  was  started  in  Baltimore.  It  was  the  first  railroad  in 
the  United  States  to  transport  both  passengers  and  freight.  The  com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1827,  and  started  business  in  1830.  Begin- 
ning on  a  small  scale,  the  railroad  gradually  developed  a  large  inter- 
state business,  fulfilling  its  purpose  of  competing  with  the  Erie  Canal, 
New  York's  commercial  route  to  Ohio's  rich  territory. 

Philadelphia  is  without  an  airport  for  commercial  flying.  However, 
a  WPA  project  started  at  Hog  Island  in  1935  will,  when  completed, 
provide  the  city  with  a  municipal  airport  within  20  minutes'  travel  of 
Broad  and  Market  Streets.  The  land  for  this  airport  was  purchased  by 
the  city  from  the  United  States,  after  its  usefulness  as  a  wartime  ship- 
yard had  ended.  The  Central  Airport  near  Camden  has  served  as 
Philadelphia's  airport  since  September  1929.  When  the  new  post 
office  was  built  at  Thirtieth  and  Market  Streets,  a  large  flat  roof  was 
laid  out  upon  it  to  provide  a  landing  place  for  autogyros.  It  is 
planned  eventually  to  have  the  autogyros  carry  mail  to  the  airport, 
where  it  will  be  transferred  to  waiting  planes  for  delivery  to  other 
cities. 


146 


LABOR  AND  LABOR  PROBLEMS 


A  LARGE  part  of  labor  in  early  Philadelphia  was  furnished  by 
semi-servile  whites,  imported  under  bond  for  a  term  of  years, 
and  by  Negroes  sold  into  chattel  slavery.    Although  Penn's  city 
can  claim  a  certain  amount  of  credit  for  frowning  upon  the  practice 
of   bartering   in   human   beings,   that   odious    practice    went   on   un- 
checked for  years  at  the  Delaware  River  wharf. 

William  Penn's  ingenious  advertising  in  England  and  on  the 
European  continent  brought  hundreds  of  artisans  and  mechanics  to 
the  new  Province,  where  they  hoped  to  find  escape  from  economic 
and  religious  oppression.  Indentured  servants,  redemptioners,  and 
debtors  swelled  the  ranks  of  those  who  came. 

Indentured  servants  were  those  —  men,  women,  even  children  — 
who,  unable  to  pay  their  passage,  signed  a  contract  called  an  in- 
denture before  leaving  the  Old  World.  This  contract  bound  the 
owner  of  the  ship  to  transport  such  a  person  to  America,  and  bound 
the  emigrant  to  serve  the  owner  or  his  assigns  for  a  specified  number 
of  years  after  arrival  in  this  country.  Often  the  owner,  upon  reaching 
port,  sold  his  rights  in  the  contract  to  the  highest  bidder,  or  for 
whatever  he  could  get  as  payment  for  passage.  The  redemptioner,  on 
the  other  hand,  signed  no  contract  before  embarking,  but  agreed 
with  the  shipping  merchant  to  allow  himself  to  be  sold  to  the  highest 
bidder  if,  at  the  expiration  of  a  month,  he  failed  to  find  someone  to 
redeem  him  by  paying  the  passage  money.  Others  were  debtors  sold 
for  a  fixed  time  to  cancel  their  obligations,  criminals  unable  to  pay 
their  fines  or  willing  to  accept  exile  instead  of  prison  or  death,  and 
inmates  of  poorhouses  bound  out  for  periods  of  servitude  to  defray 
the  expense  of  their  keeping. 

The  custom  of  selling  criminals  and  indigents  was  brought  about 
by  the  inadequate  facilities  of  jails  and  poorhouses.  Directors  of  the 
poor  were  empowered  to  bind  men  and  women  from  the  institutions 
for  periods  not  exceeding  three  years,  but  terms  of  indenture  for 
criminals  varied.  On  one  occasion  a  man  who  had  stolen  £14  was 
sold  for  £16,  his  punishment  being  21  lashes  and  six  years  of  bond- 
age. Immigrant  ships  came  regularly  to  Philadelphia  from  European 
ports,  bearing  paupers  and  criminals  whose  arrival  the  newspapers 
would  announce  somewhat  like  this  :  "Just  arrived  in  the  ship  Sallie, 
from  Amsterdam,  a  number  of  men,  women,  and  children  redemp- 

147 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

tioners.  Their  times  will  be  disposed  of  on  reasonable  terms  by  the 
captain  on  board."  Parents  sometimes  sold  their  children  in  order 
to  cover  their  own  passage.  Husbands  and  wives  became  separated, 
never  again  to  meet.  Sometimes  the  dreadful  ships  came  up  the 
Delaware  with  their  human  cargo  depleted  by  disease,  exposure, 
hunger,  and  ill  treatment. 

This  traffic  in  humanity  was  carried  on  upon  a  vast  scale.  Agencies 
in  European  cities  set  up  branches  in  Philadelphia.  Scores  of  dealers, 
known  as  "newlanders"  or  "soul-drivers,"  invaded  Germany  and 
Switzerland,  inveigling  thousands  into  leaving  their  homes  for  a  life 
of  unsuspected  slavery  abroad.  This  continued  until  1764,  when  a 
German  society  in  Philadelphia  was  founded  especially  for  the  pro- 
tection of  redemptioners.  Organized  resistance  also  militated  against 
the  practice  of  bringing  into  Pennsylvania  captured  Tuscarora 
Indians  from  South  Carolina,  and  selling  them  as  bondmen. 

In  its  more  agreeable  aspect,  the  term  "indenture"  was  associated 
with  apprenticeship.  A  boy,  in  order  to  learn  a  trade,  was  bound  to 
his  employer  by  an  agreement  known  as  an  indenture.  He  usually 
was  taken  into  the  employer's  family  and  treated  kindly.  After  serv- 
ing his  apprenticeship,  he  often  chose  to  remain  with  his  employer 
as  a  journeyman. 

The  earliest  artisan  in  Philadelphia  commonly  started  with  little 
more  than  tools.  At  first  he  went  about  from  house  to  house,  doing 
his  work  with  raw  materials  provided  by  the  householder.  Afterward, 
it  became  more  convenient  for  him  to  establish  a  shop  in  the  town. 
As  his  business  grew,  he  employed  two  or  three  jpurneymen,  in  addi- 
tion to  two  or  three  apprentices.  He  also  began  to  stock  up  with 
finished  products  made  by  the  journeymen,  and  to  sell  them  to  cus- 
tomers. The  position  of  the  journeyman  became  changed.  He  held 
on  to  his  tools,  but  lost  ownership  of  the  shops  and  the  raw  materials. 
He  was  therefore  dependent  upon  wages  for  his  living,  while  the  re- 
tail merchant-employer  looked  to  his  investment  and  his  managerial 
ability  for  remuneration. 

The  journeyman  sought  to  protect  the  value  of  his  .skill  by  trying 
to  prevent  others  from  entering  his  trade,  knowing  his  wages  would 
be  higher  if  there  were  fewer  men  with  whom  he  had  to  compete. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  demand  for  his  work  was  greater  than  he 
himself  could  supply,  and  he  was  forced  to  train  the  unskilled  worker 
in  his  trade.  But  he  saw  to  it  that  the  term  of  apprenticeship  was  as 
long  as  possible,  thus  delaying  the  apprentice  in  becoming  his 
competitor.  In  spite  of  limitations  and  restrictions,  the  number  of 
journeymen  continued  to  grow.  Immigration  brought  many  recruits, 
and  industry  began  to  replace  skilled  workers  with  unskilled  workers. 
Then  the  former  started  to  organize  into  societies  or  trade  unions, 
to  protect  themselves  against  the  unskilled. 

148 


LABOR  AND  LABOR  PROBLEMS 

The  first  trade  associations  were  organized  as  price-fixing  groups 
which  regulated  particular  trades.  They  guaranteed  to  the  public 
products  of  high  quality  and  fought  against  inferior  ones.  They  were 
benevolent  groups,  which  not  only  had  a  form  of  "insurance"  for 
members,  but  also  sought  to  educate  apprentices.  These  associations 
sometimes  included  both  masters  and  journeymen,  for  some  of  the 
mechanics  believed  their  interests  identical  with  those  of  their  em- 
ployers. For  example,  they  believed  that  if  prices  of  goods  were  high, 
wages  would  also  be  high.  But  mostly,  the  journeymen  established 
separate  mutual-aid  societies  —  the  division  being  on  social,  rather 
than  economic,  lines. 

The  Carpenters'  Company  of  Philadelphia  was  founded  in  1724 
purely  as  a  price-fixing  association,  so  that  the  workman  should  have 
a  fair  recompense  for  his  labor  and  the  owner  the  worth  of  his 
money.  It  is  probable  that  this  company  was  composed  solely  of 
master  builders. 

The  first  authentic  record  of  the  organization  of  a  single  trade  and 
the  first  strike  of  wage-earners  in  Philadelphia  occurred  in  1786.  In 
that  year  the  Philadelphia  printers  went  on  strike  for  a  minimum 
wage  of  $6  a  week.  They  won  their  demands,  and  the  organization 
disappeared.  In  May  1791  the  Journeymen  Carpenters  of  the  City  and 
Liberties  of  Philadelphia  struck  against  the  master  carpenters.  This 
was  the  first  strike  for  a  10-hour  working  day  in  this  country,  but 
the  strikers  lost. 

The  first  continuous  organization  of  wage-earners  for  the  purpose 
of  maintaining  or  advancing  wages  was  that  of  the  shoemakers  of 
Philadelphia.  The  organization,  instituted  in  1792,  existed  less  than 
a  year.  The  shoemakers  again  organized  in  1794  under  the  name  of 
the  Federal  Society  of  Journeymen  Cordwainers,  and  continued  in 
existence  until  1806.  In  that  year,  and  twice  in  1809,  the  shoemakers 
were  indicted  on  charges  of  conspiracy.  They  were  accused  of  un- 
lawfully assembling  to  "unjustly  and  corruptly  conspire,  combine, 
confederate  and  agree  together  that  none  of  them  would  work  for 
any  master  who  would  thereafter  infringe  or  break  the  unlawful 
rules  of  the  boot  and  shoemakers."  The  judge,  in  instructing  the 
jury,  declared  :  "A  combination  of  workmen  to  raise  their  wages 
may  be  considered  in  a  twofold  view  :  one  is  to  benefit  themselves  ; 
the  other  to  injure  those  who  do  not  join  the  society.  The  rule  of 
the  law  condemns  both."  The  jury  found  the  defendants  guilty  of  a 
conspiracy  to  raise  wages. 

The  American  labor  movement  first  manifested  itself  in  Philadel- 
phia in  1827,  through  a  trade  union  demanding  shorter  hours  of 
work.  This  was  soon  converted  into  a  political  party,  primarily  urg- 
ing public  education.  This  movement  had  for  its  keynote  the  desire 
for  equal  citizenship  —  the  essentials  of  which  were  believed  to  be 

149 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

leisure  and  education.  The  American  wage-earners  joined  together 
for  the  first  time  as  a  class,  regardless  of  trade  lines,  in  a  struggle 
against  employers.  All  previous  labor  agitation  had  been  confined  to 
the  limits  of  a  single  trade.  In  June  1827,  600  journeymen  carpenters 
went  on  strike  for  a  10-hour  day.  Other  trade  societies  became  in- 
terested, and  a  general  movement  began  for  the  shorter  work  day. 

Out  of  this  movement  grew  the  first  union  of  all  organized  work- 
men in  any  American  city.  The  Mechanics  Union  of  Trade  Associa- 
tions was  formed  in  the  latter  part  of  1827.  All  trade  societiefe  were 
invited  to  join,  and  those  not  yet  organized  were  urged  to  do  so. 
Its  purpose  was  to  establish  a  just  balance  of  power  —  mental,  moral, 
political,  and  scientific  —  among  the  various  classes. 

In  May  of  the  following  year  the  union  resolved  to  submit  to  con- 
stituent societies  a  proposal  for  the  nomination  of  persons  who  would 
represent  the  working  classes  in  the  City  Council  and  State  Legis- 
lature. Political  action  was  immediately  endorsed  by  the  various 
trade  unions.  From  this  date,  though  the  political  movement  ad- 
vanced, the  Mechanics  Union  declined,  and  some  time  after  November 
1829  it  went  out  of  existence. 

The  Working  Men's  Party  was  formed  in  July  1828.  From  the  start 
the  new  movement  was  obliged  to  fight  for  its  existence  against  the 
machinations  of  professional  politicians,  who  tried  either  to  obtain 
control  of  the  meetings  or  to  break  them  up.  As  a  result  of  the  first 
campaign,  eight  candidates  who  were  exclusively  on  the  Working 
Men's  Party  ticket  received  from  229  to  539  votes  each  in  the  city, 
and  about  425  votes  in  the  county.  All  were  defeated,  but  21  candi- 
dates on  the  Jackson  ticket  —  endorsed  by  the  Working  Men's  Party 
—were  elected.  The  mere  number  of  votes  polled  did  not  by  any 
means  measure  the  influence  of  the  first  campaign.  Indirectly,  it 
brought  from  the  candidates  for  Congress  of  both  the  older  parties 
in  the  city  an  open  acknowledgment  of  the  justice  of  the  working 
people's  attempts  to  lessen  the  established  hours  of  daily  labor. 

The  paramount  emphasis  laid  upon  education  shows  that  the  work- 
in  gmen's  movement  was  a  revolt  primarily  directed  against  social 
and  political,  rather  than  economic,  inequalities.  The  workingman 
had  achieved  suffrage  and  believed  that  he  should  have  leisure  in 
which  to  educate  himself  for  proper  use  of  his  franchise.  An  early 
report  of  the  Philadelphia  workingmen  to  the  Legislature  foreshad- 
owed the  general  public  school  system,  the  manual  training  schools, 
the  junior  republics,  and  probably  the  kindergartens.  This  report 
was  accompanied  by  two  bills  for  the  establishment  of  a  public 
school  system,  and  a  combination  of  agricultural,  mechanical,  literary, 
and  scientific  instruction.  A  tax  on  "dealers  in  ardent  spirits"  was 
proposed  as  a  means  of  raising  the  necessary  money. 

Before  establishment  of  the  Working  Men's  Party,  there  had  been 

150 


LABOR  AND  LABOR  PROBLEMS 

a  movement  to  create  public  charity  schools  for  the  poor.  But  after 
the  report  of  the  party  was  published,  the  plan  for  charity  schools 
was  abandoned  in  favor  of  one  for  schools  where  children  of  rich 
and  poor  might  be  educated  side  by  side.  The  public  school  system 
of  today  owes  a  large,  if  unrecognized,  debt  of  gratitude  to  this  effort 
of  the  working  classes  to  exercise  independently  their  citizenship. 
The  abolition  of  imprisonment  for  debt  was  undoubtedly  hastened 
by  the  strong  and  general  support  it  received  from  the  Working 
Men's  Party.  In  Pennsylvania,  as  a  result  of  attention  directed  to  the 
evils  of  child  labor  in  factories,  legislative  consideration  was  given 
the  subject  in  1832,  and  again  in  1837. 

Economic  changes  were  causing  the  shift  from  mutual  insurance 
to  trade  protection.  The  merchant-capitalist  had  gained  control  of 
the  market  and  the  productive  process.  Hand  tools  continued  to  be 
used,  yet  orders  had  become  wholesale.  Competition  between  masters 
in  different  communities  became  acute.  The  merchant-capitalist  even 
resorted  to  the  use  of  prison  labor.  This  competitive  pressure  on  the 
masters  was  passed  on  to  the  journeymen.  Apprentice  labor  was  then 
done  by  children  and  unskilled  workers,  and  a  great  number  of  wo- 
men entered  industrial  employment.  In  1830  it  was  said  that  many 
journeymen  printers  of  Philadelphia  were  out  of  work  because  of 
the  employment  of  boys.  In  1836,  24  of  58  societies  of  Philadelphia 
were  seriously  affected  by  female  labor,  to  the  impoverishment  of 
whole  families  and  the  benefit  chiefly  of  the  employers.  The  Female 
Improvement  Society  —  including  tailoresses,  seamstresses,  binders, 
folders,  stock  makers,  milliners,  corset  makers,  and  mantua  makers 
—  had  been  organized  June  20,  1835.  This  was  probably  the  first 
federation  of  women  workers  in  the  country. 

During  the  1830's  the  city  central  union  form  of  organization  ap- 
peared, two  separate  trades  unions  in  Philadelphia  springing  up  in 
close  succession.  The  Trades  Union  of  Pennsylvania,  composed  of 
delegates  from  the  factory  districts  surrounding  Philadelphia,  was 
organized  in  August  1833,  but  disappeared  four  months  later.  The 
Trades  Union  of  the  City  and  County  of  Philadelphia  was  organized 
the  same  year  and  lasted  only  until  1838.  It  was  composed  of  mech- 
anics of  the  city,  although  later  it  was  opened  to  factory  workers  and 
day  laborers. 

The  10-hour  day  movement,  begun  in  June  1834,  took  on  the  aspect 
of  a  crusade  in  Philadelphia.  Coalheavers  and  common  laborers  on 
the  Schuylkill  docks  started  it.  Then  followed  a  strike  of  14  other 
unions.  The  excitement  was  intense  ;  organized  processions  marched 
through  the  streets  to  the  tune  of  fife  and  roll  of  drum.  The  general 
strike  ended  in  a  victory  for  the  trade  unionists,  a  victory  so  over- 
whelming that  its  influence  extended  to  many  other  towns. 

In  1834  there  were  6,000  trade  unionists  in  Philadelphia.  Delegates 

151 


Midvale   Steel   Works 
"Melted  Steel'1 


attended  a  national  convention  in  New  York  in  August  1834,  when 
the  National  Trades  Union  was  formed.  The  third  annual  convention 
of  that  organization  was  held  at  Military  Hall  in  Philadelphia  from 
October  24  to  28,  1836.  No  later  meeting  was  recorded.  Education, 
speculation  in  public  lands,  prison  labor,  the  10-hour  day,  and  female 
and  child  labor  were  the  problems  which  concerned  the  organization 
during  its  existence. 

152 


LABOR  AND  LABOR  PROBLEMS 

The  labor  movement  in  Philadelphia  was  virtually  wiped  out  after 
the  panic  of  1837,  workers  turning  to  politics  and  cooperation  for 
relief.  Exponents  of  Fourierism,  based  on  the  socialistic  philosophy 
of  Francois  Marie  Charles  Fourier,  succeeded  in  organizing  a  few 
isolated  cooperative  and  social  reform  organizations  during  the  forties 
and  fifties.  This  movement  failed  to  obtain  the  sympathy  and  support 
of  the  workers  generally,  because  people  were  not  inclined  to  live  in 
communal  colonies,  sharing  a  common  kitchen,  common  living  quar- 
ters, and  cooperative  cuisine. 

Local  impetus  was  given  to  the  formation  of  national  unions  dur- 
ing the  industrial  depression  after  the  panic  of  1857.  The  Machinists' 
and  Blacksmiths'  Union  was  formed  the  following  year,  the  local 
taking  the  initiative  in  forming  a  national  organization,  as  did  the 
Philadelphia  Moulders'  Union  in  1859. 

In  March  1860  the  Machinists'  and  Blacksmiths'  Union  called  a 
strike  in  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  against  a  reduction  in  wages 
and  payment  of  arrear  wages  in  company  stock.  Although  the  strike 
was  lost,  the  workers  received  nation-wide  attention  for  battling 
against  the  then  greatest  shop  in  the  country. 

The  first  effects  of  the  Civil  War  were  a  paralysis  of  business  and 
the  increase  of  unemployment.  Prosperity  returned  after  the  passage 
of  the  legal  tender  act  in  1862,  but  wage  earners  did  not  benefit  by 
prosperity,  because  of  low  wages  and  the  high  cost  of  living.  The 
most  influential  labor  paper  of  that  period,  and  one  of  the  best  ever 
published  in  the  United  States,  was  Fincher's  Trades9  Review,  printed 
in  Philadelphia  from  1863  to  1866.  The  paper  was  a  true  mirror  of 
the  national  labor  movement. 

During  the  war  the  local  trades'  assembly  was  the  common  unit  of 
organization.  The  Philadelphia  Trades'  Assembly  was  organized  in 
1863  at  the  instigation  of  the  Philadelphia  Journeymen  House  Paint- 
ers' Association.  Within  a  year  28  local  unions  were  affiliated. 

With  the  upward  sweep  of  prices  in  1862,  cooperatives  were  estab- 
lished by  workingmen.  The  first  substantial  effort  in  this  direction 
was  that  of  the  Union  Cooperative  Association  of  Philadelphia,  the 
first  to  be  formed,  in  December  1862.  It  expanded,  and  eventually 
established  several  branches  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  In  the  field 
of  trade  unionism,  the  nationalization  of  markets  gave  birth  to  the 
national  trade  union.  During  the  Civil  War  and  Reconstruction  period, 
the  American  labor  movement  developed  its  characteristic  national 
features. 

Four  sets  of  causes  operated  during  the  sixties  to  bring  about  this 
nationalization  :  competition  of  products  of  different  localities  in 
the  same  market  ;  competition  for  employment  between  migratory 
out-of-town  journeymen  and  locally  organized  mechanics  ;  organi- 
zation of  employers  ;  and  application  of  machinery,  which  introduced 

153 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

a  division  of  labor,  splitting  old  established  trades  and  laying  them 
open  to  invasion  of  "green  hands." 

The  most  significant  event  in  the  local  labor  movement  for  many 
years  was  the  organization  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  in  1869.  Nine 
members  of  the  old  Philadelphia  Garment  Cutters'  Association  were 
among  those  who  joined.  It  was  a  secret  society,  with  an  elaborate 
ritual.  By  1873  more  than  80  locals  had  been  organized  in  or  near 
Philadelphia,  and  the  organization  had  become  nation-wide  in  its 
scope.  This  rapid  growth  was  due  to  several  factors.  In  the  seventies, 
trade  unions  were  declining  or  disbanding  because  of  the  warfare 
which  employers  were  conducting  against  them.  As  a  result,  work- 
ingmen  were  attracted  to  a  society  such  as  the  Knights  because  of 
its  secrecy,  which  was  maintained  until  1878.  In  addition,  industrial 
unionism,  as  opposed  to  the  craft  distinctions  of  the  older  unions, 
was  favored  by  the  new  organization,  thus  making  eligible  for  mem- 
bership all  working  people  regardless  of  sex,  race,  or  skill. 

The  membership  was  grouped  in  local  assemblies  on  the  basis  of 
residence  rather  than  of  occupation  or  craft.  Borrowing  from  the 
First  International  of  Karl  Marx  the  technique  of  centralized  control 
and  common  action,  the  Knights  developed  their  organization  into  a 
potent  instrument  for  fighting  labor's  battles.  Their  chief  weaknesses, 
however,  were  their  refusal  to  enter  the  political  field  as  a  labor  party, 
and  a  lack  of  aggressiveness  in  leadership.  The  society  was  brought 
into  conflict  with  the  craft  unions  of  skilled  workers,  and  this  led  to 
its  ultimate  submergence  under  the  rising  tide  of  the  American  Fed- 
eration of  Labor  during  the  nineties. 

In  July  1877  members  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers 
employed  by  the  Pennsylvania  and  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading 
Railroads  joined  the  great  railroad  strike  which  had  broken  out  over 
the  country.  The  strike,  directed  against  a  wage  reduction  and  the 
open-shop  policies  of  the  railroads,  was  broken  by  the  State  militia 
and  the  police. 

The  internecine  war  between  the  Knights  of  Labor  and  the  craft 
unions  during  the  eighties  was  manifested  locally  in  1888,  when 
locomotive  engineers  and  firemen  enrolled  in  the  brotherhood  broke 
a  strike  of  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  employees,  which 
had  been  called  by  the  Knights  of  Labor.  Refusal  of  the  Knights  to 
join  the  eight-hour  day  movement  widened  the  rift  with  the  Ameri- 
can Federation  of  Labor  and  allied  unions,  so  that  by  1890  the  for- 
mer's membership  and  prestige  had  dwindled  to  almost  nothing. 

During  the  nineties  and  the  first  decade  of  the  twentieth  century 
the  local  labor  movement  was  marked  by  the  increasing  strength  of 
the  federated  unions,  particularly  those  in  the  textile  industry. 
Socialists  had  entered  some  of  the  unions.  The  Industrial  Workers 
of  the  World  emerged  locally  in  this  period,  but  made  only  small 

154 


LABOR  AND  LABOR  PROBLEMS 

gains.  The  activity  of  the  textile  unions  of  Philadelphia  since  the 
eighties  had  paved  the  way  for  one  of  the  most  important  textile 
strikes  in  the  history  of  the  city  —  the  strike  for  a  55-hour  work 
week  in  1903.  The  city's  entire  textile  industry  was  forced  to  close 
down  when  75,000  workers  went  out.  The  strike  lasted  several 
months.  In  all  but  a  few  plants  the  workers  lost  the  strike. 

After  the  depression  of  1907,  business  conditions  improved  slowly, 
and  labor  began  to  press  the  fight  for  improved  standards  of  living. 
In  1909  the  streetcar  workers  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit 
Co.,  dissatisfied  with  their  wage  of  20  cents  an  hour,  went  on  strike 
for  a  four-cent  increase.  The  strike  was  defeated  by  the  company's 
use  of  strikebreakers.  A  year  later  the  P.R.T.  employees  struck  again, 
with  instructions  from  their  leaders  not  to  return  to  work  until  their 
union  was  recognized  by  the  company  and  the  wage  rate  increased 
from  20  to  25  cents  per  hour.  Strikebreakers  were  brought  in  to  run 
the  trolleys  and  break  up  the  strike.  Virtual  warfare  ensued,  much 
property  being  destroyed  and  many  persons  injured.  The  strike 
ended  in  defeat  for  the  workers.  A  sympathy  strike  of  15,000  textile 
workers,  called  by  the  textile  unions  when  the  street-car  men  went 
out,  gave  considerable  unity  and  impetus  to  the  local  labor  move- 
ment for  the  next  decade. 

To  meet  the  high  cost  of  living  that  prevailed  during  the  World 
War  period,  wages  for  labor  generally  were  raised.  Consequently, 
there  was  little  unrest  in  local  industry  throughout  the  war  years. 
In  1919  the  textile  workers  won  the  48-hour  week.  Collective  bargain- 
ing helped  to  preserve  stability  in  industrial  relations  until  the  de- 
pression of  1921,  when  the  open-shop  drive  of  certain  manufacturers 
started  a  wave  of  strikes  that  has  continued  unabated  up  to  1937. 
The  introduction  of  labor  spies,  "yellow-dog"  contracts,  and  strike- 
breaking tactics  has  served  to  sharpen  the  struggle  with  each  succeed- 
ing year. 

On  June  13,  1933,  Congress  passed  the  National  Industrial  Re- 
covery Act  to  speed  recovery,  to  foster  fair  competition,  and  to  pro- 
vide for  construction  of  certain  useful  public  works.  Section  7a  of 
the  act  provided  that  labor  should  have  the  right  to  organize  and 
bargain  collectively  through  representatives  of  its  own  choosing,  and 
section  7b  directed  that  the  President  should,  as  far  as  practicable, 
afford  every  opportunity  for  employers  and  employees  to  establish  by 
mutual  agreement  standard  maximum  hours  of  labor  and  minimum 
rates  of  pay.  In  order  to  speed  up  achievement  of  the  objectives  of 
the  NIRA,  a  blanket  code  was  presented  June  19.  This  code  set  maxi- 
mum hours  and  minimum  wages  for  labor. 

Section  7a  was  hailed  as  a  sort  of  Magna  Charta  for  the  working- 
man.  Immediately,  thousands  of  workers  began  drives  for  the  or- 
ganization of  trade  unions,  for  better  wages  and  shorter  hours.  Thou- 

155 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

sands  of  Philadelphia  workers  —  pocketbook  makers,  textile  workers, 
painters,  decorators  and  paperhangers,  cab  drivers,  necktie  workers, 
and  actors  went  on  strike. 

But  Section  7a  did  not  always  prove  a  boon  to  the  workers.  Em- 
ployers were  glad  to  seize  upon  the  minimum  wage  and  maximum 
hours  set  by  the  blanket  code,  and  thereby  lower  wages  to  a  mini- 
mum (if  they  had  previously  been  higher)  or  increase  the  number 
of  hours  to  maximum.  Or  they  chose  to  interpret  "organization  of 
own  choosing"  as  referring  to  the  company  type  of  union —  and  to 
refuse  to  recognize  bona  fide  unions.  And  a  labor  board  often  spent 
its  efforts  persuading  workers  to  return  to  shops  without  having  their 
demands  met. 

An  outstanding  example  of  defiance  of  the  NIRA  was  the  case  of 
the  E.  G.  Budd  Manufacturing  Co.  of  Philadelphia.  On  November 
14,  1933,  2,000  workers  in  this  plant  struck  for  a  wage  increase,  union 
recognition,  and  a  35-hour  week.  The  regional  labor  board  reviewed 
the  case  and  ordered  an  election  to  determine  which  organization 
should  be  the  collective  bargaining  agency.  The  company  defied  the 
ruling,  held  a  company  union  election,  and  hired  outsiders  to  re- 
place strikers.  Feeling  was  so  intense  that  Gen.  Hugh  Johnson, 
then  National  Recovery  Administrator,  gave  personal  attention  to 
the  case.  Finally  an  election  was  arranged  in  which  strikebreakers 
were  permitted  to  vote  as  well  as  strikers.  Vigorous  protest  arose  from 
labor  leaders  in  Philadelphia.  The  liberal  press  of  the  Nation  con- 
demned the  company.  However,  a  total  of  5,762  votes  were  cast,  the 
strike  eventually  ending  in  March  1934,  with  a  defeat  for  the  workers. 

One  factor  which  helped  mitigate  the  industrial  unrest  in  which 
Philadelphia,  a  "workshop  city,"  naturally  shared,  was  the  Regional 
Labor  Board,  one  of  the  17  erected  in  1933  as  an  adjunct  to  the 
N.R.A. 

Under  the  chairmanship  of  Jacob  Billikopf,  who  organized  and 
directed  the  handling  of  the  many  cases  brought  before  it,  this  board 
served  for  19  months  without  compensation,  adjudicating  nearly  a 
thousand  disputes  affecting  more  than  1,250,000  workers.  Its  novel 
technique,  a  panel  system,  was  among  the  factors  which  contributed 
to  the  board's  success  and  won  it  high  praise,  this  system  being  later 
followed  in  many  places.  Representatives  of  industry,  and  an  equal 
number  of  labor  leaders  were  drawn  upon  in  pairs  to  confer  with 
disputants  and  arrange  amicable  settlements  of  the  points  at  issue. 
Full  sessions  of  the  board  were  held  weekly.  Its  effectiveness  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  less  than  10  per  cent  of  the  cases  brought  before  it 
for  settlement  were  forwarded  to  the  national  body  in  Washington 
for  review. 

Violence  sometimes  accompanied  enforcement  of  the  provisions 
of  the  NIRA.  Two  hosiery  workers  were  killed  during  a  hosiery 

156 


LABOR  AND  LABOR  PROBLEMS 

strike,  and  many  arrests  were  made.  In  May  1935  the  NIRA  was 
declared  unconstitutional  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States, 
but  the  National  Labor  Relations  Act  which  set  up  a  National  Labor 
Relations  Board  became  a  law  in  July  of  that  year.  This  act  guarantees 
to  employees  the  right  to  organize  and  to  bargain  collectively,  and  has 
aided  in  bringing  about  a  better  mutual  understanding  between 
capital  and  labor.  Major  Stanley  W.  Root,  who  had  served  as  director 
of  the  Regional  Labor  Board,  was  named  regional  director  of  this  new 
group. 

The  city  body  of  American  Federation  of  Labor  trade  unions  in 
present-day  Philadelphia  is  the  Central  Labor  Union.  In  its  1935 
directory  that  organization  lists  187  locals  of  international  unions 
and  20  Federal  unions  as  affiliates.  Thirty-four  other  unions,  mostly 
in  the  railroad  trades,  are  listed  as  unaffiliated.  The  secretary  of  the 
local  American  Federation  of  Labor  estimated  that  some  225,000 
workers  were  organized  in  A.  F.  of  L.  unions  and  probably  about 
15,000  in  independent  unions.  Twenty  unions  received  Federal  char- 
ters during  1936. 

The  two  best  organized  trade  unions  in  Philadelphia  at  present 
are  those  of  the  clothing  and  the  textile  workers.  Most  of  the  original 
textile  workers  came  to  Philadelphia  from  England  and  Germany, 
with  long  traditions  of  unionism  behind  them.  Until  the  period  from 
1921  to  1931,  the  textile  industry  was  able  to  maintain  strong  unions. 
But  like  many  other  unions,  they  were  unable  to  survive  the  depres- 
sion of  1931.  Some  passed  out  of  existence.  Since  the  National  Re- 
covery Administration,  some  of  the  groups  —  especially  the  hosiery 
workers  —  have  been  able  to  strengthen  their  organizations  greatly. 

In  September  1934,  28,000  Philadelphia  textile  workers  from  200 
mills  joined  in  a  nation-wide  textile  strike.  The  strikers'  demands  in- 
cluded a  30-hour  week,  pay  increases,  a  closed  shop,  elimination  of 
the  "stretch-out"  system,  better  working  conditions  and  union  recog- 
nition. By  the  end  of  the  month,  peace  had  been  restored  in  all  but 
20  mills,  where  "lock-outs"  affected  2,000  workers.  It  was  at  the  re- 
quest of  President  Roosevelt  that  the  textile  employees  had  gone  back 
to  their  jobs.  Arbitration  followed,  in  which  their  demands  were 
lost  ;  but  at  least  one  outcome  of  the  struggle  was  the  President's 
creation  of  the  Textile  Relations  Board,  which  focused  attention  in 
particular  upon  the  "stretch-out"  system  denounced  by  labor. 

The  Philadelphia  department  stores  were  the  next  to  feel  the 
effects,  two  years  later,  of  a  serious  labor  dispute.  The  trouble  began 
in  November  1936,  with  a  walkout  of  warehouse  drivers  and  other 
warehouse  employees.  The  demand  was  for  increased  wages,  better 
working  conditions,  and  union  recognition.  The  warehouse  men  soon 
were  joined  by  clerks,  stockkeepers  and  the  sales  force  in  a  sym- 

157 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

pathy  walkout.  A  temporary  truce  was  agreed  upon  until  after 
Christmas,  when  representatives  of  labor  and  the  stores  met  with 
Mayor  S.  Davis  Wilson's  Labor  Arbitration  Board.  Settlement  of  the 
dispute  was  finally  arrived  at  in  May  1937.  This  was  one  of  104 
strikes  settled  by  the  board  during  the  16  months  of  its  existence. 

While  settlement  of  the  department  store  strike  was  pending,  Phila- 
delphia became  the  objective  of  a  drive  made  by  the  Committee  for 
Industrial  Organization,  or  CIO,  opposed  by  the  American  Feder- 
ation of  Labor  because  it  sponsored  industrial  organization  in  op- 
position to  craft  unionism.  It  first  appeared  in  the  city  on  January 
4,  1937,  when  it  sponsored  a  strike  of  1,800  employees  of  the  Electric 
Storage  Battery  Company. 

This  strike  was  Philadelphia's  first  experience  with  the  new  "sit- 
down"  technique.  All  the  company's  plants  were  effectually  closed 
until  February  24,  when  an  agreement  providing  for  a  five-cents-an- 
hour  wage  increase  and  one  week's  vacation  with  pay  was  signed  in 
Mayor  Wilson's  office. 

The  CIO  thus  came  out  the  winner  in  this  first  tilt,  and  the  result 
was  the  organization  of  the  Philadelphia  CIO  Council  in  March  1937. 
Craft  members  and  unorganized  workers  were  now  recruited  at  top 
speed,  and  within  60  days  the  CIO  membership  had  shot  up  to  10,000. 

A  truck  drivers'  strike  began  July  24  following,  in  which  the  CIO 
and  A.  F.  of  L.  affiliates  clashed.  A  reign  of  terror  in  which  a  driver 
was  dragged  from  his  truck  and  stabbed,  cabs  and  trucks  were  over- 
turned and  set  afire,  and  much  property  damaged  or  destroyed,  finally 
caused  the  Mayor  after  mobilizing  additional  police  force  to  quell 
the  violence,  to  declare  a  "state  of  emergency." 

Settlement  of  the  general  strike  was  effected  on  August  4  through 
an  exchange  of  letters  between  the  Mayor  and  an  attorney  for  the 
A.  F.  of  L.  union,  despite  which,  violence  and  disorder  ruled  the  city 
that  evening  and  the  following  day.  When  the  strike  was  called  off, 
no  contract  had  been  drawn  up  with  the  employer  with  regard  to  con- 
tract haulers. 


158 


RELIGIONS 


BEGINNING  as  a  wilderness  sanctuary  for  a  persecuted  religious 
sect,    Philadelphia    today    is    marked    by    hundreds    of    church 
steeples  pointing  high  above  surrounding  rooftops.  The  grave- 
yards in  the  shadow  of  these  churches  hold  the  mortal  remains  of 
Quaker,    Dunkard,    Catholic,    Lutheran,    Episcopalian,    Presbyterian, 
Baptist,  Jew  —  representatives  of  the  many  faiths  to  find  refuge  in 
Penn's  city. 

Many  of  the  churches  had  their  origin  in  meetings  held  outdoors, 
in  tiny  dwellings,  in  barns,  fortresses  —  or  even,  across  the  Atlantic, 
in  places  as  inaccessible  as  the  catacombs  themselves.  But  in  Phila- 
delphia there  was  no  need  to  hide,  so  the  spires  of  many  religious 
edifices  now  write  upon  the  sky  America's  guarantee  of  religious 
freedom. 

Lutheran 


LUTHERAN  Church  was  established  in  the  Philadelphia 
area  before  William  Penn  arrived  in  1682.  The  early  Swedish 
colonists  on  the  Delaware  were  Lutherans.  Some  of  these  organized 
a  congregation  at  Wicaco  (now  part  of  South  Philadelphia)  in  1638  ; 
at  Tinicum  in  1677  ;  and  in  the  Old  Swedes'  Church  (Gloria  Dei)  in 
1700.  By  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  descendants  of  the 
original  colonists  had  become  thoroughly  Anglicized,  and  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  Church,  Gloria  Dei,  became  Episcopalian. 

New  groups  of  Lutheran  immigrants  began  to  come  from  Germany, 
some  settling  in  and  about  Philadelphia,  especially  in  Germantown, 
before  the  turn  of  the  century.  After  1710  the  influx  of  German 
immigrants,  half  of  them  Lutherans,  assumed  larger  proportions. 
Some  of  them  gathered  for  worship  in  Germantown  as  early  as  1726, 
and  in  1730  they  had  erected  St.  Michael's.  By  1733  another  group 
was  worshiping  in  a  barn  on  Arch  Street  below  Fifth.  In  1742,  with 
the  arrival  of  the  noted  Dr.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg,  German 
Lutheranism  was  definitely  organized  and  assumed  its  place  in  the 
religious  life  of  Philadelphia.  The  Ministerium  of  Pennsylvania,  or- 
ganized by  Muhlenberg  and  others,  is  the  oldest  ecclesiastical  organi- 
zation of  its  kind  in  America,  dating  from  1747. 

Since  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  Lutheran  churches  in 
Philadelphia  have  multiplied  rapidly.  There  are  now  155  in  this 

159 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

area.  Most  of  them  are  affiliated  with  the  Ministerium  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  East  Pennsylvania  Synod. 

Friends — Hicksites^and^Orthodox 

r  I^HE  Society  of  Friends,  or  Quakers,  was  founded  in  England  in 

-*-  the   seventeenth   century  by   George   Fox.   One   of   his   followers, 

William  Penn,  obtained  in  1681  the  grant  of  Pennsylvania,  and  for 

70  years  the  influence  of  the  Friends  predominated  in  Philadelphia. 

The  essential  Christian  doctrines  of  the  Friends  were  in  accord 
with  those  of  their  fellow  Christians.  Their  distinctive  doctrine  was 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  spoke  immediately  to  the  individual,  a  precept 
often  called  the  "Inner  Light."  The  meetings  were  marked  by  silence, 
unless  some  individual  was  moved  by  the  Spirit  to  speak.  As  a  sect, 
Quakers  emphasized  spiritual  baptism  and  communion  rather  than 
the  outward  rites,  and  maintained  that  war  and  oaths  were  incon- 
sistent with  Christianity. 

In  1827  a  controversy  developed  between  two  groups  in  the  society. 
The  Orthodox  faction  contended  that  the  unsound  doctrines  of  the 
Hicksites  caused  the  difference  ;  the  Hicksites  charged  that  the 
Orthodox  were  arbitrary  in  authority.  The  Hicksites  apparently 
questioned  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  doctrine  of  atonement, 
and  the  inspiration  and  authority  of  the  Bible. 

The  Orthodox  Friends'  school  in  Philadelphia  is  Friends'  Select 
School  ;  the  Hicksite  Friends  are  represented  by  Friends'  Central 
School.  There  are  at  present  in  the  city  3,000  Orthodox  Friends,  with 
six  meetinghouses,  and  more  than  2,000  Hicksites,  with  four  meeting- 
houses. 

On  March  30,  1937,  the  two  groups  met  in  joint  session  for  the  first 
time  since  the  schism  of  1827,  when  they  gathered  at  the  Hicksite 
Meeting  House  to  plan  for  the  Friends'  World  Conference. 

Protestant  Episcopal 

PHE  first  Church  of  England  congregation  in  Pennsylvania  was 
-*-  organized  at  the  instance  of  Henry  Compton,  Bishop  of  London. 
Penn's  charter  specifically  empowered  the  bishop  to  establish  it.  As 
early  as  1695  a  small  group  of  churchmen  of  that  denomination  pur- 
chased a  plot  of  ground  on  Second  Street  and  erected  Christ  Church. 
Rev.  Thomas  Clayton,  appointed  by  Bishop  Compton,  came  from 
England  to  take  charge,  and  within  two  years,  under  his  active  leader- 
ship the  congregation  had  increased  from  50  persons  to  700. 

After  the  death  of  Rev.  Mr.  Clayton,  Rev.  Evan  Evans  arrived  in 
1700  to  take  his  place.  Evans  proved  eminently  fitted  for  advancing  the 
cause  of  religion  in  the  growing  town.  He  organized  many  congre- 

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RELIGION 

gallons  and  visited  them  frequently.  His  flock  in  Philadelphia  in- 
creased rapidly.  Four  additional  churches  had  been  erected  in  the 
surrounding  settlements  by  1704.  Rapid  growth  marked  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  faitk  until  the  Revolution,  at  which  time  congrega- 
tions were  split  by  Whig  and  Tory  sympathies. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War  the  church  was  bereft  of  its 
clergy.  Its  ministers  had  been  popularly  suspected  of  being  represen- 
tatives of  the  British  Government.  The  one  minister  remaining  in 
Pennsylvania,  one  who  had  been  a  confidant  of  Washington  and  the 
trusted  friend  of  patriot  leaders,  was  the  youthful  William  White. 
He  dedicated  all  his  energies  to  reconstruction  of  the  religious  heri- 
tage, exerting  strong  influence  upon  the  work  of  reestablishing  the 
spiritual  and  material  forces  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  His  immediate 
task  was  to  enlist  and  train  native-born  ministers.  In  1783  he  submitted 
to  his  vestry  a  proposal  to  form  a  representative  body  of  the  Epis- 
copal churches  in  the  State.  This  body  met  on  May  24,  1784,  and 
three  years  later  White  was  elected  to  the  episcopate. 

In  Colonial  times  most  of  the  prominent  non-Quaker  Philadel- 
phians  were  members  of  this  church.  At  present,  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  has  many  imposing  edifices  in  Philadelphia.  Christ 
Church  and  Gloria  Dei  are  the  oldest  of  this  list,  each  having  a  long 
and  rich  historical  tradition.  The  city's  total  number  of  communi- 
cants is  75,159. 

Presbyterian 

A  LTHOUGH  Philadelphia  was  destined  to  become  an  important 
^~*- center  of  Presbyterian  influence,  Presbyterianism  in  America 
antedates  its  first  congregation  in  Philadelphia  by  more  than  half 
a  century.  A  congregation  existed  in  Virginia  as  early  as  1614,  and 
another  was  organized  in  New  England  August  6,  1629.  But  these 
were  antedated  by  a  church  in  the  Bermudas  founded  in  1612. 

In  1692  groups  of  Baptists  and  Presbyterians  met  in  the  old  Bar- 
bados storehouse,  Second  and  Chestnut  Streets,  to  lay  the  foundation 
for  both  denominations.  One  group  held  morning  services  and  the 
other  met  in  the  afternoon.  This  association  continued  for  three  years, 
until  the  arrival  from  New  England  of  Jedediah  Andrews.  The  con- 
gregation in  the  Barbados  storehouse  became  strictly  Presbyterian 
under  his  pastoral  guidance,  the  Baptists  withdrawing.  The  year  1698 
is  generally  accepted  as  the  date  of  the  organization  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Philadelphia. 

By  1704  the  congregation  had  so  increased  as  to  be  able  to  erect  a 
building  of  its  own  on  High  (now  Market)  Street  between  Second 
and  Third.  Two  years  later  the  first  presbytery  met  there.  The  num- 
ber of  Presbyterians  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  by  1716  that  the 

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PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

presbytery  felt  justified  in  constituting  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia. 
The  meeting  for  organization  was  held  in  First  Presbyterian  Church. 
It  was  here  also,  that  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  was  organized. 

First  Church  continued  as  the  sole  Presbyterian  church  in  the  city 
until,  in  1743,  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized,  with 
Gilbert  Tennent  as  pastor.  The  formation  of  this  church  came  as  a 
direct  result  of  the  preaching  activities  of  Tennent  and  George  White- 
field  at  the  time  of  the  "Great  Awakening."  In  1762  Third  Presby- 
terian Church  was  founded.  Construction  of  the  church  building  on 
Pine  Street  near  Fourth  was  not  begun,  however,  until  1766.  When 
the  present  structure  was  erected  in  1857,  a  section  of  the  wall  of  the 
original  building  was  retained.  The  fourth  Presbyterian  society  to  be 
organized  was  the  Church  of  the  Northern  Liberties,  established  in 
1813. 

The  close  of  the  Colonial  period,  therefore,  found  Philadelphia 
Presbyterians  with  four  distinct  societies  in  four  houses  of  worship. 
At  present  there  are  108  Presbyterian  churches  and  a  Presbyterian 
population  of  61,000  in  the  city. 

Baptist 

THE  first  permanent  Baptist  church  established  in  Philadelphia 
and  still  existing  is  that  known  as  the  Lower  Dublin  or  the  Old 
Pennepek  (Pennypack)  Church.  Organized  in  January  1688  by  Rev. 
Elias  Keach,  it  is  termed  "Mother  of  All  Baptist  Churches  in  Penn- 
sylvania, New  Jersey,  New  York,  Delaware,  and  Maryland,"  although 
a  Baptist  congregation  existed  as  early  as  1684  at  Cold  Spring,  near 
Bristol.  Services  of  the  present  congregation  are  held  in  an  edifice 
on  Krewstown  Road,  near  Welsh  Road,  in  the  Bustleton  section. 

The  present  First  Baptist  Church  of  Penn's  city  was  founded  in 
1698  as  a  branch  of  that  at  Lower  Dublin,  and  was  not  formally  con- 
stituted until  1746.  (Until  1698  services  were  held  in  the  Barbados 
storehouse).  The  present  house  of  worship  is  at  Sansom  and  Seven- 
teenth Streets. 

The  number  of  Baptists  grew  rapidly,  and  the  city  became  the 
center  of  Baptist  activities.  Perhaps  the  most  noted  leader  in  the 
city  was  Rev.  Dr.  Russell  H.  Conwell,  who  became  pastor  of  Grace 
Baptist  Church  in  1881.  Largely  by  lecturing,  Dr.  Conwell  raised 
more  than  $8,000,000,  with  which  sum  he  founded  Temple  University 
and  three  great  hospitals  :  Samaritan  (now  Temple  University  Hos- 
pital), Garretson,  and  Greatheart.  From  a  little,  debt-ridden  mission, 
Grace  Church  became  the  Grace  Baptist  Temple  at  Broad  and 
Berks  Streets,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  3,500.  Out  of  a  class  of  two 
or  three  young  men  meeting  in  the  pastor's  study  grew  the  great 

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RELIGION 

Temple  University  from  which,  at  the  time  of  Dr.  Conwell's  death 
in  1925,  approximately  125,000  students  had  been  graduated. 

Among  the  larger  Baptist  churches,  in  addition  to  those  mentioned, 
are  :  Alpha,  York  and  Hancock  Streets  ;  Chestnut  Street,  Chestnut 
Street  west  of  Fortieth  ;  and  Second,  Second  Street  near  Girard 
Avenue.  The  Baptist  membership  in  the  metropolitan  area  of  Phila- 
delphia numbers  46,162  white  and  approximately  50,000  Negro  wor- 
shipers. 

Mennonite 

A  GROUP  of  a  dozen  small  bodies  of  Mennonites  regard  Menno 
Simons,  a  Dutch  Anabaptist,  as  their  founder.  Most  of  them 
came  to  America  from  Holland,  Germany,  Switzerland,  or  Russia. 

The  first  Mennonite  colony  was  formed  in  Germantown  in  1683 
by  some  of  the  13  original  settlers.  By  1708  they  had  built  a  little 
log  meetinghouse  on  Main  Street  (now  Germantown  Avenue)  above 
Herman  Street.  William  Rittenhouse  was  the  first  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregation. He  is  buried  in  the  adjoining  graveyard.  In  1770  the 
present  Mennonite  Meetinghouse  replaced  the  log  structure. 

Members  of  the  sect  believe  in  adult  baptism,  non-resistance,  and 
practical  piety,  and  are  opposed  to  the  judicial  oath.  The  Mennonites 
(General  Conference)  have  800  members  and  three  churches  in 
Philadelphia  ;  and  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ,  with  400  mem- 
bers, also  have  three  churches. 

Brethren 

I.     Brethren  Church  (Progressive  Dunkards) . 
II.     Church  of  the  Brethren   (Conservative  Dunkards). 
Y I  ^HIS  religious  group  represents  the  Pietists  who  came  from  Cre- 
-*-  feld,  Germany,  under  the  leadership  of  Peter  Becker,  and  settled 
in  Germantown  in  1719.  At  6611  Germantown  Avenue  is  the  meeting- 
house which  sheltered  the  mother  congregation  of  the  sect  in  America. 
The  front  section  of  the  building  was  erected  in  1770.  The  first  Bible 
printed  in  this  country  in  German  came  from  the  press  of  Christopher 
Saur,  or  Sauer,  a  member  of  this  congregation. 

These  Germans  were  called  Dunkers  (baptizers),  because  of  their 
belief  in  immersionism.  Their  communion  was  held  in  the  evening, 
preceded  by  the  rite  of  foot  washing  and  the  love  feast.  Simple,  plain- 
living,  devout  Christians  of  the  evangelical  type,  they  are  conserva- 
tive regarding  attire  ;  they  are  opposed  to  taking  oaths  ;  and  they 
advocate  non-resistance  and  temperance. 

The  Progressives,  who  are  more  liberal  in  their  customs  and  man- 
ners, and  who  believe  that  all  ecclesiastical  power  should  be  lodged 

163 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

in  the  local  church,  withdrew  from  the  main  body  in  1882.  They 
have  300  members  and  two  churches  here.  The  Conservatives  have 
1,500  members  and  five  churches. 

Reformed 

THE  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  until  1869  known  as 
the  German  Reformed  Church,  developed  as  a  result  of  religious 
persecution  in  Germany  and  Switzerland.  Many  did  not  subscribe  to 
the  doctrines  of  Luther,  finding  the  teachings  of  Zwingli  and  Calvin 
more  -acceptable. 

When,  in  1684,  the  first  of  these  refugees  came  to  America,  the  Re- 
formed Church  had  its  inception  in  the  New  World,  although  it  did 
not  become  fully  organized  until  1725.  The  vast  majority  of  the  new 
settlers  flocked  to  Pennsylvania,  most  of  them  proceeding  inland  be- 
yond Philadelphia  to  what  is  now  Montgomery  County.  The  first 
German  Reformed  minister  to  arrive  was  Samuel  Guldin,  who 
preached  in  Germantown  in  1718. 

The  First  Reformed  Church  of  Philadelphia,  founded  in  1727, 
was  the  first  of  this  denomination  in  the  city.  Now  at  Fiftieth  and 
Locust  Streets,  it  is  one  of  27  Reformed  churches  in  the  Philadelphia 
area.  Heidelberg,  Broad  and  Grange  Streets  ;  Trinity,  Broad  and 
Venango  Streets  ;  and  Grace,  Eleventh  and  Huntingdon  Streets,  have 
the  largest  congregations. 

Evangelical  and  Reformed 

HPHE  Evangelical  and  Reformed  Church  was  formed  in  1934  by  a 
••-  union  of  the  Evangelical  Synod  of  North  America  and  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  the  United  States   (German  Reformed) . 

The  Evangelical  Synod  traces  its  origin  from  missionaries  of  the 
Evangelical  Church  of  Germany  and  Switzerland,  who  organized  a 
synod  in  1840  at  Gravois,  Mo.  The  first  recorded  communion  service 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States  was  held  in  1725.  The 
original  German  Reformed  Church  building  was  erected  in  German- 
town  in  1733,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Market  Square  Presby- 
terian Church.  In  1747  a  church  was  built  in  Philadelphia  proper,  on 
Race  Street  near  Fourth.  Members  of  both  churches  numbered  15,800 
in  1937. 

Roman  Catholic 

OF  ALL  who  sought  friendly  shelter  in  Penn's  Province,  to  none 
was  it  a  more  welcome  haven  than  to  the  Catholics.  Subjected  to 
the  lash  of  persecution  elsewhere,  they  found  a  true  refuge  in  Phila- 
delphia. Here  they  could  worship  openly. 

164 


St.  Paul's  Protestant 

Episcopal   Church 

"Here      Stephen      Giran 

was  married;  here  Edwii 

Forrest    lies" 


tenton  House 
"Home   of 

illiam   Penns 
Secretary" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

A  chapel  was  established  about  1729  in  a  private  house  next  to 
the  southeast  corner  of  Second  and  Chestnut  Streets.  Although  prior 
to  this  period  Mass  was  celebrated  in  private  homes  by  visiting  Jesuits, 
this  chapel  marked  the  beginning  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
here. 

Father  Joseph  Greaton,  a  Jesuit  who  arrived  in  Philadelphia  in 
1729,  was  the  first  to  exercise  his  ministry  in  this  humble  place.  Later, 
in  the  years  between  1731  and  1733,  the  exact  time  not  being  clear, 
he  built  the  tiny  chapel  of  St.  Joseph,  oldest  Catholic  church  in  Phila- 
delphia. The  present  building,  which  was  erected  in  1838,  is  the 
fourth  structure  on  that  site.  Standing  in  Willing's  Alley,  between 
Third  and  Fourth  Streets,  and  surrounded  by  the  offices  of  large  in- 
surance companies,  it  is  of  lasting  interest  because  of  its  association 
with  Colonial  and  Revolutionary  times. 

Father  Greaton's  two  successors  were  responsible  for  new  edifices. 
St.  Mary's,  on  Fourth  Street  north  of  Spruce,  was  erected  in  1763 
through  the  work  of  Father  Harding.  Father  Molyneux  opened  a 
parish  school  there  in  1782.  Father  Steinmeyer,  a  German  Jesuit,  who 
assisted  Father  Harding  and  Father  Molyneux,  was  instrumental  in 
settling  difficulties  between  Catholics  of  German  origin  and  those  of 
Irish  origin.  In  addition  to  his  activities  among  the  Germans  in  Phila- 
delphia, he  journeyed  as  a  missionary  through  Pennsylvania,  New 
Jersey,  and  New  York.  The  colonists  knew  him  as  "Father  Farmer." 

After  "Father  Farmer's"  death,  the  German  Catholics  felt  the  need 
of  a  church  of  their  own,  and  in  1788  built  Holy  Trinity  Church  at 
Sixth  and  Spruce  Streets.  Of  red  and  black  glazed  brick,  this  edifice 
appears  now  substantially  as  it  did  when  first  built. 

In  1793  there  arose  a  demand  for  a  church  in  the  northern  section 
of  the  city.  Opportunely,  the  Augustinians  were  seeking  to  establish 
their  order  in  the  United  States,  and  to  them  was  entrusted  the  pro- 
ject of  erecting  a  new  church.  St.  Augustine's  was  dedicated  in  1801. 
The  present  structure,  rebuilt  in  1847,  stands  on  the  original  site,  on 
Fourth  Street  between  Race  and  Vine. 

Until  1808  the  Catholic  Church  in  Philadelphia  had  been  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Bishop  of  Baltimore.  In  that  year,  however, 
the  city  was  proclaimed  a  separate  diocese,  and  two  years  later  Bishop 
Egan  was  installed  as  the  first  Bishop  of  Philadelphia. 

In  1832  Bishop  Francis  P.  Kenrick  established,  in  an  upstairs  room 
of  St.  Mary's  rectory  on  Fourth  Street,  what  eventually  became  the 
diocesan  seminary  of  St.  Charles  Borromeo.  The  first  class  consisted 
of  five  students.  In  1871  the  seminary  was  transferred  to  its  present 
site  in  Overbrook.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  his  21-vear  administra- 
tion Bishop  Kenrick  chose  a  site  at  Eighteenth  and  Race  Streets  for 
a  cathedral.  The  first  Mass  was  sung  in  the  Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter 
and  Paul  on  Easter  Sunday,  1862. 

166 


RELIGION 

John  Nepomucene  Neumann,  a  Redemptorist,  was  made  bishop  of 
the  diocese  in  March  1852.  One  of  his  first  acts  was  to  provide  Catholic 
schools.  At  his  death  eight  years  later,  they  numbered  nearly  100. 
Bishop  Neumann  has  been  proclaimed  "Blessed"  by  the  Church. 
This  is  a  step  preliminary  to  placing  him  on  the  calendar  of  saints. 

In  1868,  the  Holy  See  divided  the  diocese  of  Philadelphia,  establish- 
ing a  new  diocese  at  Scranton  and  another  at  Harrisburg.  Philadel- 
phia was  elevated  to  the  rank  of  a  Metropolitan  See  in  1875. 

His  Eminence,  Cardinal  Dougherty,  has  been  Archbishop  of  Phila- 
delphia since  July  1918.  In  1921  he  was  created  cardinal.  The  Catholic 
population  of  the  archdiocese  is  estimated  at  837,000. 

Moravian 

IHOLLOWERS  of  the  pre-Reformation  faith  of  Johann  Huss,  the 
-*-  Moravian  immigrants  first  settled  in  Georgia  in  1735.  They  moved 
to  Pennsylvania  in  1740,  built  the  towns  of  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth, 
and  for  some  time  adopted  a  form  of  communism  to  help  them  in 
their  efforts  to  conquer  the  wilderness.  Under  Count  Zinzendorf  they 
cultivated  a  closely  supervised  spiritual  discipline  and  endeavored  to 
separate  themselves  from  the  world.  The  Moravian  Church  is  broadly 
evangelical,  and  has  a  liturgy  and  an  episcopal  form  of  government. 
The  first  Moravian  church  was  built  in  Philadelphia  in  1742,  at 
Race  and  Broad  Streets,  through  the  efforts  and  ministry  of  Count 
Zinzendorf.  The  Moravians  have  1,000  members  in  Philadelphia,  with 
three  churches. 

Judaism 

Tj1  ROM  a  few  scattered  pioneers  in  1720  to  a  total  of  247,000  in 
-*-  1936  —  such  is  the  growth  of  Judaism  and  the  Jewish  population 
in  Philadelphia. 

In  1747  the  first  congregation  in  the  city  was  begun,  later  acquir- 
ing the  name  of  Kahal  Kadosh  Mikveh  Israel.  It  is  believed  to  have 
held  services  in  a  small  house  in  Sterling  Alley,  which  ran  from 
Cherry  Street  to  Race,  just  below  Front.  The  first  synagogue  was 
erected  on  Cherry  Street  between  Third  and  Fourth  and  dedicated 
in  1782,  with  Rabbi  Gershon  Mendes  Israel  Seixas  as  first  minister. 

The  services  of  Mikveh  Israel  closely  resembled  the  Orthodox 
ritual  of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Jews.  Many  of  the  early  mem- 
bers were  refugees  from  the  Spanish  Inquisition.  The  first  Hebrew 
Sunday  School  in  America  opened  in  Philadelphia  on  March  4,  1838, 
as  an  adjunct  to  Mikveh  Israel  Congregation.  Chief  organizer  of  the 
school  was  Rebecca  Gratz,  noted  for  her  talent  and  beauty,  as  well  as 
for  her  strict  adherence  to  the  tenets  of  Judaism. 

167 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Mikveh  Israel  has  had  many  noted  members  during  its  long  history. 
Among  them  were  Isaac  Leeser,  first  American  to  translate  the  Old 
Testament  into  English,  and  editor  of  an  important  Jewish  magazine, 
The  Occident ;  Rabbi  Sabato  Morais,  founder  of  the  Jewish  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  New  York,  a  profound  scholar  and  a  doctor  of 
laws  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  ;  Marcus  Jastrow,  author  of 
the  only  Talmudic  dictionary  in  English  ;  Joseph  Krauskopf,  founder 
of  the  National  Farm  School,  in  Doylestown  ;  Samuel  Hirsch,  na- 
tionally known  religious  orator  ;  and  Henry  Berkowitz,  founder  of 
the  Jewish  Chautauqua  Society.  In  1860  Mikveh  Israel  was  removed 
to  Seventh  Street  above  Arch.  It  is  now  located  at  Broad  and  York 
Streets. 

The  first  synagogue  of  the  German  Jews  was  Rodeph  Shalom, 
chartered  in  1802.  First  worship  was  held  in  a  building  on  Pear  Street, 
later  on  Margaretta  Street,  then,  in  1846,  on  Juliana  (now  Randolph) 
Street,  which  lies  between  and  parallel  to  Fifth  and  Sixth.  In  1870 
the  congregation  dedicated  a  new  synagogue  at  Broad  and  Mt.  Vernon 
Streets.  The  present  imposing  synagogue  was  erected  in  1927. 

For  some  time  this  congregation  was  strictly  Orthodox,  but  in  1866. 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Jastrow,  many  innovations  of  the  liberal 
wing  of  Judaism  were  adopted.  With  the  coming  of  Rabbi  Henry 
Berkowitz  in  1892,  the  congregation  definitely  allied  itself  with  Re- 
formed Judaism,  and  is  today  one  of  the  outstanding  Reformed  Con- 
gregations of  America.  In  1887  Rodeph  Shalom  built  a  school  at  956 
North  Eighth  Street.  The  Jewish  Cultural  Association  also  developed 
from  this  congregation. 

The  third  synagogue  in  Philadelphia  was  known  as  Beth  Israel, 
and  held  its  first  services  in  a  rented  hall  near  Fifth  and  Walnut 
Streets  in  December  1840.  The  synagogue  is  now  at  Thirty-second 
Street  and  Montgomery  Avenue. 

The  Reformed  Congregation,  Keneseth  Israel,  largest  in  the  city, 
was  organized  in  1847.  Services  were  held  in  a  hall  at  528  North 
Second  Street.  At  present  the  synagogue  is  on  Broad  Street  above 
Columbia  Avenue.  The  congregation  supports  a  free  library  and  read- 
ing room.  There  were  about  10  synagogues  in  Philadelphia  in  1875. 
At  the  end  of  1935  there  were  119. 

Methodist  Episcopal 

1%/|  ETHODISM  was  introduced  into  Philadelphia  in  1769  by  Dr. 
-^••-Joseph  Pilmoor,  who  preached  his  first  sermon  from  the  steps 
of  the  State  House.  His  teachings,  however,  were  not  entirely  new, 
for  a  year  earlier  Thomas  Webb,  a  captain  in  the  British  army,  had 
conducted  services.  Later,  sermons  were  delivered  by  Dr.  Pilmoor  in 
open  fields  around  the  city.  Dr.  Pilmoor  was  assisted  by  Captain 

168 


RELIGION 

Webb.  Many  were  impressed  by  the  latter's  stern  mien.  The  first 
regular  meetings  were  held  in  a  pothouse  in  Loxley's  Court,  between 
Arch  and  Cherry  Streets. 

The  first  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  America  actually  was  the 
present  St.  George's,  Fourth  Street  north  of  Race.  It  was  an  un- 
finished building  when  purchased  from  the  Dutch  settlers  in  1769, 
and  remained  floorless  even  up  to  Revolutionary  times.  During  the 
British  occupation  the  building  was  used  as  headquarters  for  cavalry. 

Outstanding  among  Methodist  Episcopal  churches  in  this  city  are 
the  Arch  Street  at  Broad  and  Arch  Streets  ;  Calvary  at  Forty-eighth 
Street  and  Baltimore  Avenue  ;  and  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  of 
Germantown  at  6023  Germantown  Avenue.  The  church  population  of 
the  Philadelphia  Conference  is  more  than  100,000.  The  Philadelphia 
membership  ranges  from  40,000  to  65,000  with  132  churches,  20  of 
which  are  for  Negroes. 

Universalist 

l^kRGANIZATION  of  the  Universalists  in  this  city  into  a  separate 
^^  church  came  about  as  a  result  of  a  dispute  arising  in  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia.  Its  pastor  privately  upheld  the  doc- 
trine of  universal  salvation.  His  views,  becoming  a  subject  of  con- 
troversy, led  to  excommunication  of  himself  and  his  followers.  This 
ousted  group  called  themselves  Universal  Baptists. 

In  1770  a  group  gathered  by  the  Rev.  John  Murry  absorbed  the 
greater  part  of  the  Universal  Baptists,  and  the  First  Universalist 
Church  of  Philadelphia  was  formed.  This  body  erected  a  church 
building  on  Lombard  Street  west  of  Fourth  in  1793. 

Today  the  principal  Universalist  Church  in  Philadelphia  is  the 
Church  of  the  Messiah,  at  Broad  Street  and  Montgomery  Avenue. 

Unitarian 

HE  First  Unitarian  Church  of  Philadelphia,  first  of  all  existing 
churches  in  America  to  take  the  Unitarian  name,  was  organized 
in  1796  under  Dr.  Joseph  Priestley,  eminent  scientist.  Dr.  Priestley 
came  to  Philadelphia  in  1794  from  Birmingham,  England,  and  began 
preaching  in  this  city. 

John  Adams,  the  Nation's  second  President,  was  a  member  of  the 
Unitarian  Church  of  Quincy,  Mass.  While  he  was  President,  he 
attended  services  at  the  First  Unitarian  Church  in  Philadelphia. 

The  present  parish  house  of  the  First  Unitarian  Church,  on  Chest- 
nut Street  east  of  Twenty-second,  was  built  in  1886.  There  is  only 
one  other  church  of  this  denomination  in  Philadelphia,  the  German- 
town  Unitarian  Church  at  6511  Lincoln  Drive, 

169 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
United  Brethren  in  Christ 

DURING  the  last  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  Philip  William  Ot- 
terbein,  a  missionary  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  and 
Martin  Boehm,  of  the  Mennonite  communion,  feeling  the  need  of  a 
deeper  spiritual  life,  conducted  evangelistic  services  throughout  Penn- 
sylvania and  the  neighboring  States.  They  gained  converts  rapidly, 
and  in  1800  there  was  formed  a  distinct  ecclesiastical  body  —  the 
United  Brethren  in  Christ.  The  church  was  a  natural  development 
of  the  spiritual  needs  of  many  German-Americans.  Philadelphia  to- 
day has  700  members  of  this  faith,  with  four  churches. 

Christian  Science 

HPHE  advent  of  Christian  Science  into  Philadelphia  was  not  a 
•*-  heralded  event.  The  seedling  was  planted  in  the  later  years  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  and  in  1906  work  was  begun  on  the  erection 
of  the  First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  on  Walnut  Street  west  of 
Fortieth.  The  building  was  completed  in  1910.  From  that  date  until 
its  dedication  in  1911  sufficient  subscriptions  were  received  to  com- 
plete payment  on  its  construction  and  to  form  the  nucleus  of  a  fund 
for  the  building  of  the  Second  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  at  5443 
Greene  Street,  Germantown.  There  are  four  other  churches,  each 
with  its  own  reading  room.  Jointly  they  maintain  a  city  reading  room 
in  the  Fidelity-Philadelphia  Trust  Building  at  Broad  and  Sansom 
Streets. 

Spiritualists 

SPIRITUALISM  had  its  origin  in  the  alleged  spirit  tappings  heard 
^by  the  Fox  sisters  of  Hydesville,  N.  Y.,  in  1848.  Through  the  work 
of  the  elder  sister  the  sect  spread  rapidly. 

There  are  five  churches  in  Philadelphia:  First  Association  of 
Spiritualists  at  Carlisle  and  Master  Streets  ;  Third  Spiritualist  Church 
at  1421  North  Sixteenth  Street  ;  Universal  Spiritualist  Brotherhood 
Church  at  3012  West  Girard  Avenue  ;  All  Saints  Spiritual  Church 
at  2026  Glenwood  Avenue  ;  and  St.  John's  Spiritual  Alliance  Church 
at  805  West  Lehigh  Avenue. 

Seamen's  Church  Institute 

A  LMOST  a  century  ago  a  barge  which  had  been  converted  into  a 
-^~*-  floating  church  was  towed  down  the  Delaware  River,  moored  to 
a  wharf  at  Dock  Street,  and  opened  as  a  seamen's  church.  Arrival  of 
the  "floating  church"  aroused  a  great  deal  of  interest,  and  throngs 
of  visitors  inspected  this  unusual  structure. 

170 


Gateway   of   Old   Christ   Church 
'Come  to  me,  all  ye  who  labor   .    . 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

After  sufficient  money  was  subscribed  the  church  was  consecrated 
by  Rt.  Rev.  Alonzo  Potter,  and  regular  Sunday  services  were  begun. 
This  was  the  origin  of  what  is  now  the  Seamen's  Church  Institute. 
Work  of  the  mission  was  transferred  later  to  quarters  at  Catharine 
and  Swanson  Streets,  and  in  1878  to  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer, 
Front  and  Queen  Streets. 

In  1920  the  institute  was  incorporated  as  an  independent  inter- 
denominational society  for  rendering  every  service  possible  to  sea- 
men, and  was  moved  to  its  present  location,  Second  and  Walnut 
Streets.  Within  a  year  adjoining  properties  were  acquired.  In  1927 
the  M.  Clark  Mariner  Home  for  Aged  and  Disabled  Mariners  was 
merged  with  the  institute.  More  recently  the  Pennsylvania  Seamen's 
Friend,  which  had  operated  a  sailors'  home  at  422  South  Front  Street, 
transferred  its  work  to  the  institute. 

Miscellaneous 

OTHER  churches  represented  in  Philadelphia  are  :  Latter  Day 
Saints,  one  church,  400  members  ;  Catholic  Apostolic,  one  church 
300  members  ;  Church  of  God  in  North  America  (General  Elder- 
ship) ,  one  church,  116  members  ;  Congregational  and  Christian,  eight 
churches,  1,800  members  ;  Christian  Church  Disciples  of  Christ, 
four  churches,  1,900  members  ;  Dutch  Reformed,  four  churches,  1,200 
members  ;  Church  of  God,  three  churches,  150  members  ;  Seventh 
Day  Adventists,  seven  churches,  2,500  members  ;  Evangelical  Con- 
gregational, two  churches,  389  members  ;  Reformed  Episcopal,  ten 
churches,  2,677  members. 

Among  the  denominations  represented  in  the  Philadelphia  Federa- 
tion of  Churches  and  not  previously  mentioned  are  :  United  Brethren, 
Christian  Missionary  Alliance,  Covenanters,  Methodist  Free,  Methodist 
Protestant,  Pentecostal,  Primitive  Methodist,  Reformed  Presbyterian, 
Undenominational,  and  United  Presbyterian. 

Of  the  Orthodox  (Eastern)  Churches,  the  Greek  Hellenic  has  one 
church  and  3,000  members  in  Philadelphia  ;  the  Russian  (under 
the  Patriarch  of  Moscow)  has  three  churches  and  2,266  members  ; 
the  Rumanian  (under  the  Patriarch  of  Bucharest)  has  one  church 
and  400  members  ;  the  Independent  Russian  and  the  Albanian  Ortho- 
dox have  each  one  church  and  500  members. 

The  Church  of  the  New  Jerusalem  (Swedenborgian)  has  two 
churches  in  Philadelphia  ;  the  Schwenkfelders,  one.  The  Ethical  Cul- 
ture Society,  with  local  headquarters  at  1906  Rittenhouse  Square,  has 
a  membership  of  800.  The  organization  known  as  Jehovah's  Witnesses 
has  headquarters  at  1620  North  Broad  Street  ;  this  group  has  no 
membership  rolls,  and  meetings  are  held  in  private  homes. 

172 


EDUCATION 


THE  Dutch  and  Swedes,  Perm's  predecessors  in  the  "Grove  of 
Tall  Pines,"  laid  the  foundations  for  public  instruction.  Men 
who  had  to  rely  for  survival  almost  entirely  upon  the  strength 
of  their  backs  and  the  brawn  of  their  arms  realized  that  continued 
progress  and  development  depended  upon  how  well  the  minds  of 
their  children  were  sharpened  upon  the  whetstone  of  knowledge. 

Accordingly,  a  school  was  established  on  Tinicum  Island  in  1642, 
with  Christopher  Taylor  at  its  head.  In  1657  Evert  Pietersen  con- 
ducted a  school  for  Dutch  children  of  new  villages  near  Tinicum. 

Penn  thus  found  education  established,  in  a  small  way,  when  he 
arrived  here.  One  of  his  first  acts  was  to  direct  the  Pennsylvania 
Council  to  begin  a  school  wherein  the  youth  might  be  trained.  Several 
enterprising  tutors  managed  to  obtain  a  few  pupils  from  the  wealthier 
immigrants.  Enoch  Flower,  a  teacher  for  20  years,  was  summoned 
from  England  in  1683  to  take  charge  of  a  school  established  by  the 
council.  Charges  per  quarter  were  four  shillings  to  read  English,  six 
shillings  for  reading  and  writing,  and  eight  shillings  for  reading  and 
writing  and  "casting  accounts."  Flower  also  took  pupils  to  board  with 
him  at  £10  a  year. 

Founding  of  the  Friends'  Public  School,  now  William  Penn  Char- 
ter School,  was  one  of  the  important  early  steps  leading  to  establish- 
ment of  the  public  school  system.  The  school  was  opened  in  1689  on 
Fourth  Street  below  Chestnut,  and  was  chartered  in  1697.  Conducted 
by  Quakers,  it  admitted  pupils  of  every  creed  and  gave  instruction 
free  to  indigent  children.  George  Keith  was  headmaster. 

The  University  of  Pennsylvania  was  founded  in  1749  by  Benjamin 
Franklin  and  a  group  of  citizens  interested  in  the  "establishment  of 
educational  facilities  for  the  youth  of  the  Pennsylvania  colony." 
Classes  began  in  1751  in  a  two-story  brick  building  which  had  been 
erected  for  religious  services  at  Fourth  and  Arch  Streets.  Franklin 
was  the  first  president  of  the  board  of  trustees. 

The  first  charter  was  granted  in  1753,  and  a  second  charter  grant- 
ing the  right  to  confer  degrees  was  issued  in  1755.  Later,  the  first 
medical  school  in  America  was  established.  In  1779  the  charter  be- 
came vested  in  "The  Trustees  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania," and  professional  schools,  distinct  from  the  college,  were 
instituted. 

m 


Board  of  Education  Administration  Building 


Penn  Charter  School 
"The  first   established  school  of  Philadelphia' 


EDUCATION 

The  first  law  school  in  the  Nation  was  established  in  1789  and 
three  years  later  the  college  and  the  university  were  merged  and 
incorporated  under  the  title  of  "The  University  of  Pennsylvania." 

In  1829  the  institution  moved  to  Ninth  and  Chestnut  Streets  and 
thence  to  its  present  site  at  Thirty-fourth  Street  and  Woodland  Ave- 
nue, in  1872.  The  following  year  the  college  buildings,  Logan  Hall, 
Hare  Laboratory  and  the  main  building  of  University  Hospital  were 
constructed.  From  this  time  forward,  the  institution  expanded  rapidly, 
adding  new  buildings  and  increasing  the  courses  to  such  extent 
that  the  university  today  has  a  faculty  numbering  1,333  and  a  student 
enrollment  of  about  15,000.  The  campus  covers  106  acres  and  con- 
tains a  total  of  164  buildings.  The  total  property  value  is  about 
$35,000,000,  and  the  endowment  funds  amount  to  $19,000,000. 

Temple  University  was  founded  in  1884  by  Dr.  Russell  H.  Conwell, 
pastor  of  Grace  Baptist  Temple,  Broad  and  Berks  Streets.  The  in- 
stitution began  when  Dr.  Conwell  started  evening  classes  in  his 
church  for  a  small  group  of  young  men  who  desired  to  study  for  the 
ministry.  From  this  modest  beginning,  the  idea  expanded  so  that  op- 
portunity for  study  was  made  available  to  poor  students  seeking 
higher  education. 

Today  the  university  has  more  than  12,000  students  enrolled. 
Its  buildings  occupy  an  entire  block  on  the  east  side  of  Broad  Street, 
from  Montgomery  Avenue  to  Berks  Street.  Other  buildings  include 
Temple  University  Medical  College  and  Hospital  at  Broad  and  On- 
tario Streets  ;  the  former  Oak  Lane  Country  Day  School  in  Oak  Lane; 
and  the  School  of  Art  in  Elkins  Park.  The  university  is  maintained 
by  two  funds,  one  being  obtained  from  student  tuition,  the  other 
from  periodic  appropriations  made  by  the  State. 

In  1761  the  Germantown  Academy  was  established  in  BenselFs 
(now  School  House)  Lane,  Germantown.  It  was  sponsored  by  Ger- 
man settlers  and  English  Quakers.  It  is  the  oldest  school  in  the  United 
States  having  a  continuous  existence  in  the  same  building.  Twenty- 
three  years  after  its  founding  the  school  obtained  a  charter  as  the 
Public  School  of  Germantown,  but  an  advertisement  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Gazette  of  1794  listed  it  as  Germantown  Academy,  and  that 
name  has  been  retained. 

These  new  schools  did  not,  however,  alleviate  the  sore  need  for 
educational  facilities  for  poor  children.  The  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, written  and  signed  in  this  city,  proclaimed  that  all  men 
were  created  equal  and  entitled  to  "life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness."  Nevertheless,  the  problem  of  free  education  in  Phila- 
delphia received  no  adequate  local  attention  until  1818.  That  year 
the  Legislature  passed  an  act  setting  up  the  city  of  Philadelphia  as 
the  first  school  district  of  Pennsylvania.  New  schools  were  opened, 
and  a  board  of  control  was  established  to  supervise  them.  Among  the 

175 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

institutions  started  then  was  the  "Model  School,"  which  opened 
December  21,  1818. 

This  type  school,  originated  in  England  by  Joseph  Lancaster,  was 
used  there  to  some  extent.  It  provided  for  a  headmaster  and  a  group 
of  monitors  to  act  as  teachers,  each  monitor  handling  15  or  20  pupils. 
Under  this  arrangement  it  was  possible  to  educate  more  children  at 
smaller  cost  than  under  previous  systems.  A  special  committee  which 
had  been  named  to  study  this  Lancaster  plan  reported  upon  it  favor- 
ably ;  10  such  schools  were  opened  and  a  special  building  set  aside 
for  the  eleventh. 

Thus,  the  "Model  School"  was  established  and  placed  under  the 
direct  supervision  of  Lancaster,  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  take 
charge  of  it.  It  trained  young  men  and  women  in  the  teaching  pro- 
fession, and  its  graduates  received  posts  in  the  new  school  districts 
set  up  in  the  State  by  the  law  of  1834,  which  levied  a  tax  to  provide 
necessary  revenue. 

The  advances  made  in  the  Legislature's  act  of  1834  were  seriously 
threatened  the  following  year  when  members  of  the  Assembly  were 
yielding  to  the  pressure  of  those  opposed  to  the  new  taxes.  A  masterly 
address  by  Thaddeus  Stevens,  "Father  of  the  Pennsylvania  Free 
Schools,"  completely  turned  the  tide  of  sentiment. 

In  1836  another  law  was  passed,  providing  for  the  education  of 
all  children  more  than  four  years  old.  This  was  the  first  step  toward 
compulsory  education  and  one  of  the  greatest  strides  in  free  public 
instruction.  The  new  law  also  carried  a  provision  for  establishment  of 
a  high  school  in  Philadelphia. 

Accordingly,  the  board  of  control  began  erection  of  Central  High 
School,  on  the  east  side  of  Juniper  Street  below  Market,  facing 
what  was  then  Center  Square.  The  school  embodied  all  the  dreams 
and  ideals  of  the  pioneers  of  free  public  education.  It  was  a  fine 
building,  well  staffed,  and  was  surmounted  by  an  astronomical  ob- 
servatory not  surpassed  anywhere  in  the  country.  Alexander  Dallas 
Bache,  great-grandson  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  was  appointed  first 
principal  of  the  school  in  1839.  Franklin  had  not  lived  to  see  the 
fruit  of  his  earlier  campaigns  for  public  education,  but  with  Bache's 
appointment  the  tradition  was  carried  on.  During  his  three  years  at 
the  school  Bache  organized  a  smoothly  functioning  unit  and  estab- 
lished a  fine  curriculum.  The  school's  fame  spread. 

By  1853  business  had  moved  westward  from  the  Delaware  until 
the  school  was  almost  surrounded  by  commercial  establishments.  The 
building  was  sold  to  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  in  September 
1854  Central  High  School  moved  to  the  southeast  corner  of  Broad 
and  Green  Streets.  In  1894  another  building  was  erected  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  the  same  intersection.  Both  buildings  still  stand  but 
the  earlier,  which  served  as  an  annex,  was  condemned  in  1937. 

176 


EDUCATION 

With  the  establishment  of  Central  High  School  the  board  of  con- 
trol increased  its  activity  and  in  1848  opened  a  school  of  practice 
in  conjunction  with  the  Girls'  Normal  School  in  the  old  Model  School 
building  on  Chester  (Darien)  Street  north  of  Race.  The  popularity 
of  this  school  of  higher  education  for  girls  grew  at  such  an  amaz- 
ing rate  that  by  1853  it  became  necessary  to  open  a  similar  school  to 
accommodate  the  overflow. 

In  1859  the  Normal  School  was  closed  and  replaced  by  the  Girls' 
High  School,  which  in  the  second  and  third  terms  of  its  curriculum 
gave  special  instruction  to  those  intending  to  become  teachers.  Stu- 
dents in  the  senior  classes  obtained  practice  by  teaching  the  lower 
classes.  The  school  was  reorganized  in  1861  and  renamed  Girls'  High 
School  and  Normal  School.  Seven  years  later  the  word  "high"  was 
dropped,  and  it  was  renamed  Girls'  Normal  School.  It  is  now  the 
Philadelphia  Normal  School. 

Increasing  registration  and  new  requirements  necessitated  larger 
quarters,  and  in  1876  the  school  was  moved  to  Seventeenth  and  Spring 
Garden  Streets.  Here  it  operated  in  conjunction  with  the  Philadel- 
phia High  School  for  Girls  until  1893,  when  its  professional  course 
having  been  extended  from  one  to  two  years,  and  the  Girls'  High 
School  course  to  four  years,  new  facilities  were  required.  The  Normal 
School  moved  to  Spring  Garden  and  Thirteenth  Streets,  its  present 
site,  and  the  high  school  remained  at  Seventeenth  Street. 

Meanwhile,  the  school  system  improved  steadily.  The  number  of 
schools  increased  and  teachers'  salaries  advanced.  Then  a  campaign 
to  simplify  textbooks,  courses,  and  methods  of  administration  was 
launched. 

By  an  act  of  Legislature  in  1870,  the  name  of  the  control  board 
was  changed  to  the  Board  of  Public  Education.  Three  years  later  the 
City  Councils  passed  an  ordinance  creating  a  loan  of  $1,000,000  for 
the  erection  of  additional  school  buildings.  That  same  year,  a  clause 
in  the  new  State  constitution  made  provisions  for  education  of  chil- 
dren more  than  six  years  old,  with  $1,000,000  to  be  set  aside  yearly 
for  that  purpose.  In  1895  the  education  of  children  became  com- 
pulsory by  legislative  enactment. 

In  1874  Quakers  reorganized  the  William  Penn  Charter  School, 
Fourth  Street  below  Chestnut,  and  moved  it  to  No.  8  South  Twelfth 
Street.  It  occupied  this  latter  site  until  1925,  when  it  was  removed  to 
School  House  Lane,  Germantown,  not  far  from  Germantown  Acad- 
emy. This  school  claims  direct  descent  from  the  old  school  of  the 
same  name.  The  Friends'  Select  School,  Seventeenth  Street  and  the 
Parkway,  still  under  the  direction  of  Friends'  Meeting,  also  traces  its 
origin  to  the  old  William  Penn  Charter  School. 

The  mere  enumeration  of  dates  on  which  changes  in  the  school 
system  occurred  can  give  little  comprehension  of  the  gradual  rise  of 

177 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  educational  idea  to  a  broad  and  higher  plane.  Such  factors  as  the 
consolidation  of  the  city,  in  1854,  and  the  subsequent  creation  of 
separate  school  districts  for  each  ward  were  quickly  reflected  in  the 
viewpoint  and  morale  of  the  administrative  and  teaching  staffs. 
Similarly,  creation  of  the  office  of  Superintendent  of  Schools,  about 
1883,  helped  toward  the  establishment  of  a  more  professional  standard 
throughout  the  city  for  all  wards. 

Such  changes,  however,  were  utterly  inadequate  to  correct  the 
abuses  which  had  grown  with  the  system  itself,  abuses  due  largely  to 
the  narrow  selfishness  of  politicians.  Ward  leaders,  members  of  City 
Councils,  and  even  the  small  fry  of  the  political  world  saw  in  the 
system  a  mere  "grab  bag."  Teaching  jobs  were  for  sale  at  the  political 
pay  window,  provided  the  applicant  had  a  mere  certificate  showing 
qualifications  for  the  work.  There  was  no  such  thing  as  a  list  of 
eligibles  to  be  drawn  from  in  order,  so  political  patronage  far  out- 
weighed any  excellence  in  the  candidate  for  the  schoolroom  work,  or 
the  interests  of  the  children  themselves. 

Real  transformation  of  the  educational  picture  began  with  the  Act 
of  1905,  by  which  the  State  reorganized  the  public  school  system  and 
established  the  Board  of  Education  for  Philadelphia.  This  board  was 
given  the  power  of  disposal  of  the  money  which  Council  was  au- 
thorized to  collect  through  a  limited  tax  on  real  estate. 

In  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh,  this  limited  power  of  taxation  was 
transferred  from  Council  to  the  Board  itself  by  an  act  passed  in 
1911,  which  established  a  school  code  for  the  entire  State. 

The  Philadelphia  public  school  system  today  has  an  enrollment 
of  about  272,000  day  pupils.  Adding  to  this  the  number  attending 
evening  schools,  citizenship  classes  for  mothers,  and  other  extension 
activities,  the  total  is  about  300,000.  The  system  requires  the  services 
of  nearly  10,000  persons  in  the  professional  field.  At  present  there 
are  4  practice,  14  senior  high,  23  junior  high,  3  vocational,  201  ele- 
mentary schools  and  one  industrial  art  school,  one  residential  school, 
one  demonstration  school,  and  one  normal  school. 

Negro  Education 

Tj^DUCATION  of  the  Negro  in  early  days  of  the  Colony  was  advo- 
-•-^cated  by  three  groups  —  masters  who  sought  to  increase  the  effi- 
ciency of  their  slaves,  sympathetic  groups  interested  in  the  better- 
ment of  the  race,  and  zealous  Christian  missionaries. 

Of  these  three  groups,  the  first  was  by  far  the  most  effective.  Al- 
though it  was  undoubtedly  selfishness  that  prompted  the  slave  owners 
to  pursue  their  policy  of  education,  their  efforts  proved  far  more 
productive  than  those  of  the  other  groups.  Their  methods  were  based 
upon  two  forms  —  formal  education  in  reading  and  writing,  and 

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EDUCATION 

industrial  education  to  further  the  efficiency  of  the  slave  in  his  work. 

The  Quakers,  however,  strove  not  only  to  educate  the  Negro,  but 
actually  to  free  him  from  the  bonds  of  slavery.  They  believed  educa- 
tion would  mean  little  to  the  Negro  until  he  was  free.  Among  the 
first  Quaker  leaders  interested  in  emancipation  were  George  Fox 
and  William  Penn.  A  definite  scheme  was  advanced  in  1713  whereby 
the  slaves  would  be  freed,  educated,  and  returned  to  Africa  in  the 
capacity  of  missionaries  among  their  own  people. 

In  1750  Anthony  Benezet  established  a  night  school  for  Negroes 
in  Philadelphia,  and  20  years  later  he  took  the  leading  part  in  estab- 
lishing a  systematic  method  of  education  for  the  Negro.  The  Monthly 
Meeting  of  Friends  in  1770  approved  a  proposal  to  establish  a  school 
for  Negro  and  mulatto  children.  These  were  to  be  instructed  in  read- 
ing, writing,  arithmetic,  and  other  useful  subjects.  This  school  was 
continued  for  16  years.  Tuition  was  free,  the  school  being  maintained 
by  subscriptions. 

The  first  attempt  of  an  organized  body  to  educate  the  Negro  was 
made  by  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts,  organized  in  London  in  1701.  Assisted  by  a  private  endowment, 
known  as  the  Dr.  Bray  Fund,  this  society  opened  two  schools  in 
Philadelphia  in  1760,  and  its  educational  work  continued  for  nearly 
a  cenlury. 

The  period  between  1830  and  1860  saw  the  greatest  strides  in  the 
field  of  Negro  education.  Until  1830  only  two  schools  for  Negro 
children  were  supported  by  public  funds,  but  in  that  year  the  board 
of  control  established  another  such  school  in  Northern  Liberties.  In 
1844  two  more  were  opened,  and  others  followed  thereafter  with  in- 
creased frequency. 

Meanwhile,  the  Negroes  had  begun  a  campaign  of  their  own  to 
educate  members  of  their  race.  Societies  were  formed  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  libraries  were  opened.  The  close  of  the  Civil  War  and  the 
emancipation  of  slaves  caused  a  veritable  boom  in  Negro  education. 
Previously  Negroes  had  been  refused  admission  to  both  Central  High 
School  and  the  Philadelphia  Normal  School,  as  well  as  to  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania.  When  the  bars  were  lowered,  a  large  number 
of  Negroes  quickly  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  gain  a 
higher  education. 

Parochial  School  System 

TN  THE  parish  of  St.  Joseph's,  probably  as  early  as  the  1730's,  was 
•*-  established  the  first  parochial  school  in  the  city.  In  1767  James 
White,  a  merchant,  bequeathed  £50  "toward  a  school  house"  —  the 
first  known  bequest  made  to  aid  Catholic  education  in  Philadelphia. 
In  1781  St.  Mary's  Church  took  steps  to  pay  off  the  old  school  debt 

179 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

arid  to  buy  new  ground,  presumably  for  another  school  building.  St. 
Joseph's  Society  for  the  Education  of  Poor  Orphan  Children  next 
entered  the  field,  obtaining  incorporation  papers  in  1808. 

Later,  the  Germans  of  St.  Mary's  parish  formed  a  church  of  their 
own,  and  immediately  opened  a  school.  This  new  church  wag  known 
as  Holy  Trinity  Church.  The  parish  of  St.  Augustine  was  founded 
in  1796,  and  almost  immediately  began  to  provide  facilities  for  the 
education  of  the  parish  children. 

Parochial  schools  continued  to  be  opened  as  the  number  of  Catho- 
lics in  the  city  increased  and  made  new  parishes  necessary.  Catholic 
education  was  accelerated  in  1878,  when  the  will  of  Thomas  E.  Cahill 
bequeathed  almost  $1,000,000  for  the  establishment  of  a  Catholic 
high  school.  In  1890  the  Roman  Catholic  High  School  was  opened 
at  Broad  and  Vine  Streets.  Today  the  school  maintains  an  athletic 
field  (Cahill  Field)  as  a  memorial  to  the  founder. 

At  present  there  are  seven  Catholic  High  Schools  and  127  parish 
elementary  schools  in  Philadelphia.  These  are  augmented  by  10 
schools  conducted  by  Catholic  charitable  institutions. 

Special  Schools 

T^HILADELPHIA  has  a  large  number  of  special  schools  where 
-  trades,  the  arts,  and  various  specialized  vocations  are  taught.  These 
include  many  preparatory  schools,  business  schools,  and  schools  of 
religion. 

The  Spring  Garden  Institute,  Broad  and  Spring  Garden  Streets, 
was  opened  in  1851  to  further  educational  facilities  for  young  men 
and  women.  Reading  rooms,  night  schools,  and  other  features  were 
included.  Today  the  institute  has  a  large  number  of  students  in  the 
industrial  crafts,  manual  training,  and  many  fields  of  art. 

Gratz  College,  Broad  and  York  Streets,  is  the  oldest  school  in  the 
United  States  for  the  training  of  Jewish  religious  teachers.  It  was 
established  in  1856  with  a  large  bequest  made  by  Hyman  Gratz.  Next 
door  is  Dropsie  College,  where  Hebrew  and  cognate  languages  are 
taught  to  Jewish  students  and  to  any  others  interested. 

The  Mastbaum  Vocational  School,  Frankford  Avenue  and  Clemen- 
tine Street,  is  conducted  along  the  lines  of  the  Smith-Hughes  plan 
for  vocational  training.  The  two-year  term  provides  vocational  and 
academic  training.  Students  enter  directly  from  both  junior  high  and 
senior  high  schools.  Half  the  school  day  is  spent  in  practical  shop 
work,  the  other  half  in  classroom  study.  Automobile  mechanics,  wood- 
work, textiles,  electrical  construction,  stenography,  bookkeeping, 
drafting,  machine  construction,  vocational  music,  and  vocational  art 
are  taught.  A  junior  employment  service  is  maintained  for  students. 

In  keeping  with  this  progressive  policy  of  making  the  schools  fit 

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EDUCATION 

the  actual  needs  of  the  pupils,  several  other  special-purpose  schools 
have  been  gradually  integrated  into  the  system.  These  include  the 
Orthopedic  School,  the  Shallcross  School  for  Truants,  and  the  Flei- 
sher  Vocational  School. 

Night  schools  have  also  proved  an  extensive  and  valuable  addition 
to  the  board's  ordinary  activities,  thousands  of  pupils,  young  and  old, 
taking  advantage  of  the  opportunity  thus  offered  them  to  pursue 
courses  of  commercial  and  cultural  advantage. 

Included  among  art  schools  are  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  School 
of  Industrial  Art,  Broad  and  Pine  Streets,  opened  in  1877  ;  the 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  Broad  and  Cherry  Streets,  founded  in  1805 
and  the  oldest  art  institution  in  the  United  States  ;  and  the  Philadel- 
phia School  of  Design  for  Women,  Broad  and  Master  Streets,  founded 
in  1844  and  incorporated  in  1853. 

Prominent  among  several  theological  seminaries  in  the  city  is  the 
Eastern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  1814  South  Rittenhouse 
Square,  which  trains  men  as  missionaries,  preachers,  and  teachers. 
It  is  divided  into  three  schools  :  theology,  religious  education,  and 
sacred  music.  There  are  accommodations  for  married  men  and  their 
families,  as  well  as  for  single  persons. 

St.  Vincent's  Theological  Seminary  is  conducted  by  the  Vincentian 
Order,  at  Chelten  and  Magnolia  Avenues,  Germantown.  This  seminary 
educates  young  men  as  priests  for  Catholic  missions.  The  Lutheran 
Theological  Seminary,  7301  Germantown  Avenue,  was  founded  in 
1864  to  train  ministers  for  the  Lutheran  Church.  The  seminary  is 
augmented  by  a  graduate  school.  The  Reformed  Episcopal  Church 
conducts  a  seminary  at  25  South  Forty- third  Street.  Westminster 
Theological  Seminary,  Church  Road  and  Willow  Grove  Avenue, 
Chestnut  Hill,  was  formed  as  a  result  of  a  reorganization  in  modern- 
istic direction  of  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  Princeton,  N.  J.  in 
1929.  The  course  of  study  includes  religious  history,  Bible  study,  and 
allied  subjects.  The  Divinity  School  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  Forty-second  and  Locust  Streets,  was  chartered  in  1862. 
This  institution  maintains  a  graduate  school. 

Several  private  schools  in  the  city,  including  Germantown  Acad- 
emy, Penn  Charter,  and  many  Friends'  schools  offer  courses  of  study 
ranging  from  the  early  grades  through  college  preparatory  work.  In 
any  of  these,  pupils  may  enter  at  kindergarten  age  and  continue 
through  elementarv  grades,  high  school,  and  preparatory  courses  for 
college  entrance.  Thus  the  pupil's  school  life  is  continuous  in  the 
same  surroundings  and  under  the  same  system  of  education. 

Most  of  the  city's  hospitals  conduct  nursing  schools.  High  school 
graduates  are  accepted  for  a  course  of  training  which  is  augmented 
by  actual  hospital  work.  Thousands  of  young  women  yearly  take  ad- 
vantage of  these  opportunities. 

181 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Many  business  schools  are  scattered  throughout  the  city,  where 
training  is  given  in  typewriting,  stenography,  bookkeeping,  and  gen- 
eral office  practice.  There  are  also  a  number  of  college  preparatory 
schools  such  as  Brown  Preparatory  School,  Fifteenth  and  Race  Streets. 

Girard  College,  a  school  for  the  care  and  education  of  white,  male 
orphans  between  the  ages  of  six  and  eighteen,  was  founded  in  1848 
under  the  terms  of  the  will  of  Stephen  Girard. 

The  entrance  to  the  institution's  42-acre  plot  of  ground  is  at  Corin- 
thian and  Girard  Avenues.  The  present  site  and  group  of  school  build- 
ings and  dormitories  are  valued  at  more  than  $6,000,000.  Control  of 
the  school  is  vested  in  a  board  of  trustees  of  12  members  appointed  by 
the  judges  of  the  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  of  Philadelphia,  and  the 
Mayor  and  president  of  City  Council. 

Conditions  for  admission  give  preference  (1)  to  boys  born  in  the 
bounds  of  the  old  city  of  Philadelphia  ;  (2)  to  boys  born  elsewhere 
in  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania  ;  (3)  to  those  born  in  INew 
York  City  ;  (4)  to  boys  born  in  New  Orleans. 

Founder's  Hall,  located  just  within  the  main  gate,  is  regarded  as 
a  beautiful  specimen  of  Grecian  artchitecture.  A  sarcophagus  just  in- 
side the  door  contains  the  remains  of  Girard. 

The  curriculum  includes  elementary,  grammar,  and  high  school 
courses  as  well  as  trade  school  and  commercial  courses. 

Two  schools  in  Philadelphia  devoted  to  the  teaching  of  the  blind 
and  deaf  are  the  Pennsylvania  School  for  the  Blind,  in  Overbrook, 
and  the  Pennsylvania  School  for  the  Instruction  of  the  Deaf,  in  Mount 
Airy.  At  the  latter  institution,  deaf  and  dumb  boys  and  girls  are 
taught  sign  language  and  lip  reading. 

Universities  and  Colleges 

T  N  ADDITION  to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  Temple  Uni- 
-'-versity,  there  are  several  smaller  colleges  which  are  important 
factors  in  making  Philadelphia  an  educational  center. 

La  Salle  College,  in  charge  of  the  Catholic  Christian  Brothers, 
stands  on  an  eminence  at  Twentieth  Street  and  Olney  Avenue.  It  was 
chartered  in  1863  as  an  outgrowth  of  the  old  Christian  Brothers 
Academy,  founded  in  1862  at  1419  North  Second  Street.  In  1867  the 
college  war>  moved  to  Juniper  and  Filbert  Streets,  and  in  1886  to  the 
old  Bouvier  mansion  at  Broad  and  Stiles  Streets.  Since  1930  it  has 
occupied  its  present  quarters,  in  more  spacious  surroundings,  with 
fine  new  buildings  and  a  large  campus.  The  La  Salle  College  High 
School,  housed  on  the  campus,  offers  a  complete  course  in  college 
preparation. 

St.  Joseph's  College,  Fifty-fourth  Street  and  City  Line  Avenue, 
had  its  inception  in  the  parish  house  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Willing's 

182 


EDUCATION 

Alley,  in  1851.  Classes  were  transferred  to  a  building  at  Filbert  and 
Juniper  Streets  in  1855,  these  quarters  being  used  until  1860,  when 
the  college  returned  to  old  St.  Joseph's.  In  1876  the  school  was  moved 
to  new  buildings  at  Seventeenth  and  Stiles  Streets,  and  in  1927  to 
its  present  site.  The  old  buildings  at  Seventeenth  and  Stiles  Streets 
now  house  St.  Joseph's  College  High  School. 

The  Drexel  Institute  of  Art,  Science,  and  Industry  was  founded  in 
1891  by  Anthony  J.  Drexel,  who  desired  to  open  a  new  field  of 
specific  and  fundamental  education  for  young  men  and  women.  The 
school  which  is  at  Thirty-second  and  Chestnut  Streets,  maintains  a 
cooperative  course  in  engineering  and  business  administration  which 
allows  its  students  periods  of  actual  work  in  Philadelphia  industrial 
plants. 

The  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  and  Science,  the  first  of  its 
kind  to  be  established  in  this  country,  was  founded  in  historic  Car- 
penters' Hall  in  1821  as  the  College  of  Apothecaries.  With  the 
development  of  more  scientific  methods  of  compounding  prescrip- 
tions, the  school  added  courses  in  science  and  more  advanced  forms 
of  pharmacy.  In  1921  it  received  the  right  to  confer  the  degree  of 
bachelor  of  science,  and  in  1928  moved  to  its  present  building  at 
Forty-third  Street  and  Kingsessing  Avenue.  It  was  one  of  the  first 
schools  in  the  country  to  admit  women  students,  this  step  being  taken 
in  1876. 

The  Philadelphia  College  of  Osteopathy,  Forty-eighth  and  Spruce 
Streets,  was  incorporated  in  1899.  It  offers  a  comprehensive  course  in 
osteopathy,  augmenting  its  regular  work  with  a  hospital  and  a  gradu- 
ate school. 

Regular  medical  colleges,  notably  Jefferson,  Hahnemann,  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania,  and  Temple,  have  long  served  the  medical  world 
ably,  by  producing  thoroughly  trained  graduates. 


183 


LITERATURE 


PHILADELPHIA'S  literary  history  dates  from  the  earliest 
Colonial  times.  Was  not  William  Penn  himself  in  the  way  of 
being  an  author,  with  such  expository-polemical  works  to  his 
credit  as  No  Cross  No  Crown,  Treatise  on  Oaths,  and  The  Great  Law 
or  Frame  of  Government?  It  was,  however,  during  the  second  half  of 
what  is  commonly  distinguished  as  the  Colonial  period  in  the  history 
of  American  literature  that  Philadelphia  stepped  into  the  foreground 
and  became  for  a  term  of  years  the  publishing  and,  to  a  large  extent, 
the  writing  capital  of  the  United  States.  This  was  the  "Age  of  Frank- 
lin," as  it  is  termed  by  literary  historians,  an  epoch  extending  from 
1727  to  1765  or  thereabouts.  It  followed  the  darkly  brooding  era  of 
Puritan  witchcraft  and  theological  writing,  as  exemplified  in  New 
England  by  such  figures  as  Cotton  and  Increase  Mather  and  by 
Jonathan  Edwards  in  New  Jersey. 

If  the  age  of  witchcraft  held  much  of  the  environing  darkness  of 
the  primeval  forest,  the  age  of  Franklin,  on  the  other  hand,  was  an 
increasingly  practical  one,  foreshadowing  and  leading  up  to  the 
American  Revolution.  It  is  an  era  instinctively  associated  with  such 
productions  as  Franklin's  Poor  Richard's  Almanac  and  the  same 
author's  Autobiography  (although  the  latter  was  not  published  in 
its  complete  form  until  1868) . 

With  the  dawn  of  the  Revolution,  there  appeared  the  truly  great 
personality  —  for  he  was  a  personality  rather  than  a  writer  in  the 
narrower  acceptance  of  the  term  —  of  Thomas  Paine,  a  humanitarian 
of  world  stature  and  a  pioneer  battler  for  the  rights  of  man,  who 
was  to  have  his  influence  upon  British  thought  and  upon  the  course 
of  the  French  Revolution  of  1789.  Such  works  as  Paine's  Crisis,  Com- 
mon Sense,  and  Age  of  Reason,  pamphlets  though  they  may  be  in 
essential  nature,  stand  out  here. 

It  is,  in  all  likelihood,  Franklin  and  Paine  who  first  come  to  mind 
when  one  thinks  back  upon  Philadelphia's  literary  past.  If  one  skips 
from  the  Revolution  to  the  mid-nineteenth  century,  Walt  Whitman, 
poet  of  American  democracy,  and  the  tragic  figure  of  Edgar  Allan 
Poe  loom  large.  Did  not  Whitman,  in  the  declining  years  of  his  life, 
live  in  Camden,  N.  J.,  just  across  the  river  ?  And  were  not  the  poet's 
"good  gray"  beard  and  tossing  mane  a  familiar  sight  in  Philadelphia 
streets  ?  And  was  it  not,  probably,  in  a  house  at  530  North  Seventh 

184 


LITERATURE 

Street,  that  Poe  sat  in  solitary  contemplation  of  the  bust  of  Pallas 
Athene  above  his  chamber  door  —  to  pen  the  lines  that  were  to  make 
him  immortal? 

To  this  day  Philadelphia  continues  to  produce  its  due  quota  of 
writers  —  novelists,  essayists,  poets,  historians,  and  scientific,  travel 
and  adventure  writers.  Such  names  as  those  of  James  Gibbons  Hun- 
eker,  Richard  Harding  Davis,  Frank  R.  Stockton,  Bayard  Taylor,  S. 
Weir  Mitchell,  Owen  Wister,  Christopher  Morley,  Agnes  Repplier, 
Horace  Howard  Furness  and  his  son,  Horace  Howard  Furness,  Jr.,  and 
John  Bach  McMaster  are  enough  to  lend  luster  to  any  city. 

In  addition  to  writers,  Philadelphia  has  upon  occasion  provided 
literary  material,  as  it  did  in  the  case  of  Theodore  Dreiser's  The 
Financier,  based  upon  the  career  of  a  local  capitalist,  Charles  T.  Yerkes. 

A  S  HAS  been  stated,  literature,  of  a  sort  at  least,  began  early  in 
^*- Pennsylvania  ;  and  Pennsylvania  meant  Philadelphia,  where  the 
printing  shops  were  situated.  The  printers  themselves  frequently  were 
men  of  letters.  Samuel  Keimer,  who  set  up  a  shop  in  1723,  is  looked 
upon  by  many  as  the  first  Philadelphia  publisher. 

Scholarship  rather  than  creation  marked  the  Colonial  literary  out- 
put. This,  perhaps,  was  not  unnatural ;  the  colonists  with  their  wives 
and  children  in  "Penn's  City"  desired  above  all  else  not  to  lose  con- 
tact with  the  Old  World  culture  and  civilization  which  they  had  left 
behind.  And  so  we  find,  in  the  first  days  of  the  Commonwealth, 
Francis  Daniel  Pastorius,  founder  of  Germantown,  giving  the  public 
his  encyclopedic  Beehive. 

That  social  questions,  even  at  the  outset,  were  not  without  their 
influence  upon  Pennsylvania  writers,  is  shown  by  Pastorius'  interest 
in  the  antislavery  cause  ;  his  efforts  are  said  to  have  led  to  the 
founding  of  the  first  American  abolitionist  society. 

Translations  of  classics  also  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the 
picture.  William  Penn's  secretary,  James  Logan,  of  Scotch-Irish  an- 
cestry, made  a  rendering  of  Cato's  Moral  Distichs  (1735)  and  one  of 
Cicero's  Cato  Major  or  Discourse  on  Old  Age  (1744) .  The  former  was 
probably  the  first  translation  of  its  kind  in  America.  Logan's  manu- 
scripts, copied  by  his  wife,  Deborah  Norris,  are  now  preserved  in  the 
Ridgway  Branch  of  the  Library  Company  of  Philadelphia. 

Philosophical,  theological,  and  moral-didactic  literature  also 
flourished  at  this  period,  although  not  to  the  same  degree  as  in  New 
England  ;  the  prevailing  Quaker  atmosphere  appears  to  have  exerted 
a  mellowing  influence,  and  the  witch  hunting,  witch  baiting  of  the 
Mathers,  for  instance,  is  gratifyingly  absent  for  the  most  part.  Never- 
theless, the  temper  and  cast  of  mind  of  the  northern  colonists  were 
rather  heavily  theological,  and  it  is  not  surprising  if  we  find  sermons 

185 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

to  have  been  a  staple  article  of  intellectual  diet.  Among  the  clerics 
whose  pulpit  exhortations  were  popular  were  the  Muhlenberg  broth- 
ers, Henry  Melchior  and  Frederick  Augustus  Conrad  ;  William  Ten- 
nent  and  his  three  sons  ;  George  Whitefield,  and  Dr.  William  Smith. 

In  addition  to  the  sermon  writers  of  this  time,  there  were  a  number 
of  mystics,  among  them  Johann  Kelpius,  Heinrich  Bernard  Koster, 
Dr.  Christopher  Witt,  and  Daniel  Faulkner. 

Yet  another  early  Philadelphia  clergyman  deserving  of  notice  is 
Rev.  Jacob  Duche,  who  gained  notoriety  by  a  letter  which  he  wrote 
to  General  Washington  in  1777,  urging  the  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  Continental  Army  to  seek  a  reconciliation  with  the  British.  He 
was  also  the  author  (and  publisher)  of  Caspipina's  Letters,  later  re- 
printed in  England. 

John  Woolman's  journal  of  his  own  life  and  travels,  which  saw 
the  light  at  this  period,  likewise  won  notice  abroad. 

Education  vied  with  religion  in  the  interest  of  the  colonists  ;  the 
first  American  treatise  on  school  management  is  said  to  have  been 
Christopher  Dock's  Schulordnung. 

Though  Colonial  life  may  have  been  hard  in  many  respects,  and 
though  it  may  still  have  worn  a  certain  coating  of  theological  gloom, 
it  was  by  no  means  utterly  joyless  or  lacking  in  humor,  as  may  be 
seen  from  the  satires  and  comedies  of  the  Quaker,  Gabriel  Thomas. 
His  writings  were,  it  is  true,  rather  looked  down  upon  ;  but  they 
were  passed  from  hand  to  hand  and  read  with  glee  —  when  no  austere 
member  of  the  congregation  chanced  to  be  looking. 

A  LL  of  this,  as  may  be  seen,  does  not  weigh  very  heavily  in  the 
^*- literary  scales.  What  we  have  so  far  is  not  so  much  a  literature 
as  the  crude  beginnings  of  one  —  or,  it  might  be  more  accurate  to 
say,  the  vestigial  reflections  of  an  older  literature  from  beyond  the 
seas.  The  appearance  of  Franklin's  Poor  Richard,  destined  to  be 
America's  household  companion  for  more  than  a  score  of  years,  really 
marked  the  inception  of  a  Philadelphia  literature  in  the  stricter  sense 
of  the  word  ;  and  even  that  is  not  pure  literature,  or  literature  of  a 
high  order. 

The  fact  that  the  name  of  Franklin  has  been  given  to  an  entire 
period  of  our  writing  annals,  means  that  he  must  have  been  an  out- 
standing figure  in  more  ways  than  one  ;  and  it  further  implies  that 
Franklin's  home  city,  where  his  manifold  activities  were  carried  on, 
and  where  the  greater  part  of  his  works  were  written  and  published, 
must  have  occupied  the  center  of  the  literary  stage  for  that  period. 

Franklin  was  indeed  a  personality  that  was  to  become  familiar  to 
two  continents.  His  fat,  round,  beaming,  bespectacled  countenance  was 
to  mingle  in  the  popular  imagination  of  Europe  and  America  with  a 
mental  picture  of  the  "good  doctor"  with  his  kite,  engaged  in  drawing 

186 


The  Poe  House 

"The  House  of 

Melancholy" 


Poe  House  Interior 
".  .  .  rapping  at 
rav  chamber  door" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  lightning  from  the  heavens.  For  Franklin's  scientific  experiments 
and  inventions,  his  skill  as  a  diplomatic  bargainer,  his  social  successes 
in  pre-revolutionary  France  and  elsewhere,  and  his  correspondence 
with  the  great  of  the  world  —  the  whole  offset  by  a  personal  character 
which  was  at  bottom  a  shrewd  and  calculating  one  —  were  to  a  large 
degree  to  overshadow  his  forays  into  the  field  of  literature,  and  were 
to  confer  upon  these  sallies  their  quintessential  flavor. 

It  is  doubtful  if  Franklin  ever  took  himself  very  seriously  as  a 
litterateur.  The  Autobiography.,  his  most  important  work  from  a 
literary  standpoint,  appears  to  have  been  rather  carelessly  tossed  off. 
While  parts  of  it  were  published  in  France  during  1791-98,  it  was 
not  until  1868,  from  a  manuscript  obtained  in  France,  that  the  first 
complete  text  was  printed,  under  the  editorship  of  John  Bigelow. 
The  Autobiography  is  a  work  which  has  been  extravagantly  praised 
and  vigorously  condemned.  Charles  Angoff,  for  example,  author  of 
A  Literary  History  of  the  American  People.,  considers  Franklin  a 
"two-penny  philosopher,"  the  first  great  exponent  of  the  ulowbrow ' 
point  of  view  in  American  letters  and  precursor  of  the  Rotarians  and 
Kiwanians  of  today  ;  he  sees  in  the  creator  of  Poor  Richard  a  thor- 
oughgoing vulgarian,  lacking  in  all  literary  grace. 

It  was  in  1732  that  Poor  Richard  made  its  bow,  continuing  to  ap- 
pear regularly  thereafter  (to  the  delectation  of  readers)  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century.  Here,  in  a  way,  was  true  American  folk  literature, 
an  embodiment  of  that  spirit  of  an  almost  fanatical,  at  times  miserly, 
practicality  which  was  so  characteristic  of  the  Pennsylvania  colonist 
and,  in  a  large  degree,  of  the  American  colonist.  "Early  to  bed  and 
early  to  rise."  "Take  care  of  the  pence,  and  the  pounds  will  take  care 
of  themselves."  This  is  unquestionably  Colonial  American  to  the 
bone  ;  and  it  is  small  wonder,  then,  that  Franklin's  name,  despite 
a  somewhat  scant  performance  in  the  realm  of  literature  proper,  has 
fastened  itself  upon  a  literary  era.  His  almanac  sold  three  editions 
the  first  three  months  it  was  printed,  and  10,000  copies  annually 
during  its  quarter  century  publication. 

It  was  one  of  Franklin's  proteges,  a  young  Scotch  tutor  named  Wil- 
liam Smith,  who  was  responsible  for  publishing  some  of  the  earliest 
American  poetry  in  a  magazine  which  he  founded  at  Philadelphia, 
and  which  was  known  as  the  American,  Magazine  and  Monthly 
Chronicle  for  the  British  Colonies.  Among  the  poets  to  whom  this 
publication  afforded  a  hearing  were  Thomas  Godfrey,  Jr.,  Nathaniel 
Evans,  and  Elizabeth  Graeme  Ferguson. 

4  MONG  Philadelphia  writers  of  the  Revolutionary  period,  Thomas 
•^*- Paine,  "penman  of  the  Revolution,"  is  far  and  away  the  most 
important.  It  is  true  that  most  of  Paine's  life  was  spent  under  a  cloud 
of  deep  opprobrium,  in  which  slander  of  him  as  a  man  mingled 

188 


LITERATURE 

with  condemnations  of  his  religious  beliefs.  The  truth  is,  Paine's 
religious  views  have  caused  his  greater  claim  to  fame  to  be  more  or 
less  overlooked.  His  real  importance  lies  in  the  fact  that  he  was  the 
first  modern  internationalist  ;  his  social  views  in  general  were  far  in 
advance  of  his  time.  He  was  one  of  the  first,  possibly  the  first,  to 
advocate  a  system  of  governmental  social  security. 

As  for  posterity's  winnowed  opinion  of  Paine,  it  appears  to  have 
been  well  summed  up  by  Angoff,  who  says  that  Paine  "probably  did 
more  to  spread  religious  and  theological  enlightenment  than  any 
other  one  man  who  ever  lived." 

The  Rights  of  Man,  The  Age  of  Reason,  Common  Sense,  and  The 
Crisis,  as  well  as  Agrarian  Justice,  a  work  in  which  Paine  dealt  with 
the  problem  of  poverty  somewhat  in  the  manner  of  a  Henry  George 
—  all  of  these  are  works  of  which  Philadelphia  well  may  be  proud. 
The  Rights  of  Man,  though  loathed  by  the  Federalists,  was  a  kind 
of  Bible  to  Jefferson,  Madison,  and  other  forward-looking  spirits. 
Written  in  answer  to  Burke's  Reflections  on  the  French  Revolution, 
it  had  its  repercussions  in  England  and,  especially  in  revolutionary 
France.  The  publication  of  Common  Sense  had  made  Paine  the  most 
influential  political  writer  in  America  ;  yet  to  many  he  still  remained 
the  "atheist '  and  "jailbird."  A  Trenton  stagecoach  driver  declined 
to  carry  him,  declaring  that  he,  the  driver,  had  already  had  one 
team  of  horses  struck  by  lightning  and  did  not  care  to  take  another 
chance. 

Tom  Paine,  the  Philadelphian  whose  unhallowed  bones  were  carried 
to  England  by  William  Cobbett,  has  his  revenge  today,  when  from 
5,000  to  10,000  copies  of  his  works  are  printed  annually  in  New 
York  City  alone. 

There  are  a  number  of  other  men  of  this  time  of  the  "Founding 
Fathers"  whose  names  have  come  down  to  us  as  associated  in  one 
way  or  another  with  literature.  Most,  if  not  all,  of  them  were  active 
in  other  walks  of  life,  especially  politics,  and  writing  with  them  was 

by  way  of  being  an  expression 
of  interests  not  essentially  lit- 
erary. John  Dickinson,  leader 
in  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion, was  one  of  these.  Francis 

^=maniii-/  \w^5K&an  Hopkinson,  chairman  of  the 

Navy  Board  which   designed 


Thomas  Paine 
Precursor  of  Social  Security. 

189 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  American  flag,  was  another.  Bishop  Samuel  Seabury  was  a  leader 
of  the  church  ;  John  Bartram  was  a  botanist.  Ralph  Saundiford, 
Benjamin  Lay,  Anthony  Benezet,  Robert  Proud,  Morgan  Edwards, 
Joseph  Galloway,  Thomas  Coombe  —  these  are  no  more  than  names 
(or  not  even  so  much  as  names)  to  the  Philadelphian  of  today  ; 
yet  each  in  his  own  day  was  a  distinguished  citizen  and  contributor 
to  the  cultural  life  of  the  city,  the  Commonwealth,  and  the  country. 
There  are,  however,  two  names  which  emerge  prominently  from 
this  obscurity  of  the  past.  One  is  that  of  Hugh  H.  Brackenridge,  who 
shares  with  Charles  Brockden  Brown  the  honor  of  creating  the  novel 
in  America.  He,  like  Brown,  was  the  author  of  a  number  of  hair-rais- 
ing, terror-inspiring  tales,  of  the  imported  "Gothic  Romance"  school. 
Then,  there  was  James  Hector  St.  John  de  Crevecoeur,  author  of  an 
early  romantically  exaggerated  account  of  America,  which  was  greatly 
to  influence  the  French  and  other  Continentals  in  their  conception 
of  the  transoceanic  scene. 

r  I  ^HE  close  of  the  Revolution  found  Philadelphia  still  the  literary 
^-  capital.  Magazines,  springing  up,  began  to  publish  works  of  some 
of  the  foremost  contemporary  writers,  not  merely  of  Philadelphia  but 
of  the  Nation.  From  about  1792  to  1812,  Joseph  Dennie  and  his 
circle  were  to  confer  upon  the  city  a  distinct  literary  aspect.  Political 
pamphleteering,  a  carry-over  from  Revolutionary  days,  also  con- 
tinued and  was  sometimes  of  a  violent  character  indeed. 

Among  the  most  colorful  of  the  post-Revolutionary  pamphleteers 
was  William  Cobbett,  who  is  regarded  by  certain  historians  as  one 
of  the  founders  of  American  party  journalism.  A  political  refugee 
from  the  French  Revolution,  who  had  settled  in  Philadelphia  as  a 
teacher  of  English  to  his  exiled  fellow  countrymen,  Cobbett  was  ex- 
tremely violent  in  his  anti-republican  prejudices,  and  was  further 
possessed  of  a  rare  gift  of  vituperation.  Advocating  an  alliance  with 
England  for  a  war  against  republican  France,  Cobbett  braved  the 
threat  of  tar  and  feathers  and'  launched  a  publication  known  as 
Porcupine's  Gazette.  He  finally  became  so  obstreperous  that  President 
Adams  thought  seriously  of  deporting  him  ;  but  in  1800,  he  of  his 
own  accord  left  America  for  England. 

Samples  of  the  "incomparable  Billingsgate"  of  this  "Peter  Porcu- 
pine," as  he  called  himself,  will  be  found  in  a  number  of  old  pam- 
phlets, published  in  1795  and  later,  such  as  A  Bone  to  Gnaw  for  the 
Democrats,  A  Kick  for  a  Bite,  A  Little  Plain  English  Addressed  to 
the  People  of  the  United  States,  and  A  New  Year's  Gift  for  the  Demo- 
crats. 

Among  the  magazines  launched  at  this  period  was  the  American 
Museum,  founded  by  Matthew  Carey,  in  1787.  It  numbered  among 
its  contributors  such  men  as  Franklin,  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  Jacob 

190 


LITERATURE 

Duche,  and  Philip  Freneau,  best  of  the  American  poets  before  Bry- 
ant and  a  pioneer  exploiter  of  American  Indian  material. 

The  first  American  literary  magazine  really  worthy  of  the  name 
was  The  Port  Folio,  founded  by  Joseph  Dennie  in  1806.  It  ran  until 
1827,  Dennie,  under  the  name  of  Oliver  Oldschool,  Esq.,  being  the 
editor  until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1812.  Begun  as  a  weekly  pub- 
lication devoted  to  literature  and  politics,  the  new  journal  of  "polite 
letters"  had  such  contributors  as  John  Quincy  Adams,  Charles  Brock- 
den  Brown,  and  Dennie  himself.  A  study  of  the  influence  exerted  by 
Dennie  and  his  followers  has  been  made  by  H.  M.  Ellis,  in  Joseph 
Dennie  and  His  Circle. 

That  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  America  in  general,  was  becoming  less 
provincial  and  more  cosmopolitan,  is  indicated  by  the  space  accorded 
in  Dennie's  Port  Folio  to  reviews  of  foreign  books.  Indeed,  beginning 
with  Dennie,  a  line  of  cleavage  may  be  recognized  between  the  Revo- 
lutionary epoch  and  the  one  immediately  following,  which  was 
marked  by  the  establishment  of  the  American  Nation  and  the  begin- 
nings of  a  national  literature.  The  period  from  1750  or  1765  (au- 
thorities differ  in  their  chronology,  and  there  is  no  hard  and  fast 
demarcation)  down  to  1789-1792  was  what  might  be  described  as  the 
coffee-house  era,  marked  by  prolonged  and  impassioned  discussion 
and  debate  on  political  and  religious,  but  above  all  political,  themes. 
With  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution  and  inauguration  of 
the  processes  of  orderly  government,  life  tended  to  become  more 
settled.  There  was  a  greater  margin  of  leisure  free  from  ideological 
preoccupations  ;  life  became  more  refined,  and  there  was  room  for  a 
greater  interest  in  pure  literature  and  for  culture  in  its  broader 
aspects. 

The  first  distinct  movement  to  manifest  itself  in  our  national  liter- 
ature was  romanticism,  of  which  the  first  great  exponent  was  to  be 
James  Fenimore  Cooper,  with  Washington  Irving  as  forerunner  and 
pathbreaker.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  American  romanticism,  in  a 
way,  had  its  origins  in  Philadelphia,  in  the  writings  of  Charles  Brock- 
den  Brown,  whose  Arthur  Mervyn  is  based  upon  the  Philadelphia 
yellow-fever  epidemic  of  1793.  The  account  which  the  author  here 
gives  us  is  unusually  vivid,  inspiring,  at  once,  feelings  of  fear  and 
of  pity  ;  it  is,  moreover,  essentially  romantic  in  spirit  and  techni- 
que. Brown  antedates  Cooper  by  a  score  or  more  of  years.  He  is 
further  remembered,  by  students  of  literature  at  any  rate,  for  his 
Wieland  (1798)  and  his  Edgar  Huntley,  or  Memoirs  of  a  Sleep-walker 
(1799).  The  degree  of  romanticism  in  his  work  is  evidenced  by  the 
fact  that  in  his  Wieland,  for  instance,  the  author  makes  use  of  such 
plot  elements  as  spontaneous  combustion,  ventriloquism,  and  reli- 
gious mania.  Brown  was  under  the  influence  of  the  English  horror 
school  ;  while  his  heroines,  in  their  excessive  lachrymose  sentiment- 

191 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

ality,  are  modeled  after  those  of  Richardson.  He  has  been  called  the 
first  professional  man  of  letters  in  America. 

If  Philadelphia  was  for  a  time  the  literary  capital  of  America,  hav- 
ing taken  this  preeminence  from  Boston,  it  was,  in  the  long  run,  to 
lose  this  title  to  New  York  City.  Not,  however,  until  Philadelphia  had 
had  the  honor  of  publishing  or  being  host  to  a  Walt  Whitman  and  an 
Edgar  Allan  Poe. 

Prior  to  Poe  and  Whitman,  Philadelphia  had  a  number  of  writers 
who,  while  they  could  by  no  means  lay  claim  to  so  stellar  a  place  as 
the  two  great  mid-century  luminaries,  had  a  certain  importance  of 
their  own.  One  of  these  was  John  Fanning  Watson,  to  whose  Annals, 
published  in  1830,  Philadelphians  are  indebted  for  much  fascinating 
and  valuable  information  concerning  their  city,  which  would  other- 
wise have  been  lost.  It  has  become  a  standard  work. 

The  proletarian-socialistic-humanitarian  impulse  was  also  coming 
to  the  fore.  The  most  prominent  representative  here  is  George  Lip- 
pard,  journalist,  author,  reformer,  lecturer,  and  a  "Marxist  before 
Marx,"  as  someone  has  termed  him.  He  is  known  today  in  fraternal 
circles  as  the  founder  of  the  Brotherhood  of  America  (originally  the 
Brotherhood  of  the  Union).  As  a  journalist  he  was  a  predecessor  of 
the  modern  columnist,  and  his  Our  Talisman  sketches  have  been  com- 
pared to  Dickens'  Boz.  In  his  Bread  Crust  Papers  he  coined  the 
name,  Thomas  Dove  Brown,  which  Poe  was  to  revive.  Lippard  con- 
tributed a  number  of  stories  to  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  and  other 
magazines  of  the  period;  and  wrote  a  best-selling  expose  of  Phila- 
delphia vice,  under  the  title  of  Quaker  City  ;  <ind  produced  a  number 
of  books,  including  The  Nazarene  and  Blanche  of  Brandywine,  The 
Pilgrim  of  Eternity,  The  Man  with  the  Mask,  etc.,  while  his  prole- 
tarian sympathies  come  out  in  such  a  work  as  New  York,  Its  Upper 
Ten  and  Lower  Million.  He  has  been  described  as  "the  poet  of  the 
proletariat." 

Antislavery  agitation,  for  one  thing,  played  no  small  part  in  the 
published  writings  of  the  decades  preceding  the  Civil  War.  This  was 
especially  true  so  far  as  newspapers  were  concerned  ;  the  reflection 
in  other  fields  was  less  noticeable. 

During  the  conflict,  and  immediately  before  and  after  the  Civil 
War,  we  find  such  writers  of  lesser  note  as  Louisa  M.  Alcott  (who 
left  Philadelphia  while  a  child),  author  of  the  perennially  popular 
Little  Women  and  Little  Men  ;  Sarah  Josepha  Buell  Hale,  editor  of 
Godey's  Lady's  Book  and  reputed  author  of  the  famous  schoolroom 
classic  of  the  nineteenth  century,  Mary  Had  a  Little  Lamb  ;  and  T. 
S.  Arthur  (Timothy  Shay  in  private  life),  author  of  the  exceedingly 
bibulous  play,  Ten  Nights  in  a  Barroom,  which  was  to  the  American 
temperance  movement  what  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe's  Uncle  Tonis 
Cabin  was  to  the  abolitionist  cause. 

192 


LITERATURE 

The  period  from  1815  on  was  marked  by  the  rapid  rise  and 
development  of  an  American  periodic  literature,  in  which  Philadel- 
phia had  its  full  share.  Worthy  of  note  among  local  publications  of 
the  era  are  the  famous  Godey's  Lady's  Book,  the  colored  fashion 
prints  which  are  still  sought  after;  the  Casket,  which  later  merged 
with  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  and  was  subsequently  continued  as 
Graham's  Magazine  ;  the  Salmugundi  ;  Sartain's  Union  Magazine  ; 
and,  finally,  the  Saturday  Evening  Post,  known  the  world  over, 
which  led  to  the  formation  of  a  distinctive  school  of  professional 
writing  in  America. 

It  was  the  presence  in  the  city  of  such  magazines  as  the  Gentle- 
man's and  Graham's  that  prompted  Edgar  Allan  Poe  to  come  here 
and  settle  with  his  frail  little  16-year-old  wife,  Virginia  Clem.  The 
poet's  ambition  was  to  become  a  magazine  editor.  As  to  just  where 
Poe  made  his  home  —  or  rather,  as  to  all  the  places  where  he  re- 
sided—  while  in  Philadelphia,  there  is  considerable  controversy. 
More  than  a  dozen  houses  have  been  identified  as  his  place  of  resi- 
dence. According  to  John  Sartain's  Reminiscences,  the  Poes  first 
boarded  at  Fourth  and  Arch  Streets.  They  also  lived  for  a  time  in 
Sixteenth  Street  near  Locust.  Later,  they  had  a  little  home  in  Coates 
Street  (Fairmount  Avenue)  near  Twenty-fifth,  on  the  border  of 
Fairmount  Park.  This  at  the  time  was  an  isolated  spot,  far  from  the 
city's  center.  From  this  dwelling  they  moved  to  the  little  "rose- 
covered  cottage"  set  up  against  a  large  four-story  brick  house,  which 
was  occupied  by  a  wealthy  Quaker,  Poe's  landlord.  If  all  reports  are 
true,  the  Quaker  was  not  overly  fond,  or  overly  proud,  of  his  tenant. 
The  cottage  is  now  identified  as  the  back-building  of  a  house  stand- 
ing at  530  North  Seventh  Street.  Poe  left  Philadelphia  for  New  York 
in  1844,  five  years  before  his  death. 

While  here,  Poe  contributed  some  of  his  best  work  to  the  Gentle- 
man's Magazine  and  Graham's,  and  his  poem,  The  Bells,  famed  for 
its  tinkling,  onomatopoetic  melody,  first  appeared  in  Sartain's  Maga- 
zine. 

Just  how  much  of  the  poet's  work  was  actually  first  published,  or 
wholly  written,  in  Philadelphia  is  a  matter  of  question.  For  example, 
while  the  first  draft  of  The  Raven  was  done  in  North  Seventh  Street, 
the  piece  was  later  rewritten  and  brought  out  in  the  Evening  Mirror 
of  New  York,  in  1845  (published  in  book  form  some  months  follow- 
ing).  On  the  other  hand,  it  was  in  Philadelphia  that  Poe  put  the 
finishing  touches  to  certain  manuscripts  which  he  had  begun  else- 
where. It  was  in  the  Seventh  Street  house  that  The  Purloined  Letter 
was  written,  and  several  others  of  his  works.  The  period  of  his  Phila- 
delphia residence,  in  short,  would  appear  to  have  been  the  most 
prolific  and  the  happiest  in  the  poet's  tragic  life. 

It  has  been  remarked  by  critics  that  Poe  shows  no  traces  of  any 

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PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

influence  from  the  antislavery  agitation  of  his  time,  although  Phila- 
delphia was  something  of  a  hotbed  of  abolitionist  feeling,  with  the 
historic  "Underground  Railroad"  functioning  almost  daily  as  a  means 
of  escape  for  the  black  fugitive.  This,  though,  is  not  surprising,  since 
throughout  his  work  Poe  manifests  a  complete  unawareness  of  social 
problems  of  any  kind. 

As  for  Whitman,  it  was  some  eight  years  after  the  Civil  War,  in 
May  1873,  that  he  came  to  Philadelphia.  The  "good  gray  poet"  was 
fortunate  enough  to  find  those  in  Camden  who  were  willing  to  care 
for  him  ;  go  he  settled  in  Camden,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his 
death  on  March  26,  1892. 

The  poet's  distinguished  visage  was  a  familiar  sight  to  Philadel- 
phians  of  the  1870's  and  1880's.  Whitman  would  have  his  "Howdy" 
for  all  sorts  of  persons,  deckhands,  vagrants,  those  of  either  sex,  of 
any  color,  age,  or  nationality.  On  the  Philadelphia  side,  the  author 
of  Leaves  of  Grass  would  seat  himself  upon  a  chair  provided  by  an 
Italian  street  vendor,  and  there  he  would  munch  peanuts  and  strike 
up  friendships  with  horsecar  drivers  at  the  foot  of  Market  Street. 
Often  he  would  mount  the  stool  on  the  front  platform  of  a  Market 
Street  car  and  thus  journey  the  entire  length  of  the  thoroughfare. 

It  was  in  Philadelphia  that  Whitman,  in  association  with  his  friend 
and  editor,  Horace  Traubel,  was  to  find  a  publisher  in  David  McKay, 
whose  imprint  appeared  for  years  on  the  title  page  of  Leaves  of  Grass. 

Poe  died  in  1849,  or  more  than  a  decade  before  the  Civil  War, 
while  Whitman's  life  and  work  spanned  the  Civil  War  period.  In  the 
years  following  the  struggle,  Bayard  Taylor,  Frank  R.  Stockton, 
Henry  George,  Richard  Harding  Davis,  and  others  continued  to  keep 
Philadelphia  upon  the  literary  map. 

Taylor  lived  at  West  Chester,  and  it  was  Rufus  Wilmot  Griswold, 
editor  of  Grahams  Magazine,  who  encouraged  him  to  publish  his 
first  book  of  verse,  Ximena.  Taylor's  significance  in  American  litera- 
ture may  be  said  to  be  twofold.  On  the  one  hand,  he  was  a  good  deal 
of  a  cosmopolitan.  He  traveled  widely,  and  his  travel  letters  ap- 
peared in  two  Philadelphia  publications,  the  Saturday  Evening  Post 
and  United  States  Gazette.  He  was  the  author  of  a  translation  of 
Goethe's  Faust  that  ranks  with  Longfellow's  Divine  Comedy  and 
Bryant's  Homer  as  a  standard  rendering  of  a  classic.  His  Rhymes  of 
Travel  and  his  Eldorado  won  for  him  a  large  circle  of  readers.  On  the 
other  hand,  particularly  in  such  a  work  as  his  Eldorado,  Taylor  gave 
a  definite  impulsion  to  American  regional  literature. 

Frank  R.  Stockton,  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1834,  is  proudly 
claimed  by  Central  High  School  as  its  most  distinguished  literary 
graduate.  Stockton's  first  book,  Ting-a-Ling,  was  published  in  1870  ; 
but  it  was  with  Rudder  Grange,  appearing  in  1879,  that  his  fame 

194 


LITERATURE 

began.  A  long  list  of  novels  and  short  stories,  including  the  enigmatic 
The  Lady  or  the  Tiger.,  followed. 

Owen  Wister,  author  of  The  Virginian  and  Lin  McLean,  is  eminent 
among  Philadelphia's  novelists  of  the  last  years  of  the  nineteenth 
and  the  early  years  of  the  twentieth  century.  A  lawyer  by  profession, 
Wister  found  time  to  travel  widely  in  various  sections  of  the  United 
States  to  gather  material  for  his  stories. 

In  the  field  of  the  essay,  Agnes  Repplier  has  for  decades  delighted 
readers  of  the  Atlantic  Monthly  in  particular,  with  her  graceful 
eighteenth  century  flavored  essays.  The  representative  of  an  older  and 
dignified  literary  tradition,  she  has  had  a  faithful  following  ever  since 
the  publication  of  her  first  collection  of  essays,  Books  and  Men,  in 
1888.  Miss  Repplier  was  born  in  Philadelphia  of  French  parentage 
in  1858.  She  began  by  writing  poetry,  then  turned  to  the  essay  form. 
She  is  today  regarded  by  many  as  America's  foremost  contemporary 
essayist,  and  is  the  holder  of  honorary  degrees  from  the  universities 
of  Pennsylvania,  Yale,  and  Columbia. 

As  for  the  Quaker  City  poets  of  this  period,  they  displayed  an  in- 
clination for  the  purely  esthetic  as  opposed  to  the  controversial 
theme.  Thomas  Buchanan  Read  and  George  H.  Boker  exhibit  this 
tendency. 

Not  to  be  forgotten  among  the  figures  of  the  late  century  era  is 
Charles  Godfrey  Leland,  an  editor  of  distinction  who  at  the  same 
time  was  widely  known  as  scholar  and  educator.  Leland's  editorial 
posts  included  the  New  York  Times,  the  Philadelphia  Evening  Bul- 
letin, and  Vanity  Fair.  A  wide  traveler,  he  was  the  discoverer  of  the 
famous  "lost  language,"  the  "Shelta"  tongue.  As  an  educator,  he  was 
responsible  for  the  establishment  of  industrial  training,  based  on  the 
minor  arts,  as  a  branch  of  public  school  teaching.  Among  his  works 
are  Hans  Breitmanns  Ballads,  a  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  Algon- 
quin Legends,  and  several  treatises  on  education. 

A  contemporary  of  Leland  was  Charles  Leonard  Moore,  poet  and 
essayist  as  well  as  business  man,  who  devoted  a  score  of  years  out  of 
his  life  to  literary  work.  He  was  a  constant  contributor  to  the  original 
Dial  magazine.  Among  his  published  works  were  Atlas,  Pocius,  and 
Book  of  My  Day  Dreams. 

The  closing  year  of  the  nineteenth  century  brought  to  Philadelphia's 
literary  world  a  new  figure  who  was  to  put  a  new  life  in  the  Saturday 
Evening  Post,  making  it  into  the  leading  weekly,  with  the  largest  cir- 
culation of  any  magazine  in  the  world.  For  38  years  George  Horace 
Lorimer's  name  appeared  at  the  masthead  of  this  publication,  and  he 
became  one  of  the  most  influential  and  best-known  editors  of  his  time. 
Lorimer  was  the  author  of  Letters  From  a  Self-Made  Merchant  to 
His  Son,  which  became  a  classic  of  its  kind.  He  published  a  number  of 
other  books. 

195 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

By  all  odds  the  most  important  Philadelphia  writer  of  the  pre- 
war decade  is  James  Gibbons  Huneker,  who  as  far  back  as  1900  was 
publishing  Chopin  ;  The  Man  and  His  Music,  followed  by  Overtones 
(1904),  Iconoclasts  and  A  Book  of  Dramatists  (1905) .  His  vogue  with 
the  American  intelligentsia  continued  after  the  war,  with  the  pub- 
lication of  such  brilliant  books  as  Steeplejack,  Bedouins,  Painted 
Veils,  and  Variations. 

Huneker's  importance  lies  in  the  fact  that  he  is  America's  foremost 
representative  of  the  impressionist  school  of  criticism,  a  school  rep- 
resented in  England  by  Arthur  Symons,  and  which  may  be  said  to 
have  had  its  last  journalistic  flare  with  H.  L.  Mencken.  It  was  as  a 
Philadelphia  music  critic  —  and  a  critic  of  a  kind  the  country  had  not 
seen  before  —  that  Huneker  first  brought  himself  into  prominence. 
A  commuter,  as  others  have  been,  between  Philadelphia  and  Man- 
hattan, he  was  soon  possessed  of  a  reputation  that  was  not  bounded 
by  the  national  frontiers  ;  for  he  was  giving  the  world  the  most  dis- 
tinguished American  criticism  since  Poe.  His  sparkling,  studded, 
highly  impressionistic  style,  his  wealth  of  anecdote  and  epigram,  his 
broad  and  genial  erudition,  his  sensitiveness  to  the  esthetic  currents 
of  his  age,  above  all  his  cosmopolitanism  —  these  were  new  to  his 
countrymen.  He  brought  to  the  latter,  among  other  things,  a  "lust  for 
life"  as  well  as  for  literature,  by  introducing  certain  aspects  of  life 
which  a  hastily  growing  and  democratic  America  had  overlooked  — 
the  pleasures  of  the  gourmet,  for  instance,  the  esoteric  refinements 
of  wining  and  dining. 

Philadelphia  newspapers  in  more  instances  than  one  have  been  a 
training  school  for  literature.  One  case  is  that  of  Christopher  Morley, 
noted  essayist  and  novelist,  who  won  his  spurs  on  the  staff  of  the 
Philadelphia  Evenitig  Ledger.  Another  example  is  Thomas  A.  Daly, 
who  in  addition  to  column-conducting  in  Philadelphia,  has  found 
time  to  publish  such  collections  of  whimsical  verse  as  Canzoni,  Mad- 
rigali,  and  Songs  of  Wedlock,  written  for  the  most  part  in  the  English 
of  the  Italian  immigrant. 

Something  has  been  said  previously  of  Philadelphia  magazines. 
Their  influence  upon  the  literary  life,  not  alone  of  Philadelphia  but 
of  the  Nation,  has  from  the  start  been  notable.  Just  as  a  periodical 
like  Graham  s,  back  in  the  years  preceding  the  Civil  War,  had  at- 
tracted such  contributors  as  Poe,  Hawthorne,  Bryant,  and  Longfel- 
low, so  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  and  the  Ladies  Home  Journal  in 
the  past  half  century  have  definitely  shaped  certain  types  of  Ameri- 
can writing,  have  served  as  a  lure  for  many  a  budding  talent,  and 
therefore  have  had  their  not-to-be-doubted  effect  upon  the  national 
psychology. 

And  so  it  is  not  unfitting  that  one  Philadelphia  magazine  editor, 
Edward  Bok  of  the  Ladies  Home  Journal,  should  in  a  manner  bring 

196 


LITERATURE 

an  era  to  a  close,  in  1920,  with  his  autobiography,  The  Americaniza- 
tion of  Edward  Bok,  which  received  the  Pulitzer  award  for  that  year. 
What,  it  may  be  asked,  has  this  era  so  terminated  ?  Perhaps  no  bet- 
ter answer  could  be  found  than  in  Theodore  Roosevelt's  phrase, 
"the  strenuous  life,"  which,  backed  by  "Teddy's"  toothful  grin,  once 
echoed  from  coast  to  coast.  This,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  the  age 
of  Orison  Swett  Harden  and  the  gospel  of  "Success,"  of  the  Oliver 
Optic  myth,  perpetuating  the  nineteenth  century  canal-boy-to-presi- 
dent legend.  The  respected  formula  was  :  begin  at  the  bottom  and 
work  up  ;  and  this  was  the  formula  which  Edward  Bok  carried  out. 
The  tradition  is  one  which  may  be  looked  upon  as  having  ended  with 
or  shortly  after  the  World  War.  A  new  age  was  now  in  sight,  with 
new  problems  to  be  faced,  new  adjustments  to  be  made.  It  is  there- 
fore not  inappropriate  that  Bok's  book  should  have  come  within  a 
year  or  so  after  the  signing  of  the  Armistice. 

True  to  the  traditions  of  the  man  who  has  fought  for  and  won  suc- 
cess, Bok  upon  his  death  10  years  later  left  funds  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  number  of  awards  for  meritorious  services,  including  the 
Philadelphia  Award  of  $10,000  to  the  Philadelphian  or  person  living 
nearby  who  each  year  does  most  to  bring  honor  to  his  city. 

TF  WE  LOOK  at  Philadelphia  writing  since  the  war,  particularly  at 
-^-  that  which  has  been  done  since  1929,  or  the  beginning  of  the  "De- 
pression," and  which  is  being  done  today,  the  outstanding  aspects 
that  we  notice  are  a  certain  deepening  introspection  with  regard  to 
the  native  scene,  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other,  a  certain  broad- 
ening of  social-literary  interest,  to  include  the  problems  of  America 
and  of  the  age. 

Philadelphia  has  long  been  noted  for  its  "first  families,"  but  that 
the  members  of  these  "first  families"  are  capable  at  times  of  an  ob- 
jective view  of  themselves  is  indicated  by  Francis  Biddle's  The  Llan- 
fear  Pattern,  which  is  by  way  of  being  an  unsparing  expose  of  local 
insularity  and  the  intellectual  impotence  of  a  new-rich  type  such  as 
the  novel  places  in  the  Chestnut  Hill  and  Main  Line  regions.  There 
is  also  Granville  Toogood,  whose  first  novel,  Huntsman  in  the  Sky, 
breathes  a  spirit  of  revolt. 

There  is  an  even  more  unlovely  side  of  life,  in  Philadelphia  as 
elsewhere,  a  side  that  is  commonly  cloaked  by  the  euphemism  of 
"underworld."  It  is  this  side  of  life  that  John  T.  Mclntyre  deals  with, 
in  his  Steps  Going  Down,  published  in  1936. 

Among  other  recent  Philadelphia  writers,  novelists,  and  poets  are 
Shirley  Watkins,  author  of  This  Poor  Player  (1929)  and  The  Island 
of  Green  Myrtles  (1937)  ;  Roy  Addison  Helton,  Edward  Shenton, 
Mary  Dixon  Thayer,  author  of  a  number  Qf  well-known  volumes  of 

197 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Catholic  verse,  and  the  essayist  Benjamin  de  Casseres.  Shenton  is  an 
illustrator  and  editor  as  well  as  writer. 

Like  De  Casseres,  who  left  the  city  in  his  youth,  others  born  or 
educated  in  Philadelphia  have  achieved  reputations.  This  list  would 
include  such  writers  as  H.  D.  (Helen  Doolittle),  John  Cournos,  Ezra 
Pound,  Alexander  Woollcott,  and  Gilbert  Seldes. 

There  is  a  sense  in  which  Philadelphia  has  been  the  "City  of 
Scholars,"  and  two  of  its  leading  representatives  in  this  respect  have 
been  the  Furnesses  —  Horace  Howard  Furness  and  his  son,  Horace 
Howard  Furness,  Jr.  —  editors  of  the  famous  "Variorum"  edition  of 
Shakespeare,  which  is  considered  the  standard  by  authorities.  In 
compiling  this  edition,  the  elder  Furness  gathered  the  largest  Shake- 
spearean library  in  the  world.  When  he  died  in  1912,  his  work  was 
carried  on  by  his  son,  although  the  latter  had  prepared  himself  for 
a  career  as  physicist  and  astronomer.  Horace  Howard  Furness,  Jr., 
died  in  Philadelphia  in  1930.  In  his  will,  he  left  his  father's  and  his 
own  library  to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  with  a  fund  of  $100,- 
000  for  its  maintenance. 

Another  contributor  to  the  field  of  literary  scholarship  was  S. 
Austin  Allibone,  compiler  of  a  critical  Dictionary  of  English  Litera- 
ture. Not  to  be  overlooked,  either,  is  the  somewhat  fantastic  Ignatius 
Donnelly  (another  graduate  of  Central  High  School,  by  the  way), 
who  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  trying  to  prove  that  Francis 
Bacon,  and  not  one  William  Shakespeare,  was  in  reality  the  author 
of  Shakespeare's  plays.  He  was  the  originator  of  the  "great  Baconian 
cryptogram,"  which  in  its  day  provoked  a  storm  of  discussion. 

A  Philadelphia  critic,  biographer  and  man  of  letters  most  of  whose 
work  has  been  done  since  the  War  is  Albert  Mordell,  who  first  attracted 
wide  attention  with  his  treatise,  The  Erotic  Motive  in  Literature  (1919) , 
pointing  the  application  of  psychoanalysis  to  creative  writing.  His 
biography,  Quaker  Militant:  John  Greenleaf  Whittier  (1933)  was 
much  discussed.  Mordell  has  edited  many  books,  but  is  perhaps  best 
known  by  the  articles  and  translations  of  Lafcadio  Hearn,  filling  a 
dozen  volumes,  which  he  exhumed  from  newspaper  files.  His  essay, 
The  Literature  of  Ecstasy  (1921)  offered  a  new  theory  of  poetry.  His 
first  work  was  a  pamphlet,  The  Shifting  of  Literary  Values,  printed 
in  Philadelphia  in  1912. 

In  the  modern  age,  one  of  the  best-known  native  Philadelphia 
representatives  of  bookish  lore  is  A.  Edward  Newton,  whom  the 
New  York  Times  has  termed  "the  world's  most  popular  book  col- 
lector." He  is  owner  of  a  library,  housed  in  his  "Oak  Knoll"  home  at 
Daylesford,  Pennsylvania,  consisting  of  more  than  10,000  rare  vol- 
umes. Hundreds  of  college  students  and  other  visitors  come  yearly  to 
view  this  collection,  which  is  especially  noted  for  its  completeness 
where  the  works  of  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  are  concerned.  Dr.  Newton 

198 


LITERATURE 

(he  is  the  holder  of  numerous  honorary  degrees)  is  author  of  such 
well  known  works  as  The  Amenities  of  Book  Collecting,  Dr.  Johnson 
(a  play),  The  Greatest  Book  in  the  World,  A  Magnificent  Farce,  This 
Book  Collecting  Game,  A  Tourist  in  Spite  of  Himself,  and  End 
Papers.  He  is  also  known  as  a  contributor  to  the  Atlantic  Monthly. 
In  1935,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Friends  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  Library,  and  was  Rosenbach  lecturer  in  bibliography 
at  the  University  for  the  year  1935-36. 

Known  all  over  the  world  and  from  post-Revolutionary  times  for 
its  surgeons,  medical  schools,  and  hospitals,  Philadelphia,  as  might 
be  expected,  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  the  field  of  medical  liter- 
ature. One  need  but  mention  such  writers  as  Jacob  M.  Da  Costa, 
Samuel  D.  Gross,  D.  Hayes  Agnew,  George  B.  Wood,  and  William 
Pepper.  In  the  allied  province  of  the  natural  sciences,  the  names  of 
Isaac  Lea,  Joseph  Leidy,  Edward  D.  Cope,  and  others  are  remem- 
bered. 

Occasionally,  as  in  the  case  of  Dr.  S.  Weir  Mitchell,  we  find  science 
and  literature  joining  hands.  Dr.  Mitchell  was  at  one  and  the  same 
time  an  eminent  nerve  specialist  and  a  novelist  of  repute.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  treatises  on  neurology,  comparative  psychology,  and  the 
like,  Dr.  Mitchell  found  leisure  to  write  such  tales  as  The  Red  City  ; 
Hugh  Wynne,  Free  Quaker;  Adventures  of  Francois,  and  A  Diplomatic 
Adventure.  They  found  a  wide  audience  —  an  audience  which  came 
to  make  almost  as  many  demands  upon  him  as  did  his  medical 
practice. 

In  connection  with  medical  writers,  Dr.  George  Milbry  Gould 
naturally  comes  to  mind.  In  addition  to  editing  medical,  surgical,  and 
biological  dictionaries,  medical  encyclopedias,  the  Medical  News,  the 
Philadelphia  Medical  Journal,  American  Medicine,  and  the  like,  he 
published  a  number  of  purely  literary  works,  such  as  the  poetical 
volume,  Autumn  Singer,  and  two  semi-philosophic  works,  The  Mean- 
ing of  Life  and  The  Infinite  Presence.  He  also  helped  prepare  the 
Life  and  Letters  of  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman. 

In  legal  writing,  Eli  Kirk  Price  and  George  Sharswood,  who  re- 
established the  University  of  Pennsylvania  Law  School,  have  won 
distinction.  In  theology,  the  reputations  of  Phillips  Brooks  and  Albert 
Barnes  are  but  two  of  a  number  that  have  survived  the  past. 

In  connection  with  historical  writing,  the  names  of  John  Bach 
McMaster,  Henry  Charles  Lea,  and  Ellis  P.  Oberholtzer  stand  out. 

McMaster's  best  known  work  is  his  8-volume  History  of  the 
United  States,  which  required  many  years  of  scholarly  labor,  and 
most  of  which  was  written  while  the  author  was  professor  of  history 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  McMaster  introduced  a  new 
method  into  the  study  of  American  history,  in  accordance  with  which 
society  is  interpreted  genetically,  from  the  economic  point  of  view. 

199 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

He  also  wrote  Benjamin  Franklin  as  a  Man  of  Letters,  The  Life  of 
Stephen  Girard,  and  The  United  States  in  the  World  War. 

Henry  Charles  Lea,  in  addition  to  being  a  historian,  was  a  publicist 
and  man  of  affairs.  He  was,  among  other  things,  an  early  member 
and  pamphleteer  of  the  Union  League  Club  of  Philadelphia.  As  a 
leader  in  public  life,  he  was  the  organizer  and  first  president  of  the 
Municipal  Reform  Association,  resigning  from  the  Union  League  be- 
cause he  felt  that  the  latter  body  failed  to  throw  its  influence  on  the 
side  of  better  government.  It  was  during  the  last  25  years  of 
his  life  that  he  returned  to  historical  scholarship  and  penned  his 
3-volume  History  of  the  Inquisition,  published  in  1888.  This  was 
followed  by  a  number  of  other  works  dealing  with  the  same  or  re- 
lated periods  of  Spanish  history. 

Oberholtzer  was  the  author  of  a  History  of  the  United  States  Since 
the  Civil  War,  which  entailed  twenty  years  of  work.  He  also  produced 
a  Literary  History  of  Philadelphia  ;  A  History  of  Philadelphia  and 
its  People  ;  Robert  Morris,  Patriot  and  Financier  ;  Jay  Cooke,  Fin- 
ancier of  the  Civil  War  ;  Abraham  Lincoln  ;  Henry  Clay  ;  and  Memoir 
of  John  Bach  McMaster.  He  collapsed  suddenly  in  the  rooms  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Historical  Society  in  1936  and  died  shortly  after. 

Special  attention  has  been  paid  by  many  Philadelphia  writers  to 
local  and  State  history.  Joseph  Jackson  has  written  on  Early  Phila- 
delphia Architects  and  Engineers  and  American  Colonial  Architec- 
ture, and  is  the  author  of  an  Encyclopedia  of  Philadelphia,  as  well 
as  of  treatises  on  Market  Street:  America's  Most  Historic  Highway 
and  Dickens  in  Philadelphia. 

Possibly  the  most  prolific  of  Philadelphia  and  State  historians  is 
Albert  Cook  Myers,  who  has  written  or  edited  a  long  list  of  works, 
including  Immigration  of  the  Irish  Quakers  into  Pennsylvania,  Nar- 
ratives of  Early  Pennsylvania,  West  New  Jersey  and  Delaware,  and 
The  Boy  George  Washington. 

American  Indian  lore,  travel,  adventure,  exploration  —  all  these 
have  been  favored  delving  grounds.  Among  the  travel  and  adventure 
writers,  Elisha  Kent  Kane,  Arctic  explorer,  and  Dr.  Israel  Haynes 
may  lay  claim  to  prominence. 

Innumerable  literary  contributions  have  come  from  the  pens  of 
Negro  authors  who  have  added  histories,  novels,  poems,  essays,  short 
stories,  biographies,  dramas  —  in  short,  all  types  of  writings  —  to  the 
literary  output  of  the  city.  Many  of  these  works  are  valuable  merely 
from  a  historical  standpoint,  while  others  are  of  meritorious  literary 
value. 

The  first  recorded  literary  work  of  this  group  was  an  account  of  the 
work  of  Richard  Allen  and  Absalom  Jones  in  saving  lives  and  reliev- 
ing the  suffering  of  those  afflicted  with  yellow  fever  in  the  epidemic 
of  1793.  This  first  piece  of  literature  (1794)  was  the  joint  production 

200 


LITERATURE 

of  Allen  and  Jones.  From  then  until  now  there  has  been   a  steady 
stream  of  literature  of  various  types. 

One  particularly  interesting  piece  of  work  is  The  Underground 
Railroad,  a  history  published  by  William  Still  in  1872.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  records  in  existence  concerning  the  history  of 
slavery.  It  is  composed  chiefly  of  letters  written  by  fugitive  slaves, 
sometimes  while  en  route  to  Canada,  sometimes  after  reaching  their 
destination,  and  of  letters  written  by  different  agents  of  the  "Under- 
ground Railroad"  to  the  secretary  of  the  Vigilance  Committee.  These 
letters  tell  in  the  words  of  the  fugitives  themselves  of  the  difficulties, 
sufferings,  and  fears  of  the  runaway  slaves,  and  of  the  many  and 
varied  devices  employed  by  them  to  escape. 

Prominent  among  present  day  writers  are  Henry  B.  Jones,  Arthur 
Huff  Fauset,  his  sister  Jessie  Fauset  (Mrs.  Herbert  Harris),  and  Alain 
Leroy  Locke.  Jones  is  a  writer  of  short  stories,  one  of  which,  Drums, 
appeared  in  an  issue  of  Liberty  during  November  1935.  Under  another 
name  others  of  his  stories  appear  frequently  in  pulp  magazines.  Far 
Freedom,  a  biography  of  outstanding  Negroes  written  by  Arthur  Huff 
Fauset,  has  been  placed  in  the  libraries  of  the  public  school  system 
of  the  city.  There  is  Confusion,  Plum  Bun,  Chinaberry  Tree,  and 
Comedy  American  Style  are  four  novels  written  by  Jessie  Fauset,  first 
Negro  woman  to  win  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  key  at  Cornell. 

Locke's  entire  life  has  been  associated  with  letters.  After  a  brilliant 
record  at  Central  High  School  he  was  graduated  at  15,  and  in  1908 
graduated  "magna  cum  laude"  from  Harvard  with  membership  in 
the  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  The  only  Negro  thus  far  to  win  the  Rhodes 
scholarship,  he  received  the  degree  Litt.  D.  from  Oxford  University 
in  1911.  He  has  devoted  a  great  deal  of  time  to  magazine  work,  and 
his  articles  appear  regularly  in  the  best  American  periodicals. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  of  literary  clubs  in  Philadelphia  is  the 
Penn  Club,  organized  in  1875  as  an  outgrowth  of  the  Penn  Monthly, 
a  magazine  published  from  1870  to  1880.  Headquarters  of  the  maga- 
zine served  as  a  meeting  place  for  the  Penn  Monthly  Association. 

Another  well-known  literary  group,  the  Franklin  Inn  Club,  main- 
tains a  clubhouse  at  Camac  and  St.  James  Streets.  It  was  organized 
in  1902,  with  Dr.  S.  Weir  Mitchell  as  first  president.  Membership  is 
limited  to  100.  Since  its  founding  the  club  has  beeri  the  gathering 
place  of  literary  men  of  distinction  visiting  Philadelphia.  Of  about 
the  same  age  is  the  Hathaway  Shakespeare  Club,  a  women's  literary 
group  which  meets  in  various  large  hotels. 

The  Dickens  Fellowship,  similarly,  is  devoted  to  the  works  of 
Charles  Dickens.  This  club  holds  meetings  in  rooms  of  the  Musical 
Art  Club,  Seventeenth  and  Walnut  Streets.  Membership  is  approx- 
imately 800.  The  American  Fiction  Guild,  a  national  association  of 
professional  writers  has  a  local  chapter  in  Philadelphia. 

201 


GROWTH  OF  THE  PRESS 


PHILADELPHIA'S  newspaper  tradition  may  be  said  to  have  be- 
gun in  1685,  when  William  Bradford  brought  from  England 
the  first  printing  press  used  in  the  Colonies  south  of  New  Eng- 
land. Bradford  became  involved  in  political  and  social  disputes  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  in  1693  moved  to  New  York.  His  business  was  re- 
vived in  1712  by  his  son  Andrew,  who  in  company  with  John 
Copson  began  publication  in  1719  of  the  American  Weekly  Mercury. 
The  Mercury  was  the  first  newspaper  in  the  Middle  Colonies  and  the 
third  in  the  New  World.  The  Universal  Instructor  in  All  the  Arts 
and  Sciences  and  Pennsylvania  Gazette  was  the  second  newspaper 
established  in  Penn's  city.  It  was  first  issued  December  24,  1728,  by 
Samuel  Keimer,  who  had  come  to  Philadelphia  six  years  previously. 
The  most  important  actor  in  the  early  drama  of  printers'  ink, 
Benjamin  Franklin,  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1723  and  applied  to 
Andrew  Bradford  for  work.  The  latter  had  nothing  for  him  to  do  ; 
but  William  Bradford,  happening  to  be  in  Philadelphia  at  the  time, 
took  Franklin  to  Samuel  Keimer,  who  became  Franklin's  employer. 
(Franklin's  unfavorable  opinion  of  Keimer  is  aired  in  his  autobio- 
graphy.) In  1725  Keimer  started  publication  of  Taylor's  Almanac. 
Almost  immediately  an  advertisement  in  the  Mercury  characterized 
it  as  "a  lying  Almanac." 

Soon  after  1725  Andrew  Bradford,  who  had  dominated  the  print- 
ing business  of  the  Province,  began  to  face  steadier  opposition. 
Keimer  still  kept  up  his  printing  office  and  managed  to  do  a  little 
business,  although  he  eked  out  an  existence  by  some  methods  not 
strictly  ethical.  After  publishing  the  weekly  Universal  Instructor  for 
nine  months,  during  which  time  it  had  only  90  subscribers,  he  be- 
came involved  in  debt.  Unable  to  continue  the  paper,  he  sold  it  to 
Franklin  and  Hugh  Meredith,  who  expunged  the  first  part  of  the 
title,  calling  it  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette.  For  a  while  it  appeared 
twice  a  week,  at  10  shillings  per  annum,  and  then  was  changed  back 
to  a  weekly  because  of  distribution  difficulties.  The  energy  and  in- 
dustry of  Franklin  and  the  improvement  in  the  character  of  the 
paper  created  public  interest. 

In  1732  the  partnership  was  dissolved,  and  Franklin  continued  the 
business  on  his  own  account.  After  his  appointment  as  postmaster, 
the  circulation  of  his  paper  increased  ;  the  Gazette  became  very 

202 


GROWTH  OF  PRESS 

profitable.  In  1748,  engaged  in  public  affairs,  Franklin  formed  a  con- 
nection with  David  Hall,  under  the  firm  name  of  B.  Franklin  &  D. 
Hall.  He  sold  his  interest  to  Hall  in  1765.  The  next  year  the  paper 
was  printed  by  Hall  and  William  Sellers,  and  was  issued  regularly, 
although  it  suspended  publication  during  the  British  occupation  of 
Philadelphia. 

Hall  and  Sellers  dissolved  partnership  about  1805,  and  the  new 
firm  of  Hall  &  Pierie  was  established.  About  1815  or  1816  this  latter 
partnership  was  dissolved,  and  Hall  continued  in  operation  with 
Samuel  C.  Atkinson  as  partner.  David  Hall  died  on  May  27,  1821, 
and  Atkinson  took  into  partnership  Charles  Alexander,  who  at  once 
determined  upon  a  revolution  in  the  character  of  the  venerable 
paper.  Proposals  for  the  publication  of  a  new  weekly  journal,  to 
which  they  gave  the  name  of  Saturday  Evening  Post,  were  issued. 
The  first  number  appeared  on  August  4,  1821.  The  proprietors, 
young  and  ambitious,  endeavored  to  make  the  paper  interesting  to 
all  classes.  They  encouraged  rising  talent  by  means  of  a  "poet's 
corner,"  and  gave  attention  to  both  foreign  and  domestic  news. 
There  was  also  a  sufficient  variety  of  news  of  general  interest  to  at- 
tract persons  outside  of  Philadelphia.  The  Atkinsons  attended  to 
business,  and  the  paper  gained  in  popularity  and  circulation.  Its 
editor  was  Thomas  Cottrell  Clarke. 

The  Hoch  Deutsch  Pensylvanische  Geschict  Shreiber,  oder  Samm- 
lung  Wichtiger  Nachrichten  aus  dem  Natur  und  Kirchen  Reich 
(translated  literally,  the  "High  German  Pennsylvania  Historiog- 
rapher, or  Collection  of  Important  Intelligence  from  the  Kingdom 
of  Nature  and  the  Church")  was  issued  on  August  20,  1739,  by 
Christopher  Saur,  of  Germantown,  as  a  quarterly  journal.  Saur  cast 
his  own  type  and  made  his  own  ink. 

The  name  of  the  publication  was  changed  several  times,  becoming 
meanwhile  a  monthly  publication,  until,  around  1766,  the  current 
name  of  Berichte  was  changed  to  Germantauner  Zeitung,  and  it  was 
issued  weekly.  It  wielded  much  influence  for  a  time  and  was  removed 
to  Philadelphia  in  1777,  where  it  continued  until  the  following  spring 
under  a  new  name. 

The  General  Magazine  and  Historical  Chronicle  for  all  British 
Plantations  in  America  was  begun  by  Franklin  in  January  1741.  It 
lasted  only  six  months.  The  American  Magazine  or  a  Monthly  View 
of  the  British  Colonies  also  appeared  that  year,  published  by  John 
Webbe,  who  had  engaged  Bradford  to  print  the  work.  Only  two  or 
three  numbers  were  published. 

The  Pennsylvania  Journal  and  Weekly  Advertiser,  third  Philadel- 
phia newspaper  in  the  English  language,  was  established  in  1742. 
William  Bradford,  grandson  of  the  first  William  and  nephew  of 
Andrew  Bradford  of  the  American  Weekly  Mercury,  began  its  pub- 

203 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

lication  after  he  returned  from  England  in  1742.  The  first  issue  was 
dated  December  2.  In  1766  his  son  Thomas  became  a  partner  in  the 
business. 

After  Bradford's  establishment  of  the  London  Coffee  House  in 
1754  at  what  is  now  Front  and  Market  Streets,  the  Journal  office 
was  removed  to  that  building.  No  attempt  was  made  to  publish  the 
Journal  during  the  British  occupation,  but  it  was  revived  at  the  be- 
ginning of  December  1778,  and  it  appeared  regularly  until  about 
1793,  two  years  after  the  death  of  Col.  William  Bradford.  The  Mer- 
chant's Daily  Advertiser.,  founded  in  1797,  was  succeeded  by  the  True 
American,  which  began  publication  the  following  year.  In  November 
1813  James  Elliott  and  Thomas  T.  Stiles  bought  the  paper.  The  latter 
became  sole  owner  in  1815  ;  Charles  Miner  became  his  partner  in 
1817  ;  and  then  the  paper  purchased  by  Thomas  Smith  and  Ebenezer 
Cummins,  who  five  years  later  merged  with  the  17.  S.  Gazette  under 
the  title  The  Union  United  States  Gazette  and  True  American. 

The  Pennsylvania  Evening  Post  was  the  first  evening  paper  in 
Philadelphia.  It  appeared  just  before  the  Revolution,  and  was  issued 
three  times  a  week  on  a  half  sheet  of  crown  paper.  This  was  the 
third  evening  paper  in  the  Colonies.  Its  editor  and  publisher  was 
Benjamin  Towne.  To  follow  the  fortunes  of  Towne  is  to  wade 
through  some  of  the  muddiest  waters  of  early  Philadelphia  journal- 
ism. For  business  reasons  Towne  became  a  "patriot,"  but  after 
Washington's  defeat  at  Brandywine  he  began  to  curry  favor  with 
the  British  by  printing  long,  almost  jubilant,  accounts  of  British 
successes.  When  Howe's  army  took  possession  of  Philadelphia  he 
went  out  of  his  way  to  praise  the  good  manners  of  the  invaders. 
Neither  he  nor  his  newspaper  was  molested. 

When  the  British  troops  evacuated  the  city,  Towne  turned  Whig 
again,  and  the  Evening  Post  carried  an  equally  fulsome  account  of 
the  evacuation.  Gen.  Benedict  Arnold,  who  became  military  gov- 
ernor of  the  city,  made  no  movement  against  the  printer,  and  the 
Evening  Post  continued,  despite  the  indignation  its  owner  had  stirred 
up  by  his  duplicity.  Eventually,  Towne  was  ordered  to  surrender  to 
the  authorities,  but  apparently  was  never  tried. 

In  his  efforts  to  recapture  favor  with  the  Whigs,  Towne  promised 
to  publish  a  recantation  written  for  him  by  Dr.  John  Witherspoon, 
member  of  the  Continental  Congress  and  a  former  subscriber.  After 
reading  Witherspoon's  article,  however,  the  publisher  refused  to 
make  good  his  promise,  but  the  "Towne  Recantation"  found  a  read- 
ing public  through  numerous  other  journals  in  the  Colonies.  Pre- 
sented in  the  first  person,  the  recantation  read  in  part  : 

...  I  am  not  only  proscribed  by  the  President  and  Supreme  execu- 
tive council  of  Pennsylvania,  but  that  several  other  persons  are  for 
reprobating  my  paper,  and  allege  that  instead  of  being  suffered  to 
print,  I  ought  to  be  hanged  as  a  traitor  to  my  country. 

204 


GROWTH  OF  PRESS 

.  .  .  I  never  was,  nor  ever  pretended  to  be  a  man  of  character, 
repute  or  dignity.  I  was  originally  an  understrapper  to  the  famous 
Galloway  in  his  infamous  squabble  with  Goddard,  and  did  in  that 
service  contract  such  a  habit  of  meanness  in  thinking  and  scurrility 
in  writing  that  nothing  exalted  .  .  .  could  ever  be  expected  from 
me  .  .  . 

.  .  .Finally,  I  do  hereby  recant,  draw  back,  eat  in  and  swallow  down, 
every  word  that  I  have  ever  spoken,  written  or  printed  to  the  prej- 
udice of  the  United  States  of  America,  hoping  it  will  not  only  satisfy 
the  good  people  in  general,  but  also  all  those  scatterbrained  fellows, 
who  call  one  another  out  to  shoot  pistols  in  the  air,  while  they 
tremble  so  much  that  they  cannot  hit  the  mark. 

Towne  died  on  July  8,  1793,  having  published  for  a  time  before 
his  death  a  paper,  All  the  News  for  Two  Coppers,  which  he  carried 
about  the  streets  himself. 

The  Pennsylvania  Evening  Post  started  as  a  tri-weekly  on  January 
24,  1775,  being  published  on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  and  Saturdays 
until  January  7,  1779,  when  it  became  a  semi- weekly.  On  August  3, 
1781,  its  title  was  changed  to  the  Pennsylvania  Evening  Post  and 
Public  Advertiser,  and  two  years  later  it  became  a  daily  under  the 
title  the  Pennsylvania  Post  and  Daily  Advertiser.  It  continued  as  a 
daily  for  six  years,  until  1789,  under  this  latter  name  and  still  under 
Towne's  proprietorship.  It  was  the  first  paper  to  print  the  Declaration 
of  Independence. 

The  Pennsylvania  Chronicle  and  Universal  Advertiser  first  ap- 
peared on  January  26,  1767.  It  was  published  by  William  Goddard. 
The  Pennsylvania  Packet  or  General  Advertiser  was  first  issued  on 
October  28,  1771,  by  John  Dunlap.  This  latter  journal  warmly  sup- 
ported the  cause  of  the  Colonists  against  Great  Britain  in  1775-6;  at 
this  time  it  was  published  semi-weekly  with  postscripts  similar  to  the 
"extras"  of  today  being  issued  whenever  important  news  was  received 
from  abroad  or  from  the  other  Colonies.  While  the  British  occupied 
Philadelphia,  the  Packet  was  printed  at  Lancaster,  but  resumed  print- 
ing in  Philadelphia  on  July  4,  1778.  That  day  John  Dunlap  published 
an  editorial  —  very  rare  in  those  days  —  on  the  evacuation  of  the  city 
by  the  British  troops.  On  September  21,  1784,  the  Packet,  which  had 
theretofore  been  issued  three  times  weekly,  was  converted  into  a 
daily.  Shortly  afterward  the  title  was  changed  to  the  American  Daily 
Advertiser,  and  then  to  Dunlap  &  Clay poolers  American  Daily  Adver- 
tiser—  this  when  David  C.  Claypoole,  Dunlap's  apprentice  and  later 
,  partner,  became  sole  owner.  Dunlap  died  on  November  27,  1812,  and 
was  buried  with  military  honors  in  Christ  Church  graveyard,  Fifth 
<and.  Arch  Streets. 

1 .:,  The.  excellent  work  of  J.  Thomas  Scharf  and  Thompson  Westcott, 
constantly  referred  to  by  students  of  Philadelphia's  history,  contains 
an  erroneous  statement  regarding  Claypoole' 's  Daily  Advertiser.  Scharf 
and  Westcott  confounded  this  publication  with  Towne's  Pennsylvania 

205 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Evening  Post.  Historical  research  by  the  American  Antiquarian 
Society  proves  that  the  Pennsylvania  Evening  Post,  not  the  Daily 
Advertiser,  was  the  first  daily  newspaper  published  in  America. 

The  Daily  Advertiser  was  continued  by  David  C.  Claypoole  until 
September  30,  1800,  when  he  sold  it  to  Zachariah  Poulson,  Jr.,  for 
$10,000.  Under  Poulson  the  Advertiser  prospered  for  30  years,  al- 
though it  never  attained  a  large  circulation.  Always  respectable,  never 
brilliant,  and  strictly  Whig,  Poulson  was  78  years  old  and  in  feeble 
health  when,  on  December  28,  1839,  he  bade  farewell  to  journalism. 

The  North  American  and  the  United  States  Gazette,  the  outgrowth 
of  a  number  of  journals  of  various  degrees  of  importance,  was  first 
issued  under  that  name  on  March  26,  1839,  at  63  Dock  Street.  Its 
first  publishers,  S.  C.  Brace  and  T.  R.  Newbold,  soon  gave  way  to 
William  Welsh,  last  survivor  of  a  group  that  had  acquired  the  paper 
in  an  effort  to  elevate  newspaper  morality.  Before  the  end  of  1839 
it  absorbed  Poulson's  Daily  Advertiser,  and  in  1840  it  acquired  the 
Commercial  Herald.  Welsh  also  purchased  the  Philadelphia  Gazette, 
an  afternoon  paper. 

On  October  1,  1845,  Welsh  sold  the  North  American  to  George  R. 
Graham  and  Alexander  Cummings.  It  joined  with  the  New  York 
Tribune  in  revolutionary  efforts  to  obtain  fresh  news.  In  1846  the 
two  newspapers  hired  the  pilot  boat  Romer  and  beat  the  regular 


C    517    ) 

The    PENNSYLVANIA 


EVENING    POST 


Price  only  Two  Copper:.        Publi/hcd  every  Tuejday,  Thurjday,  and  Saturday  Evenings. 


Vol.  II. j 


TUESDAY,   JULY   2,    1776. 


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FRIDAY,     June, 
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rocks  in  hu  walk,  or  rather  fomewhat  lame,  occahoncd  by  his 

^        having  his  thigh  bone   broke  when  a  boy.      Had  on  when   he 

1TAM  GOVETT    Secretary          went  away  a  fmall  brimmed  h.tt,  a  brown  cloth  j.icket  without 
fleevcs,  let  out  in  the  back,  new  tow  fliirt  and  trOufers,  old  Ihoes. 
This  day  the  CONTINENTAL  CONGRESS    declared     Whoever  takes  up  and  fecures  laid  Negro  ID  any  ja.lfo  as  his 
the   UNITED  COLONIES   FREE  and    INDEPENDENT     mafter  may  have  h,m  again,  fhall  have  the  above  reward  and  rev 

fonable  cnarges,  paid  by  the  luburibcr  living  in  Second  llrect, 
oppofitc  the  Swede's  chuich  in  the  diftridt  of  Southwaik. 

O  be  SOLD,  the  brigantinc  TWO  FRIENDS.     Shc         N   B-  A]I  maflcr$  of  vefl-ds  and  Olne;s  ar(l  forb,d  to  car'ry, 
b&*     *"•   th— ««-QU,   i«d    carrier     Jakfj  or  narbour  him  at  their  peril. '      ' 


QL'AN'ITl  Y    of  white  and    brown  BUCKRAM  to  be 
foid  by  Mar)  Flanagan,  the  corner  of  Front  and  Spruce 


The  Front  Page  News  in  The  Pennsylvania  Evening  Post 


GROWTH  OF  PRESS 

packet  with  foreign  news  by  several  days  —  the  first  stirrings  of  the 
modern  attitude  towards  news  gathering. 

At  the  beginning  of  1847  the  North  American  and  the  United 
States  Gazette  were  prosperous  Whig  papers  of  similar  character 
and  standing.  Neither  could  hope  for  any  material  increase  in  pros- 
perity while  the  other  existed.  Morton  McMichael  conceived  the  idea 
of  consolidating  the  two  rivals,  and  this  was  accomplished  on  July  1, 
1847,  when  they  combined  under  the  name  of  the  North  American 
and  United  States  Gazette.  Born  in  Burlington  County,  N.  J.,  Mc- 
Michael was  to  write  his  name  in  bold  letters  across  the  early  history 
of  Philadelphia  journalism.  Educated  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, he  became  editor  of  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  in  1826.  In 
1831  he  was  editor-in-chief  of  the  Saturday  Courier,  a  new  enterprise, 
and  with  Louis  A.  Godey  and  Joseph  C.  Neal  he  began  publication  in 
1836  of  the  Saturday  News.  In  1844  the  Saturday  Gazette  was  pub- 
lished, McMichael  and  Neal  being  associate  editors.  The  weeklies 
have  long  since  ceased  to  exist,  but  the  North  American  (it  resumed 
this  name  in  May  1876)  survived  until  1925  —  the  oldest  daily  news- 
paper in  America. 

The  Inquirer,  the  first  number  of  which  bore  the  name  Pennsyl- 
vania Inquirer,  made  its  appearance  on  June  29,  1829,  at  5  Bank 
Alley,  near  the  Merchants'  Coffee  House.  It  came  at  an  auspicious 
time,  since  Duane's  Aurora,  the  principal  Democratic  newspaper,  was 
then  in  a  weakened  state  and  had  vainly  sought  to  sustain  itself  by 
absorbing  the  Franklin  Gazette.  One  of  the  editors  of  the  merged 
Aurora  and  Gazette,  John  Norvell,  was  dissatisfied  with  his  prospects 
for  the  future,  and  induced  John  R.  Walker,  a  young  printer,  to  join 
him  in  the  publication  of  the  Pennsylvania  Inquirer. 

In  November  of  that  year,  1829,  the  new  journal  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Jesper  Harding  and  was  merged  with  the  Democratic  Press. 
Harding  changed  the  Pennsylvania  Inquirer  from  a  morning  to  an 
evening  journal,  featuring  editorials  —  chiefly  political  —  didactic  ar- 
ticles, literary  reviews,  dramatic  criticisms,  poetry,  and  fiction.  It  con- 
tained little  news,  as  news  is  known  today,  and  its  advertisements 
were  displayed  blatantly. 

Upon  their  amalgamation  on  July  1,  1930,  the  Morning  Journal 
and  the  Inquirer  became  known  as  the  Pennsylvania  Inquirer  and 
Morning  Journal,  retaining  this  name  until  June  2,  1834,  when  it 
absorbed  the  Daily  Courier  and  changed  its  title  to  the  Pennsylvania 
Inquirer  and  Daily  Courier.  Under  this  caption  it  soon  took  its  place 
in  the  Whig  party  as  rival  and  opponent  of  the  United  States  Gazette, 
so  that  upon  absorption  of  the  latter  on  January  1,  1842  it  again 
changed  its  title,  this  time  to  the  Pennsylvania  Inquirer  and  National 
Gazette.  In  October  1859  the  paper  was  acquired  by  William  W. 
Harding,  son  of  Jesper  Harding,  and  on  April  2,  1860  its  name  was 

207 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

changed  to  the  Philadelphia  Inquirer.  The  old  custom  of  seeking 
yearly  subscribers  was  abandoned,  and  the  price  was  reduced  to 
two  cents  a  copy.  A  large  increase  of  circulation  was  obtained  through 
the  establishment  of  the  carrier  system  and  street  sales.  Its  eyewitness 
reporting  of  Civil  War  battles  added  greatly  to  its  prestige.  It  was 
among  the  first  newspapers  to  introduce  the  stereotyping  process. 

In  1889  the  Inquirer  became  the  property  of  the  late  James  Elver- 
son,  Sr.,  upon  whose  death  in  1911  it  passed  to  his  son,  the  late  Col. 
James  Elverson,  Jr.,  who  made  it  one  of  the  most  successful  morn- 
ing newspapers  in  the  country.  After  the  colonel's  death  in  1929,  it 
became  conservative  in  tone,  under  Elverson's  sister,  Mrs.  Eleanor 
Patenotre,  widow  of  a  French  citizen.  It  was  sold  in  1930  to  the 
Curtis-Martin  Newspapers,  Inc.,  but  was  returned  to  the  Patenotre 
interests  a  few  years  later.  In  1936  it  was  acquired  by  Moses  L.  Annen- 
berg,  former  circulation  manager  for  William  Randolph  Hearst  and 
publisher  of  the  New  York  Morning  Telegraph.  Under  Annenberg 
its  style  of  news  reporting  was  recast  into  the  "human  interest"  mold. 

Among  Philadelphia's  oldest  and  largest  newspapers  (until  1934) 
was  the  Public  Ledger,  born  March  25,  1836.  Its  publishers  declared 
at  the  outset  that  they  could  keep  on  printing  at  a  continued  loss 
for  "one  whole  year."  A  half  century  later  the  fact  had  become  estab- 
lished that  no  one  could  tell  whether  a  new  journal  would  succeed 
or  fail  in  less  than  two  years  of  experimentation.  A.  H.  Simmons,  one 
of  the  Ledger  publishers,  gathered  around  him  a  staff  of  enthusiastic 
men.  The  new  paper  announced  :  "We  shall  give  place  to  no  religious 
discussions,  nor  to  political  discussions  involving  questions  of  merely 
partisan  character.  The  Ledger  will  worship  no  men,  and  be  de- 
voted to  no  parties." 

The  firm  of  Swain  &  Abell  published  the  Ledger  until  December 
3,  1864,  when  it  was  sold  to  George  W.  Childs,  who  followed  the 
course  laid  out  by  its  founders.  He  devised  new  features,  introduced 
new  machinery,  and  moved  the  paper  to  better  quarters  at  Sixth  and 
Chestnut  Streets.  It  was  next  acquired  by  the  Adolph  S.  Ochs  in- 
terests, and  finally  by  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  who  afterwards  formed 
the  Curtis-Martin  Newspapers,  Inc.  When  the  morning  Ledger  merged 
with  the  Inquirer  in  1933,  the  newer  Evening  Public  Ledger  (estab- 
lished in  1914)  was  continued  under  the  direction  of  John  C.  Martin, 
the  step-son-in-law  of  Curtis,  who  died  before  the  merger. 

The  Evening  Bulletin  first  saw  the  light  of  day  on  April  12,  1847, 
with  the  resounding  title  of  Cummings'  Evening  Telegraphic  Bulletin. 
Its  publisher  was  Alexander  Cummings,  who  also  published  Neal's 
Saturday  Gazette.  In  1856  the  name  was  changed  to  Daily  Evening 
Bulletin,  and  in  1870  to  Evening  Bulletm.  Acquired  in  1895  by  the 
late  William  L.  McLean,  the  Evening  Bulletin  is  still  in  the  hands 
of  the  McLean  family. 

208 


GROWTH  OF  PRESS 

Weekly  newspapers  published  on  Sunday  gradually  disappeared, 
as  each  of  the  morning  dailies  began  to  blossom  forth  with  an  ambi- 
tious Sunday  edition.  One  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  early  weeklies 
was  Taggart's  Sunday  Times,  published  on  Walnut  Street  near  Eighth. 
Others  were  the  Mercury,  Sunday  World,  Republic,  Transcript,  and 
Dispatch. 

One  of  the  first  Philadelphia  dailies  to  issue  a  Sunday  edition  was 
the  Press,  edited  by  Charles  Emory  Smith,  onetime  Postmaster  Gen- 
eral and  United  States  Ambassador  to  Russia.  It  was  a  propaganda 
sheet,  financed  by  steel  interests  in  western  Pennsylvania.  The  Press 
was  subsequently  absorbed  by  the  Curtis-Martin  publications.  This 
firm  also  bought  and  scrapped  the  Evening  Telegraph  and  the  North 
American. 

The  Philadelphia  Record,  bulwark  of  the  liberal  element  in  Penn- 
sylvania, is  a  descendant  of  the  Public  Record,  which  first  appeared 
in  1870  as  a  humble  imitator  of  the  Public  Ledger.  In  1877  William 
M.  Singerly  took  hold  of  the  paper  and  made  it  a  phenomenal  suc- 
cess, both  financially  and  editorially.  Its  name  was  changed  to  the 
Philadelphia  Record  in  1877.  It  attained  a  large  circulation,  and  the 
price  was  lowered  to  one  cent  in  the  face  of  dire  predictions.  A  strong 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  Party,  the  Record  was  particularly 
popular  with  workingmen. 

Success  of  the  Sunday  Press  opened  the  eyes  of  other  publishers 
to  the  possibilities  of  a  Sunday  issue.  The  Record  therefore  issued  an 
eight  page  Sunday  edition  —  so  simple  were  the  journalistic  demands 
of  that  period  —  and  for  years  it  was  sold  at  three  cents  a  copy,  while 
other  Sunday  papers  were  selling  at  five  cents.  Singerly  was  a  ver- 
satile promoter,  but  apparently  he  overreached  himself,  for  his 
various  properties  eventually  went  into  receivership.  The  paper  was 
then  acquired  by  the  John  Wanamaker  interests.  In  1928  J.  David 
Stern,  publisher  of  the  Evening  Courier,  of  Camden,  N.  J.,  gained 
control  of  the  Record.  Under  him  the  circulation  and  advertising  in- 
creased and  the  paper  developed  into  an  influential  organ  of  liberal- 
ism. 

The  Times  was  a  prominent  Philadelphia  morning  newspaper  from 
1875  until  it  was  merged  with  the  Public  Ledger  on  August  16,  1902. 
Until  its  purchase  in  1901  by  Adolph  S.  Ochs,  then  owner  of  the 
Ledger,  it  had  been  published  by  Col.  A.  K.  McClure,  a  prominent 
figure  in  Philadelphia  civil  and  political  life.  The  Times  was  Demo- 
cratic in  its  editorial  policies.  It  was  a  penny  paper,  with  a  Sunday 
edition  that  sold  at  five  cents.  During  most  of  its  existence  it  was  pub- 
lished in  its  own  building  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Eighth  and 
Chestnut  Streets. 

The  Evening  Telegraph  was  first  issued  on  January  4,  1864,  at  108 
South  Third  Street.  It  was  a  four-page  paper,  seven  columns  to  the 

209 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

page,  and  was  sold  at  two  cents  a  copy.  At  the  close  of  the  first  year 
it  was  enlarged  to  eight  pages  of  six  columns  each,  and  the  price  was 
increased  to  three  cents.  The  original  proprietors  were  J.  Barclay 
Harding  and  Charles  E.  Warburton,  the  former  a  son  of  Jesper 
Harding,  whose  name  has  figured  conspicuously  in  the  history  of 
Philadelphia  journalism.  After  Harding's  death,  in  1865,  the  paper 
passed  to  the  sole  control  of  Warburton,  Harding's  brother-in-law, 
and  later  to  Warburtons  son,  Barclay  H.  The  Telegraph,  Republican 
in  policy,  was  absorbed  by  the  Evening  Public  Ledger  in  1918. 

The  Evening  Times  first  appeared  in  1908,  being  published  by 
Frank  A.  Munsey,  millionaire  magazine  owner.  It  went  out  of  exist- 
ence June  16,  1914.  Another  now  defunct  evening  newspaper,  the 
Daily  Evening  Item,  was  an  outgrowth  of  the  Sunday  Item.,  founded 
in  1847  by  Thomas  Fitzgerald.  The  Item,  which  continued  to  issue  a 
Sunday  edition  after  becoming  a  daily,  ceased  publication  in  1913. 

On  May  18,  1925,  the  Public  Ledger  Company  began  the  publica- 
tion of  a  tabloid  newspaper  called  the  Sun.  It  was  issued  each  week- 
day morning,  and  was  profusely  illustrated  with  news  pictures.  The 
Sun  ceased  publication  on  February  4,  1928. 

Another  tabloid,  the  Daily  News,  which  had  been  established  about 
the  same  time  (March  31,  1925)  as  the  Sun,  continued  in  existence, 
and  survives  today.  First  proprietor  of  the  Daily  News  was  the  late 
William  Scott  Vare,  long  a  dominant  factor  in  Pennsylvania  politics. 

Vare  entered  the  newspaper  publishing  business  in  order  to  ad- 
vance his  prospects  as  U.  S.  Senatorial  candidate  in  the  1926  cam- 
paign. Following  his  election  to  the  Senate,  and  his  subsequent  re- 
pudiation by  that  body,  he  sold  a  half  interest  in  the  News  to  Bernarr 
MacFadden.  Vare  died  in  1934,  and  the  newspaper  finally  was  taken 
over  by  Lee  Ellmaker. 

The  list  of  foreign-language  newspapers  in  Philadelphia  comprises 
publications  in  Spanish,  Italian,  Hurigarian,  German,  Armenian, 
Yiddish,  Russian,  Lithuanian,  and  Ukrainian.  There  are  two  week- 
lies, now  issued  by  and  for  Negroes  —  the  Philadelphia  Tribune  and 
the  Philadelphia  Independent,  but  at  the  end  of  the  first  decade  of  the 
nineteenth  century  the  Caret,  the  Chat,  the  Citizen,  and  the  Pilot  were 
among  the  several  newspapers  being  published  by  this  group. 

The  city  has  a  long  tradition  of  journalistic  attainment.  In  its  news- 
rooms have  been  trained  such  prominent  writers  as  Christopher 
Morley,  poet,  essayist,  and  novelist ;  James  Gibbons  Huneker,  critic 
and  molder  of  many  a  budding  genius  ;  and  Richard  Harding  Davis, 
novelist  and  war  correspondent.  Benjamin  Franklin,  with  his  Poor 
Richard's  Almanac,  early  wielded  wide  journalistic  influence.  Thomas 
Paine,  Revolutionary  pamphleteer,  issued  from  Philadelphia  presses 
an  appeal  for  liberty  of  thought  and  action  which  resounds  even  in 
modern  times. 

210 


GROWTH  OF  PRESS 
Radio 

MORE  quickly  than  it  had  ever  hefore  taken  up  a  new  activity, 
Philadelphia  seized  radio  in  the  latter's  babyhood  and  did 
much  to  bring  it  to  its  present  stage  of  perfection.  Almost  immedi- 
ately after  the  first  broadcasting  stations  began  operating,  the  roofs 
of  the  city  became  a  wire  entaglement  reminiscent  of  No  Man's  Land. 
Newspapers  issued  weekly  supplements  full  of  instructions  for  build- 
ing receiving  sets,  and  almost  every  boy  with  the  least  mechanical 
bent  was  soon  tinkering  with  the  necessary  apparatus. 

Families  gathered  around  crystal  sets  while  the  young  "operator" 
manipulated  a  "cat's  whisker,"  extracting  sounds  approaching  that 
of  the  human  voice  of  phonographic  music.  "Keep  the  young  folks 
at  home,"  advertised  the  early  manufacturers  of  radio  receivers,  and 
for  a  long  time  that  is  what  radio  did. 

As  the  manufacture  of  high  grade  receiving  sets  grew  apace,  Phila- 
delphia became  the  home  of  two  of  the  largest  producers,  with 
another  just  across  the  Delaware  River  in  Camden. 


M  l\ 


Transmitting 

Station"    of    WCAU 

"And      the      night 

shall  be  filled  with 

music" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Department  stores  took  the  lead  in  setting  up  broadcasting  stations. 
In  the  early  twenties  every  large  department  store  was  advertising 
over  the  air.  When  the  large  national  networks  were  formed,  Phila- 
delphia stations  were  connected  with  each  chain.  Individuals  entered 
the  field,  and  it  was  not  long  before  radio  had  proved  its  value  as 
an  advertising  medium.  Newspapers  began  to  regret  the  publicity  they 
had  given  to  what  turned  out  to  be  their  greatest  competitor,  but 
public  interest  made  it  necessary  for  them  to  run  a  daily  time  table 
of  broadcasts.  Experiments  were  being  carried  on  all  over  the  country, 
and  novelties  were  being  presented  every  day.  In  Philadelphia  began 
many  practices  that  are  now  universal.  The  first  radio  record  of  a 
football  game,  Penn-Cornell  ;  the  first  children's  program,  Uncle 
Wip  ;  the  first  remote  dance-music  program,  by  Charlie  Kerr's 
Orchestra  ;  the  first  street  interviews  —  these  and  many  other  radio 
"firsts"  were  born  in  the  much  cudgelled  brains  of  the  city's  program 
directors  and  publicity  men. 

Today  there  are  nine  broadcasting  stations  in  Philadelphia:  WCAU, 
with  a  power  of  50,000  watts,  is  the  Columbia  outlet ;  WFIL  and 
KYW  are  connected  respectively  with  the  Red  and  Blue  networks 
of  the  National  Broadcasting  Company  ;  WIP  represents  an  inter- 
city network;  and  WDAS,  WPEN,  WRAX,  WHAT,  and  WTEL  are 
independent  stations. 


212 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 


THE  muse  of  the  stage  descended  upon  Philadelphia  under  a 
cloud  of  suspicion.  Her  doubtful  reputation  had  preceded  her. 
To  the  Quaker  mind,  moved  by  religion  to  the  practice  of  aus- 
terity and  fixed  in  it  by  necessity,  she  was  a  hussy  to  be  guarded 
against.  Her  allurements  were  suspected  as  an  evil  likely  to  ruin  the 
weak  and  turn  the  virtuous  from  thrift  and  hard  work.  It  was  an 
attitude  fostered  by  the  spirit  of  pioneer  economy  that  left  no  surplus 
for  the  luxury  of  art. 

But  charity,  another  Quaker  trait,  required  that  the  lady  be  given 
the  benefit  of  the  doubt  ;  her  presence  was  tolerated  until  it  at- 
tracted a  meager  success,  and  then  she  was  outlawed.  In  time  a  rising 
prosperity  brought  with  it  the  sparse  beginnings  of  a  leisure  class, 
and  the  muse  was  readmitted  to  the  city's  precincts.  There  she 
flourished,  to  the  glory  of  the  American  theatre  and  the  delight  of 
her  admirers. 

A  slight  adversity  made  a  good  beginning.  Philadelphia  and  the 
drama  have  been  long  boon  companions  ;  only  a  few  other  American 
cities  ranked  higher  as  theatrical  centers.  It  outranked  New  York 
during  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  could  with  reason 
dispute  Boston's  claim  to  the  title  of  "Athens  of  the  New  World," 
at  least  as  far  as  the  drama  was  concerned.  The  greater  physical 
growth  of  New  York  and  the  free  expression  permitted  by  its  civil  au- 
thorities have  since  raised  the  New  York  stage  to  preeminence,  but 
that  city's  theatre  has  drawn  heavily  upon  Philadelphia  for  acting 
talent  and  authorship.  This  city  has  given  to  the  stage  such  notable 
actors  as  the  Drews  and  the  Barrymores,  Edwin  Forrest,  James  E. 
Murdoch,  and  Joseph  Jefferson  ;  among  the  playwrights  and  critics  it 
has  nurtured  are  John  Luther  Long,  Richard  Harding  Davis,  George 
Kelly,  Clifford  Odets,  and  George  Jean  Nathan. 

In  talent  and  appreciation  the  city  has  contributed  heavily  to  the 
motion  picture  industry,  whose  rise  in  Philadelphia,  as  elsewhere, 
curtailed  the  legitimate  theatre.  Some  of  the  earliest  moving  pictures 
ever  exhibited  were  projected  in  Philadelphia  from  a  machine  in- 
vented by  a  Philadelphian.  The  Lubin  Studio,  pioneer  in  this  field, 
was  a  Philadelphia  enterprise. 

In  recent  years  the  city  has  sought  a  new  dramatic  importance 
through  the  rise  of  a  little  theatre  movement  aiming  to  correct  what 

213 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

its  leaders  deem  the  failure  of  the  commercial  theatre  to  interpret 
the  American  spirit.  The  groups  are  free  to  experiment  with  new 
forms  and  new  material,  their  receipts  being  secondary  to  artistic 
integrity.  Their  stages  have  been  the  proving  grounds  for  some  suc- 
cesses of  the  commercial  theatre,  whose  producers  take  over  the  ex- 
perimental drama  which  has  demonstrated  its  box-office  appeal. 
However,  in  practice,  most  of  these  groups  have  confined  themselves 
to  presentation  of  plays  already  given  by  professional  players. 

Within  the  little  theatre  movement  there  is  a  distinct  group  which 
employs  the  stage  as  a  forum  for  the  expression  of  a  revolutionary 
economic  philosophy  rather  than  as  an  artistic  medium  —  a  group  of 
pioneers  in  workers'  theatres.  In  Philadelphia  its  audience  has  been 
meager  and  its  resources  slender  throughout  a  brief  but  exciting 
history. 

The  early  difficulties  under  which  the  theater  labored  in  Philadel- 
phia have  not  wholly  disappeared.  The  urge  to  censorship  is  still 
extant,  often  prevails,  and  usually  adds  to  the  trivial  and  salacious 
the  allure  of  forbidden  fruit.  Such  cases  are  exceptions,  however.  On 
the  whole,  Philadelphia  and  the  theatre  get  on  well  together. 

History  of  The  Theatre 

"TkESPITE  opposition  of  the  Quakers,  attempts  to  establish  theatres 
*-*  were  made  persistently  during  the  earliest  years  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  On  three  different  occasions  between  1700  and  1713,  laws 
were  passed  by  the  Provincial  Assembly  prohibiting  "stage  plays, 
masks  and  revels,"  and  each  time  the  laws  were  repealed  by  popular 
demand. 

There  is  no  record  as  to  when  the  first  local  theatrical  performance 
was  held,  but  in  the  American  Weekly  Mercury  of  1724,  mention 
was  made  of  a  "Roap  Dancing"  at  the  "New  Booth  on  Society  Hill," 
and  in  the  Pennsylvania  Archives  of  the  previous  year  there  is  men- 
tion of  "comedians  in  town."  In  a  letter  dated  1723,  James  Logan, 
then  mayor  of  Philadelphia,  stated  with  distress  that  a  company  of 
itinerant  players  had  "set  up  stage  just  without  the  verge  of  the 
town"  and  that  "the  sober  people  of  the  city"  wanted  him  to  sup- 
press the  plays,  a  situation  embarrassing  for  him  because  Governor 
Keith  of  Pennsylvania  Province  was  in  the  habit  of  attending  them. 

The  city  apparently  was  without  any  form  of  theatrical  entertain- 
ment until  1743,  when  Punch  and  Joan,  a  puppet  show,  was  presented 
"At  the  Sign  of  the  Coach  and  Horses,"  on  Chestnut  Street  against  the 
State  House.  In  1742  the  first  picture  show  was  given  in  the  city  when 
a  "Magick  Lanthorn"  was  exhibited  at  Joseph  Barber's  Temple  Bar 
on  Second  Street. 

The  first  actors'  performance  recorded  in  Philadelphia's  history 

214 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

took  place  in  August  1749,  when  a  company  of  players  enacted  Ad- 
dison's  Cato  in  William  Plumstead's  warehouse  on  Water  Street.  The 
building  has  been  razed,  but  evidence  of  the  distaste  with  which  the 
performance  was  regarded  exists  in  the  journal  of  one  John  Smith, 
which  is  now  in  the  Ridgway  Library.  Smith  sets  forth  :  "John  Morris 
and  I  happened  in  at  Peacock  Bigger's  and  drank  tea  there,  and  his 
daughter  being  one  of  the  company  going  to  hear  the  tragedy  of 
Cato  acted,  it  occasioned  some  conversation,  in  which  I  expressed  my 
sorrow  that  anything  of  the  kind  was  encouraged." 

Smith's  sorrow  was  assuaged  on  December  30  of  that  year,  when 
the  Common  Council  took  steps  against  this  invasion  of  frivolity.  Its 
minutes  for  that  date  include  this  paragraph  : 

The  Recorder  then  acquainted  the  board  that  certain  persons  had 
taken  it  upon  themselves  to  act  plays  in  this  city,  and,  as  he  was  in- 
formed, intended  to  make  a  frequent  practice  thereof;  which,  it  was 
to  be  feared,  would  be  attended  with  very  mischievous  effects,  such 
as  the  encouraging  of  idleness  and  drawing  great  sums  of  money 
from  weak  and  inconsiderate  people,  who  are  apt  to  be  fond  of  such 
entertainment,  though  the  performance  be  ever  so  mean  and  con- 
temptible. Whereupon  the  board  unanimously  requested  the  magis- 
trates to  take  the  most  effectual  measures  of  suppressing  the  disorder, 
by  sending  for  the  actors  and  binding  them  to  their  good  behavior, 
or  by  such  other  means  as  they  should  judge  most  proper. 

Thus  bound,  the  luckless  actors  departed  for  New  York.  In  the 
company  was  Nancy  George,  the  first  Philadelphia  girl  to  desert  the 
respectability  of  home  for  the  glamour  of  the  stage.  In  his  Annals 
of  Philadelphia,  John  F.  Watson  quotes  an  aged  Negro,  Robert 
Venable,  as  saying  that  "many  persons  fell  out  with  Nancy  George 
because  she  went  there  to  play."  What  the  players  performed,  other 
than  Cato,  is  unknown  ;  the  newspapers  of  the  time  took  note  only 
of  their  departure. 

Five  years  later  another  company,  led  by  Lewis  Hallam,  was  for- 
tunate enough  to  attract  the  favor  of  Mayor  Plumstead,  and  under 
his  protection  they  enacted  Rowe's  tragedy,  The  Fair  Penitent.  For 
five  more  years  the  drama  languished  ;  then  David  Douglass  re- 
organized Hallam's  company  and  won  the  good  will  of  Governor 
Denny  by  promising  to  perform  a  benefit  for  the  Pennsylvania  Hos- 
pital. Douglass  could  not  obtain  a  building  in  the  city  for  a  theatre, 
and  had  one  constructed  secretly  outside  the  city  limits,  at  what 
is  now  Hancock  and  South  Streets.  Opened  June  25,  1759,  and  known 
as  the  Society  Hill  Theatre,  this  playhouse  was  the  first  to  be  built 
in  Philadelphia. 

On  the  opening  of  the  new  theatre,  aroused  church  leaders  ap- 
pealed to  the  Assembly,  which  passed  an  act  proscribing  the  drama 
in  and  near  Philadelphia.  Governor  Denny  delayed  the  enforcement 

215 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

of  the  act,  and  the  Society  Hill  Theatre  was  kept  open  until  Decem- 
ber 1759.  Its  players  performed  Tamerlane^  King  Lear,  Romeo  and 
Juliet,  Richard  III,  Lord  Chalkstone,  George  Barnwell,  and  Lethe. 
Meanwhile,  Douglass  kept  his  promise  to  Governor  Denny  :  Hamlet 
was  enacted  for  the  benefit  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  on  Feb- 
ruary 27.  This  was  Philadelphia's  first  Hamlet  and  its  first  benefit 
performance. 

The  liberal  element  in  the  city  gained  strength  as  commerce  ex- 
panded and  external  influences  modified  the  townsmen's  severe  tastes. 
By  1766  it  was  possible  for  Douglass  to  build  another  theatre,  this 
time  nearer  the  city,  on  South  Street  west  of  Fourth.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania Gazette  and  the  Pennsylvania  Chronicle  now  deigned  to  ac- 
cept his  advertisements.  In  the  new  playhouse,  which  became  known 
as  the  Southwark  Theatre,  the  first  American  tragedy,  The  Prince 
of  Parthia,  by  Thomas  Godfrey,  Jr.,  was  performed  April  24,1767. 

Douglass'  company  had  a  varied  repertory,  and  the  Southwark  was 
a  flourishing  playhouse  until  the  Revolution  forced  it  to  close.  The 
theatre  was  reopened  during  the  British  occupation,  and  Tory  ladies 
united  their  talents  with  those  of  Lord  Howe's  officers  in  perform- 
ances for  the  benefit  of  the  widows  and  orphans  of  soldiers. 

After  independence  had  been  attained,  the  society  of  the  new 
Republic's  capital  took  up  the  theatre  in  earnest,  and  when  George 
Washington  himself  attended  a  performance  at  the  Southwark,  the 
poor  muse  was  at  least  draped  with  the  mantle  of  respectability.  Even 
so,  many  a  good  Philadelphian  believed  the  mantle  cloaked  a  lady 
who  still  was  no  better  than  she  should  be. 

Approval  of  the  polite  world  resulted  in  a  project  for  a  new 
theatre  large  enough  and  fine  enough  to  be  a  fitting  playhouse  for 
the  country's  capital.  The  project  was  realized  in  the  Chestnut  Street 
Theatre,  opened  at  Sixth  and  Chestnut  Streets  in  1794.  Here,  in  the 
flickering  candlelight  from  a  "profusion  of  chandeliers,"  as  many  as 
2,000  persons  attended  some  performances. 

In  this  age  of  political  ferment  the  muse  grew  topical.  The  Slaves 
of  Algeria  was  a  trenchant  prelude  to  the  skirmishes  with  the  Bar- 
bary  corsairs,  and  the  President  was  mildly  rebuked  for  his  shilly- 
shallying with  England  by  the  authors  of  Embargo,  or  Every  Man 
Has  His  Own  Opinion. 

By  1809  the  drama  had  so  far  outgrown  its  humble  beginnings  that 
a  second  playhouse  became  a  profitable  possibility,  and  the  Walnut 
Street  Theatre  was  built.  This  theatre  is  the  oldest  existing  playhouse 
in  the  United  States.  Its  interior  has  been  refashioned  to  fit  modern 
tastes  and  supply  modern  conveniences.  In  its  old  age  change  has  as- 
sailed it ;  burlesque  queens  have  trod  the  boards  where  once  walked 
such  great  artists  as  Edwin  Forrest  and  Mrs.  John  Drew,  Edmund 

216 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

Kean,  Edwin  Booth,  Francis  Wemyss,  Fanny  Kemble,  Charlotte  Gush- 
man,  and  George  Arliss.  It  has  housed  vaudeville  and  a  group  of 
Yiddish  players. 

The  first  Chestnut  (Chesnut)  Street  Theatre  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1820.  A  second,  which  replaced  it,  was  built  in  1822  and  lives  in 
theatrical  history  as  "Old  Drury."  It  opened  with  The  School  for  Scan- 
dal and  had  a  brilliant  career.  There  Barnum,  wedding  ballyhoo  to 
art,  presented  Jenny  Lind,  "the  Swedish  Nightingale  ;"  Laura  Keene, 
Forrest,  Booth,  and  Jefferson  also  played  there.  The  theatre  was  razed 
in  1855,  in  the  belief  that  the  new  Academy  of  Music  would  absorb 
its  patronage  ;  but  the  Academy  proved  too  large  —  it  engulfed  the 
average  play  in  deadening  space.  A  third  theatre  was  therefore 
erected,  on  Chestnut  Street  west  of  Twelfth. 

Its  opening  on  January  26,  1863,  was  marked  by  the  first  instance 
of  ticket  "scalping"  in  Philadelphia.  Seats  were  sold  at  auction  for 
Virginius,  starring  Edwin  Forrest.  One  "scalper"  purchased  500 
tickets.  When  the  box  office  opened,  it  was  surrounded  by  a  milling 
crowd  of  disappointed  playgoers  for  whom  there  were  no  seats.  The 
police  barely  averted  a  riot  over  a  practice  which  the  public  has 
since  come  to  tolerate.  There  Joseph  Jefferson  presented  his  Rip  Van 
Winkle  to  a  delighted  public  ;  Daly's  stock  company  and  E.  L.  Daven- 
port, tragedian,  frequently  occupied  its  stage.  The  last  performance 
was  given  on  October  18,  1910.  A  few  years  later  the  theatre  was 
razed  and  an  office  building  erected  on  the  site. 

One  of  the  older  of  the  Philadelphia  theatres,  the  Arch  Street,  has 
passed  into  oblivion.  It  was  opened  October  1,  1828,  with  a  comedy 
The  Honeymoon  ;  a  farce,  Three  and  the  Deuce  ;  and  the  reading  of  a 
prize  address  by  "a  gentleman  of  the  city."  This  auspicious  begin- 
ning was  of  no  avail  ;  the  salaries  paid  to  actors  were  extraordinarily 
high  for  that  time,  and  the  playhouse  closed  December  24  for  lack 
of  funds.  A  series  of  sporadic  openings  and  premature  closings  marked 
its  history  until  Mrs.  John  Drew  took  it  over  in  Civil  War  times.  Her 
genius  kept  it  open  until  1892.  Within  the  next  10  years  it  was  a 
German  theatre,  and  then  a  Jewish  theatre  ;  and  from  1902  to  1907 
was  known  as  Blaney's  Theatre.  It  became  a  Jewish  theatre  again 
in  1915  and  so  remained  until  1934,  when  it  closed  for  the  last  time. 
In  1935  the  building  was  razed. 

The  Garrick,  at  Chestnut  and  Juniper  Streets,  which  opened  in 
1901  with  Richard  Mansfield  playing  the  lead  in  Monsieur  Beaucaire, 
was  razed  in  1937.  The  playhouse  was  identified  with  many  famous 
stars  and  attractions.  Among  the  former  were  Mrs.  Patrick  Campbell, 
John  Drew,  Ethel  Barrymore,  Walter  Hampden,  George  M.  Cohan, 
Otis  Skinner,  Jane  Cowl,  Jeanne  Eagels,  Fred  Stone,  David  Warfield, 
Alia  Nazimova,  and  Helen  Hayes. 

217 


Walnut  Street  Theatre 
"Ghosts    of    Kean,    Booth,    Bernhardt 
and   Drew    haunt    the    Green    Room" 


The  First  Chestnut  Street  Theatre 

"Amid    a    'profusion    of    chandeliers' 

Thesnis   reiened   in   1794" 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

Personalities  of  the  Stage 

TJHILADELPHIA  has  made  an  important  contribution  to  the  drama 
-*-  in  actors  and  actresses  horn  or  reared  in  the  city  :  Edwin  Forrest, 
James  E.  Murdoch,  the  Jefferson,  Davenport,  Drew,  and  Barrymore 
families,  Rose  Eytinge,  Francis  Wilson,  Ed  Wynn,  Frank  Tinney, 
Janet  Gaynor,  Jeannette  MacDonald,  George  Bancroft,  Vivienne  Se- 
gal, Constance  Binney,  W.  C.  Fields,  Walter  C.  Kelly,  Eddie  Quillen, 
Eleanor  Boardman,  to  name  some  of  the  better  known. 

Edwin  Forrest  (1806-1872)  was  born  at  51  George  (now  South 
American)  Street.  One  of  Philadelphia's  most  famous  actors,  he  first 
appeared  in  juvenile  roles  for  a  Thespian  society.  His  first  appearance 
on  a  regular  stage  was  made  at  the  Walnut  Street  Theatre,  and  his 
last  appearance  as  an  actor  was  in  the  role  of  "Richelieu"  at  the 
Globe  Theatre,  Boston,  April  2,  1872. 

He  made  his  debut  as  a  star  at  the  Chestnut  Street  Theatre  on 
July  5,  1826,  in  Othello,  and  was  one  of  the  first  American  actors 
to  invade  the  English  stage.  Forrest  made  two  tours  in  England,  the 
first  in  the  Spring  of  1836,  the  second  in  1845.  Criticism  of  his  per- 
formances abroad  created  resentment  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
This  feeling  persisted,  and  a  few  years  later  it  resulted  in  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  tragedies  connected  with  the  stage.  William 
Macready,  an  English  actor,  came  to  this  country  with  an  English 
company  to  present  Shakespearean  plays.  Macready  arrived  in  the 
spring  of  1849.  In  May  of  that  year  he  opened  as  Macbeth,  at  the 
Astor  Place  Theatre,  New  York.  In  revenge  for  the  treatment  accorded 
Forrest  in  London,  the  gallery  audience  hissed  Macready  and  his 
company.  A  tumult  followed,  and  was  continued  in  the  street,  where 
fighting  broke  out  and  soon  assumed  the  proportions  of  a  riot. 
Twenty-two  men  were  killed  and  several  hundred  injured. 

In  1822  at  the  age  of  16,  and  for  many  years  thereafter  Forrest 
toured  the  country.  After  Forrest's  return  to  his  home  he  bought  a 
brownstone  mansion  on  Broad  Street  and  retired.  In  1860  he  was 
persuaded  to  return  to  the  stage,  but  failing  health  marred  his  last 
appearance.  He  died  December  12,  1872,  broken  and  unhappy,  his 
sensitive  nature  shattered  by  the  tumult  which  had  resulted  from  his 
trip  to  England. 

His  will  provided  for  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  a  home 
for  aged  actors.  The  Edwin  Forrest  Home,  at  Forty-ninth  Street  and 
Parkside  Avenue,  is  comparatively  new,  but  from  1876  until  a  few 
years  ago  the  home  was  maintained  on  the  actor's  estate  in  Holmes- 
burg.  The  institution  is  a  sanctuary  for  actors  and  actresses  more 
than  60  years  old,  or  those  unable  to  continue  their  profession  be- 
cause of  infirmities. 

Another  organization  for  stage  folk,  the  Charlotte  Cushman  Club, 

219 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

formerly  had  a  clubhouse  at  1010  Spruce  Street  and  now  maintains 
a  room  at  the  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel,  where  actresses  who  are  taken 
ill  while  in  the  city  are  cared  for. 

James  Edward  Murdoch  was  born  January  25,  1811.  Before  his 
death  at  82  he  had  played  at  the  Haymarket  in  London  for  110 
nights,  devoted  himself  to  a  prolonged  study  of  Shakespeare,  and 
published  a  monograph  on  the  cultivation  of  the  voice.  He  had  also 
studied  voice  culture  in  Germany,  Switzerland,  and  Italy.  His  great- 
est roles  were  those  of  Young  Mirable  in  The  Inconstant,  Charles 
Surface  in  The  School  for  Scandal.,  Rover  in  Wild  Oats,  and  Don 
Felix  in  The  Wonder. 

Joseph  Jefferson,  born  at  Spruce  and  Fifth  Streets,  February  20, 
1829,  grew  up  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  theatre.  His  mother,  father, 
and  grandfather  were  stage  folk,  and  he  appeared  on  the  stage  as  a 
baby.  He  played  many  comedy  parts  in  Philadelphia  as  a  youth,  but 
his  outstanding  success  was  the  title  role  in  Rip  Van  Winkle,  which 
he  played  for  years.  In  1849  he  toured  the  South.  In  1861  he  made 
a  tour  of  Australia,  and  four  years  later  appeared  at  the  Adelphi  in 
London.  The  noted  dramatic  critic,  William  Winter,  rated  him  among 
the  greatest  actors  of  all  time. 

Long  in  the  annals  of  the  Philadelphia  theatre  is  the  name  of 
Davenport,  nine  generations  of  whom  have  appeared  before  theatrical 
audiences  in  England  and  America.  At  one  time  10  members  of  the 
family  were  on  the  stage  simultaneously.  Fanny  Davenport,  sister  of 
E.  L.  Davenport,  played  many  of  "the  divine"  Sarah  Bernhardt's  roles 
in  America,  and  her  niece  of  the  same  name  appeared  in  Topaze  a 
few  years  ago.  Harry,  son  of  the  illustrious  E.  L.  and  now  in  Holly- 
wood, is  perhaps  the  most  unusual  of  this  family,  because  of  his  long 
career  behind  the  footlights  which  began  in  Philadelphia  in  1871 
when  he  was  just  five  years  of  age.  He  still  treasures  the  first  money 
he  earned  on  the  stage  in  Philadelphia. 

Mrs.  John  Drew  was  the  matriarch  of  Philadelphia's  second  great 
theatrical  family  and  one  of  the  greatest  of  American  actresses.  Born 
January  10,  1820,  in  London,  she  came  to  America  at  the  age  of 
seven,  and  as  a  young  girl  played  at  the  Walnut  Street  Theatre  in 
support  of  Booth.  She  married  John  Drew,  her  third  husband,  in  1850. 
After  his  death  she  managed  the  Arch  Street  Theatre  for  30  years  and 
then  moved  to  New  York,  appearing  there  in  a  few  all-star  revivals. 
Finally  she  returned  to  Philadelphia  to  live  with  her  son.  She  died  in 
Larchmont,  N.  Y.,  August  31,  1897. 

John  Drew,  the  younger,  was  born  in  Philadelphia  November  13, 
1853,  and  made  his  first  appearance  at  the  Arch  Street  Theatre  in 
1873  in  Cool  as  a  Cucumber.  He  joined  Augustin  Daly's  company 
in  New  York,  and  remained  with  it  for  years.  He  played  70  parts 
with  Daly  and  in  support  of  Booth,  Fanny  Davenport,  and  other 

220 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

stage  notables.  Later  Drew  joined  Charles  Frohman.  He  died  in 
1927  while  touring  the  West  with  the  comedy  revival,  Trelawney  of 
the  Wells.  Petruchio,  in  The  Taming  of  the  Shrew,  was  his  favorite 
role. 

Of  all  the  stars  Philadelphia  has  given  to  the  theatre,  none  have 
shone  more  brightly  than  the  members  of  the  Barrymore  constella- 
tion—  Ethel,  Lionel,  and  John,  children  of  Georgiana  Drew  and 
Maurice  Barrymore.  John  was  born  in  Philadelphia  February  15, 
1882.  In  his  youth  he  studied  art,  and  professed  a  distaste  for  the 
theatre  ;  but  he  had  appeared  in  Camille  with  Ethel  and  Lionel  while 
the  three  still  were  children.  By  1903  he  was  playing  the  male  lead 
in  Richard  Harding  Davis'  The  Dictator  —  a  role  which  took  him  to 
London  in  1905. 

For  10  years  his  star  rose  steadily.  His  portrayal  of  the  title  role 
in  Peter  Ibbetson  sent  critics  into  superlatives,  and  when  he  returned 
to  the  higher  realm  of  Shakespearean  repertory  their  praise  con- 
tinued. In  1921  his  Hamlet  was  a  sensation  in  America,  and  in  London 
a  critic  said  Barrymore  seemed  to  have  "gathered  in  himself  all  the 
Hamlets  of  his  generation."  He  has  also  portrayed  on  the  screen 
leading  roles  in  such  successes  as  Don  Juan,  Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde, 
Moby  Dick,  Manon  Lescaut,  General  Crack,  Svengali,  Grand  Hotel, 
and  Rasputin. 

Ethel  was  born  in  Philadelphia  on  August  15,  1879.  Her  success 
has  been,  if  less  spectacular,  more  solid  than  her  younger  brother's, 
and  the  range  of  her  acting  has  been  limited  only  by  the  vehicles 
available.  Her  portrayals  of  Lady  Teazle  in  School  for  Scandal  and 
the  leading  roles  in  Captain  Jinks,  Mid-Channel,  Our  Miss  McChesney, 
Declasse,  and  The  Constant  Wife  have  left  an  indelible  impression 
upon  the  theatre  in  America  and  England.  She  was  somewhat  less 
successful  on  the  screen  in  The  Nightingale,  The  White  Raven,  and 
Rasputin. 

Eldest  of  the  Barrymore  trinity  is  Lionel,  born  in  Philadelphia 
April  29,  1878.  At  15  he  was  playing  small  parts  in  a  company  with 
his  uncle,  Sidney  Drew,  and  later  appeared  in  The  Rivals.  His  first 
real  success  was  in  support  of  his  uncle,  John  Drew,  in  The  Mummy 
and  the  Humming  Bird.  After  years  of  trouping  he  renounced  the 
stage  and  turned  to  painting.  In  1918  he  returned  to  the  stage  and 
achieved  great  success  in  The  Copperhead,  a  play  of  Civil  War  time. 
His  screen  career  began  with  D.  W.  Griffith  in  the  old  Biograph  studio 
in  New  York.  Recognition  as  a  screen  actor  was  slow  in  coming,  but 
in  a  long  string  of  films  —  The  Mysterious  Island,  The  Lion  and  the 
Mouse,  Body  and  Soul,  A  Free  Soul,  The  Man  I  Killed,  Grand  Hotel, 
Arsene  Lupin,  The  Yellow  Ticket,  and  others  —  his  fame  has  grown 
with  every  role. 

Francis  Wilson,  born  in  1854  of  Quaker  parents  in  Philadelphia, 

221 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

is  best  remembered  as  a  comedian  in  many  comic  operas.  But  he 
also  achieved  success  several  times  in  his  own  plays.  He  died  in  New 
York  on  October  7,  1935.  Ed  Wynn,  popular  comedian,  was  born  in 
Philadelphia  in  1886.  He  made  his  first  appearance  in  vaudeville  as 
a  lad  of  15.  Later  he  played  in  such  Broadway  successes  as  The  Per- 
fect Fool,  Simple  Simon,  The  Laugh  Parade,  and  The  Grab  Bag. 

W.  C.  Fields  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1879.  As  an  actor  and 
juggler  he  appeared  in  England,  France,  and  Germany,  and  from 
1915  to  1921  was  in  each  successive  edition  of  Ziegfeld's  Follies.  His 
film  career  began  with  D.  W.  Griffith  in  1925.  He  proved  a  great 
screen  comedian  and  has  scored  increasing  success  in  Sally  of  the  Saw- 
dust, It's  the  Old  Army  Game,  Ttvo  Flaming  Youths,  Mrs.  Wiggs  of 
the  Cabbage  Patch,  David  Copperfield,  Poppy,  The  Man  on  the  Fly- 
ing Trapeze,  and  others. 

Charlotte  Greenwood's  career  has  also  been  divided  between  the 
stage  and  the  newer  medium  of  the  films.  Born  in  Philadelphia  in 
1893,  she  first  attracted  attention  in  the  Winter  Garden  production, 
The  Passing  Show,  and  has  appeared  in  many  popular  films. 

Other  native  Philadelphians  to  acquire  prominence  in  the  dramatic 
field  were  August,  Charlotte,  and  Charles  Durang,  Eph  Horn,  McKean 
Buchanan,  Robert  Butler,  Harry  A.  Perry,  Eliza  Logan,  Celia  Logan, 
Herman  Vezin,  Henry  Langdon,  Mrs.  Oscar  Beringer,  Minnie  Palmer, 
Hugh  J.  Ward,  George  Frederick  Nash,  Jack  Norworth,  Margaret  Dale, 
Charles  Hopkins,  Ethelin  Terry,  Margaret  Lawrence,  Evelyn  Herbert, 
George  Gaul,  Frances  Carson,  and  Emma  Haig. 

Playwrights 

PHILADELPHIA'S  writers  for  the  stage  have  done  their  share 
-^-  in  the  advancement  of  the  theatre.  The  real  beginning  of  Ameri- 
can dramatic  literature  was  made  with  Edwin  Forrest's  offer  of  prizes 
for  original  plays.  In  1759  Thomas  Godfrey,  Jr.,  wrote  America's 
first  play,  The  Prince  of  Parthia  ;  and  1801  had  seen  the  per- 
formance of  Charles  Jared  Ingersoll's  verse  tragedy,  Edwy  and 
Elgwia,  based  on  English  history  ;  Mordecai  Noah,  David  Paul 
Brown,  and  James  Nelson  Barker  were  early  Philadelphia  play- 
wrights. Forrest's  contest  brought  out  John  Augustus  Stone,  whose 
Metamora,  Forrest's  greatest  vehicle,  still  survives  ;  and  Robert 
Montgomery  Bird,  three  of  whose  plays,  Oraloosa,  The  Gladiator, 
and  The  Broker  of  Bogota^  were  among  those  awarded  Forrest  prizes. 
George  Henry  Boker  —  once  called  the  handsomest  man  in  America 
—  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Union  League  and  sometime  minister 
to  Turkey  and  Russia,  wrote  Calaynos,  Anne  Boleyn,  and  The  Be- 
trothal. His  masterpiece,  Francesco  da  Rimini,  in  which  Lawrence 
Barrett  first  made  his  mark,  was  successfully  revived  by  Otis  Skinner 
in  1901. 

222 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

John  Luther  Long,  born  in  Hanover,  Pa.,  In  1861,  wrote  the  short 
story,  Madame  Butterfly,  in  1900.  David  Belasco  sensed  its  dramatic 
possibilities,  and  collaborated  with  Long  in  writing  the  play  of  the 
same  name.  Later  the  play  was  used  as  a  basis  for  the  Puccini  opera, 
Madama  Butterfly.  The  Darling  of  the  Gods  followed,  with  Blanche 
Bates  and  George  Arliss  costarring.  The  Belasco-Long  collaboration 
ended  in  1904  with  Andrea.  Other  Long  plays  were  The  Dragon  Fly, 
Dolce,  Kassa,  and  Crowns. 

Ernest  Lucy,  who  made  Philadelphia  his  home,  wrote  Chatterton, 
in  which  Julia  Marlowe  starred. 

John  T.  Mclntyre's  imaginative  comedy  of  a  dream  world,  A  Young 
Mans  Fancy,  was  produced  in  1919  and  was  praised  in  some  quarters 
for  its  poetic  charm. 

That  there  can  be  depth  and  interest  in  common  things  was  the 
conviction  of  Edward  Childs  Carpenter,  another  Philadelphia  drama- 
tist, born  in  1872.  He  submitted  his  Barber  of  New  Orleans  in  a  prize 
contest  conducted  by  the  New  York  Globe,  and  the  play  was  pro- 
duced by  William  Faversham  in  1908.  He  wrote  a  half  dozen  plays, 
his  most  successful  being  The  Bachelor  Father,  produced  by  Belasco 
in  1928. 

Elliot  Lester,  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1894,  deserted  the  profession 
of  teaching  at  Temple  University  when  his  first  play,  The  Mud  Turtle, 
achieved  success,  and  he  followed  this  with  Take  My  Advice,  a 
criticism  of  contemporary  life. 

George  Kelly  has  established  himself  in  the  vanguard  of  American 
dramatists  whose  plays  demand  serious  consideration.  Born  in  Phila- 
delphia in  1887,  he  played  for  five  years  in  vaudeville,  where  his 
brother  Walter,  "The  Virginia  Judge,"  had  long  been  popular.  His 
first  plays  were  sketches,  and  his  most  successful  three-act  play,  The 
Show-off,  was  an  amplification  of  one  of  these  with  its  plot  laid  in 
Philadelphia.  It  was  produced  in  1924.  His  satire  of  the  little  theatres, 
The  Torch  Bearers,  was  a  success  ;  and  in  1926  he  turned  to  serious 
drama,  writing  Craig's  Wife,  winner  of  a  Pulitzer  Prize.  Behold,  The 
Bridegroom  in  1928,  and  Philip  Goes  Forth  in  1930,  were  less  popular. 
His  comedy,  Reflected  Glory,  was  produced  in  Philadelphia  in  Jan- 
uary 1937. 

Langdon  Elwyn  Mitchell,  son  of  the  author-physician,  Dr.  S.  Weir 
Mitchell,  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1862,  and  became  well  known 
as  a  playwright.  He  wrote  In  the  Season,  produced  at  St.  James 
Theatre,  London,  in  1893,  and  dramatized  Thackeray's  Vanity  Fair 
under  the  title  Becky  Sharp,  a  play  produced  by  Mrs.  Fiske  in  1899 
and  later  put  on  the  screen  in  colors.  His  Pendennis  was  produced  by 
John  Drew  in  1916,  and  The  New  York  Idea,  his  most  successful 
dramatic  offering,  in  1906. 

223 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Other  Philadelphia  playwrights  were  Richard  Harding  Davis  and 
Thomas  Fitzgerald,  the  latter  known  for  many  satisfactory  plays  dur- 
ing the  closing  years  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  city's  latest  claimant  to  dramatic  fame  is  Clifford  Odets,  who 
rose  from  the  obscurity  of  a  stock  player  with  the  Group  Theater 
in  New  York.  In  three  days  he  wrote  Waiting  for  Lefty,  a  one-act 
play  that  met  with  tremendous  success.  He  followed  in  rapid  succes- 
sion with  Awake  and  Sing,  Till  the  Day  I  Die,  Paradise  Lost,  and 
Golden  Boy.  His  plays,  anti-Fascist  in  content,  in  instances  reflect  the 
alleged  degeneracy  of  middle-class  society  in  the  changing  social  order. 

Existing  Theatres 

HPHE  city's  modern  legitimate  theatres  have  housed  a  full  share  of 
••-  the  outstanding  dramatic  performances  of  the  present  century. 

The  Walnut  Street  Theatre,  Ninth  and  Walnut  Streets,  (see  Tour, 
Where  the  City  Fathers  Walked)  believed  to  be  the  oldest  existing 
playhouse  in  America,  still  follows  its  ancient  traditions  though  with 
lagging  footsteps.  Those  who  have  appeared  on  its  stage  run  the 
gamut  from  circus  performers  to  the  greatest  names  in  the  history 
of  the  American  theatre.  Remodeled  many  times  since  its  erection  in 
1808,  an  aura  of  its  former  greatness  still  lingers  round  it. 

The  Forrest,  on  Walnut  Street  at  Quince,  named  for  Edwin  Forrest, 
was  opened  May  1,  1928,  with  Under  the  Red  Robe,  a  light  opera. 
Designed  for  spectacular  musical  and  dramatic  productions,  the 
theatre  has  a  large  and  excellently  equipped  stage.  The  building  is 
fireproof,  and  has  a  seating  capacity  of  approximately  2,000. 

Keith's,  on  Chestnut  Street  between  Eleventh  and  Twelfth,  was 
built  under  the  personal  direction  of  B.  F.  Keith,  and  was  opened 
November  2,  1902.  By  the  will  of  Andrew  Keith,  son  of  the  founder, 
the  theater  was  bequeathed  in  equal  shares  to  William  Cardinal 
O'Connell,  of  Boston,  and  the  president  and  fellows  of  Harvard 
College.  It  was  a  vaudeville  house  until  September  1928,  when  the 
Shuberts  made  it  a  home  for  drama  and  musical  comedy.  Later  it 
became  a  motion-picture  house.  It  was  the  first  so-called  "million- 
dollar  theatre"  in  the  country  ;  on  its  stage  have  appeared  Sarah 
Bernhardt,  Lillian  Russell,  Maggie  Cline,  Will  Rogers,  Sophie  Tucker, 
Belle  Baker,  Chic  Sale,  the  Dooleys,  and  Charlie  Chaplin. 

The  Chestnut  Street  Opera  House  at  1021  Chestnut  Street,  is  one 
of  the  oldest  playhouses  in  America  still  in  operation.  It  was  opened 
in  1865,  and  during  its  career  has  been  the  scene  of  hundreds  of 
dramatic  and  musical  successes.  Today  the  theatre  is  equipped  to 
show  motion  pictures  as  well  as  to  present  stage  attractions.  It  is  the 
home  of  the  American  Theatre  Society,  an  organization  which  has 
been  very  successful  in  presenting  plays  under  a  subscription  plan. 

224 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

The  Broad  Street  Theatre,  at  261  South  Broad  Street,  for  upwards 
of  a  half  century  one  of  Philadelphia's  most  noted  theatres,  dates 
back  to  1876.  It  has  changed  ownership  many  times.  The  Kiralfy 
Brothers,  who  built  this  playhouse  of  Moorish  design,  called  it  the 
Alhambra  Palace.  For  a  time  it  was  the  home  of  the  McCaull  Opera 
Company,  and  its  stage  was  the  scene  of  several  of  the  earlier  Gilbert 
and  Sullivan  successes.  It  was  in  this  theatre,  in  1888,  that  Julia  Mar- 
lowe made  her  debut.  In  1895,  the  Nixon-Zimmerman  interests  gained 
control  of  the  Broad,  and  under  their  management  many  of  the 
great  stars  of  Broadway,  including  John  Drew,  Viola  Allen,  Alia 
Nazimova,  Maude  Adams,  Sarah  Bernhardt,  and  Mrs.  Patrick  Camp- 
bell played  here.  With  the  depression  and  the  inroads  made  by  the 
motion-picture  theatres,  the  Broad  lost  a  prestige  it  was  never  to 
regain.  It  closed  after  the  1935-36  season,  was  razed  in  the  fall  of 
1937,  and  its  site  is  a  parking  lot. 

The  Erlanger  Theatre,  built  by  the  Erlanger  interests  at  Twenty- 
first  and  Market  Streets  in  1927,  was  devoted  largely  to  musical 
comedy,  and  presented  some  of  the  front-rank  stars  of  the  day,  among 
them  Fred  Stone,  Will  Rogers,  Helen  Morgan,  Fred  Allen,  and  W.  C. 
Fields.  Occasionally  motion  pictures  have  been  shown  there. 

The  Locust  Street  Theatre,  on  Locust  Street  near  Broad,  was  opened 
in  March,  1927,  as  a  motion-picture  house.  Not  until  1931  did  it 
change  to  legitimate  drama,  the  first  play  being  The  Greeks  Had  a 
Word  for  It.  The  theatre  is  of  Gothic  design. 

The  Shubert,  on  Broad  Street  below  Locust,  was  built  in  1917-18, 
and  for  a  time  was  the  leading  house  of  the  Shubert  interests  in 
Philadelphia.  Among  the  many  productions  presented  here  were 
The  Student  Prince,  Sinbad  (with  Al  Jolson  in  the  starring  role), 
and  The  Vagabond  King.  The  house  is  now  devoted  to  burlesque. 

The  first  Negro  theatre  in  the  city  was  the  Standard,  South  Street 
east  of  Twelfth,  which  opened  September  8,  1888.  It  remained  a  legiti- 
mate theatre  until  1934  when  it  became,  as  it  is  now,  a  motion-picture 
theatre.  In  1912  the  first  Negro  moving  picture  theatre,  the  Key- 
stone, was  opened  at  937-41  South  Street,  but  it  closed  in  1934.  In 
1919  the  Dunbar  Theatre,  now  the  Lincoln,  opened  at  Broad  and 
Lombard  Streets,  with  an  all-Negro  cast  in  the  play  Within  the  Law. 
For  several  seasons  this  theatre  which  was  named  for  Paul  Laurence 
Dunbar,  a  famed  Negro  poet,  ran  only  legitimate  dramas.  Later, 
however,  it  was  taken  over  by  other  interests,  and  it  became  a  moving- 
picture  house.  It  was  opened  in  September,  1937  as  a  Jewish  Theatre. 

The  Bijou,  on  Eighth  Street  above  Race,  opened  November  4,  1899, 
was  the  first  Philadelphia  theatre  with  a  continuous  vaudeville  bill. 
Upon  the  opening  of  the  Keith  Theatre  on  Chestnut  Street  in  1902, 
a  stock  company  occupied  the  Bijou.  In  1907  vaudeville  was  resumed, 
giving  way  to  burlesque  in  1910. 

225 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  Trocadero,  at  Tenth  and  Arch  Streets,  has  been  a  burlesque 
house  for  about  30  years.  The  theatre  occupies  a  site  originally  used 
by  a  playhouse  devoted  to  the  presentation  of  Negro  minstrels. 

The  Little  Theatres 

HPHE  American  theatre,  moved  by  the  demand  for  profits,  has  de- 
•*-  rived  new  energy  from  the  little  theatre  movement,  the  success 
of  which  is  twofold  :  it  provides  a  medium  of  self-expression  for 
thousands  of  talented  players,  and  serves  as  a  testing  ground  for 
playwrights  who  might  be  denied  a  hearing  by  professional  pro- 
ducers. 

In  uncounted  barns,  dwellings,  warehouses! — wherever  a  stage  may 
be  erected  —  earnest  members  of  little  theatre  groups  nowadays  are 
busy  experimenting  with  new  dramatic  forms  and  new  material. 
From  the  obscurity  of  these  groups  emerge  some  of  the  curreat 
drama's  first  playwrights  and  some  worthwhile  plays.  Philadelphia 
has  not  been  laggard  in  the  movement.  In  the  city  and  its  environs 
are  more  than  200  little  theatre  groups,  many  independent,  others 
associated  with  some  school,  college,  church,  or  other  institution. 

Foremost  among  them  is  the  Hedgerow  Theatre,  in  Rose  Valley 
—  not  within  the  city  limits,  but  within  its  cultural  orbit.  It  began  in 
1923,  with  no  assets  other  than  a  decrepit  gristmill  and  the  enthu- 
siasm of  its  director,  Jasper  Deeter,  who  had  abandoned  a  successful 
career  on  the  professional  stage  to  found  the  Hedgerow.  The  com- 
pany lives  a  communal  life.  The  work  of  the  group,  even  the  menial 
domestic  work,  is  performed  by  the  members,  and  the  profits  are 
shared  equally.  The  actresses  of  an  evening  may  on  the  morrow  be 
found  in  the  garden  hoeing  peas  ;  the  actors  may  combine  a  talent 
for  acting  and  for  stage  carpentry. 

The  group  remodeled  the  building  which  houses  the  theatre.  It 
seats  168  and  is  open  50  weeks  each  year,  six  nights  a  week  from 
April  to  October,  and  three  times  a  week  during  the  winter.  The 
company  has  a  wide  and  increasing  repertory.  Plays  which  have  had 
their  premieres  at  Hedgerow  include  Cherokee  Night,  by  Lynn 
Riggs  ;  The  D.  A.,  by  Bayard  Veiller  ;  Plum  Hollow,  by  Alvin  Kerr  ; 
Wolves,  by  Romain  Rolland  ;  King  Hunger,  by  Andreyev ;  and 
Winesburg,  Ohio,  based  on  the  collection  of  short  stories  of  the  same 
name  by  Sherwood  Anderson.  In  1934-35  the  group  toured  the  coun- 
try, and  gave  76  plays  before  an  aggregate  audience  of  120,000. 

Another  group,  the  Stagecrafters,  began  in  1929  with  17  members. 
It  now  has  350,  all  residents  of  Germantown  or  Chestnut  Hill.  After 
four  years  in  a  remodeled  blacksmith  shop  at  8132  Germantown 
Avenue,  the  group  erected  a  new  building  at  the  same  location.  This 
playhouse  was  opened  October  12,  1936,  with  the  production  of 

226 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

Robert  Sherwood's  The  Petrified  Forest.  Plays  are  presented  on  the 
second  Thursday  and  Friday  of  each  month,  from  November  through 
April. 

The  Alden  Park  Players  are  an  organization  of  residents  of  the 
Alden  Park  Apartments,  a  group  of  apartment  buildings  in  German- 
town,  adjoining  Fairmount  Park.  It  was  organized  in  1930  and  has 
had  the  enthusiastic  support  of  other  residents  of  the  apartments. 
The  group  has  produced  many  Broadway  successes,  often  under  pro- 
fessional direction,  in  a  theatre  which  is  set  up  each  winter  over 
the  apartment  swimming  pool. 

The  Chestnut  Hill  Players  perform  in  a  renovated  barn  at  Allen's 
Lane  and  McCallum  Street.  Subscribers  to  the  number  of  150  make 
this  playhouse  self-sustaining.  Its  repertory  has  included  plays  by 
Molnar,  Ibsen,  Shaw  and  Barrie. 

A  converted  barn  at  4821  Germantown  Avenue  houses  the  German- 
town  Theatre  Guild,  which  in  its  three  years  of  life  up  to  1936  had 
produced  170  plays,  many  of  them  experimental  or  with  a  limited 
audience  appeal. 

One  of  the  city's  older  and  more  successful  theatrical  groups  is 
Plays  and  Players,  organized  in  1911  by  Mrs.  Otis  Skinner.  The  com- 
pany produces  dramas,  operas,  and  ballets  in  its  own  well-equipped 
theatre  at  Seventeenth  and  Delancey  Streets.  A  self-sustaining  or- 
ganization, it  maintains  club  rooms  and  a  theatrical  library. 

The  Showcrafters,  organized  in  1934,  utilize  a  small  second-floor 
dance  hall  at  Bridge  Street  and  Frankford  Avenue.  Their  theatre, 
triangular  in  shape,  seats  few  spectators,  but  its  members  have  done 
well  with  some  of  the  lighter  Broadway  successes. 

An  organization  which  has  had  the  inspiring  assistance  of  Jasper 
Deeter  is  the  Theatre  League,  a  group  of  young  people  producing 
some  of  the  advanced  plays  in  an  old  garage  at  2034  Chancellor 
Street.  Its  equipment  is  improvised,  but  it  has  had  considerable  suc- 
cess with  some  important  plays,  among  them  The  Sisters'  Tragedy, 
It's  the  Poor  that  Helps  the  Poor,  Cradle  Song,  Marriage  Contract, 
and  Pillars  of  Society. 

The  city's  youngest  little  theatre  group,  the  Quince  Street  Players, 
is  another  which  emulates  Hedgerow.  Its  resources  are  communalized, 
and  the  members  share  the  meager  profits  of  their  productions.  Their 
theatre,  at  204  South  Quince  Street,  is  an  unadorned  second-floor  loft 
accommodating  few  spectators. 

The  most  successful,  financially,  of  all  the  little  theatre  groups  in 
or  near  Philadelphia  is  the  Players  Club  of  Swarthmore,  the  majority 
of  whose  members  are  employed  in  the  city.  The  club,  which  grew 
out  of  a  benefit  minstrel  show  presented  in  1911,  has  its  own  club- 
house and  theatre,  with  a  large  and  well-equipped  stage  and  a  com- 
modious auditorium. 

227 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  Mask  and  Wig  Club  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  has  at- 
tained a  high  reputation  throughout  the  eastern  United  States  for 
its  musical  plays,  written  and  acted  by  members.  At  Temple  Univer- 
sity a  similar  organization,  the  Templayers,  produces  plays  written 
by  its  own  members  or  by  accepted  dramatists. 

It  is  impossible  to  distinguish  strictly  between  the  little  theatre 
groups  and  those  which  might  be  more  properly  classified  as  ama- 
teurs. The  little  theatre  stages  are  not  always  occupied  by  experi- 
mental or  significant  drama,  and  on  occasion  the  amateur  groups 
make  a  genuine  contribution  to  the  theatre.  Some  of  the  more  im- 
portant of  these  borderline  groups  are  :  The  Lincoln  Drive  Players, 
performing  at  the  Unitarian  Church,  Germantown  ;  Neighborhood 
Center  Players,  428  Bainbridge  Street;  Torresdale  Dramatic  Club, 
parish  house  of  All  Saints  Church  ;  Old  Academy  Players,  3544  In- 
dian Queen  Lane ;  and  Three  Oaks  Dramatic  Club,  Germantown 
Women's  Club  building  on  Washington  Lane.  The  Neighborhood 
Center  Players  are  especially  noteworthy  for  the  inspiration  given  to 
playwriting  by  the  yearly  contests  they  foster.  They  are  one  of  the 
few  little  theatres  which  frequently  include  new  and  untried  plays 
in  their  productions. 

The  Workers'  Theatre 

A  KIN  to  the  little  theatre  groups  in  facilities,  but  distinct  in  em- 
•^*-  phasis  and  direction,  the  Workers'  Theatre  has  attempted  to 
present  plays  which  would  arouse  class  consciousness.  For  ten  years, 
after  the  World  War,  a  number  of  groups  presented  such  drama  in 
Philadelphia,  but  their  productions  generally  died  aborning  because 
of  a  lack  either  of  funds  or  experience. 

In  1926  a  group  led  by  Alfred  Sobel  organized  the  Workers'  Theatre 
Alliance,  and  the  movement  began  to  assume  some  consciousness  of 
its  direction.  In  the  face  of  the  same  disheartening  difficulties  which 
had  dampened  the  ardor  of  its  predecessors,  the  Workers'  Theatre 
Alliance  succeeded  in  presenting  several  provocative  one-act  plays: 
The  Sisters1  Tragedy,  by  Richard  Hughes  ;  Victory,  by  John  Laessen 
and  Simon  Felshin  ;  The  Second  Story  Man,  by  Upton  Sinclair  ;  and 
Mr.  God  Is  Not  In,  by  Harbor  Allen.  The  last  named  play  was  an 
acid  satire  on  organized  religion. 

The  Vanguard  Group  of  players  took  up  the  laborers'  torch  in 
1928  at  the  point  where  the  Workers'  Theatre  Alliance  had  met  de- 
feat. Jasper  Deeter  was  the  Vanguard's  first  director.  Only  one  play, 
The  Miners,  was  presented  before  dissension  between  the  players 
and  their  director  caused  production  to  be  suspended.  The  Vanguard 
Group  was  reorganized  under  Harry  Bellaver,  also  of  Hedgerow,  and 

228 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

such  plays  as  What  Price  Coal?;  Last  Days  of  the  Paris  Commune; 
Bound  East  for  Cardiff;  The  Big  Stiff;  and  The  Unemployed  were 
presented. 

Another  group,  organized  in  1926,  is  the  Labor  Institute  Drama 
Guild,  a  part  of  the  educational  and  cultural  program  of  the  Labor 
Education  Center  (formerly  the  Labor  Institute) ,  at  415  South  Nine- 
teenth Street.  Among  its  early  presentations,  given  in  Yiddish  as  well 
as  in  English,  were  The  Clock  That  Struck  Thirteen,  adapted  from 
a  story  by  Sholem  Aleichem  ;  and  Bebele,  by  Perez  Hirshbein  ;  also 
such  dramatizations  as  Money,  by  Michael  Gold  ;  and  The  Everlasting 
Song,  by  Mark  Arnstein. 

Theatre  Crafts,  a  group  of  40  semi-professional  actors,  was  or- 
ganized in  1932.  Its  membership  included  Clifford  Odets  ;  Abner 
Biberman,  who  afterwards  joined  the  Theatre  Union  in  New  York  ; 
and  Ted  Burke,  director  of  the  group. 

In  presenting  plays  of  social  protest,  Theatre  Crafts  was  unique 
among  little  theatre  groups.  Its  repertory  consisted  of  only  two 
plays  :  Precedent,  which  dealt  with  the  imprisonment  of  Tom  Mooney 
in  San  Francisco,  and  John  Golden's  Gods  of  Lightning,  a  dramatiza- 
tion of  the  Sacco  and  Vanzetti  case. 

To  foster  greater  cooperation  between  the  little  groups,  the  New 
Theatre  (organized  in  1934)  sponsored  a  theatre  festival  in  1936. 
This  marked  the  third  conference  of  the  New  Theatre  League,  ,at 
which  the  Philadelphia  center  acted  as  host  to  more  than  100  dele- 
gates from  similar  organizations  throughout  the  country. 

With  the  broadcast  of  a  scene  from  Albert  Bein's  Let  Freedom 
Ring,  in  March  1936,  the  New.  Theatre  made  its  radio  debut.  In 
addition  to  their  dramatic  activities,  these  players  also  maintain  a 
Film  Section,  which  from  time  to  time  has  made  available  to  its 
audiences,  at  low  prices,  such  screen  plays  as  Ten  Days  that  Shook 
the  World,  Broken  Shoes,  Poll  de  Carotte,  and  Thunder  Over  Mexico. 
Outstanding  achievements  in  the  dramatic  field  were  the  presenta- 
tion of  Black  Pit  at  the  Erlanger  Theatre,  Too  Late  to  Die  at  the 
Locust,  and  the  only  Philadelphia  performance  of  Let  Freedom  Ring, 
at  their  own  theatre  on  North  Sixteenth  Street. 

Puppet  Shows  and  Marionettes 

O  UPPET  shows  in  Philadelphia  date  back  to  1742.  In  1781  Charles 
•*•  Willson  Peale,  the  famous  painter,  exhibited  at  his  home  (Third 
and  Lombard  Streets)  a  series  of  transparent  scenes  showing  events 
which  occurred  during  the  War  for  Independence. 

In  the  winter  of  1786,  puppet  shows  were  given  on  the  third  floor 
of  a  house  near  Second  and  Pine  Streets,  and  were  directed  by  Charles 
Dusselot,  a  young  ex-officer  in  the  French  Guards  of  Louis  XVI.  A 

229 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

skilled  mechanic,  Dusselot  introduced  variety  in  his  shows  and  suc- 
ceeded in  representing  sea  fights,  a  water  mill,  and  various  mobile 
figures.  The  puppet  plays  included  Poor  Soldier,  in  which  the  songs 
of  Norah  and  Darby  were  sung  behind  the  scenes  by  Mrs.  Dusselot 
and  others. 

Today,  1937,  Philadelphia  has  revived  the  ancient  and  piquant  art 
of  puppetry  and  in  cooperation  with  the  Board  of  Education  is  dem- 
onstrating its  ingenuity  to  various  trade  unions,  settlement  houses, 
schools,  hospitals,  and  other  institutions  without  facilities  for  the 
production  of  the  legitimate  drama.  On  the  eighth  floor  of  the 
Y.W.C.A.  building,  at  Eighteenth  and  Arch  Streets,  such  ancient  favor- 
ites as  Punch  and  Judy,  Dr.  Faustus,  Little  Black  Sambo,  and  the  more 
modern  Marx  Brothers  have  their  headquarters.  These  puppet  shows 
were  begun  in  January  1936,  with  plays  written  by  the  staff,  and 
figures  and  costumes  created  in  the  workshop.  This  is  a  WPA  pro- 
ject, part  of  the  Federal  Theatre  program. 

Minstrels 

THREE  generations  of  Philadelphia  theatregoers  have  enjoyed 
the  songs  and  comedy  of  what  is  known  as  Negro  minstrelsy. 
The  claim  that  this  form  of  entertainment  had  its  inception  in  this 
city  in  1842  is  based  upon  the  statement  of  William  Whitlock,  who 
that  year  appeared  in  the  Walnut  Street  Theatre  with  Master  John 
Diamond. 

Buckley's  Serenaders  are  known  to  have  given  a  minstrel  show  in 
Musical  Fund  Hall  in  1849,  and  four  years  later  a  member  of  the 
troupe,  known  as  Sam  Sanford  though  his  name  was  Lindsay,  opened 
his  "Opera  House"  on  Twelfth  Street  below  Chestnut.  He  moved 
his  entertainers  to  Cartee's  Museum,  Eleventh  Street  and  Marble 
Alley,  in  1854,  and  this  new  "opera  house"  was  a  home  of  minstrelsy, 
under  successive  managers,  for  55  years.  Manager  Robert  F.  Simpson 
changed  the  name  of  the  house  to  Carncross  and  Dixey's  in  1862,  in 
honor  of  two  of  the  most  popular  minstrels  in  the  troupe. 

Lew  Simmons  and  E.  N.  Slocum  opened  the  "Arch  Street  Opera 
House,"  on  Arch  Street  west  of  Tenth,  in  1870,  and  that  same  year 
Carncross,  together  with  Dixey  and  Simmons,  opened  the  American 
Museum,  Menagerie  and  Theatre,  on  the  northwest  Corner  of  Ninth 
and  Arch  Streets.  Three  homes  of  minstrelsy  were  thus  operating 
successfully  for  some  time,  an  indication  of  the  popularity  of  the 
song  and  laugh  brand  of  stagecraft  in  Philadelphia.  Stage  stars  such 
as  Raymond  Hitchcock  and  Eddie  Foy  had  their  start  on  the  Quaker 
City's  minstrel  stages. 

Frank  Dumont  succeeded  Carncross  upon  the  latter's  retirement 
from  the  theatre  in  1895,  managing  the  Eleventh  Street  house  until 

230 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

1909,  when  he  took  over  the  theatre  at  10th  and  Arch,  which  he 
operated  until  his  death  in  1919.  Emmet  J.  Welch,  ballad  writer  and 
singer,  was  his  successor,  Welch's  Minstrels  carrying  on  the  old  tradi- 
tions. A  fire  in  1929  damaged  the  playhouse,  and  in  1931  the  onetime 
old  home  of  sentimental  ballads  gave  way  to  the  raucous  automobile, 
being  demolished  to  provide  a  parking  lot. 

Hedgerow  Theatre 
Where  stars  are  born 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
The  Cinema  in  Philadelphia 

HILADELPHIA  was  a  pioneer  city  in  moving  pictures.  In  1860 
Dr.  Coleman  Sellers  made  the  first  photographs  of  motion,  and 
the  machine  which  he  devised  for  showing  them  was  patented  in  1861 
as  "a  new  and  useful  improvement  in  the  mode  of  exhibiting  stereo- 
scopic pictures  of  moving  objects."  The  apparatus  was  looked  upon 
as  merely  an  interesting  toy.  It  was,  however,  the  first  step  in  motion 
pictures,  and  25  years  later  its  principles  were  employed  by  Edison. 

On  February  5,  1870,  Henry  R.  Heyl  displayed  at  the  Academy 
of  Music  an  invention  which  he  called  the  "phasmatrope,"  described 
as  "a  recent  scientific  invention  designed  to  give  to  various  objects 
and  figures  upon  the  screen  the  most  graceful  and  lifelike  move- 
ments." His  machine  was  a  converted  projecting  lantern,  in  front  of 
which  was  a  large  revolving  disk  containing  16  openings  near  thr 
edge,  into  which  lantern  slides  were  arranged.  A  disk  is  still  useJ 
on  motion-picture  projectors  and  in  recent  television  apparatus. 

The  first  motion  pictures  from  flexible  films  were  cast  upon  a 
screen  at  Franklin  Institute  by  C.  Francis  Jenkins  in  1894  ;  the  first 
in  a  Philadelphia  theatre  were  exhibited  at  Keith's  Bijou  in  1896. 
Two  years  later  a  Philadelphia  optician,  Sigmund  Lubin,  opened  a 
studio  for  making  motion  pictures  on  the  roof  of  a  building  on  Arch 
Street  near  Ninth.  In  the  following  year  these  and  others  were  shown 
at  Betzwood,  and  in  1899  Lubin  opened  at  Seventh  and  Market 
Streets  a  motion-picture  theatre  —  probably  the  first  in  the  United 
States.  For  15  years  Lubin  continued  as  a  producer,  with  studios  at 
Nineteenth  Street  and  Indiana  Avenue. 

Jeanette  MacDonald,  the  movie  star,  was  born  in  Philadelphia 
the  early  part  of  the  twentieth  century,  and  attended  West  Philadel- 
phia Girls'  High  School.  Her  first  job  was  in  the  chorus  of  a  Ned 
Wayburn  show  in  1920,  and  success  in  other  musical  comedies  fol- 
lowed. Her  film  career  began  in  1929  in  The  Love  Parade,  with 
Maurice  Chevalier. 

Another  Philadelphia  screen  actress  is  Janet  Gaynor,  born  here  on 
October  6.  1907.  Seventh  Heaven,  in  which  she  appeared  in  1926, 
brought  her  fame  ;  and  she  was  subsequently  starred  in  Sunny  Side 
Up  (the  first  musical  comedy  written  expressly  for  films),  The  Man 
Who  Came  Back,  Daddy  Long  Legs,  and  The  Farmer  Takes  a  Wife. 

Constance  Binney,  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1900,  made  her  first 
stage  appearance  17  years  later  in  New  York's  Bijou  Theatre,  in 
Saturday  to  Monday.  In  1920  she  made  her  first  appearance  on  the 
screen. 

Vivienne  Segal,  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1897,  began  her  film  career 
in  1929,  after  some  experience  on  the  stage.  She  has  appeared  in 

232 


STAGE  AND  SCREEN 

many  films,  including  Song  of  the  West.,  The  Bride  of  the  Regiment, 
and  Viennese  Nights. 

Other  Philadelphia-born  cinema  players  include  Eleanor  Board- 
man,  star  of  The  Auction  Block,  and  George  Bancroft,  typifier  of 
rugged  force  in  numerous  screen  roles. 

With  more  than  150  moving-picture  theatres  in  the  city,  Phila- 
delphians  have  no  lack  of  facilities  for  viewing  the  latest  products  of 
the  film  industry.  Eleven  of  these  theatres,  situated  in  the  downtown 
section  of  the  city,  are  "first  run"  houses  :  Aldine,  Arcadia,  Boyd, 
Earle,  Erlanger,  Fox,  Karlton,  Stanley,  Stanton,  and  Trans-Lux.  In 
addition,  the  Europa  shows  the  best  of  the  Continental  films,  and  for 
several  years  the  Mastbaum,  at  Twentieth  and  Market  Streets,  largest 
house  in  the  city,  displayed  "first  run"  pictures  of  exceptional  merit. 

The  interest  in  current  news  was  the  inspiration  for  the  Trans-Lux 
Theatre,  which  opened  on  January  1,  1935.  The  exterior  of  the  build- 
ing superimposes  cubic  masses  of  blue  upon  silver  in  a  distinctive 
design.  The  News  Theatre,  1230  Market  Street,  was  opened  in  1937. 


Memorial  Arch  at  Valley  Forge 
Dedicated  to  the  thirteen  original  colonies. 


233 


Music 


MUSICAL  progress  and  appreciation  in  Philadelphia  have  kept 
faith  with  the  long-haired  Hermits  of  the  Wissahickon  who, 
at  the  city's  first  concert  in  1703,  wrung  somher  strains  from  the 
viol,  the  oboe,  and  the  trumpet.  It  is  not  difficult  to  resurrect  that 
scene  of  long  ago  —  the  music-starved  Colonials  tapping  their  feet 
in  tempo  with  the  kettledrum;  the  half-austere,  half-exalted  ex- 
pression upon  the  faces  of  the  musicians  ;  the  lack  of  symphonic 
richness.  From  this  early  recital  at  the  ordination  of  Justus  Falkner 
in  Old  Swedes  Church,  musical  endeavor  in  Philadelphia  has  marched 
down  an  ever-widening  path,  emerging  finally  into  the  broad  highway 
of  accomplishment. 

Music  in  modern  Philadelphia  is  symbolized  by  the  renowned 
Philadelphia  Orchestra  and  the  Curtis  Institute  of  Music.  Under  the 
driving  force  of  Leopold  Stokowski's  genius,  the  former  has  come  to 
be  recognized  as  one  of  the  great  symphonic  organizations  of  the 
world.  Philadelphia's  musical  tradition,  however,  does  not  entirely 
center  about  the  orchestra  and  the  Academy  of  Music  in  which  it 
plays.  Numerous  singing  societies,  choral  groups,  orchestral  clubs, 
and  organization  of  various  kinds  reflect  the  musical  tendencies  of 
its  people. 

That  Philadelphia  was  a  musical  center  as  early  as  Colonial  times 
was  due  partly  to  its  geographical  location  midway  between  Boston 
and  the  capital  of  southern  secular  music,  Charleston.  This  fortunate 
circumstance  helped  it  to  absorb  musical  influences  from  each,  while 
developing  its  own  appreciation. 

The  city's  next  modest  step  in  music,  following  the  Hermits'  con- 
cert in  1703,  was  the  purchase  and  installation  in  Christ  Church,  in 
1728,  of  its  first  organ.  In  1743  Gustavus  Hesselius  was  manufacturing 
spinets  and  organs  in  the  city,  and  this  date  marks  the  beginning  of 
the  history  of  the  American  pianoforte. 

The  American  Company  opened  the  Southwark  Theatre  on  Novem- 
ber 14,  1766,  giving  as  its  first  performance  Thomas  and  Sally.,  or, 
The  Sailor's  Return.  Philadelphia  was  in  the  forefront  operatically 
when  other  cities  were  experimenting  with  crude  band  concerts,  and 
was  also  the  first  city  in  the  country  to  present  a  really  ambitious 
concert,  which  took  place  May  4,  1786.  A  "grand  concert"  with  230 

234 


Music 

vocal  and  50  instrumental  performers  was  given  on  that  date  at  the 
German  Reformed  Church  in  Race  Street. 

Choral  and  secular  music,  meanwhile,  had  been  developing  at  a 
rapid  pace.  By  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  in  the 
early  years  of  the  nineteenth,  many  Philadelphia  musicians  were 
devoting  a  major  part  of  their  time  to  the  advancement  of  choral 
music  in  churches  and  independent  societies.  Publication  of  books 
dealing  with  hymn  singing  and  choral  selections  increased. 

In  1852  a  drive  was  organized  to  obtain  money  for  construction  of 
the  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Music.  The  sum  of  $400,000  was  raised, 
and  five  years  later  the  Academy  was  formally  opened.  In  February 
1857  the  building  saw  its  first  opera,  77  Trovatore.  This  presentation 
conclusively  demonstrated  the  Academy's  worth  to  Philadelphia 
music  lovers.  The  acoustics  was  declared  the  finest  in  the  United 
States,  and  even  today  the  Academy  is  distinguished  for  its  acoustic 
excellence. 

Another  event  of  importance  was  the  arrival,  in  1907,  of  Oscar 
Hammerstein.  He  built,  at  Broad  and  Poplar  Streets,  the  gigantic 
opera  house  known  as  the  Metropolitan.  Hammerstein  scoffed  at 


The  Academy  of  Music 
"Where  rich  memories  are  born9 


m 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

warnings  that  the  venture  would  fail  because  the  building  was  too 
far  from  the  center  of  the  city.  Whether  or  not  the  location  was  a 
vital  factor,  the  house,  despite  its  spacious  stage  and  elaborate  ap- 
pointments, was  not  successful.  To  the  bitter  disappointment  of  him- 
self and  local  music  lovers,  Hammerstein  was  able  to  present  opera 
for  only  two  years.  Later,  however,  the  Metropolitan  was  the  scene 
of  intermittent  operatic  productions. 

The  twentieth  century  ushered  in  a  new  era  in  Philadelphia  music. 
In  the  years  to  follow,  the  city  surged  forward  in  a  magnificent  musi- 
cal advance  that  ultimately  placed  it  among  the  leaders  as  a  world 
musical  center. 

Philadelphia  Orchestra 

HPHE  Philadelphia  Orchestra  was  organized  in  1900,  as  an  out- 
•*-  growth  of  the  defunct  Philadelphia  Symphonic  Society,  which  had 
been  founded  in  1893,  with  William  Wallace  Gilchrist  as  its  leader. 
The  orchestra's  first  concert  was  held  November  16  under  the  baton 
of  Fritz  Scheel.  During  the  winter  of  1900-01  a  series  of  six  concerts 
was  given  in  the  Academy  of  Music,  and  in  the  spring  of  1901  the 
orchestra,  still  under  Scheel's  direction,  gave  a  concert  for  the  benefit 
of  the  soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  Philippine  campaign. 

These  concerts  were  received  with  so  much  favor  that  a  movement 
was  set  afoot  to  establish  the  orchestra  on  a  permanent  basis. 

Up  to  that  time,  Philadelphia  music  lovers  had  to  get  along  with  a 
few  concerts  given  each  year  by  touring  symphony  orchestras,  or  else 
go  to  New  York.  Finally,  through  the  efforts  of  Alexander  Van  Rens- 
selaer  and  a  committee  composed  of  John  H.  Ingham,  Oliver  Boyce 
Judson,  Edward  S.  McCollin,  John  C.  Sims,  Henry  Wheelen,  Jr.,  Oscar 
A.  Knipe,  and  Dr.  Edward  I.  Keffer,  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra 
Association  was  formed.  Scheel  was  engaged  as  the  regular  conductor  ; 
and  although  the  early  years  of  the  orchestra's  existence  were  marked 
by  financial  difficulties,  public-spirited  citizens  from  time  to  time 
aided  with  generous  contributions. 

Scheel  died  in  1907.  After  an  exhaustive  search  throughout  Europe, 
Carl  Polhig,  Royal  Court  Conductor  of  the  King  of  Wurttemburg, 
was  engaged  as  conductor.  Polhig's  leadership  over  a  period  of  five 
years,  however,  was  not  especially  impressive. 

The  year  1912  was  important  in  the  development  of  the  orchestra. 
Leopold  Stokowski,  who  had  been  conducting  the  Cincinnati  Orches- 
tra, was  engaged  to  lead  the  Philadelphia  organization.  A  man  of 
artistic  temperament  and  spectacular  methods,  the  maestro  began 
a  long  series  of  experiments  with  new  symphonic  works,  new  methods 
of  instrument  arrangement,  and  new  styles  of  presentation.  In  the  20 
succeeding  years  the  fame  of  Stokowski  spread  throughout  the  world. 

236 


Music 

Among  his  innovations  was  the  arrangement  of  the  orchestra  per- 
sonnel on  a  level  platform  instead  of  in  the  conventional  amphi- 
theatre. He  became  noted,  also,  for  his  rebukes  to  noisy  and  to 
late-arriving  patrons.  On  one  occasion,  during  the  season  of  1926,  he 
chided  tardy  arrivals  by  opening  the  concert  with  an  "orchestra" 
composed  of  a  cellist  and  a  violinist,  permitting  the  other  orchestra 
members  to  straggle  in  two  or  three  at  a  time.  In  1929  he  rebuked 
patrons  who  had  hissed  a  Schonberg  number  by  suggesting  they  sur- 
render their  seats  to  others  who  would  appreciate  good  music. 

A  few  years  later,  when  orchestra  patrons  criticized  the  appear- 
ance of  modern  compositions  on  the  programs,  the  blond  conductor 
arranged  a  program  with  a  division  between  "regular"  and  "modern" 
numbers,  virtually  inviting  those  who  disliked  the  new  music  to 
leave.  On  still  another  occasion  he  interrupted  a  concert  to  upbraid 
a  few  members  of  the  audience,  maintaining  that  their  applause  of 
a  Bach  transcription  disturbed  the  delicate  mood  inspired  by  the 
music. 

Stokowski's  conductorship  ended  with  the  close  of  the  1935-36 
season.  He  had  decided  to  devote  more  time  to  musical  research  and 
to  experimentation  in  connection  with  motion  pictures.  In  the  spring 
of  1936  the  orchestra  made  a  nation-wide  tour.  Stokowski  was  the 
chief  conductor,  while  Saul  Cohen  Caston  and  Charles  O'Connell  al- 
ternated on  the  podium  as  associate  conductors.  However,  the  1936-37 
season  saw  a  new  conductor,  Eugene  Ormandy,  with  Stokowski  acting 
as  musical  director  and  conducting  a  limited  number  of  concerts. 

Closely  affiliated  with  the  orchestra  is  the  Youth  Movement  in 
Music,  instituted  by  Stokowski  with  two  concerts  for  youths,  which 
he  directed,  in  1933.  In  response  to  his  appeal  for  some  sort  of  or- 
ganization among  the  younger  music  lovers,  clubs  were  formed  and 
placed  under  the  guidance  of  orchestra  members.  Their  purpose  was 
a  discussion  and  exchange  of  ideas  on  singing,  drama,  and  orchestra- 
tion. 

The  Concerts  for  Youth  Committee,  of  which  C.  David  Hocker  is 
chairman,  acts  in  an  advisory  capacity  to  the  movement.  The  com- 
mittee arranges  auditions  for  unusually  talented  youngsters.  One  of 
those  selected  at  an  audition  was  Eugene  List,  who  later  obtained  a 
position  with  the  Philharmonic  Society  of  New  York,  and  was  en- 
gaged for  an  extensive  tour  of  Europe.  The  youth  concerts  are  well 
attended,  and  the  100  youth  clubs  had  a  membership  of  more  than 
1,000  in  1937. 


237 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
Curtis  Institute  of  Music 

FOUNDED  in  1924  by  Mary  Louise  Curtis  Bok,  the  Curtis  Institute 
"endeavors,  through  contemporary  masters,  to  inculcate  into  stu- 
dents of  today  the  great  traditions  of  the  past."  It  provides  free  tuition, 
individual  instruction  by  world-famous  artists,  financial  assistance, 
and  also  arranges  preparatory  stage  and  radio  performances  for  stu- 
dents of  merit. 

Student  soloists,  ensemble  groups,  and  the  Curtis  Orchestra  par- 
ticipate in  approximately  25  programs  each  season.  They  are  broad- 
cast from  the  institute  auditorium  and  from  Philadelphia's  radio 
studios  over  a  national  network.  Students  also  appear  before  edu- 
cational and  civic  organizations  within  a  hundred-mile  radius  of  the 
city.  Some  of  them  are  permitted,  at  the  discretion  of  the  school,  to 
accept  professional  engagements. 

Admission  to  the  institute,  which  is  situated  on  Rittenhouse  Square, 
is  limited  to  those  whose  inherent  musical  gift  shows  promise  of 
development  to  a  point  of  professional  quality.  Auditions  are  held 
within  a  month  after  application  for  enrollment,  the  final  decision 
as  to  the  suitability  of  the  applicant  resting  upon  talent  shown  in 
the  examination. 

Since  Curtis  Institute  was  founded,  246  students  have  been  grad- 
uated. Among  these  were  Helen  Jepson,  Rose  Bampton,  Conrad  Thi- 
bault,  Charlotte  Symons,  Samuel  Barber,  Wilbur  Evans,  Benjamin 
de  Loache,  Boris  Goldovsky,  Edwina  Eustis,  Edna  Phillips,  Shura 
Cherkassky,  Sylvan  Levin,  Eugene  Lowenthal,  Agnes  Davis,  and  Ira 
Petina. 

Other  Musical  Groups 

FOR  a  number  of  years  orchestral  concerts  were  given  in  an  open- 
air  pavilion  on  Lemon  Hill  in  Fairmount  Park.  The  orchestra 
consisted  of  about  50  musicians,  many  of  them  members  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Orchestra.  The  programs  were  made  up  generally  of  semi- 
popular  works  of  great  composers,  arranged  to  appeal  to  different 
gradations  of  understanding  and  appreciation.  These  concerts  were 
popular  and  well  attended,  a  gathering  of  more  than  10,000  having 
been  estimated  on  one  Sunday.  Since  the  auditorium  could  accom- 
modate only  a  fraction  of  this  number,  thousands  were  forced  to 
find  seats  on  the  surrounding  lawns. 

Among  the  conductors  who  appeared  at  Lemon  Hill  from  1922  to 
1925  were  Thaddeus  Rich,  Richard  Hageman,  Willem  Van  Hoog- 
straten,-  Henry  Hadley,  Alexander  Smallens,  Nahan  Franko,  and 
Victor  Kolar.  Other  musical  celebrities  to  appear  at  the  Lemon  Hill 
concerts  included  Olga  Samaroff,  Elsa  Alsen,  Elly  Ney,  and  Rence 

238 


Music 

Thornton.  The  concert  season  at  Lemon  Hill  lasted  for  seven  weeks 
during  July  and  August.  These  concerts  were  supplanted  by  the 
Robin  Hood  Dell  programs,  begun  in  1930. 

During  the  seventh  (1936)  season  at  the  Dell,  operas  and  ballets 
were  presented  in  addition  to  "straight"  concerts,  with  Jose  Iturbi  as 
musical  director  of  these  concerts  which  are  a  cooperative  venture  on 
the  part  of  members  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra.  The  Dell,  a 
natural  amphitheater  which  accommodates  6,000,  is  also  in  Fairmount 
Park,  and  most  of  the  musicians  are  members  of  the  Philadelphia 
Orchestra.  Concerts  are  scheduled  for  six  nights  each  week  during  the 
season.  If  inclement  weather  interrupts  the  schedule,  performances 
are  held  over  until  weather  permits. 

The  Philadelphia  Grand  Opera  Company,  organized  in  1926,  affi- 
liated itself  two  years  later  with  the  Curtis  Institute  of  Music,  pro- 
viding graduates  of  the  institute  with  an  opportunity  to  appear  in 
grand  opera.  The  late  William  C.  Hammer,  a  trumpeter,  was  one  of 
the  founders  ;  Artur  Rodzinski  was  its  first  conductor.  No  perform- 
ances have  been  given  by  this  group  in  recent  years. 

The  Savoy  Opera  Company,  founded  in  1901  by  the  late  Dr. 
Reginald  Aliens,  presents  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  operas  exclusively. 
The  group  is  sponsored  by  the  School  of  Music  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  proceeds  of  its  performances  go  to  the  school. 
The  operas  are  usually  given  with  a  cast  and  chorus  of  100  or  more. 

Philadelphia's  keen  appreciation  of  music  also  reveals  itself  in  the 
existence  of  many  other  groups.  The  Stringart  Quartet,  a  well-known 
chamber  music  ensemble  organized  in  1933,  seeks  to  advance  the 
more  obscure  classical  music.  This  group  is  composed  of  Leon  Lawisza 
and  Arthur  Cohn,  violinists  ;  Gabriel  Braverman,  violist  ;  and 
Maurice  Stad,  violoncellist.  The  quartet  annually  presents  a  number 
of  subscription  concerts  in  Philadelphia  and  vicinity. 

The  Strawbridge  &  Clothier  Company  Chorus  was  founded  in  1885 
by  a  group  of  employees.  Since  1905  Dr.  Herbert  J.  Tily,  who  was 
made  president  of  Strawbridge  &  Clothier  in  1927,  has  directed  the 
chorus.  Dr.  Tily  has  written  much  of  the  music  sung  by  the  group, 
including  a  number  of  well-known  cantatas.  The  chorus  gives  an  an- 
nual concert  at  Robin  Hood  Dell,  as  well  as  performances  in  the 
Strawbridge  &  Clothier  store  during  the  Christmas  and  Easter  seasons. 

Victor  Herbert,  renowned  composer  of  light  operas,  wrote  many 
numbers  especially  for  this  group.  Long  identified  with  Philadelphia 
music,  Herbert  is  best  remembered  for  his  annual  engagements  at 
Willow  Grove  Park,  just  north  of  the  city.  These  extended  over  a 
period  of  20  years.  His  first  contact  with  the  Philadelphia  public  dates 
back  to  the  time  when  he  gave  concerts  in  Washington  Park  on 
the  Delaware.  He  also  appeared  here  in  the  old  days  as  conductor 

239 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

of  the  Philadelphia  Operatic  Society.  In  1916,  at  the  request  of  Dr. 
Tily,  he  came  to  the  city  and  gave  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House 
a  concert  which  included  only  his  works.  Many  of  his  compositions 
were  presented  for  the  first  time  in  Willow  Grove  Park  ;  others  were 
started  or  completed  during  his  stay  there. 

The  Keystone  Quartet,  whose  personnel  has  remained  unchanged 
since  its  formation  in  1918,  is  composed  of  employees  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad.  This  group  has  been  heard  in  all  parts  of  the  world, 
both  on  the  radio  and  in  personal  appearances.  The  quartet  has  broad- 
cast frequently  on  short  wave  transmission  to  Europe,  and  in  1930 
took  part  in  the  first  television  broadcasting  of  this  kind. 

The  Orpheus  Club  of  Philadelphia,  one  of  the  oldest  singing 
societies  in  the  city,  was  organized  in  1872.  Composed  of  professional 
and  business  men,  the  chorus  numbers  about  70  voices.  Concerts  are 
given  three  times  a  year  at  the  Academy  of  Music.  The  American 
Opera  Guild,  organized  in  1935,  promotes  musical  appreciation 
among  American  singers  of  talent  and  provides  training  facilities  for 
them.  The  guild  plans  to  present  operas  in  English,  with  local 
singers.  Operas  will  be  staged  and  rehearsed  in  Philadelphia  before 
the  company  goes  on  tour. 

Philadelphia  is  the  home  of  the  oldest  German  singing  organiza- 
tion in  the  United  States  —  the  Maennerchor  Society,  founded  in 
1835.  The  Mendelssohn  Club,  founded  in  1874  by  Dr.  William  Wal- 
lace Gilchrist,  gives  a  number  of  special  performances  each  year  in 
conjunction  with  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra.  The  Canzonetta 
Chorus,  organized  in  1920,  gives  two  performances  yearly  in  the 
ballroom  of  the  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel.  During  the  Lenten  season 
it  offers  a  number  of  concerts  in  which  sacred  music  is  featured.  Lit 
Brothers'  department  store  maintains  a  chorus  of  employees,  giving 
annual  concerts  for  charity  at  the  Bellevue-Stratford. 

Valuable  training  in  music  and  drama  is  also  offered  by  the  Settle- 
ment Music  School,  416  Queen  Street,  which  was  founded  in  1908  and 
incorporated  in  1914.  The  present  school  was  erected  in  1917  from 
funds  donated  by  Mrs.  Edward  W.  Bok.  Each  student  is  required  to 
pay  a  reasonable  tuition  fee,  but  only  a  few  are  able  to  pay  for  the 
full  cost  of  instruction. 


Celebrities 

rl~^O  THE  concert  artist  and  musician,  Philadelphia  offers  a  life 
-*-  ideally  adapted  to  study.  The  traditions  of  the  city  are  inspiring, 
and  Philadelphians  are  especially  sympathetic  to  the  musical  student. 
Many  world-renowned  artists  were  born  and  educated,  or  have  lived 
here. 

240 


Music 

Josef  Hofmann,  celebrated  pianist  and  dean  of  the  Curtis  Institute 
of  Music,  resides  in  Merion  Penna.  Born  in  Poland  in  1876,  Hofmann 
at  an  early  age  attracted  the  attention  of  the  composer  Rubinstein. 
When  only  10  years  old,  Hofmann  toured  the  United  States  and 
was  acclaimed  a  child  prodigy.  Today  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
greatest  living  pianists.  Hofmann,  now  an  American  citizen,  has  been 
associated  with  the  Curtis  Institute  since  its  inception  in  1924. 

Mme.  Olga  Samaroff,  at  one  time  the  wife  of  Leopold  Stokowski, 
was  born  in  San  Antonio,  Texas,  in  1882,  and  made  her  American 
debut  as  a  pianist  at  Carnegie  Hall  in  1905,  with  the  New  York 
Symphony  Orchestra,  under  the  direction  of  Walter  Damrosch.  Since 
then  she  has  given  many  concerts  either  alone  or  with  such  artists  as 
Kreisler  and  Zimbalist,  and  with  the  Kreisler  Quartet.  At  present, 
Madam  SamarofF  is  associated  with  the  Philadelphia  Conservatory. 

Harl  MacDonald,  one  of  the  most  promising  of  modern  composers, 
is  professor  of  music  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania's  Department 
of  Music.  Born  in  Boulder,  Colorado,  in  1899,  MacDonald  has  com- 
posed many  symphonies,  modern  in  treatment  and  often  dissonant 
and  barbaric  in  style  and  rhythm. 

One  of  the  outstanding  opera  singers  of  today,  Dusolina  Giannini, 
was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1902,  of  Italian  parents.  For  years  her 
father  conducted  a  small  opera  house  known  as  Verdi  Hall,  in  South 
Philadelphia,  where  she  and  her  sister  Euphemia  learned  to  sing 
the  songs  of  Italy  under  the  tutelage  of  their  parents.  Ferruccio 
Giannini  himself  had  been  an  opera  singer,  and  he  soon  recognized 
the  great  possibilities  in  Dusolina's  voice.  He  took  his  daughter  to 
Mme.  Marcella  Sembrich,  under  whom  she  was  trained  for  an 
operatic  career.  She  made  her  debut  at  Berlin  in  1925  in  Aida,  and  in 
1936  she  created  a  sensation  in  New  York.  Later  in  1936  she  toured 
Europe,  her  star  gaining  brilliance  with  every  appearance. 

The  baritone,  Nelson  Eddy,  rose  to  national  prominence  from  the 
newsroom  of  a  Philadelphia  newspaper.  In  1933  Eddy  sang  in  Parsi- 
fal with  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra.  Eddy  was  born  in  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  in  1901,  and  came  to  Philadephia  fourteen  years  later. 
While  working  as  a  newspaper  reporter,  he  studied  singing  under 
the  late  David  Bispham,  making  his  first  theatrical  appearance  as  a 
minor  character  in  The  Marriage  Tax  in  1922.  Success  followed  on 
the  concert  stage,  in  grand  opera,  in  the  motion  pictures,  and  on  the 
radio.  Among  films  in  which  he  has  appeared  are  Dancing  Lady, 
Naughty  Marietta,  Rose  Marie,  and  Maytime. 

David  S.  Bispham  himself  was  one  of  the  greatest  operatic  baritones 
this  country  ever  produced.  For  years  he  sang  many  of  the  leading 
baritone  roles  with  the  Metropolitan  Opera  Company,  creating  a 
number  of  notable  parts.  After  his  retirement  from  the  operatic 

241 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

stage  he  devoted  himself  to  vocal  teaching,  a  field  in  which  he  also 
won  signal  success.  Bispham,  whose  parents  were  Quakers,  was  born 
in  Philadelphia  January  5,  1857. 

Another  of  the  city's  noted  contemporary  singers  is  Marian  Ander- 
son, a  Negro,  whose  success  began  with  her  first  professional  appear- 
ance—  as  contralto  soloist  with  the  Philadelphia  Philharmonic  Sym- 
phony Society.  A  recital  in  New  York  followed.  Competing  against  300 
singers,  she  won  the  New  York  Philharmonic  contest  and  later  went 
abroad  to  begin  a  series  of  tours  and  courses  of  study.  Of  the  same 
age  as  Dusolina  Giannini,  Miss  Anderson  is  hailed  as  having  one  of 
the  rarest  contralto  voices  in  modern  times. 

The  music  critic  who  possibly  did  more  than  any  other  man  in 
America  to  "discover"  such  musical  geniuses  as  Strindberg  and 
Stravinsky  was  the  Philadelphian,  James  G.  Huneker.  Born  here  Jan- 
uary 31,  1860,  Huneker  studied  music  in  New  York  and  Paris,  and 
then  became  assistant  to  Rafael  Joseffy,  teaching  at  the  then  newly 
founded  National  Conservatory.  Afterwards,  becoming  a  "steeplejack 
of  the  seven  arts,"  as  he  whimsically  termed  it,  he  wrote  for  the 
New  York  Morning  Recorder  and  Advertiser,  and  then  joined  the  staff 
of  the  Sun  as  dramatic  critic,  art  editor,  and  special  writer.  Following 
an  extended  tour  of  Europe,  Huneker  in  1918  became  connected  with 
the  New  York  Times  as  music  critic.  When  death  ended  his  brilliant 
career  in  1921,  he  was  with  the  New  York  World.  During  a  part  of 
this  time  he  traveled  weekly  to  Philadelphia  to  conduct  a  column  in 
the  Philadelphia  Press.  His  published  volumes  of  epigrammatic  ap- 
preciation of  art  and  letters  included  Mezzotints  in  Modern  Music, 
Melomaniacs,  Overtones,  Iconoclasts,  Book  of  Dramatics,  and  others. 

Among  other  Philadelphians  prominent  in  the  music  world  are 
Josephine  Lucchese,  soprano  ;  Wilbur  Evans,  baritone  ;  Henri  Scott, 
basso  ;  Nicholas  Douty,  tenor  ;  Edward  Ellsworth  Hipsher  and  Guy 
Vincent  Rice  Marririer,  directors;  Alexander  McCurdy,  Jr.,  Russell 
King  Miller,  and  Norris  Lindsay  Norden,  organists  ;  Samuel  L.  Laciar, 
music  critic  ;  and  Dr.  James  Francis  Cooke,  composer. 


242 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTURE 


ALTHOUGH  Philadelphia's  early  days  were  notable  for  utilita- 
rian rather  than  artistic  achievement,  this  city  long  has  oc- 
cupied an  enviable  position  as  a  shrine  of  the  arts.  During  the 
city's  early  settlement  there  was  neither  the  money,  time,  nor  incli- 
nation for  anything  but  practical  accomplishment.  Then,  gradually, 
with  the  growth  of  trade,  there  emerged  a  class  with  the  necessary 
time  and  money  to  indulge  in  cultural  pursuits.  Those  who  ap- 
preciated "the  true  and  beautiful"  found  expression  for  their  ap- 
preciation in  the  collecting  of  rare  treasures  and  in  patronizing  paint- 
ing and  sculpture.  The  more  utilitarian  crafts  such  as  the  making  of 
silverware,  pewterware,  and  furniture  also  were  encouraged. 

In  the  field  of  furniture-making  particularly,  Philadelphia  ac- 
chieved  real  distinction.  Its  late  eighteenth  century  cabinetmakers 
evolved  an  ornate  style  known  as  "Philadelphia  Chippendale"  for 
the  reason  that  it  was  derived  in  part  from  the  engravings  published 
by  Thomas  Chippendale  in  his  Cabinet  Maker's  Directory  of  1754- 
1755  and  1761.  The  market  provided  by  a  large  and  increasingly 
prosperous  merchant  class,  and  the  unofficial  boycott  on  foreign 
goods  which  existed  in  the  American  colonies  as  early  as  1761  in 
protest  against  the  odious  import  taxes  on  British  wares,  combined 
to  place  domestic  goods  at  a  premium  and  to  develop  a  pride  in 
fine  local  workmanship.  On  the  other  hand,  loss  of  contact  with  the 
center  of  current  taste  was  evident  in  a  continued  vogue  of  the  florid 
Chippendale  style  until  well  after  the  close  of  the  Revolution, 
whereas  in  England  the  classic  Adam  style  had  been  launched  some 
years  earlier. 

The  work  of  four  early  cabinetmakers,  represented  at  the  Penn- 
sylvania Museum  of  Art  —  Benjamin  Randolph,  Jonathan  Goste- 
lowe,  Thomas  Tufft,  and  Edward  James  —  exemplifies  the  unique 
features  of  early  Philadelphia  furniture  craft. 

Such  painting  as  was  done,  particularly  at  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  was  practiced  by  men  who  had  little  if  any  pre- 
liminary training.  Spoken  of  as  limners  (a  corruption  of  the  old 
English  term  "illuminer,"  or  decorator  of  manuscripts) ,  they  traveled 
from  town  to  town  with  a  stock  collection  of  portraits  complete  ex- 
cept for  the  faces.  It  usually  required  but  one  sitting  to  fill  in  the 
individual  likeness. 

243 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania  has  in  its  possession  what 
are  probably  among  the  earliest  paintings  done  in  Philadelphia.  They 
are  three  portraits  (of  Robert  Morris  and  of  the  artist  and  his  wife) 
by  Gustavus  Hesselius,  who  came  to  Philadelphia  from  Sweden  in 
1711.  Hesselius,  the  first  organ-builder  in  the  Colonies,  executed  a 
number  of  portraits  and  designs  for  churches. 

Other  early  painters  included  John  Meng  ;  William  Williams, 
Benjamin  West's  first  instructor  ;  Matthew  Pratt,  who  worked  as 
West's  assistant  for  a  time  ;  and  James  Claypoole,  a  miniature  painter 
who  also  served  as  Sheriff  of  Philadelphia  for  several  years.  Pierre 
Eugene  du  Simitiere,  artist  and  naturalist,  became  one  of  the  curators 
of  the  American  Philosophical  Society  ;  and  Joseph  Wright,  who 
modeled  miniature  heads  in  wax,  was  appointed  by  President  Wash- 
ington as  first  draughtsman  and  die-sinker  in  the  United  States  Mint. 
Among  their  contemporaries  were  Henry  Bembridge,  John  Wesley 
Jarvis  (one  of  the  first  American  artists  to  study  art  anatomy) ,  Robert 
E.  Pine,  and  Jean  Pierre  Henri-Louis. 

The  first  painter  of  consequence  born  on  American  soil  was  Phila- 
delphia's celebrated  Benjamin  West  (1738-1820).  A  Quaker,  whose 
sect  tolerated  no  pictures  save  family  portraits,  West  spent  most  of 
his  life  in  England. 

The  reasons  which  took  West  to  London  also  actuated  many  other 
American  artists.  New  York,  Boston,  and  Philadelphia,  in  West's  day, 
offered  little  encouragement  to  any  sort  of  artist  other  than  the  itiner- 
ant portrait  painter.  The  lack  of  art  museums,  of  artistic  companion- 
ship, and  of  any  real  interest  in  the  arts  drove  Americans  to  seek 
fame  and  fortune  abroad.  London  at  that  time  was  the  hub  of  the 
civilized  world,  with  Hogarth,  Reynolds,  and  Gainsborough  at  the 
height  of  their  fame.  And  an  abundance  of  art  lovers  and  patrons 
contrived  to  give  the  town  an  atmosphere  particularly  stimulating 
to  aspiring  artists. 

Ultimately,  West  acquired  an  eminent  position  in  London  as  a 
painter  and  teacher.  He  was  favored  with  the  royal  patronage,  and 
became  a  founding  member,  and  later  president,  of  the  Royal  Acad- 
emy. He  was  always  ready  to  assist  young  American  artists,  financially 
as  well  as  didactically.  Among  his  students  or  proteges  were  Gilbert 
Stuart,  Copley,  Malbone,  C.  W.  Peale,  Matthew  Pratt,  and  Thomas 
Sully. 

West's  chief  claim  to  interest  today  probably  lies  in  his  canvas, 
The  Death  of  (General)  Wolfe,  in  which  the  figures  are  clad  in 
clothes  of  the  period,  instead  of  the  classical  robes  with  which 
painters  at  the  time  commonly  arrayed  their  historical  subjects. 

Of  the  famous  Peale  family,  which  includes  several  painters, 
Charles  Willson  Peale  (1741-1827)  is  probably  most  outstanding.  His 
studies  of  Revolutionary  patriots  are  on  permanent  exhibition  at  the 

244 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTURE 

Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts,  which  he  helped  to  found. 
His  son  Rembrandt  (1778-1860)  at  the  age  of  17  executed  a  portrait 
of  Washington,  from  whom  he  obtained  three  sittings.  Another  son, 
Raphael  (1774-1825)  devoted  his  energies  principally  to  still-life 
subjects.  Still  another,  Titian  (1800-1885),  occupied  himself  with  the 
delineation  of  animal  life.  He  executed  most  of  the  plates  in  the  first 
and  fourth  volumes  of  Charles  Lucien  Bonaparte's  American  Orni- 
thology. James  Peale,  brother  of  Charles,  is  known  for  his  many 
miniatures  and  portraits  in  oil.  He  served  during  the  Revolution  as 
an  officer  in  the  Continental  line. 

Patriotism  and  painting  marched  hand  in  hand  during  the  Revo- 
lution, when  the  artist  packed  his  palette  and  brushes  in  his  camp 
baggage  and  started  off  to  war.  One  of  Charles  Willson  Peale's  best 
known  portraits  of  Washington  was  painted  when  the  artist  was  a 
captain  with  the  general.  The  canvas  was  begun  at  Valley  Forge, 
continued  at  New  Brunswick  a  day  or  two  after  the  battle  of  Mon- 
mouth,  and  finished  later  in  Philadelphia. 

Because  portrait  painting  was  at  the  height  of  its  popularity  in 
England  during  the  eighteenth  century,  American  painters,  whose 
viewpoints  were  derived  from  the  mother  country,  likewise  devoted 
themselves  to  this  branch  of  art.  After  the  Revolution,  a  number  of 
artists  from  various  parts  of  the  world  were  attracted  to  the  young 
republic.  All  were  eager  to  attempt  likenesses  of  George  Washing- 
ton, who  perhaps  served  as  the  subject  of  more  paintings,  etch- 
ings, and  lithographs  than  any  other  man  of  his  time.  A  ship  dock- 
ing at  the  port  of  Philadelphia  from  Canton,  China,  during  this 
period,  brought  paintings  of  Washington  done  on  glass  by  an  emi- 
nent Chinese  artist. 

The  most  distinguished  delineator  of  President  Washington  was 
Gilbert  Stuart  (1755-1828),  who  is  credited  with  124  studies  of  his 
subject  and  who  probably  worked  on  about  1,000  different  canvases. 
A  colleague  of  West's,  and  a  student  of  anatomy  under  Dr.  William 
C.  Cruikshank,  Stuart  never  acquired  the  power  of  handling  large 
canvases  with  the  fluency  and  grace  of  Reynolds  and  Gainsborough  ; 
but  within  the  compass  of  a  single  portrait  he  was  distinctly  success- 
ful. 

Stuart,  who  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  set  up  a  studio  in  Philadel- 
phia late  in  1794,  soon  after  his  return  to  America  from  a  long 
period  of  study  abroad.  His  sojourn  in  this  city  is  memorable  by 
reason  of  the  brilliant  series  of  women's  portraits  he  completed  here, 
and  for  the  three  famous  studies  of  Washington  done  during  the 
latter's  old  age  —  all  executed  either  in  Philadelphia  or  in  nearby 
Germantown.  For  the  first,  a  bust  portrait  identified  as  the  Vaughan 
Type,  Washington  sat  during  the  winter  of  1795.  The  second,  a  life 

245 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

size  standing  portrait  known  as  the  Lansdowne  Type,  was  completed 
in  the  spring  of  1796. 

A  short  time  later,  Stuart  moved  his  studio  to  Germantown,  where 
in  the  autumn  of  1796  Washington  sat  for  the  now  familiar  "Athe- 
naeum Head,"  which  is  unfinished  as  to  the  stock  and  coat,  but  is  a 
highly  idealized  representation  of  the  first  President's  features  dur- 
ing his  declining  years.  Stuart  took  the  painting  with  him  to  Boston 
when  he  moved  there  in  the  summer  of  1805.  He  died  in  Boston  23 
years  later. 

Stuart's  color  is  still  alive  and  fresh.  His  portraits  reveal  a  feeling 
for  form,  as  expressed  in  the  modulation  of  values,  and  a  notable 
capacity  for  character  analysis.  It  is  probable  that  he  will  always 
rank  among  America's  finest  portrait  painters. 

The  era  of  the  new  republic  also  produced  William  Birch,  minia- 
ture painter  and  engraver,  who  is  known  for  the  development  of  a 
red-brown  enamel  which  he  used  as  background  in  his  miniatures  ; 
Bass  Otis,  the  first  American  lithographer,  whose  work  was  prophetic 
of  the  multitude  of  colored  pictures  which  were  to  come  tumbling 
from  the  presses  of  Currier  &  Ives  ;  and  James  Sharpies,  painter  of 
the  French-influenced  pastels  which  hang  in  Independence  Hall.  Some 
time  during  the  years  between  1801  and  1807,  the  city  also  served  as 
host  to  Edward  Green  Malbone,  as  skilled  a  painter  of  miniatures  as 
Stuart  was  of  portraits. 

William  Birch's  son,  Thomas  (1779-1851),  also  achieved  distinction 
as  an  engraver,  producing  jointly  with  his  father  the  much-prized 
Views  of  Philadelphia.  His  most  important  work,  however,  was  done 
in  landscapes  and  marine  subjects. 

Washington  Crossing  the  Delaware,  the  study  of  Lafayette  in  In- 
dependence Hall,  and  a  full-length  portrait  of  Queen  Victoria  which 
the  artist  was  commissioned  to  paint  for  the  Sons  of  St.  George  of 
Philadelphia,  are  among  the  most  important  works  of  Thomas  Sully 
(1783-1872).  Born  in  England,  Sully  came  to  America  at  the  age  of 
nine  and  in  1808  settled  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  remained  for  the 
rest  of  his  life.  His  painting  technique  was  largely  self-taught,  al- 
though he  was  undoubtedly  influenced  by  Stuart  and  Lawrence.  He 
was  a  prolific  portraitist;  and  was  onetime  president  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts,  which  possesses  today  a  number 
of  fine  specimens  of  his  work. 

Among  the  minor  painters  of  post-Revolutionary  Philadelphia 
were  John  Neagle,  whose  series  of  American  theatrical  portraits  now 
line  the  walls  of  the  Players  Club  in  New  York  City  ;  Robert  Fulton, 
known  as  the  designer  of  the  first  successful  steamboat  ;  Benjamin 
Trott,  the  miniature  painter  ;  Samuel  Jennings,  whose  canvas,  The 
Genius  of  America,  hangs  in  the  main  room  of  the  Free  Library  ;  John 
Joseph  Holland,  landscape  and  scene  painter  ;  John  James  Barralett, 

246 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTURE 

engraver,  and  John  Lewis  Krimmel,  whose  work  anticipated  the  Diis- 
seldorf  School.  Adolph  Ulric  Wertmuller,  a  Swedish  painter  who 
settled  in  Philadelphia  in  1794,  is  celebrated  chiefly  for  his  canvas 
Danae,  which  he  was  forbidden  to  exhibit  publicly  because  it  was  a 
nude.  Private  exhibitions  of  the  painting,  however,  netted  the  artist  a 
handsome  income. 

Philadelphia  was  the  birthplace  of  the  pioneer  American  sculptor, 
William  Rush  (1756-1833).  A  wood  carver  by  profession,  Rush 
developed  great  skill  in  designing  figureheads  for  ships.  His  River 
God  for  the  ship  Ganges  is  said  to  have  been  revered  by  the  Hindus 
who  came  in  boatloads  to  see  it.  The  Pennsylvania  Academy,  which 
he  helped  to  establish,  possesses  an  interesting  memento  of  Rush  in 
the  plaster  cast  made  from  the  original  portrait  of  himself  which  he 
carved  in  a  pine  knot. 

Had  time  permitted,  Rush  would  doubtless  have  attempted  marble 
instead  of  confining  his  efforts  to  wood  and  clay.  However,  he  was 
rather  indifferent  to  the  material  used.  Of  more  significance,  he  in- 
sisted, was  the  artist's  ability  to  visualize  the  figure  in  the  block. 
Removal  of  the  surface  he  regarded  as  merely  mechanical  ;  often 
when  time  was  lacking  he  would  hire  a  wood  chopper  and  stand  by 
giving  directions  where  to  cut.  Rush  had  ideas  in  abundance,  a  sense 
of  grace,  and  much  facility. 

Another  early  Philadelphia  marine  painter  was  James  Hamilton. 
Like  his  predecessor,  Thomas  Birch,  Hamilton  also  painted  land- 
scapes that  are  much  prized  today. 

With  the  interest  in  the  mezzotint  stimulated  by  the  work  of  John 
Sartain,  who  became  associated  with  Graham's  Magazine  in  1841, 
the  use  of  illustrations  grew  in  vogue  as  a  distinctive  feature  of 
American  periodicals.  Other  engravers  of  this  early  period  were 
Cephas  Grier  Childs,  Daniel  Claypoole  Johnson  (the  "American 
Cruikshank") ,  James  Barton  Longacre,  and  William  Mason.  Felix 
Darley's  pen  and  ink  sketches  were  in  the  manner  of  the  best  English 
illustrations  of  the  time. 

Painting  in  Philadelphia  continued  to  reflect  Continental  ten- 
dencies. The  assault  on  the  stilted  classicism  of  West  and  David,  which 
led  to  French  Romanticism  and  indirectly  stimulated  the  rise  of  the 
anecdotal  schools  of  Diisseldorf  and  Munich,  deluged  the  United 
States  with  an  avalanche  of  story-telling  pictures  soaked  in  German 
sentimentality.  This  type  of  painting,  exploited  by  a  number  of 
Philadelphia  artists  whose  names  are  now  forgotten,  was  enormously 
popular,  for  it  was  intelligible  even  to  those  who  knew  little  about 
art.  During  this  period,  an  extraordinarily  rapid  increase  in  the 
fortunes  of  persons  of  little  culture  led  to  the  foundation  of  many 
private  collections  by  ambitious  owners  for  whom  the  anecdotal 
picture  held  greatest  appeal. 

247 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Another  Continental  movement,  the  landscape  painting  school  of 
Corot  and  Turner,  helped  shape  one  of  the  first  native  developments 
in  American  art.  Applying  the  style  of  their  European  masters, 
American  landscape  painters  turned  to  the  scenic  loveliness  of 
America  for  their  subject  matter. 

Foremost  among  the  city's  scenic  painters  of  this  period  were  Wil- 
liam Trost  Richards  (1833-1905)  noted  for  his  marine  paintings;  and 
the  Moran  brothers,  Thomas,  Edward,  and  Peter.  A  member  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Academy,  Thomas  Moran  was  the  first  important  artist 
to  paint  scenes  of  what  are  now  our  national  parks,  such  as  the 
Yellowstone. 

Outstanding  for  their  historical  paintings  were  Emmanuel  Leutze, 
a  native  of  Germany,  who  spent  many  years  in  Philadelphia,  and  who 
executed  the  well-known  painting,  Washington  Crossing  the  Dela- 
ware ;  Peter  F.  Rothermel,  painter  of  the  colossal  Battle  of  Gettys- 
burg ;  and  James  R.  Lambdin,  known  for  his  portraits  of  the  Civil 
War  period. 

With  the  renascence  of  Romanticism,  France  became  increasingly 
dominant  in  shaping  the  artistic  ideals  of  Europe,  and,  in  turn,  of 
the  United  States.  Particularly  profound  in  their  influence  on 
American  painters,  because  of  their  preoccupation  with  outdoor 
phenomena,  was  that  group  of  independents  known  as  the  Impres- 
sionists. Their  movement  gave  impetus  to  a  trend  among  American 
artists  which  was  apparent  from  the  second  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century  —  the  great  trek  to  Paris. 

The  realistic  approach  began  with  Courbet,  but  with  increasing  in- 
sistence made  itself  felt  in  art  toward  the  end  of  the  last  century  ;  it 
is  manifested  in  the  straightforward  works  of  Thomas  Eakins  (1844- 
1916) .  Although  he  was  in  the  vanguard  of  the  American  movement 
to  Paris,  where  he  studied  under  Bonn  at  and  Gerome,  Eakins  re- 
turned to  America  to  paint  the  subjects  of  his  native  land  in  a  style 
peculiarly  his  own.  Possibly  because  he  had  grown  up  amid  the 
prevailing  red  brick  row  houses  of  Philadelphia  and  its  tree-shaded 
streets,  in  a  period  when  houses  and  clothes  were  sombre  and  oil  or 
gas  afforded  a  meager  illumination,  Eakins  painted  his  canvasses  in 
colors  that  were  dark  and  warm.  Moreover,  most  of  the  paintings  he 
had  seen  in  his  youth  had  been  in  that  tradition,  and  when  he  went 
abroad  impressionism  had  barely  begun. 

Indeed,  not  only  impressionism  but  most  of  the  leading  tendencies 
of  French  art  passed  him  by  completely  —  the  cult  of  the  exotic  and 
the  Oriental,  the  return  to  the  primitive,  the  increasing  subjectivism, 
the  decorative  bent,  the  trend  toward  abstraction,  the  restless  search 
for  new  forms  and  colors.  Unlike  many  of  his  contemporaries  who 
either  became  expatriates  or  drew  a  veil  of  pretty  sentiment  over 
America's  crudities,  Eakins,  while  revolting  against  its  puritanism, 

248 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTURE 

accepted  his  environment  with  the  same  robust  affirmation  as  did 
Walt  Whitman. 

Eakins'  influence  would  be  difficult  to  trace.  His  work  had  few  ele- 
ments to  make  it  popular  ;  it  called  for  too  fundamental  a  knowledge 
to  attract  imitators.  However,  he  exercised  an  unmistakable  power 
over  his  students  at  the  Pennsylvania  Academy,  from  which  his  ex- 
pulsion, because  of  prudish  objections  to  his  insistence  on  reality  in 
the  life  class,  provoked  a  student  parade  of  protest  on  Chestnut 
Street. 

Eakins'  early  pre-occupation  with  science  —  his  chief  interest  next 
to  painting  —  was  demonstrated  again  and  again  in  his  work.  He 
encouraged  a  study  of  anatomy  before  drawing  the  human  figure,  and 
emphasized  that  space  and  form  relationships  should  be  determined 
by  perspective.  Even  his  color  was  rationalized.  To  learn  the  funda- 
mentals of  the  human  figure,  Eakins  studied  at  Jefferson  Medical 
College,  and  probably  knew  more  about  the  structure  of  the  body 
than  any  other  artist  of  his  time.  His  medical  studies  inspired  the 
sensational  Gross  Clinic  hanging  in  Jefferson  College  ;  also,  the  Agnew 
Clinic  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  which  when  first  exhibited 
aroused  a  storm  of  protest  and  indignation. 

There  is  evidence  that  Eakins'  name  will  also  be  remembered  for 
his  success  with  the  camera.  Like  Eadweard  Muybridge,  he  experi- 
mented with  motion  ;  but  where  Muybridge  studied  movements  from 
different  positions  at  the  same  time,  Eakins  concentrated  on  pro- 
gressive action  seen  from  one  position.  In  1884  he  conducted  experi- 
ments at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  demonstrating  the  muscular 
action  of  horses  and  athletes.  His  viewpoint  was  that  of  the  motion 
picture  ;  and  his  lecture,  using  the  zoetrope,  at  the  academy  in  1885. 
was  possibly  the  first  exhibition  in  the  United  States  of  motion 
pictures  taken  from  a  single  angle. 

Mary  Cassatt  (1845-1926),  among  the  most  distinguished  Americans 
to  follow  the  leadership  of  Degas,  Manet,  Cezanne,  Monet,  Renoir, 
Morisot,  and  Pissarro,  spent  most  of  her  life  in  France.  Born  in  Pitts- 
burgh, the  daughter  of  a  well-to-do  banker,  she  was  taken  to  Paris  at 
the  age  of  five.  Upon  returning  to  the  United  States  five  years  later, 
the  family  settled  in  Philadelphia,  where  Mary  studied  at  the 
Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts.  In  1868  she  went  to  Europe,  where  she 
found  study  more  profitable  in  the  galleries  than  in  the  academies. 
So  captivated  was  she  by  Correggio  that  she  remained  in  Parma  eight 
months.  She  admired  the  discriminating  firmness  of  Holbein,  the  in- 
sistent purity  of  Ingres,  she  copied  Parmigiano  ;  her  own  color  prints 
benefited  by  her  response  to  the  compositional  novelties  of  the  Japan- 
ese wood-block  printers  that  took  Paris  by  storm  in  the  early  seven- 
ties. 

However,  the  work  of  Degas  had  the  greatest  influence  on  her.  His 

249 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

manner  can  be  traced  throughout  all  her  work.  Regarded  primarily 
as  a  painter  of  mother  and  child  subjects,  Mary  Cassatt  was  actually 
an  artist  of  considerable  versatility.  The  color  etchings  which  supple- 
ment her  paintings  testify  to  the  scope  of  her  inventiveness. 

Daniel  Ridgway  Knight,  a  Philadelphia  painter  who  won  inter- 
national distinction  with  his  large  and  typical  French  Salon  picture 
exhibited  at  the  Philadelphia  Centennial  in  1876,  likewise  passed  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  abroad.  The  Philadelphians,  Earl  Stetson 
Crawford  and  Elisha  Kent  Wetherill,  whose  work  shows  a  decided 
Whistler  influence,  were  also  Paris-trained. 

Like  other  artists  of  the  period,  the  Negro  painter,  Henry  Ossawa 
Tanner  (1859-1937)  spent  much  of  his  life  in  Europe.  Coming  to 
Philadelphia  from  Pittsburgh  in  1870,  he  later  studied  under  Thomas 
Eakins  at  the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts.  His  Biblical  paintings  at- 
tracted attention  immediately,  and  the  late  John  Wanamaker  pur- 
chased several,  one  of  which,  Christ  Learning  to  Read.,  hangs  in  the 
Philadelphia  store.  Two  of  his  paintings  were  purchased  by  the 
French  Government  and  hung  in  the  world-famed  Luxembourg  Gal- 
leries in  Paris.  Others  of  his  works  hang  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum 
in  New  York  (Destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah) ;  Memorial  Hall 
in  Fairmount  Park  (The  Madonna  Annunciation)  ;  the  Carnegie 
Institute  ;  the  Wilstach  collection  ;  the  Chicago  Art  Institute  ;  the 
Los  Angeles  Art  Gallery  ;  and  many  other  places.  About  1899  Tanner 
left  Philadelphia  for  Paris  where  he  accomplished  much  of  the  work 
which  achieved  for  him  universal  fame  as  a  painter  of  Biblical  scenes. 

Cecilia  Beaux,  one  of  the  academy's  most  successful  students, 
painted  chiefly  in  France.  Characterized  by  forthright  brushwork  and 
feeling  for  audacious  design,  her  canvases  suggest  a  kinship  with 
Sargent's.  Her  work  has  a  masculine  power  and  vigor,  without  any 
suggestion  of  stylistic  imitation  or  technical  affectation. 

The  sculptors  for  whom  nineteenth  century  Philadelphia  is  note- 
worthy similarly  made  their  pilgrimage  to  Paris.  Howard  Roberts, 
whose  first  important  work,  La  Premiere  Pose,  was  shown  at  the 
Centennial  Exhibition,  pioneered  in  promoting  the  ideals  of  the 
modern  French  school  in  this  country.  The  American  Indian  was  first 
utilized  as  a  sculptural  subject  by  John  J.  Boyle,  a  native  of  New 
York,  who  is  represented  by  The  Stone  Age  in  Fairmount  Park  ;  he 
also  modeled  the  heroic-size  statue  of  Franklin  which  stands  along- 
side the  old  post-office  building  on  Chestnut  Street  near  Ninth.  Joseph 
A.  Bailly,  a  native  of  Paris  who  opened  a  violin  studio  in  Philadel- 
phia at  the  age  of  25,  is  known  for  his  figure  of  Washington  and  for 
other  works. 

Alexander  Milne  Calder  is  best  known  for  his  gigantic  bronze  of 
William  Penn  atop  City  Hall.  His  son,  Alexander  Stirling  Calder, 
has  executed  some  of  the  Parkway's  most  important  sculpture.  A 

250 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTURE 

statue  of  Dr.  Samuel  Gross,  now  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  the  six 
heroic  figures  adorning  the  Witherspoon  Building  at  Juniper  and 
Walnut  Streets  are  among  his  outstanding  studies. 

Edmund  Austin  Stewardson  was  a  sculptor  of  great  promise  whose 
career  was  terminated  by  his  death  at  32.  He  lived  to  complete  only 
one  work,  The  Bather,  but  this  is  accounted  a  fine  specimen  of  Ameri- 
can art.  The  highly  acclaimed  Fountain  of  Man  was  produced  by  the 
academy's  long-time  teacher,  Charles  Grafly,  also  esteemed  for  his 
portrait  busts  and  bronze  groups.  The  Meade  Memorial  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  The  Symbol  of  Life,  Pioneer  Mother,  and  In  Much  Wisdom 
are  among  his  most  important  works. 

The  turn  of  the  century  ushered  into  prominence  such  artists  as 
Edwin  Austin  Abbey,  Violet  Oakley,  Maxfield  Parrish,  Joseph  Pen- 
nell,  Howard  Pyle  and  George  Walter  Dawson. 

Abbey,  who  spejit  the  last  years  of  his  life  doing  murals  for  the 
State  Capitol  at  Harrisburg,  attracted  international  attention  in  1882 
through  his  illustrations  for  Goldsmith's  She  Stoops  to  Conquer. 
Violet  Oakley,  who  began  her  professional  career  with  illustrations 
for  books  and  magazines,  is  noted  for  her  murals  and  for  her  por- 
traits and  designs  for  stained  glass.  Maxfield  Parrish,  whose  work  is 
a  familiar  decoration  in  countless  homes,  is  noted  for  his  delicacy  of 
line  combined  with  individuality  of  color  effects.  Pennell  and  Pyle 
were  writers  as  well  as  illustrators.  The  former  achieved  distinction 
as  etcher  and  lithographer,  the  latter  for  his  drawings  of  American 
Colonial  life.  Dawson  has  attracted  much  attention  by  his  landscape 
and  botanical  water  colors. 

With  the  onset  of  the  movements  ushered  in  by  the  New  York 
Armory  show  of  independent  artists  in  1913,  several  factors  combined 
to  decrease  Philadelphia's  importance  as  an  art  center.  The  academy, 
which  had  driven  out  Eakins  and  which  had  earlier  set  aside  sepa- 
rate visiting  days  for  ladies  when  the  nude  statues  on  view  were 
swathed  from  head  to  foot  in  all-concealing  draperies,  refused  to 
recognize  post-impressionism  except  in  pained  surprise.  The  insti- 
tution accordingly  came  to  be  looked  upon  with  more  and  more 
impatience. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  work  which  this  institution,  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  has  accomplished  is  by  no  means  to  be 
underestimated.  Not  only  has  it  performed  well  its  task  of  teaching 
art  students  the  technical  essentials  of  their  craft  —  those  things 
which  can  be  taught  ;  but  it  has  also  furthered  artistic  endeavor  by 
giving  European  scholarships,  and  is,  moreover,  the  home  of  a  num- 
ber of  valuable  painting  and  print  collections,  such  as  the  Henry  C. 
Gibson  and  Edward  H.  Coates  collections. 

For  more  than  40  years  Hugh  Breckenridge  (1870-1937)  exerted 
tremendous  influence  upon  the  pupils  who  studied  under  him  at  this 

251 


Rodin's  "The  Kiss" 
'The  warm  breath  of  life  in  cold  marble' 


252 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTURE 

institution.  Some  of  the  most  widely  recognized  artists  of  modern 
American  art  studied  under  this  instructor,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
American  artists  to  introduce  the  methods  of  the  modern  French 
school.  Included  in  the  list  of  artists  who  have  been  trained  at  the 
academy  are  such  reputable  figures  as  Robert  Henri,  George  Luks, 
John  Sloan,  and  Edward  W.  Redfield.  Redfield's  landscapes  and  snow 
scenes  are  found  in  important  collections  throughout  the  country. 

However,  with  the  rise  of  New  York  City  as  an  art  market,  the 
more  enterprising  inhabitants  of  Philadelphia's  Bohemia  deserted 
Camac  Street  and  moved  on  to  Greenwich  Village.  Other  painters  for- 
sook Philadelphia  to  develop  the  landscape  possibilities  of  New 
Hope,  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Arden,  Delaware. 

A  number  of  Philadelphia  painters  and  sculptors,  however,  have 
continued  to  work  in  an  older  tradition,  and  have  found  the  placid 
cultural  atmosphere  of  the  city  congenial.  Daniel  Garber  teaches  at 
the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts,  and  paints  decorative  canvases  of  the 
scenes  around  New  Hope  ;  largely  American  trained,  he  owes  much, 
however,  to  the  French  Impressionists.  Albert  Rosenthal,  painter  and 
etcher,  who  studied  under  his  father  Max  Rosenthal,  noted  litho- 
grapher, has  made  copies  of  historic  portraits  for  the  city's  collection 
in  Independence  Hall  and  for  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 

Some  of  the  country's  most  distinguished  men  have  sat  for  por- 
traits by  Lazar  Raditz,  Robert  Susan,  and  Cesare  Ricciardi,  whose 
work  is  well  represented  at  the  Graphic  Sketch  Club.  Robert  W. 
Vonnoh,  Birge  Harrison,  his  brother  Thomas  Alexander  Harrison, 
W.  Elmer  Schofield,  Maurice  Molarsky,  and  the  late  Adolphe  Borie 
are  others  whose  works  are  included  in  important  collections.  Birge 
Harrison  and  Schofield  in  particular  have  won  considerable  reputa- 
tion as  landscapists.  Like  Redfield,  both  have  exhibited  widely,  and 
are  holders  of  numerous  distinguished  prize  awards. 

Philadelphia's  sculptors,  generally,  have  carried  on  well.  The 
modern  athlete  not  unnaturally  has  inspired  much  of  the  work  of 
Dr.  R.  Tail  McKenzie,  who  in  addition  to  being  a  sculptor  is  re- 
search professor  of  physical  education  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Two  of  his  compositions  are  on  the  University  campus  :  a 
heroic  statue  of  the  youthful  Franklin,  and  a  figure,  likewise  heroic 
in  size,  of  Rev.  George  Whitefield.  Among  his  other  works  are  the 
Dr.  White  Memorial,  in  Rittenhouse  Square,  which  has  been  praised 
for  the  strength  and  originality  of  its  composition  ;  and  the  Alma 
Mater  figure  at  Girard  College. 

Albert  Laessle  and  Samuel  Murray  have  also  distinguished  them- 
selves in  sculpture.  Laessle,  who  teaches  at  the  Academy  of  the  Fine 
Arts,  executed  the  Pennypacker  Memorial.  His  Billy  in  Rittenhouse 
Square  and  his  Penguins  in  Fairmount  Park  are  examples  of  his 
humor  and  skill  in  the  treatment  of  animal  subjects. 

253 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Murray  is  represented  by  statues  of  Commodore  Barry  and  Joseph 
Leidy  on  the  Parkway.  The  Prophets,  over  the  entrance  to  the  With- 
erspoon  Building,  is  another  of  his  creations. 

In  connection  with  sculpture,  the  presence  in  the  city  of  the  Rodin 
Museum  is  evidence  of  Philadelphia's  artistic  consciousness  and  taste. 
It  is  one  of  the  few  great  Rodin  Museums  in  the  world,  the  original 
being  in  Paris.  On  the  Parkway  and  in  Fairmount  Park  are  such 
works  as  the  equestrian  statue  of  Washington  by  Rudolph  Siemering, 
Fremiet's  Jeanne  cFArc,  Frederic  Remington's  Cowboy,  The  Pilgrim 
by  Augustus  Saint-Gaudens,  Duck  Girl  by  Paul  Manship,  and  sculp- 
tures by  Daniel  Chester  French,  Einar  Jonsson,  Charles  Grafly,  Bea- 
trice Fenton,  and  others.  In  addition,  there  are  the  Paul  Bartlett 
statues  of  Robert  Morris  and  McClellan;  Karl  Bitter's  statue  of  Dr. 
William  Pepper;  and,  in  Rittenhouse  Square,  a  copy  of  what  is  pos- 
sibly Barye's  best  work,  The  Lion  and  the  Serpent. 

New  tendencies  and  interests  current  in  American  art  are  reflected 
locally  in  Julius  Bloch's  proletarian  themes,  Benton  Spruance's  scenes 
of  the  city,  Earl  Horter's  etchings,  Franklin  C.  Watkins'  striking 
canvases,  and  the  sculptures  of  Boris  Blai  and  Wallace  Kelly. 

Outstanding  artists  in  their  respective  fields  are  Nicola  D'Ascenzo, 
noted  for  his  stained  glass  work  and  murals,  and  Samuel  Yellin, 
master  metal  craftsman.  Yellin  received  the  Bok  Award  in  1925  for 
his  distinguished  work  in  decorative  iron. 

Straws  in  the  wind  seem  to  indicate  that  a  more  vigorous  art  atmos- 
phere is  emerging  in  Philadelphia.  A  small  but  flourishing  group  of 
art  clubs  is  fostering  local  talent  by  affording  to  members  facilities 
for  exhibition.  Opportunity  is  .being  given  students  to  observe  the 
fresh  currents  in  contemporary  art  through  exhibits  staged  by  several 
enterprising  modern  galleries. 

It  is  significant  that  Philadelphia's  great  museum  on  the  Parkway 
is  supplementing  its  rich  historical  treasures,  such  as  the  Elkins  and 
the  John  G.  Johnson  collections,  with  frequently  varied  shows  which 
present  a  cross  section  of  the  latest  modes  in  painting  and  sculpture. 
The  Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art,  as  this  institution  is  now  known, 
was  founded  in  1876.  It  has  a  total  collection  of  nearly  60,000  paint- 
ings, sculptures  and  art  objects.  Operated  in  connection  with  the 
museum  is  the  School  of  Industrial  Art,  occupying  a  spacious  location 
at  Broad  and  Pine  Streets.  And  at  Merion,  just  outside  of  Philadel- 
phia, is  the  Albert  Barnes  private  collection  of  modern  paintings,  the 
finest  in  the  country,  in  connection  with  which  courses  of  art  in- 
struction are  regularly  given. 

Memorial  Hall  in  Fairmount  Park  houses  the  extensive  Wilstach 
collection  of  paintings,  which  contains  fine  specimens  of  the  various 
schools  and  periods.  Independence  Hall,  the  Historical  Society  of 

254 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTURE 

Pennsylvania,  and  the  Union  League  contain  valuable  collections  of 
portraits  by  early  American  masters. 

In  the  field  of  art  instruction  Philadelphia  has  the  long-established 
school  of  the  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts  ;  the  Moore 
Institute  of  Art,  Science,  and  Industry  ;  the  School  of  Fine  Arts  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania;  and  the  Stella  Elkins  Tyler  School  of 
Fine  Arts  at  Temple  University.  The  Graphic  Sketch  Club's  evening 
classes,  under  the  patronage  of  Samuel  Fleisher,  provide  free  compe- 
tent training  in  art  for  those  who  are  employed  during  the  day,  and 
afford  an  outlet  for  the  creative  energy  of  numerous  others  to  whom 
art  is  only  an  avocation.  The  interesting  recent  development,  the 
Cultural  Olympics,  organized  for  school  children  in  Philadelphia  and 
suburbs,  seeks  to  center  upon  the  arts  something  of  the  enthusiasm 
that  is  bestowed  upon  athletics. 

Artists  who  find  difficulty  in  disposing  of  their  works  may  now  have 
recourse  to  the  annual  spring  "Clothes  Line  Show"  in  Rittenhouse 
Square,  where  paintings,  drawings,  etchings,  and  water  colors  are 
strung  between  the  trees,  while  attending  painters  in  their  bright- 
hued  smocks  provide  a  touch  of  Parisian  atmosphere.  This  unusual 
exhibit,  held  in  May,  is  attended  by  many  visitors,  the  prices  paid  for 
pictures  ranging  from  $1  to  $15. 

Perhaps  the  most  vital  recent  agency  in  developing  popular  es- 
thetic appreciation  has  been  the  WPA  Federal  Art  Project  in  Phila- 
delphia. In  utilizing  the  ability  of  unemployed  painters  and  sculptors 
to  produce  mural  and  easel  paintings  for  schools,  recreation  centers, 
and  other  public  buildings,  the  WPA  has  provided  sustenance,  pre- 
served morale,  and  conserved  valuable  skill.  Hardly  less  significant, 
it  has  also  encouraged  a  lively  curiosity  concerning  the  fine  arts  among 
thousand  to  whom  this  field  has  hitherto  meant  little  or  nothing. 


Mosaic  in  lobby  of  Curtis  Publishing  Company  Building 
"The   Dream   Garden"— after   Maxfield  Parrish 


255 


ARCHITECTURE 


FOUR  towers  tell  the  story  of  Philadelphia.  As  architecturally 
different  from  one  another  as  the  ages  which  fashioned  them, 
they  and  their  contemporary  structures  indicate  the  local  physical 
conditions,  the  economic  and  cultural  progress  of  their  time,  and  the 
changes  in  the  art  and  science  of  building  design.  The  first  tower, 
that  of  the  State  House  or  Independence  Hall,  almost  an  exact  restora- 
tion of  the  original  tower  which  was  built  in  1750,  is  of  brick 
with  a  wooden  belfry.  Fashioned  after  the  Georgian  style  of 
England  but  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  early  Colony,  it  reflects  the 
city's  early  growth  and  its  part  in  the  struggle  for  independence.  The 
tower  of  the  old  Merchants'  or  Stock  Exchange  Building,  completed 
in  1834,  a  stone  lantern  in  the  style  of  a  Greek  temple,  tells  of  the 
days  of  the  new  Republic.  The  third  tower,  that  of  City  Hall,  1894, 
of  massive  masonry,  solid  and  tall,  portrays  the  city's  growth  to  a 
metropolis  of  world  importance.  The  Philadelphia  Saving  Fund 
Society  building,  completed  in  1932,  is  a  tower  of  steel,  concrete, 
chromium  and  glass  —  modern  materials  for  a  modern  age.  It  tells 
of  today — an  age  of  search,  of  challenge,  of  the  testing  of  new  ideas. 
Independence  Hall  was  erected  embodying  architectural  features 
contributed  by  Andrew  Hamilton,  a  famous  lawyer  and  holder  of 
various  offices  in  the  Province.  Dominated  by  its  handsome  bell 
tower,  a  masterpiece  of  Colonial  architecture  and  craftsmanship,  it 
is  a  symbol  of  early  Philadelphia.  Unlike  the  situation  in  other  early 
American  Colonies,  the  settlers  of  Philadelphia  did  not  experience  a 
great  struggle  against  hardships.  Relations  with  the  Indians  were 
amicable,  and  commerce  flourished.  True,  some  of  the  colonists  spent 
the  first  winter  in  caves  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware  River,  but  as 
clay  was  locally  abundant  and  brick  had  been  favored  for  city 
residences  in  the  homeland,  houses  were  built  of  brick  almost  from 
the  beginning.  It  is  to  this  material  that  Independence  Hall  owes 
much  of  its  charm. 

From  the  earliest  days,  men  of  means,  including  many  personal 
friends  of  William  Penn,  as  well  as  skilled  workers  and  craftsmen, 
came  here  to  live.  Capital  of  one  of  the  last  of  the  major  Colonies 
to  be  settled,  Philadelphia  grew  rapidly,  soon  taking  its  place  as  a 
leading  city  of  the  New  World,  both  in  wealth  and  culture.  This  late 
start  is  amply  expressed  in  its  architecture.  Whereas  the  buildings 

256 


ARCHITECTURE 

of  the  older  Colonies  reflected  an  early  English  Renaissance  style  — 
some  of  it  going  back  to  the  Tudor  period  —  the  State  House  tower 
and  most  of  Philadelphia's  building  designs  were  inspired  by  the  later 
Georgian  style. 

However,  early  Philadelphia  felt  architectural  influences  other  than 
the  English  Georgian.  There  still  remain  a  few  structures  having  their 
roots  in  the  early  Swedish  settlement  of  the  mid-seventeenth  century. 
These,  the  relics  of  a  colony  settled  in  lower  Philadelphia  before  the 
coming  of  William  Penn,  are  Bellaire,  or  the  Singley  house;  the  Can- 
nonball,  or  Bleakly  house;  and  the  Schetzline,  or  Swedish  Glebe 
house.  Old  Swedes'  Church,  or  Gloria  Dei,  built  about  1700  on  Swan- 
son  Street  south  of  Christian  Street,  has  only  a  slight  Swedish  flavor, 
evident  in  the  rake  of  its  eaves  and  the  simplicity  of  its  tower.  The 
chief  contribution  of  the  Swedes  to  Philadelphia's  architecture  was 
log  construction.  It  was  natural  that  they  should  build  of  logs,  as 
their  native  country  used  this  type  of  construction  extensively,  where- 
as England,  with  limited  forests,  used  wood  sparingly.  The  Dutch 
supremacy  on  the  lower  Delaware,  which  superseded  that  of  the 
Swedes,  was  but  short-lived,  and  today  there  is  no  remaining^  archi- 
tectural evidence  of  their  influence,  unless  we  accept  the  Dutch  stoep 
and  double  door. 

Just  as  the  influence  of  the  Swedes  upon  the  life  of  the  colony  was 
overshadowed  by  that  of  the  English,  so  were  Swedish  architectural 
influences  soon  eclipsed  by  the  Georgian.  While  the  State  House 
tower  is  indicative  of  the  important  part  England  played  in  the  shap- 
ing of  the  early  colony,  the  Georgian  style  of  architecture  was  adapted 
to  suit  local  conditions.  Its  design,  however,  is  rooted  in  the  Italian 
Renaissance  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  the  superb  Pal- 
ladian  window  in  the  tower  being  traceable  to  the  Renaissance  build- 
ings of  Palladio  in  Vicenza.  The  Renaissance  style,  spreading  over 
Europe  like  a  slow  wave,  reached  England  about  two  centuries  later, 
where  its  highest  development  was  called  Georgian.  England  altered 
the  Italian  Renaissance  style  to  suit  its  needs,  and  it  is  the  Georgian 
style  modified  in  the  Thirteen  Colonies  which  popularly  is  called 
Colonial  architecture.  Stone,  much  in  favor  in  England,  was  here 
generally  supplanted  by  brick,  with  white-painted  wood,  soapstone, 
and  marble  for  decorative  trim,  especially  for  buildings  within  the 
city. 

Colonials  who  gazed  upon  Philadelphia  from  the  belfry  of  the 
State  House  beheld  a  neat,  compact,  and  orderly  scene.  The  city, 
stretching  north  and  south  along  the  Delaware  and  westward  for 
about  a  mile,  presented  a  pattern  of  red  brick  pierced  by  the  white 
spires  and  cupolas  of  Christ  Church,  Old  Swedes'  Church,  St.  Peter's 
Church,  and  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital. 

Nearby  a  diagonal  highway  extended  toward  Germantown.  Here 

257 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Francis  Daniel  Pastorius  and  his  German  colonists  had  built  their 
homes,  structures  which  retain  Germanic  traits  such  as  the  German- 
town  hood  or  pent  roof,  which  extended  from  the  face  of  the  dwell- 
ing to  protect  the  first  story  from  sun  and  rain. 

Along  the  streets  of  Philadelphia,  surrounded  by  gardens  and  fine 
shade  trees,  were  neat  shops  and  dwellings,  of  red  brick  with  white 
trim,  often  of  wood  painted  white.  The  street  pattern  designed  by 
William  Penn  consisted  of  large  rectangular  blocks  cut  through  by 
alleys.  Only  a  small  section  of  the  Penn  plan  had  been  developed. 
The  heart  of  the  "towne"  extended  from  the  busy  port  on  the  Dela- 
ware but  a  short  distance  along  High  Street,  now  called  Market  Street. 
Here  stood  Philadelphia's  quaint  first  buildings,  mostly  of  brick,  but 
occasionally  frame,  stone  or  log  construction. 

At  Second  Street,  in  the  center  of  High  stood  the  Town  Hall,  of 
brick  and  wood,  with  small  dormer  windows  in  the  steep  roof.  Just 
in  front  was  a  small  prison.  Behind  were  the  market  stalls.  In 
those  early  days  when  William  Penn,  James  Logan,  Edward  Shippen 
and,  soon  after,  young  Benjamin  Franklin,  frequented  the  neighbor- 
hood, there  stood  here  all  the  important  buildings.  Besides  the  Town 
Hall,  there  were  the  old  London  Coffee  House,  at  Front  and  Market 
Streets;  the  Masters'  Mansion,  built  in  1704,  also  at  Front  and  Market 
Streets;  the  Friends'  Meeting  House,  at  Second  and  Market  Streets; 
and  the  Royal  Standard  Tavern  close  by.  Such  was  the  picture  of 
Philadelphia  as  a  new  merchant  town. 

The  State  House  was  started  in  1731  and  first  occupied  in  October 
1735.  Its  fine  tower  was  built  in  1750  ;  the  bell,  how  known  as  the 
Liberty  Bell,  hung  in  1753  ;  and  the  upper  part  rebuilt  by  William 
Strickland  in  1828.  Built  of  bricks  of  clay  from  the  nearby  riverbanks, 
wood  from  Penn's  forests,  and  marble  from  nearby  quarries,  the 
structure  portrays  the  spirit  of  the  days  during  which  the  idea  of 
independence  was  growing.  The  State  House  has  changed  only  in 
name.  Today,  Independence  Hall  and  its  tower  still  reflect  the  dignity, 
wealth,  and  cultural  life  of  the  early  community. 

Several  local  factors  influenced  Philadelphia's  early  building.  The 
abundance  of  forests  and  the  arrival  of  competent  carpenters  with 
the  first  group  of  settlers  made  for  elegant  wood  craftsmanship  with 
its  fine  detail.  The  severity  of  Quakerism,  with  its  abhorrence  of  friv- 
olous embellishments,  was  an  influence  for  simplicity  and  vigor. 
Even  the  homes  of  the  well-to-do  showed  a  fine  sense  of  fitness  and 
restraint.  As  the  American  historians  Charles  and  Mary  Beard  point 
out: 

There  were  riches  in  Colonial  America,  but  few  fortunes  were  great 
enough  to  allow  that  lavish  display  which  separates  the  arts  from 
the  business  of  working  and  living.  For  such  reasons  as  these  the 
noblest  examples  of  Colonial  architecture  revealed  the  power  of  re- 

258 


ARCHITECTURE! 

straint  and  simple  beauty,  commanding  the  admiration  of  succeed- 
ing generations  and  attracting  servile  copyists  long  after  the  con- 
ditions which  nourished  the  models  had  passed  away  forever. 

The  towers  of  the  Colonial  public  buildings  and  churches,  such 
as  Independence  Hall  and  Christ  Church  (built  between  1727-47  ;  Dr. 
John  Kearsley,  architect),  are  successful  adaptations  in  brick  and 
wood  of  their  predecessors  —  the  stone  towers  of  Sir  Christopher 
Wren,  James  Gibbs  and  Nicholas  Hawksmoore  in  England.  The  more 
severe  economic  conditions  in  the  Colonies  made  advisable  a  reduced 
scale  in  their  buildings  and  a  strengthening  of  the  horizontal  lines. 
The  broad  lines  of  the  Morris  house,  at  225  South  Eighth  Street, 
erected  in  1786  by  John  Reynolds,  and  the  north  facade  of  the  State 
House  are  outstanding  examples. 

Modern  Philadelphia  contains  fine  examples  of  Georgian  Colonial 
architecture  other  than  those  in  the  shadow  of  the  Independence 
Hall  tower.  Germantown,  Frankford,  and  Kingsessing,  originally  sepa- 
rate towns,  are  sections  of  present-day  Philadelphia,  where  fine  early 
domestic  architecture  may  be  seen.  The  Stenton  and  Chew  houses  are 
notable  examples.  Following  the  English  custom  of  wealthy  men  hav- 
ing country  homes,  Philadelphia's  men  of  means  built  mansions  along 
the  beautiful  Schuylkill  River.  Of  these,  Mount  Pleasant,  Lemon  Hill, 
Woodford,  Woodlands,  Solitude,  and  others  are  still  standing.  The 
houses  were  erected  as  completed  structures,  and  the  resultant  shape 
was  simple  and  rather  boxlike.  Even  the  poorer  country  homes  in 
and  near  Philadelphia  were  built  in  this  form.  Indeed,  when  an 
owner  prospered  and  made  additions  to  his  house,  each  unit  retained 
the  boxlike  pattern,  and  the  final  result  was  a  succession  of  increas- 
ingly larger  but  similar  sections.  The  Livezey  house  in  upper  Wissa- 
hickon  Valley  is  an  excellent  illustration. 

Mount  Pleasant,  one  of  the  most  pretentious  country  homes  of  the 
period,  was  begun  in  1761  by  John  MacPherson,  a  sea  captain  from 
Scotland,  who  amassed  a  fortune  in  the  practice  of  privateering. 
He  lived  in  manorial  splendor,  entertaining  the  most  eminent  per- 
sonages of  the  day  with  munificent  hospitality.  The  central  feature 
of  a  group  of  surrounding,  dependent  buildings,  Mount  Pleasant  is 
situated  in  Fairmount  Park,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Schuylkill 
River,  a  slight  distance  north  of  the  Girard  Avenue  Bridge.  The 
exterior  of  this  two-and-a-half-story  Georgian  mansion  is  of  massive 
rubblestone  masonry  covered  with  reddish  buff  rough-cast  plaster, 
above  a  high  foundation  of  hewn  stone.  The  principal  feature  of  the 
river  facade  is  a  slightly  projecting  central  portion  with  quoined  cor- 
ners, corniced  pediment  above  the  Palladian  window  of  the  second 
story,  and  a  superb  pedimented  doorway  in  harmony  with  the  pedi- 
mented  motive  above.  The  interior  wood  finish  is  very  fine  ;  grace- 
fully tooled  cornices,  and  pilasters,  and  heavy  pedimented  door- 

259 


Four  Architectural  Milestones  of 
Philadelphia's  Progress 


Old  Stock  Exchange 


Independence  Hall 


Vivid    Living   Symbols    of    the 

Changing     Eras     Which     Gave 

Them  Being 


City  Hall 


m 


Philadelphia    Saving    Fund 
Society  Building 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

heads  are  of  excellent  design.  Two  small  outbuildings,  and  two  barns 
complete  the  group,  making  the  house  the  central  feature  of  a  pic- 
turesque group  of  buildings  possessing  the  manorial  effect  of  the  old 
Virginia  mansions  along  the  James  River. 

Pennsylvania,  so  named  because  of  its  abundance  of  forests,  con- 
taining principally  pine,  oak,  hickory,  and  chestnut  trees,  built  its 
rural  structures  of  stone  and  brick,  whereas  New  England,  having 
large  areas  strewn  with  stone  left  behind  by  the  great  glaciers,  built 
almost  exclusively  of  white  pine.  The  reasons  for  these  apparently 
inconsistent  courses  were  twofold.  The  glacial  deposits  of  the  north 
were  mostly  a  granitelike  stone  too  difficult  to  be  handled  easily. 
Furthermore,  lime  for  cement  was  very  scarce  in  the  New  England 
Colonies.  White  pine  was  not  only  plentiful,  but  it  weathered  well 
and  was  readily  adaptable  to  building  purposes. 

In  Pennsylvania,  particularly  near  Philadelphia,  there  was,  and  still 
is,  an  abundance  of  excellent  field  stone  —  a  gneiss-mica  schist,  usual- 
ly very  durable.  This  stone  weathers  well,  is  easy  to  cut,  and  although 
predominantly  gray,  has  a  variety  of  hues.  It  is  quarried  along  a  line 
running,  roughly,  northeast  from  Media  to  Trenton.  The  Philadelphia 
area  is  plentifully  supplied  with  lime.  There  was  also  a  local  supply 
of  fairly  good  light  gray  marble  which  was  used  for  trim.  Besides  the 
abundance  of  lime  and  building  stone,  the  stone  tradition  for  the 
better-class  English  home  was  strong  with  the  early  colonists. 

If  the  quaint  old  houses  of  Elfreth's  Alley  —  the  eastern  end  of 
Cherry  Street  —  may  serve  as  a  criterion,  the  workers'  dwellings, 
while  smaller  and  less  pretentious,  were  very  much  like  the  city 
homes  of  the  well-to-do.  For  both  rich  and  poor,  fireplaces  served 
as  the  only  means  of  providing  heat;  outside  pumps  supplied  water. 
In  these  modest  dwellings,  but  two  rooms  deep,  every  room  received 
ample  daylight  and  ventilation  —  an  advantage  to  which  modern 
housing  projects  are  now  returning.  It  was  well  into  the  nineteenth 
century  before  speculative  builders  began  their  rows  of  long  narrow 
houses  whose  gloomy  inner  rooms  were  poorly  served  by  narrow 
courts  or  skylights. 

A  discussion  of  Colonial  architecture  must  include  mention  of  the 
Carpenters'  Company  and  historic  Carpenters'  Hall,  its  headquarters. 
Begun  20  years  after  the  State  House  tower,  but  not  completed  until 
1792,  its  design  is  somewhat  more  sophisticated.  It  was  in  1724,  how- 
ever, less  than  a  half  century  after  the  coming  of  William  Penn,  that 
the  master  carpenters  of  Philadelphia  formed  the  Carpenters'  Com- 
pany, a  guild  or  society  somewhat  like  the  Worshipful  Company  of 
Carpenters  in  London.  The  Philadelphia  company,  extant  today,  is 
important  for  the  influence  it  exerted  upon  fine  architecture  and 
workmanship  —  not  in  Philadelphia  alone  but  throughout  the  Colo- 

262 


ARCHITECTURE 

nies.  James  Porteus,  an  early  member,  established  the  nucleus  for 
a  valuable  builders'  library.  Professional  architects  did  not  exist  in 
Philadelphia  in  those  days;  gentlemen  architects  —  men  whose  cul- 
tural attainments  included  some  knowledge  of  architecture  —  collab- 
orated with  the  master  builders  in  designing  their  structures. 

Robert  Smith  (1722-1777),  Philadelphia's  foremost  builder-archi- 
tect of  Colonial  times,  was  born  in  Scotland  and  came  to  this  city 
at  an  early  age.  His  first  recorded  projects  were  Nassau  Hall  and  the 
president's  house  at  Princeton  University.  In  Philadelphia,  his  St. 
Peter's  Church,  completed  in  1761,  still  stands  little  changed 
except  for  the  addition  of  the  spire.  It  is  noted  for  its  fenestra- 
tion  and  the  beauty  of  its  interior  appointments.  Smith  submitted 
designs  for  Carpenters'  Hall  and  later  headed  its  building  committee. 
About  1771  he  made  extensive  repairs  on  the  spire  of  old  Christ 
Church.  Old  Pine  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  now  virtually  rebuilt, 
and  Old  Zion  Lutheran  Church  were  designed  by  him,  as  was  the 
Walnut  Street  Prison.  (The  original  Zion  Lutheran  Church  and  Wal- 
nut Street  Prison  are  no  longer  standing.) 

The  Colonial  Georgian  style  continued  for  a  period  after  the  Revo- 
lution, when  the  forces  that  engendered  this  style  had  ceased  to 
exert  their  influence.  Many  fine  dwellings,  such  as  the  Sellers-Hoff- 
man house  in  West  Philadelphia;  the  Upsala,  Loudoun,  and  Wister 
houses  in  Germantown  ;  and  the  Morris  and  Wharton  houses  in 
central  Philadelphia  were  built  soon  after  the  Revolutionary  War, 
evidencing  the  prosperity  of  that  period. 

Another  example  of  post-Revolutionary  Georgian  architecture  is 
the  group  of  buildings  at  Fort  Mifflin,  projected  by  the  British  shortly 
before  the  Revolution.  These  buildings  rank  with  Independence  Hall 
and  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  in  interest  and  charm  of  grouping. 
The  fort,  at  the  southwestern  extremity  of  Philadelphia,  just  above 
Hog  Island,  was  laid  out  in  1771  by  Capt.  John  Montressor,  an  en- 
gineer. Work  was  finally  started  in  1773  but  proceeded  slowly.  Un- 
finished at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  it  was  hastily 
completed  in  1777  by  the  Committee  of  Safety.  In  1793  Maj.  Pierre 
Charles  L'Enfant,  who  later  laid  out  the  city  of  Washington,  planned 
the  fine  buildings  within  its  moat  and  walls  and  the  repairs  on  the  fort. 
Progress  was  slow,  but  in  1798  the  fortifications  were  finally  rebuilt 
in  stone  under  the  direction  of  the  French  military  engineer,  Col. 
Louis  de  Toussard,  along  the  plans  prepared  by  L'Enfant.  In  1904 
the  fort  was  dismantled  and  allowed  to  fall  into  decay,  but  in  1915  it 
was  declared  a  national  monument,  and  finally,  in  1930,  it  was  re- 
stored according  to  the  original  plans  of  L'Enfant. 

During  the  early  nineteenth  century  the  Georgian  Colonial  style 
gradually  declined.  But  even  while  the  cannon  of  the  Revolution  were 
resounding  around  Philadelphia,  the  seeds  of  a  new  architectural 

263 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

style  were  being  sown.  The  new  nation,  strongly  in  sympathy  with 
the  Greek  War  for  Independence,  1821-29,  developed  a  strong  in- 
terest in  the  civilization  of  ancient  Greece.  Many  towns  were  given 
Greek  names,  and  Greek  structures  sprang  up  all  over  the  country. 
As'  Howard  Major,  in  The  Domestic  Architecture  of  the  Early 
American  Republic;  The  Greek  Revival,  says: 

After  the  separation  from  England,  America  naturally  turned  more 
to  the  Continent  than  heretofore  and  particularly  to  the  ancient  re- 
publics of  Greece  and  Rome  for  inspiration  in  architecture  as  in 
government,  and  so  became  the  inheritor  of  their  free  institutions  and 
traditions  and  more  eagerly  assimilated  the  results  of  archaeological 
research. 

The  so-called  Greek  Revival  was  a  spontaneous  return  to  Classic 
influence  throughout  the  Western  World.  The  subsequent  widespread 
interest  in  classicism  had  its  greatest  influence  in  America.  Thomas 
Jefferson,  leader  of  the  new  democracy  and  a  "gentleman  architect" 
of  no  small  ability,  was  a  dominant  influence  in  the  development  of 
the  Classic  Revival,  although  his  designs  were  of  Roman  rather  than 
Greek  inspiration.  He  confined  his  efforts  largely  to  his  native  State 
of  Virginia  ;  the  buildings  for  the  University  of  Virginia,  the  State 
Capitol  at  Richmond,  and  his  home,  "Monticello,"  offer  ample 
evidence  of  his  skill. 

The  Greek  Revival  did  not  assert  itself  until  after  1800  and  did 
not  cease  its  manifestations  until  just  before  the  Civil  War.  The  old 
Merchants'  or  Stock  Exchange  Building,  as  it  is  now  known,  at  Third 
and  Walnut  Streets,  crowned  by  the  second  of  the  four  towers  —  a  cir- 
cular templelike  superstructure  of  six  columns — is  symbolic  of  this 
period  —  the  era  of  national  emergence.  The  semicircular  facade  of 
the  building  itself,  with  its  tall,  fluted  Corinthian  columns,  is  truly  im- 
posing. (William  Strickland  was  the  designer.)  Today,  unfortunately, 
market  sheds  crowd  its  base.  The  opening  of  this  building  was  a  great 
event,  and  at  the  time  of  its  dedication  in  1834  parties  were  given 
continuously  for  a  week. 

Unlike  the  red  brick  of  Colonial  Independence  Hall,  the  old  Stock 
Exchange  is  constructed  of  marble.  Marble  and  stone  were  thought 
more  appropriate  for  the  new  monumental  structures.  However, 
brick  continued  in  use  for  houses,  with  marble  porches  and  details 
of  classic  design.  Houses,  churches,  and  public  buildings  of  this  age 
took  on  the  form,  or  at  least  the  details,  of  Greek  temples.  Four,  six, 
or  eight  columns,  usually  Doric  or  Ionic,  formed  the  portico;  these, 
topped  with  an  entablature  and  wide  pediment,  composed  the  usual 
Greek  Revival  facade.  In  one  respect,  the  Greek  architecture  of  the 
early  Republic  is  not  so  divorced  from  that  of  the  Georgian  period: 
both  styles  are  classic,  but  the  Revival  goes  directly  back  to  Greece 
for  inspiration. 

Often  the  exterior  result  was  remarkably  fine,  as  in  Thomas  U. 

264 


ARCHITECTURE 

Walter's  Girard  College  (1833-1848)  with  its  huge,  peripteral  Corin- 
thian colonnade;  the  old  Custom  House  (1819-1824),  designed  by 
Latrobe  and  completed  by  Strickland,  with  its  heavy  north  and  south 
facades  in  the  Greek  Doric  style;  and  the  First  Bank  of  the  United 
States  (1797),  designed  by  Samuel  Blodget,  the  oldest  bank  building 
in  America  and  said  to  have  the  first  marble  facade  in  this  country. 
Numerous  churches  with  typical  colonnaded  facades,  such  as  that  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  (1820),  John  Haviland,  architect,  were 
erected.  Indeed,  Philadelphia  has  many  of  the  oldest  public  and  ec- 
clesiastical buildings  of  Greek  design  in  the  country. 

In  domestic  architecture,  it  was  to  country  living  that  this  style 
most  readily  lent  itself.  In  Philadelphia  the  Greek  influence  on  houses 
was  superficial,  being  confined  mostly  to  exterior  details  of  marble 
and  interior  details  of  wood.  With  the  rapid  growth  of  the  city,  the 
row  house  came  into  favor,  the  better  rows  having  such  names  as 
Carlton,  Franklin,  Washington,  and  Rittenhouse.  On  the  south  side 
of  Spruce  Street,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth  Streets,  is  a  row  of  red 
brick  dwellings,  each  two  having  a  common  marble  portico  of  three 
Greek  Ionic  columns.  No.  715  Spruce  Street,  built  about  1820,  has 
an  entrance  in  the  style  of  the  Greek  Revival  period,  and  the  Phila- 
delphia Contributionship,  at  214  South  Fourth  Street,  offers  another 
interesting  example  —  -  domestic  in  spirit  but  built  for  commercial 
purposes. 

An  interesting  characteristic  of  the  Greek  Revival  period  is  the 
change  in  construction  of  pitched  roofs.  Whereas  in  Colonial  times 
the  roof  overhung  the  end  walls  to  form  the  eaves,  later  the  walls 
rose  higher  than  the  roof  to  form  a  parapet,  the  chimneys  being  built 
as  part  of  the  wall.  This  feature  may  be  seen  in  the  old  Custom 
House,  old  Wills  Eye  Hospital  (1832),  the  Aquarium  (1815),  and 
in  other  public  buildings  and  dwellings. 

Hundreds  of  commercial  buildings  supplanted  the  Colonial  struc- 
tures in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Stock  Exchange.  These  simple  busi- 
ness structures,  usually  three,  four,  or  five  stories  high,  were  char- 
acterized by  sturdy,  square,  classic  piers  of  stone  on  the  first  floor, 
with  the  upper  stories  of  traditional  plain  red  brick  and  little  or  no 
adornment.  An  exception  is  the  138  South  Front  Street  structure, 
the  Egyptian  design  of  the  first  story  being  due  to  the  influence  of 
Thomas  U.  Walter's  design  for  the  debtors'  gaol,  now  a  part  of 
Moyamensing  Prison.  During  this  period  Nicholas  Biddle  was  waging 
an  unsuccessful  fight  with  Andrew  Jackson  for  the  survival  of  his 
Second  United  States  Bank.  Stephen  Girard  was  sending  ships  from 
the  nearby  docks  to  the  world's  corners.  The  city  was  a  hive  of  in- 
dustry and  commerce.  These  many  similar  structures,  esthetically 
unassuming,  befitted  the  commercially  expanding  Philadelphia. 

The  Stock  Exchange  tower  marks  the  period  in  which  America 

265 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

began  developing  its  own  architects  —  professionally  trained  men. 
The  important  architects  of  the  Greek  Revival  and  the  years  im- 
mediately thereafter  were  Benjamin  Henry  Latrobe,  William  Strick- 
land, Robert  Mills,  John  Haviland,  and  Thomas  U.  Walter.  Of  the 
work  of  Latrobe  and  Mills,  little  remains  in  Philadelphia.  Latrobe, 
born  in  England  in  1764,  arrived  in  Philadelphia  in  1798.  Soon  after 
his  arrival,  he  designed  the  Bank  of  Pennsylvania,  which  stood  on 
Second  Street  just  above  Walnut.  This  building,  inspired  by  the 
Temple  of  the  Muses  near  the  Ilissus,  outside  Athens,  is  considered, 
generally,  the  first  structure  of  Greek  design  in  America.  Another 
important  work  of  Latrobe  during  his  six  years  in  Philadelphia  was 
the  domed  Waterworks  Building  (1799-1801)  on  the  present  site  of 
City  Hall.  One  of  the  architects  of  the  Capitol  at  Washington  and 
designer  of  the  Baltimore  cathedral,  Latrobe  was  also  an  engineer. 

Latrobe  is  credited  with  introducing  the  Gothic  style  to  America, 
a  tendency  that  asserted  itself  some  years  later  and  then  degenerated 
in  the  Victorian  era.  His  Bank  of  Philadelphia,  executed  under  the 
supervision  of  his  pupil,  Robert  Mills,  in  1807,  was  a  Gothic  structure 
of  brick  and  marble.  It  stood  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Fourth  and 
Chestnut  Streets,  with  a  wide,  high  entrance  arch  on  Fourth  Street. 

The  previously  mentioned  Custom  House,  on  Chestnut  Street  be- 
tween Fourth  and  Fifth  Streets,  built  for  the  Bank  of  the  United 
States  and  so  used  until  1844,  while  generally  accredited  to  Strick- 
land, was  designed  by  Latrobe.  Although  Strickland  supervised  the 
construction  of  this  building,  Latrobe  prepared  the  plans.  He  and 
Mills  were  among  the  competitors  who  submitted  designs,  which  had 
to  conform  to  the  Government's  requirements.  Mills  submitted  a 
design  fronted  by  six  Greek  Doric  columns  ;  Latrobe  went  further 
and  proposed  an  imitation  of  the  octastyle  front  of  the  Parthenon. 
His  plan  seemed  to  meet  with  the  approval  of  the  directors,  but  due 
to  financial  difficulties  at  the  time,  work  was  delayed.  In  the  mean- 
time, Latrobe  left  for  New  Orleans,  and  the  undertaking  was  resumed 
under  the  direction  of  Strickland.  Although  the  principal  room  is 
a  departure  from  Latrobe's  plan,  the  rest  of  the  design  follows  his 
original  drawings.  Latrobe  died  in  New  Orleans  in  1820  while  super- 
vising the  construction  there  of  the  waterworks. 

While  Latrobe  lived  in  Philadelphia  he  had  as  his  pupils  Strick- 
land and  Mills.  Mills  (1781-1855),  a  native  of  Charleston,  S.  C., 
designed  the  connecting  wings  of  the  State  House  group  in  Philadel- 
phia in  1813.  He  was  appointed  architect  of  public  buildings  in 
Washington  in  1836,  supervised  the  erection  of  several  major  build- 
ings, and  was  the  architect  for  the  Washington  Monuments  in  Wash- 
ington and  Baltimore. 

William  Strickland  (1787-1854),  born  in  Philadelphia,  recognized 
as  a  leading  architect,  was  also  an  engineer,  landscape  painter,  author, 


ARCHITECTURE 

and  engraver.  His  first  building,  the  Gothic  Masonic  Hall  —  the 
"Pride  of  Philadelphia"  —  dedicated  in  1811,  showed  a  lack  of  under- 
standing of  Gothic  as  a  system  of  construction.  This  structure  was 
outstanding  as  an  example  of  the  Gothic  Revival  which,  while  less 
extensive,  was  virtually  contemporaneous  with  the  Classic  period. 
In  1819  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire.  An  interesting  print,  a 
copy  of  which  may  be  seen  at  the  Philadelphia  Library  Company, 
on  Locust  Street  west  of  Thirteenth,  shows  the  structure  in  flames. 
The  temple  had  only  a  veneer  of  Gothic  details:  crenelation,  small 
turrets,  and  lancet  windows.  The  high  and  square  wooden  tower, 
with  its  cornices  and  spire,  was  more  Georgian  than  Gothic.  There  is 
still  standing  on  the  road  between  Reading  and  Pottsville  a  quaint 
little  red  and  white  church  that  presents  an  excellent  example  of 
this  nai've  fusing  of  the  Colonial  and  Gothic  modes.  Another  example 
less  far  afield  is  St.  Mary's  Church  (erected  1763,  enlarged  1810,  re- 
modeled 1886),  on  South  Fourth  Street  in  Philadelphia. 

Strickland's  many  works  included  the  first  Custom  House  (1818), 
situated  on  Second  Street  below  Dock,  a  simple,  three-story  brick  and 
marble  building  (now  demolished)  ;  the  United  States  Mint  (1833), 
also  demolished;  Merchants'  or  Stock  Exchange  Building;  United 
States  Naval  Asylum  (1827-1848);  Arch  Street  Theatre  (1822),  de- 
molished in  1936;  Blockley  Almshouse  (1834)  ;  and  several  churches. 
In  1828  he  undertook  major  restorations  of  the  State  House.  His 
final  and  most  important  work  was  outside  Philadelphia  —  the  Ten- 
nessee State  House  at  Nashville,  where  he  lies  buried.  Its  tower,  or 
lantern,  is  similar  to  that  of  the  old  Philadelphia  Stock  Exchange. 

John  Haviland.  born  in  England  in  1792,  is  noted  chiefly  for  his 
prisons  —  in  Philadelphia,  the  Eastern  State  Penitentiary  (1829). 
His  first  important  work,  however,  was  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
(1820),  on  South  Washington  Square,  designed  in  the  Greek  manner. 
He  was  also  the  architect  responsible  for  the  design  of  the  old 
Franklin  Institute,  erected  in  1826  on  Seventh  Street  south  of  Market, 
and  the  much  altered  Walnut  Street  Theatre  (1809),  northeast  corner 
of  Walnut  and  Ninth  Streets.  Upon  his  death  in  1852,  he  was  buried 
in  a  crypt  in  St.  George's  Greek  Catholic  Church  (1822),  on  Eighth 
Street  above  Spruce,  also  his  design. 

Thomas  Ustick  Walter  (1804-1887),  a  native  of  Philadelphia, 
received  his  early  knowledge  of  building  from  his  father,  mason 
contractor  under  Strickland  for  Latrobe's  Bank  of  the  United  States. 
The  son  studied  architecture  at  the  Franklin  Institute  under  Strick- 
land, with  whom  he  was  employed  for  about  two  years.  His  major 
work  —  one  of  the  noblest  examples  of  the  Greek  Revival  —  is  his 
Girard  College  building,  begun  in  1833,  which  utilizes  the  Corinthian 
order.  Others  are  Moyamensing  Prison  (1831) ,  old  Wills  Eye  Hospital 
(1832),  Preston  Retreat  (1837),  and  the  Nicholas  Biddle  mansion, 

267 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

in  Andalusia,  Bucks  County,  erected  in  1794  and  remodeled  by 
Walter  in  1835.  As  United  States  Architect  succeeding  Robert  Mills, 
he  designed  the  present  dome  and  the  extension  of  the  wings  of  the 
Capitol  at  Washington.  He  was  professor  of  architecture  at  Franklin 
Institute  and  later  a  lecturer  at  Columbia  University.  Walter  prepared 
many  of  the  detail  designs  for  the  present  City  Hall  and  until  his 
death  worked  on  them  as  assistant  to  John  Me  Arthur,  the  architect 
of  City  Hall. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  1830's  there  was  a  general  lull  in  building, 
and  by  1850  a  reaction  had  set  in  from  the  chaste  influence  of  the 
Greek  Revival.  As  the  Civil  War  approached,  the  Greek  flame  had 
entirely  burned  out,  and  from  this  point  on  taste  in  architecture 
declined  considerably. 

Influencing  factors  in  the  third  architectural  period  were  national 
in  scope.  The  country  was  rapidly  expanding,  frontiers  were  being 
pushed  forward,  and  commerce  and  industry  had  developed  to  the 
point  where  huge  fortunes  were  being  made.  This  was  the  age  of 
industrial  expansion  —  an  age  which  wrought  havoc  with  the  arts. 
Its  architectural  manifestations  extend  roughly  from  the  end  of  the 
Greek  Revival  period  to  about  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  architectural  profession  was  not  equipped  to  express  the 
problem  of  an  expanding  commerce,  nor  were  the  industrial  captains 
particularly  concerned  with  esthetic  values.  The  spirit  of  the  age 
was  not  one  to  evolve  a  fine  architectural  expression.  It  may  well 
be  said  that  the  low  estate  to  which  building  design  fell  was  entirely 
in  keeping  with  architecture's  function  of  expressing  the  spirit  of 
the  age.  As  in  other  cities,  land  and  building  speculators  added  to 
the  confusion  of  the  rapidly  growing  metropolis.  The  lust  for  wealth 
and  the  resultant  neglect  of  human  values  brought  squalid,  unsanitary 
living  conditions  for  those  who  toiled.  Rows  of  drab  dwellings  sprang 
up.  With  the  development  of  machinery  there  came  a  rush  of  "jig- 
saw" embellishments  completely  lacking  in  taste  and  restraint.  Build- 
ings that  pretended  to  architectural  ostentation  aped  the  current 
fashions  of  Europe. 

The  somber  picture  of  Philadelphia's  architectural  "Dark  Age" 
has,  however,  a  few  bright  spots.  The  middle  of  the  century  saw  the 
development  of  interest  in  the  Gothic.  A  spirit  of  romanticism, 
already  evident  in  England,  which  was  exhibiting  a  renewed  interest 
in  Gothic  architecture,  assumed  here  various  forms,  some  of  which 
were  admirable,  others  very  poor.  Two  fine  churches  of  this  period 
still  exist  in  Philadelphia  :  the  Church  of  St.  James  the  Less  (1846), 
at  Falls  of  Schuylkill,  a  fine  reproduction  of  St.  Michael's  Church,  at 
Long  Staunton,  England  —  a  small  thirteenth  century  English  village 
church  —  and  St.  Mark's  Church  (1847)  on  Locust  Street  west  of 
Sixteenth,  both  by  John  Notman,  St.  Clement's  Church  (1859)  at 

268 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE* 

Twentieth  and  Cherry  Streets,  likewise  by  Notman  (1810-1865).  and 
the  Academy  of  Music  (1857),  Broad  and  Locust  Streets,  designed 
by  Napoleon  LeBrun,  are  also  among  the  better  structures  erected 
during  this  period. 

LeBrun  (1821-1901),  of  the  firm  of  LeBrun  &  Runge,  was  a  pupil 
of  Thomas  U.  Walter.  He  designed,  in  addition  to  the  Academy  of 
Music,  such  Philadelphia  churches  as  the  Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter 
and  Paul  (1846),  on  Eighteenth  Street  north  of  the  Parkway,  and 
St.  Augustine's  Church  (1847),  Fourth  Street  below  Vine. 

For  the  Centennial  Exhibition  of  1876,  Memorial  Hall,  of  Renais- 
sance design  ;  nearby  Horticultural  Hall,  built  of  glass  and  steel 
with  Moorish  embellishments  ;  and  many  Victorian  buildings  were 
erected.  These  presented  an  assortment  of  building  styles,  exhibiting 
the  diversified  eclecticism  of  the  age. 

The  Victorian  era  introduced  buildings  of  brown  and  green  stone, 
square  turreted,  with  mansard  roofs  of  slate.  Their  vertical  lines  con- 
trast sharply  with  the  horizontal  lines  of  Colonial  times.  The  mansard 
roof,  actually  a  top  story  with  slightly  sloping  walls,  was  introduced 
from  France.  This  was  a  period  of  high  ceilings,  tall,  narrow  windows, 
and  poor  taste  in  detail.  Structures  of  this  type  include  the  Union 
League  building  (1865),  College  Hall  (1871)  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  many  gaunt,  turreted  mansions  in  and  around 
the  city.  Dark  woodwork,  overcarved  and  overstuffed  furniture,  long, 
gilt  mirrors,  and  gloomy  hangings  gave  to.  the  interiors  of  the  homes 
an  effect  at  once  opulent  and  dismal. 

The  French  Renaissance  style,  notable  for  its  many  columns  and 
profuse  ornamentation,  was  used  in  Philadelphia  construction  for 
several  large  buildings.  City  Hall  (1871-1901)  ;  the  old  Post  Office 
building  (1873-1884),  on  Ninth  Street  from  Chestnut  to  Market ;  and 
the  Victory  Building  (1873),  Tenth  and  Chestnut  Streets,  are  ex- 
amples of  this  style. 

Buildings  combining  designs  of  many  periods  were  erected,  with 
startling  results.  They  were  usually  of  heavy  masonry,  although  the 
red  brick  tradition  of  Philadelphia  continued  to  assert  itself.  Besides 
the  heavy  Victorian  Gothic  and  the  French  Renaissance,  there  were 
Romanesque  interpretations  and  suggestions  of  Moorish  mosques  and 
Venetian  palaces,  garnished  with  a  profusion  of  ornate  details  of  cast 
iron  and  wood.  Frequently,  buildings  expressed  no  style  or  function 
whatsoever,  or  else  they  exhibited  a  strange  mixture  of  several  styles. 
Broad  Street  Theatre  (1876),  of  Moorish  effect,  and  the  many 
buildings  of  the  old  banking  district,  particularly  Chestnut  Street 
between  Third  and  Fourth  Streets  (a  museum  of  architectural  oddi- 
ties) are  typical.  The  extravagant  buildings  designed  by  Furness  & 
Evans  are  highly  individualistic  structures  touched  with  Gothic. 
Broad  Street  Station  (1880-1894),  the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts 

270 


ARCHITECTURE 

(1876),  and  the  library  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  (1891)   are 
their  better  known  works. 

Considered  one  of  the  great  architects  of  his  age,  Henry  Hobson 
Richardson  (1838-1886)  designed  truly  fine  buildings  in  the  Roman- 
esque style.  While  none  of  his  structures  were  erected  in  Philadel- 
phia, his  followers  built  here  the  Central  High  School  (1902),  on 
Broad  Street  at  Green;  the  Market  Square  Presbyterian  Church 
(1886),  in  Germantown;  and  other  structures.  None  of  these  is  com- 
parable, however,  to  the  work  of  Richardson. 

City  Hall  tower,  completed  in  1894,  marks  the  close  of  the  city's 
third  architectural  period  —  an  era  fraught  with  national  conflicts 
and  marked  by  rapid  industrial  development.  Rising  547  feet,  it  was 
at  the  time  of  its  completion  the  tallest  tower  in  the  country  with  the 
exception  of  the  Washington  Monument  (Washington,  D.  C.),  which 
is  about  eight  feet  taller, 

It  is  surmounted  by  a  huge,  bronze  statue  of  William  Penn  con- 
templating from  on  high  the  cold  gray  of  his  once  quaint  and 
charming  red  brick  "towne."  The  tower  itself  is  an  epitaph  to  the 
age  of  masonry.  Even  while  it  was  being  erected,  advances  in  the 
technique  of  steel  and  concrete  construction  were  pointing  the  way 
to  a  new  architecture. 

The  modern  period  of  American  architecture  dates  historically 
from  the  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago  in  1893.  The  great  "White 
City,"  as  the  fair  was  called,  gave  impetus  to  a  revival  of  the  broad, 
classic  facade  and  to  "grand"  concepts  of  planning.  Louis  Sullivan's 
individualistic  Transportation  Building,  however,  was  the  rebel  of  the 
fair.  It  pointed  away  from  classic  eclecticism  toward  a  fresh  interpre- 
tation of  design.  Two  schools  of  architecture  received  impetus  from 
the  Chicago  fair  :  the  traditionalists,  who  adapt  to  present-day  needs 
the  designs  of  an  older  civilization,  and  the  modernists,  who  seek 
a  new  expression  for  the  materials  and  techniques  of  today. 

Rising  above  the  central  city  skyline,  the  Philadelphia  Saving 
Fund  Society  building  —  its  huge,  neon  letters  "PSFS"  visible  for 
miles  around — casts  its  shadow  over  the  classic  Wanamaker  Store. 
Last  of  the  four  towers  which  express  the  city's  architectural  ages, 
it  is  truly  a  challenge  to  Philadelphia's  traditionalism.  Designed  by 
Howe  &  Lescaze  and  completed  in  1932,  it  is  one  of  America's  out- 
standing examples  of  the  so-called  International  style  —  a  style  whose 
exterior  architecture  frankly  expresses  its  construction  and  use.  As 
an  intellectual  concept  it  represents  the  courage  of  the  modern  age. 

Another  example  of  functional  architecture  is  the  Carl  Mackley 
housing  group  in  Frankford  (1934),  designed  for  the  Philadelphia 
hosiery  workers  by  Kastner  &  Stonorov  and  William  Pope  Barney. 
The  four  long  units,  planned  as  a  complete  residential  community, 
are  extremely  simple  in  detail.  The  steel  and  glass  foundries  of  the 

271 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Philadelphia   Navy   Yard    are    still   further   examples    of   functional 
design. 

Nationally  known  architects  other  than  Philadelphians  have 
erected  buildings  here.  Foremost  among  those  of  the  traditional 
school  was  the  New  York  firm  of  McKim,  Mead  &  White.  In  Phila- 
delphia, this  firm  designed  the  bank  and  office  building  of  the  Girard 
Trust  Company  (1908)  and  the  clubhouse  of  the  Germantown  Cricket 
Club  (1891) .  These  and  the  John  Wanamaker  Store  (1910) ,  designed 
by  Daniel  H.  Burnham,  of  Chicago,  architect  of  the  Union  Station  in 
Washington,  are  representative  of  the  best  buildings  erected  in  Phila- 
delphia at  the  turn  of  the  century. 

The  Provident  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  building  (1928), 
by  Cram  &  Ferguson,  of  Boston,  and  the  new  Pennsylvania  Station 
(1933),  by  Burnham's  successors  —  Graham,  Anderson,  Probst  & 
White  —  follow  in  this  tradition.  The  Parkway,  with  its  fountains 
and  monumental  edifices,  most  notable  of  which  is  the  Pennsylvania 
Art  Museum  (started  in  1918  and  officially  opened  in  March  1928), 
by  Philadelphia's  Zantzinger  &  Borie  and  Horace  Trumbauer,  is  a 
direct  outgrowth  of  the  broad  planning  of  the  Chicago  World's  Fair. 

Today  there  is  a  tendency  in  buildings  of  classic  inspiration  toward 
simplification  of  details,  particularly  in  the  elimination  of  heavy, 
overhanging  cornices  which,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Manufacturers  Club 
(1914),  at  Broad  and  Walnut  Streets,  tend  to  cut  off  daylight  from 
the  too  narrow  streets.  The  Federal  Reserve  building  (1935) ,  designed 
by  Paul  Philippe  Cret  ;  the  Central  Penn  National  Bank  (1928),  at 
Fifteenth  and  Sansom  Streets,  by  Davis,  Dunlap  &  Barney  ;  Girard 
College  Chapel  (1933)  by  Thomas  &  Martin  ;  and  the  new  Post  Office 
(1935),  by  the  firms  of  Rankin  &  Kellog,  and  Tilden,  Register  & 
Pepper,  are  fine  classic  structures  notable  for  their  exterior  simplicity. 

Among  the  city's  finest  modern  buildings,  but  following  neither 
the  "imperial"  design  nor  the  functional  style  of  the  Philadelphia 
Saving  Fund  Society  building,  are  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
dormitories  (1895)  of  English  Jacobean  architecture  by  Cope  & 
Stewardson  ;  the  Museum  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  started  in 
1896  —  a  beautiful,  low,  broad  building  in  the  Romanesque  style  of  San 
Stefano  at  Bologna  —  designed  by  Charles  Z.  Klauder,  Stewardson  & 
Page,  and  Wilson  Eyre  &  Mcllvaine  ;  the  Church  of  St.  Andrew 
(1936),  a  Gothic  design  by  Zantzinger,  Borie  &  Medary  ;  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Child  (1930) ,  in  Romanesque  design,  by  George  I.  Lovatt ; 
and  Rodeph  Shalom  Synagogue  (1928),  of  Moorish  architecture,  de- 
signed by  Simon  &  Simon. 

Lewis  Mumford,  referring  in  his  Sticks  and  Stones  to  America's 
grand  classic  facades,  says: 

Our   imperial   architecture   is   an   architecture   of   compensation;    it 
provides  grandiloquent  stones  for  people  who  have  been  deprived  of 

272 


ARCHITECTURE 

bread  and  sunlight  and  all  that  keeps  man  from  becoming  vile.  Be- 
hind the  monumental  faces  of  our  metropolises  trudges  a  landless  pro- 
letariat, doomed  to  the  servile  routine  of  the  factory  system. 
This  statement  is  in  accord  with  architecture's  reflection  of  con- 
temporary society  and  is  applicable  to  Philadelphia.   We  still  live 
in  an  age  where  the  extremes  of  wealth  and  poverty  are  reflected  in 
grandiose  architecture  on  the  one  hand  and  slums  on  the  other. 

The  blighted  areas  of  Philadelphia,  the  worst  of  which  extend  north 
and  south  of  the  central  city  zone  and  west  from  the  Delaware  River, 
consist  mainly  of  small,  overcrowded,  and  insanitary  "bandbox" 
houses,  many  on  the  verge  of  collapse.  Indeed,  several  dwellings  have 
fallen  down  in  recent  years,  indicating  the  acuteness  of  the  hous- 

Home  of  Robert  Morris 
"Whose  strong  box  financed  the  Revolution' 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

ing  problem  in  Philadelphia.  The  worst  conditions  exist  in  the  sections 
where  the  Negro  population  of  the  city  is  housed.  The  thousands 
of  depressing  rows  of  attached  houses  for  which  Philadelphia  is 
notorious  are  largely  the  work  of  unenlightened  land  subdividers  and 
speculative  builders.  Built  in  long,  narrow  plots,  only  the  front  and 
back  rooms  receive  ample  daylight  and  ventilation,  the  middle  rooms 
being  served  by  air  shafts  or  skylights.  While  the  Carl  Mackley 
Houses  and  other  projects  erected  by  the  Public  Works  Administra- 
tion point  the  way  to  what  can  be  done,  the  housing  solution  awaits 
local  initiative. 

It  has  been  said  that  "The  most  beautiful  part  of  Philadelphia  is 
outside  of  Philadelphia."  The  city's  suburbs  have  a  charm  of  archi- 
tecture that  is  mellowed  by  tradition.  While  the  forces  of  the  Greek 
Revival,  Middle,  and  Modern  periods  have  left  their  imprint  upon 
suburban  structures,  as  upon  those  of  the  metropolis,  the  strain  of 
early  simplicity  and  charm  has  never  been  broken.  There  are  several 
factors  which  account  for  the  existence  of  an  indigenous  architecture 
in  the  Philadelphia  area  :  strength  of  tradition  ;  the  abundance  of  ex- 
cellent local  field  stone  which  is  used  for  homes,  churches,  public 
buildings,  barns,  and  mills  ;  the  fact  that  early  buildings  were  so 
firmly  constructed  as  to  continue  to  assert  themselves  through  the 
succeeding  generations,  and  possibly  the  fact  that  the  men  of  wealth 
who  own  the  great  estates  around  Philadelphia  have  a  true  appreci- 
ation of  the  fitness  of  the  early  stone  houses  for  country  living. 

The  low  lines  of  these  homes,  suggesting  comfort,  utility,  and  dur- 
ability, combine  with  the  local  material  of  which  they  are  built  to 
portray  graciousness  of  living.  Contrasts  of  gray  stone  and  white- 
painted  wood,  of  fine  touches  of  detail  against  simple  surfaces,  the 
use  of  whitewash  over  stone,  and  the  accent  of  horizontal  lines  are 
the  major  characteristics  of  the  suburban  house,  both  large  and  small. 
Simple  doorways,  low  roofs  from  which  rows  of  small  dormer  windows 
and  heavy  stone  chimneys  project,  fine  interior  paneling,  low  fire- 
places, and  beautiful  stairways  are  of  refined  and  traditional  taste, 
indicating  a  deeply  rooted  conservatism. 

At  almost  any  point  where  the  main  pikes  leading  toward  Phila- 
delphia dip  to  cross  the  many  creeks,  the  simply  built  stone  houses 
of  the  worker,  and  sometimes  the  mills  of  former  days  may  be  seen. 
The  interesting  little  town  of  Glen  Riddle,  in  Delaware  County  three 
miles  southwest  of  Media,  still  retains  the  atmosphere  and  charm  of 
an  early  mill  village. 

There  are  other  interesting  old  towns  in  the  four  counties  sur- 
rounding Philadelphia  which  have  preserved  much  of  their  atmos- 
phere :  King  of  Prussia,  near  Valley  Forge  ;  Newtown,  Buckingham 
Valley,  Spring  Valley,  and  Doylestown,  in  the  rich  farm  country  of 
Bucks  County  ;  and  West  Chester,  with  its  old,  red  brick  dwellings. 

274 


.„*•* 


r-ftlf 


lit 


i  ii 


Swimming  Pool  at  the  Carl  Mackley  House 


Carl  Mackley  House 
'Labor's  answer  to  the  Housing  Probh 


1 

I 


Founder's  Hall,  Girard  College 
Dedicated  to  the  education:  of  Philadelphia  orphans 


Federal  Reserve 
Bank  Building 


ARCHITECTURE 

Among  the  fine  old  structures  are  many  stone  barns  and  houses, 
particularly  in  Bucks  County  and  the  Whitemarsh  Valley  ;  Washing- 
ton's Headquarters  at  Valley  Forge  (1742-1752)  ;  the  charming  old 
Pennsylvania  German  church  at  Trappe  (1743)  ;  St.  David's  Epis- 
copal Church  (1715)  at  Radnor,  influenced  by  an  earlier  architecture 
than  the  Georgian  ;  and  the  Town  Hall  at  Chester,  built  in  1724  and 
restored  in  1920.  Notable  in  the  period  of  the  Greek  Revival  is  the 
Biddle  home,  "Andalusia,"  built  in  1794  and  rebuilt  in  1835,  in  Bucks 
County,  and  the  Wetherill  house,  "Locust  Grove,"  near  Protectory 
Station,  built  by  James  Vaux  in  1776  and  rebuilt  in  1845  by  Dr. 
William  Wetherill. 

In  the  present  period  suburban  Philadelphia  has  witnessed  the 
erection  of  many  fine  structures  for  Swarthmore,  Bryn  Mawr,  Haver- 
ford,  and  other  nearby  colleges.  Fine  churches,  too,  have  been  con- 
structed. Outstanding  among  these  is  the  imposing  two-towered 
Church  of  the  New  Jerusalem  at  Bryn  Athyn  ;  the  older  Gothic  section 
was  designed  by  Cram  &  Ferguson  and  completed  in  1919,  and  the 
later,  but  still  incompleted,  Romanesque  additions  are  Raymond 
Pitcairn's  work.  Others  are  Bryn  Mawr  Presbyterian  Churh  (1928), 
by  Walter  T.  Karcher  and  Livingston  Smith  ;  the  Gothic  Valley 
Forge  Chapel  (1903-1932),  by  Zantzinger,  Borie  &  Medary ;  and 
Brazer,  Frohman  &  Robb's  classic  First  Presbyterian  Church  (1921) 
at  Chester.  The  new  Delaware  County  Courthouse  (1932),  the  work 
of  Clarence  Brazer,  is  a  classic  marble  structure. 

As  the  architectural  profession  matured,  organizations  were  formed 
to  broaden  its  influence.  In  1869  the  Philadelphia  Chapter  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Architects  was  founded,  and  the  T  Square  Club 
in  1883.  Both  of  these  institutions  have  been  a  major  cultural  force 
in  the  architectural  development  of  the  city.  In  1890  under  Theophilus 
P.  Chandler  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  organized  a  department 
of  architecture.  It  is  now  one  of  the  leading  architectural  schools  in 
America. 

A  picture  of  architecture  in  Philadelphia  would  be  incomplete 
without  mention  of  the  influence  of  Paul  Philippe  Cret.  Born  (1876) 
and  educated  in  France,  he  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1903  to  teach 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  His  knowledge  of  design  and  his 
ability  to  convey  his  ideas  to  his  students  brought  to  Pennsylvania 
its  reputation  as  one  of  the  foremost  schools  of  architecture  in  the 
country.  He  collaborated  with  Jacques  Greber  of  Paris  on  the  design 
of  the  Philadelphia  Parkway  and  helped  to  plan  the  city's  parks  and 
to  design  numerous  bridges  and  buildings.  The  architecture  of  the 
Philadelphia-Camden  bridge  (1926),  Ralph  Modjeski,  engineer,  was 
designed  by  Cret.  In  1931  he  received  the  "Philadelphia  Award." 
Favoring  although  not  confining  himself  to  classic  interpretations,  he 
has  brought  freshness  of  design  to  defy  the  critics  of  classicism,  as 

277 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

seen  in  his  Rodin  Museum  and  Federal  Reserve  Bank  in  Philadelphia 
and  his  many  other  important  structures  in  this  country  and  abroad. 

Philadelphia  is  a  vast  and  spreading  city  from  whose  central  sky- 
scraper region  extend  areas  of  drab  homes  and  factories,  interspersed 
with  the  spires  of  the  many  hundreds  of  churches.  Numerous  green 
parks  and  tree-shaded  streets  lend  softness  to  this  harsh  pattern. 
Fairmount  Park,  covering  3,845  acres,  is  the  largest  park  within  any 
American  municipality.  The  city's  two  rivers  and  several  creeks  are 
spanned  by  scores  of  fine  bridges,  and  beyond  the  periphery  of 
the  city  are  the  beautiful  suburban  homes  of  traditional  Colonial  stone 
architecture  for  which  this  region  is  justly  noted.  This  is  Phila- 
delphia today. 

In  buildings  of  poor  as  well  as  of  good  design  are  traced  the  phases 
of  Philadelphia's  life  :  the  peaceful  colony  under  Quaker  dominance; 
the  proud  new  Nation  whose  finest  city  was  Philadelphia  ;  the  age  of 
expansion  ;  and  the  present  period  —  all  have  left  their  imprint  upon 
the  city's  face.  That  much  of  the  city  is  ugly  cannot  be  denied. 
No  architect  is  to  be  exonerated  for  erecting  monstrosities,  but  society 
itself  must  bear  the  blame  for  an  era  of  ugly  edifices.  The  best  of 
Philadelphia's  structures  were  erected  in  its  youth  ;  the  present 
shows  signs  —  indeed  definite  proof  —  of  an  awakening. 


278 


OLD  PLANS  AND  NEW 


PHILADELPHIA  is  one  of  the  few  large  cities  of  the  world  that 
was  systematically  planned  before  it  was  born.  Today  its  central 
section  retains  the  geometrical  arrangement  of  straight  streets 
laid  out  by  Thomas  Holme  in  1682. 

Holme,  who  had  served  in  Cromwell's  army,  later  became  a  Quaker 
and  was  chosen  by  Penn  as  his  surveyor-general.  He  arrived  in  the 
Province  four  months  before  the  founder.  On  the  site  selected  by 
Penn's  commissioners  early  in  1682,  Holme  immediately  began  to 
lay  out  the  town  on  broad  and  adequate  lines,  guided  by  the  plan 
Penn  had  submitted  to  him.  After  clearing  enough  land  for  his  pur- 
pose, he  divided  it  into  rectangular  blocks  extending  west  from  the 
Delaware  River  and  north  from  Cedar  (now  South)  Street  to  Valley 
Street  (now  Vine). 

The  plan  fixed  Cedar  Street  as  the  southern  and  Valley  Street  as 
the  northern  boundary  of  the  town  ;  High  Street  (now  Market)  ran 
from  river  to  river,  with  Broad  Street  bisecting  it.  Now  between 
Thirteenth  and  Fifteenth  Streets,  Broad  Street  originally  was  situated 
more  nearly  at  Twelfth  Street,  having  been  relocated  in  1733.  Penn 
named  most  of  the  east-west  thoroughfares  after  trees  —  Pine,  Locust, 
Walnut,  Chestnut,  and  Sassafras  ;  most  of  the  north-south  streets 
were  numbered. 

At  several  points  in  the  plan  —  on  lower  High  Street,  on  Second 
Street  south  of  Pine  and  at  other  points  as  new  streets  were  laid  out 
as  the  city  grew — the  roadways  were  widened  to  provide  space  for 
open  market  places.  The  market  at  Second  and  Pine  Streets,  with  its 
quaint  "headhouse,"  still  stands.  Wide  and  winding  Dock  Creek, 
flowing  from  Third  Street  into  the  Delaware  River,  and  breaking  the 
rectangular  regularity  of  the  town,  was  spanned  in  early  days  by  a 
drawbridge.  Later  the  creek  bed  was  filled  in,  and  Dock  Creek  be- 
came Dock  Street. 

The  Penn  plan  is  probably  based  upon  that  of  ancient  Babylon, 
with  its  system  of  rectangular  blocks.  From  the  outset  the  character- 
istics of  a  great  city  were  apparent.  The  two  main  streets,  intersect- 
ing each  other  at  the  town's  heart,  formed  a  gigantic  cross  that 
divided  Philadelphia  into  four  quarters.  Where  the  two  streets  came 
together,  a  10-acre  plot  was  reserved  for  Center  Square,  also  relocated 
in  1733  and  now  the  site  of  City  Hall.  Here,  from  1799  to  1829,  stood 
the  old  Philadelphia  Water  Works,  surrounded  by  a  fine  park,  with  its 

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PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

interesting  pump  house  designed  in  the  Greek  Revival  style  by  Henry 
Latrobe.  (A  painting  of  it  by  John  Kremmell,  as  it  appeared  in  1812, 
is  in  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts.)  Old  wooden  pipes  from  this  water 
system  have  been  unearthed  in  the  course  of  excavation  work  for  the 
Philadelphia  subway  system. 

Four  parks,  of  about  eight  acres  each,  were  included  in  the  plan, 
one  in  the  center  of  each  quarter  of  the  city.  These  are  Franklin 
Square,  at  the  approach  to  the  Delaware  River  Bridge  ;  Washington 
Square  and  Rittenhouse  Square,  the  latter  relandscaped  in  1913  by 
Paul  Philippe  Cret  ;  and  beautiful  Logan  Circle,  on  the  Parkway.  As 
a  precaution  against  such  a  conflagration  as  had  almost  destroyed 
London  in  1666,  Penn's  plan  also  provided  for  large  city  blocks,  so 
that  houses,  although  built  in  even  rows,  would  have  ample  space 
at  the  back  and  sides. 

Bordering  the  northern  edge  of  Penn's  new  city  were  large  tracts 
of  land  known  as  the  "Liberties."  These  areas  were  reserved  for  the 
use  of  the  people  who  settled  in  Philadelphia.  Surrounding  Phila- 
delphia and  the  "Liberties"  were  the  grants  of  land  sold  to  individuals 
and  to  land  companies,  such  as  the  large  estates  along  the  Schuylkill 
River  and  the  grants  of  Germantown,  Passyunk,  Blockley,  Kingsess- 
ing,  and  Frankford.  The  grants  sold  to  companies  developed  into 
communities.  These  and  other  neighboring  towns,  such  as  Southwark 
and  Moyamensing,  numbering  24  altogether,  were  gradually  incor- 
porated into  Philadelphia  until  the  city's  boundaries  became  coter- 
minous with  those  of  Philadelphia  County- 

These  former  towns  still  maintain  in  some  degree  their  original 
identity,  even  though  the  gridiron  system  of  intersecting  streets  has 
been  extended  like  a  huge  network  over  virtually  the  entire  city. 
In  the  light  of  present  planning  knowledge,  it  would  have  been  well 
to  preserve  these  early  communities  by  maintaining  parks  or  "green 
belts"  between  them,  thereby  breaking  up  the  monotony  of  Phila- 
delphia's pattern  and  providing  parks  and  open  spaces  accessible 
to  all. 

Several  such  dividing  parks  do  exist.  Cobbs  Creek  Park,  along  the 
western  boundary  of  Philadelphia,  and  Tacony  and  Pennypack  Parks, 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  city,  are  each  several  miles  long. 
Fairmount  Park  divides  West  Philadelphia  from  North  Philadelphia 
and  Germantown,  and  the  Wissahickon  separates  Roxborough  from 
Germantown. 

Philadelphia  planning  owes  much  to  the  far-sighted  Stephen 
Girard,  whose  will,  dated  February  16,  1830,  set  aside  $500,000  for 
the  following  purposes  : 

1.  To  lay  out,  regulate,  curb,  light  and  pave  a  passage  or  street,  on 
the  east  part  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  fronting  the  river  Delaware, 
not  less  than  twenty-one  feet  wide,  and  to  be  called  Delaware  Avenue, 

280 


OLD  PLANS  AND  NEW 

extending  from  South  or  Cedar  Street,  all  along  the  east  part  of  Water 
Street  squares,  and  the  west  side  of  the  logs,  which  form  the  heads  of 
the  docks  or  thereabouts  ...  to  completely  clean  and  keep  clean  all 
the  docks  within  the  limits  of  the  city,  fronting  on  the  Delaware:  —  and 
to  pull  down  all  platforms  carried  out  from  the  east  part  of  the  city  over 
the  river  Delaware  on  piles  or  pillars. 

2.  To  pull   down   and   remove   all  wooden   buildings    .    .    .    that  are 
erected  within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia  —  and  also  to  pro- 
hibit the  erection  of  any  such  buildings  within  the  said  city's  limits  at 
any  future  time. 

3.  To  regulate,  widen,  pave  and  curb  Water  Street,  and  to  distribute 
the  Schuylkill  water   [system]   therein. 

A  further  provision  of  $300,000  to  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsyl- 
vania "for  the  purposes  of  internal  improvement  by  canal  naviga- 
tion," to  become  effective  only  after  the  passage  of  legislation  en- 
abling the  city  of  Philadelphia  to  proceed  with  the  Delaware  River 
front  improvements,  is  evidence  of  Girard's  shrewdness.  Penn's  plan 
provided  for  a  grand  boulevard  along  the  Delaware  River,  but  it  was 
not  until  Girard's  will  set  aside  a  fund  for  developing  Delaware 
Avenue  that  this  plan  began  to  take  shape. 

As  Philadelphia  grew  beyond  the  limits  of  Penn's  plan,  diagonal 
roads  such  as  Gray's  Ferry  Road,  Moyamensing,  Woodland,  Baltimore, 
Lancaster,  Ridge,  and  Germantown  Avenues,  Roosevelt  Boulevard 
and,  finally,  the  Parkway,  were  included  within  the  system  of  rec- 
tangles. These  are  the  main  highways  leading  from  the  city,  and, 
since  they  converge  toward  the  center  of  Philadelphia,  they  provide 
ready  ingress  and  egress.  They  do,  however,  make  for  ever-increasing 
congestion  as  they  approach  the  central  city.  The  recently  completed 
ring  road  or  bypass,  as  it  is  popularly  called,  connecting  these  high- 
ways at  the  points  where  they  pass  out  of  Philadelphia,  has  eased 
this  congestion. 

The  Parkway  serves  not  only  as  one  of  the  most  important  high- 
ways leading  into  the  heart  of  the  town,  but  also  as  a  magnificent 
setting  for  many  of  the  city's  monumental  buildings.  The  Fairmount 
Park  Art  Association  commissioned  Paul  P.  Cret,  Horace  Trum- 
bauer,  and  C.  C.  Zantzinger  to  prepare  its  plan.  Some  years  later 
Jacques  Greber  of  Paris  enlarged  upon  this  plan,  and  its  realization 
was  effected  by  Mayor  John  E.  Reyburn. 

The  Parkway  starts  at  City  Hall  and  continues  to  the  Art  Museum 
on  the  hill  above  the  Schuylkill,  where  once  stood  the  reservoir 
for  Philadelphia.  About  midway  is  Logan  Circle.  Since  little  control 
has  been  exercised  over  the  shapes  and  sizes  of  buildings  along  the 
Parkway,  there  is  little  harmony  of  style  in  the  structures  that  line  it. 

Location  of  the  buildings,  likewise,  has  become  indiscriminate. 
Franklin  Institute,  the  Board  of  Education's  administrative  building, 

281 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

and  the  comparatively  small  Boy  Scout  building  stand  in  a  row  which 
runs  off  at  a  tangent  to  the  Parkway.  Across  the  Parkway  and  parallel 
to  it  is  the  beautiful  Rodin  Museum.  Skyscrapers  crowding  its  south- 
eastern extremity  destroy  the  effectiveness  of  the  boulevard's  majestic 
sweep.  While  the  Parkway  does  expedite  the  flow  of  traffic,  it  also 
creates  three-street  intersections  —  an  unfortunate  circumstance 
caused  by  superimposing  a  diagonal  street  upon  a  system  of  rectangles. 

Although  convenient  for  the  center  of  the  city,  except  that  most 
of  the  streets  are  now  too  narrow,  the  prevailing  gridiron  pattern 
has  not  been  entirely  satisfactory  for  the  outlying  sections.  Continuous 
straight  streets  are  not  only  monotonous  ;  they  are  needlessly  waste- 
ful, expensive,  and  dangerous.  City  planners  agree  that  the  concentra- 
tion of  the  main  flow  of  traffic  in  a  few  very  wide  streets  would  be 
better. 

The  blocks  which  Holme  laid  out  would  be  somewhat  too  large 
for  present-day  use.  They  have  been  divided  by  narrow  streets  and 
byways  which,  in  the  more  congested  parts  of  the  town,  have  for  the 
most  part  become  noisy  and  dirty  service  alleys.  Some,  however,  have 
developed  into  quaint  and  beautiful  little  thoroughfares.  Among  these 
are  the  quiet  tree-lined  Clinton  Street  between  Ninth  and  Eleventh 
Streets  ;  sections  of  Delancey,  Panama,  and  Camac  Streets  ;  Elfreth's 
Alley  and  other  small  streets  near  the  city's  center.  In  North,  South, 
and  West  Philadelphia  these  smaller  thoroughfares  serve  merely 
as  an  added  convenience  to  the  real  estate  subdividers,  who  have  given 
to  the  city  its  long,  monotonous  rows  of  houses. 

City  planning  is  more  than  the  laying  out  of  streets.  The  relation 
of  industrial  to  residential  areas  ;  the  location  of  public  buildings, 
bridges,  and  tunnels  ;  the  proper  design  of  parks  and  recreational 
areas  ;  the  flow  of  traffic  by  road,  rail,  air,  and  water  ;  housing  and 
the  migration  of  population  —  all  these  are  phases  of  city  planning. 
The  Philadelphia  City  Planning  Commission  is  engaged  in  studying 
these  problems,  giving  to  the  city  much  valuable  guidance  and  advice. 

Among  the  improvements  contemplated  are  removal  of  the 
"Chinese  Wall"  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  along  Market  Street 
from  Fifteenth  Street  to  the  Schuylkill  River  ;  beautification  of  the 
Schuylkill  below  the  Fairmount  dam,  with  broad  drives  along  both 
shores  ;  continuation  of  the  Locust  Street  subway  through  southwest 
Philadelphia  ;  removal  of  the  Market  Street  Elevated  railway,  a  tun- 
nel having  already  been  constructed  beneath  the  Schuylkill  River  and 
as  far  west  as  Thirty-second  Street;  construction  of  a  subway  to  serve 
Germantown,  and  extension  of  the  South  Broad  Street  subway.  An 
alternate  plan  for  extension  of  Philadelphia's  high-speed  railway 
system  provides  for  connections  with  the  suburban  svstems  of  the 
Pennsylvania,  the  Reading,  and  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroads. 

282 


OLD  PLANS  AND  NEW 

A  "ring"  subway  connecting  South,  West,  North  Philadelphia  and 
the  Northeast,  cutting  across  existing  and  proposed  lines  might  be 
suggested.  This  would  relieve  congestion  at  the  center  of  the  city, 
where  all  high-speed  lines  now  converge.  It  would  give  better  access 
to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  to  the  University  and  Commercial 
Museums,  Convention  Hall,  the  Arena,  and  to  points  in  Fairmount 
Park. 

Another  contemplated  improvement  is  the  eventual  elimination 
of  slums,  especially  those  south  of  Pine  Street  and  east  of  Broad. 
Plans  made  by  the  Tri-State  Regional  Planning  Board,  covering  sec- 
tions of  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  and  New  Jersey,  have  also  been  of 
value  in  planning  for  the  future.  The  Philadelphia  Housing  Associa- 
tion, a  research  body  founded  in  1909,  submits  valuable  findings 
which  point  the  way  to  better  housing  conditions. 

While  the  Parkway,  Fairmount  Park,  and  many  outlying  sections 
of  Philadelphia  are  truly  beautiful,  and  many  of  the  central  streets 
are  very  fine,  little  can  be  done  about  the  present  cramped  condition 
of  the  street  system.  The  expense  involved  in  making  radical  changes 
would  be  prohibitive.  In  a  few  cases,  as  at  City  Hall  Annex  and 
the  Commercial  Trust  Company  building  at  Fifteenth  and  Market 
Streets,  sidewalk  arcades  have  permitted  the  widening  of  streets. 

The  lower  Schuylkill  River  and  the  city's  20  miles  of  Delaware 
River  frontage  are  a  disgrace.  The  two  rivers,  once  beautiful  streams 
but  now  little  more  than  open  sewers,  can  be  cleaned  up.  Slums  can  be 
cleared,  better  housing  can  be  provided  as  cheaply  or  even  more 
cheaply  than  at  present,  and  factories  and  "nuisance  buildings"  can 
be  zoned  out  of  residential  neighborhoods.  Possibilities  for  improve- 
ment of  the  city  are  almost  illimitable.  It  can  be  made  a  safer  and 
more  healthful  city,  so  that  commerce  may  be  widely  benefited  and 
the  citizens  themselves  may  enjoy  more  beauty  and  comfort. 


283 


SCIENCE 


The  Pioneers 


THE  building  of  homes  in  the  virgin  wilderness  occupied  much 
of  the  attention  of  American  colonists  until  the  beginning  of 
the  eighteenth  century.  Then  a  few  individuals  turned  to  more 
intellectual  pursuits  —  to  problems  of  science  and  philosophy.  As 
early  as  1690  William  Rittenhouse  (1644-1708),  great-grandfather  of 
the  illustrious  David  Rittenhouse,  built  America's  first  paper  mill  on 
the  banks  of  the  Wissahickon,  near  Germantown,  and  within  a  few 
score  of  years  such  figures  as  James  Logan,  David  Rittenhouse,  John 
Bar  tram,  and  Benjamin  Franklin  were  to  achieve  distinction  in  va- 
rious branches  of  science  ;  they  were  to  help  establish  Philadelphia 
as  one  of  the  chief  centers  of  learning  and  culture  in  the  American 
Colonies. 

Although  James  Logan  was  noted  as  a  man  of  public  affairs,  serving 
as  Governor  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania  for  nearly  two  years, 
he  was  also  the  first  American  investigator  of  physiological  botany. 
Born  in  Ireland  in  1674,  Logan  became  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  and  in  1699  in  the  capacity  of  secretary  he  accompanied 
William  Penn  to  America.  A  man  of  broad  culture,  his  translation 
of  Cicero's  De  Senectute  was  published  by  Benjamin  Franklin  in 
1744.  The  results  of  his  botanical  studies  were  made  public  at  Leyden, 
Germany,  in  an  essay  entitled  Experimenta  et  Melitemato  de  Plan- 
tar um  Generatione  (1739) .  This  essay,  which  dealt  with  the  fructifica- 
tion of  Indian  corn,  constituted  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  science 
of  botany. 

More  prominent  in  the  annals  of  botany  is  the  name  of  John  Bart- 
ram.  Although  he  followed  Kelpius  in  the  science,  Bartram  is  gen- 
erally considered  the  first  great  American  botanist.  That  his  fame 
overshadows  that  of  his  contemporaries,  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that 
he  left  a  lasting  memorial  to  his  name  in  Bartram's  Gardens  in  West 
Philadelphia. 

Bartram's  people  came  from  England  in  1682  and  thus  were 
identified  with  the  early  settlement  of  Philadelphia.  He  himself  was 
born  in  1699  on  a  homestead  in  Chester  County,  and  from  boyhood 
manifested  a  keen  interest  in  botany  and  tree  surgery.  In  September 

284 


SCIENCE 

1728  he  purchased  a  small  tract  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Schuylkill  River,  on  the  road  to  Darby,  where  he  built  a  stone  house 
and  laid  out  his  gardens. 

In  the  autumn  of  each  year  he  traveled  widely  throughout  North 
America,  carrying  on  research  and  field  work  in  the  wilderness,  and 
bringing  back  enormous  collections  of  rare  and  valuable  plants.  Some 
he  kept  for  his  own  gardens,  others  he  gave  to  his  friends. 

Upon  his  death,  in  1777,  his  work  was  taken  over  by  his  son,  Wil- 
liam, who  had  inherited  many  of  his  father's  tastes. 

Preeminent  among  American  pioneers  in  astronomy  was  David 
Rittenhouse  (1732-96).  Setting  up  as  a  clockmaker  in  Norristown, 
young  Rittenhouse  diligently  studied  the  sciences,  with  particular 
attention  to  astronomy.  He  discovered  independently  the  method  of 
fluxions  or  the  rate  of  conduction  of  energy  by  radiation  ;  and  in  his 
ignorance  of  what  Leibnitz  and  Newton  had  done  in  this  field,  he 
believed  himself  to  be  the  original  discoverer.  In  1763  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  determine  the  position  of  the  Pennsylvania-Maryland 
border.  This  task,  arduous  and  involving  numerous  intricate  calcula- 
tions, was  performed  mainly  with  instruments  made  by  Rittenhouse  ; 
and  later  his  findings  were  accepted  substantially  by  Mason  and 
Dixon.  His  construction  of  an  orrery  and  his  brilliant  part  in  the 
observation  of  the  transit  of  Venus,  in  1769,  greatly  enhanced  his 
reputation  at  home  and  abroad.  The  observations  were  important,  in 
that  they  supplied  a  basis  for  computing  the  earth's  distance  from 
the  sun.  He  observed  the  transit  of  Mercury  in  the  same  year.  Many 
other  contributions  to  astronomy  followed. 

Rittenhouse  was  prominent  also  as  a  man  of  public  affairs,  serving 
as  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  and  of  the  first  State  Constitu- 
tional Convention  in  1776.  He  was  the  first  State  Treasurer  (1777- 
89),  first  director  of  the  United  States  Mint  (1792-5),  and  professor 
of  astronomy  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  (1779-82).  He  be- 
came secretary  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society  in  1771,  a 
vice-president  of  that  body  in  1786,  and  on  January  7,  1791,  was 
elected  its  president,  continuing  in  that  capacity  through  consecutive 
re-elections  until  his  death.  He  contributed  many  papers  to  the 
American  Philosophical  Society  on  astronomy,  optics,  magnetism, 
and  other  subjects,  and  in  1795  was  selected  as  a  foreign  member 
of  the  Royal  Society  of  London. 

One  of  the  outstanding  figures  of  Colonial  times  was  Benjamin 
Franklin  (1706-90),  who  achieved  eminence  as  a  scientist,  statesman, 
author,  publisher,  inventor,  and  linguist.  It  was  as  a  pioneer  in  the 
field  of  electricity  that  Franklin  accomplished  his  work  most  use- 
ful to  science.  When  not  occupied  with  his  business  and  public  affairs, 
he  carried  on  extensive  experiments  and  research  in  electricity.  He 
published  the  results  of  these  experiments  in  1749  in  an  essay  entitled 

285 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Observations  and  Suppositions  Towards  Forming  a  New  Hypothesis 
for  Explaining  the  Several  Phenomena  of  Thunder-Gusts. 

In  1751  he  published  a  paper  on  Experiments  and  Observations  on 
Electricity,  Made  at  Philadelphia  in  America.  This  treatise  created 
a  sensation  in  Europe,  and  was  praised  by  the  Comte  de  Buffon  and 
by  Sir  William  Watson  of  the  Royal  Society.  In  the  face  of  much 
incredulity,  Franklin's  work  demonstrated  conclusively  that  lightning 
and  electricity  were  manifestations  of  the  same  force.  Not  long  after 
the  appearance  of  his  paper,  Franklin  conducted  the  famous  kite 
experiment,  which  confirmed  his  hypothesis.  Meanwhile,  the  Royal 
Society,  which  had  previously  ridiculed  his  theory,  elected  him  a 
member.  In  the  following  year,  the  society  honored  him  with  the 
Copley  medal. 

At  Franklin's  suggestion  the  American  Philosophical  Society  was 
formed  in  1743.  In  1769  he  became  president  of  the  organization, 
holding  this  post  until  his  death.  He  continued  to  occupy  himself 
with  scientific  problems,  invented  a  new  stove,  perfected  Philadel- 
phia's street-lighting  system,  and  was  a  potent  influence  in  the  found- 
ing of  the  noted  Union  Fire  Company.  His  scientific  writings  included 
63  papers  on  electricity  and  many  others  on  varied  subjects.  Franklin 
was  so  universally  esteemed  that  honors  were  accorded  him  in  Europe 
as  well  as  at  home.  He  was  made  a  foreign  associate  of  the  French 
Academy  of  Sciences  in  1772,  and  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Spanish  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences  in  1784. 

Other  Philadelphia  pioneers  in  science  were  John  Fitch,  among  the 
early  experimenters  with  steamboats  ;  Thomas  Say,  entomologist, 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  ;  James  Pol- 
lard Espy,  father  of  meteorology  ;  Dr.  Robert  Hare,  chemist  ;  Alex- 
ander Wilson,  ornithologist ;  Charles  Willson  Peale,  naturalist  and 
founder  of  one  of  the  first  museums  in  America  ;  Thomas  Nuttall, 
botanist ;  Dr.  Benjamin  Smith  Barton,  naturalist  ;  Gerard  Troost, 
mineralogist  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  ;  Constantine  Samuel  Rafinesque,  naturalist  ;  and  Joseph 
Priestley,  who  had  discovered  oxygen  while  still  living  in  England. 

Industrial  Science 

T1TITH  the  opening  of  the  nineteenth  century,  Philadelphia  gave 
**   impetus  to  the  expansion  of  industry  through  numerous  inven- 
tions in  the  field  of  applied  science.  Manufacturing  had  grown  rapidly 
in  proportion  to  the  development  of  new  machines  and  new  technique. 
Oliver  Evans    (1755-1819),  inventor  of  what  may  be  regarded  as 
the  first  automobile,   a  steam-driven   amphibian   dredging  machine, 
had  begun  the  manufacture  of  steam  engines.  He  had  also  taken  out 
patents  for  cotton  and  wool  carding  machines. 

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SCIENCE 

Patents  for  grain-threshing  machines  were  granted  to  Samuel 
Mullikens,  of  Philadelphia,  as  early  as  1791.  Dr.  Robert  Hare  in- 
vented the  first  electric  furnace  in  1816  ;  and  in  the  same  year  Dr. 
Charles  Kugler  exhibited  his  new  gas  lamp.  In  1824  William  Horst- 
mann  adapted  the  Jacquard  loom  for  American  industry  ;  and  in  1832 
the  first  successful  American  locomotive,  "Old  Ironsides,"  was  built 
by  Matthias  Baldwin. 

Foremost  among  Philadelphia  inventors  and  scientists  of  the  last 
50  years  were  Dr.  Elihu  Thomson,  Frederick  Winslow  Taylor,  Cole- 
man  Sellers,  Herman  Haupt. 

Born  in  1853  at  Manchester,  England,  Elihu  Thomson  at  the  age 
of  five  came  with  his  parents  to  Philadelphia.  Here  he  later  taught 
in  the  high  schools.  Dr.  Thomson,  a  pioneer  in  electrical  science,  is 
credited  with  the  invention  of  the  resistance  method  of  electric  weld- 
ing and  the  three-phase  armature  winding  of  dynamos,  besides  mak- 
ing important  discoveries  in  the  field  of  electrical  production  and 
distribution.  In  the  winter  of  1876-77  he  constructed  the  first  electric 
dynamo  made  in  Philadelphia  at  the  Franklin  Institute  while  a 
lecturer  at  old  Central  High  School,  Broad  and  Green  Streets.  Twelve 
years  later  he  received  the  Grand  Prix  in  Paris  for  his  inventions.  He 
died  March  13,  1937,  at  his  home  in  Swampscott,  Mass. 

Probably  one  of  the  most  significant  figures  in  the  history  of  in- 
dustrial science  and  invention  of  modern  times  was  Frederick  Wins- 
low  Taylor  (1856-1915),  the  father  of  scientific  management  in  in- 
dustry and  business.  Taylor's  name  is  synonymous  with  modern 
methods  of  mass  production.  When  the  Soviet  Government  recently 
inaugurated  the  Stakhanovite  movement  for  greater  efficiency  in  in- 
dustrial production  and  business  management,  it  was  merely  apply- 
ing the  principles  formulated  by  Taylor  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century  and  used  since  then  in  all  large-scale  industries 
and  business  organizations  in  America  and  abroad. 

Born  in  Germantown,  Taylor  was  educated  at  Phillips  Exeter 
Academy,  Harvard  University,  and  Stevens  Institute  of  Technology. 
He  received  his  M.  E.  from  Stevens  in  1883  and  received  his  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Science  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1906.  Enter- 
ing the  employ  of  the  Midvale  Steel  Company  in  Philadelphia,  he 
held  jobs  ranging  from  laborer  to  chief  engineer.  In  1889  he  began 
his  work  of  organizing  on  a  basis  of  efficiency  the  management  of 
various  kinds  of  manufacturing  establishments,  among  them  the 
Midvale  Steel  Company,  Cramp's  Shipbuilding  Company,  and  the 
Bethlehem  Steel  Company.  Using  the  exact  methods  of  science,  Tay- 
lor computed  just  how  many  operations  were  required  to  perform  a 
given  job  with  a  minimum  of  wasted  time  and  motion.  He  invented 
the  Taylor-White  process  of  treating  modern  high-speed  tools,  for 
which  he  received  a  gold  medal  at  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1900  and 

287 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  Elliott-Cresson  gold  medal  of  the  Franklin  Institute.  He  obtained 
patents  on  about  100  inventions.  Taylor  was  president  of  the  Ameri- 
can Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers  in  1905. 

Coleman  Sellers  (1827-1907)  is  best  known  for  his  invention  of  the 
first  kinetoscope  and  photographic  motion  pictures.  Sellers  patented 
his  invention  in  1861.  Improvements  made  later  by  Thomas  A.  Edison 
on  Sellers'  invention  opened  the  way  for  development  of  the  motion- 
picture  industry.  Dr.  Sellers  also  invented  a  machine  for  rifling  gun 
barrels,  an  automatic  stop  for  bolt  cutters,  and  improvements  in 
presses  for  putting  railway  wheels  on  their  axles. 

Herman  Haupt  (1817-1905),  an  American  engineer,  was  director 
and  chief  engineer  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  from  1847  to  1861, 
during  which  time  he  superintended  the  construction  of  the  Hoosac 
Tunnel,  almost  five  miles  long,  under  the  Hoosac  Mountains  at  Hoosac, 
Mass.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  superintendent  of  military  rail- 
roads for  the  Federal  Government,  and  afterwards  became  general 
manager  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.  He  was  the  inventor  of  a 
drilling  machine  and  of  a  method  for  the  transportation  of  oil  from 
the  well. 

Prominent  among  contemporary  Philadelphia  inventors  was  Fred- 
erick Eugene  Ives,  experimenter  in  television,  who  has  made  impor- 
tant contributions  in  this  new  field.  On  April  7,  1927,  Ives  conducted 
the  first  practical  demonstration  of  television,  by  transmitting  the 
image  of  President  Hoover  from  Washington  to  New  York  over  facili- 
ties provided  by  the  American  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company.  He 
died  May  28,  1937,  in  Philadelphia. 

Scientific  Institutions 

T^OREMOST  among  local  scientific  societies,  and  first  of  its  kind 
•*•  in  America,  is  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  which  has 
occupied  its  present  home  in  Independence  Square  since  1789.  The 
Society  was  founded  in  Philadelphia  in  1743,  with  Thomas  Hopkin- 
son  as  president.  An  outgrowth  of  Franklin's  Junto,  the  society  might 
well  claim  1727  as  its  natal  year.  The  original  Junto  was  reorganized 
in  1766  as  "The  American  Society  Held  at  Philadelphia  for  Promot- 
ing Useful  Knowledge."  In  1769  this  society  was  merged  with  the 
earlier  American  Philosophical  Society. 

Franklin,  who  served  as  president  until  his  death,  was  succeeded 
by  David  Rittenhouse.  Other  incumbents  were  Thomas  Jefferson,  Dr. 
Caspar  Wistar,  Peter  Du  Ponceau,  Dr.  Nathaniel  Chapman,  Dr. 
Franklin  Bache,  Frederick  Fraley,  Alexander  Dallas  Bache,  Gen. 
Isaac  Wistar,  Dr.  Edgar  F.  Smith,  Dr.  Robert  Patterson,  Chief  Justice 
Tilghman,  Judge  John  K.  Kane,  Robert  M.  Patterson,  Dr.  George  B. 
Wood,  Dr.  W.  W.  Keen,  Prof.  William  B.  Scott,  Charles  D.  Walcott, 

288 


SCIENCE 

Dr.  Henry  Norris  Russell,  Roland  S.  Morris,  and  Dr.  Francis  X.  Der- 
cum.  The  society's  library  is  rich  in  Frankliniana  and  early  scientific 
lore,  as  well  as  in  other  historical  and  scientific  treasures.  The  pro- 
ceedings of  its  meetings  are  published. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  with  the  American 
Philosophical  Society  enjoying  a  position  of  eminence  throughout 
the  world,  and  Philadelphia  recognized  as  the  seat  of  scientific  culture 
in  America,  there  could  be  found  only  a  scant  handful  of  men  who 
thought  that  the  field  of  natural  science  offered  any  opportunity  for 
intellectual  endeavor. 

The  Botanical  Society,  founded  in  1806,  was  doomed  to  a  brief  and, 
but  for  one  exception,  an  unproductive  existence.  The  exception  was 
the  publication  of  a  work  by  Benjamin  Smith  Barton  entitled  Dis- 
course on  Some  Principal  Desiderata  in  Natural  History. 

The  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  conceived  during  informal  dis- 
cussions among  such  ardent  naturalists  as  John  Speakman  and  Dr. 
Jacob  Gilliams  as  early  as  1809,  was  fully  organized  under  its  present 
name  in  1812.  In  addition  to  Speakman,  Dr.  Joseph  Leidy  and  Gil- 
liams, to  whom  is  due  much  of  the  credit  for  the  forming  of  the  or- 
ganization, Nicholas  B.  Parmentier,  John  Shinn,  Jr.,  Dr.  Gerard 
Troost,  Dr.  Camillus  MacMahon  Mann,  and  Thomas  Say  were  co- 
founders  of  the  institution,  which  was  to  become  one  of  the  most 
active  influences  in  the  world  of  natural  science. 

Members  of  the  academy  have  acquitted  themselves  with  honor  and 
gallantry  in  many  far-flung  expeditions  ever  since  the  time  when 
Thomas  Say  accompanied  Long  to  the  Rockies  in  1819-20.  Two  mem- 
bers participated  in  Wilkes'  Antarctic  expedition  of  1838,  and  the 
academy  outfitted  the  Arctic  expeditions  of  Dr.  Elisha  Kent  Kane  in 
1853  and  Dr.  Isaac  Hayes  in  1860.  Most  outstanding  of  the  many 
explorations  sponsored  by  the  academy,  however,  was  that  of  Rear 
Admiral  Robert  E.  Peary  to  the  North  Pole. 

The  academy's  collections  are  counted  among  the  finest  in  the 
world.  The  conchoiogical  collection,  started  by  Thomas  Say,  numbers 
more  than  a  million  specimens.  Botanical  research  has  resulted  in 
the  accumulation  of  another  million  specimens  in  that  field.'  Its  col- 
lections of  birds,  minerals,  and  European  neolithic  fossils  are  world- 
renowned. 

Franklin  Institute,  founded  in  1824  at  a  meeting  of  citizens  in 
Congress  Hall,  is  the  oldest  organization  in  the  United  States  de- 
voted to  the  promotion  of  applied  sciences  and  mechanical  arts. 
Prominent  in  and  primarily  responsible  for  the  founding  of  the  in- 
stitution were  Samuel  Vaughan  Merrick,  later  head  of  the  South- 
wark  Iron  Works,  and  Dr.  William  Hypolitus  Keating,  son  of  a 
French  baron  and  prominently  associated  with  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 

289 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

In  1825  the  cornerstone  of  the  institute  building,  which  was  on  the 
east  side  of  Seventh  Street  below  Market,  was  laid,  and  in  1826  the 
structure  was  completed.  Classes  were  started  immediately  after 
the  founding,  William  Strickland  teaching  architecture  and  Dr. 
Keating,  chemistry.  The  classes  were  continued  until  1924.  The  insti- 
tute was  the  precursor  of  the  first  city  high  school. 

For  many  years  the  institute  held  exhibits  of  American  manu- 
factures. It  still  conducts  considerable  scientific  research  through  its 
various  committees  and  through  the  Bartol  Research  Foundation  at 
Swarthmore,  founded  in  1921  by  Henry  W.  Bartol,  life  member  of 
the  institute. 

The  new  home  of  the  institute  on  the  Parkway  was  completed  in 
1933.  Dedicated  as  a  memorial  to  Benjamin  Franklin,  this  building 
contains  the  offices,  library,  and  auditorium  of  the  institute,  as  well 
as  a  scientific  and  technological  museum.  It  also  houses  the  Fels 
Planetarium.  The  museum  has  many  exhibits  and  collections  show- 
ing development  in  the  various  fields  of  applied  science. 

In  the  field  of  archeological  exploration  and  preservation  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  Museum  is  predominant.  Founded  as  the 
Archaeological  Association  in  1888,  it  was  given  its  present  name 
in  1892.  Among  the  best  known  of  this  museum's  ventures  was  the 
so-called  Babylonian  Expedition  of  1888.  Failing  to  make  arrange- 
ments in  London  to  prevent  illicit  excavations  in  Babylonia  and 
Assyria,  the  committee  in  charge  of  this  expedition  determined  to 
use  its  efforts  to  divert  antiquities  to  the  United  States.  After  much 
haggling,  the  collection  of  Joseph  Shemtob  was  purchased  for  much 
less  than  it  would  have  cost  to  obtain  a  similar  one  by  excavation. 
The  collection,  now  housed  in  the  museum,  together  with  another 
purchased  by  Dr.  Harper,  consisted  of  several  hundred  pieces,  and 
constituted  what  was  then  the  greatest  gathering  of  Babylonian  and 
Assyrian  relics  in  the  United  States. 

In  1895  the  museum  sponsored  an  exhaustive  ethnological  survey 
of  Borneo  conducted  by  William  H.  Furness,  3d,  and  H.  M.  Miller. 
Its  recent  activities  have  included  the  search  for  evidences  of  early 
man  in  the  southwestern  United  States  ;  a  study  of  the  old  Mayan 
empire  at  Piedras  Negras,  Guatemala  ;  explorations  in  Tell  Billa 
and  Tepe  Gawra  in  Mesopotamia,  Ravy  in  Persia,  and  Cyprus. 

Lectures,  classroom  instruction,  visual  education  by  means  of 
museum  specimens,  and  a  complete  reference  library  are  provided 
by  the  Wagner  Free  Institute  of  Science,  at  Seventeenth  Street  and 
Montgomery  Avenue.  The  institute  conducts  free  lecture  courses,  sup- 
plemented by  class  work  in  engineering,  organic  and  inorganic 
chemistry,  botany,  zoology,  physics,  and  geology.  Certificates  are 
awarded  to  students  who  complete  a  four-year  course  in  any  of  these 

290 


Natural  Habitat  Exhibits  in  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 


The  Aerie 


Serenity 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

subjects.  The  institute  has  a  museum  of  25,000  specimens  in  min- 
eralogy, palaeontology,  petrology,  corals,  birds,  and  mammals. 

The  American  Entomological  Society  was  founded  in  1859  to  in- 
vestigate the  habits  of  insects.  It  publishes  the  monthly  Entomological 
News. 

The  Pennsylvania  Horticultural  Society,  oldest  in  the  country,  was 
organized  November  24,  1827,  with  Horace  Binney  as  first  president. 
The  latter  has  been  active  in  promoting  and  encouraging  the  study 
of  flowers,  vegetables,  fruits,  plants,  and  trees.  Its  3,600-volume  li- 
brary and  its  offices  are  at  No.  1600  Arch  Street.  Supported  mainly 
by  the  endowment  of  a  former  president,  William  L.  Schaffer,  the 
society  has  a  nominal  dues-paying  membership  of  3,700.  It  aids 
greatly  in  the  forming  of  garden  clubs. 

The  Penrose  Research  Laboratories,  as  a  subsidiary  of  the  Zoolog- 
ical Gardens,  conduct  studies  in  comparative  pathology  and  nu- 
tritive values.  The  laboratories  were  established  in  1901. 

The  Morris  Arboretum  and  the  Botanic  Garden,  both  maintained 
by  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  are  engaged  in  plant  study.  The 
arboretum,  bequeathed  to  the  university  by  the  late  Miss  Lydia 
Thompson  Morris,  occupies  a  170-acre  estate  in  Chestnut  Hill,  and 
is  one  of  the  beauty  spots  in  the  United  States.  Lying  between  Hamil- 
ton Walk  and  the  grounds  of  the  Philadelphia  Hospital  is  the  Botanic 
Garden,  comprising  nearly  four  acres  of  trees  and  flowers.  Six  green- 
houses shelter  a  collection  of  orchids,  palms,  aroids,  ferns,  and  suc- 
culents, which  have  proved  of  value  in  the  teaching  and  research 
work  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania's  botany  department. 


292 


Fitch's  Steamboat  "Perseverance" 
The  progenitor  of  the  S.  S.  Queen  Mary 


MEDICINE 


MEDICAL  practice  in  Perm's  city  had  its  beginning  with  Jan 
Peterson,  Swedish  barber-surgeon,  who  administered  to  the 
ills  of  the  early  Dutch  and  Swedish  settlers  long  before  the 
city  was  laid  out.  John  Goodson,  a  chirurgeon  to  the  Society  of  Free 
Traders,  came  from  London  to  Chester  (then  Upland)  early  in 
Pennsylvania  history.  He  was  practicing  in  Upland  in  1682,  and 
moved  to  Philadelphia  after  the  coming  of  William  Penn. 

Struggling  in  a  fog  of  uncertainty  and  ignorance,  Philadelphia's 
earnest  medical  pioneers  laid  the  foundation  for  future  greatness  in 
the  field  of  medicine.  Hardy  warriors,  they  fought  valiantly  against 
the  epidemics  and  plagues  which  swept  the  young  city  every  few 
years.  Included  in  this  advance  guard  were  John  Kearsley,  Thomas 
Graeme,  Lloyd  Zachary,  John  Morgan,  William  Shippen,  Jr.,  Thomas 
Bond,  Benjamin  Rush,  Phineas  Bond,  Adam  Kuhn,  and  Thomas 
Cadwalader.  Dr.  Cadwalader  was  one  of  the  early  physicians  to  apply 
modern  scientific  methods  to  an  autopsy,  and  the  first  to  employ 
electricity  in  the  treatment  of  disease,  especially  paralysis. 

Among  first  practitioners  were  Thomas  Wynne,  Thomas  Lloyd,  and 
Griffith  Owen,  all  three  of  whom  arrived  from  Wales  in  1682  and 
held  the  first  consultation  in  Philadelphia  shortly  thereafter.  Dr. 
Owen  performed  the  first  professional  operation  —  amputation  of  a 
gunner's  arm  shattered  by  a  cannon  ball  fired  as  a  salute  on  the  oc- 
casion of  William  Penn's  second  coming  to  Philadelphia  —  in  1699. 

The  earliest  physicians  provided  the  impetus  to  medical  advance- 
ment which  led  to  the  establishment  in  1732  of  a  hospital  department 
in  the  Philadelphia  Almshouse.  Twenty  years  later  the  Pennsylvania 
Hospital  was  founded.  Benjamin  Franklin,  man  of  marvelous  ver- 
satility, aided  in  the  fight  for  its  establishment  with  his  inimitable 
flair  for  publicity. 

During  the  city's  formative  years  there  was  no  institution  offering 
instruction  in  the  medical  arts  and  sciences  until  the  founding  of  the 
Medical  School  of  the  College  of  Philadelphia  in  1765.  The  first 
medical  degree  of  Colonial  days,  Bachelor  in  Physic,  was  conferred 
upon  graduates  of  this  school  in  1768.  The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medi- 
cine did  not  come  into  existence  until  1789. 

The  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  witnessed  a  quickened  in- 
terest and  a  practical  growth  in  medical  education  facilities.  In  1820 

293 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Dr.  Jason  Lawrence  founded  the  Philadelphia  Anatomical  Rooms, 
later  known  as  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Anatomy.  Jefferson  Medi- 
cal College  was  founded  in  1825,  Pennsylvania  Medical  College  in 
1840.  The  founding  of  these  schools  broke  the  ice  of  uncertainty  sur- 
rounding the  medical  profession,  and  many  more  schools  sprang  up 
throughout  the  city.  Franklin  Medical  College  and  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Medicine  had  their  inception  in  1846.  By  this  time  Phila- 
delphia had  gained  a  reputation  as  the  medical  center  of  the  United 
States,  and  the  city's  renown  in  this  field  has  continued  to  grow  with 
the  years. 

Advocates  of  the  homeopathic  doctrine  aided  in  the  founding  of  the 
Homeopathic  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania.  Untiring  efforts  on  the 
part  of  supporters  of  women  who  clamored  for  admission  to  medical 
schools  resulted  in  the  founding,  in  1850,  of  the  Female  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Philadelphia,  later  known  as  the  Women's  Medical  College 
of  Pennsylvania. 

To  meet  the  need  of  the  growing  demand  for  specialization,  the 
Philadelphia  Polyclinic  and  College  for  Graduates  in  Medicine  was 
established  in  1889.  The  school  proved  highly  successful,  and  Temple 
University  followed  with  the  opening  of  a  department  of  medicine. 
Medical  science  was  at  last  leaving  its  swaddling  clothes  and  abandon- 
ing its  ancient  superstitions  to  become  more  nearly  a  science. 

The  profession  of  dentistry  arrived  as  an  offspring  of  medicine. 
The  Philadelphia  College  of  Dental  Surgery  was  founded  in  1852. 
Upon  recognizing  the  demand  for  study  in  this  field,  the  Philadelphia 
Dental  College,  now  a  part  of  Temple  University,  was  founded.  This 
was  in  1863,  preceding  by  15  years  the  opening  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania's  dental  department. 

Pharmacy  had  made  but  a  timid  appearance  in  Philadelphia  be- 
fore the  Revolution,  and  for  some  time  afterward  only  a  few  apothe- 
caries were  available.  One  of  the  first  apothecaries  in  America  was 
David  Leighton,  whom  Dr.  John  Morgan  brought  to  Philadelphia 
after  the  latter's  sojourn  abroad.  However,  many  years  elapsed  be- 
fore Philadelphia  won  distinction  by  founding  the  first  American 
institution  of  that  science,  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy, 
in  1821. 

Colonial  Medical  Practice 

A  N  INCIDENT  in  the  life  of  Dr.  William  Shippen,  Jr.,  shows  to 
-^*-  what  extent  medical  research  in  early  Philadelphia  was  hamp- 
ered by  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of  both  layman  and  physician. 
When,  in  his  search  for  knowledge  to  aid  in  alleviating  suffering,  he 
dissected  a  human  body  in  1762,  a  storm  of  protest  broke  through- 
out the  city.  He  was  threatened  with  physical  violence,  and  an  at- 

294 


MEDICINE 

tempt  was  made  to  destroy  his  home.  Nevertheless,  the  intrepid  phy- 
sician continued  his  efforts  to  probe  the  unknown.  Dr.  Shippen  was  in 
advance  of  all  his  contemporaries  in  the  study  and  knowledge  of 
obstetrics,  and  in  1762  he  established  the  city's  first  private  maternity 
home. 

A  close  associate  and  friend  of  his,  Dr.  John  Morgan,  has  been 
called  the  "founder  of  American  medicine"  as  a  result  of  extensive 
research  work.  To  Dr.  Morgan  goes  the  credit  for  effecting  a  division 
between  medicine  and  surgery,  realizing,  as  he  did,  that  each 
specialty  required  its  own  type  of  practitioner.  When  he  returned 
from  his  studies  abroad,  he  founded,  in  1765,  America's  first  school  of 
medicine.  (Dr.  Shippen  was  professor  of  surgery  and  anatomy  in 
this  school,  which  later  became  part  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) Dr.  Morgan  made  invaluable  contributions  to  the  study  of  the 
origin  and  formation  of  pus,  and  his  views  on  scientific  surgery  are 
approved  even  today  by  medical  men  everywhere. 

Early  Philadelphians  were  the  originators  of  many  valuable  meth- 
ods of  treatment,  especially  in  the  field  of  surgery.  Dr.  Thomas  Bond 
created  a  flurry  of  speculation  in  medical  circles  in  1756  when  he 
performed  the  city's  first  recorded  lithotomy  (bladder  operation)  at 
the  Pennsylvania  Hospital.  It  can  well  be  imagined  what  pain  was 
suffered  by  the  patient,  without  benefit  of  anesthesia  ;  but  the 
operation  was  successful,  and  medical  science  thus  moved  another 
step  forward.  Dr.  Bond  also  perfected  a  splint  for  fractures  of  the 
lower  end  of  the  radius.  He  discovered  the  medicinal  value  of  mer- 
cury, and  was  the  first  in  the  Colonies  to  advocate  the  use  of  hot 
and  cold  baths  in  medical  treatment. 

Another  prominent  practitioner  in  early  Philadelphia  was  Dr. 
Philip  Syng  Physick,  "the  father  of  American  surgery"  and  inventor 
of  a  number  of  surgical  appliances  and  instruments.  Among  his 
creations  were  the  urethrotome,  the  seton  for  ununified  fractures, 
ligatures  for  vessels,  and  the  tonsillotome.  Dr.  Hugh  L.  Hodge  in- 
vented a  pessary  and  obstetrical  forceps  ;  Dr.  S.  D.  Gross  a  trans- 
fusion apparatus,  foreign  body  extractor,  bullet  probe,  artery  forceps, 
tourniquet,  and  splints.  Dr.  Gross  conducted  the  first  systematic 
course  of  lectures  on  morbid  anatomy  given  in  the  United  States. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  also  a  Philadelphian,  is  conceded  to  have  been 
one  of  the  greatest  clinicians  that  this  country  has  ever  produced. 
Besides  being  an  acknowledged  leader  in  the  field  of  medicine,  he 
was  an  essayist,  orator,  philosopher,  and  statesman,  and  a  highly 
successful  teacher. 

The  first  medical  textbook  in  America  was  published  in  1811  by  a 
Philadelphian,  Dr.  Caspar  Wistar,  whose  anatomical  specimens  form 
the  nucleus  of  the  present  Wistar  Museum.  William  P.  C.  Barton^ 
nephew  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Smith  Barton  and  successor  to  the  latter 

295 


V 


Laboratory — Sharp  &  Dohme,  Inc. 
Man  versus  disease 


MEDICINE 

as  professor  of  botany  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  wrote  the 
first  American  Materia  Medica,  Florae  Philadelphicae  Prodromus 
(1815),  containing  a  botanical,  general,  and  medical  history  of  the 
medicinal  plants  indigenous  to  the  United  States. 

Philadelphia  has  suffered  its  share  of  major  epidemics.  The  first 
recorded  plague  occurred  in  1699,  when  yellow  fever  exacted  a  toll 
of  220  lives.  In  the  early  days  vaccination  was  little  known  and  less 
used,  but  an  epidemic  of  smallpox  in  1730  induced  Philadelphia 
medical  men  to  experiment  in  the  field  of  prevention.  When  another 
epidemic  broke  out,  six  years  later,  there  was  vociferous  objection 
to  vaccination,  although  by  this  time  it  had  been  successfully  used  in 
England.  However,  the  value  of  inoculation  was  demonstrated  by 
the  fact  that  only  one  of  129  persons  submitting  to  the  treatment 
succumbed  to  the  malady.  Another  invasion  of  the  dread  disease  in 
1756  further  tended  to  fortify  the  arguments  of  those  in  favor  of 
preventive  measures.  Finally,  in  1773,  an  inoculation  hospital  was 
opened  in  Philadelphia. 

During  the  terrible  yellow-fever  scourge  of  1793,  of  the  Philadel- 
phia physicians  who  fought  the  epidemic  heroically  one  stood  out 
conspicuously  —  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush.  Fighting  blindly,  he  finally 
evolved  a  treatment  which,  though  in  no  sense  a  cure,  nevertheless 
did  much  to  ease  the  suffering.  Each  day  he  treated  an  average  of 
125  persons  stricken  by  the  deadly  "Yellow  Jack."  The  epidemic 
spread  rapidly  from  Water  and  Front  Streets  to  surrounding  areas 
and  raged  for  six  long  weeks.  Thousands  fled  the  city.  Those  who 
remained  wandered  through  streets  heavy  with  the  acrid  smoke  of 
burning  wood  and  gunpowder,  used  in  an  effort  to  halt  the  scourge. 
With  the  coming  of  cold  weather  the  plague  subsided,  but  only  after 
4,000  deaths  had  been  recorded. 

Later  Efforts 

A  MONG  those  Philadelphians  who  helped  make  medical  history 
^*-  during  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  and  early  nineteenth 
centuries  were  John  K.  Mitchell  (1798-1858),  first  to  describe  neuro- 
tic spinal-joint  diseases  and  their  treatment  ;  Dr.  George  Bacon 
Wood  (1797-1879),  and  Dr.  Franklin  Bache  (1792-1864),  collabora- 
tors on  the  United  States  Dispensatory;  Nathaniel  Chapman  (1780- 
1853)  and  Matthew  Carey  (1760-1839),  founders  of  the  Philadelphia 
Journal  of  the  Medical  and  Physical  Sciences,  later  called  American 
Journal  of  the  Medical  Sciences  ;  Dr.  Samuel  George  Morton  (1799- 
1851),  author  of  valuable  papers  on  craniology,  palaeontology,  and 
phthisisography ;  William  Wood  Gerhard  (1809-72),  specialist  in 
pulmonary  diseases  ;  and  Elisha  Kent  Kane  (1820-57),  physician  and 
arctic  explorer. 

297 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Dr.  Crawford  Williamson  Long  (1815-78)  was  a  pioneer  in  the  use 
of  ether;  Dr.  Joseph  Pancoast  (1805-82),  Dr.  Joseph  Leidy  (1823- 
1891),  Dr.  James  Tyson  (1841-1919),  Dr.  William  Pepper  (1843-98), 
and  Dr.  Jacob  M.  DaCosta  (1833-1900)  contributed  much  to  the  steady 
march  of  medical  progress.  Dr.  Silas  Weir  Mitchell  (1829-1914), 
termed  the  "father  of  American  neurology,"  was  almost  equally  well 
known  as  a  novelist  and  poet. 

Outstanding  physicians  of  a  later  day  include  Dr.  John  B.  Deaver 
(1855-1931),  a  surgeon  noted  for  his  success  in  appendectomy;  Dr. 
George  Edmund  de  Schweinitz,  recognized  as  one  of  the  country's 
outstanding  eye  specialists  ;  Dr.  Solomon  Solis-Cohen,  professor 
emeritus  of  clinical  medicine  at  Jefferson  College,  who  delivered  the 
first  systematic  course  of  lectures  on  Therapeutic  Measures  Other  than 
Drugs  in  an  American  school  ;  and  Dr.  Chevalier  Jackson,  developer 
of  the  world-famous  bronchoscope  and  now  occupying  the  chair  of 
bronchoscopy  at  Temple  University.  Dr.  Jackson  is  also  inventor  of 
the  esophogoscope. 

The  crippling  scourge  of  infantile  paralysis  is  now  somewhat  less 
dreaded  as  a  result  of  the  efforts  of  Dr.  John  A.  Kolmer,  head  of  the 
Temple  University  medical  staff.  Dr.  Kolmer  experimented  with 
monkeys  for  three  years  before  perfecting  a  treatment  at  the  Re- 
search Institute  of  Cutaneous  Medicine.  His  studies  and  persistent 
work  in  immunization  and  vaccine  therapy  stand  today  as  the  most 
important  achievements  toward  prevention  and  cure  of  infantile 
paralysis. 

Dr.  William  B.  Van  Lennep  (1853-1919),  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  American  College  of  Surgeons,  was  acknowledged  by  his  contem- 
poraries as  being  among  the  greatest  American  teachers  of  surgery. 
Another  noted  surgeon,  Dr.  William  W.  Keen  (1837-1932),  achieved 
his  greatest  fame  through  his  work  in  the  treatment  of  war  wounds. 

Dr.  Rufus  B.  Weaver  (1841-1936),  famous  throughout  the  country, 
performed  one  of  the  greatest  anatomical  feats  the  world  has  known. 
Within  a  period  of  seven  months  he  dissected  and  mounted  a  com- 
plete human  cerebro-nervous  system  from  the  remains  of  Harriet 
Cole,  a  colored  scrub  woman  at  Hahnemann  Hospital.  The  students 
to  this  day  refer  to  it  as  Harriet.  The  white  nerves  are  suspended  on 
the  heads  of  protruding  pins  ;  the  eyes  fixed  to  meet  the  gaze  of  the 
many  visitors.  This  work,  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  the  history  of 
medicine,  is  preserved  in  a  fireproof  vault  in  the  Rufus  B.  Weaver 
Museum  of  Hahnemann  Medical  College.  Early  in  his  career  Dr. 
Weaver  astounded  the  medical  profession  by  identifying,  from  their 
buried  remains,  the  bodies  of  3,000  Confederate  soldiers  who  had 
been  killed  at  Gettysburg. 

Dr.  Louis  A.  Duhring  (1845-1913)  was  an  outstanding  skin  spe- 
cialist. An  ailing  Philadelphian  once  traveled  to  Vienna  for  treat- 

298 


MEDICINE 

ment  by  a  noted  Austrian  dermatologist.  The  Vienna  doctor  told  him 
he  had  gone  to  much  unnecessary  trouble  since  Philadelphia  had  in 
Dr.  Duhring  one  of  the  world's  best  skin  specialists. 

Pediatrics  has  been  greatly  advanced  through  the  efforts  of  two 
notable  Philadelphians,  Dr.  John  P.  Crozer  Griffith  and  Dr.  Charles 
Sigmund  Raue.  Dr.  Raue  is  chief  of  the  department  of  pediatrics  at 
Hahnemann,  and  St.  Luke's  and  Children's  Hospitals.  Dr.  George  W. 
MacKenzie,  highly  revered  by  members  of  his  profession,  is  noted 
for  his  work  as  an  ear,  nose,  and  throat  specialist.  To  Dr.  MacKenzie, 
who  teaches  not  only  students  but  also  physicians,  was  awarded  the 
gold  honor  medal  by  the  University  of  Vienna  for  his  contributions 
to  medical  science. 

Dr.  Francis  Colgate  Benson,  Jr.,  a  pioneer  in  the  adaptation  of 
radium  to  medical  purposes,  organized  this  country's  first  separate 
department  for  the  use  of  radium  in  medicine  and  surgery. 

The  progress  of  health  among  the  school  children  of  Philadelphia 
has  been  greatly  furthered  by  the  work  of  Dr.  Walter  S.  Cornell, 
head  of  the  medical  inspection  department  of  the  Philadelphia  Board 
of  Education.  His  department's  yearly  reports  serve  as  models  for 
public  school  systems  throughout  the  Nation. 

Although  Negroes  did  not  become  active  in  the  medical  field  until 
late  in  the  nineteenth  century,  members  of  the  race  have  made  many 
valuable  contributions  to  medical  knowledge.  The  first  accredited 
doctor  to  appear  upon  the  scene  was  Dr.  Nathan  F.  Mossell,  the 
first  Negro  student  to  enter  and  graduate  from  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania's  medical  school.  Graduating  from  that  institution  in 
1882,  he  began  practicing  that  same  year  and  is  now  (1937)  rounding 
out  55  continuous  years  of  medical  service  to  his  people.  The  follow- 
ing year  Dr.  James  Potter  finished  his  medical  course  in  the  same 
university  and  began  a  practice  which  lasted  until  his  death  in  1929. 
During  the  last  decade  of  the  century  Drs.  A.  E.  White,  Thomas  J. 
Stanford,  George  R.  Hilton,  and  Wilbert  D.  Postels  began  their  work. 
Early  in  the  new  century  (1906)  Dr.  Henry  M.  Minton,  now  (1937) 
superintendent  of  Mercy  Hospital,  started  his  practice.  He  has  given 
a  great  deal  of  time  towards  the  cure  of  tuberculosis,  and  is  dispens- 
ing physician  to  the  Henry  Phipps  Institute,  an  agency  for  the  pre- 
vention and  treatment  of  this  disease.  Among  well-known,  present-day 
doctors  are  Drs.  J.  Q.  McDougald,  successful  surgeon  ;  John  P.  Turner, 
police  surgeon  and  first  Negro  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  ; 
and  Virginia  M.  Alexander,  who  in  connection  with  her  practice, 
maintains  a  private  hospital. 


299 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
Hygiene  and  Hygiene  Legislation 

OVERNMENTAL  action  in  the  field  of  health  preservation  came 
when  laymen  and  medical  men  alike  sought  to  devise  some  means 
of  preventing  the  recurrence  of  conditions  similar  to  those  prevail- 
ing at  the  time  of  the  yellow-fever  epidemic  in  1793.  Agitation  along 
this  line  culminated  in  the  1794  Act  of  Assembly  which  created  a 
Board  of  Health.  Full  authority  was  given  the  board  to  make  and 
enforce  all  rules  and  regulations  deemed  necessary  for  conducting 
effective  quarantines. 

Health  authorities  received  wider  powers  from  the  State  Legisla- 
ture in  1895.  An  act  of  that  year  required  the  prompt  reporting  of 
contagious  diseases,  the  isolation  of  patients,  and  the  quarantining 
of  houses  where  contagious  cases  existed.  It  regulated  the  school  at- 
tendance of  children  living  in  such  houses,  required  the  disinfection 
of  persons  and  clothing,  and  instituted  compulsory  vaccination  to 
prevent  smallpox.  The  law  provided  heavy  penalties  for  violations. 

Philadelphia's  first  water  works  was  begun  in  1799,  with  the 
erection  of  a  powerhouse  and  a  receiving  fountain  along  the  Schuyl- 
kill  River,  south  of  Market  Street.  In  1818  the  first  pumps  were  in- 
stalled in  the  section  then  known  as  "Faire  Mount"  along  the  Schuyl- 
kill,  north  of  Market  Street. 

Until  1884  Philadelphia's  sewer  system  consisted  of  less  than  30 
miles  of  sewers.  The  first  intercepting  sewer  was  constructed  in  1884, 
its  purpose  being  to  prevent  pollution  of  that  part,  of  the  Schuylkill 
River  within  the  city  limits.  Eighteen  hundred  miles  of  sewers  drain 
the  city  today. 

Steps  toward  systematic  control  of  the  city's  milk  supply  were 
taken  in  1888,  when  the  city  made  an  appropriation  for  the  employ- 
ment of  a  milk  inspector.  Today  it  maintains  a  special  division  of 
milk  inspection,  with  a  chief  inspector  and  a  large  staff  of  assistants. 
Food  inspection  has  been  handled  with  much  greater  efficiency  since 
the  division  of  bacteriology,  pathology,  and  disinfection  was  estab- 
lished in  1895.  This  division  performs  an  invaluable  service  by  con- 
fiscating impure  and  tainted  foodstuffs. 

As  for  hospitalization,  there  is  no  resemblance  at  all  between  the 
insanitary  and  miasmic  pesthouse  of  Colonial  Philadelphia  and  the 
74  spotless  and  scientifically  equipped  institutions  of  today. 

Overcrowded  conditions  in  the  city's  first  hospital  resulted  in  the 
establishment  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  in  1751.  This  institu- 
tion's department  for  the  sick  and  injured  has  remained  at  Eighth 
and  Spruce  Streets  ever  since  completion  of  the  hospital,  construction 
of  which  was  begun  in  1755.  The  department  for  mental  and  nervous 
diseases,  commonly  known  as  Kirkbride's,  is  in  West  Philadelphia. 
The  various  buildings  are  scattered  over  an  immense  plot  of  ground 

300 


fei 


^..^MW^-T 
Jl* 


I 


Men  iw  ^/iite 
Operating  room  in  Hahnemanri  Hospital 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

bounded  approximately  by  Market  Street,  Powelton  Avenue,  Forty- 
second  Street,  Haverford  Avenue,  and  Forty-ninth  Street.  Construc- 
tion of  the  buildings  to  house  the  mental  and  nervous  department 
was  begun  in  1836.  Kirkbride's  was  for  many  years  a  model  for 
mental  institutions  all  over  the  world.  Pennsylvania  Hospital  was  the 
first  in  America  to  establish  a  department  of  psychiatry.  In  1928 
ground  was  broken  at  Forty-ninth  and  Market  Streets  for  the  erection 
of  a  modern  psychiatric  institute. 

Philadelphia  General  Hospital,  an  outgrowth  of  the  city's  early 
almshouse,  is  admittedly  one  of  the  finest  and  largest  institutions  of 
its  kind  in  the  United  States.  The  hospital  was  separated  from  the 
almshouse  by  a  legislative  act  in  1919.  A  group  of  old  buildings, 
which  for  half  a  century  housed  the  indigent  insane,  and  physically 
ill,  was  metamorphosed  into  the  gigantic  General  Hospital  at  Thirty- 
fourth  and  Pine  Streets.  The  main  buildings  were  completed  and  first 
occupied  in  1928.  Additional  buildings  were  added  in  1929,  1930,  and 
1933,  in  which  last  named  year  the  cost  of  buildings  and  equipment 
approximated  $8,000,000.  The  hospital  is  modern  in  every  detail  and 
has  2,500  beds. 

The  School  of  Medicine  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  founded 
in  1765,  was  the  first  American  medical  school  connected  with  a 
university.  Headquarters  are  in  the  Medical  Laboratory  Building  at 
Thirty-sixth  Street  and  Hamilton  Walk,  and  the  various  department 
buildings  radiate  from  that  point.  From  the  small  Surgeon's  Hall, 
open  in  1765  at  Fifth  Street  near  Walnut,  the  school  has  grown 
to  vast  proportions.  Since  its  founding  more  than  16,000  students 
have  received  medical  degrees  from  the  school,  and  approximately 
500  students  are  currently  enrolled.  The  courses  of  instruction  include 
every  branch  of  the  medical  profession. 

The  Graduate  Hospital  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  at  Nine- 
teenth and  Lombard  Streets,  provides  post-graduate  courses  in  all 
branches  of  medicine.  The  Medico-Chirurgical  (Medico-Chi)  College 
and  Hospital  merged  with  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1916.  The 
Philadelphia  Polyclinic  and  College  for  graduates  in  medicine  and 
the  Diagnostic  Hospital  merged  with  the  university  in  1918  and  1926, 
respectively. 

Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Tenth  and  Walnut  Streets,  has  been 
noted  since  its  inception  for  its  distinguished  clinicians  and  the  in- 
clusiveness  of  its  clinical  teaching.  The  college  and  clinical  buildings, 
recently  constructed,  house  one  of  the  most  modern  medical  colleges 
in  the  United  States. 

There  are  two  hospitals  operated  by  and  chiefly  for  Negroes.  Doug- 
lass Hospital,  Lombard  Street  near  Sixteenth,  was  established  in  1895, 
the  first  of  its  kind  in  Pennsylvania.  In  addition  to  ward,  private,  and 
semiprivate  facilities  the  hospital  maintains  a  special  X-ray  room  for 

302 


MEDICINE 

diagnosis  with  modernly  equipped  pathological  and  histological  labor- 
atories. It  has  a  bed  capacity  of  approximately  100.  Mercy  Hospital, 
Fiftieth  and  Woodland  Avenue,  opened  on  February  12,  1907,  receiv- 
ing its  charter  the  following  March.  It  maintains  a  110-bed  capacity 
and  is  supported  by  State  aid  and  through  the  community  fund.  Both 
institutions  maintain  a  training  school  for  nurses. 

The  Homeopathic  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania  was  consoli- 
dated with  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia  in  1869, 
under  the  latter  name.  The  college,  on  Broad  Street  north  of  Race,  is 
the  oldest  homeopathic  medical  school  in  existence.  The  Hospital  of 
Philadelphia  merged  with  Hahnemann  in  1885.  Completely  reorgan- 
ized in  1916,  many  new  and  desirable  educational  improvements  were 
effected.  The  present  20-story  structure  was  completed  in  1928.  Every 
available  aid  for  the  diagnosis  and  treatment  of  disease  is  found  in 
this  modern  college  and  hospital. 

The  Jewish  Hospital  Association,  at  York  and  Tabor  Roads,  was 
founded  in  1865.  This  institution  has  from  the  beginning  been  "dedi- 
cated to  the  relief  work  of  the  sick  and  wounded  without  regard  to 
creed,  color,  or  nationality." 

An  unusual  medical  institution  is  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  now  located  at  15  South  Twenty-second  Street.  A  prototype 
of  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians  of  London,  it  was  instituted  in 
Philadelphia  in  September  1787.  In  its  earlier  years  this  scientific 
body  was  active  in  the  maintenance  of  public  health  and  morals.  In 
recent  years,  however,  its  largest  measures  have  been  devoted  to  the 
discussion  of  scientific  matters.  Its  valuable  library  occupies  a  promi- 
nent position  among  medical  libraries  of  the  world. 

A  noteworthy  forward  step  in  medical  progress  was  taken  with  the 
establishment  of  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Occupational  Therapy  in 
1918.  Under  the  auspices  of  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Serv- 
ice, the  school  aims  to  develop  the  formula  of  "occupation  under 
medical  prescription"  as  treatment  for  both  mental  and  physical  ail- 
ments. 


303 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 

'Do  good  with  what  thou  hast,  or  it  will  do  thee  no  good* 


SOCIAL  service  has  by  no  means  been  laggard  in  its  contribution 
to  the  picture  of  general  achievement  in  Philadelphia.  Despite 
its  widely  flung  area  and  density  of  population,  the  city  manages 
to  take  reasonably  good  care  of  its  destitute. 

Even  the  wealthy,  golfing  or  riding  to  hounds  in  the  sun-drenched 
suburbs  far  from  the  city's  slums,  regard  their  charities  seriously. 
The  annual  Charity  Ball  of  the  socialites  is  as  much  a  part  of  Phila- 
delphia tradition  as  is  the  thrift  of  Benjamin  Franklin  or  the  prodi- 
gality of  Robert  Morris. 

The  family  relief  situation  in  Philadelphia  was  probably  at  its 
worst  during  the  early  days  of  the  Colony,  when  members  of  needy 
families  were  forced  to  beg  upon  the  streets.  There  was  no  differen- 
tiation between  those  who  could  not  work  and  those  who  would  not 
work.  Charitable  organizations,  such  as  they  were,  carried  on  their 
work  independently  of  one  another,  so  that  confusion  and  inefficiency 
resulted.  Pauper  laws,  brought  from  England  by  the  Quakers,  were 
invoked  in  the  cases  of  individuals  seeking  aid.  A  trace  of  these  laws 
remains  today  in  those  Philadelphia  hospitals  which  require  an  oath 
of  poverty  from  a  charity  patient. 

The  first  almshouse  in  Philadelphia  was  established  in  1713,  by  the 
Society  of  Friends,  on  the  south  side  of  Walnut  Street  between  Third 
and  Fourth.  It  was  devoted  exclusively  to  the  care  of  indigent  mem- 
bers of  the  Quaker  faith. 

The  first  municipal  almshouse  was  completed  in  1732,  and  was 
operated  under  supervision  of  the  city  government.  Known  as  the 
Philadelphia  Almshouse,  it  maintained  a  hospital  department  and 
accommodated  the  sick  and  insane  as  well  as  the  poor.  It  was  situated 
in  a  green  meadow  at  Third  and  Spruce  Streets.  Its  hospital  depart- 
ment developed  into  what  is  today  the  Philadelphia  General  Hospital. 
In  1767  a  new  almshouse  with  larger  accommodations  was  opened 
at  Eleventh  and  Pine  Streets. 

With  the  passing  of  the  years,  and  the  steady  growth  of  the  city's 
population,  a  corresponding  increase  in  the  number  of  dependents 
necessitated  a  larger  institution.  On  March  5,  1828,  an  act  was  passed 
providing  for  an  almshouse,  hospital,  and  other  buildings  "on  a  site 
not  exceeding  two  miles  from  Broad  &  Market  Sts."  In  the  vicinity 

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SOCIAL  SERVICE 

of  what  is  now  Thirty-fourth  and  Spruce  Streets  a  large  tract  of  land 
was  purchased,  and  on  it  were  erected  the  buildings  of  the  Blockley 
Almshouse.  Completed  in  1834,  the  institution  was  operated  by  the 
city  for  many  years. 

The  oldest  prison  organization  in  America,  the  Pennsylvania 
Prison  Society,  was  established  in  1787.  This  society  aids  and  advises 
prisoners  in  the  problems  facing  them  during  their  confinement  and 
after  their  release. 

The  first  private  charitable  institution  in  the  city  was  the  Mag- 
dalen Society,  founded  in  1799  for  the  reformation  of  fallen  women. 
Bishop  William  White,  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  was  its 
first  president. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Ann  Parrish,  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  the  first  organization  for  temporary  assistance  of  the  dis- 
tressed was  formed  in  1793,  following  the  epidemic  of  yellow  fever, 
which  had  caused  great  suffering  and  privation  among  the  poor. 
Assistance  was  given  to  the  sick,  and  in  the  winter  wood  and  food 
were  distributed  to  the  needy. 

In  1815  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  erected  a  two-story  build- 
ing at  Eighteenth  and  Cherry  Streets,  dedicating  it  to  the  care  of 
orphans.  Thus  the  Orphans'  Society  of  Philadelphia  was  formed.  The 
society  carried  on  its  work  at  the  original  address  until  1872,  when 
the  encroachment  of  business  houses  and  the  corresponding  rise  in 
real  estate  values  forced  its  removal  to  Sixty-fourth  Street  and  Haver- 
ford  Avenue. 

One  of  the  pioneer  organizations  for  poor  relief  was  the  Union 
Benevolent  Association,  founded  in  1831  by  David  Nasmith  and  Rev. 
Thomas  G.  Allen,  an  Episcopal  clergyman.  In  1868  the  Orphans 
Guardian  was  established  under  the  guidance  of  Dr.  Samuel  Hirsch, 
rabbi  of  the  Congregation  Keneseth  Israel.  It  was  restricted  to  a 
policy  of  aiding  only  the  needy  in  its  own  congregation  until  1891. 
Then  its  scope  was  enlarged  to  noncongregational  activities.  Under 
the  Guardian  plan,  one  family  became  a  "big  brother"  to  a  poorer 
family,  aiding  it  financially,  spiritually,  and  educationally. 

The  Philadelphia  Society  for  Organizing  Charity  and  Repressing 
Mendicancy  was  formed  in  1879.  Third  of  its  kind  in  the  country, 
its  name  was  shortened  later  to  Philadelphia  Society  for  Organizing 
Charity.  A  central  office  was  established,  with  trained  workers  devot- 
ing all  their  labors  to  the  alleviation  of  poverty  and  sickness.  This 
idea  of  centralization  and  unification  has  been  developed  with  the 
years,  until  at  present  most  of  the  funds  for  relief  purposes  in  Phila- 
delphia are  collected  in  one  large  drive  conducted  annually  by  the 
United  Campaign  of  the  Welfare  Federation. 

Today  the  poor  and  feeble  of  Philadelphia  are  far  less  unfortunate 
than  those  of  1700,  who  dared  not  go  to  bed  sick,  for  fear  of  being 

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PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

removed  to  prison  once  they  had  become  well.  Now  they  can  obtain 
medical  treatment  in  charity  wards  in  the  city's  hospitals  or  in 
hospital  clinics.  In  addition  to  the  hospital  clinics,  special  health 
clinics  are  maintained  for  low-income  and  needy  families. 

There  is  also  an  organization  known  as  the  Marriage  Counsel,  with 
offices  at  253  South  Fifteenth  Street,  which  helps  young  married 
couples,  or  those  contemplating  marriage,  to  a  better  understanding 
of  what  companionship  in  married  life  involves.  Counsel,  in  terms  of 
the  individual's  needs,  is  given  at  one  or  more  personal  interviews. 
The  Maternal  Health  Centers  and  the  Pennsylvania  Birth  Control 
Federation  have  offices  at  the  same  address. 

A  committee  of  the  latter  organization  operates  the  National  Health 
centers  with  four  clinics  in  the  city.  Since  the  first  of  these  clinics  was 
opened  in  Philadelphia  in  1929,  nearly  20,000  women  seeking  reliable 
medical  information  on  marital  problems  have  been  instructed  by 
these  clinic  physicians.  The  aim  of  the  organization  is  to  make 
medically  directed  birth  control  information  available  to  under- 
privileged mothers  who  have  no  reliable  means  of  limiting  their 
families.  Social  agencies  of  all  kinds  cooperate  in  referring  patients 
to  the  clinics. 

Philadelphia  has  also  helped  lead  the  way  toward  socialized 
medicine  in  the  State  through  the  C.  Dudley  Saul  Medical  Service, 
organized  in  June  1935,  which  provides  low-cost  medical  treatment 
to  a  large  number  of  subscribers.  This  service  was  started  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  Newspaper  Guild  of  Philadelphia  and  Camden.  Mem- 
bers of  the  service  pay  a  monthly  fee  of  $2,  for  which  they  receive 
necessary  medical  attention  and  are  entitled  to  three  months'  hos- 
pitalization  a  year.  Dependents  are  also  served  at  a  rate  less  than 
half  the  ordinary  fees.  Many  minor  ailments  that  might  develop  into 
serious  illnesses  are  cared  for  under  the  monthly  payment  plan  with- 
out additional  expense. 

The  Philadelphia  Department  of  Public  Health  conducts  12  tuber- 
culosis clinics.  This  department  also  provides  eye  dispensaries  for 
those  otherwise  unable  to  procure  treatment.  Many  neighborhood 
organizations,  such  as  the  Big  Brother  Association  and  the  German- 
town  Community  Center,  conduct  clinics  on  a  free  or  nominal  fee 
basis.  The  Visiting  Nurses  Association  has  skilled  nurses  traveling 
through  the  poorer  districts,  ministering  to  those  in  need  of  bedside 
care. 

Foremost  among  the  community  service  ventures  is  the  United 
Campaign,  a  joint  drive  held  by  the  Welfare  Federation  and  the 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  each  spring  to  obtain  funds  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  city's  social  agencies.  Altogether,  141  charitable 
institutions  are  supported  by  this  United  Campaign. 

The  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  organized  in  1901,  which  sup- 

306 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 

ports  53  Jewish  charitable  institutions  in  Philadelphia,  was  established 
in  order  to  eliminate  the  many  benefits,  ticket  sellings,  bazaars,  fairs, 
and  other  methods  of  collection.  Among  the  institutions  aided  by  the 
federation  are  Mount  Sinai  Hospital,  Bureau  for  Jewish  Children, 
Jewish  Hospital  Association,  National  Farm  School  at  Doylestown, 
Jewish  Seaside  Home  for  Invalids  at  Ventnor,  N.  J.,  Young  Men's  and 
Young  Women's  Hebrew  Associations  and  the  Jewish  Sheltering 
Home  for  the  Homeless  and  Aged. 

The  Welfare  Federation  of  Philadelphia  performs  a  similar  clear- 
ing house  function  for  other  social  agencies  in  the  city.  Operating  in 
much  the  same  manner  as  the  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  its 
purpose  is  to  eliminate  the  waste  of  a  number  of  solicitation  drives 
by  combining  them  and  by  setting  up  a  single  unit  for  collecting 
and  allocating  funds  and  interpreting  agency  programs  to  the  public. 

Numerous  groups  are  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  the  city's  youth. 
The  Boy  Scouts,  Girl  Scouts,  Campfire  Girls,  Catholic  Young  Men's 
Association,  Boy  Council  of  Philadelphia,  and  other  youth  organiza- 
tions aid  the  young  to  obtain  healthful  recreation  and  social  develop- 
ment. 

The  Bureau  of  Recreation  of  the  Department  of  Public  Welfare, 
in  City  Hall,  sets  up  and  manages  neighborhood  playgrounds,  rec- 
reation centers,  and  swimming  pools.  Forty-one  playgrounds  and  38 
swimming  pools  are  maintained  by  the  municipal  bureau.  Also  in- 
cluded in  the  municipal  Department  of  Public  Welfare  are  the 
Bureau  of  Charities  and  Correction  and  the  Bureau  of  Personal  As- 
sistance. There  are  many  city-wide  organizations  engaged  in  better- 
ing community  life  and  establishing  a  friendly  attitude  among  the 
various  peoples  of  Philadelphia. 

The  Philadelphia  Conference  on  Social  Work  holds  an  annual 
meeting  at  which  representatives  of  social  organizations  discuss  ways 
and  means  of  improving  the  latter's  activities. 

Constant  coordination  in  social  service  is  achieved  through  the 
Social  Service  Exchange  to  which  virtually  all  public  and  private 
agencies  engaged  in  welfare  and  relief  work  subscribe.  In  the  central 
index  maintained  by  the  Exchange  are  listed  the  names  and  addresses 
of  all  persons  known  to  any  of  the  social  agencies  of  the  city,  there- 
by permitting  each  agency  to  avoid  duplicating  relief  or  service  and 
at  the  same  time  to  coordinate  its  activity  on  behalf  of  a  particular 
family  with  that  of  other  agencies  concerned. 

The  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research  is  a  civic  agency  designed  to 
collect  and  classify  facts  regarding  the  powers  and  duties  of  municipal 
departments,  and  to  seek  ways  and  means  of  coordinating  and  ex- 
pediting the  functions  of  government.  There  are  also  within  Phila- 
delphia various  agencies  whose  functions  include  the  sponsoring  of 

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PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

legislation  designed  to  increase  the  effectiveness  of  child  education 
and  to  eliminate  child  labor. 

Agencies  such  as  the  Armstrong  Association  and  the  Whittier 
Center  strive  to  better  the  conditions  and  culture  of  the  Negro, 
through  education  and  other  channels. 

The  American  Penal  Labor  Association,  the  County  Prison  Officials 
Association  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Philadelphia  Criminal  Justice 
Association  seek  to  curb  crime,  to  alleviate  suffering  among  the 
families  of  imprisoned  criminals,  and  to  return  discharged  prisoners 
to  normal  occupations. 

The  Philadelphia  Zoning  Commission,  Better  Homes  in  America 
Association,  Philadelphia  Housing  Association,  and  other  organiza- 
tions seek  to  produce  a  model  residential,  commercial,  and  industrial 
community.  Marking  the  city  off  into  zones  of  residential,  business, 
and  factory  sections  is  the  duty  of  the  Zoning  Commission.  Through 
this  method,  an  apportionment  of  sections  is  sought  to  facilitate  busi- 
ness and  restrict  certain  residential  sections,  for  the  protection  of  real 
estate  investments  and  municipal  improvement  areas. 


In  1927  Charles  Edwin  Fox,  then  District  Attorney,  ordered  an 
investigation  into  the  background  of  four  young  bandits  responsible 
for  the  Olney  Bank  robbery,  in  which  a  policeman  was  shot  and 
killed.  County  Detective  Merryweather,  assigned  to  the  case,  turned 
in  a  startling  analysis  of  the  factors  contributing  to  the  excessive 
criminal  delinquency  among  youths  between  the  ages  of  16  and  21. 

The  lack  of  recreational  facilities  and  of  parental  education,  com- 
bined with  bad  housing  and  the  use  of  political  "pull,"  was  given  as 
a  cause  tending  to  sidetrack  these  youths  into  a  life  of  crime.  With 
this  information  before  him,  Fox  took  steps  to  alleviate  this  shock- 
ing condition.  The  Crime  Prevention  Association  was  formed,  with 
Detective  Merryweather  as  executive  director.  It  began  operating 
June  1,  1932.  Simultaneously  a  police  department  crime  prevention 
bureau  was  set  up. 

Merryweather  obtained  the  second  floor  of  a  South  Broad  Street 
building.  He  installed  pool  tables,  games,  and  other  forms  of  recrea- 
tion, and  within  a  few  days  the  street  corners  of  the  neighborhood 
were  virtually  clear  of  youthful  loungers.  An  "unofficial  parole"  sys- 
tem and  card  index  file  were  put  into  effect,  with  first  offenders  and 
repeaters  segregated.  Thus  a  close  contact  was  maintained  with  youths 
of  criminal  tendencies.  In  order  to  remove  the  implied  stigma  the 
name  was  later  changed  from  Crime  Prevention  Association  to  the 
Philadelphia  Council  of  Older  Boys'  Clubs. 

Numerous  clubhouses  have  been  established  throughout  the  city. 
That  their  work  has  proved  beneficial  is  indicated  by  recent  figures 

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Preston  Retreat 
'A  child  was  born   . 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

showing  an  11  percent  decrease  in  crime  among  the  older  boys  in 
the  city.  Among  the  organizations  which  strive  to  keep  youths  off 
street  corners  and  provide  them  recreational  facilities  are  the  Big 
Brother  Association,  Bethany  Brotherhood  Club,  Board  of  Education 
Physical  and  Health  Education  Division,  and  the  boys'  clubs  in  most 
communities.  The  Y.  M.  and  Y.  W.  H.  A.,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  neighbor- 
hood settlement  houses,  as  well  as  playgrounds,  swimming  pools,  and 
other  facilities,  help  to  swell  the  total  of  recreational,  educational, 
and  character-building  agencies  in  Philadelphia. 

Community  service  is  materially  aided  by  the  great  number  of 
settlement  houses,  where  social  problems  are  discussed,  community 
group  meetings  held,  and  a  social  life  provided  for  young  and  old. 
Not  only  do  these  settlement  houses  aid  in  the  social  scheme  of  the 
community,  but  during  periods  of  suffering  and  want  they  strive 
to  alleviate  cold  and  hunger  by  means  of  soup  kitchens  and  other 
forms  of  relief. 

Many  of  these  houses  have  combined  all  the  phases  of  worthy 
charities  heretofore  carried  on  under  separate  roofs,  and  today  pro- 
vide reading  and  recreational  rooms,  day  nurseries,  and  health  clinics. 
Some  conduct  classes  where  persons  may  learn  trades,  or  increase 
their  material  education  in  ar.t  or  commerce. 

The  Association  of  Philadelphia  Settlements  promotes  efficiency 
among  settlement  houses  throughout  the  city,  unifying  them  in  a 
common  purpose.  Through  mutual  exchange  of  experiences  and 
through  discussion  groups,  it  helps  solve  their  problems. 

The  Board  of  Education  supervises  more  than  500  special  classes 
for  cardiac  sufferers,  deaf,  tubercular,  and  feeble-minded  children, 
and  for  those  who  have  defective  vision  or  impediments  in  their 
speech. 

For  adults  whose  physical  handicaps  bar  them  from  regular  posi- 
tions, agencies  in  the  city  provide  training  in  the  vocations  adapted 
to  their  limited  capabilities.  These  agencies  also  furnish  such  aids 
as  braces  and  artificial  limbs,  either  free  or  at  a  nominal  charge. 
The  Shut-In  Society  provides  reading  matter  and  arranges  for  visitors, 
or  correspondents  for  those  confined  to  their  homes. 

The  Red  Cross  maintains  a  library  of  Braille  books  for  the  blind. 
The  Philadelphia  Free  Library  on  the  Parkway  also  has  a  large  col- 
lection of  such  volumes,  which  it  mails,  postage-free,  to  any  part  of 
the  State.  The  Blind  Relief  Fund  of  Philadelphia  is  an  agency  for 
collecting  money  to  aid  the  poor  and  aged  blind. 

The  Philadelphia  League  for  the  Hard  of  Hearing  provides  a  com- 
munity center  to  promote  sociability  and  recreation  and  to  main- 
tain an  employment  service  for  the  deaf.  This  society  also  conducts  a 
school  of  lip  reading. 

For  15  years  Philadelphia  has  had  a  Junior  Employment  Service 

310 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 

for  persons  who  are  more  than  18  and  who  have  completed  high 
school.  The  service  is  operated  in  conjunction  with  the  Board  of 
Education,  and  school  records  of  applicants  are  transferred  to  the 
service.  Classes  are  formed  for  the  unemployed,  and  medical  and 
psychological  examinations  are  facilitated.  During  1936  registrations 
numbered  57,256,  with  2,757  placements. 

The  Catholic  Women's  Alliance  founded  in  1916,  and  the  Friendly 
Sons  of  St.  Patrick  instruct  immigrants  in  American  principles  and 
aid  them  to  obtain  work. 

For  men  and  boys  interested  in  recreation,  or  seeking  living  quar- 
ters, the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  offers  a  friendly  atmosphere  at  comparatively 
low  rates.  The  central  building,  at  1421  Arch  Street,  accommodates 
about  1,283  single  persons  and  55  married  couples.  There  are  seven 
Philadelphia  branches  of  the  "Y"  -  at  Fifty-second  and  Sansom 
Streets,  1007  West  Lehigh  Avenue,  1724  Christian  Street,  117  North 
Fifteenth  Street,  Forty-first  Street  and  Westminster  Avenue,  Lehigh 
and  Kensington  Avenues  and  Ninth  and  Spring  Garden  Streets. 

The  Catholic  Y.  M.  A.,  at  1819  Arch  Street,  conducts  a  dormitory, 
where  Catholic  men  may  board  at  moderate  rates.  This  association 
was  formed  during  the  World  War  to  provide  accommodations  for 
service  men.  It  was  continued  after  the  Armistice  as  a  society  to  care 
for  homeless  men  and  boys.  Its  purpose  is  to  furnish  education,  rec- 
reation, food,  shelter,  and  clothing. 

The  Luther  Hospice,  at  157  North  Twentieth  Street,  is  a  Christian 
boarding  home  for  students  and  business  men  of  all  denominations. 
The  Salvation  Army  Men's  Hotel  and  the  United  Service  Club  main- 
tain sleeping  quarters  for  workingmen  and  enlisted  men,  respectively. 

The  Salvation  Army  also  has  one  of  the  most  diversified  forms  of 
relief  of  any  organization.  The  Philadelphia  headquarters  is  at  701 
North  Broad  Street,  in  a  building  provided  by  the  will  of  John 
Wanamaker.  This  property  is  to  be  the  Salvation  Army's  so  long 
as  that  organization  occupies  it.  If  the  Salvation  Army  vacates  the 
property,  it  will  go  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

From  its  headquarters  the  army  distributes  family  relief  in  the 
form  of  food,  clothing,  shoes,  and  other  necessities.  It  also  main- 
tain a  transient  bureau  at  705  North  Broad  Street,  where  free 
lodging  and  food  are  provided.  At  1224  Parrish  Street  is  its  social 
service  department,  where  cast-off  clothing  and  shoes,  and  second- 
hand furniture  are  reclaimed  and  sold  at  nominal  prices.  Here  ap- 
proximately 125  men,  remaining  permanently  or  until  they  can 
better  themselves,  receive  room  and  board,  with  a  small  salary. 

The  Salvation  Army  also  maintains  a  children's  home  at  5441  Lans- 
downe  Avenue  and  a  day  nursery  at  224  South  Third  Street,  where 
children  are  cared  for  during  the  day  while  their  mothers  work.  The 
army  also  distributes  fuel  to  the  needy  during  winter  months,  and 

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PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

in  the  summer  provides  a  camp  vacation  for  underprivileged  children 
and  their  mothers. 

Philadelphia  offers  many  residences  for  women  and  girls,  especially 
for  those  who  have  to  support  themselves.  The  Catholic  Women's 
Club,  at  306  South  Thirteenth  Street,  maintains  quarters  for  Catholic 
business  and  professional  women  ;  the  Coles  House,  at  915  Clinton 
Street,  cares  for  Protestant  women. 

The  Dominican  House  of  Retreats,  at  1812  Green  Street,  also  main- 
tains a  boarding  house  for  women.  For  the  Protestant  girl  who  is 
homeless,  or  dependent  upon  a  low-paying  job,  Esther  Hall,  at  2021 
Mt.  Vernon  Street,  provides  shelter.  The  Friendship  Home,  at  1939 
North  Twenty-second  Street,  is  for  Negro  girls  ;  the  Rebecca  Gratz 
Club,  532  Spruce  Street,  is  for  Jewish  women  ;  and  St.  Isaac's  House, 
at  3311  Haverford  Avenue,  a  non-sectarian  institution,  furnishes  liv- 
ing quarters  for  working  girls  and  women. 

The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  of  Philadelphia  also  provides  living  quarters  in 
its  large  central  club  residence,  at  Eighteenth  and  Arch  Streets,  and 
its  eight  branches  throughout  the  city.  The  accommodations  and  rates 
are  much  the  same  as  those  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

The  Girls'  Friendly  Society,  organized  in  England  in  1875  and 
introduced  into  this  country  in  1886,  is  an  organization  designed  to 
aid  young  women  who  are  earning  their  way  in  the  world,  offering 
them  recreational  advantages  and  instructing  them  in  general  sub- 
jects. The  society  is  operated  under  the  auspices  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  There  are  at  present  47  branches  of  the  Girls'  Friendly 
Society  in  Philadelphia,  with  a  total  membership  of  2,500.  Central 
headquarters  is  at  202  South  Nineteenth  Street. 

For  the  aid  of  seamen  there  are  a  number  of  agencies.  Foremost 
among  these  is  the  Seamen's  Institute  at  211  Walnut  Street,  with  a 
branch  in  Port  Richmond  at  2815  East  Cambria  Street.  Originally 
begun  as  a  "floating  church,"  the  institute  was  moved  ashore  and 
gradually  enlarged,  absorbing  many  other  similar  institutions.  The 
institute  can  accommodate  327  men.  In  addition  to  sleeping  quarters, 
it  has  a  restaurant  and  reading,  recreation,  and  work  rooms.  Classes 
in  seamanship  are  also  conducted. 

The  Lutheran  Seamen's  Home,  at  1402  East  Moyamensing  Avenue, 
and  the  Lutheran  Seamen's  Mission,  1226  Spruce  Street,  care  for  sea- 
men, regardless  of  nationality,  creed,  or  color.  Other  organizations 
are  the  Pennsylvania  Seamen's  Friend  Society  at  201  Walnut  Street  ; 
the  Seamen's  and  Landsmen's  Aid  Society  at  332  South  Front  Street  ; 
and  the  Norwegian  Seamen's  Church  of  Philadelphia  at  22  South 
Third  Street. 

Many  of  Philadelphia's  less  fortunate  children  are  helped  by 
numerous  civic,  charitable,  or  welfare  organizations  throughout  the 
year.  In  summer  great  numbers  of  those  living  in  congested  or  slum 

312 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 

areas  are  removed  from  the  heat  of  the  city  to  healthful  camps  in 
the  country,  where  they  enjoy  from  one  to  three  weeks  reveling  in 
health-giving  air  and  sunshine.  Others  go  to  camps  at  the  seashore  or 
mountains. 

Many  of  these  associations  in  Philadelphia  conduct  one  or  more 
such  camps.  The  number  is  swelled  by  those  of  the  Boy  Scouts,  Girl 
Scouts,  Camp  Fire  Girls,  religious  societies,  universities,  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
large  industrial  organizations,  boys'  clubs,  and  settlement  houses. 

Philadelphia  likewise  has  numerous  orphan  homes  supported  by 
religious  institutions,  private  agencies,  foundations,  and  popular 
subscription.  They  care  for  children  of  any  race  or  creed.  For  physi- 
cally handicapped  children,  who  cannot  attend  school  as  normal 
children  do,  there  are  special  classes  and  schools. 

Outstanding  among  local  welfare  institutions  is  Girard  College  at 
Corinthian  and  South  College  Avenues.  Founded  under  the  will 
of  Stephen  Girard,  the  college  was  first  opened  in  January  1848.  It 
provides  a  home  and  precollege  education  for  the  normal  white 
boy  who  is  either  totally  orphaned  or  whose  father  is  dead.  Boys  are 
admitted  to  the  college  between  the  ages  of  6  and  10,  and  discharged 
between  the  ages  of  14  and  18. 

The  Catholic  Children's  Bureau,  at  1706  Summer  Street,  is  the 
central  office  of  the  diocesan  institutions  caring  for  needy  children. 
All  applications  for  admission  and  discharge  are  made  at  this  office. 
Children  are  accepted  by  court  commitment  or  on  private  applica- 
tion. Besides  placing  children  in  institutions,  the  bureau  also  places 
them  in  private  boarding  homes. 

The  Mothers'  Assistance  Fund,  at  260  South  Broad  Street,  is  the 
administrative  agency  which  provides  public  aid  to  dependent 
children  in  their  own  homes  from  funds  derived  equally  (until 
January  1,  1938)  from  municipal,  State,  and  Federal  sources.  Aid  to 
dependent  children  (formerly  known  as  Mothers'  Assistance)  is  given 
in  the  form  of  monthly  cash  payments  to  mothers  with  young 
children,  after  a  careful  investigation  of  eligibility  and  need.  Under 
the  State  Public  Assistance  Law  children  must  be  under  16  and  must 
have  been  deprived  of  paternal  support  through  the  death,  absence 
from  home,  or  disability  of  their  fathers.  The  Federal  Social  Security 
Board  participates  in  one-third  of  all  payments  not  exceeding  $18 
monthly  for  the  first  child  and  $12  monthly  for  each  additional  child. 
(The  law  provided  that  after  January  1,  1938,  the  program  of  aid 
to  dependent  children,  as  well  as  all  other  forms  of  public  aid  to 
persons  in  their  own  homes,  should  be  the  responsibility  of  a  County 
Board  of  Public  Assistance,  to  be  financed  entirely  by  State  appro- 
priations, supplemented  by  special  Federal  grants-in-aid.)  Since  1934 
the  activities  of  the  Mothers'  Assistance  Fund  have  included  the 
administration  of  State  pensions  for  the  blind  and  State  old-age 

313 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

assistance,  which  is  granted  to  needy  persons  70  or  more  years  of  age. 

The  Bureau  for  Colored  Children,  at  712  North  Forty-third  Street, 
places  dependent  and  neglected  Negro  boys  and  girls  under  16  years 
of  age  in  homes. 

During  the  darkest  days  of  the  depression  of  the  early  1930's,  Phila- 
delphia awoke  to  the  realization  that  her  charitable  and  welfare 
groups,  largely  of  a  privately  endowed  nature,  were  unable  to  cope 
with  the  problem  of  relief  and  unemployment.  In  a  desperate  effort 
to  meet  the  situation,  a  group  known  as  the  "Lloyd  Committee," 
and  headed  by  the  late  Horatio  Gates  Lloyd,  was  formed.  Funds  were 
raised  by  popular  subscription,  and  relief  was  temporarily  broadened. 

In  1932  the  General  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  passed  three  meas- 
ures—  the  Woodward  act,  the  second  Talbot  act,  and  the  Emer- 
gency Relief  Sales  Tax  act,  these  becoming  the  cornerstone  of  relief 
in  the  days  to  follow.  The  Woodward  act  created  the  State  Emer- 
gency Relief  Board,  and  authorized  the  setting  up  of  county  boards 
to  administer  aid  locally.  The  Philadelphia  County  Relief  Board  was 
thus  instituted,  and  the  first  appointments  were  made  in  August  1932. 

From  September  1,  1932,  to  February  28,  1933,  emergency  relief 
was  financed  by  State  revenue  derived  from  a  one  percent  tax  on 
gross  income  from  sales.  Further  support  for  Philadelphia's  needy 
families  was  given  in  May  1933,  by  creation  of  the  Federal  Emergency 
Relief  Administration.  This  State  and  Federal  cooperation  continued 
until  December  1935,  when  Federal  funds  were  discontinued  and 
emergency  relief  became  solely  the  responsibility  of  the  State. 

The  emergency  relief  program  was  financed  for  ,a  time  by  the  sale 
of  tax  anticipation  notes,  secured  by  revenue  from  several  levies  im- 
posed at  a  special  session  of  the  Legislature.  Three  levies  included 
allowance  for  an  increase  in  the  State  tax  on  property  from  one  to 
four  mills,  an  increase  in  the  tax  on  corporate  loans,  extension  of  the 
inheritance  tax  to  cover  joint  transfer,  and  a  10  percent  tax  on  liquor 
sales  at  State  stores. 

From  September  1932  to  May  1936,  the  Philadelphia  County  Re- 
lief Board  disbursed  funds  totaling  $101,000,000,  the  average  grant 
per  case  for  the  latter  part  of  1936  amounting  to  $7.47  per  week,  the 
average  family  being  three  persons. 

At  a  special  session  in  the  spring  of  1936  the  Legislature  provided 
$45,000,000  for  emergency  relief  in  Pennsylvania  for  the  period  be- 
tween May  1936  and  January  1937.  In  Philadelphia  approximately 
161,000  persons  were  on  direct  relief  at  the  beginning  of  1937.  When 
on  July  1,  1937,  the  Philadelphia  County  Relief  Board  went  out  of 
existence,  more  than  205,000  families  had  been  assisted  at  one  time 
or  another.  This  work  is  now  carried  on  by  the  Philadelphia  County 
Board  of  Assistance. 

In  determining  individual  or  family  eligibility  for  relief,  a  thorough 

314 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 

investigation  is  made  of  financial  status,  including  income,  if  any, 
family  resources,  and  the  ability  of  relatives  to  aid.  One  of  the  basic 
requirements  of  eligibility  for  employment  relief  is  the  registration 
of  all  employable  members  of  the  family  at  the  State  Employment 
Office.  The  method  of  making  investigations  and  determining  needs 
stresses  the  responsibility  of  the  applicant  to  assist  in  establishing  his 
own  eligibility  by  furnishing  documentary  and  other  information. 
Relief  grants,  limited  to  maximum  amounts  based  on  family  size  and 
the  essential  budget  items  allowed,  are  issued  weekly  in  cash.  Infor- 
mation obtained  through  periodic  reinvestigations  or  reported 
voluntarily  by  relief  families  makes  possible  the  adjustment  of  grants 
in  accordance  with  changing  needs  and  the  prompt  discontinuance 
of  relief  to  persons  no  longer  eligible. 

Through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Works  Progress  Administration 
program,  inaugurated  under  the  Federal  Emergency  Relief  Ap- 
propriation Act  of  1935,  employable  persons  on  the  Philadelphia  re- 
lief rolls  were  enabled  to  earn  their  livelihood  and  to  so  regain  self- 
respect.  The  WPA  program  was  designed  to  replace  the  less  adequate 
machinery  of  work  relief  previously  set  up  under  the  Civil  Works 
Administration  in  1933  and  the  Local  Works  Division  in  1934.  The 
many  useful  public  works  and  cultural  projects  of  the  WPA  have  pro- 
vided gainful  and  salutary  occupation  for  thousands  of  Philadel- 
phians  who  otherwise  would  have  lost  both  skill  and  morale  through 
living  in  enforced  idleness  on  the  dole. 

Among  the  long  established  organizations  to  shoulder  greatly  in- 
creased responsibility  during  the  depression  was  the  Family  Society, 
which  provided  food,  clothing,  and  shelter  for  more  than  15,000 
families.  Founded  in  1878  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  needy 
families  as  units,  the  society  throughout  the  years  has  fought  con- 
stantly for  the  alleviation  of  want.  Another  group  to  stand  the  test 
of  time  is  the  Society  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  established  here  in  1851. 
Neglected  children  in  various  Catholic  parishes  are  placed  in  suit- 
able homes,  and  each  summer  the  society  conducts  a  fresh-air  camp 
in  Chester  County  for  children  in  the  poorer  sections. 

Philadelphia  has  more  than  60  homes  for  the  aged,  conducted  by 
many  organizations  and  churches.  They  are  within  the  city  as  well 
as  in  surounding  suburbs.  Retired  and  needy  actors  are  cared  for 
at  the  Edwin  Forrest  Home  for  Actors,  at  Forty-ninth  Street 
and  Parkside  Avenue.  Mechanics  also  conduct  a  home,  as  do  many 
veterans'  organizations. 

The  Bureau  of  Legal  Aid,  maintained  by  the  municipal  government 
until  1933,  has  been  superseded  by  an  organization  known  as  the 
Legal  Aid  Society  of  Philadelphia.  Its  offices  are  at  4  South  Fifteenth 
Street,  and  it  is  supported  by  the  Community  Fund.  The  Philadelphia 
Voluntary  Defender  Association,  at  the  same  address,  provides  similar 

315 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

free  legal  service,  except  that  its  interests  are  restricted  to  criminal 
cases  only.  The  association,  organized  in  1933,  with  Maurice  B.  Saul 
as  president,  Francis  Fisher  Kane  as  secretary,  and  Thomas  E.  Cogan 
as  defender  began  operating  April  14,  1934.  This  association  is  like- 
wise maintained  by  the  Community  Fund. 


Philadelphia  Skylirte   As  Seen  from   the   Art  Museum 


ll 


POINTS  of 
SPECIAL  INTEREST 


to  the 

CITY'S  GUESTS 


Old  Gate  at  Independence  Square 


INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 

Independence  Hall,  Congress  Hall,  Old  City 
Hall,  American  Philosophical  Society  Build- 
ing. Bounded  by  5th,  6th,  Chestnut  and 
Walnut  Sts. 

INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE 

WITHIN  the  confines  of  a  comparatively  small  plot  of  ground 
known  as  Independence  Square  stands  a  group  of  red  brick 
buildings  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  patriotic  Americans. 
Revered  by  liberty-loving  people  the  world  over,,  these  structures, 
their  beauty  and  simplicity  undisturbed  by  modern  progress,  are 
mute  reminders  of  heroic  times  and  intrepid  men. 

Long  before  the  Revolution  the  old  square  was  the  meeting  place 
of  Philadelphia's  citizenry.  To  this  outdoor  rendezvous  they  came  in 
hundreds  and  thousands  whenever  trouble  threatened.  Here,  both 
indoors  and  outdoors,  many  of  the  events  that  culminated  in  American 
independence  took  place — events  now  regarded  as  having  led  to  one 
of  the  greatest  contributions  ever  made  toward  establishing  an  ideal 
of  free  government. 

From  a  small  wooden  astronomical  observatory  in  the  rear  of 
Independence  Hall,  John  Nixon,  a  member  of  the  Revolutionary 
Committee  of  Safety,  made  the  first  public  announcement  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  He  read  the  immortal  document  in 
full  to  a  tense  throng  of  citizens  on  July  8,  1776.  More  than  a  decade 
earlier,  on  October  25,  1765,  Philadelphia  merchants  had  met  in  the 
square  and  adopted  a  resolution  to  boycott  British  merchandise  —  a 
stern  retaliation  against  the  obnoxious  Stamp  Act.  On  October  16, 
1773,  several  weeks  prior  to  the  Boston  Tea  Party,  Philadelphia  pa- 
triots gathered  here  to  devise  measures  for  turning  back  the  tea  ship 
Polly. 

Its  early  name  of  State  House  Yard  was  given  the  plot  of  ground 
at  the  time  when  it  was  purchased  (in  1730)  as  the  site  for  a  state 
house.  The  yard,  near  the  then  western  limits  of  the  city,  at  first  ex- 
tended from  Chestnut  Street  halfway  to  Walnut  ;  the  remaining  lots 
on  Fifth,  Sixth,  and  Walnut  Streets  were  acquired  at  various  times 
prior  to  the  Revolution.  Successive  acts,  the  first  in  1736,  ordered  the 
ground  south  of  the  State  House  to  be  retained  as  a  public  green  for- 
ever ;  but  the  American  Philosophical  Society  building,  which  still 
stands,  encroached  upon  it,  as  did  the  Quarter  Sessions  Courthouse, 
which  was  removed  in  1902. 

319 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  square  was  entirely  restored  in  1875.  In  1915-16  it  was  again 
reconstructed,  and  56  gas  lamps  of  antique  pattern,  one  for  each 
signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  were  installed.  The  four- 
acre  rectangular  tract  measures  396  by  510  feet. 

In  Colonial  times  the  square  was  surrounded  by  a  brick  wall  seven 
or  eight  feet  high,  with  an  immense  central  gateway  and  wooden 
door  on  the  Walnut  Street  side.  Prior  to  1812,  the  city  of  Philadelphia 
reduced  the  height  of  the  wall  to  three  feet  along  Fifth  and  Sixth 
Streets  and  placed  upon  it  an  iron  railing  fixed  into  stone  coping. 
The  wall  paralleling  Walnut  Street,  however,  was  not  reduced  to  a 
corresponding  height  until  1813.  At  that  time  an  iron  gateway,  flanked 
by  marble  posts  surmounted  by  lamps,  replaced  the  large  double 
wooden  doors  which  opened  inwardly.  These  gates  were  removed  in 
1876  and  have  been  replaced  by  a  low  brick  wall. 

In  the  center  of  the  square  stands  a  bronze  statue  of  Commodoie 
John  Barry.  The  work  of  Samuel  Murray,  this  statue  is  a  gift  to  the 
city  from  the  Friendly  Sons  of  St.  Patrick,  of  which  organization 
Barry  was  a  member.  It  was  erected  in  1907  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  An 
iron  chain  which  once  surrounded  the  statue  was  stolen  one  night 
in  1910  and  has  never  been  replaced. 

Among  the  trees  in  the  square  are  13  red  oaks,  one  for  each 
of  the  original  Colonies,  planted  by  the  National  Association  of 
Gardeners  on  October  11,  1926.  The  roots  of  each  tree  are  nurtured  in 
soil  brought  from  the  State  the  tree  represents.  The  Independence 
Square  fountain,  with  separate  drinking  outlets  for  humans,  birds, 
and  dogs,  originally  stood  in  the  Centennial  Exhibition  grounds  in 
Fairmount  Park.  It  is  maintained  by  the  Sons  of  Temperance  Society, 
and  a  special  guard  keeps  it  supplied  with  ice  during  the  summer 
months. 

Measures  to  protect  the  buildings  in  the  square  against  fire  have 
been  taken  in  response  to  public  insistence.  The  present  dry-head 
sprinkler  system  consists  of  a  network  of  pipes  extending  to  all  the 
buildings.  In  the  event  of  fire,  the  pipes  release  a  downpour  that 
covers  the  exteriors  with  water  deemed  sufficient  to  check  the  blaze 
until  firemen  arrive.  The  system  is  tested  in  semiannual  drills.  Two 
truck  companies,  five  engine  companies,  one  pipe-line  squad,  and  a 
rescue  squad  take  part  in  these  drills.  Employees  participate  in 
weekly  fire  drills. 

The  city  of  Philadelphia  acquired  the  entire  property  of  the 
Independence  Square  group  in  1816,  receiving  a  formally  executed 
deed  from  the  State  upon  the  payment  of  $70,000.  More  than  500,000 
persons  annually  visit  the  National  Museum  housed  in  the  buildings 
of  the  group. 

320 


INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 

Independence  Hall 

On  Chestnut  St.  midway  betweert  5th  and 
6th.  Open  daily  8:45  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m.  Ad- 
mission free.  Visitors  and  teachers  can  ob- 
tain the  services  of  a  guide  upon  application 
to  the  curator. 

MANY  episodes  entitle  Independence  Hall  to  lasting  fame.  Within 
its  walls,  on  July  4,  1776,  the  Declaration  of  Independence  re- 
ceived the  signatures  which  made  it  official.  Here,  on  June  16,  1775, 
the  Congress  had  given  Washington  command  of  the  undisciplined, 
inadequately  armed  Continental  Army  which  later  became  the 
weapon  that  defeated  England.  Here,  on  July  9,  1778,  the  Articles  of 
Confederation  were  ratified,  welding  the  Thirteen  Colonies  into  one 
union.  And  here,  on  September  17,  1787,  the  Constitution  was  drawn 
up  as  the  Nation's  basic  law,  superseding  the  Articles  of  Confedera- 
tion, which  the  swift  march  of  events  had  outmoded. 

The  convention  at  which  the  Constitution  was  framed  had  been 
called  ostensibly  to  revise  the  Articles  of  Confederation  and  was  held 
behind  closed  doors.  This  subterfuge  was  necessitated  by  reluctance 
of  the  various  States  to  place  governmental  authority  in  the  hands  of 
a  central  body.  The  secrecy  had  the  effect  of  forestalling  any  vigorous 
action  on  the  part  of  the  general  public  toward  inserting  provisions 
that  would  be  inimical  to  the  interests  of  the  leaders. 

Construction  of  Independence  Hall  was  begun  in  1732,  and  in  1736, 
while  still  in  an  unfinished  condition,  it  was  occupied  by  the  Provin- 
cial Assembly,  which  used  it  continuously  until  May  10,  1775,  when 
the  Second  Continental  Congress  took  possession.  It  was  before  the 
latter  body,  on  June  7,  1776,  that  Richard  Henry  Lee,  obeying  the 
instructions  of  the  Virginia  Assembly,  moved  the  resolution  : 

That  these  United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be, 
free  and  independent  States;  that  they  are  absolved  from 
all  allegiance  to  the  British  Crown,  and  that  all  political 
connection  between  them  and  the  State  of  Great  Britain 
is,  and  ought  to  be,  totally  dissolved. 

At  that  same  moment,  Britain's  German  mercenaries  were  riding 
the  high  seas  towards  the  seething  Colonies,  and  fortifications  were 
sprouting  along  Boston  harbor  (Charlestown) .  The  pressing  need  of 
organizing  military  forces  took  several  of  the  delegates  away  from 
their  legislative  duties. 

Lee's  first  speech  on  the  resolution  reveals  some  idea  of  the  high 
purpose  that  actuated  the  Congress.  Said  Lee  : 

321 


Barry  Statue  and  Independence  Hall 
"Father  of  the  American  Navy" 


INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 

Let  this  happy  day  give  birth  to  an  American  republic. 
The  eyes  of  Europe  are  fixed  upon  us;  she  demands  of 
us  a  living  example  of  freedom  .  .  .  If  we  are  not  this 
day  wanting  in  our  duty  to  our  country,  the  names  of  the 
American  Legislators  of  '76  will  be  placed  by  posterity 
at  the  side  of  these-  .  .  .  whose  memory  .  .  .  forever 
will  be  dear. 

The  absolutely  secret  debate  and  the  meager  records  kept  by  the 
beleaguered  delegates  account  in  part  for  conflicting  versions  of  the 
exciting  events.  Three  days  of  deliberation  upon  the  resolution  ended 
with  its  postponement  until  July  1,  to  allow  various  Provincial  con- 
ventions time  to  meet  and  adopt  an  authoritative  stand.  Meanwhile, 
a  committee  headed  by  Thomas  Jefferson  was  chosen  to  draw  up  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  "in  case  the  Congress  agree  thereto." 

July  1  was  a  hot,  sultry  day.  Through  open  windows  of  the  old 
State  House  came  a  plague  of  flies  to  harass  the  assembled  delegates, 
and  the  air  outside  pulsated  with  heat  waves  and  the  emotions  of  an 
aroused  populace. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  first  day  the  vote  showed  nine  Colonies 
favoring  the  resolution.  The  final  vote,  postponed  to  the  next  day, 
was  unanimous,  due  partly  to  the  spectacular  efforts  of  several  dele- 
gates. Memorable  among  these  was  Caesar  Rodney,  who,  suffering 
from  a  life-long  affliction,  rode  80  miles  on  horseback  from  Dover, 
Del.  He  arrived,  half-dead  from  pain  and  fatigue,  in  time  to  break 
the  deadlock  in  the  Delaware  delegation. 

This  was  on  July  2.  July  4  is  celebrated  as  Independence  Day  be- 
cause on  that  day  Jefferson's  draft  of  the  Declaration  was  made 
official  by  the  signatures  of  John  Hancock,  the  Speaker,  and  Charles 
Thompson,  the  Secretary.  However,  this  was  not  before  Jefferson  had 
watched  in  misery  while  Franklin  and  Adams  performed  forensic 
surgery  upon  his  brain  child,  deleting,  as  a  concession  to  the  southern 
Colonies,  the  section  on  slavery,  and  curbing  his  rhetorical  flights. 

Most  historians  agree  that  the  delegates  did  not  immediately  affix 
their  signatures.  Considerable  confusion,  resulting  from  divergent 
accounts  by  Jefferson  and  Thomas  McKean,  both  present  at  the  time, 
later  arose  on  this  point.  Historical  evidence,  in  contradiction  of 
Jefferson's  letters,  points  to  the  fact  that  the  delegates'  signatures 
were  not  affixed  to  the  Declaration  until  August  2,  when  a  copy  had 
been  engrossed  on  parchment.  At  that  time  Franklin,  in  the  midst 
of  the  solemn  hush  that  followed  the  signing,  remarked  dryly  : 
"Gentlemen,  we  must  now  all  hang  together,  or  we  shall  most  as- 
suredly hang  separately." 

On  July  8,  after  the  Declaration  had  been  printed  on  broadsides 
for  distribution  among  the  Colonies,  public  announcement  of  the 
document  was  made  ;  the  great  bell  in  the  State  House  tower  rang 
in  a  new  era  of  history. 

323 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  LIBERTY  BELL,  in  the  rear  of  the  first  floor  corridor,  is 
identified  in  popular  imagination  with  the  ideal  of  freedom.  The 
great  and  famous  of  all  lands  have  paid  it  homage.  But  it  was  not 
always  thus.  This  now  priceless  symbol  of  liberty  was  regarded  as  a 
worthless  nuisance  by  the  early  authorities-  It  was  originally  cast  in 
1751,  at  the  cost  of  £60,  14  shillings,  and  five  pence,  by  Thomas 
Lister,  in  London's  Whitechapel.  The  bell,  weighing  2,080  pounds, 
arrived  in  Philadelphia  late  in  August  1752.  While  being  tested,  it 
cracked  under  the  impact  of  the  clapper.  Two  ambitious  men,  Pass 
and  Stow,  undertook  to  recast  it.  The  town  wags  derided  the  morti- 
fied workmen  when  the  new  bell,  rung  in  April  1753,  complained  in 
a  sour,  discordant  voice  of  the  presence  of  too  much  copper.  However, 
its  tone  was  such  as  to  satisfy  the  most  exacting  critics  when,  in  June 
of  the  same  year,  it  had  been  again  recast  and  hung  in  the  State  House 
belfry. 

Then  followed  a  virtual  epidemic  of  bell  ringing.  The  huge  clapper, 
like  a  termagant's  tongue,  was  rarely  still.  It  rang  for  state  purposes  ; 
it  rang  to  summon  congregations  and  to  announce  meetings  ;  it  some- 
times rang  for  no  good  reason  at  all.  Residents  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
State  House  became  irritated  at  its  perpetual  clangor.  In  a  petition  to 
the  authorities  they  begged  to  be  saved  from  what  they  described 
as  a  "lethal  weapon,"  declaring  :  "From  its  uncommon  size  and  un- 
usual sound,  it  is  extremely  dangerous  and  may  prove  fatal  to  those 
afflicted  with  sickness." 

The  Liberty  Bell  acquired  its  name  in  1776,  when  it  pealed  forth 
its  triumphant  notes.  One  year  later,  as  evidence  of  the  strong  senti- 
ment then  attached  to  it,  the  bell  was  removed  when  British  troops 
approached  the  city.  It  was  carted  to  Allentown  under  military  escort 
and  hidden  under  the  floor  of  the  Zion  Reformed  Church. 

Following  British  evacuation,  the  bell  was  brought  back  and  sus- 
pended from  its  beam.  The  windows  of  the  belfry  were  covered  with 
sounding  boards  to  achieve  a  better  tonal  effect.  For  many  years  it 
did  yeoman  service.  In  1824  it  pealed  a  welcome  to  Lafayette,  when 
a  gala  reception  for  him  enlivened  Independence  Hall.  Its  voice  died 
when  the  metal  cracked  during  a  somber  accompaniment  to  the 
funeral  procession  of  Chief  Justice  John  Marshall  on  July  8,  1835. 

Years  of  inglorious  neglect  followed.  Its  thunderous  voice  muted 
and  its  heroic  labors  forgotten  by  fickle  humanity,  the  bell  was 
offered  in  part  payment  for  a  new  one  ordered  by  the  city  fathers 
from  John  Wilbank,  a  Germantown  bell  founder.  Wilbank  cast  and 
delivered  the  new  bell,  but  found  prohibitive  the  cost  of  hauling  the 
Liberty  Bell  from  the  State  House. 

"Drayage  costs  more  than  the  bell's  worth,"  he  finally  declared,  and 
he  left  it  there. 

324 


INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 

The  incensed  city  fathers  haled  Wilbank  before  a  magistrate  for 
failing  to  remove  the  old  bell.  The  magistrate  decreed  that  Wilbank 
should  pay  the  costs  of  the  suit,  but  suggested  that  if  the  bell  maker 
offered  the  burdensome  relic  to  the  city  authorities  as  a  gift,  they 
might  accept.  They  accepted,  but  with  little  enthusiasm. 

The  old  bell's  peal  for  freedom,  however,  had  penetrated  to  the 
ears  of  the  oppressed  peoples  of  the  world  —  imperceptible  waves  of 
sound  and  meaning  that  found  an  echo.  These  peoples  came  in  multi- 
tudes, touched  the  bell  with  trembling  hands  and  wept  tears  of 
mingled  joy  and  sorrow  at  sight  of  the  cold,  dark  metal  whose  mighty 
tongue  had  given  forth  peals  of  defiance  to  oppressors.  Simultane- 
ously, the  city  fathers  and  the  local  populace  awoke  to  a  shamed 
realization  of  their  callousness.  Today  the  Liberty  Bell's  value  cannot 
be  measured. 

The  bell  was  shipped  around  the  country  for  many  years,  but  its 
trip  in  1915  to  the  Panama-Pacific  Exposition  at  San  Francisco 
aroused  so  many  misgivings  that  descendants  of  the  signers  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  demanded  that  it  never  again  be  moved 
from  Independence  Hall.  However,  another  trip  was  made  in  1917, 
when  the  bell  was  removed  for  the  Philadelphia  Liberty  Loan  street 
parade.  It  has  come  now  to  its  final  resting  place,  in  the  building 
where  its  voice  rang  loudest. 

Special  precautions  have  been  taken  to  safeguard  the  bell.  In  1929, 
its  supporting  yoke  having  been  dangerously  weakened  by  dry  rot, 
one-inch  steel  bars  were  inserted  to  strengthen  it.  The  bell  is  mounted 
upon  a  truck  encased  in  a  removable  pedestal,  and  in  the  event  of 
fire  it  can  be  towed  out  of  the  building  by  one  man  in  less  than  two 
minutes. 

Encircling  the  crown  of  the  bell  is  the  prophetic  lettering  from 
Leviticus  XXV.  10  :  "PROCLAIM  LIBERTY  THROUGHOUT  ALL 
THE  LAND  UNTO  ALL  THE  INHABITANTS  THEREOF." 

The  surface  of  the  bell,  which  is  larger  than  is  generally  supposed, 
is  pitted  and  uneven  on  the  outer  walls  as  well  as  in  the  barrel, 
evidence  of  the  inexperience  of  Messrs.  Pass  and  Stow.  The  gaping 
crack  zigzags  from  lip  to  lettering.  The  parted  edges  are  held  in  place 
by  large  round  bolts.  The  chipped  and  ragged  lip  discloses  the  van- 
dalism of  souvenir  collectors  and  the  inescapable  misadventures  at- 
tendant upon  longevity. 

The  first  real  attempt  to  assemble  a  historical  art  collection  for 
Independence  Hall  was  made  in  1854  when,  at  the  sale  of  Charles 
Willson  Peale's  effects,  the  city  acquired  more  than  100  of  his  oil 
portraits.  Peale,  whose  museum  occupied  the  second-floor  chambers 
of  Independence  Hall  from  1802  to  1826,  studied  art  under  Hesselius, 
Copley,  and  West,  masters  of  that  day.  Possessing  talent  as  a  portrait 

325 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

painter,  he  set  for  himself  the  patriotic  task  of  preserving  the  like- 
nesses of  the  heroes  of  the  day.  These  formed  the  nucleus  of  the 
present  National  Portrait  Gallery. 

In  1873  this  collection,  together  with  numerous  relics  and  curios 
that  had  been  accumulating  for  years,  was  taken  over  by  the  city  as 
the  National  Museum.  Credit  for  this  is  due  mainly  to  Frank  M. 
Etting,  who  was  most  active  in  urging  the  restoration  of  Independence 
Hall,  and  who  became  chairman  of  its  board  of  managers  when  res- 
toration was  accomplished.  The  museum  has  grown  to  occupy  ap- 
proximately two  acres  of  floor  space  in  the  several  buildings  con- 
stituting the  group.  Tasteful  arrangement  has  enhanced  the  attrac- 
tiveness which  patriotic  feelings  lend  to  the  exhibits 

To  the  right  as  the  building  is  entered  from  Chestnut  Street  is  the 
room  where  the  Pennsylvania  State  Constitution  was  framed  and 
adopted.  It  was  also  used  as  a  JUDICIAL  CHAMBER  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Pennsylvania  from  1743  to  1776. 

Left  011  the  first  floor  is  the  DECLARATION  CHAMBER.  A  fine 
pedimented  panel  framing  a  facsimile  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence is  set  between  the  fireplaces  that  flank  the  small  platform 
at  the  end  of  the  room.  The  crystal  chandelier  in  this  room,  brought 
from  Waterford,  Ireland,  in  1745,  is  the  only  one  of  the  original 
chandeliers  remaining.  Lining  the  walls  of  the  chamber  are  several 
pieces  of  furniture  once  used  by  the  signers  of  the  Declaration.  The 
portrait  of  Washington  by  James  Peale  hangs  over  the  chamber  en- 
trance and  is  surrounded  by  facsimiles  of  flags  carried  by  Continental 
troops.  The  room  contains  the  SILVER  INKSTAND  SET  made  by 
the  famous  Philip  Syng,  goldsmith,  and  used  by  the  signers  of  the 
Declaration. 

The  Liberty  Bell  is  near  the  rear  door  on  this  floor.  Second  in 
interest  to  the  bell  are  the  paintings  in  the  National  Portrait  Gallery. 
The  major  portion  of  the  celebrated  collection,  is  on  the  second 
floor  of  Independence  Hall.  Conspicuous  in  the  collection  is  the 
painting,  Perm's  Treaty  with  the  Indians,  by  Benjamin  West,  and 
three  portraits  of  Washington  by  his  contemporaries,  Robert  Edge 
Pine,  Rembrandt  Peale,  and  James  Peale. 

The  second  floor  contains  three  rooms  :  the  CHAMBER  OF  THE 
CLERK  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY,  the  BANQUET  CHAMBER  or  LONG 
ROOM,  and  the  COUNCIL  CHAMBER,  where  the  Provincial  Gov- 
ernors of  Pennsylvania  and  their  councils  sat  from  1748  to  the  time  of 
the  Revolution. 

The  West  Wing  of  Independence  Hall  is  known  as  the  COLONIAL 
MUSEUM  and  contains  collections  relating  to  the  periods  of  discovery, 
permanent  settlement,  and  activities  of  the  Colonies  up  to  the  out- 
break of  the  Revolutionary  War.  This  wing  was  built  in  1735,  and  its 

326 


INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 

first  floor  was  used  as  an  office  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Province  until 
1776. 

On  the  first  floor  of  the  West  Wing  is  the  COSTUME  COLLEC- 
TION. Here  are  a  brocaded  dress  worn  during  Revolutionary  War 
times,  a  suit  of  boy's  clothes  of  the  period  of  1750,  a  fashion  doll  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  and  many  other  articles  of  clothing  worn 
during  that  era.  On  one  side  of  the  room  is  a  collection  of  old  spin- 
ning wheels.  The  second  floor  of  the  west  wing  was  occupied  as  a 
committee  room  until  1783.  Then  it  was  fitted  up  for  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  The  building  is  a  restoration 
erected  in  1897. 

The  East  Wing  is  used  as  a  museum.  It  was  built  in  1735.  The  first 
floor,  which  is  now  one  large  room  with  a  small  hallway,  was  formerly 
divided  into  two  rooms,  assigned  respectively  to  the  Registrar  General 
and  the  Recorder  of  Deeds  of  the  Province.  Examples  of  military 
equipment,  including  a  service  sword  owned  by  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne 
and  a  drum  carried  in  the  Revolution,  are  on  exhibition.  There  is  a 
fine  collection  of  eighteenth  century  firearms,  among  which  is  the 
George  Washington  rifle  and  the  musket  which  belonged  to  General 
Wayne.  In  the  center  of  the  room  is  a  small  Spanish  cannon,  some- 
times called  a  falconet,  used  in  Europe  in  the  sixteenth  century. 

An  exhibit  of  china,  porcelain,  pottery,  and  glassware  is  on  the 
second  floor  of  the  West  Wing.  Included  in  the  collection  are  a  cup, 
saucer,  and  soup  plate  used  at  the  wedding  of  George  and  Martha 
Washington,  and  a  platter  used  by  the  Washington  family  at  Mount 
Vernon.  Here  also  is  a  sixteenth  century  brewing  jar  brought  to 
America  by  William  Penn  ;  a  pitcher  used  by  Washington  ;  a  jar 
which  belonged  to  Mrs.  John  Adams  ;  glassware  used  by  Patrick 
Henry  ;  an  early  butter  crock  ;  and  pitchers  used  by  Washington  and 
Lafayette.  This  room  was  occupied  by  the  Philadelphia  Library 
Company  as  a  place  of  deposit  for  its  books  from  1739  to  1773. 

Congress  Hall 

S.E.  corner  6th  and  Chestnut  Sts.  Open 
weekdays  8:45  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m.  Admission 
free. 

T  N  CONGRESS  HALL,  during  the  turbulent  decade  between  Decem- 
-  her  6,  1790,  and  May  4,  1800,  some  of  the  early  scenes  in  the 
pageant  of  America's  national  history  were  enacted.  Here  Washington 
delivered  his  second  inaugural  address  ;  the  Army  and  Navy  assumed 
a  creditable  footing  ;  the  Mint  was  born  ;  the  first  Bank  of  the  United 
States  was  instituted  ;  Vermont,  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  were 
admitted  to  statehood  ;  and  the  celebrated  Jay  Treaty  of  Commerce 
with  England  was  promulgated.  Here  John  Adams  was  inaugurated 

327 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

as  the  second  President  of  the  United   States,   and   Washington   de- 
livered his  famous  Farewell  Address  to  the  American  people. 

Congress  Hall  stands  on  ground  purchased  in  1736  as  a  site  for  a 
Philadelphia  County  building.  Construction  began  in  1787,  two  years 
after  the  Pennsylvania  Assembly  had  appropriated  $3,000  for  that 
purpose,  and  in  1789  the  hall  was  ready  for  use. 

The  first  session  of  Congress  had  been  held  in  New  York  City,  but 
most  of  the  Colonies  regarded  the  arrangement  as  temporary,  and 
sought  for  themselves  the  commercial  advantage  and  the  prestige  at- 
tendant upon  a  capital  city.  Considerable  acrimonious  debate  was 
indulged  in,  especially  in  the  Senate. 

Stealing  a  march,  the  Pennsylvania  Assembly,  on  March  4,  1789 
(the  same  day  the  new  Government  met  in  New  York  for  its  first 
session),  instructed  the  State's  Congressional  representatives  to  exert 
themselves  to  obtain  for  Philadelphia  the  seat  of  the  National  Gov- 
ernment, offering  for  that  purpose  any  of  Philadelphia's  public 
buildings,  particularly  the  newly  erected  county  building. 

The  House  of  Representatives  passed  a  resolution  favoring  Penn- 
sylvania, but  Robert  Morris'  activities  in  the  Senate  met  with  abuse 
and  ridicule.  The  bill  finally  passed  was  a  compromise  measure 
designed  to  smooth  ruffled  feelings.  The  land  along  both  banks  of 
the  Potomac,  "neutral  territory"  later  to  be  known  as  the  District 
of  Columbia,  was  designated  as  the  National  Capital,  beginning  with 
the  year  1800.  Meanwhile,  Philadelphia  became  the  temporary 
capital. 

The  newly  woven  fabric  of  government  was  subjected  to  severe 
tests,  but  its  essential  strength,  based  upon  enthusiastic  popular  sup- 
port, was  sufficient  to  withstand  them.  Gravest  of  all  was  the  diplo- 
matic joust  with  France,  when  her  privateers  strained  friendly  rela- 
tions by  practicing  hostilities  upon  American  commerce.  As  a  result 
of  these  clashes  President  John  Adams  issued  a  proclamation,  dated 
July  13,  1798,  depriving  French  consular  officials  of  their  right  to 
function.  The  new  Government  displayed  similar  resolution  in  deal- 
ing with  the  Whiskey  Insurrection  and  in  conducting  the  Indian  cam- 
paign, made  famous  by  St.  Clair's  defeat  and  Wayne's  success. 

The  exterior  and  interior  of  Congress  Hall,  restored  in  1913  by  a 
committee  of  architects  appointed  by  the  city  and  rededicated  on 
October  25  of  that  year  in  the  presence  of  President  Wilson,  are 
substantially  as  they  were  during  the  occupancy  by  Congress.  Numer- 
ous exhibits  are  on  display. 

The  first  floor  consists  of  a  single  chamber,  with  a  vestibule  running 
along  the  front  and  a  double  staircase  leading  to  the  gallery.  Here 
the  House  of  Representatives  met.  On  view  in  this  chamber  is  Joshua 
Humphreys'  model  of  what  is  thought  to  be  the  ship  Americana,  de- 

328 


INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 

signed  in  1777  and  presented  to  John  Paul  Jones.  Here,  too,  is  a 
plaster  model  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  cast  more  than  100  years  ago. 
Also  on  view  is  a  statuette  in  terra  cotta  of  Lafayette,  cast  in  America 
from  a  Staffordshire,  England,  pottery  figure,  at  the  time  of  Lafay- 
ette's last  visit  to  America  in  1824.  Two  of  the  original  fireplaces 
still  remain,  also  some  eighteenth  century  implements,  such  as  a  foot 
stove,  candle  mold,  hearth  shovel,  and  fire  tongs. 

In  the  vestibule  is  the  regimental  flag  carried  by  troops  under  Gen. 
Philip  John  Schuyler  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  also  a  flag  be- 
lieved to  have  been  carried  during  the  Battle  of  the  Brandy  wine. 

The  SENATE  CHAMBER  is  in  the  rear  of  the  second  floor.  The 
President  of  the  Senate  occupied  a  platform  on  the  south  side  of  the 
room.  At  first  this  room  had  no  gallery,  but  at  the  suggestion  of  James 
Monroe,  one  suitable  for  the  use  of  the  public,  running  along  the 
north  side  of  the  chamber,  was  constructed  in  1795.  In  the  center  of 
the  room  in  front  of  the  speaker's  rostrum  is  a  life-size  wood  carving 
of  Washington  by  William  Rush.  Among  the  personal  effects  is  one 
of  Washington's  Masonic  aprons.  There  is  also  the  original  commission 
making  George  Washington  Commander  in  Chief  of  the  Continental 
Army,  and  the  muster  roll  of  Washington's  bodyguard.  Other  exhibits 
include  original  letters  written  by  men  of  the  Revolutionary  period 
and  a  Washington  life  mask,  cast  from  the  original  owned  by  J. 
Pierpont  Morgan. 

In  the  hallway  of  the  second  floor  is  an  exhibition  of  early  Ameri- 
can pewter.  Conspicuous  in  this  collection  is  a  molasses  jug  used  by 
Washington  and  Lafayette  while  in  (Widow  Ford's)  winter  headquar- 
ters. Also  on  view  are  plates,  an  inkstand,  and  a  chocolate  pot. 

In  the  first  room  to  the  right  is  a  collection  of  furniture  and  silver- 
ware of  the  Revolutionary  period,  including  the  chair  used  by  Lafay- 
ette when  he  was  the  city's  guest  in  1824  ;  the  sofa  used  by  Washing- 
ton's family  in  the  Executive  Mansion  on  High  (now  Market)  Street ; 
the  drop-leaf  table  which  Washington  used  while  living  at  the  Fred- 
erick Wampole  farmhouse  at  Tawamencin,  Pa.,  during  the  winter 
sojourn  at  Valley  Forge  ;  Jefferson's  card  table  ;  a  collection  of  eigh- 
teenth century  spoons  ;  an  eighteenth  century  sperm  oil  lamp  ;  and 
a  teapot  used  by  Daniel  Webster.  Other  objects  of  interest  are  Thomas 
Jefferson's  cane  ;  numerous  watches  of  the  Revolutionary  period  ;  and 
a  collection  of  spectacles,  including  the  silver-rimmed  pair  worn  by 
George  Washington. 

In  the  second  room  to  the  right,  UNITED  STATES  COIN  ROOM, 
is  a  collection  of  American  coins  found  during  the  demolition  of  the 
first  United  States  Mint  building  on  North  Seventh  Street.  They  are 
the  only  specimens  in  existence  of  planchets  and  slugs  in  gold,  silver, 
and  copper  from  which  our  first  coins  were  made.  There  also  is  a  boot 

329 


Congress  Hall 
"The  place  of  Washington's  Farewell  Address' 


Old  City  Hall 

Where  the  city's  statutes  artd  ordinances  were 
first  passed" 


INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 

scraper  and  other  items  from  the  old  Mint  building.  A  collection  of 
early  bank  notes  and  a  Presidential  series  of  bronze  medals  from 
Washington  to  Theodore  Roosevelt  are  also  on  exhibition. 

In  the  first  room  to  the  left  is  a  collection  of  early  surgical  in- 
struments, including  a  number  of  eighteenth  century  lancets.  Also  on 
view  is  an  early  American  jewel  box  ;  a  silver  loving  cup  which  be- 
longed to  Caesar  Augustus  Rodney,  nephew  of  the  Delaware  delegate 
to  the  Continental  Congress  whose  ride  is  one  of  the  dramatic  episodes 
in  America's  history  ;  a  fruit  basket  made  in  London  in  1763  ;  a  coffee 
pot  used  by  Robert  Morris  ;  George  Washington's  pocket  compass  ; 
Martha  Washington's  toasting  fork  ;  a  powder  horn  and  bag  used  in 
the  Battle  of  Kings  Mountain  ;  and  the  ale  mug  of  Admiral  John 
Paul  Jones. 


Old  City  Hall 

S.W.  corner  5th  and  Chestnut  Sts.  Open 
weekdays  8:45  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m.  Admission 
free. 

PHILADELPHIA'S  Old  City  Hall  was  built  at  Fifth  and  Chestnut 
•*•  Streets  in  1791,  in  architectural  harmony  with  the  earlier  struc- 
tures of  the  Independence  Square  group.  Intended  as  the  seat  of  the 
municipality,  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  met  here  during 
the  last  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century.  The  judicial  branch  of  the 
Federal  Government,  after  assembling  in  New  York  City  in  1789  and 
framing  a  simple  code  of  rules,  began  sessions  for  the  first  time  in 
Philadelphia's  Old  City  Hall. 

The  first  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States  was  Washington's  ap- 
pointee, John  Jay,  who  later  arranged  with  England  the  important 
commercial  treaty  which  bears  his  name.  The  first  case  of  note  to 
come  before  the  Court  was  the  "State  of  Georgia  v.  Brailsford  and 
others,"  concerning  a  bond,  given  by  persons  alleged  to  be  aliens, 
which  was  sequestered  by  the  State  of  Georgia. 

Virtually  all  the  cases  to  come  before  the  Court  during  its  occu- 
pancy of  Old  City  Hall  were  of  a  type  that  distinguished  the  rights  of 
the  citizens  from  those  of  the  States.  At  this  period  the  Justices  served 
also  as  circuit  judges  whenever  the  Supreme  Court  was  not  in  session. 

City  Council  met  in  the  building  until  1854,  although  the  Mayor's 
office  was  moved  in  1816  to  Independence  Hall,  purchased  that  year  by 
the  city.  After  1800,  with  the  removal  of  the  State  capital  to  Lancaster 
and  transfer  of  the  Federal  Government  to  Washington,  Philadelphia 
became  less  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  Nation. 

331 


.    3 .:,,.. 


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111 


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I 


Doorway   of   the   American   Philosophical   Society   Building 
Portal  of  Savants. 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Old  City  Hall,  like  Congress  Hall,  is  in  scale  with  the  central 
unit,  their  similar  crowning  cupolas  balancing  the  central  tower.  The 
identical  theme  of  their  architecture  makes  these  two  almost  twin 
structures. 

To  the  left  as  one  enters  Old  City  Hall  is  the  OFFICE  OF  THE 
MAYOR.  The  only  article  left  in  this  room  from  the  time  the  first 
mayor  occupied  the  building — Matthew  Clarkson.  who  served  dur- 
ing the  yellow-fever  epidemic  of  1793  —  is  a  built-in  wall  clock  im- 
ported from  England  in  1789.  It  has  remained  in  its  original  position 
since  the  day  of  installation.  A  collection  of  Indian  objects  including 
arrowheads,  tomahawks,  wooden  and  stone  implements  used  in  the 
preparation  of  food,  blankets,  ornamental  decorations  of  beads,  and 
musical  instruments  are  on  display. 

In  the  MAYOR'S  COURT  ROOM  on  the  first  floor  are  several 
articles  of  antique  furniture  and  a  large  collection  of  ancient  fire- 
fighting  equipment  used  by  Philadelphia's  early  firemen  ;  also  a  sec- 
tion of  an  old  water  main  excavated  at  Ninth  and  Market  Streets,  and 
Franklin's  perpetual  calendar  which  was  presented  to  him  in  1774  by 
James  Moody  of  London. 

In  the  vestibule  on  the  side  of  the  stairs  leading  up  to  the  second 
floor  is  a  large  piece  of  the  elm  tree  under  which  William  Penn  is  be- 
lieved to  have  negotiated  a  treaty  with  the  Indians.  Here  also  is  a 
miniature  model  of  the  old  battleship  Pennsylvania  constructed  at 
the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard.  Several  relics  reminiscent  of  the  days 
when  the  Indians  were  on  the  warpath  include  an  Indian  scalp,  a 
scalp  lock,  a  scalping  knife,  and  a  tomahawk.  There  are  also  some 
pieces  of  ancient  fire-fighting  apparatus. 

On  the  second  floor  is  the  SUPREME  COURT  CHAMBER.  There 
are  four  other  rooms  which  were  occupied  by  the  Common  Council 
and  Select  Council  and  by  various  departments  of  the  city  govern- 
ment. 

Throughout  these  rooms  on  the  second  floor  are  interesting  ex- 
hibits of  scientific  instruments.  Of  especial  attraction  is  the  transit, 
one  of  the  three  with  which  astronomical  observation  in  the  New 
World  was  made  in  1768.  Other  exhibits  include  ancient  locks  and 
keys,  scales,  iron  chests,  a  cradle,  a  model  of  Christ  Church,  and  part 
of  the  original  pew  used  by  George  Washington  in  Christ  Church. 

The  second  floor  also  has  a  room  devoted  to  old-time  Quaker  relics 
and  costumes,  a  rather  rare  and  unusual  exhibit  which  satisfies  the 
keen  curiosity  shown  by  many  visitors  in  anything  pertaining  to  the 
early  Quakers. 

333 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
American  Philosophical  Society 


On  the  5th  St.  side  of  Independertce  Square, 
just  south  of  Chestnut  St.  Open  weekdays 
9:30  a.  m.  to  4:30  p.  m.  ;  Saturdays  9:30 
a.  m.  to  12  noon.  Closed  Saturdays  from 
June  to  September.  Admission  by  appoint- 
ment. 

1%/T  ELLOWED  by  a  Colonial  charm  of  architecture  and  setting 
-'-'-•-which  belies  its  eminent  rank  in  the  realm  of  learning,  the 
century-and-a-half-old  home  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society 
stands  on  the  east  side  of  the  square,  symbolizing  a  scientific  tradition 
interlocking  Colonial  and  modern  times. 

It  was  built  on  a  lot  in  Independence  Square  and  presented  to  the 
society  in  1785  by  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania.  Funds  for  the 
building  were  raised  by  Benjamin  Franklin  and  his  associates.  The 
society  shelters  a  group  founded  by  Franklin  in  1727,  and  its  mem- 
bership rolls  list  12  Presidents  of  the  United  States. 

The  first  of  these  was  George  Washington  ;  the  most  recent,  Her- 
bert Hoover.  The  others  were  John  Adams,  Thomas  Jefferson,  James 
Madison,  John  Quincy  Adams,  James  Buchanan,  Ulysses  S.  Grant, 
Grover  Cleveland,  Theodore  Roosevelt,  William  Howard  Taft,  and 
Woodrow  Wilson.  Cleveland,  Roosevelt,  and  Taft  became  members 
while  in  office. 

Fifteen  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  ;  18 
signers  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  ;  12  Associate  Justices 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  ;  and  five  Chief  Justices  of 
the  United  States  were  or  are  members  of  the  society.  Of  23  Ameri- 
can winners  of  Nobel  Prizes,  11  are  on  the  membership  rolls. 

The  society's  collection  includes  a  copy  of  the  original  draft  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  in  Jefferson's  handwriting  ;  Jefferson's 
desk  chair  ;  portraits  and  busts  of  a  number  of  distinguished  Ameri- 
cans, including  a  Stuart  portrait  of  Washington  ordered  in  1799  ;  a 
clock  made  by  David  Rittenhouse  ;  and  the  instruments  he  and  his 
associates  used  in  recording  the  transit  of  Venus  across  the  sun  on 
June  3,  1769.  Among  nearly  15,000  pieces  of  Frankliniana  are  Frank- 
lin's first  battery  and  his  ingenious  "stepladder  library  chair."  One 
of  the  finest  of  scientific  library  collections  was  maintained  in  this 
building  until  it  outgrew  the  original  structure's  facilities.  It  is  now 
in  the  Drexel  Building  just  opposite,  in  room  222.  Manuscripts,  paint- 
ings, and  other  treasures  exhibited  by  the  society  are  valued  at  mil- 
lions of  dollars. 

334 


Interior  of  Independence  Hall 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 
Architecture  of  the  Group 

ANDREW  HAMILTON,  recognized  as  the  original  designer  of 
old  Independence  Hall,  is  believed  to  have  drawn  his  inspira- 
tion for  the  hall  from  James  Gibbs'  Book  of  Architecture,  which  was 
published  in  1728.  At  least,  there  is  a  striking  resemblance  between 
a  drawing  in  Gibbs'  book  and  the  historic  shrine.  Independence  Hall, 
however,  represents  a  more  elaborate  design  than  Gibbs'  drawing. 
The  idea  of  grouping  the  State  House  with  the  other  two  buildings 
into  a  harmonious  unit  is  similar  to  the  scheme  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital. 

The  warmth  of  the  red  brick  used  in  their  construction  effectively 
contrasts  with  well-studied  marble  and  white-painted  wooden  details. 
The  dominant  feature  of  the  group  is  the  former  State  House,  occupied 
in  1735,  though  work  on  the  interiors  lasted  for  several  more  years. 
The  fine  tower  was  built  in  1750  ;  a  steeple  was  added  in  1753 
but  removed  in  1781.  In  1828  William  Strickland  completed  the  pres- 
ent bell  tower  and  steeple,  a  close  copy  of  the  original.  By  that  time 
the  old  structure  had  long  been  known  as  Independence  Hall. 

The  handsome  Chestnut  Street  facade  attains  its  dignity  by  the 
stress  of  horizontal  lines  and  repetition  of  finely  proportioned  windows 
and  blue  soapstone  panels.  Soapstone  belt  courses  connect  the  key- 
stones of  the  first-floor  windows  and  the  second-floor  sills.  The  en- 
trance, approached  by  four  steps,  contains  a  high,  simple  door- 
way, which  is  deeply  recessed.  Where  the  pitch  of  the  roof  breaks 
into  a  flat  gambrel,  a  balustrade  connecting  the  quadruple  end 
chimneys  repeats  the  line  of  the  beautiful  cornice.  Four  drain  spouts 
and  the  quoined  corners  are  the  only  vertical  accents.  At  each  end  of 
Independence  Hall  are  unusual  triple-arched  chimneys,  each  with  a 
small  bull's-eye  window  beneath.  These  circular  windows  were  origi- 
nally used  for  the  State  House  clock  dials.  The  clockworks  were  in  the 
center  of  the  attic  with  connecting  rods  to  each  dial.  Details  of  orna- 
ment that  usually  pass  unnoticed  are  the  grotesque  keystones  with 
carved  heads,  over  the  windows  on  three  sides  of  the  top  story  of  the 
brick  tower. 

The  tower  gives  access  to  Independence  Hall  from  the  square.  Its 
exceptionally  beautiful  Palladian  window  above  the  Doric  tower  en- 
trance5  the  setbacks  of  the  upper  wooden  sections,  the  small  domed 
cupola  set  upon  a  larger  one,  and  the  slim  steeple  and  weather- 
vane  make  this  old  bell  tower  one  of  outstanding  beauty. 

Connected  with  Independence  Hall  by  covered  arcades  are  two  hip- 
roofed  wings.  The  original  East  Wing,  completed  in  1735,  and  the 
West  Wing,  in  1739,  had  no  provision  for  reaching  the  upper  stories 
by  an  interior  stairway,  the  only  access  to  the  second  floor  being  by 
the  tower  staircase.  Both  were  altered  in  1813.  The  two  arcades  and 

336 


INDEPENDENCE  SQUARE  GROUP 

the  outside  stairways  of  the  wings  were  removed  at  that  time,  and 
two-story  buildings,  designed  by  Robert  Mills,  were  erected  in  their 
places.  In  1896  the  wings  were  razed,  and  new  structures  the  size  of 
the  originals  but  with  interior  stairways  were  erected,  with  arched 
arcades  again  joining  them  with  the  main  building.  Their  two  stories 
rise  to  the  height  of  but  one  story  of  the  State  House. 

The  American  Philosophical  Society  Building,  erected  in  1789,  is 
the  only  private  building  on  Independence  Square.  Standing  as  it 
does  in  its  position  so  close  to  Old  City  Hall,  its  exterior  is  in  keeping 
with  the  rest  of  the  group. 

The  most  outstanding  interiors  architecturally  are  those  of  Inde- 
pendence Hall — the  entire  ground  floor,  the  bell  tower,  and  the  long 
banquet  hall  on  the  second  floor.  The  chief  features  of  the  central  hall 
are  the  engaged  fluted  Roman  Doric  columns  supporting  the  mutulary 
entablature  which  surrounds  the  hall,  the  pedimented  wall  tablets 
and  the  entrance  to  the  Declaration  Chamber  on  the  east  side,  the 
triple  archway  to  the  Judicial  Chamber  to  the  west,  and  the  fine  pedi- 
mented main  entrance  with  its  heavy  wrought-iron  hardware.  The 
pediments  above  the  main  door  and  the  entrance  to  the  Declaration 
Chamber  are  unusual.  Between  the  curved  scrolls  at  the  top  are  heads 
with  leaf  crowns  and  beards.  A  fine  arched  opening  leads  to  the  tower 
that  once  housed  the  Liberty  Bell.  This  bell  tower  is  the  most  beauti- 
ful interior  of  the  entire  group.  Its  open  staircase  and  Palladian 
window  are  masterpieces  of  Georgian  Colonial  design  and  craftsman- 
ship. 

The  west  room  is  the  Judicial  or  State  Constitution  Chamber.  Here 
are  Doric  pilasters  of  design  similar  to  the  columns  of  the  central 
hall.  The  speaker's  platform,  extending  across  the  west  wall,  some- 
what larger  than  that  in  the  Declaration  Chamber,  has  been  com- 
pletely restored.  Six  small  steps  at  each  end  approach  the  large,  white, 
paneled  desk  which  serves  as  the  rail  of  the  platform. 

To  the  east  of  the  central  hall  is  the  Independence  Assembly  Hall, 
now  known  as  the  Declaration  Chamber.  It  is  similar  in  architectural 
treatment  to  the  entrance  hall,  but  has  piers  and  pilasters  in  place  of 
columns.  At  the  far  end  of  the  room  is  a  small  platform  two  steps 
above  the  floor  upon  which  rests  the  speaker's  desk.  Behind  the  desk 
within  a  large  monumental  pedimented  panel  is  set  a  facsimile  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  On  either  side  of  the  platform  is  a 
broad  fireplace.  The  heavy  mantels  are  supported  at  the  ends  by 
scroll  brackets  decorated  with  acanthus  leaves. 

The  most  interesting  room  on  the  second  floor  is  the  Banquet 
Chamber  or  Long  Room,  notable  mainly  for  its  proportions,  its  long 
row  of  nine  windows,  its  fine  doorways,  and  its  simple  end  fireplaces. 

Congress  Hall,  completed  in  1789,  was  found  to  be  too  small,  so  in 

337 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

1793  it  was  lengthened  by  about  27  feet.  The  entrance  doorway,  ap- 
proached by  five  steps,  is  framed  within  an  arch  supported  by  Doric 
pilasters  of  rough  gray  marble.  The  double  wooden  doors  in  four 
narrow  sections  are  painted  white.  Above  the  arch  is  carved  a  coat 
of  arms  of  Pennsylvania,  and  above  this  on  the  second  story  level  is  a 
fine  wrought-iron  balcony.  The  main  feature  of  the  ground  floor  is 
the  room  containing  the  speaker's  rostrum  and  the  small  circular 
raised  platform  which  seated  the  first  House  of  Representatives,  both 
of  which  have  been  restored.  Aside  from  the  copy  of  the  original  glass 
chandelier,  the  interior  is  simple  in  detail.  The  arched  windows, 
chaste  entablature,  and  simple  gallery  are  the  chief  features.  The 
smaller  Senate  room  above,  only  slightly  richer  in  detail,  has  an 
ornamental  plaster  ceiling  of  Adam  design. 

Old  City  Hall,  or  Towne  Hall,  Fifth  and  Chestnut  Streets,  is  a  two- 
story  structure  similar  in  design  to  Congress  Hall,  but  smaller.  On 
the  first  floor  is  the  Mayor's  Court  Room,  which  is  entered  through 
paneled  double  doors,  having  a  large  single  fan  light  above.  The 
atmosphere  of  the  room  is  restrained  and  dignified.  The  long  axis  of 
the  chamber  runs  at  right  angles  to  the  entrance.  Opposite  the  doors 
and  beneath  a  broad  arch  is  the  speaker's  rostrum  set  within  a  bay 
and  guarded  by  a  delicate  railing.  Three  handsome,  rounded,  headed 
windows  form  a  backdrop.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  platform  and 
above  the  entrance  is  a  balcony,  running  the  length  of  the  chamber. 
A  delicate,  old  pewter  chandelier,  now  wired  for  electricity,  depends 
from  the  ceiling.  Doors  in  either  side  of  the  speaker's  platform  lead 
to  the  courtyard.  The  witnesses  of  the  walls,  ceiling,  and  wood  trim 
is  relieved  by  the  mahogany-stained  floor  and  the  handsome  hand 
rail  of  the  rostrum. 

On  the  second  floor  are  several  rooms.  In  these  the  old  fireplaces 
have  been  replaced  by  mantelpieces  over  a  modern  heating  system. 
It  was  in  the  south  room  of  this  floor  that  the  Supreme  Court  met. 


Bertjamin  Franklin's  Chair 
Presto!  It  Became  a  Library  Stepladder. 

338 


CARPENTERS'  HALL 

In  Carpenters'  Court,  extending  south  from 
Chestnut  St.,  between  3d  and  4th.  Open 
weekdays  9  a.  m.  to  4  p.  m.  Admission  free. 

AS  INDEPENDENCE  HALL  was  the  forge  on  which  the  sword 
of  liberty  was  shaped,  so  Carpenters'  Hall  —  two  squares  east, 
and  home  of  one  of  the  Colonies'  first  crafts  guilds  —  was  the 
foundry  in  which  the  chains  of  British  oppression  were  converted  into 
the  steel  weapons  of  resistance. 

It  was  here,  in  1774  —  and  by  a  singular  coincidence,  on  July  4 — 
that  the  Committee  of  the  City  and  County  of  Philadelphia  appointed 
a  subcommittee  to  prepare  plans  for  a  Provincial  conference. 

It  was  here,  in  spite  of  hints  by  the  Royalist  press  that  the  necks 
of  both  participants  and  abettors  "might  be  inconveniently  length- 
ened," that  the  First  Continental  Congress  assembled  on  September 
5,  1774. 

The  Society  of  Carpenters  was  organized  in  1724  by  master  car- 
penters of  Colonial  Philadelphia  for  the  dissemination  of  architec- 
tural instruction,  and  assistance  of  needy  members  of  the  craft.  The 
craftsmen's  guild  was  incorporated  in  1790  as  the  Carpenters'  Com- 
pany of  Philadelphia.  Members  began  construction  of  the  hall  in 
1770,  and  although  the  guild  held  its  first  meeting  there  the  follow- 
ing January,  the  structure  remained  unfinished  throughout  the  tur- 
bulent Revolutionary  period.  It  was  not  completed  until  1792. 

Meantime,  years  of  suffering  under  the  heel  of  oppression  had  been 
capped  by  numerous  outrages  against  Colonials  on  the  part  of  British 
Regulars.  Finally  the  advent  of  arbitrary  taxation  fanned  the  smolder- 
ing flame  of  protest  so  that  it  spread  to  local  legislative  assemblies. 

Convinced  that  the  time  was  ripe  for  action,  leading  patriots  urged 
that  the  Colonies  call  a  convention  and  voice  their  united  protests. 
The  meeting  was  called  for  September  5,  and  its  sponsors,  in  order  to 
avoid  interference  with  the  session  of  the  State  Assembly  in  the  State 
House,  chose  Carpenters'  Hall  as  their  meeting  place. 

Three  years  later,  when  British  troops  occupied  the  city,  the  hall 
was  converted  into  a  barracks.  Grimly  reminiscent  of  that  chapter  in 
its  history  is  the  bullet-riddled  metal  ball,  now  displayed  in  the  hall- 
way. Once  a  part  of  the  weather  vane  atop  the  cupola  of  the  building, 
this  ball  was  used  as  a  target  by  Redcoats  intent  on  improving  their 
marksmanship.  In  1787  the  building  was  occupied  by  the  Commissary 
General  of  Military  Stores  of  the  Continental  Army. 

The  communal  value  of  the  building  was  by  no  means  limited  to 
its  wartime  service,  however,  for  it  served  with  nearly  equal  promi- 
nence in  the  advancement  of  trade,  finance,  and  culture.  Subsequent 
to  its  evacuation  by  the  British,  it  quartered  a  meeting  called  to  for- 

339 


Carpenter's  Hall 


CARPENTER'S  HALL 

mulate  plans  for  encouraging  American  manufacture  of  linens, 
woolens,  and  other  textiles.  That  meeting  laid  the  groundwork  of 
the  great  textile  industry  in  Philadelphia  today. 

In  the  field  of  letters,  it  is  a  matter  of  record  that  the  great  collec- 
tion of  the  present  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia  had  its  nucleus  in 
the  volumes  that  lined  the  bookshelves  of  Carpenters'  Hall  between 
1773  and  1790. 

It  was  in  Carpenters'  Hall  that  the  first  Bank  of  the  United  States 
set  up  its  headquarters  in  1791.  In  addition,  this  historical  old 
meeting  hall  has  sheltered  at  various  times  the  Bank  of  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania,  the  United  States  Law  Office,  United  States  Custom 
House,  Apprentices'  Free  Library,  Franklin  Institute,  and  the  Society 
of  Friends. 

The  high  character  of  the  Carpenters'  Company  explains  in  large 
degree  the  excellence  of  the  architecture  of  this  section,  of  which  the 
company's  own  hall,  as  well  as  the  old  State  House,  built  by  Edmond 
Woolley,  a  member  of  the  company,  are  distinguished  examples. 

The  structure  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross,  with  four  pro- 
jecting gable  ends  and  a  central  cupola.  It  is  constructed  of  brick,  laid 
in  Flemish  bond,  with  glazed  headers.  The  main  entrance  is  ap- 
proached by  five  steps  leading  to  the  pedimented  doorway  with  a 
fanlight.  Three  fine  arched  windows,  with  stone  balustrades  below, 
rest  on  a  horizontal  belt  course  of  white  woodwork  at  the  second-floor 
level. 

The  front  part  of  the  building  contains  a  vestibule  and  stairs  lead- 
ing to  the  second  floor,  which  is  not  open  to  the  public.  The  rest  of 
the  first  floor  is  one  large  room,  in  the  rear  of  which  is  a  huge  door- 
way. This  door,  the  finest  architectural  detail  of  the  interior,  was 
originally  the  front  entrance.  The  original  floor  lies  under  the 
present  floor,  and  the  fireplaces  have  been  removed. 

In  the  southwest  corner  of  the  room  are  eight  of  the  Windsor  chairs 
occupied  by  members  of  the  First  Continental  Congress.  Arms  of  the 
Carpenters'  Company,  with  the  inscription,  "Instituted  1724,"  are 
woven  into  two  silk  banners  hanging  on  the  east  and  west  walls. 

Also  on  view  are  the  original  minutes  of  the  First  Continental  Con- 
gress, portraits  of  members,  original  manuscripts  and  important  let- 
ters relating  to  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  Stuart's  painting  of  Wash- 
ington, and  the  original  painting  of  Patrick  Henry  addressing  the  first 
Congress.  Among  the  unusual  exhibits  is  the  waistcoat  worn  by 
Robert  Morris. 

The  historic  events  which  took  place  within  its  walls  rather  than 
the  somewhat  meager  furnishings  which  remain  as  mementos  of  those 
stirring  days  provide  the  real  interest  in  this  storied  old  structure. 

341 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

With  a  fine  reverence  for  their  old  hall,  the  Carpenters'  Company 
in  1857  withdrew  permission  to  use  it  for  trade  and  commercial  pur- 
poses, restricting  usage  almost  wholly  to  the  needs  of  its  own  or- 
ganization, but  permitting  inspection  by  visitors  during  fixed  hours. 
For  nearly  170  years  the  company  has  maintained  the  hall  at  its  own 
expense. 

BETSY  Ross  HOUSE 

239  Arch  St.  Open  weekdays  9  a.  m.  to  5 
p.  m.,  Sundays  11  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m.  Admission 
free. 

THE  flourishing  but  highly  controversial  legend  of  Betsy  Ross 
and  the  first  American  flag  makes  up  in  sentiment  what  it  lacks 
in  proof.  The  first  public  intimation  of  the  Betsy  Ross  story  came 
from  William  J.  Canby,  a  grandson  of  the  seamstress,  in  an  address 
before  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania  on  March  14,  1870.  Affi- 
davits signed  at  the  time  by  members  of  the  Ross  family  state  that 
this  story  had  been  long  familiar  to, them.  They  are  presumed  to  have 
delayed  its  public  announcement  because  of  its  conflict  with  their 
antimilitaristic  Quaker  principles.  Nearly  all  the  affidavits  stated 
that  their  ancestress  lived  in  the  house  which  is  now  239  Arch  Street. 
No  other  number  was  mentioned  by  them. 

George  Canby,  after  the  death  of  his  brother,  William,  sought 
among  Government  archives  for  evidence  to  convince  skeptics,  but 
without  result. 

Unverified  statements,  attributed  to  Betsy  Ross  by  her  descendants, 
avow  that  George  Washington,  in  company  with  Robert  Morris  and 
Col.  George  Ross,  went  to  the  home  of  Betsy  Ross  on  a  morning  in 
June  1776.  The  story  dwells  minutely  upon  the  feelings  of  awe, 
reverence,  and  patriotic  excitement  that  filled  her  when  Washington 
produced  a  rough  design  for  a  flag  sketched  on  paper,  with  the  design 
showing  six-pointed  stars,  and  asked  if  she  could  piece  it  together  out 
of  bunting.  She  replied  that  she  could,  but  indicated  that  a  five- 
pointed  star  could  be  made  with  a  single  snip  of  the  scissors.  When 
she  had  demonstrated  this,  Washington  and  his  companions  approved 
its  use.  By  the  next  day,  having  sacrificed  a  good  deal  of  her  sleep  to 
work  at  her  task,  Betsy  finished  the  first  American  flag. 

This  version  is  upheld  in  a  volume  entitled  Betsy  Ross,  Quaker 
Rebel,  by  Edwin  S.  Parry,  descendant  of  Betsy  Ross.  The  book's 
jacket  calls  it  "The  final  answer  to  the  controversial  question,  'Who 
made  the  flag?'" 

An  opposite  stand  is  taken  by  Joseph  Jackson,  author  of  the  Ency- 
clopedia of  Philadelphia  and  other  historical  works  ;  Albert  Cook 
Myers,  historian  ;  Ellis  Paxson  Oberholtzer,  officially  identified  with 

342 


BETSY  Ross  HOUSE 

the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania  ;  and  other  authorities.  They 
maintain  that  no  one  knows  just  where  the  first  American  flag  was 
made,  or  who  made  it.  Jackson  declares  that  the  story  of  Washington's 
visit  to  Betsy  Ross  is  "pure  imagination,  uncorroborated  by  the 
slightest  evidence." 

He  further  insists  that  239  Arch  Street  was  not  the  dwelling  place 
of  Betsy  Ross,  but  that  her  house  stood  at  233  Arch  Street.  He  bases 
his  belief  partly  upon  the  listings  in  two  city  directories  issued  in 
1785  —  the  first  to  be  published  of  Philadelphia  —  but  does  not  im- 
pugn the  good  faith  of  those  who  hold  the  opposite  view.  Diligent 
search  has  failed  to  produce  incontrovertible  proof  of  where  Betsy 
Ross  lived  in  1776. 

In  Macpherson's  Directory  of  1785  John  Claypoole,  third  husband 
of  Betsy  Ross,  was  listed  as  occupying  335  Arch  Street.  The  dwelling 
was  on  the  north  side  of  the  street,  and  house  numbers  then  in- 
creased consecutively  east.  All  numbers  in  subsequent  directories 
increased  west.  The  next  city  directory  issued  was  Biddle's,  in  1791, 
which  listed  the  Claypoole  house  as  91.  It  retained  that  number 
until  1858,  when  it  was  changed  to  the  present  number  —  241,  an  ad- 
dress one  lot  removed  from  what  is  generally  considered  the  onetime 
abode  of  Betsy  Ross. 

So  far  as  the  purported  "Home  of  Old  Glory"  is  concerned,  Mac- 
pherson's  Directory  listed  a  Widow  Ford  as  occupying  336  in  1785. 
The  number  was  changed  to  89  in  1791,  and  in  1858  to  the  present 
239  Arch  Street.  After  this  dwelling  was  selected  as  the  Flag  House, 
241  was  torn  down  to  lessen  the  hazards  of  fire,  perhaps  adding  a 
touch  of  irony  to  what  may  well  have  been  an  error  in  research.  The 
house  at  239  Arch  Street  was  selected,  as  Jackson  says,  "in  some  man- 
ner not  now  easily  learned." 

Even  Jackson,  while  pointing  out  the  error,  makes  a  mistake  in 
fixing  the  Betsy  Ross  address  as  233.  He  identifies  the  83  of  1785  with 
the  233  of  today,  though  Macpherson's  Directory  lists  a  certain  Sellers 
as  living  at  339,  and  it  is  that  number  which  in  1791  became  83,  and 
finally  233.  Jackson  selected  the  name  and  address  of  Alexander  Wil- 
cocks  as  his  "key  to  the  situation."  Wilcocks  lived  at  325  Arch, 
between  Third  and  Fourth  Streets,  while  the  Claypooles  resided 
between  Second  and  Third.  Obviously,  Sellers  is  the  logical  key  man, 
as  he  lived  four  doors  east  of  Betsy  Ross  Claypoole  in  1785,  occupy- 
ing the  address  for  more  than  a  quarter  century. 

Meanwhile,  because  it  filled  a  genuine  patriotic  need,  the  story  that 
the  first  American  flag  had  been  stitched  together  at  239  Arch  Street 
by  Betsy  Ross  became  part  of  the  legendary  history  of  the  United 
States,  in  defiance  of  all  the  acid  tests  of  historical  research. 

The  house  was  built  about  1700.  It  has  two  stories,  an  attic,  and  an 
additional  two  rooms  in  the  basement.  Extending  across  the  front  is 

343 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

a  large  coved  hood,  and  above  it  are  two  second-story  windows 
topped  with  a  heavy  cornice.  A  single  dormer  window  extends  from 
the  third-story  attic.  The  exterior  is  of  stone  faced  with  brick,  of 
Flemish  bond  construction,  set  with  black  headers  typical  of  the 
masonry  walls  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Part  of  the  rear  is  con- 
structed of  field  stone,  apparently  because  its  use  was  more  econom- 
ical than  brick. 

The  most  interesting  architectural  features  of  this  patriotic  shrine 
are  its  small  windows  and  its  doors.  It  also  has  an  attractive,  blue- 
tiled  fireplace  which,  except  for  a  few  broken  tiles  now  replaced,  is 
just  as  it  was  when  imported  from  Holland.  Cupboards  in  the  central 
passage  are  interesting  chiefly  for  the  HL  hinges. 

In  the  basement,  floored  with  brick,  are  the  original  kitchen  and 
dining  room.  The  kitchen,  in  the  rear,  has  a  huge  elliptical  arched 
fireplace  of  brick,  containing  a  hanger  for  open-fire  cooking.  Leading 
from  this  room  to  the  rear  yard  is  a  short  flight  of  steps.  At  the  front 
a  steep,  brick-arched  opening  leads  to  the  street  pavement. 

The  back  room  on  the  first  floor  is  the  reputed  scene  of  the  dis- 
cussion with  Washington  regarding  the  design  of  the  flag.  And  it  was 
in  this  room  that  the  industrious  Betsy,  with  nimble  fingers,  is 
alleged  to  have  sewed  the  first  flag  of  the  United  States.  The  front 
room  is  used  as  a  novelty  shop  and  contains  a  small,  simple  fireplace, 
with  wood  paneling  above  and  to  the  left.  Winding  stairways  lead 
to  the  basement  and  to  the  upper  floors  ;  large  double  doors  lead  into 
a  court. 

The  rooms  on  the  second  floor  are  three  in  number:  fair  sized 
rooms  in  the  front  and  rear,  and  a  small  room  off  the  central  hall. 
The  front  room  is  fitted  with  a  fireplace  and  paneled  closets  ;  at  the 
rear  is  the  children's  room,  furnished  with  antiques  reminiscent  of 
the  days  of  Betsy  Ross.  The  front  stairs  leading  to  the  third  floor 
have  the  original  handrail,  with  fine,  carved  spindles.  The  third 
floor  contains  one  large  room  with  a  very  small  fireplace,  and  a  small 
plain  room  opening  off  the  hall. 

Neglected  for  many  years,  the  Flag  House  became  a  center  of  re- 
newed interest  only  within  comparatively  recent  times.  A  group  of 
New  Englanders  interested  prominent  men  in  becoming  directors  of 
a  movement  which  raised  more  than  $100,000  through  the  sale  of 
more  than  a  million  memberships,  to  buy  and  restore  the  shrine.  In 
December  1936  A.  Atwater  Kent,  socially  prominent  Philadelphia 
manufacturer,  offered  to  spend  at  least  $25,000  for  the  restoration 
of  the  house.  His  offer  was  accepted  by  City  Council,  and  the  property 
was  rehabilitated  under  the  architectural  direction  of  Brognard  Okie. 

In  the  task  of  renewing  the  "Birthplace  of  Old  Glory,"  old  floors, 
old  boards,  and  old  nails  were  saved  wherever  possible  ;  three  fire- 
places, long  hidden,  were  revealed.  A  stairway  in  the  front  of  the 
344 


POWEL  HOUSE 

house,  long  since  removed,  was  replaced,  and  a  door  leading  from 
the  yard  into  the  basement  kitchen  was  restored.  Where  replacements 
were  necessary,  material  was  obtained  from  old  homes  in  the  neighbor- 
hood—  those  corresponding  with  the  period  of  the  shrine.  A  mantel 
was  brought  from  one  old  house  then  being  demolished  ;  bricks  and 
window  glass  were  obtained  from  other  Colonial  homes.  The  first 
floor  front  was  rebuilt,  a  doorway  was  transferred  from  the  western 
to  the  eastern  corner  of  the  building,  and  a  new  window  was  installed. 

In  addition  to  the  rejuvenation  of  the  shrine,  the  work  of  rehabili- 
tation included  the  addition,  in  the  rear,  of  the  heating  plant  and 
a  ladies'  rest  room,  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.  For  construction  of  this,  brick 
of  the  Revolutionary  period  was  used. 

For  many  years  only  two  rooms  were  open  to  the  public,  but 
visitors  now  are  permitted  to  explore  all  eight  rooms  in  the  house. 
In  some  can  be  viewed  the  actual  belongings  of  Betsy  Ross.  All  the 
furniture  is  of  the  Revolutionary  period,  or  good  reproductions.  Bunt- 
ing, said  to  be  similar  to  that  used  in  making  the  first  flag,  is  pre- 
served in  a  glass  case. 

The  Flag  House  is  maintained  with  funds  raised  by  the  sale  to  the 
general  public  of  souvenirs  of  all  kinds,  such  as  postcards,  Liberty 
Bells  and  other  mementos.  These  may  be  purchased  on  the  premises. 

THE  POWEL  HOUSE 

244  S.  3d  St.  Eastbound  trolley  on  Chestnut 
St.  to  3d. 

THE  POWEL  HOUSE,  which  was  occupied  by  Philadelphia's 
last  pre-Revolutionary  mayor,  still  presents  much  the  same  out- 
ward appearance  as  when  its  distinguished  owner  lavishly  enter- 
tained notables  of  this  country  and  eminent  guests  from  abroad. 

A  three-story  structure  of  red  brick,  it  is  flanked  on  the  south 
side  by  a  garden  recently  restored  in  part.  Low,  broad  steps  with 
a  wrought-iron  railing  lead  to  a  wide  Colonial  doorway. 

The  building  dates  from  about  1765,  at  which  time  it  was  regarded 
as  pretentious.  The  street  door  opens  into  a  wide  reception  hall, 
where  the  noble  arch  is  a  dominant  feature.  A  rich  wainscoting  of 
solid  mahogany  and  mahogany  spindles  on  the  banisters  embellish  the 
staircase.  Every  room  is  of  proportions  unusually  large  for  a  town 
house. 

The  reception  room,  first  floor  front,  has  been  restored  as  a 
memorial  to  Mrs.  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  through  whose  generosity  the 
original  "Survey  of  the  Old  City"  was  made.  The  dining  room  is  also 
completed.  The  drawing  room,  the  original  of  which  is  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania Museum,  is  being  restored  by  carefully  copying  details  of 
the  original  woodwork. 

345 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Originally  the  Powel  House  was  surrounded  by  extensive  grounds 
magnificently  landscaped,  with  rare  fruit  trees  and  shrubbery  in  pro- 
fusion, and  costly  statuary  lining  the  walks  and  paths.  When  Powel 
was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  in  1775,  the  house  and  garden  became 
the  scene  of  numerous  meetings  of  men  high  in  public  life.  Members 
of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  to  which  Samuel  Powel  be- 
longed, sometimes  came  there. 

Washington  was  a  frequent  guest  ;  there  are  constant  records  in 
his  diary  of  his  taking  both  dinner  and  tea  with  the  mayor  and 
Mrs.  Powell  in  their  Third  Street  home.  Lafayette  and  many  foreign 
diplomats  and  personages  of  importance  also  were  entertained  there. 
When  the  British  forces  occupied  the  city  during  the  winter  of  1777- 
78,  the  Earl  of  Carlisle,  British  High  Commissioner,  was  quartered 
in  the  Powel  house.  The  nobleman  wrote  home  in  laudatory  terms 
of  his  stay  here. 

Often  called  the  "Patriotic  Mayor,"  Powel  headed  Philadelphia's 
government  until  1789.  The  last  mayor  under  British  rule,  he  was 
also  the  first  under  a  free  government.  His  father  had  been  one  of 
the  richest  members  of  the  Carpenters'  Company  and  the  first  opera- 
tive builder  in  Philadelphia.  His  wife  was  the  former  Elizabeth  Wil- 
ling, who  did  as  much  as  her  husband  to  make  the  Powel  home 
famous  for  its  hospitality. 

In  those  days  the  neighborhood  was  considered  the  most  fashion- 
able in  the  city,  and  originally  there  were  only  three  dwellings  in 
the  square  between  Spruce  Street  and  Willing's  Alley.  Charles  Wil- 
ling, former  mayor  and  father  of  Mrs.  Powel,  lived  at  the  corner  of 
Willing's  Alley.  With  the  passage  of  time,  however,  a  number  of 
dwellings  replaced  the  Powel  gardens,  until  finally  only  the  back- 
yard remained. 

In  1931  the  Philadelphia  Society  for  the  Preservation  of  Land- 
marks purchased  the  Powel  House  and  the  house  next  door.  The 
second  was  demolished,  and  the  garden  now  occupies  its  site.  This 
change  has  done  much  to  restore  the  appearance  of  the  old  dwelling 
to  its  original  beauty. 

The  Powel  House  is  important  not  only  because  it  was  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  dwellings  of  the  pre-Revolutionary  period,  but  be- 
cause it  is  considered  the  last  dwelling  in  Colonial  Philadelphia  where 
Washington  was  a  frequent  guest. 


346 


The  Powel  House 


ACADEMY  OF  Music 

Broad  and  Locust  Sts.,  three  blocks  south  of 
City  Hall. 

FEW  American  buildings  hold  richer  echoes  of  the  past  than 
does  Philadelphia's  venerable  Academy  of  Music.  Across  its 
spacious  stage  has  passed  a  pageant  of  the  Nation's  history  — 
political  as  well  as  musical. 

For  generations  it  has  been  the  focal  point  of  the  city's  cultural 
life,  and  the  auditorium  has  resounded  to  the  music  of  great  orches- 
tras, the  elopuence  of  Presidents  and  poets,  the  lyric  ardor  of  the 
world's  finest  voices,  and  once,  in  a  strange  metamorphosis,  to  the 
clamor  of  a  circus  menagerie. 

King  Edward  VII  of  England  visited  the  academy  when  he  was 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  the  memory  of  that  brillant  occasion  is  kept 
alive  by  the  "Prince  of  Wales  Box,"  on  the  balcony  floor  to  the 
right.  Dom  Pedro,  Emperor  of  Brazil,  was  a  visitor  here  on  several 
occasions  while  attending  the  Centennial  Exhibition  in  this  city. 

The  vaulted  ceiling  has  resounded  to  cheers  for  Clay  and  Webster 
and  Blaine  ;  it  has  echoed  the  impassioned  voices  of  William  Lloyd 
Garrison  denouncing  the  iniquity  of  slavery,  and  of  Robert  G.  Inger- 
soll  demanding  freedom  for  the  human  mind  ;  it  has  echoed,  too,  the 
oratory  of  scholarly  Edward  Everett  and  John  B.  Gough. 

Many  Presidents  of  the  United  States,  from  James  Buchanan  to 
Herbert  Hoover,  have  spoken  from  its  stage.  Grover  Cleveland  and 
his  bride  were  feted  in  the  auditorium  by  an  assemblage  whose  bril- 
liance dazzled  even  the  participants;  there  were  1,500  persons  pres- 
ent, including  foreign  ambassadors,  at  a  dinner  costing  $25  a  plate, 
an  enormous  sum  in  those  days. 

On  the  academy's  boards  Edwin  Booth  and  Tomasso  Salvini  acted. 
Gallery  gods  thrilled  to  the  incomparable  tones  of  Adelina  Patti  ;  to 
the  voices  of  Albani,  Campanini,  and  Caruso  ;  to  the  magnetic  charm 
of  Christine  Nilsson.  The  gilded  caryatids  have  looked  down  upon 
the  writhing  grace  of  La  Argentina;  and  they  have  preserved  their 
immobility  in  the  face  of  the  astonishing  sight  of  an  indoor  football 
game.  There  in  the  very  citadel  of  culture  ! 

To  list  the  actors  on  the  world's  stage  who  have  passed  through  its 
entrance  would  be  almost  to  call  the  roll  of  modern  history.  The 
academy  has  seen  them  all  :  personages  and  near-personages,  politi- 
cal pygmies  strutting  their  little  hours,  and  the  authentic  great  — 
Lloyd  George  and  Clemenceau,  Charles  Evans  Hughes,  the  Earl  of 
Birkenhead,  Prince  William  of  Sweden,  Galli-Curci,  Paderewski, 
Josef  Hofmann,  Roald  Amundsen,  Jane  Addams,  John  McCormack, 
Dr.  Charles  H.  Mayo,  Rev.  Harry  Emerson  Fosdick,  Elman, 

348 


ACADEMY  OF  Music 

Heifetz,  Kreisler,  Ole  Bull,  Rubenstein,  Chaliapin,  Viscount  Cecil  — 
the  list  is  well  nigh  inexhaustible. 

Versatility  has  been  the  ruling  note  in  the  academy's  long  life.  The 
first  motion  pictures  ever  thrown  upon  a  screen  were  exhibited 
there.  Not  long  after  the  World  War  the  Hagenbeck-Wallace  circus 
filled  the  auditorium  briefly.  Dances,  debutantes'  teas,  lectures,  card 
parties,  musicales,  and  even  boxing  and  wrestling  matches  have 
occupied  the  auditorium  or  the  second-floor  foyer  ;  and  in  that  foyer 
many  aspiring  young  musicians  have  made  their  first  public  appear- 
ance. 

The  splendors  of  its  past  are  veiled  behind  a  drab  exterior.  The 
building,  designed  by  Napoleon  Le  Brun,  was  completed  in  1857  and 
was  opened  with  a  grand  ball  which  eclipsed  in  size  and  brilliance 
any  event  held  up  to  that  time  in  Philadelphia.  It  had  been  five 
years  building,  and  there  had  been  many  periods  of  delay  while 
funds  were  being  collected  to  finance  the  $400,000  project.  The  first 
opera  offered  there,  //  Trovatore,  was  presented  on  February  25, 
1857,  with  Gazzaniga,  Aldini,  Brignoli,  and  Amodio  in  the  cast.  To 
this  day,  opera  and  concert  music  have  remained  the  mainstays  of 
the  academy's  varied  repertoire.  In  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra  sea- 
son, music  lovers  with  more  devotion  than  worldly  goods  form  block- 
long  queues  in  Locust  Street,  often  standing  in  line  for  hours  to  obtain 
low-priced  gallery  tickets. 

Solidly  constructed  of  brownstone  and  red  brick,  the  sullen  ex- 
terior is  unmitigated  by  the  large,  arched  windows  on  the  Broad 
Street  and  Locust  Street  facades. 

The  huge  Corinthian  columns  of  the  auditorium  were  designed  in 
elliptical  sections,  to  provide  as  unobstructed  a  view  of  the  stage  as 
possible.  The  four  steep  balconies  ;  the  huge  crystal  chandelier  (orig- 
inally in  the  old  Crystal  Palace  in  New  York)  ;  the  painted  ceiling  ; 
the  use  of  baroque  ornamentation  ;  the  caryatids  ;  and  the  lavish  use 
of  gold,  cream,  and  red  plush  coloring  all  blend  to  create  a  gay  and 
intimate  atmosphere. 

An  interesting  feature  is  the  acoustical  pit  under  the  floor  of  the 
auditorium,  built  in  the  shape  of  an  inverted  elliptical  dome.  The  pit 
and  the  domed  ceiling  of  the  auditorium  were  designed  to  obtain 
acoustical  excellence.  Today,  however,  engineers  doubt  that  the  acad- 
emy's marvelous  acoustics  is  attributable  to  this  construction. 

Extraordinary  precautions  have  been  taken  to  prevent  the  huge 
chandelier  from  falling.  It  hangs  from  a  separate  iron  structure  above 
the  ceiling,  and  is  suspended  by  several  cables,  so  that  if  one  should 
break  there  still  would  be  no  danger. 

Olive  gray  walls  adorned  with  Ionic  pilasters  and  columns  ;  numer- 
ous mirrored  doors  ;  window  openings  delicately  paneled  in  the 

349 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

manner  of  the  eighteenth  century  ;  and  brilliant  crystal  chandeliers 
form  the  decorative  scheme  of  the  fayer. 

THE  FREE  LIBRARY 

Logan  Square  and  the  Parkway  (Vine  St. 
between  19th  and  20th).  Bus  "A"  from  Key- 
burn  Plaza  ;  Routes  21  an'd  33.  Open  daily, 
9  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m.;  Sundays,  2  p.  m.  to  10 
p.  m.,  except  during  June,  July,  August,  and 
September.  Closed  on  legal  holidays,  except 
Election  and  Armistice  Days. 
Outstanding  features:  rare  an'd  original 
editions,  collections,  and  treatises  ;  docu- 
ments, newspaper  and  magazine  files  ;  col' 
lections  of  music  ;  cuneiform  tablets  ;  and 
books  for  the  blind. 

THE  FREE  LIBRARY,  one  of  the  most  imposing  buildings  along 
the  Parkway,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $6,300,000.  It  is  constructed 
of  Indiana  limestone  with  a  granite  base  and  is  of  the  French 
Renaissance  style.  The  design  of  the  facade  follows  closely  that  of  the 
Ministry  of  Marine  building  in  Paris,  and  is  distinguished  by  a  long 
row  of  Corinthian  columns  above  the  first  floor. 

Within  the  building  are  a  number  of  spacious  rooms  well  ap- 
pointed for  their  particular  purposes.  The  entrance  hall  and  great 
stairway  are  of  marble  and  impressive  both  in  size  and  dignity. 

The  library  contains  a  large  lending  department  and  a  compre- 
hensive reference  department.  It  also  possesses  many  rare  books, 
some  of  them  long  out  of  print,  and  many  priceless  original  editions. 
There  are  also  special  departments  arranged  to  facilitate  study  and 
research. 

Shelf  space  has  been  provided  for  2,000,000  volumes.  The  cir- 
culating department  contains  110,000  books,  about  30,000  being  avail- 
able on  open  shelves.  In  Pepper  Hall  alone,  there  are  36,000  refer- 
ence books  dealing  with  a  wide  variety  of  subjects  and  including 
a  splendid  collection  of  Judaics  and  Hebraics.  There  is  also  a  novel 
"circulating  library"  in  the  form  of  a  collection  of  more  than  2,000 
cuneiform  tablets  which  scholars  are  permitted  to  examine  in  the 
privacy  of  their  own  homes.  The  reference  department  conducts  a 
business  and  statistical  service,  and  it  has  a  collection  of  Philadelphia 
directories  dating  from  1785,  as  well  as  telephone  directories  of  every 
city  in  the  United  States  of  more  than  100,000  population. 

Another  interesting  feature  is  the  library  for  the  blind,  which  con- 
tains 21,000  volumes  of  embossed  type.  These  volumes  were  pro- 
vided by  the  Pennsylvania  Home  Teaching  Society  for  the  Blind, 

350 


FREE  LIBRARY 

the  Library  of  Congress,  and  the  Southeastern  Pennsylvania  Chapter, 
American  Red  Cross.  This  department  also  maintains  a  collection 
of  9,319  "talking  book"  records  which  combine  the  features  of  a 
portable  radio  and  a  phonograph.  The  records  are  reproductions, 
in  the  speaking  voice,  of  entire  volumes.  Books  and  records,  with 
return  postage,  are  mailed  free  to  blind  persons  living  in  eastern 
Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  Delaware. 

Collections  of  connoisseurs  and  bibliophiles  have  been  added  to 
the  library  from  time  to  time.  Examination  of  these  volumes  is  per- 
mitted, but  the  rarer  books  may  not  be  removed  from  the  building. 

Among  the  departments  of  special  interest  are  those  devoted  to 
law,  music,  children  and  public  documents. 

The  law  department  contains  the  Hampton  L.  Carson  collection 
illustrating  the  growth  of  the  common  law.  It  consists  of  8,000  books 
and  includes  more  than  100  manuscripts  and  8,000  prints.  Another 
collection  is  that  donated  by  Henry  R.  Edmunds  which  deals  with 
admiralty  law.  Simon  Gratz  presented  a  number  of  volumes  devoted 
to  State  trials,  while  a  collection  covering  early  American  law  was 
received  from  William  Brook  Rawle. 

In  the  music  department  more  than  52,000  items  are  cata- 
logued, including  12,597  bound  biographies  and  opera,  orchestral,  and 
organ  scores,  all  of  which  are  available  for  home  use.  In  addition, 
there  are  1,389  books  of  biography,  dictionaries,  encyclopedias,  and 
textbooks,  and  39  current  musical  periodicals  for  reference  use,  to- 
gether with  thousands  of  unbound  pianoforte  numbers,  numerous 
phonograph  records,  and  several  hundred  player  piano  rolls.  Here 
also  is  the  Edward  A.  Fleisher  collection  of  chamber  music  consist- 
ing of  more  than  4,100  items.  Mr.  Fleisher  also  presented  to  the  Free 
Library  one  of  the  world's  largest  collections  of  orchestral  music, 
of  more  than  2,522  numbers  for  full  orchestra,  1,700  numbers  for 
string  orchestra,  and  1,686  concertos,  each  of  which  is  complete  with 
conductor's  score  and  all  necessary  parts  for  its  performance. 

The  following  outstanding  collections  are  also  of  major  interest: 
David  Nunes  Carvalho,  collection  of  manuscripts  and  documents 
relative  to  handwriting  ;  John  Frederick  Lewis  collection  of  Oriental 
manuscripts,  medieval  manuscripts,  books  on  engraving,  early  print- 
ing and  manuscripts  ;  John  Frederick  Lewis  collection  of  portraits, 
containing  some  88,000  portraits  arranged  under  the  names  of  the 
sitters. 

A  department  devoted  to  children  contains  on  open  shelves  more 
than  8,000  books  available  for  home  use,  700  reference  books,  and 
2,500  books  devoted  to  work  with  children.  There  are  also  many 
picture  books  and  a  number  of  volumes  printed  in  large  type  for 
children  with  defective  vision. 

The   public   documents   department  is  for   reference  use   only.   It 

351 


FREE  LIBRARY 

contains  all  documents  distributed  to  public  libraries  by  the  Federal 
Government  and  the  various  States  and  the  more  important  docu- 
ments issued  by  foreign  countries,  as  well  as  publications  of  organi- 
zations such  as  the  League  of  Nations.  It  also  contains  a  number  of 
film-volumes  issued  by  the  National  Recovery  Administration  and 
the  Agricultural  Adjustment  Administration  publicizing  the  activities 
of  both  these  organizations,  and  accounts  of  hearings  on  the  codes 
of  fair  competition.  A  municipal  reference  division  contains  docu- 
ments dealing  with  municipal  affairs  in  this  and  other  nations,  and 
much  unofficial  material  relating  to  civic  affairs. 

The  periodical  department  receives  currently  3,223  publications 
of  general  or  specialized  interest.  It  has  47,600  bound  volumes  and 
an  extensive  index  and  check  list.  The  newspaper  files  embrace  235 
publications. 

An  extension  department  provides  library  service  at  seven  hos- 
pitals and  three  prisons  and  also  conducts  traveling  libraries  and 
neighborhood  service  through  102  local  agencies,  such  as  community 
centers,  fire  stations,  industrial  plants,  schools,  and  summer  camps. 

Outstanding  among  the  diversified  collections  and  exhibits  are  the 
John  Ashhurst  collection  of  title  pages  and  printers'  marks,  and  a 
treasured  group  of  old  Bibles,  pamphlets,  manuscripts  and  what 
is  said  to  be  the  world's  largest  book:  Investigations  and  Studies  in 
Jade.  This  book,  which  required  20  years  to  complete,  is  illustrated 
in  colors,  the  work  of  many  famous  Chinese  artists. 

The  Rosenwald  collection,  3,000  books  on  printing,  engraving, 
book  collecting,  portraiture,  and  book  plates,  is  available  for  refer- 
ence under  certain  restrictions.  The  collection  was  lent  by  Lessing 
J.  Rosenwald.  The  extensive  Isaac  Norris  medical  library  is  also 
available  for  reference  use  under  certain  restrictions. 

There  are  also  exhibition  galleries  for  paintings  and  prints,  a 
catalogue  department,  a  binding  department,  a  shipping  department, 
and  a  photostat  room  where  the  public  may  have  photostats  made  at 
cost.  There  is  also  a  large  reading  room  and  additional  reading 
facilities  on  the  roof,  where  an  enclosed  portion  offers  protection 
against  the  vagaries  of  the  weather. 

The  free  library  system  in  Philadelphia  was  established  under 
a  charter  granted  in  1891,  with  a  board  of  trustees  as  the  governing 
body.  Operating  expenses  are  provided  by  appropriations  made  by 
City  Council  and  by  income  from  such  funds  as  have  been  donated. 

The  free  library  in  this  city  was  opened  in  three  rooms  in 
City  Hall  on  March  12,  1894.  A  year  later  it  was  moved  to  1217-21 
Chestnut  Street,  and  on  December  1,  1910,  it  was  removed  to  the 
northeast  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  Locust  Streets.  The  present 
library  on  the  Parkway  was  opened  on  June  2,  1927.  The  city's  free 
library  system  embraces  31  branches,  three  deposit  stations,  and  112 

352 


FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE 

other  agencies,  included  in  which  is  the  H.  Josephine  Widener 
Memorial  Branch  (open  daily,  9  a.m.  to  5  p.m.,  Sundays  and  legal 
holidays  excepted).  The  Widener  Memorial  Branch  is  situated  at 
the  northwest  corner  of  Broad  Street  and  Girard  Avenue  and  con- 
tains more  than  500  works  of  incunabula  representing  more  than 
300  different  presses  in  Belgium,  France,  Germany,  Holland,  Italy 
and  Switzerland.  It  also  possesses  many  lantern  slides  comprising 
biography,  history,  literature,  travel,  and  other  educational  subjects. 

FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE 

Winter  St.,  at  20th  St.  and  Parkway.  Limited 
parking  permitted  at  all  times  on  Winter  St. 
and  20th  St.  sides  of  building. 
MUSEUM— Open  Wed.,  Thur.,  Fri.,  Surt.  2 
p.  m.  to  10  p.  m.  Sat.  and  holidays,  10  a.  m. 
to  10  p.  m.  Adm.  25  cents.  Closed  Mon., 
Tues.,  Christmas  and  Independence  Days. 
PELS  PLANETARIUM— Winter  Street  en- 
trance  facing  the  Parkway.  Demonstrations 
accompanied  by  45  -  minute  explanatory 
talks  :  weekdays  at  3,  4  and  8:30  p.  m.  Sat., 
12  noon,  3  p.  m.  and  8:30  p.  m.  Sun.,  3,  4 
and  8:30  p.  m.  Closed  Christmas  and  Inde- 
pendence Days.  Adm.  25  cents. 

THE  FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE,  which  includes  the  Fels  Plane- 
tarium, houses  a  diversity  of  exhibits  such  as  has  seldom  been 
seen  under  one   roof.   The   contents   of   this   imposing   building 
represent  man's  persistent  efforts  to  wrest  from  nature   an  ever-in- 
creasing knowledge  and  use  of  her  laws.  The  exhibits  illustrate  his 
cautious    groping    for    scientific    truth    and    his    efforts    at    practical 
application. 

The  Franklin  Institute,  named  to  honor  Benjamin  Franklin,  is  the 
oldest  organization  in  the  United  States  devoted  to  the  study  and 
promotion  of  mechanical  arts  and  applied  sciences.  It  was  founded 
in  1824  by  Samuel  Vaughan  Merrick,  who  later  headed  the  South- 
wark  Foundry,  and  Dr.  William  H.  Keating,  one  of  the  leading 
scientists  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  The  institute  held  its 
first  exhibition  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  at  Carpenters'  Hall.  It 
met  with  immediate  success,  and  the  following  year  the  association 
erected  a  building  on  the  east  side  of  Seventh  Street,  below  Market, 
where  it  remained  for  more  than  a  century. 

During  the  ensuing  upsurge  of  scientific  accomplishment,  the  in- 
stitute's hall  became  a  recognized  assembly  place  for  scholars  from 
all  over  the  world. 

The  present  building,  begun  in  1930  and  opened  in  1934,  repre- 
sents the  culmination  of  the  combined  efforts  of  the  institute  itself 

353 


Franklin   Institute   by   Night 
"The  Layman's   Temple   of  Science' 


League  Island  Navy  Yard  Crane 
"A  Seadog  Home  for  Repairs" 


FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE 

and  the  Benjamin  Franklin  Memorial.  Inc.,  an  organization  spon- 
sored by  interested  citizens.  The  museum,  the  first  of  its  type  in 
this  country,  is  modeled  after  the  Deutsches  Museum  of  Munich, 
Germany.  John  T.  Windrim  was  the  architect  of  the  building.  It  is 
of  classic  design  ;  having  two  symmetrical  and  almost  identical 
facades,  the  principal  one — on  the  Twentieth  Street  side — facing 
Logan  Circle.  The  central  portico  consists  of  six  massive  Corinthian 
columns  supporting  a  heavy  entablature.  The  exterior  is  of  light 
buff  limestone  with  a  granite  base.  The  structure  is  not  yet  com- 
pleted (1937). 

The  museum  of  the  institute  has  the  following  departments  : 
astronomy,  marine  engineering,  graphic  arts,  electrical  communica- 
tions, physics,  chemistry,  aviation,  railroad  engineering,  medicine,  a 
miscellany  of  manufacturing  exhibits,  and  the  Fels  Planetarium. 

Exhibits  are  housed  in  spacious  chambers.  It  is  virtually  impos- 
sible to  give  a  comprehensive  representation  of  all  the  exhibits, 
since  even  a  casual  survey  would  consume  about  15  hours.  Every 
item  has  been  chosen  carefully,  arranged  attractively,  and  con- 
structed simply  and  ingeniously.  Particularly  fascinating  are  the 
numerous  experimental  exhibits  which  may  be  operated  by  the 
visitor  or  the  guide,  thus  serving  to  fix  in  the  mind  the  scientific 
principles  involved. 

Immediately  within  the  heavy  bronze  doorway  of  the  Twentieth 
Street  entrance  is  a  large  hall.  The  painted  canvas  ceiling  of  Renais- 
sance design,  profusely  decorated  in  colors  of  red,  blue,  and  gold, 
was  imported  from  England.  Four  steps  lead  from  this  hall  to  the 
outstanding  architectural  feature  of  the  building — the  octagonal 
Benjamin  Franklin  Memorial  Chamber.  The  quiet  dignity  of  this 
large  hall,  its  design  inspired  by  the  Pantheon  in  Rome,  is  a  suit- 
able setting  for  the  heroic  statue  of  Franklin  which  is  to  be  placed 
here.  Foreshortening  of  the  setbacks  within  the  large  coffers  of  the 
dome  creates  an  illusion  of  height  greater  than  actually  exists.  The 
following  representative  list  of  exhibits,  a  small  part  of  the  total, 
is  arranged  in  the  order  suggested  by  the  institute  for  visitors. 

An  official  greeter,  a  six-foot  mechanical  man,  was  installed  in 
1934.  Nattily  dressed  in  a  brass-buttoned  blue  uniform  trimmed  with 
gold  braid,  the  robot  salutes  each  visitor  passing  through  the  Twen- 
tieth Street  entrance.  "Egbert,"  so  named  at  the  time  of  his  arrival, 
also  bows,  and  in  the  manner  of  the  perfect  host,  says,  "How  do  you 
do  ?  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.  I  hope  you  enjoy  your  visit." 

"Egbert"  is  set  in  motion  by  the  interruption  of  two  invisible  rays 
focused  on  photoelectric  cells.  Visiting  patrons  unknowingly  pass 
through  the  beams,  and  the  robot's  seeming  independent  action 
makes  it  appear  to  be  a  living  being.  "Egbert"  was  designed  by 

355 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

F.  R.  Marion,  a  New  York  engineer,  and  it  is  Marion's  voice  that 
issues  from  a  phonograph  concealed  in  the  mechanism. 

HALL  OF  ELECTRICAL  COMMUNICATIONS:  Exhibits  here 
give  a  comprehensive  history  of  electricity  and  its  practical  applica- 
tion, from  the  first  experiments  to  modern  times.  The  nature  of 
frictional  electricity  is  shown  with  various  types  of  friction  machines, 
among  them  one  used  by  Benjamin  Franklin. 

The  properties  and  effects  of  electromagnetism  are  shown  with 
various  types  of  apparatus.  The  action  of  a  simple  transformer  is 
demonstrated,  showing  the  mechanical  force  due  to  currents  in  an  ad- 
joining coil  and  the  attraction  of  an  iron  rod  to  a  magnetic  field. 

The  telegraphy  group  contains  one  of  the  earliest  forms  of  tele- 
graphic recorders.  A  complete  portrayal  of  telephonic  communication 
includes  a  machine  which  records  the  "looks"  of  the  voice.  Radio 
transmission  and  reception  are  demonstrated  with  exhibits  includ- 
ing the  early  "rock  crusher"  spark  transmitter,  the  latest  receiving 
sets,  and  loud  speaker  comparisons. 

HALL  OF  MECHANISMS:  Here  is  vividly  portrayed  the  develop- 
ment of  many  modern  mechanical  devices — vacuum  cleaners,  sewing 
machines,  locks,  air  brakes,  reapers,  plows,  cash  registers,  and  numer- 
ous others.  In  almost  every  case  the  new  is  contrasted  with  the  old. 
An  especially  effective  exhibit  in  this  room  is  a  modern  bank  vault 
entrance  weighing  35,000  pounds,  contrasted  with  the  small  hand- 
made type  of  safe  of  100  years  ago. 

A  sectional  view  of  a  modern  adding  machine  shows  the  intricate 
maze  of  levers  between  the  operator's  button  and  the  adding  and 
printing  devices.  An  automatic  mechanical  woman,  constructed  by 
Maelzel  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago,  writes  three  verses  and 
draws  four  pictures. 

A  five-ton  cross  section  exhibit  of  the  cables  used  to  support  the 
Philadelphia-Camden  bridge  reveals  the  myriad  of  fine  wires  that 
compose  the  finished  cable.  The  first  steam  coining  press,  used  in 
the  United  States  Mint  in  1836,  is  shown  in  operation  stamping  out 
souvenir  coins. 

HALL  OF  PRIME  MOVERS:  Exhibited  here  are  numerous  mecha- 
nisms which  utilize  nature's  power  sources  to  do  the  work  of  man- 
kind. Various  types  of  steam  engines  and  turbines  are  on  display:  a 
quarter-size  scale  model  of  the  Newcomen  steam  engine,  the  world's 
first  successful  piston  engine  ;  a  half-size  model  of  the  Watt  steam 
engine  (1782),  the  first  to  use  the  principle  of  steam  expansion  ;  the 
walking-beam  engine  built  by  the  Franklin  Iron  Works  in  1847. 

Typical  of  early  devices  using  animal  power  as  a  prime  mover  is 
the  dog  treadmill  exhibit.  Nearby  is  a  complete  hydraulic  power 
plant  with  many  accessories.  So-called  "perpetual  motion"  machines 

356 


FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE 

are  represented  with  a  model  of  the  machine  of  the  notorious  Red- 
hefer  and  one  of  the  more  notorious  Keely. 

PAPER  MAKING  AND  GRAPHIC  ARTS:  Exhibits  in  this  sec- 
tion are  among  the  most  extensive  in  the  museum.  They  present  a 
visual  history  of  the  arts  of  papor  making  and  printing  from  their 
inception  up  to  the  present  day.  Upon  entering  the  room,  one  sees 
displayed  at  the  right  and  left  the  most  up-to-date  typesetting  ma- 
chines used  for  the  printing  of  books  and  newspapers.  The  monotype 
which  casts  single  types  in  justified  lines,  and  the  intertype.  a  line- 
casting  machine  of  the  latest  design,  are  shown. 

One  exhibit,  entitled  "How  a  Newspaper  is  Printed,"  gives  a  thor- 
ough visual  explanation  of  the  processes  used.  A  press  built  by  Cot- 
trell  shows  the  mechanics  of  four-color  printing. 

Various  old  hand  presses  show  by  comparison  the  tremendous 
advance  made  in  the  printing  field.  A  unique  exhibit  of  engraving 
and  matrix  making  is  that  showing  the  Lord's  Prayer,  containing  253 
characters  and  spaces,  engraved  in  a  space  one-sixth  of  an  inch 
square. 

The  paper-making  display  includes  an  exhibit  showing  how  pulp 
is  made.  A  working  scale  model  of  a  Fourdrinier  paper-making 
machine  shows  the  complete  process. 

ELECTRICAL  ENGINEERING  AND  HALL  OF  ILLUMINA- 
TION: The  generation  of  electrical  energy  and  its  uses  are  portrayed 
here.  A  number  of  early  dynamos  include  Joseph  Saxton's  magneto- 
electric  machine  and  Edison's  original  bipolar  direct  current  gen- 
erators for  three-wire  distribution  driven  by  a  steam  engine. 

A  large  collection  of  direct  and  alternating  current  motors  give 
an  insight  into  the  principles  of  operation  and  development.  Among 
other  exhibits  in  this  room  are  experimental  generators,  transformers, 
and  arc  lamps  used  by  Elihu  Thomson  in  his  experimental  work; 
a  collection  showing  the  development  of  the  watt-hour  electric 
meter  ;  a  group  of  recording  and  indicating  instruments  ;  and  25 
types  of  relays. 

Especially  interesting  and  revealing  are  the  exhibits  devoted  to 
the  development  of  illumination,  tracing  its  history  from  the  primi- 
tive pine-knot  torch  to  modern  lighting  units.  A  series  of  striking 
settings  compare  the  halting  progress  of  early  lighting  with  the  rapid 
advances  of  recent  years.  Exhibits  are  arranged  successively,  show- 
ing first  the  "rush  lights"  and  "Betty  lamps"  used  by  this  country's 
early  settlers  in  their  log  cabins  ;  then  the  whale-oil  lamps  of 
Colonial  times;  then  the  candle  fixtures  of  the  Louis  XV  period; 
then  the  open-flame  kerosene  lamps  and  gas  lights  of  the  early 
Victorian  era  ;  then  the  incandescent  carbon  filament  lamp  of  today  ; 
and  finally  a  glimpse  into  the  future,  when  artificial  illumina- 
tion may  supplant  sunlight  entirely  in  all  new  buildings. 

357 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Exhibits  seeking  to  convey  the  value  of  proper  lighting  as  an  aid 
to  good  sight  include  the  "sight-light"  demonstrator  which  proves 
the  importance  of  sufficient  light  ;  a  display  treating  with  the  prob- 
lem of  "white"  light  and  "artificial  sunlight"  in  relation  to  color 
discrimination  and  matching  ;  and  a  number  of  instruments  designed 
to  record  the  physical  characteristics  of  various  light  sources. 

LOCOMOTIVE  ROOM:  Exhibits  include  a  number  of  early  loco- 
motive models,  steam  and  electric.  Comparison  of  the  old  with  the 
new  reveals  the  great  strides  made  in  locomotive  development.  The 
"Rocket,"  built  in  England  in  1837  and  weighing  slightly  more  than 
eight  tons,  has  run  310,164  miles.  Nearby  is  the  "60,000,"  a  modern 
3-cylinder  compound  heavy  duty  engine  built  in  1926  by  the  Bald- 
win Locomotive  Works.  It  weighs  350  tons.  This  exhibit  has  been 
arranged  to  move  a  short  distance  on  a  real  railroad  bridge  in  re- 
sponse to  manipulation  of  the  controls.  Degrees  of  ensuing  stress 
and  strain  on  the  bridge  are  recorded  on  instruments  in  the  hall  be- 
low the  engine. 

HALL  OF  AVIATION  :  Dominating  this  room  is  the  Lockheed- 
Vega  airplane  in  which  Amelia  Earhart  spanned  the  North  Atlantic. 
(She  was  lost  in  the  Pacific  in  July  1937  on  a  round-the-world  flight.) 
A  number  of  exhibits  review  the  history  of  airplane  development,  be- 
ginning with  Orville  Wright's  trial  flight  in  1903  when  he  rose  a 
few  feet  above  the  ground  at  Kitty  Hawk,  North  Carolina,  and  lead- 
ing up  to  the  round-the-world  flights  of  today.  A  mural  by  William 
Heaslip  accurately  depicts  Wright's  first  successful  flight.  Among  the 
actual  aircraft  on  exhibit  is  the  only  existing  Wright  Brothers  V  plane 
still  capable  of  flying.  It  was  first  flown  in  1912.  Also  on  view  is  a 
faithful  reproduction  on  a  1  to  15  scale  of  Col.  Charles  A.  Lindbergh's 
famous  Spirit  of  St.  Louis. 

The  fundamental  principles  of  flight  are  demonstrated  with  the 
aid  of  several  wind  tunnels.  A  model  of  an  airplane  engine  runs 
under  its  own  power  and  turns  a  14-inch  propeller  6,000  revolutions 
a  minute. 

MEDICINE,  SURGERY,  AND  DENTISTRY  :  This  section  has 
many  exhibits,  all  designed  to  show  the  contributions  made  by  chem- 
istry, physics,  and  mechanics  to  the  development  of  medical  science. 

An  early  model  of  the  Drinker  respirator,  designed  to  furnish 
artificial  respiration  over  long  periods  of  time,  can  be  operated  so 
that  a  doll  within  the  machine  seems  to  breathe.  This  exhibit  is 
supplemented  by  a  rubber  model  of  human  lungs  illustrating  the 
principles  of  breathing. 

The  principles  of  the  electrocardiograph  are  shown  in  an  exhibit 
in  which  the  observer  serves  as  subject.  Other  exhibits  show  the  value 
of  X-rays  and  other  scientific  phenomena  as  applied  to  the  problems 
of  human  health. 

358 


FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE 

Numerous  medical  and  surgical  instruments  are  displayed  in  a 
glass  case.  This  collection,  changed  from  time  to  time,  includes  re- 
productions of  instruments  found  in  the  ruins  of  Pompeii  ;  a  series 
showing  the  development  of  the  stethoscope  ;  surgical  instruments 
used  during  the  Civil  War  ;  and  devices  for  the  hard-of -hearing.  A 
dentist's  office  of  1860,  as  well  as  one  of  today,  is  shown. 

HALL  OF  ASTRONOMY  :  The  astronomy  room  is  equipped  with 
two  telescopes,  a  10-inch  refractor,  and  a  24-inch  reflector.  Shown  also 
is  a  scale  model  of  the  200-inch  telescope  which  will  go  into  operation 
on  a  western  mountain  peak  in  1940,  and  a  sample  of  the  glass  of 
which  the  mirror  is  made.  An  old  8-inch  telescope,  installed  in  Central 
High  School  in  1839  and  a  source  of  education  for  many  generations 
of  Philadelphia  students  until  1900,  has  been  added  to  the  collection. 

Other  exhibits,  too  numerous  to  mention,  are  displayed  in  the 
HALL  OF  CHEMISTRY,  HALL  OF  RADIATIONS,'  MARINE 
TRANSPORTATION  ROOM,  AND  THE  FRANKLIN  PRINTING 
SHOP  (an  authentic  reconstruction  of  a  printing  shop  of  Franklin's 
time,  with  printing  presses  used  by  Franklin). 

The  institute  has  a  scientific  library  known  as  PEPPER  HALL,  which 
houses  more  than  100,000  volumes.  The  library's  wall  and  Corinthian 
pilasters  are  painted  yellow,  with  details  in  buff  ;  the  door,  windows, 
and  bookcases  are  of  walnut.  A  nicely  executed  cornice  completely 
surrounds  the  base  of  the  institute's  acoustically  treated  BOARD 
ROOM,  a  simple  and  dignified  circular  chamber  in  light  buff  shades. 

Its  research  department  includes  two  laboratories  ;  a  periodical 
devoted  to  the  discussion  of  scientific  questions  has  been  published 
monthly  since  1826. 

The  board  room,  lecture  room,  and  library  are  reached  by  means 
of  a  stairway  of  monumental  proportions  at  the  right  of  MEMORIAL 
HALL.  This,  the  lecture  hall,  designed  along  the  lines  of  the  old 
Franklin  Institute,  is  a  dignified  room  in  the  Doric  order,  tinted 
gray,  buff,  and  green.  Its  walls  have  been  treated  with  a  special 
plaster  which  makes  it  doubly  soundproof.  All  the  walls  throughout 
the  building  are  padded  or  insulated  with  punctured  steel  sheets 
backed  by  rock  wool. 

Pels  Planetarium 

HE  FELS  PLANETARIUM,  gift  of  Samuel  S.  Fels,  a  Philadel- 
phian,  was  the  second  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States.  Its  vivid 
demonstration  of  the  motion  of  the  heavenly  bodies  has  made  it  of 
outstanding  interest  among  the  institute's  exhibits.  The  apparatus  con- 
sists of  a  hemispherical  metal  dome  68  feet  in  diameter,  and  a  pro- 
jector shaped  like  a  huge  dumbbell,  composed  of  thousands  of  small 
devices — lights,  shutters,  gears,  and  lenses — all  precisely  timed  and 
spaced.  The  planetarium,  entered  through  a  semi-circular  entrance 

359 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

hall  of  travertine  walls  and  red  marble  trim,  consists  of  the  dome  of 
the  heavens  rising  above  a  silhouette  of  the  Philadelphia  skyline. 
Echoes  usually  occurring  in  circular  auditoriums  have  been  elimin- 
ated by  using  a  dome  of  perforated  sheets  of  stainless  steel  and  pad- 
ding the  walls  with  mineral  wool. 

Lights  are  extinguished,  and  the  dome  becomes  the  dark  blue 
eky  of  a  moonless  night.  The  demonstration  of  the  planetary  system  — 
the  phases  of  the  moon  and  the  positions  of  the  stars  and  constella- 
tions during  the  annual  journey  of  the  earth — proceeds  with  con- 
vincing verisimilitude.  Phenomena  that  require  years  to  complete  are 
condensed  into  a  brief  hour. 

The  heavens  can  be  depicted  as  they  appear  from  anv  pa*-t  of  the 
earth,  at  any  time  in  the  past  or  future.  So  many  phenomena  can  be 
demonstrated  that  the  topic  of  the  demonstration  is  changed  monthly. 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  OF  ART 

Parkway  at  25th  St.  "A"  bus  at  Reyburn 
Plaza.  (Onen  free,  daily  and  S-inday:  10:30 
a.  m.  to  5  p.  mj. 

Imnortant  exhibits:  Period  rooms  of  the 
English,  French,  and  American  schools;  art 
of  the  Middle  Ages;  cloisters,  furniture  col- 
lections and  contemporary  exhibitions  of 
art. 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  OF  ART,  one  of  the  most 
imposing  buildings  in  the  city,  is  situated  at  the  extreme  upper 
end  of  the  Parkway,  near  the  east  bank  of  the  Schuylkill  River 
and  at  the  southernmost  end  of  Fairmount  Park. 

This  museum,  th«  chief  repository  of  art  in  Philadelphia,  is  the 
architectural  product  of  Zantzinger  &  Borie  and  Ho"ace  Trumbauer. 
Its  exhibits  present  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  history  of  art  from 
ancient  times  to  the  present  day. 

Originally  conceived  a^  a  $5,000,000  project,  the  museum  repre- 
sented a  cost  of  $25,000,000  when  it  was  opened  in  1928.  Although 
not  entirely  completed  up  to  1937.  it  reflects  as  fine  an  interpretatioii 
of  Grecian  architecture  as  any  structural  effort  of  modern  times. 

On  the  summit  of  a  rock-terraced  hill  known  ai  Olde  Faire  Mount, 
the  building  is  constructed  of  Minnesota,  Mankato,  and  Kosota  stone 
—  stories  of  similar  tvpe,  having  a  wa~m.  frolden  hue.  ^he  roof,  cover- 
ing an  expanse  of  about  four  acres,  is  of  blue  tile  with  gilded  orna- 
ments at  the  corners  and  ed^es 

From  its  high  place  on  the  hill  fhe  structure  affords  a  beautiful 
view  of  the  Parkway  and  overlooks  the  imposing  Washington  monu- 
ment on  the  Parkway  Plasa,  in  the  immediate  foreground. 

The   approach   to   the   museum,   across   the   Plaza   circle,   is   up   a 

360 


Zeiss    Planatarium    Instrument    in    the   Pels   Planetarium 
"...   the  stars  in  their  courses  proclaim   ..." 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

series  of  68  broad  stone  steps  which  rise  in  five  levels  to  an  expan- 
sive forecourt  paved  with  flagstone,  that  leads  to  another  flight  of  26 
steps  to  the  main  entrance. 

On  either  side  of  the  five  series  of  steps,  cascades  of  water  descend 
with  a  rush  that  suggests  unending  motion.  And  in  the  forecourt  a 
great  fountain  lends  color  and  charm.  This  fountain  was  erected  in 
1932  with  funds  bequeathed  by  Henry  M.  Phillips,  an  original  mem- 
ber of  the  Fairmount  Park  Commission  and  its  president  from  1881 
to  1884. 

The  museum  is  built  in  three  great  wings  :  the  main  or  west  wing, 
along  the  western  edge  of  the  courtyard  ;  the  north  and  south  wings 
extending  east,  bordering  either  side  of  the  court. 

Maintaining  a  fidelity  to  classic  precedent,  the  design  of  the 
museum  facade  incorporates  a  certain  subtlety  of  construction  such 
as  was  practiced  by  the  ancient  Greeks  for  the  purpose  of  creat- 
ing optical  illusions  and  to  soften  the  starkness  of  absolutely  straight 
lines.  The  walls  were  built  slightly  convex,  and  other  lines  were 
made  to  appear  straight  to  the  eye  by  curving  them — rows  of 
columns  follow  an  imperceptibly  curved  line  ;  the  roof  peaks  and 
the  steps  of  the  main  approach  are  convex. 

Within  the  pediment  surmounting  the  northeast  facade  are  13 
freestanding,  life-size  figures  designed  by  C.  Paul  Jennewein  and 
John  Gregory.  They  were  executed  in  chrome  and  gold  glazes  and 
occupy  a  tympanum  70  feet  wide  at  the  base  and  ranging  to  12  feet 
in  height.  They  are  considered  an  outstanding  example  of  the  cera- 
mic art  in  colors.  The  mythological  figures,  according  to  the  sculp- 
tors, signify  sacred  and  profane  love,  the  two  underlying  forces 
which  are  basic  in  the  development  of  art  and  civilization  in  every 
age.  Among  the  figures  represented  are  Jupiter,  Venus,  Aurora, 
Cupid  and  Adonis.  They,  together  with  the  figures  of  a  lion,  a  mighty 
serpent  and  an  owl,  all  made  from  polychrome  terra  cotta,  symbolize 
the  influences  which  produced  western  culture. 

The  massive  main  entrance  of  the  building  represents  a  com- 
promise between  modern  exigency  and  adherence  to  Greek  art. 
Ancient  Greek  temples  were  built  without  windows  or  doors,  en- 
trance being  through  a  large  central  opening.  The  Pennsylvania 
Museum  of  Art  was  built  with  this  in  mind  —  the  unadorned,  severe 
looking  opening  of  great  breadth  rising  to  the  heights  of  the  portico 
pillars.  This  opening,  however,  has  been  enclosed  with  many  panels 
of  glass  which  admit  light  to  the  interior  court.  This  glass  primarily 
serves  the  purpose  of  excluding  the  wintry  winds  and  the  summer 
heats. 

Just  within  the  glass-enclosed  entrance  is  the  Great  Hall.  Within 
362 


PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  OF  ART 

the  hall  the  polychrome  decorations  of  the  columns  and  entablature 
correspond  with  the  external  treatment,  where  gilded  ornamenta- 
tion and  scarlet,  yellow,  blue,  and  green  colors  are  used  so  effec- 
tively, following  the  precedent  of  ancient  Greece.  The  imposing 
grand  staircase,  which  faces  the  entrance  and  dominates  the  hall, 
leads  to  a  colonnaded  gallery  on  the  second  floor. 

As  one  enters  the  Great  Hall,  one  of  the  first  things  to  greet  the 
eye  is  Augustus  Saint-Gaudens'  Diana,  a  splendid  example  of  Ameri- 
can sculpture.  This  statue  once  graced  the  pedestal  atop  the  old 
Madison  Square  Garden,  in  New  York.  It  was  presented  to  the 
museum  in  1932. 

Adorning  the  walls  of  the  Great  Hall  and  the  adjoining  rooms,  as 
well  as  throughout  the  building,  are  a  number  of  beautiful  and  price- 
less examples  of  the  age-old  art  of  tapestry.  Tapestries  of  the  finest 
weave,  some  dating  back  to  the  fifteenth  century  and  many  of 
modern  design,  are  contained  in  this  extensive  collection. 

Among  those  to  be  seen  in  the  Great  Hall  is  an  exquisite  piece  of 
modern  work  showing  American  troops,  on  the  way  to  France,  pass- 
ing Indepenence  Hall.  It  is  a  Gobelin  made  in  France  and  was  de- 
signed by  G.  L.  Jaulmes.  It  was  presented  to  the  museum  by  the 
French  Government  in  recognition  of  the  welcome  extended  to 
French  artists  by  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

Included  among  the  more  valuable  tapestries  on  view  are  an 
Arras  tapestry  from  France,  made  in  1400  and  showing  a  boar  hunt  ; 
a  Coptic  tapestry,  from  Tournai,  Belgium,  about  1600  ;  an  Esperance, 
from  Tournai,  1475  ;  Scene  of  Courtly  Life  in  France,  1490  ;  Deposi- 
tion of  Christ,  Brussels,  1510  ;  Beauvais  tapestry  showing  Italian 
village  feasts,  1736. 

The  Arras  tapestry,  sometimes  called  the  "tapestry  of  1,000 
flowers,"  hangs  in  the  medieval  section  of  the  Romanesque  Court  ; 
the  Coptic  is  in  the  same  section.  Gothic  Hall,  in  the  medieval  sec- 
tion, has  the  "Courtly  Life"  and  the  Esperance  tapestries. 

Although  the  Philadelphia  Art  Museum  is  not  mellowed  with  age 
so  far  as  its  physical  aspects  are  concerned,  it  has  achieved  eminence 
as  a  repository  of  priceless  art  and  rare  treasures  that  date  back 
hundreds  of  years,  some  to  the  eleventh  century.  Masterpieces  from 
the  hands  of  the  great  artists  of  the  ages  and  of  virtually  every  recog- 
nized school  may  be  seen  ;  handiwork  of  some  of  the  foremost  crafts- 
men in  furniture  may  be  viewed  ;  superb  tapestries,  fine  marbles, 
great  clocks,  prized  doors,  specimens  of  architectural  art  of  every 
race  and  clime  are  exhibited.  And  all  of  these  treasures  are  laid  out 
in  chronological  order,  thereby  revealing  the  evolution  of  the  broad 
field  of  art  in  simple  fashion. 

On  the  first  floor  is  exhibited  the  John  G.  Johnson  collection  of 
art  which  comprises  masterpieces  representing  the  most  important 

363 


IL 


1 


East  Wing  of  Art  Museum 
'The  grandeur  that  was  Greece,  the  glory 


PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  OF  ART 

phases  in  the  history  of  painting.  It  is  the  largest 'single  collection 
in  the  world  that  is  chronologically  listed,  except  that  in  the  British 
Museum. 

Johnson,  a  noted  lawyer  as  well  as  a  distinguished  art  collector, 
left  his  collection  of  1,280  pictures  to  the  city  when  he  died  in 
1917.  The  collection  has  been  kept  intact,  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  his  will,  and  was  on  exhibition  at  the  Johnson  home, 
510  South  Broad  Street,  until  several  years  agp,  when  the  house  was 
abandoned  temporarily.  The  collection  was  moved  to  the  museum, 
where  it  is  rotated,  only  300  pictures  being  on  view  at  any  one  time. 

Included  in  this  collection  are  representative  works  of  the  Italian, 
Flemish,  Dutch,  Spanish,  German,  French,  and  English  schools, 
executed  by  the  skilled  hands  of  the  world's  great  masters. 

Johnson  began  his  collection  in  1881  and  during  the  ensuing  years 
acquired  works  by  such  famous  painters  as  Jan  Van  Eyck,  founder 
of  the  Flemish  fifteenth  century  school  ;  Rogier  van  der  Weyden, 
founder  of  the  Brussels  school  ;  and  Hieronymous  Bosch,  whose 
satirical  art  forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  Flemish  and  Dutch 
schools.  In  fact,  the  collection  comprises  paintings  of  distinction  done 
by  such  famous  artists  as  Pieter  Bruegel,  the  elder  ;  Rembrandt, 
Rubens,  Aelbert  Cuyp,  Pieter  de  Hooch,  and  Adriaen  Brouwer. 
Works  of  Botticelli,  the  Florentine  master  ;  Fra  Angelico,  Francesco 
Pesellino,  Pietro  Lorenzetti,  Luca  Signorelli,  Carlo  Crevelli,  Anton- 
ella  Da  Messina,  Giovanni  Bellini,  Titian,  Tiepolo,  Cosimo  Tura, 
Canaletto,  Marieschi,  and  Francesco  Guardi,  of  the  Italian  schools, 
are  also  in  this  collection. 

The  German  primitives  are  represented  by  Lucas  Granach,  Master 
Wilhelm,  and  Bartholomaeus  Bruyn,  the  elder  ;  while  the  French 
school  is  represented  in  primitive  and  modern  work  by  Simon 
Marimon,  master  of  Moulins  ;  Francois  Clouet,  Corneille  de  Lyon, 
Poussin,  Chardin,  Gericault,  Delacroix,  Manet,  Monet,  Corot,  Millet, 
and  others,  with  the  English  school  having  Hogarth,  Sir  Joshua 
Reynolds,  Thomas  Gainsborough,  Turner,  Constable,  and  Crome. 
The  Spanish  painters  are  well  represented  in  a  group  which  in- 
cludes three  very  fine  panels  by  El  Greco. 

Among  the  better  known  works  are  St.  Francis  Receiving  the 
Stigmata,  by  Van  Eyck  ;  two  panels  showing  Christ  on  the  Cross 
with  the  Virgin  and  St.  John,  by  Van  der  Weyden  ;  The  Shepherd 
Fleeing  from  the  Wolf,  by  the  elder  Bruegel  ;  Saint  Francis,  by 
Fra  Angelico  ;  four  exquisite  predelle  panels  and  some  other  fine 
work  by  Botticelli,  including  :  Portrait  of  Lorenzo  Lorejizano,  Last 
Moments  of  the  Magdalene,  Noli  Me  Tangere,  Feast  in  the  House  of 
Levi,  and  Christ  Preaching;  The  Virgin  and  Child  with  Saints,  by 
Pesellino  ;  Pieta,  by  Crevelli  ;  Madonna  and  Child,  by  Bellini. 

On  the  second  floor,  the  central  section  contains  the  Joseph  Lees 

365 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Williams  collection  of  Persian  rugs,  and  collections  of  china  and 
bric-a-brac,  and  jasper  medallions  of  Wedgewood. 

In  the  south  wing  is  part  of  a  Romanesque  cloister  of  the  eleventh 
and  twelfth  centuries  and  a  Catalan  cloister  from  Saint  Genis  des 
Fontaines,  construction  of  which  started  in  1086.  About  one  third 
of  the  original  structure  was  brought  here,  together  with  stones  taken 
from  adjacent  territory,  sufficient  to  complete  the  erection.  Beyond 
the  cloister  is  the  medieval  art  gallery  devoted  mainly  to  early  German 
and  Spanish  art.  Next  to  this  gallery  are  numerous  Gothic-Roman- 
esque details,  such  as  fine  stained-glass  windows,  including  the  Cru- 
saders' windows  (roundels)  which  are  gem-lined  and  made  of  full- 
blown glass,  with  polychrome  mother-and-child  theme.  In  the  ad- 
joining room  is  a  Gothic  chapel,  interesting  in  that  it  has  a  vaulted 
roof  and  buttresses  at  each  end.  The  chapel  wall  is  about  40  inches 
thick,  and  the  exterior  stone  is  laid  in  pleasing  pattern,  while  the 
interior  is  of  rough  gray  stone. 

In  this  section  there  are  numerous  examples  of  Romanesque  sculp- 
ture—  the  triple-arched  portal  from  Saint  Laurent  les  Augustins,  a 
Burgundian  abbey  of  the  twelfth  century,  and  a  traceried  doorway 
of  about  100  years  later  ;  a  wainscoted  French  room  of  the  sixteenth 
century  French  Renaissance  period,  which  is  hung  with  interesting 
paintings  and  tapestries  ;  two  Italian  Gothic  rooms  from  Florence 
and  Venice  and  various  specimens  of  Gothic  art.  Here,  too,  one  finds 
an  interesting  reminder  of  the  romance  of  old  in  the  figure  of  The 
Knight  on  Horseback,  who  eternally  rides  in  the  Romanesque  Court. 
This  "knight"  is  merely  a  suit  of  tournament  armor  bearing  the  mark 
of  Lorenz  Colman,  armorer  to  Emperor  Maximilian.  It  was  brought 
from  the  imperial  collection  at  Vienna  and  dates  back  to  1500.  The 
horse,  festooned  with  armorial  trappings  for  tournament  use,  bears 
the  arms  of  Freiherr  Behaim  von  Schwarzenbach,  a  German  or  Aus- 
trian of  the  seventeenth  century.  In  addition  to  the  trappings,  the 
"knight"  is  armed  with  a  lance,  fully  prepared  for  the  joust. 

A  number  of  exhibits  of  secular  rooms  are  to  be  found  in  the  west 
wing,  including  a  French-Gothic  room  that  is  wood-paneled  with 
linen  fold  motif  on  the  walls  and  a  polychrome  floor  of  fleur-de-lys 
pattern  ;  a  Florentine-Gothic  gallery  with  flagstone  floor  and  paint- 
ings in  the  Giotto  tradition  by  Giovanni  di  Paolo  ;  a  room  from  a 
Venice  house,  completely  furnished  and  including  a  fireplace,  a 
Savonarola  bed  or  tea  chair,  and  a  floor  with  crushed  stone  imbedded 
in  cement,  dating  back  to  1493. 

In  this  west  wing  there  are  five  galleries  devoted  to  an  exhibition 
of  American  art  which  iocludes  works  by  Sully,  Peale,  Sargent, 
Eicholtz,  Stuart,  Thomas  Eakins,  Mary  Cassatt,  Charles  Rosen,  Arthur 
B.  Charles,  Daniel  Garber,  and  other  representative  artists  of  the 

366 


PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  OF  ART 

seventeenth,  eighteenth,  nineteenth,  and  twentieth  centuries.  This  ex- 
hibit also  contains  a  number  of  miniatures,  a  group  of  eye  miniatures, 
a  large  statue  of  Washington,  busts  by  Charles  Grafly,  Serge  Yourie- 
vitch,  and  Alexander  Portnoff,  as  well  as  such  furniture  as  a  Queen 
Anne  chair,  a  splat-back  chair,  a  Chippendale  lowboy,  and  an  Empire 
style  sideboard. 

The  north  wing  has  two  Italian  Renaissance  galleries  of  the  fif- 
teenth and  sixteenth  centuries.  The  former  contains  paintings  by 
— Antonello  Da  Messina,  Lorenzo  Lotto,  and  Jacopo  di  Barbari,  and 
sculpture  by  Bertolodo  as  well  as  terra  cottas  ,;  furniture,  and  tapes- 
try ;  the  latter  has  a  stone  chimney  piece  in  the  style  of  Sansovino  ; 
chairs,  paintings,  tables,  large  wrought-iron  candleholders,  and  paint- 
ings by  Cariani  Guardi,  and  others.  Immediately  adjoining  is  another 
Italian  fifteenth  century  Renaissance  room,  with  doorways  and  ceil- 
ings from  Rome,  Venice,  and  Pesaro  ;  a  fireplace  of  carved  wood  and 
a  flagstone  floor.  A  beautiful  plaque,  The  Virgin  Worshippifig  the 
Child.,  by  Delia  Robbia,  is  set  in  the  wall.  Two  large  altarpieces  are 
the  work  of  Masolina  da  Panicale,  and  the  several  paintings  by  Botti- 
celli and  Fra  Angelico.  One  of  the  masterpieces  in  this  room  is  the 
low-relief  Madonna  and  Child  by  Desiderio  da  Settignano. 

The  German  (Austrian)  Renaissance  period  is  represented  by  a 
sixteenth  century  exhibit  from  Stiegerhof  (Nagerschigg)  in  Carinthia, 
Austria,  which  includes  a  white  marble  fountain,  a  French  table  of 
the  same  period,  templated  ceiling,  an  interesting  tile  stove  and  case- 
ment windows,  as  well  as  a  painting  by  Hans  Maler. 

The  French  Renaissance  room  of  the  fifteenth  century  is  still  in- 
complete, but  it  has  some  fine  examples  of  wood  carving,  a  draw- 
bridge table,  a  child's  high  chair  and  a  high-backed  chair  from  the 
Chateau  de  Cussac.  Although  the  French  gallery  is  not  yet  perman- 
ently placed,  it  has  some  good  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  century  re- 
presentation in  paintings  by  Delacroix,  Courbet,  Chasserian,  Corot, 
Jongkind,  Millet,  and  Gericault.  It  also  has  some  bronze  animals  by 
Barye  and  several  pieces  of  furniture  typical  of  the  period,  as  well  as 
an  attractive  Louis  XVI  interior  from  the  Hotel  Letellier,  Paris 
(1789),  showing  parquetry  floors,  paneled  and  mirrored  walls,  over- 
door  bas-relief,  heavy  Empire  .ornamental  furniture,  bric-a-brac,  and 
china  of  the  luxuriant  period  of  Louis  XVI. 

More  humble  and  homelike  is  the  Dutch  room  with  wooden  floors, 
walls,  and  ceilings  ;  casement  windows  of  stained  glass  design,  tiled 
fireplace,  alcove  bed,  and  a  painting  by  Jerborch.  This  room  was 
taken  from  a  house  called  "Het  Scheepje"  (the  little  boat),  in  Haar- 
lem, Netherlands,  which  was  built  by  Dirk  Dirick.  Paintings  in  the 
Dutch  gallery  of  the  seventeenth  century  are  by  Jacob  Ruysdael, 
De  Hooch,  Steen,  and  Hobbema. 

A  Tudor  room  from  Red  Lodge,  West  Wickham,  Kent,  England, 

367 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

dates  from  1529  and  contains  elaborately  carved,  oak  paneled  walls, 
brick  and  stone  fireplace,  large  windows,  velvet  drapes,  period  furni- 
ture, and  a  painting  by  Antonio  Moro.  The  small  English  gallery  in- 
cludes several  pictures  by  George  Moreland,  such  as  Old  Coaching 
Days,  Fruits  of  Early  Industry  and  Economy,  and  The  Happy  Cottag- 
ers. There  is  also  a  painting  by  Richard  Wilson  of  Westminster  Bridge. 
This  gallery  also  shows  a  London  interior  of  1760,  with  plastered, 
painted  walls,  period  furniture,  and  a  fireplace  of  marble  and  metal. 
In  this  wing  there  are  five  galleries  for  current  exhibitions  of  art. 

Close  by  is  an  exhibit  of  three  beautifully  paneled  old  rooms 
brought  complete  from  the  Sutton  Scarsdale  House,  Derbyshire, 
England,  and  dating  back  to  1724.  The  bedroom,  in  the  style  of  Chris- 
topher Wren,  contains  a  gilt  marble  table  of  Georgian  style,  porcelain 
vases,  damask  drapes,  brass  candelabra,  and  a  side  chair  of  the 
William  and  Mary  period.  Another  room,  in  the  style  of  William 
Kent,  has  a  mahogany  console  dating  from  1745;  English  pottery, 
and  a  vase  from  Delft,  Holland  ;  and  the  third  room,  at  one  time  a 
dining  room  and  done  in  the  style  of  Wren,  contains  numerous  pieces 
of  furniture  that  have  no  logical  connection  with  the  period,  but 
are  noteworthy  because  of  other  details.  In  this  room  is  a  grand- 
father clock  made  in  London  in  1700  which  still  keeps  excellent  time 
and  chimes  the  hours.  All  these  rooms  have  original  fireplaces,  pan- 
eled oak  walls,  ceilings,  cornices,  floors,  door  frames,  knobs,  and  locks 
brought  from  England  direct  to  the  museum.  Paintings  in  the  rooms 
include  Gainsborough's  A  Classical  Landscape,  Reynolds'  Edmund 
Burke,  Raeburn's  Portrait  of  a  Gentleman,  Constable's  The  Locke, 
Crome's  Blacksmith's  Shop,  near  Hingham,  Norfolk,  and  portraits  by 
Romney.  Here,  too,  may  be  seen  Hogarth's  Assembly  at  Wanstead 
House  ;  Going  to  the  Hay  field,  by  David  Cox  ;  The  Storm,  by  John 
Linnell  ;  Burning  of  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  by  Joseph  M.  W. 
Turner  ;  Sir  Walter  Scott,  a  portrait,  by  Sir  John  Watson. 

In  this  same  wing  there  is  an  interior  of  the  Derby  House  (1799), 
Salem,  Mass.,  with  a  secretary-bookcase  of  the  Sheraton  style,  a 
Hepplewhite  side  chair,  a  tall  clock,  a  mahogany  sofa,  and  a  painting 
by  Francis  Wheatley.  There  is  also  a  room  from  Wrightington  Hall, 
Lancashire,  England  (1748),  with  a 'Carlton  House  desk,  Sheffield 
candlesticks,  silver  inkstand,  Chippendale  chair,  an  elaborately  carved 
fireplace  with  Chelsea  porcelain  figures  on  the  mantelpiece,  a  curtain 
cornice,  and  carved  wood  covered  with  old  damask. 

Next  comes  the  German-Dutch  kitchen  —  a  room  from  the  Muller 
House  (1752),  at  Millbach,  Lebanon  County,  Pa.  The  furnishings 
were  given  by  J.  Stogdell  Stokes.  It  has  wooden  beamed  ceilings  ; 
plain  plastered  walls  ;  a  picture  of  A  Mennonite  Woman,  by  Jacob 
Eicholtz  ;  pewter  plates  ;  slip  and  Sgraffito  ware  ;  large,  stone  fireplace 
fully  equipped  with  large  iron  kettle  and  other  cooking  utensils  ;  a 

368 


PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  OF  ART 

wooden  stairway  ;  a  long,  crude  wooden  table  ;  long,  narrow  benches 
about  six  inches  wide  ;  an  iron  candelabrum  —  and  an  old  musket 
over  the  fireplace. 

From  the  same  house  is  the  adjoining  bedroom  exhibit  with  its  rare 
wood  trimmings,  small  pane  windows,  wicker  basket,  wooden  cradle, 
small  bed,  crude  wooden  table,  plain  straight-backed  chairs,  cross- 
stitch  mottoes,  painted  wooden  chests  with  primitive  decorative 
motifs,  a  triangular  cupboard,  and  quaint  pictures  on  the  walls. 

Still  another  old  Pennsylvania  room  in  this  section  is  that  from  the 
Powel  House,  Philadelphia  (about  1765) .  It  has  paneled,  painted  pine 
walls  ;  a  bas-relief  ceiling,  and  a  white  marble  fireplace.  It  contains 
two  wing  chairs,  two  tables,  a  secretary,  sofa,  and  candlestick,  all 
Chippendale  style  ;  two  silver  coffee  pots,  four  wall  mirrors,  and  a 
great  clock. 

For  a  time,  with  the  help  of  Works  Progress  Administration  funds, 
work  was  in  progress  which  would  have  greatly  increased  the  present 
exhibition  facilities  of  the  museum.  In  the  autumn  of  1937,  it  was 
announced  that  the  WPA  phase  of  the  work  would  be  gradually 
discontinued. 


Art  Museum  and  Old  Water  Works 
Gazing  Placidly  Across  the  Schuylkill  River 


i 


'•'ill1! 


~~-  *P*i*«J!§«! 

ir;i*-i!  I 


GIRARD  COLLEGE 


Corinthian  and  Girard  Aves.  Broad  St.  Sub- 
way northbound  to  Girard  Ave.;  westbound 
Route  15  trolley  to  college. 
Important  exhibits:  Murals  by  George 
Gibbs  ;  Girard  statue  by  Gevelot  ;  sarcoph- 
agus containing  Girard's  remains  ;  Girard"s 
furniture  and  other  relics. 

THE  COLLEGE,  enclosed  within  a  10-foot  stone  wall  and  pleas- 
antly situated  in  a  park-like  setting  in  the  midst  of  a  populous 
residential  section,  is  outstanding  among  institutions  of  its  kind. 

"To  rest  is  to  rust,"  was  the  motto  of  Girard.  And  that  is  the  key- 
note of  the  institution  which  carries  on  progressively  the  work  of  its 
taciturn  founder. 

Established  under  the  will  of  Stephen  Girard,  mariner  merchant, 
banker,  and  philanthropist,  the  college  received  a  legacy  conserva- 
tively estimated  at  about  $6,000,000.  Farsighted  real  estate  investments 
made  by  Girard,  and  careful  management  by  the  trustees,  have  in- 
creased the  value  of  the  estate  far  beyond  expectations.  The  trust  fund 
today  amounts  to  approximately  $87,000,000. 

The  curriculum  includes  a  comprehensive  manual  training  course, 
grammar,  and  high  school  courses.  The  senior  high  school  offers 
a  full  college  preparatory  school  course,  and  one  to  two  years  junior 
college  work  is  provided,  at  the  discretion  of  the  college  authorities, 
to  a  limited  number  after  graduation.  The  college  is  a  home  as  well 
as  a  school  to  the  students,  whose  entire  maintenance  and  care  are 
assumed  by  the  trustees. 

Construction  of  the  first  five  buildings  of  the  college  was  begun  in 
1833.  On  January  1,  1848,  the  school  was  opened  on  its  present  site, 
then  known  as  Peel  Hall  Farm,  with  100  boys.  By  1936  the  student 
body  numbered  1,730,  and  the  college  group  embraced  29  buildings, 
including  Founder's  Hall,  an  armory,  containing  also  music  and 
recreation  facilities,  library,  a  high  school,  an  infirmary,  a  mechanical 
school,  dormitories,  and  officials'  residences.  Light,  heat,  and 
power  are  furnished  by  a  central  plant  at  the  western  end  of  the 
grounds.  The  college  staff  exceeds  600.  During  the  90  years  of  its 
existence  more  than  12,000  youths  have  gone  forth  from  its  guarded 
portals,  many  to  occupy  places  of  importance  in  the  world. 

The  college  campus  embraces  42  acres  of  land  extending  south- 
west along  South  College  Avenue  from  Nineteenth  Street  and  Ridge 
Avenue  to  Twenty-fifth  and  Poplar  Streets,  north  to  North  College 
Avenue,  east  to  Ridge  Avenue  at  Twentieth  Street,  and  southeast  to 
Nineteenth  Street. 

Entrance  to  the  college  is  at  Corinthian  and  Girard  Avenues.  This 

370 


GIRARD  COLLEGE 

entrance,  just  east  of  the  middle  of  the  campus,  is  attended  by  gate- 
men  who  admit  visitors  through  a  small  lodge  east  of  the  gate. 

Within  the  walls  and  directly  ahead  from  the  gate  is  the  main 
building,  known  as  Founder's  Hall.  The  structure  was  designed  by 
Thomas  U.  Walter  and  is  recognized  as  being  an  excellent  reproduc- 
tion of  a  Greek  temple.  Supporting  the  structure,  and  surround- 
ing it,  are  34  fluted  Corinthian  columns  rising  from  a  broad-stepped 
base.  At  the  ends  are  wide  and  simple  pediments.  The  building 
is  roofed  with  marble  tiles.  Just  inside  the  main  entrance  to 
Founder's  Hall  is  a  life-size  statue  of  Stephen  Girard  sculptured 
by  Francois  Victor  Gevelot.  A  sarcophagus,  close  by  the  statue,  holds 
the  remains  of  the  founder.  Opening  from  the  vestibule  are  the  direc- 
tors' rooms  and  the  Girard  Museum  wherein  are  housed  the  founder's 
furniture  and  many  other  relics. 

While  Founder's  Hall,  set  in  the  framework  of  a  broad  expanse  of 
beautiful  lawn  decorated  with  flowers  and  shrubs,  is  the  most  monu- 
mental building  on  the  campus,  the  new  chapel,  located  west  of  the 
main  gate,  is  equally  impressive,  presenting  as  it  does  a  dignified 
exterior  with  an  interior  of  rare  beauty.  The  chapel,  dedicated  in 
1933,  was  designed  by  Thomas,  Martin  &  Kirkpatrick.  Bearing  in 
mind  the  ban  imposed  by  Girard  against  sectarian  training,  the  archi- 
tects departed  from  all  known  orthodox  ecclesiastical  styles  of  archi- 
tecture, yet  retained  sufficient  spiritual  beauty  to  make  it  "a  joy 
forever."  The  chapel  is  of  classical  design,  wedge-shaped,  and  built 
after  the  Doric  style.  Within  recesses  on  each  of  the  exterior  side 
walls  are  10  massive  columns.  At  the  choir  end  of  the  building  and 
at  the  opposite  or  gallery  end,  four  and  six  additional  columns, 
respectively,  are  similarly  recessed.  The  leaded  windows  are  so  deli- 
cately colored  as  to  be  effective  from  both  the  exterior  and  the 
interior;  the  great  main  doors  are  of  cast  aluminum. 

Inside,  the  dominant  feature  is  a  carved  ebony  desk  surmounting 
a  rostrum  of  black  Belgian  marble  with  lighter  marble  forming  a 
mosaic.  A  great  organ  and  an  echo  organ  are  placed  above  the  ceiling. 
A  novel  mechanism  broadcasts  quarter-hour  chimes  across  the  ex- 
pansive campus.  The  chapel  Jhas  a  seating  capacity  of  2,400. 

Parallel  with  the  chapel,  but  located  immediately  east  of  the  main 
gate,  is  the  college  library.  This  structure,  which  was  built  with  funds 
remaining  from  the  allotment  that  had  been  provided  for  the 
erection  of  the  chapel,  is  a  square  two-story  building  of  white 
Vermont  marble.  It  is  modern  Greek  in  style,  and  presents  an  unusu- 
ally dignified  appearance.  The  building  was  dedicated  in  the  spring 
of  1933  ;  it  contains  more  than  30,000  books. 

The  high  school  building,  west  of  the  front  entrance  near  the 
south  wall,  was  begun  in  1914  and  completed  in  1916.  Farther  west, 
beyond  the  chapel,  is  a  modern  armory  which  contains  a  drill  hall 

371 


Founder's  Hall  at  Girard  College 
'Portico  and  Stately  Corinthian  Columns" 


Stephen  Girard  Sarcophagus  at  Girard  College 
"Doth  the  tomb  pen  up  the  spirit?" 


^">*. 


GIRARD  COLLEGE 

110  by  220  feet,  classrooms,  company  rooms,  and  supply  rooms  for  a 
cadet  battalion  of  four  companies.  The  instrumental  music  activities 
also  center  in  this  building,  with  facilities  for  band  and  orchestra 
group  and  individual  instruction. 

At  the  southwest  corner  of  the  grounds  are  the  dormitories  for  the 
youngest  boys,  a  group  of  six  houses  accommodating  25  each.  A 
governess  presides  over  each  of  these  houses.  To  the  east  of  this 
house  group  is  the  mechanical  school,  which  includes  departments 
for  instruction  in  carpentry,  printing,  drafting,  forge  and  sheet  metal 
practice,  machine  shop  practice,  pattern  making,  electrical  construc- 
tion, painting  and  auto  mechanics. 

Along  the  north  wall,  about  the  middle  of  the  grounds,  are  the 
laundry,  bakery  and  shoe  repair  shop.  Just  beyond  to  the  east  is  a 
commodious  dining  and  service  building  wherein  is  housed  the  de- 
partment of  domestic  economy.  It  also  includes  a  series  of  dining 
rooms  for  the  five  houses  of  the  oldest  boys,  all  of  which  are  sertved 
from  a  central  kitchen. 

Comparatively  new  homes  (with  garages)  for  the  president,  the 
vice-president  and  the  superintendent  of  household  occupy  a  wedge- 
shaped  tract  of  land  at  the  easternmost  end  of  the  grounds. 

In  addition  to  the  many  buildings  within  the  college  area,  there 
are  three  playgrounds  in  the  armory,  five  outdoor  playgrounds,  a  drill 
field  and  a  playing  field,  two  swimming  pools,  and  two  gymnasiums. 

The  subtle  eccentricities  of  the  great  philanthropist  whose  heart 
and  mind  provided  this  unique  institution  for  the  protection  and 
education  of  orphan  boys — boys  whose  fathers  alone  have  died — were 
born  in  a  philosophy  of  good  that,  despite  much  adverse  criticism, 
has  accomplished  the  fruitful  results  for  which  Girard  hoped.  He 
wanted  his  wards  to  be  educated  and  guided  in  inclination  and  habit 
in  order  to  assume  their  rightful  places  in  the  world  ;  he  intended 
that  they  be  taught  the  purest  principles  of  morality  in  an  atmosphere 
of  tenderness  such  as  other  boys  might  expect  at  home.  And  to  assure 
the  carrying  out  of  the  broad,  general  purposes  of  his  program,  he 
stipulated  in  his  will  that  no  denominational  or  sectarian  doctrines 
might  be  taught  to  the  students.  He  further  stipulated  that  no  person 
must  influence  the  boys  in  this  respect,  and  he  specifically  barred 
clergymen  of  all  denominations  from  the  college. 

There  was,  however,  no  lack  of  reverence  intended  in  these  regula- 
tions, since  Girard,  himself,  was  a  courageous,  God-fearing  man.  The 
Bible,  indeed,  was  the  first  book  carried  into  the  college.  Girard's 
insistence  on  strict  adherence  to  his  wishes  in  respect  to  moral  train- 
ing was  due  solely  to  his  peculiar  love  for  humanity,  which  endowed 
him  with  unusual  consideration  for  all,  regardless  of  creed.  Neither 
denominationalism  nor  sectarianism  has  a  place  in  the  college,  and 
neither  must  there  be  any  influence  exercised  against  his  religious  be- 

373 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

liefs  while  in  school,  nor  hinder  a  student,  upon  the  attainment  of 
mature  reasoning,  from  holding  such  religious  tenets  as  he  may  prefer. 

At  the  age  of  14  Girard  ran  away  from  his  home  in  France  because 
of  ill-treatment  by  his  stepmother.  He  obtained  work  as  a  ship's  cabin 
boy.  By  the  time  he  was  23  he  had  won  a  master's  license.  His  ship 
plied  between  New  York,  New  Orleans,  and  the  West  Indies.  In  1776, 
after  narrowly  escaping  capture  by  British  frigates  patrolling  the 
American  shores,  he  took  refuge  in  Philadelphia  where  he  later 
opened  a  small  store.  Rising  successively  through  the  states  of  mer- 
chant, shipowner,  and  banker,  he  acquired  a  large  merchant  fleet  and 
established  trade  with  all  the  leading  ports  of  the  world. 

Girard's  preeminence  as  a  great  humanitarian  began  with  the 
yellow-fever  epidemic  in  Philadelphia  in  1793.  He  contributed  lib- 
erally of  his  material  wealth  and  risked  his  own  life  by  working 
among  the  victims  of  the  pestilence.  He  frequently  carried  out  and 
helped  bury  the  dead,  and  labored  many  long  nights  in  the  over- 
crowded hospitals. 

During  the  second  war  with  England,  Girard  helped  the  Federal 
Government  finance  the  national  defense  with  ships  and  money. 

Although  born  a  Roman  Catholic,  Girard  developed  a  peculiar 
philosophy  from  his  study  of  Voltaire  and  other  French  writers. 
Always  a  contributor  to  the  Catholic  Church,  he  nevertheless  joined 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  believed  in  a  Supreme  Being,  but  insisted 
upon  the  right  of  a  man  to  follow  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience. 

He  died  in  Philadelphia  in  1831  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery 
of  Holy  Trinity  Roman  Catholic  Church,  Sixth  and  Spruce  Streets. 
His  remains  eventually  were  disinterred  and  removed  with  much 
ceremony  to  the  sarcophagus  in  Founder's  Hall,  where  they  were 
laid  at  final  rest  with  full  Masonic  rites. 


374 


United  States  Mint 

Where  silver  and  copper  become  'the 

coin  of  the  realm'" 


UNITED  STATES  MINT 


Spring  Garden  St.,  from  16th  to  17th 
Sts.  Northbound  trolley  16th  St.  (Open 
weekdays  from  10:00  a.  m.  to  12  m.;  Sat- 
urdays 9:30  to  11  a.  m.;  admission  free). 

THE  PHILADELPHIA  MINT  is  the  oldest  and  largest  of  the 
three  United  States  mints.  Here  it  is  possible  to  observe  the 
process  of  minting,  from  metal  in  a  molten  state  to  the  finished 
product  —  coins  ready  for  circulation. 

The  mint  coins  65  percent  of  the  specie  used  in  this  country,  as 
well  as  a  large  amount  of  coins  for  South  and  Central  American 
nations.  It  also  makes  Army  and  Navy  medals  and  "proof"  coins, 
which  may  be  purchased.  The  Bureau  of  the  Mint  not  only  coins 
money  for  the  Government,  but  also  assays  precious  metals  for  private 
owners  at  fixed  rates  and  collects  statistics  on  the  production  of  these 
metals  in  the  United  States.  The  mint  can  turn  out  1,250,000  coins  in 
an  8-hour  workday. 

The  first  mint  in  the  country  was  established  in  Philadelphia  in 
1792,  after  agitation  on  the  part  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  Alexander 
Hamilton,  and  Robert  Morris  had  influenced  Congress  to  pass  an 
enabling  act.  The  flag  raised  over  the  mint  was  the  first  displayed  on 
a  Government-owned  building. 

First  set  up  at  37  North  Seventh  Street,  the  mint  was  moved  to 
Jumper  and  Chestnut  Streets  in  1833,  and  to  its  present  quarters  in 
1901.  It  has  been  operated  as  a  bureau  of  the  Treasury  Department 
since  1873,  when  passage  of  the  Coinage  Act  made  its  operations  sub- 
ject to  conditions  imposed  by  Congress.  Prior  to  1873  it  was  under 
the  supervision  of  the  Director  of  the  Mint  at  Philadelphia. 

As  the  mint  service  grew  in  its  operations  and  other  mints  and  as- 
say offices  were  opened,  the  supervisory  heads  of  these  institutions 
were  called  superintendents,  all  under  the  supervision  of  the  Director 
of  the  Mint,  whose  office  is  in  Washington. 

Every  process  in  the  mint  is  attended  with  safeguards  to  ensure  the 
least  possible  loss  in  precious  metals.  The  meta.ls  are  weighed  at  the 
beginning  and  end  of  each  operation.  Steel-grated  floors  scrape  valu- 
able dust  from  workmen's  feet.  Gloves,  machine  wipers,  and  hand 
towels  are  gathered  up  and  burned,  and  the  ashes  are  washed  in  a 
special  bath  that  separates  metal  from  waste. 

The  metals  —  gold,  silver,  copper,  nickel,  tin,  and  zinc  —  received 
at  the  mint  are  cast  into  ingots.  The  content  of  the  ingots  depends 
upon  the  type  of  coin  to  be  cast.  Silver  coins  are  made  of  silver 
alloyed  with  copper  in  the  ratio  of  one  part  copper  to  nine  parts 
silver  bullion  ;  nickel  coins  of  75  percent  copper  and  25  percent 

375 


UNITED  STATES  MINT 

nickel  ;  bronze  coins  of  95  percent  copper  and  5  percent  tin  and  zinc. 

The  ingots  are  run  through  rolling  mills  until  they  have  been 
reduced  to  the  required  thickness.  The  sheets  pass  through  a  cutting 
press,  where  blank  discs  are  stamped  out.  They  are  then  passed 
through  an  annealing  furnace  to  anneal,  or  soften,  them  before  they 
go  to  the  coining  presses.  The  discs  are  revolved  in  barrels  filled  with 
a  burnishing  solution  and  then  dried  in  centrifugal  drying  machines. 

After  each  of  these  steps  the  coins  are  weighed.  If  found  too  heavy, 
they  are  shaved  to  the  proper  weight ;  if  too  light,  they  are  rejected. 

Next,  the  blank  discs  are  put  through  machines,  which  mill  the 
edges,  then  stamp  the  designs  and  the  lettering  in  one  operation. 
Finished  coins  pass  on  belts  before  inspectors,  whose  task  it  is  to 
detect  any  flaw.  Those  which  survive  the  rigid  tests  are  placed  in  bags 
and  held  in  the  mint  vaults  awaiting  distribution  to  the  various 
Federal  Reserve  Banks,  which  order  them  through  the  Treasury  De- 
partment in  Washington.  Rejected  coins  are  returned  to  the  refinery 
to  be  melted  for  recasting  into  ingots.  All  silver  coins,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  dimes,  are  weighed  separately.  If  the  coins  are  found  to  be 
outside  the  legal  weight,  they  are  condemned.  The  weight  of  the 
dimes  is  verified  by  frequent  test  weights,  but  not  all  pieces  are 
weighed  separately.  In  addition,  all  silver  coins  are  weighed  in  $1,000 
lots  before  being  bagged  for  circulation. 

All  these  operations  may  be  observed  from  glass-enclosed  galleries 
along  the  sides  of  the  various  rooms. 

The  mint  building  is  of  solid  granite,  rectangular  in  shape,  and 
designed  in  the  Italian  Renaissance  style.  A  loggia  with  four  Ionic 
columns  supporting  the  entablature  is  directly  above  the  triple-arched 
entrance.  The  first  story  is  horizontally  rusticated,  the  upper  two 
smooth-surfaced.  The  entrance  hall  with  six  vaulted  bays  is  finished 
in  white  marble  with  ceilings  enriched  by  gold  mosaics.  Piers  and 
pilasters  are  of  the  Doric  order.  Seven  circular  mosaic  murals  within 
the  arches  of  the  walls  depict  the  early  development  of  coinage. 
They  were  designed  by  Tiffany  &  Co.  A  monumental  staircase  rises 
opposite  the  entrance.  On  the  second-floor  landing  is  a  striking  pedi- 
mented  doorway  leading  into  a  large,  high,  octagonal  exhibit  room 
with  a  domical  ceiling,  from  the  center  of  which  hangs  a  magnificent 
crystal  chandelier.  The  walls  are  faced  with  red  Virginia  marble. 

Relics  preserved  in  the  mint  include  record  books  dating  from 
1792  ;  the  original  of  a  letter  from  President  Buchanan  to  the  Director 
of  the  Mint  ;  the  first  hand  press  and  scales  ;  facsimiles  of  Presi- 
dential medals  and  of  medals  presented  to  Col.  Charles  A.  Lindbergh 
and  Rear  Admiral  Richard  E.  Byrd  ;  and  specimens  of  service 
medals. 


376 


ROADS  and 
RAMBLES 


in  and  around 
THE  CITY 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 


City  Tours 


Philadelphia's  City  Hall  is  the  starting  point  for  all  city  tours.  The  courtyard 
at  the  intersection  of  the  two  axial  streets,  Broad  and  Market,  is  the  heart  of 
the  city. 

All  traffic  passing  City  Hall  swings  a  half  circle  around  the  building.  Pedes- 
trians, however,  may  walk  through  archways  built  into  the  four  sides  of  the  struc- 
ture. The  archways  lead  north  and  south  on  Broad  Street  and  east  and  west  on 
Market  Street.  A  large  compass  dial  is  cemented  in  the  center  of  the  courtyard. 
The  cardinal  points  are  plainly  marked,  and  broad  arrows  point  to  the  corre- 
sponding axial  streets.  Thus,  west  on  the  compass  dial  may  be  used  as  a  guide 
to  the  West  Market  entrance,  which  is  marked  by  a  red-and-gold  sign  on  the 
west  arch.  The  East  Market,  South  Broad,  and  North  Broad  Street  arches  are 
similarly  designated. 


City  Hall  and  Skyline 
'The  Heart  of  the  City' 


I 


HEART  OF  THE  CITY 


PHILADELPHIA'S  CITY  HALL  (1)  (open  weekdays,  9:30  to  5  ; 
9  to  11  ;  closed  Sun.  ;  adm.  free),  and  the  buildings  in  its 
proximity  are,  in  some  measure,  symbolic  of  the  metropolis  as  a 
whole.  A  walk  around  City  Hall  brings  into  view  many  types  of 
structures,  each  representing  a  definite  phase  of  the  city's  varied  ac- 
tivities. 

The  granite  mass  of  City  Hall,  one  of  the  largest  municipal  build- 
ings in  the  world,  rises  from  Penn  Square,  which  covers  an  entire 
city  block  in  the  crowded  heart  of  the  metropolis.  The  courtyard  of 
the  mid- Victorian  structure  encloses  the  actual  intersection  of  Broad 
and  Market  Streets,  main  axes  of  the  city  as  planned  by  William 
Penn,  and  still  the  chief  north-south  and  east-west  thoroughfares. 

Rising  510  feet  above  the  street  and  topped  by  a  37-foot  statue 
of  Penn,  its  hand  outstretched  in  benediction  over  the  city  he 
founded  more  than  250  years  ago,  City  Hall  tower  is  the  highest 
building  point  in  Philadelphia. 

This  temple  of  local  politics  represents  an  outlay  of  $26,000,000, 
and  its  construction,  attended  by  much  bitter  criticism  and  more 
than  a  hint  of  bribery  and  corruption,  dragged  on  for  almost  a  third 
of  a  century.  Some  parts  of  the  building  still  lack  finishing  touches. 

Thomas  U.  Walter,  architect  of  Girard  College  and  of  the  United 
States  Capitol  extensions,  prepared  plans  for  City  Hall  in  1842.  Noth- 
ing further  was  done  until  December  1868,  when  City  Council  passed 
an  ordinance  providing  for  the  erection  of  municipal  buildings  in 
Independence  Square.  However,  in  a  referendum  on  August  5,  1870, 
the  citizenry  defeated  this  proposal.  In  its  stead  the  voters  chose 
the  present  site,  then  known  as  Center  Square,  at  one  time  the  site 
of  the  municipal  waterworks.  A  commission  created  by  the  Legislature 
to  handle  construction  of  all  municipally  owned  edifices  took  charge 
of  the  City  Hall  project  on  August  27  of  the  same  year.  The  body 
continued  functioning  for  30  years.  It  was  dissolved  on  July  1,  1901, 
and  city  authorities  took  command  in  the  final  weary  drive  for  com- 
pletion of  the  building. 

John  J.  Me  Arthur,  Jr.,  the  chief  architect,  gave  nearly  20  years  of 
personal  service  to  construction  of  City  Hall.  His  bust  rests  in  a 
niche  high  up  on  the  grand  stairway  on  the  south  side  of  the  build- 
ing. Alexander  Milne  Calder  spent  15  years  on  the  sculptural  and 

379 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

statuary  work.  His  huge  statue  of  Penn  was  hoisted  to  the  top  of  the 
tower  in  1894. 

The  immense  masonry  structure  is  treated  in  a  debased  French 
Renaissance  style.  Columns,  pedimented  windows  and  a  variety 
of  sculpture  embellish  the  four  similar  facades  of  white  granite  and 
marble.  The  total  effect  is  gray,  heavy,  and  somber.  Accent  was 
placed  on  the  four  main  entrances  centering  on  the  facades  and  on 
the  four  corner  entrances  by  extending  them  from  the  main  wall. 
The  corner  stairways  extend  through  five  stories  in  octagonal  spirals, 
their  huge  granite  blocks  cantilevered  from  the  wall. 

Interiors  of  interest  are  the  mayor's  suite,  with  its  gilded  ceiling 
and  great  chandelier  ;  the  finance  committee  room,  with  its  matched 
panels  of  Circassian  walnut  ;  Council  Chamber,  Conversation  Hall, 
and  the  Supreme  Courtroom,  which,  like  the  mayor's  office,  are 
decorated  in  the  heavy,  classic  style  with  columns,  pilasters,  and 
paneling  of  colored  marble  and  granite. 

The  four-faced  tower  clock,  a  colossal  mechanism  with  illuminated 
dials  which  are  visible  for  a  great  distance,  has  been  Philadelphia's 
official  timepiece  since  1899.  Shortly  after  the  clock  was  installed 
the  city  inaugurated  a  custom  which  still  continues.  Every  evening 
at  three  minutes  of  nine  the  tower  lights  are  turned  off,  and  then 
turned  on  again  on  the  hour.  This  enables  those  within  observation 
distance,  though  unable  to  see  the  hands,  to  set  their  timepieces. 

In  early  days  City  Hall  had  a  private  water  supply.  A  pipe  line 
more  than  five  miles  long  connected  the  water  system  to  the  Belmont 
reservoir  in  Fairmount  Park.  Before  filtration  of  the  city's  supply 
became  general,  persons  who  worked  in  the  building  were  permitted 
to  carry  home  bottles  of  reservoir  water  filtered  by  a  special  plant 
in  the  building.  When  the  building  was  electrified,  considerable  drill- 
ing was  necessary  to  run  wires  through  the  granite  walls  and  the 
three  miles  of  corridors. 

One  of  the  greatest  feats  of  underpinning  ever  attempted  was 
accomplished  in  1934  when  the  weight  of  the  mammoth  structure  was 
shifted  to  new  foundations  —  thus  permitting  the  Market-Frankford 
Subway-Elevated  to  run  in  a  straight  line  underneath  the  building 
instead  of  circuitously  —  a  hazardous  task,  as  some  of  the  basement 
walls  are  22  feet  thick,  with  single  blocks  weighing  from  two  to 
five  tons.  Huge  steel  "needle"  beams  were  threaded  through  the  old 
masonry,  and  the  final  transfer  of  weight  was  effected  by  an  in- 
tricate arrangement  of  steel  wedges.  The  new  foundations  are  20 
feet  below  the  old. 

The  task  of  beautifying  the  City  Hall  area  began  in  1931,  and 
work  was  completed  July  1935.  Bare  plots  in  the  corners  of  the 
courtyard  were  gradually  given  the  appearance  of  heavily  wooded 

380 


HEART  OF  THE  CITY 

miniature  parks.  The  two  largest  plots  are  in  the  northeast  and 
northwest  corners,  with  a  slightly  smaller  patch  in  the  southwest 
corner.  In  the  southeast  corner  are  two  relatively  small  patches. 

All  the  beds  are  bordered  by  dwarf  barberry,  a  compact  form 
of  Japanese  hedge  which  presents  an  attractive  foliage.  Privet  honey- 
suckle occupies  the  beds  bordering  the  east-to-west  walks.  Other 
plants  growing  here  include  azalea,  dwarf  box  ilex,  the  spreading 
English  yew,  Japanese  holly,  and  sumach.  A  compass  in  the  center  of 
the  courtyard  acts  as  a  guide  to  pedestrians  emerging  from  the  sub- 
way. 

Beautification  of  City  Hall  itself  was  begun  in  the  autumn  of 
1936,  when  a  large  crew  of  WPA  workers  started  the  gigantic  task 
of  cleaning  the  million  square  feet  of  stone  composing  the  build- 
ing's exterior.  Twenty  tons  of  pipe  and  25,000  feet  of  lumber  were 
used  in  the  scaffolding,  erected  to  a  height  of  150  feet.  Fifty  thousand 
gallons  of  specially  prepared  paste  were  used  in  one  of  the  largest 
cleaning  jobs  ever  attempted. 

Despite  its  size,  City  Hall  is  too  small  to  accommodate  all  munici- 
pal offices.  CITY  HALL  ANNEX  (la),  standing  at  Juniper  and 
Filbert  Streets,  was  completed  in  1927.  The  structure  is  15  stories 
high,  of  Italian  Renaissance  design,  with  a  light  gray  limestone  veneer 
covering  the  steel  and  concrete.  The  first  three  stories  of  this  building 
are  in  Doric  style,  and  the  last  two  in  the  Ionic  style.  The  middle  10 
stories  are  without  embellishment.  The  building  was  designed  by 
Philip  H.  Johnson.  A  vaulted  open  arcade  with  11  arches  runs  along 
Filbert  and  Thirteenth  Street  sides  of  the  building. 

At  the  northeast  corner  of  Juniper  and  Market  Streets,  facing 
City  Hall,  is  the  24-story  salmon-colored  MARKET  STREET  NA- 
TIONAL BANK  BUILDING  (Ib),  a  modern  office  building. 

Opposite  City  Hall  (to  the  southeast),  covering  an  entire  city 
block  on  the  site  formerly  occupied  by  the  old  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road warehouse,  stands  the  main  store  of  Philadelphia's  merchant 
prince,  the  late  John  Wanamaker. 

THE  WANAMAKER  DEPARTMENT  STORE  (2)  is  a  distin- 
guished example  of  the  trend  toward  cultural  and  civic  enterprise 
as  an  adjunct  of  commercial  activity.  Designed  by  Daniel  Burnham, 
its  broad  surfaces  are  unusually  well  treated  in  Italian  Renaissance 
style  with  huge  Doric  pilasters  and  columns  at  the  base. 

Rising  12  stories  above  the  street,  with  three  more  floors  below, 
the  store  has  spacious  aisles  and  attractive  displays.  The  whole  struc- 
ture is  built  around  a  Grand  Court,  six  stories  high.  Concealed  in 
the  court's  walls  are  the  30,000  pipes  of  one  of  the  world's  largest 
organs.  Hundreds  of  persons  throng  the  court  to  listen  to  the  15- 
minute  recitals  given  hourly.  During  the  Christmas  season,  carols 
are  sung. 

381 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Also  sheltered  within  the  court  is  the  gigantic  "Wanamaker  Eagle" 
of  shining  metal,  a  popular  meeting  place  for  Philadelphians.  "Meet 
me  at  the  Eagle"  has  become  a  common  phrase  to  many  residents. 
Ionic  and  Corinthian  architectural  details  suggest  a  palatial  atmos- 
phere. A  dome  rises  150  feet  above  the  main  floor  and  is  supported 
by  a  series  of  Italian  and  Greek  marble  arches.  At  the  south  end  of 
the  court  is  a  gallery  holding  the  console  of  the  organ  and  space 
for  the  seating  of  bands  and  orchestras. 

The  policy  of  the  store  is  to  promote  originality  in  decorative  de- 
signs each  year.  The  Grand  Court  is  decorated  seasonally  in  recogni- 
tion of  Christmas  and  Easter.  The  Easter  decoration  exhibits  two 
great  canvases  by  Michael  de  Munkacsy — Christ  Before  Pilate  and 
The  Crucifixion — and  through  the  year  calendared  events  are  recog- 
nized with  suitable  decorations. 

Rich  paintings,  tapestries,  and  fabrics,  furniture,  and  rare  objects 
brought  from  the  far  corners  of  the  earth  abound  in  the  store.  In 
Egyptian  Hall  on  the  second  floor  is  the  superb  painting,  The  Con- 
querors, by  Pierre  Fritel.  Greek  Hall,  on  the  same  floor,  in  pure  Greek 
style,  is  paneled  in  mahogany  inlaid  with  satinwood. 

On  the  fifth  floor  is  the  Eighteenth  Century  House,  its  rooms 
furnished  and  decorated  with  authentic  pieces  of  that  period. 

Several  rooms  of  a  Virginia  mansion  designed  by  Thomas  Jefferson 
are  faithfully  reproduced  in  the  Old  Colony  House  on  the  sixth  floor. 

On  the  seventh  floor  on  the  Chestnut  Street  side,  entered  through 
an  imposing  iron  grille,  is  the  Wanamaker  Art  Gallery.  It  houses 
representative  art  works  of  five  schools  —  English,  French,  Flemish, 
Italian,  and  Dutch.  Included  are  canvases  from  the  Salon  des 
Artistes  Francais  and  the  Societe  Nationale  des  Beaux  Arts,  and  some 
excellent  pieces  of  statuary. 

Adjacent  is  the  Wanamaker  Men's  Store,  occupying  seven  floors 
of  the  LINCOLN-LIBERTY  BUILDING  (3)  on  the  east  side  of 
Broad  Street  between  Chestnut  Street  and  South  Penn  Square.  The 
Men's  Store  was  opened  in  1932.  The  26-story  structure  is  a  modern 
office  building,  surmounted  by  a  tower  from  which  a  deep-voiced 
bell  booms  the  hours. 

Across  Broad  Street  is  a  low-domed  structure  built  in  1908  for 
the  century-old  GIRARD  TRUST  COMPANY  (4).  It  was  designed 
by  the  architectural  firm  of  McKim,  Mead  &  White,  and  inspired  by 
the  Pantheon  in  Rome.  Several  additions  were  necessitated  by  the 
company's  growth.  Its  latest  acquisition,  erected  in  1930,  is  the  ad- 
joining 30-story  Girard  Trust  Company  Building,  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Broad  Street  and  South  Penn  Square.  Designed  by  the 
same  architects,  it  is  faced  with  white  marble  and  is  of  a  dignified, 
classic  design. 

382 


HEART  OF  THE  CITY 

On  the  southwest  corner  of  West  Penn  Square  and  Market  Street, 
directly  facing  the  western  facade  of  City  Hall,  is  a  squat  structure 
housing  the  MITTEN  BANK  (5).  Directly  in  back  of  it  looms  the 
22-story  Commercial  Trust  Building,  another  bank  and  office  building. 

Across  Market  Street  and  extending  to  Filbert  is  the  BROAD 
STREET  STATION  (6),  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  Erected  by 
the  railroad  in  1880,  it  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  largest  railroad 
stations  in  the  United  States.  Built  of  brick,  terra  cotta  and  granite, 
it  is  a  highly  individualistic  interpretation  of  Gothic  architecture, 
designed  by  the  firm  of  Furness  &  Evans. 

Additions  have  been  made  to  this  old  five-story  landmark,  but 
the  northern  part  of  the  building  is  still  in  its  original  condition. 
In  1892  foundations  were  laid  for  elaborate  additions  including  a 
10-story  office  building.  The  improved  building  was  opened  in  1894 
and  remains  unchanged,  with  the  exception  of  the  train  shed,  which 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1923.  Railroad  officials  are  contemplating 
demolition  of  the  building  and  train  shed. 

Beyond  the  northwest  corner  of  City  Hall,  at  Broad  and  Filbert 
Streets,  lies  the  open  sweep  of  REYBURN  PLAZA  (7),  an  area 
acquired  by  the  city  under  ordinances  between  1909  and  1934.  From 
time  to  time,  by  special  permit,  various  public  functions  are  held 
here  —  addressees,  concerts,  mass  meetings,  and  ceremonials.  The 
band  shell  was  erected  with  private  funds. 

Stretching  northwestward  from  the  plaza,  the  wide  smooth  Park- 
way leads  directly  to  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art  (see  Points 
of  Interest). 

On  the  east  side  of  Broad  Street  at  Filbert,  facing  the  plaza,  is 
the  MASONIC  TEMPLE  (8),  headquarters  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Masonic  order  (see  City  Tour  5). 

The  BULLETIN  BUILDING  (9),  home  of  the  Evening  Bulletin, 
is  at  Juniper  and  Filbert  Streets.  The  Bulletin,  established  in  1847  as 
the  Cummings  Telegraphic  Evening  Bulletin,  has  grown  to  be  the 
largest  daily  newspaper  in  Pennsylvania. 


383 


WHERE  THE  CITY  FATHERS  WALKED 

NORTH    OF    OLD    "HIGH    STREET" 


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1.  City  Hall 

2.  Wanamaker's 
Department 
Store 

3.  Philadelphia 
Saving       Fund 
Society     Build- 
ing 

4.  Department 
Store      of      N. 
Snellenburg    & 
Company 

5.  Reading      Ter- 
minal 

6.  Reading      Ter- 
minal Market 

7.  The        Federal 
Building 

8.  Chinatown 

9.  Franklin   Sq. 

10.  Zion    Lutheran 
Church 

11.  Edgar        Allan 
Poe  House 

12.  St.         George's 
Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church 

13.  St.  Augustine's 
Roman    Catho- 
lic   Church 

14.  The        Friends 
Meeting  House 

15.  The          Christ 
Church    Burial 
Ground 

16.  The  Arch 
Street    Friends 
Meeting  House 

18.    Elfreth's  Alley 

17.  The  Betsy  Ross 
House 


19.    Christ  Church 


WHERE  THE  CITY  FATHERS  WALKED 

City  Tour  1 
North  of  Market  (Old  High  Street)  East  of  Broad 

FROM  the  heavy  Victorian  mass  of  CITY  HALL  (1)    (see  Heart 
of  the  City)  the  tour  proceeds  east  on  Market  Street. 
On  the  southeast  corner  of  Market,  and  Juniper  Streets  stands 
WANAMAKER'S  DEPARTMENT  STORE    (2)      (see  Heart  of  the 
City). 

At  Twelfth  Street,  on  the  southwest  corner,  is  the  PHILADELPHIA 
SAVING  FUND  SOCIETY  BUILDING  (3)  (glass-inclosed  observa- 
tory., 35th  floor,  open  weekdays,  9:30  to  4:30  ;  adm.  25$,  children 
under  12  years  of  age  accompanied  by  an  adult,  free  ;  additional  fee 
of  10^  for  use  of  telescope). 

Rearing  its  black  and  chromium-ribbed  bulk  above  the  lesser 
structures  of  Philadelphia's  varied  skyline,  this  pillar  of  stone,  glass, 
and  chromium  stands  forth  as  a  monument  to  modern  architectural 
achievement. 

New  as  it  is,  it  has  become  generally  known  as  "12  South  12th 
Street,"  the  address  of  the  office  building  entrance.  The  Market  Street 
entrance  is  for  the  bank  only. 

The  PSFS  building  is  one  of  the  best  examples  in  America  of 
the  so-called  modern  International  style  of  architecture.  The  aim 
of  the  architects,  Howe  &  Lescaze,  was  so  to  construct  the  interior 
as  to  offer  ideal  working  conditions.  Broad  surfaces  of  glass  admit 
sunlight  ;  restful  colors  reduce  eye  strain  ;  and  wide  escalators  and 
fast  elevators  speed  communication  between  floors.  It  was  the  second 
office  building  in  America  to  be  air-conditioned.  Of  particular  in- 
terest is  the  fact  that  the  vertical  structural  members  of  the  exterior 
have  been  built  on  the  outside  of  the  walls  to  eliminate  interior  sur- 
face obstructions. 

The  architecture  expresses  its  commercial  purpose.  Horizontal 
courses  of  windows  and  stone  are  cut  by  light  accents,  stone  covering 
the  vertical  structural  members.  Highly  polished  gray  and  black 
granite  on  the  lower  stories  contrasts  with  the  light-colored  limestone 
of  the  rest  of  the  building. 

An  enormous  window  composed  of  25  huge  panes  of  glass  encloses 
the  52-foot  high  entrance  hall  on  the  Market  Street  side.  The  lofty 
lobby  of  gray  and  black  Belgian  marble  contains  a  modern  double 
escalator  of  chromium  giving  access  to  the  second-floor  banking  room. 

Near  the  banking  room  is  a  course  of  black  marble  under  a  high 

385 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

window  of  heavy  plate  glass,  which  runs  along  two  sides  of  the  build- 
ing. The  only  warm  note  in  this  room  of  glass  walls  and  large  sur- 
faces of  light  gray  and  black  Belgian  marble  is  given  by  the  large 
light-reflecting  panels  of  the  acoustically  treated  ceiling.  Business  in 
the  banking  room  is  transacted  over  open  counters,  the  customary 
glass  partitions  being  absent. 

The  entire  building  is  conspicuously  free  of  ornamentation.  All 
metal  fixtures  and  the  sign  and  the  doors  are  of  stainless  steel  ;  the 
window  frames  are  of  aluminum. 

Built  in  1932  on  the  early  site  of  the  William  Penn  Charter  School, 
this  skyscraper  contrasts  strangely  with  the  old  Quaker  meetinghouse 
next  door  ;  typifying  Philadelphia's  past  and  present. 

The  DEPARTMENT  STORE  OF  N.  SNELLENBURG  &  CO.  (4) 
occupies  the  entire  frontage  on  the  right  side  of  Market  Street  from 
Twelfth  to  Eleventh.  . 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  Twelfth  Street  is  the  READING  TERMI- 
NAL (5),  principal  station  of  the  Reading  Company  and  terminal 
for  a  number  of  bus  lines. 

The  building,  erected  in  1893,  is  an  eight-story  structure  of  brick 
and  cream  terra  cotta,  designed  in  heavy  Italian  Renaissance  style. 
A  broad  shed  protects  the  main  entrance.  The  top  story  forms  the 
architrave  of  the  broad,  rich  entablature,  and  a  balustrade  crowns  the 
structure. 

In  the  rear  of  the  station,  at  Twelfth  and  Filbert  Streets,  is  the 
READING  TERMINAL  MARKET  (6),  largest  indoor  market  in 
the  city  and  a  center  for  the  sale  of  farm  products,  rare  edibles,  and 
sea  foods. 

The  FEDERAL  BUILDING  (7),  on  the  southwest  corner  at  Ninth 
Street,  is  one  of  the  centers  of  United  States  governmental  activities 
in  Philadelphia  (1937).  It  was  formerly  the  city's  main  post  office 
and  is  now  a  branch  post  office,  and  the  home  of  the  Federal  Court 
and  several  governmental  departments. 

The  building,  erected  in  1872,  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  University 
of  Pennsylvania  buildings,  one  of  which  was  the  so-called  "Presi- 
dential mansion"  built  by  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  for  the  use  of 
Washington,  but  never  occupied  by  him. 

Constructed  of  limestone  and  granite,  the  design  of  the  Federal 
Building  was  influenced  by  the  Louvre  in  Paris.  Each  story  is 
divided  by  a  heavy  entablature  supported  by  Ionic  pilasters  and 
columns.  Above  the  center  of  the  Ninth  Street  facade  is  a  huge 
mansard  dome,  a  large  slated  superstructure  with  tall  flanking  chim- 
neys. 

The  Market  and  Chestnut  Street  sides  are  similar  in  design  to  the 
Ninth  Street  facade.  On  the  Chestnut  Street  sidewalk  stands  a  statue 
by  Boyle  commemorating  Franklin  as  Postmaster  General. 

386 


NORTH  OF  OLD  HIGH  STREET  (CITY  TOUR  1) 

It  was  from  this  site,  then  an  open  field,  that  Benjamin  Franklin 
flew  his  famous  kite  into  a  thunderstorm,  and  touching  a  knuckle  to 
the  brass  key  at  the  end  of  the  hempen  line,  demonstrated  the  ac- 
curacy of  his  belief  that  lightning  and  electricity  were  the  same. 

The  low  coping  that  surrounds  three  sides  of  the  Post  Office  is  the 
meeting  place  of  the  life-weary  of  Philadelphia,  who  bask  in,  and 
follow,  lizard-like,  the  moving  sun,  feeding  their  companions,  the 
pigeons. 

Plans  were  announced  in  1937  for  the  demolition  of  this  building 
and  the  erection  of  a  new  structure  to  house  the  Federal  Courts  in 
the  city. 

L.  from  Market  St.  on  9th  to  Race  ;  R.  on  Race. 

Along  Race  Street,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth,  is  Philadelphia's 
CHINATOWN  (8) ,  a  block  of  three-  and  four-story  buildings,  erected 
more  than  a  hundred  years  ago  as  dwellings.  The  dormer  windows 
of  the  attics,  the  swing  signs,  and  skeletal  fire  escapes,  intertwining 
the  decorative  iron  balconies,  give  the  street  a  bizzarre  effect. 

The  Far  East  Restaurant  is  one  building  in  the  block  that  gives 
an  Oriental  flavor  to  the  row  of  ramshackle  and  neglected  stores  and 
restaurants.  The  recessed  balcony  with  Chinese  inscriptions  painted 
on  plaques  between  the  windows,  the  curved  roof,  with  upturned 
scrolls  and  reclining  dolphins  and  dragons,  add  the  only  touch  of 
the  Orient  to  the  drab  street. 

Placid  Chinese,  the  younger  in  western  dress,  tend  novelty  store, 
and  serve  in  restaurants.  The  older  generation,  clinging  to  the  robes 
of  the  East,  lounge  about  the  sidewalk,  smoking,  their  long  silver- 
bowled  pipes. 

Retrace  on  Race  St.  to  Franklin. 

The  tour  passes  FRANKLIN  SQUARE  (9),  which  occupies  the 
block  between  Race  and  Vine,  Sixth  and  Franklin  Streets,  and  faces 
on  the  wide  approach  to  the  Delaware  River  Bridge. 

The  park,  one  of  five  originally  outlined  by  William  Penn  in  his 
city  plan,  was  at  one  time  the  center  of  a  fashionable  residential 
section.  With  the  expansion  of  the  city,  however,  the  wealthier  citi- 
zens moved  out  to  leave  the  neighborhood  to  decay  and  disrepute. 
Some  of  the  brown  stone  houses  along  Franklin  Street  still  retain 
traces  of  the  austere  respectability  that  once  permeated  the  area. 

On  the  left  side  of  the  square,  between  Race  and  Vine  Streets,  is 
the  ZION  LUTHERAN  CHURCH  (10).  It  is  constructed  of  brown 
sandstone  in  Gothic  style,  with  a  slate  steeple  and  six  buttresses  on 
each  side.  The  congregation  of  this  church  was  organized  in  1742  by 
Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg,  the  patriarch  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
in  America.  In  its  first  church  building  at  Fifth  and  Appletree 
Streets,  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Ministerium  of  Pennsylvania  was 
organized  on  August  14,  1748.  In  Old  Zion,  the  second  church,  at 

387 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Fourth  and  Cherry  Streets,  Congress  met  on  October  24,  1781,  for  a 
thanksgiving  service  after  the  victory  at  Yorktown.  The  national 
funeral  services  for  George  Washington  were  held  in  Old  Zion  on 
December  26,  1799.  It  was  at  these  services  that  Gen.  "Light  Horse" 
Harry  Lee  pronounced  his  famous  tribute  :  "First  in  war,  first  in 
peace,  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen."  Memorial  services  for 
Gen.  Lafayette  were  held  in  Zion  Church  in  1834.  The  present  edifice 
was  erected  in  1870  upon  the  site  of  the  former  burial  ground. 

R.  from  Franklin  St.  on  Vine  ;  L.  on  7th. 

At  530  North  Seventh  Street  (beyond  Spring  Garden  Street)  is  a 
small  cottage  haunted  by  the  ghost  of  a  genius  who  lived  there  and 
knew  tragedy  during  his  stay.  This  is  the  EDGAR  ALLAN  POE 
HOUSE  (11)  (open  daily  9  to  5  ;  adm.  25$),  where  from  June  1842 
to  May  1844,  the  "Prince  of  Melancholy"  lived  and  worked  on  some 
of  his  best-known  stories. 

With  Poe  during  this  time  was  his  tragic  child-wife,  Virginia,  who 
inspired  much  of  his  darkly  romantic  poetry.  During  the  time  he  oc- 
cupied this  cottage  Poe  was  dependent  upon  his  meager  earnings  as 
a  free-lance  writer,  and  he  and  Virginia  often  endured  acute  priva- 
tion. Here  one  evening  while  singing  for  Poe,  Virginia  suffered  the 
rupture  of  a  blood  vessel  in  her  throat.  That  accident  was  partly 
responsible  for  her  death  three  years  later. 

The  building  is  a  single  three-story  structure  of  red  brick  with 
a  steep  roof  slanting  toward  the  front.  It  is  devoid  of  ornamentation. 
An  interesting  feature  is  the  squareness  of  the  four  windows  in  the 
front  of  the  top  story.  The  cottage  was  without  fitting  designation 
until  1927,  when,  through  the  philanthropy  of  Richard  Gimbel,  it 
was  restored  to  its  former  appearance,  and  a  museum  of  Poe's  works 
installed.  Here,  in  "The  Rose-Covered  Cottage,"  Poe  wrote  The  Raven, 
The  Gold  Bug,  The  Black  Cat,  Masque  of  the  Red  Death,  The  Pit  and 
the  Pendulum,  and  other  celebrated  works.  Many  important  manu- 
scripts and  all  first  editions  are  on  display.  Use  of  the  library  on  the 
premises  is  restricted  to  research  students,  who  must  make  special 
arrangements  through  the  caretaker. 

Retrace  on  7th  St.;  L.  on  Noble;  R.  on  4th. 

Just  north  of  the  Delaware  River  Bridge  approach  on  the  left  at 
New  Street  is  ST.  GEORGE'S  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 
(12). 

Old  St.  George's  Church  is  American  Methodism's  oldest  and  most 
historic  edifice.  Its  style  of  architecture  is  American  Georgian.  The 
cornerstone  was  laid  in  1763,  and  the  edifice  was  dedicated  and  oc- 
cupied in  1769.  It  is  a  square  structure,  with  two  square  doorways 
separated  by  a  stone  memorial.  The  huge  pediment  above  the  third 
floor  formed  by  the  gable  is  pierced  by  a  semi-circular  window. 

The  deep  affection  in  which  it  is  held  today  was  well  illustrated 

388 


St.  George's  Methodist  Church 
"In  the  shadow  of  modernity    ..." 

when  its  demolition  was  threatened  by  the  original  plans  for  the 
Delaware  River  Bridge.  Protests  raised  by  Methodists  throughout 
the  country,  accompanied  by  a  barrage  of  petitions  and  letters,  caused 
a  change  in  the  plans.  Now  the  church  stands  in  the  shadow  of  the 
great  bridge  that  once  threatened  its  existence. 

The  walls  and  roof  were  built  by  seceding  members  of  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church,  who,  not  being  able  to  finish  or  meet  the  obliga- 
tions of  their  enterprise,  were  jailed  for  debt,  and  the  edifice  was 
offered  at  public  auction.  Among  the  bidders  was  a  young  man 
of  feeble  intellect  but  wealthy  parentage,  and  his  bid  of  £700  was 
accepted.  The  young  man's  father,  unwilling  to  admit  that  his  son 
was  mentally  infirm,  paid  the  money. 

He  immediately  sold  the  church  to  Miles  Pennington,  agent  for 
the  Methodist  Society,  and  Capt.  Thomas  Webb,  famous  in  Colonial 
times  as  a  Methodist  evangelist.  Captain  Webb  preached  there  very 
frequently.  He  delivered  his  sermons  attired  in  the  full  regimentals 
of  a  British  officer,  with  a  patch  over  his  eye  and  his  sword  laid 
across  the  pulpit.  Throngs  were  attracted  by  his  powerful  personality. 

Old  St.  George's  Church,  one  of  the  evangelical  outposts  of  Metho- 
dism in  America,  contributed  to  the  fusing  of  the  newly  developed 
country  with  its  new  religious  doctrine.  It  was  in  this  house  of  prayer 
that  Bishop  Francis  Asbury,  the  Methodist  apostle  to  America,  de- 

389 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

livered  on  October  28,  1771,  his  first  sermon  on  this  side  of  the  At- 
lantic. At  this  church  the  first  conference  of  American  Methodism, 
held  on  July  14,  1773,  was  attended  by  10  ministers,  six  of  whom  took 
appointments. 

Under  the  direction  of  a  committee  of  parishioners,  in  1837  a 
basement  was  dug  to  provide  adequate  space  for  Sunday  School 
purposes. 

Today,  in  a  small  room  are  still  to  be  seen  the  desk  and  chairs  used 
by  Bishop  Asbury.  Much  Revolutionary  tradition  is  associated  with 
the  old  church. 

On  the  walls  of  the  church  are  three  marble  memorial  tablets,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  pulpit  platform  and  one  on  the  south  side  under 
the  gallery.  Upon  these  tablets  are  chiseled  the  names  of  all  the 
pastors  who  served  at  St.  George's  since  1769.  Among  them  are  four 
bishops  of  the  Methodist.  Episcopal  Church  :  Francis  Asbury,  Richard 
Whatcoat,  Robert  R.  Roberts,  and  Levi  Scott.  Rev.  John  Dickins, 
an  early  pastor  of  St.  George's,  founded  the  Methodist  Book  Con- 
cern of  the  United  States. 

On  the  right,  near  Race  Street,  is  ST.  AUGUSTINE'S  ROMAN 
CATHOLIC  CHURCH  (13),  which  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the 
original  edifice,  built  in  1796  by  the  Hermits  of  St.  Augustine.  The 
building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1844  and  rebuilt  in  1847. 

The  present  building  was  designed  after  the  manner  of  the  churches 
of  Sir  Christopher  Wren.  Constructed  of  red  brick  with  limestone 
doorway  and  trim,  the  building  shows  strength  of  character  in  the 
tall  tower  with  its  heavy  white  quoins  centering  oh  the  facade.  The 
interior,  heavily  ornamented,  is  Corinthian  in  design. 

R.  from  4th  St.  on  Arch. 

The  FREE  QUAKER  BUILDING  (14)  is  on  the  southwest  corner 
at  Fifth  Street.  It  was  erected  in  1783  by  those  Friends  who  defied 
the  principles  of  the  sect  and  took  up  arms  in  the  Revolution. 

This  two-story  building  is  enriched  by  the  delicacy  of  the  pediment 
above  the  main  doorway  and  flat  stone  arches  above  the  windows. 
Flemish  bond  brickwork  with  black  headers  adds  color  to  the  build- 
ing. 

The  CHRIST  CHURCH  BURIAL  GROUND  (15),  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  Fifth  Street,  contains  Benjamin  Franklin's  grave. 

The  burial  ground  was  established  in  1719  in  what  was  then  the 
outskirts  of  the  city.  The  tomb  of  Franklin  and  his  wife  is  situated  at 
the  cemetery's  northwest  corner,  and  is  marked  by  a  flat  stone  with 
the  simple  inscription  :  "Benjamin  and  Deborah  Franklin,"  and  the 
date,  1790.  In  the  same  lot  lie  the  remains  of  Franklin's  son,  Francis 
F.  ;  his  daughter,  Sarah  Bache  ;  Sarah's  husband,  Richard  Bache  ; 
and  John  Read,  Franklin's  father-in-law. 

390 


~*r~z^-- 


Elfreth's  Alley 
'Candlelight  and  cobblestones" 


Benjamin  Franklin's  Grave 
"Like   the   cover   of   an   old   book,   its 
contents  torn    . 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Near  Franklin's  grave  the  brick  wall  was  removed  in  1858  and  an 
iron  railing  substituted,  so  that  the  hallowed  spot  might  be  viewed 
readily  from  Arch  Street.  In  1911  bronze  tablets  recording  Franklin's 
achievements  were  attached  to  the  wall.  These  were  gifts  of  the  late 
Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis. 

Other  graves  within  this  two-acre  enclosure  hold  the  remains  of 
many  men  and  women  who  devoted  their  lives  to  the  cause  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty,  among  them  four  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  :  Benjamin  Rush,  distinguished  physician  who  founded 
Dickinson  College  and  the  Philadelphia  Dispensary  ;  Francis  Hopkin- 
son,  noted  composer  ;  Joseph  Hewes  ;  and  George  Ross.  Also  buried 
here  are  three  commodores  of  the  United  States  Navy — Thomas  Trux- 
ton,  Richard  Dale,  and  William  Bainbridge  —  and  the  first  Treasurer 
of  the  United  States,  Michael  Hillegas. 

Christ  Church  Burial  Ground,  in  the  business  section  of  modern 
Philadelphia,  was  purchased  by  the  vestry  of  Christ  Church  for  the 
modest  sum  of  £72.  When  the  original  wooden  fence  around  the 
grounds  began  to  fall  apart  in  1772,  a  brick  wall  was  constructed. 
More  than  a  century  and  a  half  later  the  wall  was  rebuilt,  much  of 
the  old  material  being  used  again.  A  Bible,  a  prayer  book  for  soldiers 
and  sailors,  and  other  items  of  historic  interest  were  sealed  in  a  cop- 
per container  in  the  rebuilt  wall,  dedicated  in  1927. 

Retrace  on  Arch  St. 

On  the  right,  midway  between  Fourth  and  Third  Streets,  is  the 
ARCH  STREET  FRIENDS  MEETING  HOUSE  (16).  The  building 
was  erected  in  1804  on  ground  granted  by  William  Penn  and  origi- 
nally used  as  a  cemetery.  The  house  has  served  continuously  for 
the  Yearly  Meeting  of  (Orthodox)  Friends.  The  grounds  constitute  a 
colorful  garden  of  trees  and  flowers. 

For  about  70  years  no  one  has  been  interred  there,  but  within  the 
century  preceding  that  more  than  20,000  persons  were  buried  in  the 
grounds  —  many  of  them  victims  of  the  yellow-fever  epidemic  of  1793. 

The  first  person  buried  there  was  the  wife  of  David  Lloyd,  one  of 
the  early  Governors  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania.  William  Penn 
stood  at  her  grave  and  spoke  in  appreciation  of  her  character  and 
piety.  In  the  yard  also  rest  the  remains  of  James  Logan,  Penn's  dis- 
tinguished secretary,  who  later  became  Governor  of  the  Province,  and 
Lydia  Darrah,  heroine  of  the  Revolution. 

The  broad,  low,  red  brick  building,  devoid  of  all  ornamentation,  is 
typical  of  the  Quaker  architecture  of  the  times.  The  simple  facade  is 
relieved  only  by  a  large  central  pediment  and  the  three  small  en- 
trance porticos.  Behind  the  building  is  an  old  Colonial  watch  box. 

A  big  room  in  this  old  Meeting  House  was  the  scene  of  many  early 
Quaker  gatherings.  The  original  key  is  still  used,  and  the  original 
deed  from  Penn  is  preserved  by  the  Meeting. 

392 


NORTH  OF  OLD  HIGH  STREET  (CITY  TOUR  1) 

The  ground  floor  contains  three  large  meeting  rooms,  and  end 
rooms  with  galleries  on  three  sides.  Benches  are  made  of  wood  from 
trees  cut  down  to  clear  the  site.  On  the  second  floor,  in  the  center, 
roof  beams  are  made  of  hand-hewn  timbers. 

Today  the  Arch  Street  Meeting  House  is  one  of  the  most  frequently 
used  in  the  Philadelphia  area,  many  of  the  Society's  social  functions 
being  held  there. 

On  the  left  side  of  Arch  Street  between  Second  and  Third  is  the 
BETSY  ROSS  HOUSE  (17),  where  the  first  flag  is  said  to  have  been 
made  (see  Points  of  Interest). 

L.  from  Arch  St.  on  2d. 

ELFRETH'S  ALLEY  (18)  is  that  portion  of  Cherry  Street  between 
Second  and  Front. 

Another  remnant  of  Colonial  days,  only  lightly  touched  by  Time's 
effacing  hands,  is  Elfreth's  Alley.  To  the  alley  —  it  is  an  alley  in  name 
only  now,  and  the  name  is  but  little  known  —  there  still  clings  the 
aura  of  the  candlelit  eighteenth  century  and  the  whisper  of  great 
names. 

The  alley  is  an  echo  of  yesteryear.  Within  sound  and  sight  of  the 
commercial  bustle  of  Delaware  Avenue  and  the  humming  traffic  of 
Delaware  River  Bridge,  its  houses  are  still  the  prim,  brass-knockered, 
white-doored  brick  dwellings  of  Colonial  Philadelphia. 

Tradition  has  it  that  Benjamin  Franklin  and  Talleyrand  both  re- 
sided in  houses  in  the  alley.  If  either  did,  it  was  for  such  a  brief 
period  that  history  failed  to  record  the  stay.  That  Stephen  Girard 
lived  there  is  certain.  Detained  in  Philadelphia  when  the  British 
blockade  prevented  departure  of  his  merchantmen,  Girard  took  lodg- 
ings in  the  house  at  111  Elfreth's  Alley. 

Talleyrand  resided  in  Philadelphia  for  two  years,  and  there  is 
evidence  that  a  group  of  French  emigres  lived  in  the  alley  for  a  time, 
but  whether  or  not  the  astute  diplomat  was  among  them  is  uncertain. 
These  emigres  were  from  San  Domingo,  whence  a  scourge  of  yellow 
fever  had  routed  them. 

For  age  alone,  the  houses  of  the  alley  would  be  notable.  Three 
standing  there,  among  the  oldest  in  the  country,  were  saved  from 
demolition  in  1933  through  intervention  of  the  Philadelphia  Society 
for  the  Preservation  of  Landmarks,  acting  upon  the  plea  of  Mrs.  D. 
W.  Ottey,  a  resident  of  the  alley.  In  Mrs.  Ottey's  house,  at  115,  may 
be  seen  a  fine  Colonial  mantelpiece,  constructed  when  the  house  was 
erected  in  1720.  Many  of  the  present-day  dwellers  in  the  alley  retain 
and  treasure  the  fine  woodwork  and  handmade  glass  installed  by  the 
Colonial  builders. 

The  exteriors  of  the  houses  are  typical  of  the  Philadelphia  Colonial 
type.  Two  stories  in  height,  their  red-brick  fronts  line  both  sides  of 
the  little  street  uninterrupted  by  any  discordant  newer  buildings. 

393 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  windows  are  wood-shuttered  ;  the  entrances  are  arched  white 
doorways,  approached  by  two  or  three  stone  steps.  Of  special  note 
are  several  simple  but  well  executed  pedimented  doorways.  In  better 
repair,  this  street  could  be  one  of  the  show  places  representative  of 
the  old  Philadelphia. 

The  alley  takes  its  name  from  the  Elfreth  family,  whose  name  in 
old  documents  is  variously  spelled  Elfreth,  Elfrith,  Elfrey,  and  even 
Elfrit.  The  first  of  the  name  to  come  to  Philadelphia  was  Jeremiah,  a 
blacksmith,  who  arrived  from  England  in  1690.  He  wished  to  estab- 
lish a  wharfage  and  shipbuilding  business  and  acquired  land  for  the 
purpose.  Public  clamor  thwarted  him,  however,  when  it  was  learned 
that  his  land  had  previously  been  reserved  for  a  public  dock  by  the 
Penns.  His  nephew,  Henry,  bought  property  for  a  wharfage  business 
on  what  is  now  Cherry  Street,  near  Front,  and  prospered.  He  married 
Sara,  daughter  of  John  Gilbert,  merchant,  and  came  into  possession 
of  his  father-in-law's  property,  known  as  Gilbert's  Alley.  He  renamed 
it  Elfreth's  Alley. 

To  stimulate  an  appreciation  of  the  alley's  historic  associations,  the 
people  residing  on  it  have  formed  the  Elfreth  Alley  Association  and 
hold  open  house  at  their  dwellings  each  year  on  the  first  Saturday 
in  June. 

Retrace  on  2d  St. 

On  the  right,  south  of  Arch  Street,  is  old  CHRIST  CHURCH  (19), 
first  Protestant  Episcopal  church  in  the  Province.  Here  Washington, 
Franklin,  and  other  leaders  sought  spiritual  guidance  for  their  service 
in  the  cause  of  freedom  and  democracy.  John  Penn,  last  male  of  his 
line,  is  buried  near  the  steps  of  the  pulpit. 

Still  preserved,  and  marked  by  bronze  tablets,  are  the  pews  oc- 
cupied by  the  Penn  family,  by  Washington,  Adams,  Franklin,  La- 
fayette, Robert  Morris,  Hopkinson,  Rush,  and  Betsy  Ross.  Washing- 
ton worshiped  here  regularly  during  the  seven  years  of  his  residence 
in  Philadelphia,  and  the  door  to  the  southeast  of  the  nave,  through 
which  he  was  accustomed  to  enter,  is  known  as  the  Washington  Door. 
The  Washington  pew  is  number  58,  and  that  of  Franklin,  number  70. 
Members  of  the  Continental  Congress  attended  a  service  of  fasting 
and  prayer  in  Christ  Church,  shortly  after  the  Battle  of  Lexington. 

Still  to  be  seen  are  the  eight  bells  that  added  their  volume  to  that 
of  the  Liberty  Bell  on  July  8,  1776,  when  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence was  first  read  to  the  public.  These  same  bells  were 
removed  to  Allentown  along  with  the  Liberty  Bell  when  Howe's  army 
advanced  upon  Philadelphia.  They  were  brought  back  after  the 
British  had  evacuated  the  city. 

In  addition  to  their  primary  function  of  calling  worshippers  to 
service  and  their  jubilant  announcement  of  the  Nation's  birth,  the 
Christ  Church  bells  were  sounded  on  the  eve  of  marketing  days.  On 

394 


NORTH  OF  OLD  HIGH  STREET  (CiTY  TOUR  1) 

such  occasions  residents  of  outlying  villages  would  journey  part  way 
to  the  city  to  listen  to  their  silver-voiced  symphony.  These  bells  are 
referred  to  in  Longfellow's  Evangeline.  The  bells  were  purchased  in 
England  for  about  £560  through  a  committee,  of  which  Franklin  was 
a  member. 

The  church  was  established  by  a  group  of  36  English  churchmen 
under  a  provision  inserted  in  King  Charles'  charter  to  Penn  at  the 
instance  of  Rt.  Rev.  Henry  Compton,  Bishop  of  London.  The  first 
structure  was  erected  in  1695  and  was  succeeded  by  the  present  build- 
ing, begun  about  1727  and  completed  in  1754.  St.  Peter's  Church  was 
erected  at  Third  and  Pine  Streets  in  1761,  as  a  chapel  of  ease  of  Christ 
Church,  and  St.  James's  Church  was  built  in  1809.  The  three  were 
known  as  the  United  Churches.  Later,  however,  each  became  a  sepa- 
rate corporation. 

The  red  brick  edifice  is  a  Colonial  adaptation  of  Georgian  archi- 
tecture in  the  general  style  of  Sir  Christopher  Wren's  churches  in 
London.  It  is  generally  agreed  that  the  structure  was  built  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  John  Kearsley,  one  of  the  vestrymen.  Though  all  but 
lost  among  the  drab  buildings  that  surround  it,  the  church  cuts  a 
salient  contour  in  Philadelphia's  skyline  as  seen  from  the  Delaware 
River. 

The  profusion  of  decoration,  which  renders  the  church  almost 
baroque  in  its  architectural  design,  is  unusual  for  old  Philadelphia. 
A  feature  of  the  east  facade  is  a  large  Palladian  window  in  which  is 
a  memorial  to  Bishop  White.  Over  the  window  is  a  heavy  entablature 
with  a  rounded  frieze.  Rows  of  fine  arched  windows  in  both  the  first 
and  second  stories,  separated  by  brick  pilasters  and  enriched  by 
delicately  patterned  keystones,  ornament  the  sides  of  the  church. 
The  baroque  effect  is  due  largely  to  the  detail  of  the  entablature  and 
balustrades,  which  are  surmounted  by  flaming  colored  urns.  Much 
of  the  detail  work,  especially  the  cornices,  arches,  and  pilasters,  is  of 
beautifully  molded  brick. 

In  sharp  contrast  with  the  ornateness  of  the  main  structure,  rises 
the  massive  and  severe  stone  tower,  its  walls  four  feet  thick  and  faced 
with  Flemish  bond  brick.  The  tower,  adjoining  the  western  end  of 
the  church,  supports  a  wooden  belfry,  incongruously  light  for  the 
mass  of  the  tower.  Above  this  is  the  steeple.  The  tower  was  completed 
with  proceeds  from  the  Philadelphia  Steeple  Lottery  and  other  lot- 
teries, which  in  the  early  days  of  the  city  were  an  accepted  means  of 
financing  public  improvements. 

The  crown  which  originally  capped  the  spire  was  replaced  by  a 
mitre,  after  the  Rt.  Rev.  William  White  became  Bishop  of  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1787.  This  was  in  line  with  previous  action  of  church  officials, 
immediately  following  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, in  authorizing  their  ministers  to  abandon  the  prayer  for  the 

395 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

King  of  England,  and  to  phrase  in  its  stead  a  prayer  for  the  new 
government. 

Prayer  hooks  that  have  been  preserved  show  the  erasure  of  the 
reference  to  "our  most  gracious  sovereign  Lord,  King  George,"  and 
the  substitution  of  the  words:  "all  in  authority,  legislative  and  judi- 
cial, in  these  United  States."  Like  wise, 'the  vestry  took  down  several 
coats  of  arms  of  English  kings  that  had  adorned  the  walls  of  the 
church.  Some  of  these  have  been  replaced  recently. 

Within  the  church  are  the  communion  silver  presented  by  Queen 
Anne  in  1708  ;  the  Kearsley  Cup,  made  in  Cologne  not  later  than  1610 
and  presented  to  the  church  by  Dr.  John  Kearsley  ;  and  numerous 
other  mementos  of  the  institution's  early  history.  The  central  chande- 
lier dates  from  1749.  The  original  organ,  recently  supplanted  by 
the  Curtis  memorial  organ,  was  installed  in  1728.  The  organ  stands  in 
the  curved  back  portion  of  a  balcony  that  runs  along  three  walls.  The 
cream  and  gold  pulpit  was  erected  in  1769.  The  Lord's  Table,  built 
by  Jonathan  Gostelowe,  a  vestryman,  after  the  Revolution,  now  is  en- 
closed beneath  a  new  altar  installed  as  a  memorial  to  Rev.  Dr. 
Edward  Y.  Buchanan,  brother  of  President  Buchanan.  The  octagonal 
baptismal  font,  constructed  in  1795,  is  five  feet  in  height,  composed 
of  black  walnut,  and  resembles  in  style  the  old-fashioned  wooden  pep- 
per box  with  revolving  top,  used  to  grind  peppers.  A  plain  iron  ring 
encircles  it. 

The  interior  was  altered  in  1834  under  the  direction  of  Thomas  U. 
Walter,  architect  of  the  United  States  Capitol  dome.  In  1881  it  was 
restored  to  an  approximation  of  the  original  arrangement.  Although 
the  baroque  note  is  less  in  evidence,  the  opulence  of  the  exterior  is 
sustained  within  the  church.  Large  fluted  Doric  columns  with  en- 
tablature "impost  caps"  support  the  arches  and  separate  the  nave 
from  the  side  aisles.  The  Palladian  window  above  the  altar  was  the 
first  stained  glass  window  in  Philadelphia.  Another  interesting  feature 
is  the  wineglass  pulpit  which  stands  near  Washington's  pew.  It  is  a 
sexagonal  goblet-shaped  pulpit  in  rich  cream  color  with  gilt  deco- 
ration. The  front  face  is  decorated  with  a  sunburst.  White  wooden 
paneling  with  brown  trim  adds  a  note  of  richness  to  the  enclosed 
pews. 

The  remains  of  several  illustrious  early  Americans  repose  in  family 
vaults  in  the  churchyard.  The  family  vault  of  Robert  Morris,  patriot- 
financier  of  the  Revolution,  stands  at  the  head  of  the  new  Morris 
Garden  of  Remembrance.  Near  the  southwest  door  is  the  grave  of 
Gen.  Charles  Lee,  of  the  Continental  Army,  and  close  by,  until  1840, 
was  that  of  Gen.  Hugh  Mercer,  who  fell  in  the  Battle  of  Princeton  in 
1777.  The  churchyard  also  contains  the  graves  of  Peyton  Randolph, 
President  of  the  First  Continental  Congress  ;  Commodore  Nicholas 
Biddle;  and  James  Wilson,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 

396 


Christ   Church   Doorway 

"Here  Seven  Signers   of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  Sleep  Serenely" 


WHERE  THE  111  Y  FAlHLIb  WAlltL 

FROM    CITY    HALL    TO    "SOCIETY    HILL* 


UUI I    UUUUUU    U  U  LIU     ULJ  l_ 


Q  a  DID  DID  i  ni 


BROAD      STREET 

D    EH  O     I      ' — < 
-4 


1.  Adelphia  Hotel 

2.  The  New  Century  Club 

3.  Jefferson     Medical     College     and 
Hospital 

4.  The  Mercantile  Library 

5.  The    Federal    Reserve    Bank     of 
Philadelphia 

6.  The  Federal  Building 

7.  Leary's   Book  Store 

8.  Gimbel       Brothers       Department 
Store 

9.  Benjamin   Franklin  Hotel 
9a.  Site  of  Green's  Hotel 

10.  Old  Franklin  Institute 

11.  Ledger  Building 

12.  Independence  Hall 

13.  The  Philadelphia  Bourse 

14.  The  Old  Custom  House 

15.  Carpenters'  Hall 

16.  The  First  National  Bank  of  Phila- 
delphia 

17.  The  Bank  of  North  America 

18.  Custom  House 

19.  Krider       Gun       Shop       (Drinker 
House) 

20.  Dock  Street 

21.  Stock  Exchange  Building 

22.  The  Girard  National  Bank 

23.  St.  Joseph's  Church 

24.  S't.     Paul's     Protestant     Episcopal 
Church 

25.  The  Powel  House 

26.  Second  Street  Market 

27.  St.    Peter's    Protestant    Episcopal 
Church 

28.  Old      Pine      Street      Presbyterian 
Church 

29.  St.  Mary's   Church 

30.  Shippen  Wistar  Residence 

31.  Philadelphia    Contributionship 

32.  Penn  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany Building 

33.  Holy     Trinity     Roman     Catholic 
Church 

34.  The  First  Presbyterian  Church 

35.  Washington  Square 

36.  Curtis  Publishing  Company 

37.  Residence  of  Robert  Morris 

38.  Walnut  Street  Theatre 

39.  Bonaparte  House 

40.  Musical  Fund  Hall 

41.  S't.      George's      Greek      Catholic 
Church 

42.  The    Cemetery    of    Mikveh    Israel 
Congregation 

43.  Pennsylvania  Hospital 

44.  Clinton  Street 

45.  Camac   Street 

46.  The  Artists  Union 

47.  The   Historical    Society   of  Penn- 
sylvania 

48.  Library  Company  of  Philadelphia 

49.  Rosenbach  Galleries 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

ence.  Bishop  White,  first  bishop  of  Pennsylvania  and  long  presiding 
bishop  of  the  United  States,  is  buried  in  front  of  the  chancel  rail. 
His  episcopal  chair  stands  beside  the  altar. 

R.  from  2d  St.  on  Church  ;  L.  on  Philip. 

On  the  right  side  of  Philip  Street,  known  in  Colonial  days  as 
Grindstone  Alley,  is  a  plaque,  attached,  to  the  side  of  the  Philadel- 
phia branch  building  of  the  First  Camden  National  Bank  and  Trust 
Company,  which  marks  the  site  of  the  old  headquarters  of  the  Union 
Fire  Company. 

L.  from  Philip  St.  on  Market. 

At  Front  Street,  on  the  southwest  corner,  is  the  site  of  the  Old 
London  Coffee  House,  where  the  first  stock  exchange  in  America 
originated.  Attempts  to  organize  an  exchange  were  made  in  Philadel- 
phia as  early  as  1746. 

Retrace  to  2d  St. 

Take  Market  Street  subway  westbound  at  the  Second  Street  station, 
leaving  the  train  at  either  the  Thirteenth  or  Fifteenth  Street  station. 
Signs  in  the  underground  concourse  direct  the  traveler  to  stairways 
leading  to  City  Hall. 

City  Tour  2 

From  Market  Street   (Old  High  Street)   To  Society 
Hill,  East  of  Broad 

S.  on  Broad  St.  from  City  Hall ;  L.  on  Chestnut  St. 

AMID  the  specialty  shops  and  department  stores  which  line  Chest- 
nut Street,  one  of  Philadelphia's  busiest  shopping  thorough- 
fares, a  shining  copper  marquee  sets  apart  the  ADELPHIA 
HOTEL  (1),  just  beyond  Thirteenth  Street  on  the  left.  The  building 
was  erected  in  1914  from  the  plans  prepared  by  Horace  Trumbauer. 
It  is  21  stories  in  height  and  contains  400  guest  rooms.  It  is  con- 
structed of  brown  brick  with  cream  terra  cotta  on  the  upper  and 
lower  stories,  in  French  Renaissance  design. 

R.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  12th. 

The  NEW  CENTURY  CLUB  (2),  124  South  Twelfth  Street,  or- 
ganized on  February  8,  1877,  and  chartered  in  the  following  month, 
is  the  oldest  women's  club  in  Philadelphia  and  the  third  oldest  in 
the  United  States. 

In  1877  married  women  were  not  allowed  to  hold  property  in  their 
own  name,  and  therefore  the  application  for  a  charter  was  signed  by 
single  women  only. 

Great  as  have  been  the  advances  in  according  privileges  to  women 
in  the  lifetime  of  the  New  Century  Club,  the  marked  growth  of 

399 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

women's  club  movements  has  been  greater.  This  pioneer  club  of  its 
kind  has  namesakes  throughout  the  country,  while  the  membership 
in  the  general  club  movement  now  exceeds  3,000,000  women. 

The  New  Century  Club  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  Women's  Committee 
of  the  Centennial,  which  issued  a  small  paper,  the  New  Century,  in 
honor  of  the  dawning  new  century  of  American  independence.  The 
Centennial  over  and  the  committee  desiring  to  continue  its  work,  it 
hit  upon  the  idea  of  forming  a  women's  club,  an  almost  unheard  of 
and  not  at  all  popular  venture  at  that  time.  The  first  president  was 
Mrs.  S.  C.  Hallowell,  and  the  first  meeting  place  was  in  a  hall  on 
Girard  Street  east  of  Twelfth.  The  members  furnished  the  rooms 
with  articles  from  their  own  homes.  From  this  modest  beginning 
the  club  has  grown  into  a  membership  exceeding  600. 

The  first  cooking  class  in  Philadelphia  was  established  by  the  club 
in  its  headquarters. 

The  State  Federation  of  Pennsylvania  Women  was  organized  at  the 
New  Century  Club  in  1895. 

Retrace  on  12th  St. ;  R.  on  Chestnut  ;  R.  on  10th. 
JEFFERSON  MEDICAL  COLLEGE  AND  HOSPITAL  (3),  on  the 
right  side  of  Tenth  Street  from  Sansom  to  Walnut,  was  organized  in 
1825  as  the  medical  department  of  Jefferson  College,  then  at  Canons- 
burg,  Pa.  In  1838  by  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature  it  became  a 
separate  institution.  Today  it  is  one  of  the  most  highly  rated  medical 
schools  in  the  United  States. 

Retrace  on  10th  St.  ;  cross  Chestnut. 

The  MERCANTILE  LIBRARY  (4),  14  South  Tenth  Street  (open 
weekdays  9  to  9,  except  July  and  August,  when  closing  hour  is  6,  and 
legal  holidays,  5),  is  preeminent  in  the  scope  of  its  collection  of 
more  than  300,000  volumes.  Light  novels  and  abstruse  treatises,  books 
long  out  of  print,  and  books  and  periodicals  fresh  from  the  press 
crowd  its  shelves. 

Among  its  treasures  are  special  collections  of  Civil  War  history, 
Irish  history  and  Irish  literature  ;  old  almanacs,  newspapers,  and 
records  ;  a  pastel  of  Walt  Whitman,  done  from  life  by  J.  P.  Silver  ; 
and  a  portrait  of  Washington  by  Rembrandt  Peale. 

The  building,  erected  in  1859,  originally  designed  by  John  Mc- 
Arthur  to  house  the  Franklin  Market,  was  purchased  from  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company  in  1867.  Although  never  used  as  a  market 
house  and  since  altered  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  library, 
which  took  possession  of  it  in  1869,  the  structure  has  served  as  a 
model  for  several  other  market  buildings.  The  classic  red  brick  facade 
with  its  large  and  decorative  arch  above  the  triple-arched  windows  of 
the  second  floor  has  at  least  the  merit  of  expressing  on  the  exterior 
the  curve  of  the  vaulting  of  the  interior  stack  room. 

An   unusual   air   of   freedom   prevails  ;    congeniality   replaces   the 

400 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

restraint  called  for  in  most  libraries.  In  addition  to  a  chess  room, 
which  has  gained  a  wide  reputation  as  a  meeting  place  of  chess  en- 
thusiasts, there  are  a  smoking  room  and  a  conversation  room.  Cur- 
rent newspapers  and  periodicals  from  cities  and  towns  throughout 
the  country  are  on  file. 

Owned  and  maintained  by  the  Mercantile  Library  Association  and 
conducted  without  State  aid,  the  institution  is  supported  by  endow- 
ments and  the  membership  dues  of  its  2,600  members  —  who  pay  an 
annual  fee  of  $5  each.  Library  services  are  free  to  members  and  non- 
members  alike,  but  borrowing  privileges  are  extended  to  members 
only. 

The  library  had  its  origin  in  the  zeal  for  intellectual  improvement 
that  made  itself  felt  after  the  War  of  1812.  The  city's  cultural  leaders 
wanted  a  new  circulating  library,  but  the  necessary  public  funds 
were  lacking.  So,  on  November  10,  a  meeting  was  held  in  Masonic 
Hall  on  Chestnut  Street  to  consider  the  establishment  of  a  Mercantile 
Library  Association.  The  meeting  was  called  and  attended  by  the 
city's  leading  business  men,  and  they  issued  a  public  notice  inviting 
merchants  and  merchants'  clerks  to  meet  at  the  Mayor's  office  on 
November  17  to  discuss  the  subject.  At  this  meeting  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  draft  a  constitution.  Robert  Wain,  whose  shipping  busi- 
ness had  been  established  in  this  country  by  his  father  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  was  chairman  of  the  committee. 

The  constitution  was  adopted  at  a  meeting  held  on  December  1, 
and  a  committee  of  15  was  appointed  to  secure  subscribers  to  it,  with 
instructions  to  give  public  notice  of  an  election  of  directors  when 
100  were  obtained. 

The  new  library  was  warmly  welcomed,  for  300  members  enrolled 
themselves,  and  on  January  10,  1822,  they  met  in  the  Merchants' 
Coffee  House,  formally  organized  the  Mercantile  Library  Association 
and  elected  the  first  board  of  directors. 

The  aim  of  the  group  was  to  serve  its  members  not  only  with  the 
average  reader's  selection,  but  also  with  records,  almanacs,  and  books 
helpful  in  their  businesses.  The  library  formally  opened  in  a  second- 
story  room  at  100  Chestnut  Street,  on  March  5,  1821,  with  less  than 
1,000  books  and  pamphlets.  The  collection  at  first  was  marked  by 
quantity  rather  than  quality,  but  the  passing  years  have  brought  the 
library  to  eminence  in  both  respects. 

Retrace  on  10th  St. ;  L.  on  Chestnut. 

On  the  northeast  corner  at  Tenth  Street  is  the  FEDERAL  RE- 
SERVE BANK  OF  PHILADELPHIA  (5).  As  the  seat  of  the  Third 
Federal  Reserve  District,  the  bank  serves  a  territory  embracing  48 
counties  of  Pennsylvania,  nine  counties  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  entire 
State  of  Delaware. 

The  great  volume  of  banking  transactions  originating  in  this  highly 

401 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

industrialized  region  has  made  the  bank  a  correspondingly  large  insti- 
tution. This  marble  building,  where  about  one  thousand  are  employed, 
houses  an  organization  that  began  business  in  a  suite  of  two  rooms  at 
408  Chestnut  Street  on  November  16,  1914.  Since  before  the  World 
War,  the  bank  has  served  as  the  fiscal  agent  of  the  Government. 

The  building,  designed  by  Paul  Philippe  Cret,  rises  six  stories  in 
height.  It  has  a  frontage  of  170  feet  on  Chestnut  Street,  144  feet  on 
Tenth.  Ramps  to  the  basement  loading  platforms  lead  in  from  the 
Tenth  Street  side. 

The  design  of  the  building,  which  is  a  free  adaptation  from  Grecian 
forms,  is  admirably  subordinated  to  function.  The  result  is  both  har- 
monious and  individual. 

The  entire  facade  is  of  Vermont  blue-white  marble.  The  lower 
half,  with  its  14  square  piers,  supports  an  unusual  entablature,  there 
being  no  architrave.  The  frieze  is  wide  and  unornamented,  except  at 
the  corners.  The  massive  upper  stories  are  set  back  several  feet. 
Sculptured  reliefs  flanking  the  simple  entrance  and  the  heavy  eagle 
above  the  cornice  are  the  chief  decorations. 

The  main  entrance,  on  Chestnut  Street,  leads  to  a  vestibule  with 
bronze  doors  and  side  grilles  which  embody  the  symbolic  griffon, 
guardian  of  treasuries  ;  the  two-faced  Janus,  looking  to  the  past  and 
to  the  future;  and  the  seal  of  the  Third  Federal  Reserve  District. 
From  the  vestibule,  revolving  doors  give  access  to  an  inner  lobby, 
whence  the  main  banking  room  is  reached  through  bronze  and  glass 
bays.  The  end  wall  of  this  lobby  bears  the  coats  of  arms  of  the  States 
composing  the  banking  district  —  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and 
Delaware. 

The  main  banking  room  is  a  well-lighted,  high-ceilinged  room, 
divided  into  offices  by  bronze  and  glass  partitions.  The  ceiling  of 
white  plaster  is  supported  by  a  number  of  colored  marble  pillars  of 
severely  plain  design. 

In  the  lofty  executive  room  on  the  left  of  the  entrance  hall  are  16 
huge  piers  of  dark  Levanto  marble  and  delicate  rails  and  partitions, 
also  of  imported  marbles.  The  simple  classic  ceiling  is  decorated  with 
a  cornice  border  in  delicate  colors  and  the  silver-colored  official  coat 
of  arms  of  the  United  States  in  the  center. 

The  building  has  an  air-conditioning  system.  The  lighting  system  is 
of  the  indirect  type,  with  fixtures  in  bronze  which  carry  out  the  sym- 
bolism found  in  the  entrance. 

Its  grimy  next-door  neighbor  is  the  FEDERAL  BUILDING  (6) 
(see  City  Tour  1). 

L.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  9th. 

LEARY'S  BOOK  STORE  (7),  9  South  Ninth  Street,  was  founded 
in  1836,  at  Second  and  New  Streets,  and  is  the  oldest  book  store  of 
its  kind  in  the  United  States.  Here  bookworm,  casual  reader,  and 

402 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

student  browse  undisturbed  through  rows  and  stacks  of  books  and 
pamphlets  —  books  of  every  size  and  color,  some  fresh,  some  dog- 
eared and  worn,  some  bearing  on  their  flyleaves  the  pen-and-ink  senti- 
ments of  those  who  owned  them  in  an  earlier  day.  A  wide  range  of 
subjects  is  covered  and  a  score  of  languages  represented. 

The  store,  regarded  as  a  landmark  for  many  years,  occupies  the 
only  space  in  the  Ninth  Street  facade  of  the  GIMBEL  BROTHERS 
DEPARTMENT  STORE  (8),  used  for  purposes  other  than  those  of 
Gimbel  Brothers.  In  1925  the  book  store  was  moved  from  the  site, 
which  it  had  occupied  since  1877,  for  about  a  year  during  enlarge- 
ment of  the  Gimbel  store,  which  now  occupies  almost  the  entire 
block,  Market  to  Chestnut  Streets  and  Eighth  to  Ninth  Streets. 
Retrace  on  9th  St. ;  L.  on  Chestnut. 

On  the  southeast  corner  is  the  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  HOTEL 
(9).  The  "Ben  Franklin"  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  Continental 
Hotel,  the  scene  of  many  historic  and  colorful  episodes.  Edward  VII, 
then  Prince  of  Wales,  and  Charles  Dickens,  who  found  Philadelphia 
"a  handsome  city  but  distractingly  regular,"  were  guests  at  the  Con- 
tinental. In  one  of  its  rooms  Thomas  Buchanan  Read  wrote  his 
dramatic  Sheridan's  Ride. 

On  the  northeast  corner  at  Eighth  Street  is  the  SITE  OF  GREEN'S 
HOTEL  (9a),  now  an  open-air  parking  lot.  Gathering  place  of  poli- 
ticians, sportsmen,  artists,  and  writers  from  the  time  of  the  Centennial 
year,  1876,  until  the  advent  of  prohibition,  Green's  Hotel  represented 
an  era  in  the  life  of  Philadelphia  —  an  era  of  good  living  and  easy 
spending  that  reached  its  height  in  the  "gay  nineties."  Famous  for  its 
bar  and  barroom,  the  hotel  was  highly  esteemed  also  for  the  quality 
and  diversity  of  its  food  — with  emphasis  on  the  sea  food. 

When  the  hotel  was  first  opened  in  1866  by  Thomas  Green,  the 
former  home  of  Edward  Shippen,  Chief  Justice  of  Pennsylvania  in 
Colonial  times,  was  made  part  of  it.  The  room  in  which  Peggy  Ship- 
pen  and  Benedict  Arnold  were  married  was  preserved  intact  by 
Green. 

After  several  changes  in  management,  the  trustees  of  the  Green 
estate  transferred  the  property  to  a  New  York  syndicate  in  1923.  How- 
ever, changing  times  and  changing  habits,  and  especially  the  useless- 
ness  of  its  famous  bar,  caused  the  place  to  lose  its  popularity. 

It  was  sold  at  sheriff's  sale  on  August  7,  1934,  and  the  following 
month  demolition  work  was  started. 
L.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  7th. 

The  old  BUILDING  OF  THE  FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE  (1),  at 
15  South  Seventh  Street,  was  the  first  official  home  of  the  great  scien- 
tific institution  on  the  Parkway  (see  Points  of  Interest).  Six  broad 
soapstone  steps,  flanked  by  two  iron  lamps,  lead  to  the  auster,  digni- 
fied facade  of  this  simple,  two-story,  Doric  structure  of  gray  marble. 

403 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Four  sturdy  piers  support  a  heavy  entablature  containing  a  frieze  of 
simple  wreaths.  This  old  building  is  an  example  of  the  Greek  Re- 
vival period.  Designed  by  John  Haviland,  it  was  completed  in  1826, 
but  has  fallen  into  disrepair.  Its  demolition  has  been  considered  a 
number  of  times,  but  public  opposition  has  prevented  it. 

Retrace  on  7th  St. ;  L.  on  Chestnut. 

On  the  west  side  of  Sixth  Street  below  Chestnut  is  the  entrance  to 
the  LEDGER  BUILDING  (11),  home  of  the  Evening  Public  Ledger. 
(Open  weekdays  9  to  4  ;  guides  provided,  adm.  free.) 

In  the  square  on  the  right  is  INDEPENDENCE  HALL  (12)  (see 
Points  of  Interest). 

L.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  5th. 

The  PHILADELPHIA  BOURSE  (13),  right,  between  Ludlow  and 
Ranstead  Streets,  is  the  center  of  maritime  business  in  Philadelphia. 
The  building  was  erected  in  1895  as  a  meeting  place  for  trade  or- 
ganizations. It  is  occupied  now  by  the  Philadelphia  Shipping  Ex- 
change, a  number  of  shipping  agents,  and  the  Grain  Exchange. 

Retrace  on  5th  St.  ;  L.  on  Chestnut. 

The  OLD  CUSTOM  HOUSE  (14),  on  the  right,  midway  between 
Fifth  and  Fourth  Streets,  now  grimy  and  weather-worn,  housed  the 
second  Bank  of  the  United  States  from  1824-1837.  The  structure 
is  of  Greek  Revival  design.  The  architect,  Benjamin  H.  Latrobe,  used 
the  Parthenon  as  his  model.  A  statue  of  Robert  Morris,  who  helped 
to  finance  the  Revolutionary  War,  stands  in  front  of  the  building. 

Just  beyond  320  Chestnut  Street,  on  the  right,  is  a  small  alleyway 
leading  to  CARPENTERS'  HALL  (15)  (see  Points  of  Interest). 

The  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK  OF  PHILADELPHIA  (16),  315 
Chestnut  Street,  was  chartered  by  act  of  Congress  in  1863  and  issued 
the  first  national  currency.  It  is  a  two-story  granite  building  of  Greek 
design,  built  in  1865. 

At  305  is  the  BANK  OF  NORTH  AMERICA  (17) ,  whose  first  presi- 
dent was  Robert  Morris.  This  was  the  first  bank  chartered  by  the 
Continental  Congress  —  on  December  31,  1781.  The  present  building, 
erected  in  1893,  is  a  Roman  classic  adaptation  in  light  brown  stone 
and  red  granite.  The  Doric  order  is  employed  on  its  first  floor,  Ionic 
on  the  second. 

At  Second  and  Chestnut  Streets  the  new  CUSTOM  HOUSE  (18) 
rises  high  above  the  surrounding  buildings.  Here  are  the  offices  of  the 
Collector  of  the  Port  of  Philadelphia  and  numerous  Army  and  Navy 
and  other  Federal  department  offices. 

The  building,  a  large  red  brick  and  limestone  edifice,  is  a  modern- 
ized version  of  a  classic  design.  The  contrasting  red  and  white  of 
these  materials  is  intended  to  harmonize  with  the  structures  of  old 
historic  Philadelphia.  A  tall  cruciform  tower  rising  over  the  center 
of  the  building  terminates  in  an  ornate  enclosed  water  tank. 

404 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

The  chief  interior  feature  is  the  circular  rotunda  of  the  ground 
floor.  Eight  black  columns  support  a  balcony  and  dome  with  un- 
usual shell  designs  set  within  the  coffers  of  the  dome.  The  details,  in- 
cluding the  balcony  of  the  rotunda,  the  spiral  stairways,  and  the  triple 
entrace  doors  are  of  aluminum.  The  building,  designed  by  Ritter 
and  Shay,  was  erected  in  1933. 

R.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  2d. 

On  the  northeast  corner  at  Walnut  Street  stands  a  small,  gray 
building,  on  the  site  where  the  first  white  child  in  Philadelphia  was 
born.  The  original  building  has  been  replaced  by  one  which  today 
houses  the  old  KRIDER  GUN  SHOP  (19),  with  its  collection  of 
antique  firearms  in  the  windows.  Built  by  the  Drinker  family  in  1751, 
this  building  displays  a  marker  commemorating  the  birth.  The 
marker  gives  John  Drinker  as  the  child's  name. 

R.  from  2d  St.  on  Dock. 

DOCK  STREET  (20)  is  the  produce  center  of  Philadelphia.  While 
most  Philadelphians  sleep  and  other  streets  are  silent  —  from  shortly 
after  midnight  (and  as  early  as  8  p.  m.  in  summer)  until  8  in  the 
morning  —  this  strange  byway  throbs  with  the  pulse  of  trade.  The 
clatter  of  horses'  hoofs  and  the  rumbling  of  heavy  trucks  mingle 
with  the  gruff  roars  of  drivers  and  the  trade  talk  of  shippers  and 
merchants  in  this  bypath  of  the  city's  modern  scene.  Carrots  and 
cabbages,  apples  and  grapes,  and  every  edible  root,  leaf,  and  fruit 
from  persimmon  to  artichoke  lie  in  piles  on  street  and  sidewalk. 

The  street,  three  blocks  long  and  forming  a  misshapen  S,  carries 
on  a  billion  dollar  business  annually.  It  is  the  sidewalk  pantry  of 
half  a  million  kitchens.  Hundreds  of  trucks  nightly  are  unloaded  and 
loaded  to  rush  the  day's  food  throughout  Philadelphia  and  its  out- 
lying districts,  sometimes  as  far  as  100  miles  away. 

Dock  Street  is  built  upon  the  filled-in  course  of  Dock  Creek,  once 
a  winding  inlet  of  the  Delaware  River,  on  which  Indians  paddled 
canoes  and  white  men  sailed  barges.  In  the  early  days  the  creek  was 
spanned  by  a  drawbridge.  Until  1784  there  was  only  the  waterway, 


Drinker  House 

"On    the   Site    Where   Philadel- 

phias    First    White    Child    was 

Born1 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

with  markets  along  its  banks,  upon  which  boats  unloaded  their  pro- 
duce. Today  a  paved  roadway  overlies  the  bed  of  the  creek,  but  it  is 
still  an  inlet  —  an  inlet  for  vast  amounts  of  produce,  arriving  on 
freighters.  They  come  up  the  Delaware  with  delicacies  gathered  from 
far-away  fields  and  orchards  —  oranges  from  Florida  and  California, 
bananas  and  pineapples  from  Cuba,  strawberries  from  Georgia,  pea- 
nuts and  sweet  potatoes  from  other  southern  States,  and  apples  from 
Virginia. 

The  importance  of  this  small  street  to  Philadelphia  was  painfully 
demonstrated  during  a  truck  drivers'  strike  in  1935.  Virtually  all  the 
fresh  vegetables  and  other  commodities  supplied  by  the  merchants 
of  Dock  Street  were  tied  up,  and  business  was  at  a  complete  stand- 
still. The  truck  drivers'  union,  realizing  the  strategic  value  of  this 
little  street,  refused  to  allow  any  produce  to  leave  it.  Prices  soared 
while  fruits  and  vegetables  rotted  where  they  had  been  dumped  from 
ships  and  farmers'  drays.  But  Philadelphia  could  not  long  forego 
fresh  food,  and  the  strike  was  settled  within  a  few  days. 

Shortly  after  noon,  Dock  Street  slumbers.  The  shop  doors  are  closed 
and  the  street  virtually  deserted.  "Evening"  comes  early  on  Dock 
Street. 

At  Third  Street,  left,  is  the  old  STOCK  EXCHANGE  BUILDING 
(21).  Wide  and  winding  Dock  Street  serves  as  the  eastern  approach  to 
this  building  of  old  Philadelphia.  The  semi-circular  Corinthian  colon- 
nade above  the  first  floor,  the  entablature  and  the  unusual  tall  crown- 
ing cupola  of  alternate  columns  and  windows  embellish  this  beautiful 
gray  stone  structure,  which  was  designed  by  William  Strickland  and 
completed  in  1834. 

L.  on  3d  St. 

The  GIRARD  NATIONAL  BANK  BUILDING  (22),  116  South 
Third  Street,  is  the  oldest  bank  building  in  the  country.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  1797,  designed  by  Samuel  Blodget,  and  originally  was  the 
home  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States.  Stephen  Girard  purchased  the 
building  in  1812  and  conducted  a  private  bank  there  until  1831.  It 
is  now  the  Philadelphia  headquarters  of  the  American  Legion. 

Except  for  the  rich  wooden  entablature  and  pediment,  the  ex- 
terior of  the  building  is  of  Pennsylvania  blue  marble.  It  is  designed 
in  the  Corinthian  style*  with  six  free-standing  fluted  columns  support- 
ing the  pediment.  The  main  room  is  two  stories  high  with  a  circular 
rotunda.  Eight  Corinthian  columns  support  the  balcony  and  above 
these  rise  40  small  Corinthian  columns  supporting  the  low  dome  with 
its  large  skylight.  The  original  fireplace  is  in  the  southeast  corner 
room  of  the  second  floor. 

Continue  on  3d  St. ;  R.  on  Willing9 s  Alley. 

In  Willing's  Alley  stands  ST.  JOSEPH'S  CHURCH  (23),  oldest 
Roman  Catholic  church  in  Philadelphia.  A  German  pastor  of  St. 

406 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

Joseph's  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  to  refer  to  Washington  as  "Des 
Landes  Vater"  —  "The  Father  of  His  Country." 

Beneath  an  archway,  a  curiously  wrought  iron  gate  opens  from 
Willing's  Alley  into  a  large  paved  courtyard,  along  the  inner  side  of 
which  stands  the  church.  The  present  structure,  in  spite  of  its  record 
of  constant  reconstruction,  retains  a  few  mementos  of  the  vicissitudes 
to  which  the  Catholic  Church  was  heir  in  its  early  days  in  Philadel- 
phia. 

The  original  edifice  was  erected  in  1733,  enlarged  in  1821,  and  re- 
built in  1838.  Additions  have  since  been  made.  Today  the  unpre- 
tentious brick  building,  with  large,  rounded,  stained-glass  windows, 
is  so  surrounded  by  the  offices  of  insurance  companies  that  little  is 
visible  of  the  exterior  beyond  two  bays  of  side  windows.  Its  red-brick 
wall,  with  white  wood  trim,  has  little  decoration,  except  for  a  marble 
bust  of  Father  Felix  Joseph  Barbelin,  S.  J..  rector  of  the  church  for 
25  years,  and  a  tablet  to  his  memory.  As  for  the  ornate  interior,  a 
curved  balcony  at  the  sides  and  back,  and  Ionic  columns  which  sup- 
port the  arch  above  the  altar,  constitute  the  only  architecturally 
significant  features. 

The  Jesuit  priests  in  charge  of  the  parish  live  in  a  dwelling  on  the 
right  side  of  the  courtyard.  The  doorway  of  this  house  is  distin- 
guished by  a  little  wicket  through  which  a  lay  brother,  before  open- 
ing the  door,  may  inspect  those  seeking  admittance.  The  large  lamp 
hanging  beside  it  illumines  all  after-dark  callers.  The  interior  offers 
little  of  historical  note.  The  portion  of  the  rectory  adjoining  the 
church,  including  the  sacristy,  is  the  only  part  of  the  original  build- 
ing that  remains,  and  this  section  has  been  completely  renovated.  The 
few  archaic  fireplaces  that  have  been  preserved  are  on  the  upper 
floors,  which  are  closed  to  visitors. 

Of  considerable  interest  is  a  canvas  on  one  of  the  rectory  parlor 
walls.  This,  Benjamin  West's  first  large  and  important  work,  was  pre- 
sented by  the  painter  to  the  Jesuits  of  Conshohocken.  The  painting  — 
a  woman  in  conventional  scriptural  dress  giving  a  child  a  drink  from 
a  little  bowl,  while  an  old  man  stands  beside  her  and  an  angel  hovers 
near  the  child  —  was  formerly  believed  to  portray  the  Holy  Family, 
and  for  many  years  hung  over  the  main  altar.  When  it  was  discovered 
that  the  artist  intended  to  commemorate  the  adventures  of  Hagar 
and  Ishmael  in  the  desert,  the  picture  was  removed  from  a  position 
which  was  considered  inappropriately  conspicuous. 

The  land  on  which  St.  Joseph's  stands  was  purchased  and  a  modest 
chapel  was  erected  in  1722.  It  was  built  to  resemble  a  private  house, 
because  English  law  then  forbade  the  erection  of  a  Catholic  church 
or  chapel.  In  1722  Father  Joseph  Greaton,  of  the  Jesuit  Order,  was 
sent  from  Baltimore,  and  on  arriving  in  the  city,  he  donned  the  garb 
of  a  Quaker  lest  he  provoke  outbreaks  of  intolerance.  Before  a  year 

407 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

had  passed,  he  had  resumed  his  clerical  robe.  A  chapel,  with  its  own 
pastor  and  a  regular  congregation,  could  not  long  pass  unnoticed,  and 
the  following  year  the  situation  began  to  excite  comment.  Father 
Greaton's  activities  were  referred  to  the  Provincial  Council  and  dis- 
cussed at  two  meetings,  but  the  matter  was  allowed  to  rest,  and  the 
priest  continued  his  work  undisturbed.  During  the  anti-Catholic  riots 
of  1844,  when  houses  were  burned  to  ashes  and  churches  were  set 
afire,  St.  Joseph's  escaped  unscathed. 

The  church  today  is  a  center  for  the  devout  who  work  in  the  old 
business  center  of  the  city.  They  frequently  visit  here  during  the 
luncheon  hour  or  after  work.  A  narrow  areaway  provides  access  to 
the  church  from  Walnut  Street,  in  addition  to  the  main  entrance  to 
the  courtyard  from  Willing's  alley. 

Retrace  on  Willing's  Alley. 

On  Third  Street  opposite  the  alley  is  ST.  PAUL'S  PROTESTANT 
EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  (24) ,  a  red  and  white  brick  structure  set  back 
between  two  poplar  trees  and  surrounded  by  a  neatly  designed  brick 
wall.  Large  limestone  spheres  surmount  the  wall's  eight  brick  posts. 
Originally  erected  in  1761,  the  building  was  extensively  altered  in 
1832  by  William  Strickland,  who  virtually  rebuilt  the  white  wood- 
work interior.  Edwin  Forrest,  tragedian,  is  buried  in  the  churchyard. 

R.  from  Willing's  Alley  on  3d. 

The  POWEL  HOUSE  (25)  is  at  244  South  Third  Street  (see 
Points  of  Interest). 

L.  from  3d  St.  on  Pine. 

Standing  in  the  center  of  Second  Street  and  facing  on  Pine  is  the 
HEADHOUSE  OF  THE  SECOND  STREET  MARKET  (26) ,  a  quaint 
two-and-a-half-story  structure  with  heavy  octagnal  cupola  and  steep 
gable  ends.  There  is  a  tasteful  use  of  marble  trim  in  the  belt  course 
and  window  sills.  Edward  Shippen  and  Joseph  Wharton  began  the 
structure,  August  1745,  by  building  stalls  at  their  own  expense.  They 
received  rents  until  they  were  repaid  the  principal  and  interest  of 
the  advanced  money.  This  site  has  been  a  market  place  since  the 
days  of  Penn. 

The  cupola  was  probably  used  as  a  lookout  tower  for  locating  fires. 
(Fire  engines  were  kept  downstairs  and  the  second  story  was  long 
the  headquarters  of  the  volunteer  Hope  Fire  Engine  Company.)  The 
first  building  was  erected  in  1745.  About  1800  the  present  headhouse 
was  built,  and  in  1814  the  market  was  extended  to  South  Street. 

Retrace  on  Pine  St. 

On  the  southwest  corner  at  Third  Street  is  ST.  PETER'S  PROTES- 
TANT EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  (27),  a  simple  and  dignified  structure 
of  red  brick,  designed  by  Robert  Smith.  One  of  the  older  churches  in 
the  city,  it  is  surrounded  by  an  old  cemetery  and  by  lawns  and  tall 
trees  within  brick  walls  and  iron  fences. 

408 


St.  Joseph's   Roman   Catholic   Church 

"In  the  Quiet  of  W tiling's 

Alley    .         ." 


St.  Peter's   Church 

"Whose   rear  pulpit   caused 

consternation" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

At  its  western  end  rises  a  five-and-a-half-story  square  tower  sur- 
mounted by  a  simple  wooden  spire  from  which  rises  an  octagonal 
lantern  topped  by  a  ball  and  cross.  The  austerity  of  the  tower,  with 
its  corner  piers  and  suggestion  of  a  crenellated  top,  is  relieved  by  the 
finely  designed  windows,  rising  one  above  the  other. 

The  chief  feature  of  the  eastern  side  of  the  exterior  is  a  large  Pal- 
ladian  window  with  237  panes.  The  fine  arched  windows  on  the  sides 
and  rear  light  the  interior  balcony  —  the  first  such  arrangement  used 
in  America.  All  of  the  windows  have  brick  arches  and  white  marble 
sills,  spring  blocks,  and  keystones.  An  unusual  feature  is  the  location 
of  the  organ  and  altar  at  the  eastern  end  and  the  reading  desk  and 
lofty  pulpit  at  the  western  end  —  a  rare  arrangement  which  compels 
the  rector  to  conduct  part  of  the  service  at  each  end  of  the  church, 
with  an  accompanying  shift  in  seats  by  the  congregation.  The  organ, 
rising  to  the  height  of  the  ceiling,  blocks  the  Palladian  window. 

St.  Peter's  was  erected  in  1758-1761  as  a  branch  of  Christ  Church, 
and  for  many  years  both  were  under  the  same  rectorship.  Wash- 
ington, on  his  frequent  visits  to  Philadelphia,  often  attended  services 
in  this  church,  and  the  pews  used  by  him,  by  Governor  Penn,  and  by 
Benjamin  Franklin  have  been  carefully  preserved.  The  sacristy  dis- 
plays a  number  of  relics  significant  in  the  church's  history. 

At  Fourth  Street  is  the  OLD  PINE  STREET  CHURCH  (Third 
Presbyterian)  (28).  A  number  of  documents  and  portraits  reminis- 
cent of  the  days  when  the  Nation  was  young  are  preserved  in  the 
church. 

Founded  on  its  present  site  in  1768,  this  church  remains  today  a 
well-known  place  of  public  worship,  although  racial  population 
changes  have  caused  30  Protestant  churches  in  the  vicinity  to  close 
their  doors  in  recent  years.  An  endowment  fund  enables  the  church 
to  carry  on  in  the  face  of  decreasing  attendance. 

The  site  was  used  as  a  place  of  worship  prior  to  the  founding  of 
Old  Pine  Street  Church.  Members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  and  other 
churches  constituted  a  congregation  which  worshipped  in  a  small 
edifice  known  as  the  Hill  Meetinghouse,  erected  in  1764  when  the 
group  received  letters  patent  to  the  site.  Previous  to  that  time,  when 
he  was  refused  permission  to  preach  in  any  of  the  churches  in  the 
vicinity,  George  Whitefield  had  preached  from  a  platform  erected 
on  this  spot. 

The  present  church,  built  in  1837,  is  of  late  Greek  Revival  design. 
It  has  a  huge  raised  portico  with  four  pairs  of  fluted  Corinthian  col- 
umns. One  of  the  walls  of  the  original  building  of  1768  still  stands  as 
part  of  the  present  structure.  Various  alterations  have  been  made, 
including  the  raising  of  the  roof  and  floor,  and  the  addition  of  an 
entrance  porch  and  columns. 

Rev.  George  Duffield,  D.  D.,  first  chaplain  of  the  church,  who  was 

410 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

also  chaplain  of  the  First  Continental  Congress  and  the  Pennsylvania 
Militia  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  was  so  well  known  for  his  fiery 
revolutionary  spirit  that  the  British  placed  a  price  on  his  head.  Dur- 
ing British  occupation  of  Philadelphia  the  church  was  used  as  a 
hospital,  and  the  pews  were  burned  for  fuel. 

Old  records  show  that  many  members  of  the  church  served  the 
country  in  times  of  war.  Sixty-seven  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
Army,  outstanding  among  them  being  Gen.  John  Steele,  personal 
aide-de-camp  to  Washington  in  New  Jersey.  Later  General  Steele  was 
in  charge  of  the  military  unit  assigned  to  protect  Martha  Washington 
during  her  stay  in  Norristown.  During  the  Civil  War  130  members  of 
the  congregation  carried  arms.  In  the  upper  vestibule  a  tablet  bears 
the  names  of  18  who  died  in  action. 

Among  the  many  famous  men  who  attended  services  at  the  vener- 
able church  was  John  Adams,  second  President  of  the  United  States. 
His  diary  contains  many  references  to  "  Outfield's  Meetings."  Many 
early  historic  figures  connected  with  the  church  are  buried  in  its 
grounds  ;  among  them  are  Dr.  Duffield  ;  General  Steele  ;  Col.  William 
Linnard,  Quartermaster  of  the  United  States  Army  in  the  War  of 
1812  ;  Mrs.  Mary  Nelson,  in  charge  of  the  Philadelphia  powder  mag- 
azine in  the  War  of  1812  ;  and  William  Hurrie,  bell  ringer  at  the 
State  House,  who  probably  rang  the  Liberty  Bell  on  the  first  day  of 
America's  independence.  One  hundred  Hessian  soldiers  were  buried 
here.  The  Sunday  school,  begun  in  1814,  is  the  oldest  in  Philadelphia. 

R.  from  Pine  St.  on  4th. 

ST.  MARY'S  CHURCH  (29),  244  South  Fourth  Street,  is  the  sec- 
ond-oldest Roman  Catholic  church  in  the  city.  Built  in  1763  and  en- 
larged in  1810,  it  presents  a  facade  of  red  brick  with  white  marble 
trim,  a  fusion  of  Colonial  and  Gothic  styles.  The  interior  consists  of 
one  large  rectangular  room  with  balconies  on  three  sides.  With  the 
appointment  of  a  bishop  for  this  country,  in  1808,  St.  Mary's  became 
the  first  cathedral.  Commodore  Barry  and  several  members  of  the 
Continental  Congress  are  buried  in  the  churchyard. 

At  Locust  Street  on  the  southwest  corner  is  the  SHIPPEN  RESI- 
DENCE (30),  built  about  200  years  ago  by  Dr.  William  Shippen  and 
his  brother  Joseph,  on  land  granted  them  by  the  Penns.  When,  in 
1798,  the  famous  Dr.  Caspar  Wistar  established  his  residence  in  the 
house  it  became  the  scene  of  the  celebrated  Wistar  parties.  Parties 
are  still  held  here  in  memory  of  the  hospitable  doctor.  The  building, 
typical  of  the  Colonial  town  house,  was  built  in  1752  and  adjoined 
the  Cadwalader  house  on  the  south.  These  two  structures  of  red  brick 
laid  in  Flemish  bond  with  white  trim  and  shuttered  windows  have 
been  converted  into  one  building  in  recent  years.  The  garden  of  the 
house  at  one  time  extended  to  old  St.  Mary's  Church. 

411 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

On  the  left  at  212  is  the  PHILADELPHIA  CONTRIBUTIONSHIP 
(31),  which  houses  an  old  insurance  company. 

The  structure,  designed  by  Thomas  U.  Walter  and  erected  in  1836, 
follows  the  style  of  the  Greek  Revival  period.  The  outstanding  feature 
of  the  red  brick  and  white  marble  exterior  is  the  porch,  which  is  ap- 
proached from  both  sides  by  curved  stairs.  Four  fluted  marble  Corin- 
thian columns  support  a  heavy  entablature.  Double  windows  in  either 
side  of  the  porch  have  slightly  projecting  hoods  following  the  line 
of  the  porch  cornice.  The  second-story  windows  call  attention  to  their 
pilasters  and  lintels.  Three  dormer  windows  framed  by  pilasters, 
scrolls,  and  low  pediments  rise  above  the  third-story  cornice. 

The  keynote  of  the  interior  is  one  of  severity,  with  the  ground  floor 
consisting  of  two  small  rooms  and  one  large  room,  in  the  center  of 
which  rises  a  gracefully  curved  staircase. 

L.  from  4th  St.  on  Walnut. 

On  the  right  between  Fifth  and  Sixth  Streets  is  INDEPENDENCE 
SQUARE  (see  Points  of  Interest). 

On  the  southeast  corner  of  Sixth  Street,  now  occupied  by  the  PENN 
MUTUAL  LIFE  INSURANCE  COMPANY  BUILDING  (32),  is  the 
site  of  the  old  Walnut  Street  Prison.  The  British,  who  took  over  the 
jail  during  their  occupancy  of  Philadelphia,  herded  all  of  Wash- 
ington's troops  who  fell  into  their  hands  into  this  prison.  Many  of  the 
captured  Continentals  died  after  enduring  unspeakable  treatment. 
The  British  commandant  responsible  for  these  conditions  was  later 
tried  and  hanged  in  England.  On  the  southern  portion  of  this  lot  a 
Debtors  Prison  was  erected,  and  for  a  time  Robert  Morris,  financier  of 
the  Revolution,  was  incarcerated  there. 

L.  from  Walnut  St.  on  6th. 

On  the  northwest  corner  at  Spruce  Street  is  HOLY  TRINITY  RO- 
MAN CATHOLIC  CHURCH  (33),  in  the  graveyard  of  which  Stephen 
Girard  was  buried.  His  remains  were  later  removed  to  a  sarcophagus 
in  Founder's  Hall  at  Girard  College.  A  grave  here  is  said  to  be  that 
of  Evangeline,  heroine  of  Longfellow's  poem.  The  poem  reads  : 
Still  stands  the  forest  primeval  ;  but  far  away  from  5ts  shadow, 

Side  by  side  in  their  nameless  graves,  the  lovers  are  sleeping. 
Under  the  humble  walls  of  the  little   Catholic   churchyard, 
In  the  heart  of  the  city,  they  lie,  unknown  and  unnoticed. 

Retrace  on  6th  St.  ;  L.  on  S.  Washington  Square. 

The  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  (34),  facing  on  the 
square,  was  erected  in  1820  following  the  plans  of  John  Haviland,  who 
designed  it  after  the  Temple  on  the  Illisus  near  Athens.  It  is  one  of 
the  best  examples  of  the  Greek  Revival  style.  The  structure  has  fallen 
into  disrepair  since  the  congregation  left  it  several  years  ago  to  merge 
with  that  of  the  Christ  Calvary  Church  near  Fifteenth  on  Locust 
Street. 

412 


n 


1 1 1 1 


Philadelphia    Contributionship 

"The    Home    of    the    'Hand-irt-Hand' ', 
founded   in   1752" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

WASHINGTON  SQUARE  (35),  extending  along  Walnut  Street 
from  Sixth  to  Seventh  Streets,  once  was  a  Potter's  Field  for  Phila- 
delphia. Here,  during  the  Revolution,  hundreds  of  Continental  sol- 
diers were  buried  after  death  released  them  from  the  horrors  and 
torture  of  the  British  prison.  Here,  too,  were  interred  thousands  of 
the  victims  of  the  yellow-fever  plague  that  ravaged  the  city  in  1793. 
In  1825  the  ground  was  leveled  and  converted  into  a  memorial  park. 

Continue  around  Washington  Square  to  Walnut  St. 

CURTIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY  PLANT  (36),  across  Walnut 
Street  from  the  square  (5  tours,  daily  ;  free),  is  one  of  the  world's 
largest  foundries  of  the  printed  word  and  home  of  the  Saturday  Even- 
ing Post,  father  of  all  five-cent  weeklies.  It  occupies  a  vast  12-story 
boxlike  building  bounded  by  Walnut  and  Sansom  and  Sixth  and 
Seventh  Streets,  with  the  main  entrance  on  Sixth  Street. 

The  exterior  design  of  the  huge  Curtis  plant,  the  cornerstone  of 
which  was  laid  in  1910,  represents  an  attempt  to  establish  harmony 
with  the  Independence  Square  group  across  Sixth  Street.  The  archi- 
tect, Edgar  Seiler,  succeeded  in  achieving  a  certain  amount  of  dignity 
by  the  use  of  marble  in  the  lower  and  top  stories.  Various  bits  of  de- 
tail, such  as  the  oval  design  work  in  the  frieze  and  the  keystones,  are 
distinct  adaptations  from  Independence  Hall.  The  14  huge  Ionic  col- 
umns on  the  lower  facade  are  white  monoliths  weighing  21  tons  each. 

The  entrance  lobby  is  dominated  by  a  large,  especially  processed 
glass  mosaic,  executed  by  Louis  C.  Tiffany,  distinguished  New  York 
artist  and  decorator,  from  an  elaborate  sketch,  The  Dream  Garden, 
by  Maxfield  Parrish. 

The  dining  room  for  female  employees  contains  16  panels  from  the 
brush  of  Parrish,  and  his  large  pastel  mural,  The  Florentine  Fete. 
The  original  painting  of  The  Dream  Garden  hangs  in  the  executive 
dining  room.  The  luxurious  directors'  room  features  tapestries  and 
furniture  of  the  Adam  period,  a  deep  piled  rug  and  vase  of  Chinese 
origin,  a  carved  table  of  Carrara  marble,  and  originals  of  drawings 
used  in  the  company's  publications. 

The  plant  covers  23  acres  of  floor  space.  Four  thousand  workers 
are  employed  in  three  shifts.  Operating  day  and  night,  it  is  a  notable 
example  of  organized  efficiency  and  modern  mechanical  development. 
Special  steel  construction  eliminates  vibration,  and  the  editorial 
rooms  are  shut  off  from  the  clamor  of  the  mechanized  departments 
by  an  elaborate  system  of  soundproofing.  Giant  multicolor  presses. 
in  a  single  lightning  operation,  produce  16-page  units,  vividly  colored 
and  printed  on  both  sides  with  the  aid  of  an  exclusive  wax-spraying 
process.  In  all,  there  are  200  presses,  each  weighing  many  tons  and 
costing  many  thousands  of  dollars.  The  total  output  is  17,000,000 
magazines  each  month.  Figures  showing  paper,  fuel,  and  ink  con- 
sumption read  like  recordings  of  astronomical  distances. 

414 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (€ITY  TOUR  2) 

Each  of  the  five  daily  tours  requires  about  one  hour,  but  this  time  is 
sufficient  to  obtain  only  a  bare  idea  of  the  breadth,  scope  and  intricacy 
of  this  huge  production  center. 

L.  on  Walnut  St.  ;  L.  on  8th. 

At  225  South  Eighth  Street  is  a  Colonial  structure  that  was  once 
the  city  RESIDENCE  OF  ROBERT  MORRIS  (37).  Although  built 
shortly  after  the  Revolution  (in  1786)  the  house  is  completely  Geor- 
gian Colonial  in  character.  Faced  with  brick  laid  in  Flemish  bond 
with  black  headers,  the  building  has  a  severely  simple  facade  of 
broad  horizontal  lines  accented  by  the  second  and  third-floor  belt 
courses  and  a  beautiful  cornice.  Two  windows  flank  the  central  door- 
way, with  its  fluted  pilasters,  dainty  fanlight,  and  simple  broken  pedi- 
ment. 

Retrace  on  8th  St. ;  L.  on  Walnut. 

At  Ninth  Street,  in  the  gray  building  on  the  right,  is  the  WALNUT 
STREET  THEATRE  (38),  built  in  1808  and  the  oldest  existing 
theatre  in  the  city.  Here  during  the  prime  of  the  theatre's  life  ap- 
peared most  of  the  stage  stars  of  a  century. 

The  building  now  bears  little  resemblance  to  the  original  as  de- 
signed by  John  Haviland,  but  the  early  classical  atmosphere  of  the 
interior  has  been  retained. 

Renovation  and  remodeling  have  given  a  modern  aspect  to  the  an- 
cient playhouse,  and  its  name  has  been  changed  several  times,  but  it 
still  occupies  the  original  site,  and  the  mellowness  of  great  stage 
traditions  clings  to  it. 

It  was  opened  in  1809  as  a  circus  and  later  as  a  combined  theatre 
and  circus.  Philadelphia  entertainment  seekers  thronged  to  the  "New 
Circus"  for  four  years  during  the  management  of  Pepin  and  Bres- 
chard. 

After  its  early  circus  days,  the  playhouse  assumed  a  new  dignity 
and  a  new  name,  the  Olympic,  when  it  was  converted  into  a  theatre 
for  the  presentation  of  legitimate  stage  productions.  This  new  phase 
of  its  existence  began  New  Year's  Day,  1812,  with  a  presentation  of 
Sheridan's  comedy,  The  Rivals.  A  musical  farce,  Poor  Soldiers,  was 
the  second  on  the  theatre's  list  of  stage  performances.  The  Olympic 
was  renamed  the  Walnut  Street  Theatre  in  1820  and,  except  for  a 
brief  period  during  which  it  was  called  the  American  Theatre,  that 
name  has  clung. 

Edwin  Forrest,  later  eminent  as  a  tragedian,  made  his  first  appear- 
ance here  at  the  age  of  14.  Edmund  Kean,  another  outstanding  trage- 
dian, played  at  the  Olympic  frequently.  Louisa  Lane,  later  to  become 
Mrs.  John  Drew,  made  her  first  stage  appearance  in  this  theatre  at 
the  age  of  7,  in  the  cast  of  Shakespeare's  Richard  HI. 

415 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Many  of  the  greatest  names  in  theatrical  history  are  linked  with 
the  Walnut.  Edwin  Booth,  whose  father,  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  had 
previously  appeared  there,  was  for  many  years  part  owner  of  the 
house.  Indeed,  every  actor  or  actress  of  note  who  appeared  in  this 
country  during  the  nineteenth  century  trod  the  boards  of  this  theatre. 

At  the  height  of  their  popularity,  Sarah  Bernhardt,  Ellen  Terry, 
and  Sir  Henry  Irving  played  the  Walnut.  Here  appeared  Richard 
Mansfield,  Lily  Langtry,  John  Drew,  DeWolf  Hopper,  David  Warfield, 
and  Maude  Adams.  Otis  Skinner,  Ethel  Barrymore,  Julia  Marlowe, 
James  K.  Hackett,  W'alter  Hampden,  George  Arliss,  and  Grace  George 
in  more  recent  years  have  sustained  this  theatre's  fine  tradition. 

For  16  consecutive  years,  during  the  Christmas  holidays,  Chauncey 
Olcott  appeared  here  before  enthusiastic  audiences.  In  1905  Mme. 
Schumann-Heink,  beloved  songstress  of  two  generations,  appeared 
here  in  the  opera,  Love's  Lottery.  Douglas  Fairbanks  began  his  suc- 
cessful theatrical  career  at  the  Walnut  in  1906,  and  his  autographed 
picture  still  hangs  in  the  lobby. 

The  playhouse  suffered  the  same  decline  that  threatened  all  legiti- 
mate playhouses  with  the  development  of  the  "movies,"  the  "talkies," 
and  the  radio.  In  1920  heirs  of  Edwin  Booth  and  John  Sleeper  Clarke 
sold  the  establishment  to  James  Beury,  who  restored  it  to  its  high 
estate  for  a  few  seasons.  It  was  formally  reopened  on  December  27, 
1920,  with  George  Arliss  in  The  Green  Goddess. 

Since  1932  the  theatre  has  changed  management  several  times,  pass- 
ing through  brief  eras  of  movies,  vaudeville,  and  stock. 

Doorways  leading  into  the  auditorium  from  the  foyer  and  the  cur- 
tained screen  or  "stand-up"  rail  are  Colonial  in  detail.  The  massive 
globular  crystal  chandelier  hanging  immediately  before  the  prosce- 
nium was  removed  from  the  old  Bingham  House  when  that  hotel  was 
torn  down. 

The  balcony  has  been  rebuilt  with  steel  supports,  but  the  stage 
remains  substantially  the  same  as  during  the  early  circus  days,  when 
its  boards  creaked  under  the  feet  of  performing  elephants.  Most  of 
the  roof  is  borne  by  the  original  wooden  trusses  which  once  vibrated 
to  the  roars  of  trained  lions. 

L.  from  Walnut  St.  on  9th. 

At  260,  south  of  Locust  Street,  is  the  BONAPARTE  HOUSE  (39), 
residence  for  two  years  of  Joseph  Bonaparte,  brother  of  Napoleon. 
Some  of  the  mural  canvases  Joseph  brought  with  him  from  France 
adorn  the  walls  of  the  dining  room.  The  house  was  built  in  1812. 

Retrace  on  9th  St. ;  R.  on  Locust. 

MUSICAL  FUND  HALL  (40),  808  Locust  Street,  is  the  oldest  music 
hall  in  the  United  States.  Built  in  1824,  it  once  echoed  to  the  liquid 
notes  of  Jenny  Lind.  Here,  too,  William  Makepeace  Thackeray  lec- 
tured during  his  visit  to  Philadelphia.  In  June  1856  it  was  the  scene 

416 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

of  the  first  Republican  National  Convention.  Today  the  building  pre- 
sents a  forlorn  appearance,  out  of  keeping  with  its  colorful  past. 

The  building,  a  three-story  structure  of  Italian  Renaissance  design, 
is  constructed  of  light  buff  brick  and  terra  cotta  with  a  marble  base, 
and  the  cornice  and  central  pediment  of  copper.  Pilasters  of  the  com- 
posite order  decorate  the  upper  two  stories. 

R.  from  Locust  St.  on  8th. 

South  of  Locust,  on  the  right,  is  ST.  GEORGE'S  GREEK  CATHO- 
LIC CHURCH  (41).  This  church,  erected  in  1822,  was  designed  by 
John  Haviland,  who  patterned  it  after  the  same  model  (the  Athen- 
ian temple  on  the  Illisus)  which  he  had  used  two  years  before  for 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  on  Washington  Square.  Its  huge  porch 
with  fluted  Ionic  columns  at  the  top  of  seven  marble  steps  supports  a 
massive  denticular  entablature,  surmounted  by  a  broad  pediment.  A 
great  paneled  doorway  of  wood,  painted  to  simulate  bronze,  leads  to 
an  interior  lavishly  painted  in  blue,  gold,  and  white.  The  most  ar- 
resting feature  is  a  choir  screen  with  a  central  pedimented  entrance 
containing  a  painting  of  the  "symbolic  eye." 

R.  from  8th  St.  on  Spruce. 

The  CEMETERY  OF  MIKVEH  ISRAEL  CONGREGATION  (42) 
occupies  a  small  parcel  of  land  at  Spruce  and  Darien  Streets.  The 
ground  was  granted  to  Rabbi  Nathan  Levy  by  John  Penn  in  1783,  and 
it  contains  the  graves  of  numerous  Philadelphians  of  the  Jewish  faith. 
The  most  famous  grave  is  that  of  Rebecca  Gratz,  the  original  of  Sir 
Walter  Scott's  heroine,  Rebecca,  in  Ivanhoe. 

It  was  through  Washington  Irving,  whose  fiancee,  Matilda  Hoff- 
man, was  an  intimate  friend  of  Rebecca  Gratz,  that  Miss  Gratz  be- 
came the  inspiration  of  Scott's  medieval  romance.  On  a  visit  to 
England,  Irving  met  Scott  and  learned  that  he  was  contemplating  the 
writing  of  a  novel  with  Jews  among  the  principal  characters.  Irving 
told  him  about  the  lovely  Philadelphia  friend  of  his  fiancee.  After 
the  appearance  of  Ivanhoe  in  1819,  Scott  wrote  his  American  col- 


Mikveh  Israel 

Cemetery 

"Resting     place      of 
Rebecca    Gratz,    Im- 
mortalized by  Scott's 
'Ivanhoe' " 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

league  :  "How  do  you  like  your  Rebecca  ?  Does  the  Rebecca  I  have 
pictured  compare  well  with  the  pattern  given  ?" 

Miss  Gratz  made  important  contributions  to  the  development  of 
her  native  city's  philanthropies.  In  her  twenty-first  year  she  was 
elected  secretary  of  the  Female  Association  for  the  Relief  of  Women 
and  Children  in  Reduced  Circumstances.  In  1815  she  helped  found 
the  Philadelphia  Orphans'  Society  and  in  1838  succeeded  in  organiz- 
ing the  Hebrew  Sunday  School  Society,  the  first  organization  of  its 
kind  in  the  United  States.  Her  efforts  were  largely  instrumental  in 
the  establishment  of  the  Jewish  Foster  Home  in  1855. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  Spruce  Street  is  the  PENNSYLVANIA 
HOSPITAL  (43),  oldest  hospital  in  the  United  States.  The  original 
buildings  offer  quaint  contrast  to  the  newer,  sanitary  structures  of 
the  institution. 

Although  the  Philadelphia  General  Hospital,  originally  the  Phila- 
delphia Almshouse,  antedates  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  as  an  in- 
stitution, the  former  was  not  used  as  a  hospital  until  after  the  latter 
was  founded  in  1751. 

A  perusal  of  the  old  records  of  the  hospital  serves  as  a  pleasant 
reminder  of  some  of  the  customs  of  the  times.  The  old  Managers 
(many  of  them  Friends)  designated  the  months  of  the  year  by  num- 
ber in  the  minutes  of  their  meetings.  This  custom  was  followed  until 
recent  days,  entries  such  as  First  Month  or  Fifth  Month  adding  a 
quaint  touch  to  the  modern  records. 

The  prime  mover  in  establishing  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  was 
Dr.  Thomas  Bond,  who  for  years  had  urged  the  necessity  of  such  an 
institution.  Until  1751,  however,  he  received  nothing  more  substantial 
than  sympathy  for  his  cause.  In  that  year  he  appealed  to  Benjamin 
Franklin,  who  immediately  espoused  the  idea  and  vigorously  cham- 
pioned it  with  pen  and  voice,  winning  a  charter  from  the  Provincial 
Assembly  and  support  from  private  citizens. 

An  organization  meeting  of  36  contributors  was  held  on  May  1 
in  the  State  House,  and  12  managers  and  a  treasurer  were  elected. 
In  September  a  meeting  was  held  in  Widow  Pratt's  Royal  Standard 
Tavern,  High  (now  Market)  Street  near  Second.  Here  it  was  decided 
to  open  the  hospital  in  a  private  house  on  the  south  side  of  High 
Street.  The  first  patient,  a  Margaret  Sherlock,  was  admitted  on  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1752  ;  she  was  likewise  the  first  discharged  as  cured.  The 
medical  staff  at  that  time  was  composed  of  Dr.  Lloyd  Zachary,  Dr. 
Thomas  Bond,  and  Dr.  Phineas  Bond  ;  Joshua  Crosby  was  president 
of  the  board  of  managers,  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  clerk. 

Purchase  of  the  block  now  occupied  by  the  hospital,  except  for  the 
Spruce  Street  front,  was  agreed  upon  by  the  board  on  September 
11,  1754,  and  on  May  28  of  the  year  following,  the  cornerstone  of  the 
first  building  was  laid.  Before  the  end  of  December  1756,  all  patients 

418 


William  Penn  Statue,  Pennsylvania  Hospital 
"Where  Quaker  Quiet  Still  Prevails" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

and  furniture  from  the  temporary  hospital  on  High  Street  had  heen 
removed  to  the  permanent  building.  The  lot  facing  on  Spruce  Street 
was  deeded  to  the  hospital  by  the  Penn  family  on  November  10,  1767. 

Within  the  brick-walled  and  iron-paled  enclosure,  extending  from 
Eighth  to  Ninth  and  from  Spruce  to  Pine  Streets,  an  odd  atmosphere 
prevails  ;  it  carries  the  imagination  back  to  the  time  when  gentle  com- 
forters, many  with  faces  framed  in  Quaker  bonnets,  tiptoed  along  the 
spacious  corridors  of  the  original  brick  buildings,  which  still  are 
intact. 

From  the  beginning  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  took  care  of  the 
insane,  who  were  housed  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  east  wing.  In  those 
days  there  was  no  enclosure  about  the  hospital,  and  passers-by  made 
a  practice  of  congregating  at  the  windows  and  teasing  the  unfor- 
tunates. In  addition,  crowds  milled  through  the  hospital  corridors, 
ogling  the  patients  and  interfering  with  the  duties  of  the  staff.  This 
condition  was  eventually  alleviated  when  a  high  fence  was  erected 
around  the  hospital  grounds,  and  an  admission  fee  of  four  pence  was 
charged.  In  1791,  however,  the  managers  resolved  to  refuse  admit- 
tance to  all  persons  except  those  vouched  for  by  themselves,  the  medi- 
cal staff,  or  the  steward. 

With  the  growth  and  expansion  of  the  hospital's  activities,  the 
proper  care  and  handling  of  mental  cases  became  a  problem.  Conse- 
quently, a  farm  was  purchased  west  of  the  city  (at  what  now  is  Forty- 
fourth  and  Market  Streets  in  West  Philadelphia)  and  a  special  de- 
partment, known,  as  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital.  Department  for 
Mental  and  Nervous  Diseases,  was  created.  In  1841  the  buildings  were 
completed,  and  mental  patients  were  transferred  there.  This  insti- 
tution since  has  become  generally  known  as  "Kirkbride's,"  in  tribute 
to  Dr.  Thomas  S.  Kirkbride,  chief  resident  physician  through  its 
first  43  years,  and  one  of  the  early  specialists  whose  ideas  in  the  hand- 
ling of  the  mentally  deficient  form  the  basis  of  modern  treatment. 

Many  features  perpetuate  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital's  fame  as  an 
historic  shrine.  In  front  of  the  Pine  Street  facade  are  the  great  iron 
scrollwork  gates,  creation  of  some  nameless  early  master  crafts- 
man, that  once  guarded  the  main  entrance  and  exit  at  either  terminus 
of  a  horseshoe  drive.  In  1824  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  seated  in  an  open 
barouche  drawn  by  six  dappled  horses,  drove  through  this  gateway 
on  a  visit  to  the  hospital.  The  gates  then  remained  closed  for  more 
than  a  century,  and  a  story  was  invented  that  their  closing  was  a 
tribute  to  the  visiting  nobleman.  Actually,  the  gates  were  closed 
because  the  main  entrance  had  been  moved  to  the  Eighth  Street  side. 

Behind  the  Pine  Street  gates  stands  a  statue  of  William  Penn  that 
once  graced  the  estate  of  Lord  LeDespencer,  friend  of  Franklin,  at 
High  Wycombe,  England.  It  was  discovered  and  purchased  by  John 
Penn  in  a  London  junk  shop  in  1804. 

420 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

Revered  not  only  as  the  work  of  a  renowned  Colonial  artist,  but 
also  for  its  profound  message  of  inspiration  for  the  healer  and  hope 
for  the  ailing,  Benjamin  West's  painting,  Christ  Healing  the  Sick  in 
the  Temple,  commands  attention.  It  hangs  in  the  main  office.  Fellow 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  had  appealed  to  the  Quaker  artist 
for  a  contribution  for  the  hospital.  Being  then  of  meager  financial 
means,  West  offered  to  paint  a  picture  for  the  institution.  When  the 
picture  was  exhibited  in  London,  the  British  Institute  of  Philosophy 
offered  the  artist  3,000  guineas  for  it.  He  accepted  with  the  stipula- 
tion that  he  be  permitted  to  make  a  replica  for  the  hospital.  Pro- 
ceeds from  an  exhibition  of  the  second  painting  in  Philadelphia 
were  sufficient  to  finance  the  care  of  33  patients. 

A  plaster  model  of  the  hand  of  Benjamin  West  holding  a  brush  is 
on  display  in  the  lobby  of  the  hospital. 

Meteorological  records  preserved  in  the  archives  report  the  daily 
temperature  and  weather  conditions  of  the  city  for  a  century  and  a 
half.  Students  of  meteorology  consider  these  records  of  great  value, 
and  the  Federal  Weather  Bureau  has  made  a  transcript  for  its  files. 
The  hospital  library  contains  the  oldest  collection  of  medical  books 
in  the  country. 

No  architect  was  employed  in  the  construction  of  the  hospital.  The 
planning  was  carried  on  by  the  building  committee  of  the  Board  of 
Managers,  of  which  Samuel  Rhoads,  a  builder,  later  to  become  mayor 
of  Philadelphia,  was  chairman.  The  plans  called  for  a  main  structure 
fronting  on  Pine  Street  and  connecting  with  wings  on  the  east  and 
west. 

The  old  main  building  is  a  large,  handsome  structure,  with  two-and- 
a-half -story  wings.  White,  wooden,  octagonal  cupolas,  with  delicate 
circular-headed  windows,  surmount  the  wings.  The  dome  of  the  east- 
ern cupola  is  bell-shaped.  Recent  additions  which  were  applied  in 
1929  to  the  fronts  of  the  wings  are  unfortunate,  their  design  detract- 
ing from  the  harmony  of  the  whole. 

A  balustraded  stoop  leads  up  to  the  doorway  with  its  handsome 
semi-circular  fan  and  side  lights.  On  each  side  of  this  doorway  are 
two  large  arched  windows.  Above  are  six  marble  Corinthian  pilasters, 
two  stories  high,  supporting  a  beautifully  detailed  entablature  at  the 
eaves,  from  which  springs  a  pediment  containing  an  unusual  oval- 
shaped  window  with  a  horizontal  panel  in  its  center.  The  rich  red 
coloration  of  the  second  and  third-story  brick  panels,  separated  by 
blue-gray  marble  pilasters,  forms  a  gay  color  pattern,  perhaps  the 
most  striking  feature  of  the  building. 

Surmounting  the  hip  roof  is  an  unusual  square-paneled  white  su- 
perstructure of  wood,  above  which  is  a  low  belvedere  platform,  orig- 
inally intended  to  be  topped  by  a  dome.  Owing  to  difficulties  of  de- 
sign, however,  the  dome  was  omitted.  The  absence  of  the  central 

421 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

dome  is  thought  by  some  to  give  the  building  an  unfinished  appear- 
ance, which,  at  the  same  time,  strengthens  the  building's  personality. 

The  interior  has  much  fine  wood  finish.  Fluted  Ionic  columns  sup- 
port a  mutulary  Doric  entablature  of  the  high,  broad  hall.  This  leads 
back  to  a  double  open  staircase  with  well-designed  bracket  stringers 
and  heavy  newels  and  balusters.  The  staircases  lead  to  the  library  on 
the  second  floor  and  to  the  circular  amphitheatre  on  the  third  floor. 
Under  the  blue  dome  of  the  amphitheatre  are  three  circular  tiers  of 
seats  for  those  watching  operations. 

A  fanlight  over  one  of  the  windows  in  the  record  room  contains 
a  ground  glass  reproduction  of  the  seal  of  the  hospital,  and  it  is  be- 
lieved the  other  windows  once  had  similar  fans  which  were  somehow 
destroyed.  The  record  room  originally  was  the  apothecary  shop. 

The  east  wing  was  the  first  part  of  the  hospital  erected.  A  small 
"elaboratory,"  or  north. house,  was  completed  in  1768,  the  west  wing 
in  1796,  and  the  central  building  in  1805.  Some  of  the  original  build- 
ings still  bear  insignia  of  the  old  insurance  companies. 

The  newer  buildings  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  particularly 
those  along  Spruce  Street,  are  out  of  harmony  with  the  older  struc- 
tures and  mar  tne  simplicity  of  the  original  plan.  The  Eighth  Street 
side  of  the  nurses'  home  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Eighth  and  Spruce 
Streets  boasts  two  very  fine  fanlights  above  the  doorways. 

Retrace  on  Spruce  St.  to  8th  ;  R.  on  8th ;  R.  on  Pine  ;  R.  on  9th. 

CLINTON  STREET  (44),  running  from  Ninth  to  Eleventh  Streets 
and  lined  with  time-hallowed  residences,  is  much  the  same  as  it  was 
a  hundred  years  ago.  It  has  resisted  modernization  and  retained  the 
flavor  of  the  period  when  prancing  bays  drew  the  carriages  of  sweet- 
faced  Quaker  ladies  on  their  rounds  of  calls. 

When  the  street  was  opened,  wealthy  families  moved  there  to  es- 
cape the  din  of  traffic-laden  Market  and  Chestnut  Streets  in  the  "cen- 
ter" of  the  city.  They  were  highly  successful  in  their  effort  to  main- 
tain the  street  as  an  exclusive  residential  section,  for  property  was 
sold  under  penalizing  restrictions.  Included  in  all  property  transfers 
was  a  paragraph  permitting  demolition  of  any  structure  that  fell 
short  of  prescribed  standards. 

Most  of  the  houses  now  standing  were  built  shortly  after  the  street 
was  opened  in  1836.  Although  the  Federal  style  in  architecture  was 
then  on  the  decline,  the  dignity  and  charm  of  these  houses,  with  their 
carefully  designed  doorways  and  the  contrast  of  white  trim  against 
red  brick,  enhanced  by  overhanging  shade  trees,  made  this  one  of  the 
most  charming  streets  in  the  city.  Seen  through  the  denuded  trees  in 
winter,  the  cupola  of  Pennsylvania  Hospital  forms  a  striking  focal 
point  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  street.  The  thoroughfare  once  was 
owned  by  the  hospital  and  the  Philadelphia  Almshouse,  the  latter 
then  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Clinton  and  Eleventh  Streets. 

422 


Camac  Street 
"Le  Quartier  Latin  of  Philadelphia' 


' 


Clinton'  Street 
"The  Street  Where  Time  Stood  Still" 


X,, 


mm 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

After  the  street  was  opened  Philadelphia  social  life  was  centered 
largely  in  these  two  blocks.  Evenings,  by  the  light  of  sparkling  crys- 
tal chandeliers,  furbelowed  maids  and  their  beaus  changed  partners 
with  their  elders  in  the  figures  of  the  quadrille. 

On  the  whole,  wealthy  residents  kept  the  street  dignified  and  re- 
spectable ;  yet  "ye  towne  crier"  stalked  its  pavements  on  his  rounds, 
and  the  shrilling  strawberry  women,  the  raucous-voiced  fish  peddler, 
the  sing-songing  hominy  man,  and  the  soot-covered  chimney  sweep 
followed  close  on  his  heels.  Since  it  was  in  the  "suburbs,"  skirted  by 
open  fields,  there  were  times  when  runaway  hogs  invaded  the  street. 
Then  neighborhood  youngsters  ruffled  the  dignified  silence  with  glee- 
ful shouts  as  they  cornered  the  squealing  porkers  and  rode  them 
"bareback." 

The  Clinton  Street  boarding  home  for  young  women,  now  known 
as  Coles  House,  was  opened  in  1872,  at  913-915,  by  the  Young  Wo- 
men's Boarding  Home  Association  members  of  the  Protestant  Episco- 
pal church,  to  provide  living  quarters  for  young  Protestant  business 
women  and  students.  At  the  northeast  corner  of  Tenth  and  Clinton 
Streets,  the  site  now  occupied  by  a  hotel,  stood,  in  1868,  the  Clinton 
Street  Presbyterian  Church. 

On  May  22,  1936,  residents  revived  the  old-time  brilliance  of  Clin- 
ton Street  with  a  pageant  called  the  "Windows  of  Old  Philadelphia." 
The  street  was  roped  off  at  both  ends,  and  costumed  society  and  club 
folk  impersonated  Charles  Dickens,  Jenny  Lind,  P.  T.  Barnum,  the 
Cushman  sisters,  and  other  notables  who  figured  at  one  time  or  an- 
other in  the  street's  history.  Sketches  reminiscent  of  the  early  days, 
including  scenes  from  Pickwick  Papers,  were  presented  in  an  outdoor 
theatre  in  the  rear  of  the  United  Service  Club,  901  Clinton  Street. 
First  floors  of  vacant  houses  were  outfitted  with  furnishings  typical 
of  the  early  nineteenth  century,  and  costumed  celebrants  portrayed 
the  activities  of  those  days. 

Among  the  distinguished  residents  of  present-day  Clinton  Street 
is  Agnes  Repplier,  Philadelphia  essayist. 

L.  from  Clinton  St.  on  llth  ;  R.  on  Pine  ;  R.  on  Camac. 
CAMAC  STREET  (45),  a  narrow  thoroughfare  between  Twelfth 
and  Thirteenth  Streets,  running  from  Pine  to  Walnut,  is  the  concen- 
tration point  for  the  Bohemian  life  in  the  city,  and  its  sides  are 
sprinkled  with  art  clubs,  luncheon  clubs,  studios,  and  garishly  de- 
signed taprooms. 

The  street  is  more  of  contemporary  than  historic  interest.  Home  of 
one  of  the  oldest  art  colonies  in  America,  it  has  survived  three  vio- 
lently contrasting  eras  in  a  century  and  a  half.  Originally  a  seat  of 
staid  respectability,  it  drifted  into  a  chaotic  depravity  —  four  blocks 
of  degeneracy,  gangsterism,  and  crime.  Then  came  art.  Today  the 
street's  pungent  atmosphere  seems  thinning  into  the  commonplace. 

424 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

Camac  Street  was  named  after  Turner  Camac,  wealthy  Irish  land- 
owner who  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1804  to  take  over  the  management 
of  properties  inherited  by  his  wife.  Long  ago  it  was  a  typical  old 
Philadelphia  thoroughfare.  Though  narrow,  it  was  neat  and  clean, 
lined  with  fine,  small  early-American  houses  with  picturesque  third- 
story  windows,  attractive  doorways,  and  well-kept  little  gardens  in 
the  rear. 

The  street  kept  its  respectability  until  about  1880.  Then  came  a 
period  of  decline,  and  it  degenerated  into  one  of  the  meanest  and 
most  disreputable  streets  in  the  city.  Until  1900  it  was  the  scene  of 
brawls  by  day  and  crimes  by  night,  requiring  at  times  an  entire  squad 
of  the  city's  police  to  maintain  order.  For  20  years  the  street,  lined 
with  brothels  and  taverns,  rotted  in  a  mire  of  debauchery.  Unkempt 
derelicts  of  every  sort  frequented  its  dark  corners  and  hideaways. 

The  turn  of  the  twentieth  century  brought  the  next  marked  change 
in  Camac  Street.  The  city  fathers  officially  took  a  hand  in  transform- 
ing it,  and  the  Poor  Richard  Club,  interested  in  restoring  the  flavor 
of  old-time  Philadelphia,  began  a  campaign  of  resuscitation.  Various 
clubs  of  the  arts  and  crafts  moved  into  the  old  houses.  Studios  and 
galleries  took  the  place  of  dens  and  gaming  houses,  and  painters  and 
builders  were  put  to  work  at  restoration.  Doorways  were  retouched 
to  bring  out  their  onetime  beauty,  shutters  were  painted  a  bright 
cobalt  blue,  and  windows  were  brightened  with  flower  boxes.  The 
darkness  of  Hell's  Highway  was  efficiently  buried,  and  it  was  once 
again  safe  to  walk  through  the  street  after  dark. 

At  255  South  Camac  Street  is  the  house  in  which  Mrs.  John  Drew 
lived  in  the  1850's  when  she  was  playing  stock  in  the  city  theatres. 

Only  artists  and  writers  are  accepted  as  members  of  Le  Coin  d'Or, 
251  South  Camac  Street.  This  club  aims  to  preserve  the  atmosphere  of 
the  Latin  Quarter  and  of  the  cafes  of  the  French  capital. 

At  239  South  Camac  Street  is  the  Yachtsmen's  Club,  founded  for 
the  various  clubs  of  Barnegat  Bay.  Over  the  entrance  are  displayed 
the  club's  flag  and  colors.  In  the  trophy  room  is  the  famed  James 
Gordon  Bennett  Bermuda  Challenge  Cup,  won  by  Commodore  Charles 
Lagens  in  the  races  of  1908,  1909,  1910,  1912,  1913.  The  Poor  Richard 
Club  once  had  its  headquarters  in  this  building. 

The  Sketch  Club,  oldest  art  club  in  the  United  States,  is  at  233-35- 
37.  This  club  played  a  major  part  in  the  rejuvenation  of  the  street, 
for  when  it  moved  its  headquarters  there  in  1902,  other  art  and  busi- 
ness groups  followed.  Outgrowth  of  the  proposal  of  George  F.  Bensell, 
illustrator  for  a  society  of  artists,  the  club  held  its  first  meeting  at 
the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts  in  1860.  A  charter  was  secured  in  1889, 
and  for  a  few  years  the  group  met  in  a  building  on  the  present  site  of 
Broad  Street  Station.  The  Sketch  Club  gained  prominence  during  the 
World  War  by  selling  $3,700,000  worth  of  Liberty  Bonds.  Many  noted 

425 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

American  artists  of  the  last  50  years  have  been  members,  among  them 
Joseph  Pennell,  Thomas  Anshutz,  Nicola  D'Ascenzo,  R.  Blossom 
Farley,  Nathaniel  Little,  Weyman  Adams,  and  Richard  Bishop.  The 
club  has  a  magnificent  library  of  art  works,  including  many  cartoons. 
A  rathskeller,  richly  furnished  with  hand-carved  chairs,  and  chess  and 
billiard  rooms  are  maintained  for  the  relaxation  of  the  members.  The 
public  may  view  the  art  works  only  during  the  club's  free  exhibitions, 
held  at  various  times  during  the  year. 

Across  the  street,  at  213,  is  the  Princeton  Club,  a  social  organ- 
ization of  Princeton  University  alumni. 

The  private  dwelling  at  206  South  Camac  Street  presents  a  curious 
spectacle.  Its  front  and  side  walls,  bordering  on  a  narrow  alley,  are 
plastered  with  a  hodge-podge  of  early  documents,  including  a  fac- 
simile of  a  letter  in  Penn's  handwriting,  a  number  of  pages  from  old 
newspapers,  a  print  portraying  the  opening  of  the  Centennial  Exhi- 
bition, old  theatre  programs,  and  old  German  inscriptions.  High  on 
a  wall  of  the  building  is  an  old  fire  plaque,  reminder  of  the  days  when 
fire  protection  was  in  the  hands  of  private  companies. 

Men  well  known  in  literary  fields  have  been  members  of  the  Frank- 
lin Inn  Club,  205  South  Camac  Street.  George  Gibbs,  novelist  ;  Owen 
Wister,  author  of  The  Virginian  ;  R.  Tail  McKenzie,  sculptor  ;  S. 
Weir  Mitchell,  author  of  Hugh  Wynne  ;  Horace  Howard  Furness  ; 
and  Samuel  Scoville,  Jr. — all  are  or  have  been  members  of  this  group. 
The  clubhouse  is  a  reproduction  of  a  Colonial  building,  rebuilt  and 
refurnished  in  the  Georgian  style  of  that  era.  The  low  steps  leading 
to  the  door  are  flanked  by  iron  rails,  severe  but  with  a  simplicity  ap- 
propriate to  Colonial  architecture. 

At  the  north  end  of  the  street,  just  below  Walnut,  is  the  home  of 
the  Meridian  Club,  a  luncheon  group  of  professional  and  business 
men. 

Four  or  five  little  eating  houses  dot  the  street  on  both  sides,  each 
with  characteristic  novelties.  One  is  decorated  to  resemble  a  pirates' 
den,  another  presents  marionette  shows  for  its  guests.  All  afford  the 
layman  a  glimpse  of  bohemianism  of  the  Greenwich  Village  type,  a 
bit  artificial,  but  colorful,  nevertheless. 

The  south  end  of  the  street  more  closely  resembles  a  typical  Phila- 
delphia thoroughfare. 

R.  from  Camac  St.  on  Walnut. 

The  ARTISTS  UNION  (46),  1212  Walnut  Street,  is  the  baby 
among  Philadelphia's  art  organizations.  The  school  maintained  by 
the  union  offers  evening  classes  in  painting,  sculpture,  life  drawing, 
commercial  design,  and  art  appreciation.  Its  experimental  galleries 
exhibit  some  of  the  most  forthright  painting  and  sculpture  currently 
produced  in  Philadelphia. 

Retrace  on  Walnut  St.  ;  L.  on  13th, 

426 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (Cmr  TOUR  2) 

At  Locust  Street  is  the  HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  HISTORICAL 
SOCIETY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA  (47) .  (Open  daily  9  to  5  except  Sun. 
and  holidays  ;  July  and  August  open  9  to  4  Mon.  to  Fri.  ;  adm.  free). 

Salvaged  from  the  musty  hideaways  and  obscure  pigeonholes  of 
historical  oblivion,  collections  of  thousands  of  time-yellowed  docu- 
ments, archives,  books,  and  newspapers  —  the  chronicles  of  Penn- 
sylvania's illustrious  past  —  are  carefully  preserved  in  the  building. 

This  red  brick  structure  with  marble  trim,  is  an  adaptation  of  the 
traditional  Philadelphia  Colonial  style.  Six  huge  Ionic  columns  with 
heavy  entablature  and  balustrade  form  the  portico,  on  either  side 
of  which  is  a  Palladian  window. 

A  group  of  citizens  formed  the  society  in  1824,  and  chose  for  its 
first  home  the  residence  of  Thomas  I.  Wharton,  130  South  Sixth  Street. 
The  organization  later  moved  to  the  Athenaeum  Building,  219  South 
Sixth  Street.  In  1882  the  society  purchased  a  plot  of  ground  at  Thir- 
teenth and  Locust  Streets,  but  it  was  not  until  1910  that  the  present 
home,  designed  by  Addison  Hutton,  was  opened.  The  structure  is  four 
stories  high  and  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $230,000,  of  which  $150,000  was 
appropriated  by  the  Commonwealth. 

Here  the  dramatic  story  of  Pennsylvania  is  told  in  200,000  bound 
books,  300,000  pamphlets,  3,000,000  manuscripts,  and  3,500  bound 
volumes  of  newspapers.  Many  important  collections  of  original  manu- 
scripts, kept  intact,  are  invaluable  for  making  historical  surveys. 
Notable  among  these  manuscripts  and  books  are  the  Charlemagne 
Tower  collection  of  Colonial  laws,  the  Cassel  collection  in  German, 
Watson's  Annals  of  Philadelphia,  papers  dealing  with  the  life  of 
Lincoln,  and  numerous  publications  of  Franklin,  William  Bradford, 
Christopher  Sauer,  Robert  Hall,  and  William  Penn.  The  world-famous 
Simon  Gratz  collection  of  historical  manuscripts  also  is  here. 

On  the  museum's  second  floor  is  a  writing  desk  once  used  by  Wil- 
liam Penn.  In  the  Gilpin  Library,  which  contains  imprints,  some  of 
the  rarest  items  of  Americana  in  the  country  are  housed.  Other  in- 
teresting curios  are:  an  old  clock  once  owned  by  David  Rittenhouse, 
early  Philadelphia  clockmaker,  statesman,  and  astronomer;  the  tele- 
scope carried  by  John  Paul  Jones  at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  the 
Serapis;  Washington's  tea  caddy,  silver  watch,  camp  knife,  and  fork; 
Penn's  shaving  bowl  and  razor;  James  Logan's  silver  watch;  George 
Fox's  burning  glass;  the  wampum  belt  presented  to  Penn  by  the 
Indians;  some  of  the  Washington  and  Lincoln  furniture  ;  and  a  fine 
collection  of  early  maps  of  Philadelphia  and  Pennsylvania,  includ- 
ing the  original  Holme's  map  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  walls  of  the  building  are  hung  with  an  exceptionally  fine 
collection  of  oil  paintings.  Included  are  Charles  Willson  Peale's 
portrait  of  Franklin,  one  of  Gilbert  Stuart's  paintings  of  George 
Washington,  and  Rembrandt  Peale's  portrait  of  Washington.  There 

427 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

is  also  the  Kennedy  collection  of  more  than  600  water  colors  of 
Philadelphia  buildings  no  longer  in  existence. 

The  structure  sheltering  these  treasures  is  built  of  red  brick  with 
marble  trim  and  is  an  adaptation  of  the  traditional  Philadelphia 
Georgian  Colonial  style.  Six  huge  Ionic  columns  with  heavy  entabla- 
ture and  balustrade  form  the  portico.  Palladian  windows  are  on  both 
sides.  Reading  rooms  having  tinted  wall  surfaces  with  white  classic 
trim  are  on  the  first  floor. 

R.  from  13th  St.  on  Locust. 

On  the  right,  at  Juniper  Street,  is  the  HOME  OF  LIBRARY  COM- 
PANY OF  PHILADELPHIA  (48),  oldest  circulating  library  in 
America.  Founded  in  1731  by  the  Junto  Club,  of  which  Benjamin 
Franklin  was  one  of  the  moving  spirits,  the  company  has  had  a  con- 
tinuous existence.  Today  its  library,  the  result  of  years  of  collection, 
contains  a  wealth  of  valuable  and  historic  books.  One  of  its  volumes, 
printed  in  Cologne  in  1532,  contains  an  account  of  Cortez's  conquest 
of  Mexico  and  of  the  Aztecs  whom  he  vanquished.  Sir  Humphrey 
Gilbert's  rare  Discoveries  of  a  Passage  to  Cataia,  the  oldest  book  pub- 
lished in  English  about  America,  is  also  in  the  library's  collection. 
A  clock  once  belonging  to  William  Penn,  the  writing  table  of  James 
Logan,  Benjamin  Franklin's  electric  wheel,  and  the  desk  at  which 
John  Dickinson  wrote  his  famous  Farmer's  Letters  also  are  on  dis- 
play. 

The  site  for  the  library  was  purchased  in  1880  for  $60,000,  and 
work  began  immediately  under  the  direction  of  its  architect,  Frank 
Furness.  The  building  is  a  two-story  red  brick  structure  with  a  brown 
stone  base.  Its  design  is  Victorian  Gothic.  The  double  curved  flight 
of  steps  with  wrought-iron  balustrade  was  taken  from  the  old  build- 
ing. Above  the  main  entrance  there  is  a  niche  with  a  statue  of  Benja- 
min Franklin. 

R.  from  Locust  St.  on  Juniper  ;  R.  on  Walnut. 

At  1318-1322  are  the  ROSENBACH  GALLERIES  (49)  (open  9:30 
to  5  weekdays  ;  closed  every  Sat.  and  Sun.  during  July  and  Aug. ;  adm. 
free),  a  treasure  house  of  art  objects  collected  over  a  period  of  100 
years  by  the  Rosenbach  family.  The  galleries  were  opened  in  1897  by 
Philip  H.  Rosenbach  who  was  later  joined  by  his  brother,  Dr.  A.  S. 
W.  Rosenbach,  noted  bibliophile  and  authority  on  art. 

Excellent  arrangements  of  rare  and  antique  period  furniture,  in 
authentic  settings  complete  with  tapestries  and  rugs,  china,  pewter, 
glassware,  and  silver,  make  these  galleries  a  mecca  for  art  enthusiasts. 
Paintings,  prints,  and  a  large  collection  of  books,  many  printed  before 
Columbus  sailed  on  his  historic  voyage  ;  original  manuscripts 
including  that  of  Dickens'  Pickwick  Papers,  and  three  Shakespeare 
First  Folios  indicate  the  richness  of  a  collection  to  delight  bibliophiles. 

The  Meigs  House,  at  1322,  a  division  of  the  galleries,  contains  13 

428 


To  SOCIETY  HILL  (CITY  TOUR  2) 

paneled  rooms.  The  Georgian  dining  room,  with  eighteenth  century 
pine  paneling,  displays  a  fine  crystal  chandelier,  a  complete  dinner 
service  of  old  china,  an  Abner  Reeder  collection  of  sterling  silver 
(1797),  and  an  antique  Sheffield  plate  tray  (1820).  A  walnut  and 
mahogany  Chippendale  card  table  with  ball  and  claw  feet  is  covered 
with  fine  needlepoint,  woven  into  an  old  gaming  design. 

A  room  with  pine  paneling  from  the  old  Red  House,  Topsham, 
Maine  (built  before  1770),  is  furnished  entirely  in  maple.  One  of  its 
exhibits  is  the  earliest  known  working  model  of  a  locomotive  (de- 
signed by  Matthew  Murray  of  Holbeck,  Leeds,  England,  in  1812). 
The  English  room,  with  its  eighteenth  century  Spode  dinner  service 
and  complete  Coalport  service,  shows  Chinese  influence. 

Old  pewter,  a  set  of  Bennington  ware  bowls,  and  a  Hitchcock  settee 
of  1810,  decorate  the  Pennsylvania  German  room.  A  choice  array  of 
Venetian  and  Bohemian  glass,  a  pair  of  Renaissance  bronze  candle- 
sticks, and  an  antique  Chippendale  bookcase,  once  owned  by  Edwin 
Keene,  Bishop  of  Ely;  a  Carolinian  chest  of  olive  wood  lined  with 
cedar  (it  stood  in  Windsor  Castle  until  the  death  of  George  IV  in 
1830) ,  a  fine  Savonnerie  rug,  an  old  Chinese  porcelain  bowl,  and  a 
set  of  eight  Hepplewhite  chairs  with  an  uncommon  plume  design  are 
in  other  rooms. 

A  room  from  Hanover  Square,  London,  contains  a  pair  of  eigh- 
teenth cetury  mirrors  from  the  collection  of  the  Duchess  of  Rutland. 
Another  pine  paneled  room  (valued  at  $9,500)  came  from  the  Dower 
House  of  the  Duchess  of  Northumberland,  Darlington,  England. 

Another  room  has  Gothic  carved-oak  paneling,  in  the  linen-fold 
style  of  the  fifteenth  century.  A  small  engraving  by  Paul  Revere, 
representing  the  Boston  Massacre  and  valued  at  $3,650,  is  hung  in  a 
room  whose  paneling  was  taken  from  one  of  the  oldest  dwellings  in 
Philadelphia. 

The  rail  of  the  mahogany  stairway  in  the  Meigs  House  is  beautifully 
carved  and  the  wall  is  closely  hung  with  old  English  sporting  prints. 

Retrace  on  Walnut  St.;  R.  on  Broad  to  City  Hall. 


429 


To  The  SchuylkilFs  Bank 

1 — i 1 — i 1 1 1/~ ' " — 


1.  Broad    Street   Station 

2.  Central-Penn        National 
Bank 

3.  Philadelphia    Stock    Ex- 
change 

4.  Walnut    Street 

5.  First  Baptist   Church 

6.  American  Baptist  Publi- 
cation Society 

7.  Penn  Athletic  Club 

8.  Curtis  Institute  of  Music 

9.  Warwick  Hotel 

10.    Hannah  Penn  House 


11.  St.  Mark's  Church 

12.  Print  Club 

13.  Eastern     Baptist     Theo- 
logical Seminary 

14.  Philadelphia     Art     Alli- 
ance 

15.  Delancey    Street 

16.  Plays   and   Players   The- 
atre 

17.  Philadelphia    School    of 
Occupational  Therapy 

18.  Holy  Trinity  Church 

19.  English  Village 


20.  Baltimore    &    Ohio    Sta- 
tion 

21.  Barracks    of    the    First 
City  Troops 

22.  College      of     Physicians 
and  Surgeons 

23.  Lantern    Lane 

24.  Headquarters       of       the 
State  Fencibles 

25.  D'Ascenzo   Glass   Works 

26.  New  Theatre 

27.  Pennsylvania      Academy 
of  the  Fine  Arts 


To  THE  SCHUYLKILL'S  BANK 

City  Tour  3 

W.  from  City  Hall  on  Market  St. 

AT  Fifteenth  Street,  on  the  right,  is  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road's BROAD  STREET  STATION  (1)  (see  Heart  of  City). 
L.  from  Market  St.  on  15th. 

On  the  northwest  corner  of  Sansom  Street  is  a  branch  office  of  the 
CENTRAL-PENN  NATIONAL  BANK  (2) ,  one  of  the  finest  examples 
of  bank  architecture  in  Philadelphia.  Davis,  Dunlap  &  Barney, 
designers  of  the  building,  won  the  1929  gold  medal  awarded  by  the 
Architectural  League  of  New  York. 

The  exterior  of  the  narrow  three-story  building  is  of  gray  French 
stone.  Set  within  the  impressive  facade  are  two  fluted  columns  with 
modified  composite  capitals  which  support  an  entablature,  in  the. 
frieze  of  which  is  a  handsome  sculptured  panel.  Sculptured  stone 
medallions  embellish  the  upper  story,  one  above  each  of  three  win- 
dows. Pilasters  similar  to  the  columns  of  the  facade  support  the 
entablature  on  the  Sansom  Street  side.  On  the  frieze  are  two  sculp- 
tured panels  by  Leo  Friedlander,  symbolic  of  American  Prudence 
and  National  Wisdom. 

A  wide,  arched,  glazed  doorway,  reaching  almost  to  the  ceiling, 
opens  into  the  two-story-high  banking  room.  The  inside  of  the  arch 
and  the  scroll-pedimented  door  at  the  far  end  of  this  room  are 
trimmed  with  green  Tinos  marble,  which  provides  a  striking  contrast 
to  the  wall  color.  French  marble  is  used  for  the  face  of  the  bank- 
ing screen,  and  pink  Tennessee  marble  for  the  floor.  This  imposing 
structure  was  built  for  the  American  Bank  and  Trust  Company,  which 
merged  with  the  present  occupant. 

L.  from  15th  St.  on  Walnut. 

The  PHILADELPHIA  STOCK  EXCHANGE  (3)  is  at  1411  Wal- 
nut Street  (open  10  to  3  Sat.  10-12  ;  adm.  to  visitors9  gallery  by  per- 
mission of  secretary  on  second  floor).  The  building  on  the  present 
site  was  erected  in  1912. 

Retrace  on  Walnut  St. 

The  building  known  only  as  1616  WALNUT  STREET  (4),  a  24- 
story  structure  of  cream-colored  brick,  completed  in  1930,  won 
its  designers,  Tilden,  Register  &  Pepper,  a  diploma  from  the 
Twelfth  International  Buildings  Congress  held  at  Budapest  in 
September  1930.  The  lobby  is  distinguished  for  the  dextrous  use  of 
bronze  and  aluminum  and  the  concealed  lights  in  the  grill,  visible 
only  on  the  inside. 

R.  from  Walnut  on  17th. 

The  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH  (6) ,  erected  in  1899,  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  Seventeenth  and  Sansom  Streets,  is  the  direct  successor 

431 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

of  an  earlier  Baptist  church  erected  at  Second  and  Chestnut  Streets  in 
1698.  Its  historical  room,  rich  in  mementos  of  early  Philadelphia, 
may  be  visited  by  special  arrangement. 

The  design  of  the  brownstone  structure  is  based  upon  Byzantine 
and  Romanesque  traditions.  The  entrance  motif  consists  of  three 
elaborately  carved  arches.  The  auditorium  is  in  the  form  of  a  Greek 
cross,  the  arms  being  arched  by  barrel  vaults  from  the  crown  of 
which  springs  a  circular  dome.  Byzantine  stained  glass  fills  the  12 
panels  of  the  dome.  Along  three  sides  range  stained  glass  windows. 
Edgar  V.  Seeler  was  the  architect. 

L.  from  17th  St.  on  Chestnut. 

At  1703  Chestnut  Street  is  the  HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE 
AMERICAN  BAPTIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  (6),  which  was 
organized  on  February  25,  1824.  The  printing  plant,  which  is  situated 
at  Juniper  and  Lombard  Streets,  was  built  in  1896.  It  distributes  more 
religious  literature  than  any  other  publishing  house  of  that  denomi- 
nation. 

L.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  18th. 

At  Eighteenth  and  Walnut  Streets  is  the  first  view  of  RITTEN- 
HOUSE  SQUARE,  with  its  inviting  pool  and  flower  beds.  The  shrub- 
bery here  forms  an  attractive  background  for  the  Art  Alliance's  an- 
nual outdoor  exhibition  of  sculpture,  and  for  the  Flower  Mart  over 
which  socially  prominent  patronesses  preside  each  year.  Since  1928 
the  Clothes  Line  Art  Exhibit  has  been  held  here  each  spring.  Some  of 
the  city's  most  famous  clubs,  hotels,  churches,  and  apartment  build- 
ings border  the  square. 

Facing  Rittenhouse  Square  is  the  handsome  BUILDING  OF  THE 
PENN  ATHLETIC  CLUB  (7)  at  225  South  Eighteenth  Street. 
Founded  in  1923,  the  club  has  become  one  of  the  city's  foremost 
recreational  centers,  offering  its  members  resident  quarters  and  a 
widely  varied  program  of  social  activities. 

L.  from  18th  St.  on  Locust. 

At  1726  Locust  Street,  on  the  right,  is  the  CURTIS  INSTITUTE 
OF  MUSIC  (8). 

"To  hand  down  through  contemporary  masters  the  great  traditions 
of  the  past  —  to  teach  students  to  build  on  this  heritage  for  the 
future."  This  is  the  expressed  purpose  of  the  Curtis  Institute  of  Music. 

How  well  the  Institute  has  succeeded  in  fulfilling  its  aim  is  revealed 
in  the  names  of  former  students  who  have  won  places  in  fine  sym- 
phony orchestras  and  opera  companies  throughout  the  Nation,  or  as 
soloists  in  concerts  and  recitals. 

The  Institute  was  established  in  1924  by  Mary  Louise  Curtis  Bok, 
widow  of  Edward  W.  Bok,  journalist,  and  daughter  of  the  late  Cyrus 
H.  K.  Curtis,  publisher  and  philanthropist,  in  whose  honor  it  was 
named.  Today  it  ranks  among  the  finest  schools  of  music  in  the 

432 


To  THE  SCHUYLKILL'S  BANK  (CITY  TOUR  3) 

world.  Affording,  as  it  does,  the  opportunity  of  studying  under  such 
distinguished  musical  masters  as  Josef  Hofmann,  Elizabeth  Schu- 
mann, Emilio  de  Gogorza,  Efrem  Zimbalist,  Lea  Luboshutz,  Louis 
Bailly,  Felix  Salmond,  Carlos  Salzedo,  Fritz  Reiner,  and  Ernst  Lert, 
and  the  well-known  music  critic,  Samuel  Chotzinoff,  a  scholarship  to 
Curtis  is  the  golden  dream  of  countless  youthful  musicians.  The  famed 
pianist  Josef  Hofmann,  Mus.D.,  is  the  Director. 

But  the  realization  of  this  dream  is  not  easy.  Applicants  are  given 
auditions,  and  only  those  exhibiting  an  inherent  musical  gift  which 
"shows  promise  of  development  to  a  point  of  professional  ability" 
are  accepted.  The  way  is  open  to  anyone,  for  no  tuition  fees  are 
charged,  and  the  Institute  often  pays  the  living  expenses  of  students 
from  outside  of  Philadelphia. 

To  those  fortunate  enough  to  pass  the  entrance  examination  comes 
the  thrill  of  playing  upon  instruments  of  the  Institute's  collection — 
actually  using  them  for  practice,  students'  recitals,  and  public  appear- 
ances. 

Every  branch  of  musical  study  is  included  in  the  curriculum.  Be- 
sides individual  instruction  in  one  or  more  instruments  or  in  vocal 
training,  classes  are  held  in  ensemble  work,  theory,  harmony,  com- 
position, conducting,  and  allied  subjects.  Students  also  participate 
in  numerous  nation-wide  radio  programs  each  season,  and  in  public 
concerts  scheduled  by  the  Institute. 

After  students  are  graduated,  the  Institute  guides  their  early  efforts 
and  permits  them  the  continued  use  of  its  instruments  and  its  exten- 
sive library,  which  was  greatly  augmented  in  October  1936  by  the 
acquisition  of  the  Charles  H.  Jarvis  collection  of  1,700  volumes  of 
musical  scores. 

Many  of  the  Institute's  graduates  have  attained  first  rank  in  the 
musical  world.  Among  Curtis  Institute  graduates  are  Samuel 
Barber,  composer,  who  won  the  Pulitzer  musical  awards  for  1935 
and  1936  and  was  acclaimed  enthusiastically  in  Rome  as  Music  Fellow 
in  the  American  Academy  for  the  same  years;  Gian  Carlo  Menotti, 
composer  of  the  successful  one-act  opera  Amelia  al  Ballo;  Helen  Jep- 
son,  operatic  soprano;  Rose  Bampton,  internationally  known  mezzo- 
soprano  ;  Charlotte  Symons,  soprano  with  Metropolitan  connections  ; 
Irra  Petina,  mezzo-soprano  ;  Natalia  Bodanya,  Metropolitan  soprano  ; 
Shura  Cherkassky,  world-renowned  pianist  ;  Henri  Temianka, 
violinist  ;  Alexander  McCurdy,  organist  and  choirmaster  of  the  Sec- 
ond Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia,  and  Instructor  of  Organ  at 
Curtis  Institute  ;  and  the  Curtis  String  Quartet,  composed  of  Jascha 
Brodsky  and  Charles  Jaffe,  violinists  ;  Max  Aronoff,  viola  player,  and 
Orlando  Cole,  violoncellist. 

Curtis  Institute  is  housed  in  four  buildings,  three  of  which  are 
former  residences.  The  Indiana  limestone  building  at  the  corner, 

433 


Doorway  of  St.  Mark's 

Church 

'The    Crucifixion,    in    Gold 
and    Vermillion" 

First   City   Troop  Armory 
"Headquarters    of    Philadel- 
phia's   Light    Cavalry 


To  THE  SCHUYLKILL'S  BANK  (CITY  TOUR  3) 

once  the  home  of  George  W.  Childs  Drexel,  is  designed  in  the  manner 
of  the  Italian  Renaissance.  In  the  interior  is  a  fine  hall,  with  wood 
paneling,  high  windows,  and  large  fireplaces,  and  a  library  heavily 
paneled  in  wood,  with  a  painted  ceiling  by  Edwin  H.  Blashfield. 

Casimir  Hall,  designed  by  Horace  Wells  Sellers,  was  built  for  the 
Institute  in  1927.  The  exterior  and  interior  iron  work  is  by  Samuel 
Yellin.  This  small  auditorium,  used  for  solo  and  ensemble  recitals, 
is  simply  paneled  in  wood,  indirectly  lighted,  and  has  an  acoustically 
treated  ceiling.  1720  Locust  Street,  the  former  home  of  Theodore 
Cramp,  forms  another  unit  of  the  Institute.  Inside  is  an  impressive 
marble  staircase  with  iron  railing.  This  building  houses  also  the 
phonograph,  radio,  and  recording  studios,  and  the  Institute's  cafeteria. 

Many  fine  paintings  and  other  works  of  art  are  exhibited  in  the 
buildings.  A  very  fine  piece  of  sculpture  is  the  Bourdelle  head  of 
Beethoven.  In  the  studio  used  by  Dr.  Hofmann  is  a  bas-relief  portrait 
of  Mme.  Marcella  Sembrich,  the  noted  opera  singer,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  faculty  from  the  opening  of  the  Institute  until  her  death. 

On  the  left  at  1715  is  the  WARWICK  HOTEL  (9),  where  the 
Acorn  Club,  a  social  club  for  women  only,  has  its  headquarters.  A 
group  of  10  women  organized  the  club  in  1889. 

The  HANNAH  PENN  HOUSE  (10),  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
Seventeenth  Street,  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Republican  Women  of 
Pennsylvania  and  the  Philadelphia  County  branch  of  the  same  organi- 
zation. It  was  so  named  because  its  sponsors  believed  Hannah  Penn, 
more  than  any  other  woman,  "embodied  the  spirit  and  ideals  of 
the  Republican  woman." 

The  walls  of  the  main  hallway  are  decorated  with  a  series  of  murals 
by  the  well-known  Philadelphia  artist,  Violet  Oakley,  depicting  the 
House  of  Wisdom,  a  story  of  the  rise  of  education  and  knowledge. 

The  building  contains  35  rooms,  including  a  special  ballroom.  The 
assembly  room  and  the  dining  room  are  available  for  private  affairs. 
The  structure,  formerly  the  town  house  of  Charlton  Yarnall,  banker, 
was  acquired  by  the  present  occupants  in  1927. 

Left,  at  1625,  is  ST.  MARK'S  CHURCH  (11),  built  of  brownstone 
in  the  Gothic  style.  It  is  notable  for  an  elaborately  carved  doorway 
and  richly  decorated  interior.  The  cornerstone  was  laid  on  April  25, 
1848,  and  the  church  was  completed  and  consecrated  the  following 
year. 

Retrace  on  Locust  St.;  L.  on  17th  ;  L.  on  Latimer. 

The  PRINT  CLUB  (12),  1614  Latimer  Street,  (open  weekdays 
9:15  to  5,  Sat.  9:15  to  1  ;  adm.  free)  was  the  first  American  club  of 
its  type.  It  was  founded  in  1912  by  a  group  of  collectors  and  lovers 
of  prints  who  met  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Alice  MacFadden  Eyre. 

The  quarters  include  two  large  galleries,  executive  offices  and  an 

435 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

attractive  garden.  Exhibitions,  changed  approximately  every  three 
weeks,  include  the  works  of  members  and  non-members.  Many  print 
clubs  in  other  cities  have  patterned  themselves  after  the  Philadelphia 
organization,  and  receive  its  encouragement  and  advice. 

The  club  has  been  sending  exhibitions  to  schools  and  other  in- 
stitutions in  Philadelphia  and  its  environs  since  1922.  Classes  from 
both  public  and  private  schools  visit  the  club  to  hear  lectures  on  cur- 
rent exhibits.  The  original  membership  of  149  has  grown  to  767. 

Retrace  on  Latimer  St.  into  Rittenhouse  Sq. 

At  1808-18  South  Rittenhouse  Square,  facing  the  park,  is  the 
EASTERN  BAPTIST  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY  (13),  founded 
in  1925.  This  institution  occupies  an  important  place  in  the  religious 
and  educational  life  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  In  its  three  schools, 
the  School  of  Theology,  the  School  of  Christian  Education,  and  the 
School  of  Sacred  Music;  the  seminary  trains  preachers,  missionaries, 
and  also  teachers  who  intend  to  devote  their  lives  to  Christian  serv- 
ice. The  students  number  approximately  200  annually. 

Retrace  on  Rittenhouse  Sq. ;  R.  on  18th  St. 

The  PHILADELPHIA  ART  ALLIANCE  (14),  251  South  Eigh- 
teenth Street  (open  weekdays  10:30  to  9  ;  Sunday  1  to  6  ;  Jwie,  July 
and  Aug.,  10:30  to  6  ;  adm.  free),  one  of  the  city's  finest  art  centers, 
represents  virtually  all  the  arts.  Its  five  galleries,  in  which  exhibitions 
are  given,  have  introduced  to  Philadelphia  a  distinctive  list  of 
paintings,  sculpture,  and  applied  arts,  culled  from  collections  both 
in  this  country  and  abroad.  One  gallery  is  devoted  exclusively  to  ex- 
hibitions of  member  artists.  Special  displays  concentrating  upon  water 
colors,  prints,  oils,  crafts,  photography,  or  sculpture  are  arranged 
periodically.  During  the  summer,  work  done  by  members  of  the  al- 
liance is  on  view.  It  is  estimated  that  40,000  persons  visit  the  galleries 
each  month. 

With  the  formation  of  the  Circulating  Picture  Club,  a  lending 
library  of  original  paintings  by  noteworthy  American  artists,  the  Art 
Alliance  created  a  medium  for  extending  its  cultural  influence.  By 
paying  a  $10  annual  fee,  each  member  of  this  department  (and  the 
membership  includes  not  only  individuals  but  clubs,  hospitals,  schools, 
libraries,  and  universities)  may  select  and  borrow  eight  original 
'paintings  during  the  year.  One  month  is  the  usual  time  limit  for 
which  the  painting  may  be  held,  although  if  unusual  interest  is 
evinced,  the  borrowing  period  may  be  extended. 

The  Art  Alliance  has  ventured  into  fields  other  than  the  graphic 
arts.  Its  sponsorship  of  plays  and  films  of  exceptional  merit  consti- 
tutes a  significant  part  of  the  activities.  Chamber  music  concerts  also 
are  held  under  its  auspices,  and  the  committee  of  the  alliance  presents 
5  o'clock  talks  weekly  by  authoritative  speakers  on  subjects  of  cul- 
tural interest. 

436 


To  THE  SCHUYLKILL'S  BANK  (CITY  TOUR  3) 

A  lending  library  of  books  and  magazines  on  art,  music,  and  the 
drama  is  conducted  for  members,  and  lectures  and  demonstrations  are 
given  to  advance  understanding  of  the  ballet,  and  other  forms  of 
the  dance. 

There  is  a  sales  and  registration  bureau,  a  play-writing  contest  and 
experimental  work  to  encourage  and  develop  actors,  writers,  and 
artists.  There  are  300  small  theatres  in  Philadelphia  with  a  personnel 
of  more  than  50,000.  The  alliance  is  forming  a  Little  Theatre  to  get 
these  together  in  one  common  group,  to  find  out  their  needs,  and  to 
help  develop  and  place  the  talent  of  its  members.  Every  two  years  the 
alliance  holds  an  open  air  exhibit  of  sculpture  in  Rittenhouse  Square. 

Among  the  associations  and  projects  which  the  Art  Alliance  spon- 
sors are  the  Art  League,  the  sculpture  at  the  annual  Philadelphia 
flower  show,  and  the  Intercollegiate  Dramatic  Alliance. 

The  alliance  was  organized  in  1915  under  the  leadership  of  Chris- 
tine Wetherill  Stevenson.  The  present  building  has  been  occupied  by 
the  alliance  since  1925.  It  was  erected  in  1906,  after  designs  by  Frank 
Miles  Day,  as  a  private  residence  for  Samuel  Price  Wetherill.  This 
square  three-story-and  attic  building,  Renaissance  in  character,  is  of 
Indiana  limestone  with  a  hipped  roof.  Except  for  the  arched  Roman 
doorway,  flanked  by  fluted  and  banded  columns  and  surmounted  by 
two  handsomely  carved  tablets,  the  lines  are  simple. 

Sculptured  and  ornamental  plaster  bands  decorate  the  arched  ceil- 

Rittenhouse  Square 

"Morning   Coats    .     .    .    Holy   Trinity 

Church    .     .     .    and  Pigeons" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

ing  of  the  long  hallway  that  ends  at  the  ornamental  iron  gates  of  the 
old  dining  room.  Above  these  gates  is  a  bas-relief  of  the  founder,  Mrs. 
Stevenson. 

On  the  right  of  the  hall  is  the  most  striking  feature  of  the  interior, 
the  staircase  which  rises  by  a  single  broad  flight  of  heavy  oak  treads 
to  a  spacious  landing,  where  it  divides  and  continues  in  reverse  direc- 
tion to  the  second  floor.  A  richly  colored  leaded  Palladian  window, 
providing  light  for  the  stairs  and  both  halls,  extends  across  the  entire 
width  of  the  landing.  The  front  rooms  are  used  as  art  galleries.  Club 
room  are  on  the  first  and  second  floors,  administrative  offices  on  the 
third. 

L.  from  18th  St.  on  Delancey. 

Stretching  across  the  heart  of  the  city  in  a  broken  course  between 
Spruce  and  Pine  Streets,  DELANCEY  STREET  (15)  is  characterized 
in  places  by  residential  blocks,  and  in  other  places  runs  through 
poverty-ridden  sections.  The  section  between  Eighteenth  and  Twenty- 
second  Streets,  however,  is  one  of  Philadelphia's  most  fashionable  and 
exclusive  streets.  It  is  still  called,  on  some  of  the  older  signs,  De 
Lancey  Place. 

Here  are  residences  of  many  families  whose  names  are  an  integral 
part  of  the  city's  history,  the  stock  in  trade  of  society  editors.  Un- 
pretentious but  dignified  are  the  facades  of  red  brick  and  white 
marble,  with  spotless  white  steps  and  finely  wrought  iron  rails.  White 
wood  or  marble  doorways  and  wooden  shutters  painted  white  or 
green  complete  the  exteriors,  except  for  an  occasional  flower  box. 
Although  few  of  the  houses  follow  exactly  the  same  design,  the  gen- 
eral effect  is  harmonious. 

Commercial  life  is  excluded  from  this  charming,  tree-shaded  street. 
The  residents  have  banded  together  to  prevent  business  firms  from 
encroaching  upon  it  ;  they  are  active  in  bringing  about  improvements 
by  planting  evergreens  and  vines,  and  in  other  ways  enhancing  its 
attractiveness.  The  only  large  building  along  this  section  of  the  street 
is  the  headquarters  of  the  Southeastern  Pennsylvania  Chapter  of  the 
American  Red  Cross,  southwest  corner  of  Twenty-first  and  Delancey 
Streets. 

East  of  Eighteenth,  however,  the  street  takes  on  a  sharply  different 
aspect.  Between  private  garages  that  once  were  stables,  a  variety  of 
activity  goes  on.  One  of  the  most  unusual  establishments  is  a  dog 
"laundry,"  in  reality  a  beauty  parlor  where  manicures  and  even  per- 
manent waves  are  given  canine  pets. 

The  transition  at  Eighteenth  Street  serves  to  emphasize  the  quiet 
charm  of  the  residential  blocks  —  to  express  by  means  of  visual 
contrast  their  intangible,  yet  perceptible,  atmosphere  of  simple 
beauty. 

In  the  "Old  Towne"  in  the  neighborhood  of  Front  and  Second 

438 


To  THE  SCHUYLKILL'S  BANK  (CITY  TOUR  3) 

Streets,  Delancey  Street  retains  a  number  of  quaint,  old,  brick  houses 
of  authentic  Colonial  design,  the  models  for  the  more  recent  dwellings 
farther  west. 

At  1714  is  the  PLAYS  AND  PLAYERS  THEATRE  (16).  In  this 
little  playhouse  amateur  thespians  produce  numerous  stage  presenta- 
tions for  the  enjoyment  of  several  hundred  subscribers.  The  club, 
founded  in  1911  by  Mrs.  Otis  Skinner,  was  housed  until  1922  at 
Eighteenth  and  Chestnut  Streets.  It  is  considered  one  of  the  oldest 
Little  Theatre  organizations  in  the  United  States.  The  well-equipped 
and  tastefully  appointed  theatre  on  Delancey  Street,  intimate  and 
comfortable,  seats  approximately  300. 

Retrace  on  Delancey  St.;  L.  on  19th. 

The  PHILADELPHIA  SCHOOL  OF  OCCUPATIONAL  THERAPY 
(17),  at  419  South  Nineteenth  Street,  has  for  its  primary  purpose  the 
training  of  women  in  the  profession  of  occupational  therapy.  This 
organization  has  undertaken  the  task  of  reconditioning,  rehabilitat- 
ing, and  reeducating  the  mentally  and  physically  disabled  by  means 
of  recreation  and  manual  occupations.  The  school  also  sponsors  a 
curative  workshop  which  accepts  patients  free  of  charge  and  treats 
them  under  physicians'  guidance.  Although  the  purpose  of  the  shop 
is  primarily  therapeutic  and  not  vocational,  patients  sometimes  earn 
smarll  sums  through  the  sale  of  articles  made  while  under  treatment. 

Retrace  on  19th  St.;  L.  around  Rittenhouse  Sq.;  L.  to  Walnut. 

HOLY  TRINITY  CHURCH  (Protestant  Episcopal)  (18),  on  the 
southwest  corner  at  Walnut  Street,  was  opened  for  worship  in  1859,  at 
a  time  when  Walnut,  Spruce,  and  nearby  streets  were  developing  into 
a  select  residential  center.  Past  rectors  of  the  church,  among  them 
A.  H.  Vinton,  Phillips  Brooks  (later  Bishop  of  Massachusetts), 
Thomas  A.  Jaggar.  William  N.  McVicker  (later  Bishop  of  Rhode  Is- 
land), and  Floyd  W.  Tomkins,  have  been  eminent  scholars  and  ora- 
tors as  well  as  outstanding  clergymen.  It  was  during  his  service  here 
that  Phillips  Brooks  wrote  the  carol,  O  Little  Town  of  Bethlehem. 
The  brownstone  church  and  the  fine  rectory  adjoining  on  the  west 
are  of  Gothic  design.  Handsomely  carved  pews  and  a  chancel  grace 
the  dignified  interior. 

Left  on  Walnut  St.  to  22d;  L.  on  22d. 

On  the  left,  between  Walnut  and  Locust  Streets,  is  the  charming 
ENGLISH  VILLAGE  (19),  an  interesting  arrangement  of  attached 
dwellings  built  around  a  central  flagstoned  court  which  is  accented 
with  shrubbery.  Building  operations  began  in  1923  and  were  com- 
pleted the  following  year.  The  architect  was  Spencer  Roberts.  The 
stuccoed  houses,  with  tall  mansards,  are  slightly  Elizabethan  in  flavor. 

Retrace  on  22d  St.;  L.  on  Chestnut. 

The  BALTIMORE  &  OHIO  STATION  (20) ,  on  the  west  side  of 
Twenty-fourth  Street,  is  a  red-painted  brick  structure  with  ornamental 

439 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

members  of  cast  iron.  A  relic  of  Victorian  days,  it  is  transfigured 
by  night  into  a  vague  mass  suggestive  of  a  haunted  castle.  It  is  pierced 
by  dormer  windows.  A  squat  clock  tower  and  marquees  add  to  the 
bizarre  effect  of  the  structure. 

R.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  24th  ;  R.  on  Ranstead. 

An  atmosphere  reminiscent  of  medieval  fortresses  envelops  the 
BARRACKS  OF  THE  FIRST  CITY  TROOP  (21),  on  the  southwest 
corner  at  Twenty-third  Street.  The  barracks  is  given  an  impression 
of  heaviness  by  the  square  tower,  loophole  windows,  menacing  battle- 
ments, and  broad  gateway  and  portcullis.  The  ground  floor  serves  as 
a  riding  hall. 

L.  from  Ranstead  St.  on  23d  ;  R.  on  Ludlow. 

The  COLLEGE  OF  PHYSICIANS  AND  SURGEONS  (22),  on  the 
southeast  corner  at  Twenty-second  Street,  is  the  home  of  the  oldest 
existing  medical  society,  in  the  United  States.  Founded  in  1787  by 
John  Redman,  its  first  president,  and  other  prominent  physicians  of 
that  period,  the  society's  building  holds  numerous  exhibits  of  interest 
to  the  medical  profession,  including  the  skeleton  of  the  so-called 
"Kentucky  Giant."  The  society  maintains  a  comprehensive  library, 
considered  second  only  to  that  of  the  Army  Medical  Library  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  The  present  building  was  completed  in  1909. 

LANTERN  LANE  (23)  opens  on  Ludlow  Street  between  Nine- 
teenth and  Twentieth  Streets.  The  houses  were  erected  in  1922. 
Wrought-iron  gates  give  entrance  to  the  brick  courtyard  around  which 
are  grouped  16  houses.  The  facades  are  stuccoed  in  pastel  tones  with 
rows  of  colored  tile  across  the  front.  At  the  second  floor  windows 
are  gayly  colored  shutters  and  wrought-iron  balconies. 

L.  friom  Ludlow  St.  on  19th;  R.  on  Market;  L.  on  17th  and  Kt 
on  Summer. 

On  the  left  at  1615  Summer  Street  is  the  HOUSE  OF  THE  STATE 
FENCIBLES  (24),  organized  in  1813.  During  the  Civil  War  the 
Fencibles  participated  in  the  Peninsular  Campaign,  the  Battle  of 
Gettysburg,  and  many  other  important  battles.  On  exhibition  in  the 
headquarters  are  relics  recalling  the  role  which  the  organization  has 
played  in  many  military  campaigns. 

Across  the  street,  at  1604,  is  the  D'ASCENZO  GLASS  WORKS 
(25),  a  large  studio  Nicola  D'Ascenzo  and  his  son  established  in  1920. 
There  they  create  the  numerous  stained  glass  designs  which  have 
made  the  D'Ascenzo  name  world-famous.  Among  the  Philadelphia 
examples  of  their  artisanship  are  the  doorways  of  the  main  entrance 
of  Rodeph  Shalom  Synagogue,  Broad  and  Mt.  Vernon  Street ;  the 
windows  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Child  at  Broad  and  Duncannon 
Streets  ;  and  the  chancel  windows  and  mosaic  in  the  Unitarian 
Church,  Germantown. 

L.  from  Summer  St.  on  16th. 

440 


THROUGH  THE  MELTING  POT  (CITY  TOUR  4) 

The  NEW  THEATRE  (26),  311  North  Sixteenth  Street,  Phila- 
delphia's newest  experimental  theatre,  organized  in  1934,  serves  as 
a  dramatic  school,  theatre  workshop,  and  production  center.  With 
a  budget  of  $2,000  and  a  large  supply  of  energetic  lahor,  this  enter- 
prising group  succeeded  in  remodeling  an  abandoned  church  into  a 
theatre  building  with  the  only  double  revolving  stage  in  Philadelphia. 
Membership  of  the  group  has  increased  until  today  it  has  a  produc- 
tion unit  of  almost  100  persons. 

Retrace  on  16th  St. ;  L.  on  Vine ;  R.  on  Broad. 

On  the  southwest  corner  at  Cherry  Street  is  the  PENNSYLVANIA 
ACADEMY  OF  THE  FINE  ARTS  (27)  (see  City  Tour  No.  5). 

Continue  on  Broad  St.  to  City  Hall. 

THE  LONGEST  STRAIGHT  STREET 

Through  the  Melting  Pot 

City  Tour  4 

PICTURESQUE  patches  populated  by  foreign  groups  give  South 
Philadelphia  an  Old  World  flavor.  Phalanxes  of  pushcarts, 
some  piled  high  with  china  and  trays,  with  men's  mittens,  with 
pins  and  pencils,  and  flypaper,  others  heaped  with  grapes  and 
bananas  and  berries,  clutter  some  of  the  streets.  The  aroma  of  strange 
viands  permeates  the  air.  There  is  the  persistence  of  peasant  folk- 
ways— weddings,  funerals,  and  christenings  conducted  with  all  the 
ceremony  which  custom  demanded  in  European  villages. 

South  Philadelphia  is  the  home  of  one  of  the  greatest  Negro  popu- 
lations in  the  North.  The  Irish,  who  have  long  been  the  dominant 
element  in  the  section,  are  represented  by  an  array  of  political  or- 
ganizations and  athletic  clubs.  Until  a  decade  or  so  ago,  synagogues, 
bearded  orthodox  rabbis,  and  devout  women  in  shawls  and  wigs 
recreated  the  atmosphere  of  an  Old  World  ghetto. 

A  slice  of  Locust  Street,  between  Tenth  and  Eleventh,  is  largely 
Greek.  Conversations  over  the  thick,  black  coffee  and  native  foods  at 
the  restaurants  may  be  in  the  idiom  of  the  Ionian  Isles.  At  Easter- 
tide bakery  windows  display  bread  with  colored  eggs  baked,  shell 
included,  in  the  crust.  A  Greek  workers'  club,  on  South  Eleventh 
Street,  decorated  in  keeping  with  the  Hellene's  unabashed  love  of 
gaiety,  is  a  center  of  activities. 

The  heart  of  Little  Italy  throbs  at  Eighth  and  Christian  Streets — 
the  scene  of  numerous  gang  murders  in  the  days  of  prohibition. 
Streets  are  lined  with  undertakers'  establishments,  displaying  ela- 
borate candlelit  coffins,  music  stores  plastered  with  bravely  colored 
chromos  of  the  reigning  sovereigns  of  Italy,  and  poultry  markets, 
smelling  of  their  cackling  wares.  An  Italian  daily  newspaper  is  pub- 

441 


THE 


1LONG  STRAIGHT  STRttl 
HROUGH    THE    MELTING    POT 


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aac 

DDE 

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1.  Girard  Trust  Company 

2.  Union   League 

3.  Fidelity-Philadelphia    Trust    Com- 
pany 

4.  Manufacturers  and   Bankers   Club 

5.  Bellevue-Stratford    Hotel 

6.  Ritz-Carlton  Hotel 

7.  Art  Club  of  Philadelphia 

8.  Academy  of  Music 

9.  Walton    Hotel 
10.    Shubert  Theatre 

lls  Site  of  Old  Broad  Street  Theatre 

12.  Chambers-Wylie    Memorial    Pres- 
byterian  Church 

13.  Philadelphia    Textile    School    and 
the  School  of  Industrial  Art 

14.  Y.  M.  and  Y.  W.  H.  A.  Building 

15.  Lincoln  Theatre 

16.  Broad  Street  Hospital 

17.  St.     Theresa's     Roman      Catholic 
Church 

18.  Ridgway  Library 

19.  United  States  Marine  Corps  Build- 
ing 

20.  Combs  Conservatory  of  Music 
20a.  Broad   Street   Baptist   Church 

21.  St.  Agnes  Hospital 

22.  South    Philadelphia    High    School 

23.  Methodist  Episcopal  Hospital 

24.  Naval  Hospital 

25.  League  Island  Park 

26.  Municipal  Stadium 

27.  League  Island  Navy  Yard 

28.  American       Swedish       Historical 
Museum 


THROUGH  THE  MELTING  POT  (CITY  TOUR  4) 

lished  at  Eighth  Street,  and  there  are  numerous  fraternal  associations 
and  bocce  clubs. 

More  evident,  however,  than  their  color  and  quaintness  is  the 
paralyzing  poverty  of  South  Philadelphia's  Negro  and  foreign  sec- 
tions. The  cobbled  streets  and  uneven  brick  sidewalks,  many  rem- 
iniscent of  Revolutionary  days,  are  usually  littered  with  dirt,  rub- 
bish, and  torn  newspapers.  There  are  a  few  shopping  districts,  nota- 
bly South  Street,  which  sparkle  with  showy  wares,  but  the  prevailing 
note,  particularly  in  the  older  quarters,  is  dull  and  depressingly 
minor  in  key. 

Slum  areas  splotch  the  scene  like  open  sores,  exhibiting  the  un- 
lovely aspects  of  all  slums.  Neglected  children  swarm  about  dingy 
alleyways.  Ramshackle  hovels,  built  without  benefit  of  bathtubs, 
huddle  forlornly  together.  Through  broken  window  panes,  some- 
times patched  with  paper,  an  ancient  iron  bedstead  is  occasionally 
outlined  or  a  chipped  bowl  and  pitcher — and  society  pays  the 
usual  price  of  its  apathy  in  a  high  mortality,  disease,  and  crime  rate. 

S.  from  City  Hall  on  Broad  St. 

The  route  leads  through  a  swirl  of  concentrated  commercial  activity. 
Skyscrapers,  some  of  considerable  architectural  distinction,  line  both 
sides  of  constantly  thronged  Broad  Street,  "the  longest  straight  street." 

The  GIRARD  TRUST  COMPANY  BUILDING  (1) ,  is  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  Chestnut  Street.  (See  Heart  of  the  City.) 

Entirely  of  marble,  the  structure  is  notable  for  its  huge  Ionic 
columns,  which  support  entablatures  and  pediments  on  both  the 
Broad  and  Chestnut  Streets  facades,  and  for  its  distinctively  simple, 
broad  dome.  Within  the  Broad  Street  pediment  is  a  sculptured  relief 
of  two  sailing  ships  and  a  profile  of  Stephen  Girard,  the  work  of  the 
sculptor  Weiman. 

On  the  southwest  corner  at  Sansom  Street  is  the  HOME  OF  THE 
UNION  LEAGUE  (2),  traditional  citadel  of  the  Republican  Party 
in  Philadelphia.  The  league  was  formed  during  the  Civil  War  by  a 
group  of  men  who  offered  their  services  both  as  individuals  and  as 
an  organization  to  President  Lincoln  in  the  struggle  to  keep  the 
Union  intact.  Many  Republican  Presidents  have  addressed  the  mem- 
bers in  the  Lincoln  Room,  and  the  organization  has  been  host  to 
most  of  the  notable  Republican  figures  in  the  country. 

The  massive,  ornate  structure  of  red  brick  and  brownstone,  erected 
in  1865,  exhibits  the  florid  taste  typical  of  the  Victorian  era.  The 
large  rooms  are  highly  decorated,  and  the  staircase  in  the  hall  is 
heavy  with  pompous  ornamentation. 

On  the  northeast  corner  at  Walnut  Street  is  the  30-story  FIDELITY- 
PHILADELPHIA  TRUST  COMPANY  BUILDING  (3),  containing  a 
bank  and  business  offices.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  buildings  in  the 
city,  built  in  1927-28  and  designed  by  Simon  &  Simon. 

443 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

At  the  northwest  corner  is  the  MANUFACTURERS  AND  BANK- 
ERS CLUB  (4).  The  club  was  founded  by  a  group  of  prominent 
manufacturers,  who  in  1908  took  formal  possession  of  the  site,  then 
occupied  by  the  old  Bellevue  Hotel,  a  favorite  dining  place  of  Phila- 
delphia's elite.  Today  the  club's  membership  includes  some  of  the 
most  successful  business  men  in  the  State. 

One  of  Philadelphia's  oldest  and  most  important  hostelries  is  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  Walnut  Street  — the  BELLEVUE-STRAT- 
FORD  (5),  opened  September  20,  1904.  Its  construction  and  arrange- 
ment have  been  copied  by  many  other  leading  hotels  in  the  country, 
including  five  of  the  best  known  in  New  York  City.  Opposite  the 
Bellevue-Stratford,  and  of  a  name  world-famous,  is  the  RITZ-CARL- 
TON  HOTEL  (6) ,  built  in  1912  and  enlarged  in  1914. 

On  the  same  side  as  the  Bellevue-Stratford  and  but  a  little  farther 
south,  at  Chancellor  Street,  is  the  ART  CLUB  OF  PHILADELPHIA 
(7),  erected  in  1886. 

The  building,  a  four-story  structure,  is  of  French  Renaissance 
design,  constructed  of  brick  and  limestone  with  tile  roof.  Originally  a 
private  residence,  the  interior  has  been  altered,  for  the  purpose  of 
the  club,  by  Zantzinger,  Borie  &  Medary.  The  delicate  stone  design, 
the  over-hanging  balcony  at  the  corner  of  the  third  floor,  and  the 
huge  chimney  give  the  building  a  French  chateau  effect. 

The  membership  includes  not  only  artists,  but  also  a  numerous 
representation  of  business  and  professional  men. 

On  the  southwest  corner  at  Locust  Street  is  the  ACADEMY  OF 
MUSIC  (8)  (see  Points  of  Interest). 

On  the  southeast  corner  at  Locust  Street  is  the  WALTON  HOTEL 
(9) ,  which  has  been  the  scene  of  many  notable  functions. 

The  SHUBERT  THEATRE  (10),  on  the  right  at  No.  250,  features 
"glorified  burlesque." 

The  SITE  OF  THE  BROAD  STREET  THEATRE  (11) ,  on  the  left, 
will  bring  a  reminiscent  sigh  to  most  of  the  theatre  lovers  who  pass 
by.  It  was  one  of  the  oldest  playhouses  in  the  city,  having  been  built 
in  1876.  The  theatre  was  demolished  in  1937. 

On  the  left,  below  Spruce  Street,  is  the  CHAMBERS-WYLIE 
MEMORIAL  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  (12).  This  Gothic  temple, 
where  many  prominent  Philadelphians  worship,  was  founded  May  5, 
1825.  Rankin  &  Kellogg  designed  the  building. 

The  building  occupied  since  1893  by  the  PHILADELPHIA  TEX- 
TILE SCHOOL  AND  THE  SCHOOL  OF  INDUSTRIAL  ART  (13), 
on  the  northwest  corner  at  Pine  Street,  was  built  in  1826  for  the  Penn- 
sylvania Institute  for  the  Deaf.  The  first  school  provides  complete 
technical  instruction  in  the  textile  industry,  and  courses  in  various 
fields  of  industrial  art  are  offered  by  the  other. 

The  building,  plastered  in  buff,  has  a  broad  two-story  facade  with 

444 


THROUGH  THE  MELTING  POT  (€ITY  TOUR  4) 

a  colonnade  supporting  the  pedimented  gable  end  of  its  projecting 
central  section.  The  walls  of  the  original  building  and  most  of  the 
foundation  are  of  roughhewn  stone,  plastered  over.  Furness  &  Evans 
designed  the  large  addition  at  the  rear  in  1876. 

The  Y.  M.  AND  Y.  W.  H.  A.  BUILDING  (14),  southeast  corner  at 
Pine  Street,  houses  the  largest  Hebrew  athletic  and  social  organiza- 
tions in  the  city. 

The  LINCOLN  THEATRE  (15),  on  the  southwest  corner  at  Lom- 
bard Street,  was  once  a  popular  Negro  theatre. On  June  1,  1937,  it 
was  taken  over  by  the  Hebrew  Actors  Union,  Inc.,  for  the  presenta- 
tion of  Yiddish  plays. 

At  South  Street  is  the  heart  of  the  Philadelphia  Negro  business 
section. 

At  Fitzwater  Street,  on  the  southeast  corner,  is  the  BROAD 
STREET  HOSPITAL  (16),  built  in  1911  and  enlarged  in  1928. 

ST.  THERESA'S  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  (17),  northeast 
corner  at  Catharine  Street,  was  founded  in  1853.  The  building  is  a 
classic  brownstone  structure  of  Roman  Doric  design  with  four  pilas- 
ters supporting  a  pediment. 

RIDGWAY  LIBRARY  (18),  left,  between  Christian  and  Carpenter 
Streets  (open  weekdays,  1  to  5),  is  housed  in  a  solid  granite  building. 
With  its  three  porticos — the  center  one  with  eight  Doric  columns,  the 
other  two,  each  with  four  similar  columns — this  building  gives  the  im- 
pression of  three  Greek  temples  joined  by  a  common  facade.  The 
columns  support  a  denticulated  cornice  surmounted  by  broad,  low, 
graceful  arches  with  decorative  scrolls.  The  severe  and  simple  design 
of  the  interior  is  classic  Greek.  To  the  right  of  the  large  central  hall, 
virtually  bare  of  decoration,  a  broad  staircase  leads  to  a  balcony. 

This  library,  which  occupies  an  entire  city  block,  was  the  gift 
of  Dr.  James  Rush.  When  he  died  in  1869  he  left  a  trust  fund  of 
more  than  $1,000,000  for  the  erection  of  a  building  to  house  a  library 
of  generous  proportions.  At  the  rear  of  the  main  hall  is  the  tomb 
of  the  founder.  The  library  contains  about  170,000  volumes  and  excels 
in  Americana  of  the  Revolutionary  period,  particularly  in  material 
devoted  to  Pennsylvania.  It  possesses  a  collection  of  geological  litera- 
ture second  only  to  that  of  the  library  of  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey. 

The  UNITED  STATES  MARINE  CORPS  BUILDING  (19),  on  the 
southwest  corner  at  Washington  Avenue,  is  the  headquarters  of  the 
quartermaster's  department  of  the  Marine  Corps. 

The  COMBS  CONSERVATORY  OF  MUSIC  (20) ,  is  on  the  left 
at  1331.  It  is  one  of  the  best-known  schools  of  music  theory  and  prac- 
tice in  the  East,  and  its  pianoforte  department  has  achieved  an  en- 
viable reputation. 

The   BROAD   STREET   BAPTIST    CHURCH    (20a),   is   on   the 

445 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

southwest  corner  at  Reed  Street,  and  at  Mifflin  Street,  on  the  right, 
is  ST.  AGNES  HOSPITAL  (21).  The  hospital  buildings  and  grounds 
cover  an  entire  block. 

SOUTH  PHILADELPHIA  HIGH  SCHOOL  (22),  on  the  left,  from 
Jackson  Street  to  Snyder  Avenue,  is  part  of  the  public  school  system. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  HOSPITAL  (23),  on  the  southeast 
corner  at  Wolf  Street,  is  one  of  the  oldest  hospitals  in  South  Philadel- 
phia. It  received  its  first  patients  in  1892.  A  new  building  was  added 
in  1924. 

The  NAVAL  HOSPITAL  (24)  is  on  the  right  at  Pattison  Avenue. 
Built  at  a  cost  of  $3,200,000,  its  12  stories  contain  most  of  the  devices 
of  modern  medical  science.  The  building,  designed  by  Walter  T. 
Karcher  and  Livingston  Smith,  was  opened  April  12,  1935,  to  care  for 
ailing  United  States  Service  men  and  has  accommodations  for  650 
beds.  Twenty-two  acres  of  well-kept  lawn  surrounding  the  building 
provide  ample  space  for  exercise  and  recreation. 


Ridgway  Library 
"The  Classic  Touch  of  Ancient  Greece' 


• 


THROUGH  THE  MELTING  POT  (CITY  TOUR  4) 

LEAGUE  ISLAND  PARK  (25),  bounded  by  Eleventh  and  Twenty- 
first  Streets  and  Pattison  and  Government  Avenues,  has  an  entrance 
on  Broad  Street.  This  was  the  site  of  the  Sesqui-Centennial  Exposi- 
tion of  1926.  The  completion  of  the  park  in  1923  brought  to  a  close 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  works  of  reclamation  ever  undertaken 
by  municipal  engineers. 

Nearly  300  acres  of  low-lying  marshland  were  brought  to  grade, 
covered  with  topsoil,  sodded,  planted  and  laid  out  with  walks  and 
drives.  Buildings  were  erected,  and  a  natural  body  of  water,  once 
popularly  known  as  "Twin  Lakes,"  was  converted  into  a  bathing  place. 
The  beautifully  landscaped  beaches  are  visited  on  hot  summer  days 
by  thousands.  During  the  winter,  when  conditions  permit,  there  is  ice 
skating. 

The  MUNICIPAL  STADIUM  (26) ,  at  Terminal  Avenue,  is  one  of 
the  structures  erected  in  1926  for  the  Sesqui-Centennial  Exposition, 
Simon  &  Simon  were  the  architects.  The  large  horseshoe  of  buff  brick 
and  gray  limestone  was  the  scene  of  the  Dempsey-Tunney  fight  in 
1926  and  of  the  Army-Navy  football  games  in  1936  and  1937.  It  has  a 
seating  capacity  of  102,000  for  football  and  126,000  for  boxing. 
Seventy-seven  tiers  of  seats  rising  from  a  low  field  side  wall  are  en- 
closed by  an  arcaded  exterior  wall. 

The  LEAGUE  ISLAND  NAVY  YARD  (27),  at  the  southern  end  of 
Broad  Street  (open  to  visitors,  Sat.,  Sun.,  and  holidays,  1  to  4  p.  m.), 
epitomizes  in  many  ways  the  history  of  American  sea  power. 

Authorized  the  same  year  as  the  Navy  Department,  1798,  it  is 
filled  with  stirring  martial  memories.  It  has  served  as  a  base  of  sup- 
plies in  all  the  Nation's  wars. 

In  the  days  of  Commodore  John  Barry  the  ships  of  America's  in- 
fant Navy  were  berthed  at  the  Philadelphia  yard  (then  at  the  foot 
of  Federal  Street) ,  and  there  the  frigates  that  held  the  seas  against 
French  privateers  were  supplied  and  outfitted.  There,  likewise,  were 
built  the  vessels  that  Commodore  Stephen  Decatur  hurled  against 
the  Barbary  corsairs.  When  the  American  doctrine  of  the  freedom  of 
the  seas  was  enunciated  in  1812,  the  Philadelphia  yard  built,  out- 
fitted, or  repaired  many  of  the  stout,  oaken  vessels  which  defended 
that  doctrine  against  the  might  of  Great  Britain's  Navy.  One  of  those 
ships,  the  venerable  Constitution,  was  towed  past  the  yard  in  1931  on 
a  memorial  cruise — a  strange  contrast  to  the  modern,  fast,  hard- 
hitting ships  of  steel  then  lying  at  the  yard. 

With  the  passing  of  wooden  warships  the  old  yard  passed  too. 
It  was  not  suited  to  the  construction  of  iron  vessels,  which  became  the 
backbone  of  naval  power  after  the  epic  fight  between  the  Monitor 
and  the  Merrimac.  The  yard,  on  whose  ways  35  fighting  ships  had  been 
constructed,  was  abandoned  in  1862,  and  a  new  plant  was  constructed 
on  League  Island.  Philadelphia,  eagerly  alert  and  anxious  to  retain 

447 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  business  which  accrued  from  the  location  of  the  yard  there,  pur- 
chased the  923-acre  island  for  $310,000  and  presented  it  to  the  Federal 
Government.  The  plant  and  site  of  the  yard  are  now  valued  at  $100,- 
000,000. 

The  first  project  at  the  new  yard  was  the  construction  of  vessels 
for  the  Federal  Navy  during  the  Civil  War,  when  so  many  ships  were 
built  that  the  United  States  became  the  dominant  sea  power  for  the 
ensuing  decade.  After  the  war  the  yard  languished,  but  it  had  a  brief 
resurgence  when  the  Spanish-American  War  focused  attention  upon 
the  Navy.  During  the  World  War  the  yard  was  greatly  expanded,  its 
facilities  were  modernized,  and  many  large  ships  built,  outfitted 
or  repaired.  League  Island  also  became  a  training  base  for  thousands 
of  youths  destined  to  man  the  vessels  which  patrolled  the  mine-strewn 
seas  around  Europe  and  guarded  troopships  against  submarine  attack. 

The  yard,  third  largest  in  the  country,  derives  much  of  its  impor- 
tance from  its  advantageous  situation  on  the  Delaware — at  the  edge 
of  a  great  metropolitan  center  where  skilled  labor  is  plentiful,  and 
within  a  short  freight  haul  of  steel  mills  and  coal  mines.  It  is  the 
Navy's  only  fresh-water  yard,  and  thus  the  only  one  where  the  Gov- 
ernment's steel  ships  are  safe  from  the  rapid  corrosive  effects  of  salt 
water. 

There  are  three  drydocks.  The  largest,  which  can  accommodate 
ships  up  to  1,000  feet  in  length,  has  a  water  capacity  of  53,108,000 
gallons  and  is  equipped  with  two  of  the  world's  largest  electric  cranes. 
Each  crane  is  230  feet  high,  with  a  lift  of  350  tons.  Vessels  are  repaired 
and  outfitted  at  a  pier  which  provides  dockage  for  two  capital  ships. 

During  the  World  War  the  emergence  of  air  power  as  a  factor  in 
naval  strength  led  to  the  addition  of  a  naval  aircraft  factory  and  a 
flying  field  with  a  hangar  accommodating  eight  seaplanes.  The  field, 
named  for  Capt.  Henry  C.  Mustin,  a  distinguished  naval  officer,  has 
become  one  of  the  yard's  more  important  adjuncts,  and  probably  its 
most  spectacular.  It  is  used  as  a  testing  ground  for  ships  and  a  train- 
ing station  for  navy  pilots  and  observers. 

The  aircraft  factory  is  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 
All  the  parts  of  the  ill-fated  dirigible  Shenandoah  were  manufactured 
here  and  later  assembled  at  Akron,  Ohio.  During  the  war  the  factory 
employed  5,000  workers  an  dturned  out  many  seaplanes. 

The  Navy  Yard  is  probably  the  epitome  of  Philadelphia's  indus- 
trial structures  of  modern  design.  The  new  aircraft  factory  and 
hangars  and  several  structures  of  the  ship-building  section,  especially 
foundry  shop  No.  20  with  its  setback  upper  section  entirely  of  glass, 
are  noteworthy. 

Docked  at  the  yard  as  a  permanent  exhibit  is  the  old  cruiser 
Olympia,  Admiral  George  Dewey's  flagship  when  his  victory  at 
Manila  in  1898  made  the  United  States  a  world  power.  The  destroyer 

448 


THROUGH  THE  MELTING  POT  (CITY  TOUR  4) 

Jacob  Jones,  victor  in  many  an  exciting  clash  on  the  precarious  sea 
lanes  of  1917,  and  now  decommissioned,  lies  at  anchor  in  the  yard. 
It  is  one  of  a  dozen  destroyers  here,  their  steel  hides  spotted  with 
rust.  The  light  cruiser  Philadelphia  was  launched  at  the  yard  in  1936, 
and  the  Wichita,  a  10,000-ton  cruiser,  on  November  17  the  following 
year. 

Retrace  on  Broad  St.  ;  L.  on  Pattison  Ave. 

The  AMERICAN  SWEDISH  HISTORICAL  MUSEUM  (28),  at 
Nineteenth  Street,  was  erected  in  1926  during  the  Sesqui-Centennial 
Exposition.  It  was  originally  named  the  John  Morton  Memorial  Mu- 
seum in  honor  of  the  man  who  cast  the  deciding  vote  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania delegation  when  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
adopted.  Morton  was  of  Swedish  extraction.  This  museum,  when  it 
is  completed  in  1938  for  the  300th  anniversary  of  the  arrival  of  the 
Swedes  here,  will  contain  16  rooms.  John  Nyden,  of  Chicago,  was  the 
architect. 

Another  Swede,  John  Hanson,  was  elected  on  November  5,  1781, 
as  President  of  the  Continental  Congress.  He  took  office  under  the 
Articles  of  Confederation  prior  to  the  Constitution,  and  presided  over 
Congress  for  a  full  term  of  one  year,  resigning  because  of  illness. 

Many  important  souvenirs  and  mementos  of  Morton  and  Hanson, 
in  addition  to  documents  and  relics  pertaining  to  Jenny  Lind,  the 

American  Swedish  Historical  Museum 
Philadelphia's  Tribute  to  Leif  Ericsson 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

"Swedish  Nightingale,"  to  John  Ericsson,  inventor  of  the  steamship 
propeller-screw,  and  to  other  Swedes  vitally  identified  with  American 
history,  are  in  the  museum  collections. 

Ericsson's  memorial  will  serve  to  recall  the  part  played  in  the  Civil 
War  hy  his  famous  ship,  the  Monitor,  in  its  battle  with  the  Con- 
federate ironclad  Merrimac  in  Hampton  Roads.  The  Princeton,  built 
in  1849  in  accordance  with  his  designs,  was  the  first  ship  with  engine 
and  boilers  below  the  water  line.  Other  inventions  followed,  and  the 
principle  of  the  armored  turret  ship  which  he  employed  in  the  Moni- 
tor and  in  which  he  tried  to  interest  the  world  seven  years  before  the 
Civil  War,  has  been  employed  ever  since  on  naval  craft  in  constantly 
developing  form. 

The  American  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Sweden  erected  this  memorial 
in  honor  of  Sweden's  .famous  citizens  who  have  contributed  some 
lasting  service  to  America's  development.  Each  room  is  dedicated  to 
that  field  in  which  the  person  did  his  or  her  greatest  work.  Thus,  the 
John  Ericsson  room  is  dedicated  to  inventions  and  engineering  ;  the 
Jenny  Lind  room  to  music  ;  the  Frederica  Bremer  room  to  records  of 
women's  movements  ;  and  the  Swedenborg  room  to  science,  philoso- 
phy, mysticism,  etc. 

Retrace  on  Pattison  Ave.  ;  R.  on  Broad  St.  to  City  Hall. 


Where  Houses  Stand  in  Regiments 
City  Tour  5 

NORTH  BROAD  STREET  begins  at  City  Hall  in  commercial 
bravura.     Its  first  notes  are  blatant.    Automobile  marts  spread 
gleaming  billboards  and  show  windows  along  its  sides.  Furni- 
ture stores,  drug  stores,  a  few  cigar  stores  are  among  the  commercial 
enterprises  of  this  street  on  which  a  mortuary  chapel  or  undertaking 
establishment  appears  in  nearly  every  block. 

Rows  of  stodgy,  aloof,  brownstone  houses  stand  among  the  com- 
mercial houses  of  lower  North  Broad  Street,  but  to  the  north  of 
Roosevelt  Boulevard  the  yearning  for  more  gracious  living  which 
swept  post-war  America  finds  expression  in  popular-priced  gray 
stone  duplex  homes,  a  compromise  between  shortage  of  space  and 
the  boredom  of  the  row  house.  In  winter  the  glass-enclosed  porches 
of  these  homes  diffuse  the  glow  of  gas  logs  and  the  rose  and  amber 
of  shaded  lamps.  Summer  finds  the  street  vivid  with  the  striped 
awnings  and  painted  furniture  on  its  porches,  the  clumps  of  hydran- 
geas and  old-fashioned  flowers  in  small  gardens  crowded  upon  short- 
banked  front  lawns. 

450 


7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 

13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 

19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 

23. 
24. 

25. 
26. 
27. 

28. 

29. 

30. 
31. 

32. 
33. 

34. 
35. 
36. 
37. 


II: 

55. 
56. 

II: 

59. 
60. 

«V 

62. 


Masonic   Temple 

Pennsylvania  Academy   of   the   Fine 

Arts 

Scottish  Rite  Temple 

Philadelphia  Bureau  of  Fire 

Hahnemann    Hospital    and    Medical 

College 

Roman    Catholic    High    School    for 

Boys 

Broad  wood  Hotel 

Record  Building 

Regiment  Armory 

Elverson   Building 

Terminal  Commerce  Building 

Site  of  the  Old  Baldwin  Locomotive 

Works 

Spring  Garden  Institute 

Central  High  School 

Temple  Rodeph  Shalom 

Post  No.  2  Memorial  Hall,  GAR 

Site  of  the  Caledonian   Club 

Philadelphia     Normal     School     and 

School  of  Practice 

Philadelphia  Aerie  No.  42 

Lu  Lu  Temple 

Salvation  Army 

Church  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Blessed 

Sacrament 

Metropolitan   Opera  House 

H.  Josephine  Widener  Memorial  Li- 

brary 

Majestic  Hotel 

Moose  Hall 

The  Patriotic   Order   Sons  of  Amer- 

ica Building 

Clubrooms    of    the   Knights    of    Co- 

lumbus 

The    Moore    Institute    of    Art     Sci- 

ence and  Industry 

Irish-American    Club 

Headquarters     of     Jehovah's     Wit- 

nesses 

Temple  Keneseth  Israel 

Universalist    Church    of    the    Mes- 

siah 

Temple  University 

Grace  Baptist  Temple 

108th   Field   Artillery    Armory 

National       Headquarters       of       the 

Workers'1     Federation     of     Hosiery 

Dropsie   College 

Gratz   College 

Israel    Svna8:ogue 
Broad    Street    Station 

National 


North  Philadelphia   Station 
Masonic   Home  for   the   Aged 
Temple    University    Hospitll 
Temple    University    Medical    College 
Home   for  Aged   Widows   and   Wivls 
£LF  ree  Basons  and  the  William  L. 
Elkins  i  Masonic  Orphanage  for  Girls 

cathoiic  church 


Jewish    Hospital 

Widener    Home    for    Crippled    Chil- 

or  en 


Lankenau   Hospital 
Eastern  Penitentary 

Sch001  for  Girls 


United  States  Mint 
Friends  Meeting  House 
Co-oP^ative  Center 
Philadelphia  Branch  of  the  Y.   M. 

*  \ 


THE  LONG  STRAIGHT  STREET 

WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS 

GLENSIPE ~ 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

N.  on  Broad  St.  from  City  Hall. 

The  MASONIC  TEMPLE  (1)  (open  clear  days  only,  10:30  to  2; 
adm.  free),  standing  in  quiet  massive  dignity  on  the  northeastern 
corner  at  Filbert  Street,  headquarters  of  the  R.  W.  Grand  Lodge  of 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons  of  Pennsylvania,  is  a  great  granite  struc- 
ture, an  adaptation  of  Romanesque  style.  The  cornerstone  was  laid 
on  June  24,  1868  ;  the  huilding  was  designed  by  James  H.  Windrim, 
the  rooms  constituting  an  architectural  museum.  Oriental  Hall,  a 
lodge  room  on  the  first  floor,  is  designed  in  the  Moorish  style  after 
the  Alhambra  in  Granada,  and  is  formed  of  more  than  20,000  pieces 
of  fiber  and  plaster  board  screwed  to  the  walls  and  ceiling.  The 
grand  master's  apartments  are  in  the  northwestern  angle,  across  from 
the  banquet  hall.  The  apartment  consists  of  four  communicating 
rooms,  their  style  and  architecture  in  keeping  with  the  exalted  office. 

The  library,  situated  on  this  floor,  is  an  interesting  room  filled  with 
books  on  Masonic  lore.  The  hall,  Byzantine  in  style,  has  columns 
fluted  with  bold  Corinthian  capitals.  The  inscriptions  on  the  frieze 
and  the  twenty  allegorical  figures  are  in  recognition  of  the  virtues 
derived  from  Education.  Latin  texts  are  in  the  friezes  beneath  the 
ceiling  cornice.  The  north  wall  pictures  the  departments  of  human 
knowledge  :  Medicine,  Philosophy,  Poetry,  History,  Astronomy, 
Mathematics  ;  the  south  side  pictures  the  sources  of  real  or  normal 
happiness  :  Charity,  Peace,  Industry,  Internal  Trade,  International 
Commerce,  Reflection. 

Beginning  on  the  east  wall  and  continuing  on  the  west  are  the 
ancient  cities  as  centers  from  which  we  received  our  learning  :  Rome, 
Alexandria,  Corinth,  Athens,  Byzantium,  Ravenna.  In  the  remaining 
division  of  the  western  wall  are  symbols  of  the  two  great  qualities  en- 
joined by  the  Masonic  order  :  Fidelity  and  Virtue.  An  important  relic 
of  Masonic  history  contained  in  the  library  is  the  Lafayette  Masonic 
apron  embroidered  by  Madame  Lafayette  and  worn  by  George  Wash- 
ington during  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone  of  the  National  Capitol. 
A  bust  of  Voltaire,  reproductions  of  the  works  of  Houdon,  and  a 
portrait  of  Franklin  by  Fred  James,  Philadelphia  artist,  are  valuable 
relics  also  in  this  room. 

Other  ceremonial  rooms  are  on  the  second  floor.  The  Ionic  Hall  on 
the  southeast  corner  follows  the  Greek  order  of  architecture  —  light 
and  elegance.  Columns  of  ivory  tone  with  capitals  of  gold.  Panels,  in 
Pompeian  brick,  together  with  the  walls  of  light  blue  and  a  ceiling 
representing  the  midday  sun  surrounded  by  planets  and  zodiac  signs, 
complete  the  Greek  idea  and  symbolize  Free  Masonry.  The  room 
contains  many  portraits  of  past  grand  masters  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Pennsylvania. 

The  Norman  Hall  is  characterized  by  designs  of  the  Norman  period, 
with  green  and  gold  leaf,  and  the  Renaissance  Hall,  grand  chapter  hall 

452 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  5) 

of  Royal  Arch  Masonry,  is  in  buff  and  red.  The  most  agreeable  of  the 
lodge  rooms  is  Corinthian  Hall  with  its  octagonal  entrance  chamber 
in  green,  cream  and  gold.  The  main  room  is  in  subdued  tones  of  blue 
and  gold  with  an  attractice  coffered  ceiling.  The  caryatids  above  the 
altar,  copied  from  the  porch  of  the  maidens  at  the  Acropolis,  are 
poorly  done. 

Fragments  from  Greek  mythology  of  the  spiritual  life  are  in 
practical  representations  in  the  panels  of  the  large  frieze  running 
around  the  four  enclosing  walls.  Ivory  is  the  general  decorative 
scheme  from  floor  to  cornice,  gold  being  used  to  accentuate  all  to  a 
higher  value.  The  ceiling  is  in  blue,  studded  with  stars  above  a 
lattice  balustrade  placed  upon  a  cornice,  similar  to  the  open  or  un- 
covered hall  of  the  ancient  Greek  temple. 

The  Egyptian  Hall,  with  its  12  huge  columns  on  the  four  sides  sur- 
mounted by  capitals,  is  modeled  after  Lluxor,  Karnak,  Philae,  and 
other  temples.  The  columns  have  panel  ornaments  as  in  Egyptian 
temples.  The  massive  furniture  is  also  Egyptian  in  style,  and  the 
master's  throne  of  gilded  ebony  is  flanked  by  sphinxes.  The  blue  ceil- 
ing, with  the  sun  in  the  east,  and  the  frieze  of  the  cornice,  represent- 
ing the  seasons  and  the  12-hour  day,  give  significance  to  the  Egyptian 
influence. 

The  entire  building  is  rich  in  symbolic  and  architectural  interest. 
It  is  open  only  on  clear  days  in  order  to  safeguard  the  valuable  rugs 
which  cover  the  floors. 

One  block  beyond  the  Masonic  Temple,  on  the  left  at  Cherry  Street, 
is  the  PENNSYLVANIA  ACADEMY  OF  THE  FINE  ARTS  (2). 
(Open  daily,  except  Christmas,  10  to  5  ;  adm.  free  to  permanent  ex- 
hibitions. Adm.  25$  to  spring  and  fall  exhibitions,  except  Sun.  and 
Fri.,  when  free). 

Notable  exhibits  include  a  portrait  gallery  of  early  Americans, 
historical  paintings  and  sculpture,  and  a  comprehensive  collection 
of  American  art,  with  notable  representation  of  several  European 
schools. 

The  history  of  this  institution  begins  with  the  history  of  the  United 
States.  With  the  Revolution  successfully  ended,  intellectual  leaders 
of  the  new  Nation  cast  about  for  means  of  building  a  new  culture 
that  would  reflect  the  aspirations  and  achievements  of  America.  Phila- 
delphia, stronghold  of  commerce,  political  activities,  philosophy, 
and  art,  seemed  at  that  time  to  be,  logically,  the  hub  from  which  the 
spokes  of  cultural  advancement  should  extend.  In  this  city  the  clamor- 
ing for  a  real  native  art  began  as  early  as  1791,  when  Charles  Willson 
Peale  circulated  a  proposal  for  the  establishment  of  a  school,  in  which 
young  artists  might  receive  training. 

453 


Academy  of  Fine  Arts 
"The  Louvre  on  Broad  Street" 

Not  until  1805,  however,  did  Peale's  plan  crystallize  into  definite 
action.  At  that  time  a  group  gathered  in  Independence  Hall  and 
drew  up  and  signed  a  petition  to  establish  the  Pennsylvania  Academy 
of  the  Fine  Arts.  The  charter  was  obtained  in  1806.  Thus  was  born 
the  first  art  organization  in  the  United  States. 

The  academy,  first  housed  in  a  building  on  Chestnut  Street  be- 
tween Tenth  and  Eleventh,  where  the  Chestnut  Street  Opera  House 
now  stands,  was  removed  to  its  present  site  in  1870.  The  building  which 

454 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  5) 

now  houses  the  academy  was  completed  six  years  later.  It  was  planned 
by  Furness  &  Evans,  designers  of  the  Broad  Street  Station  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  and  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  library. 
The  works  of  this  firm  have  an  individuality  of  design  ascribable  to 
no  recognized  style  of  architecture,  although  in  the  academy  building 
certain  Gothic  characteristics  are  apparent. 

The  massive  exterior  of  red  brick  and  limestone,  with  polished 
granite  columns,  is  of  the  Victorian  period  in  concept.  For  more 
than  60  years  a  huge  five-ton  statue  of  the  goddess  Ceres,  brought 
from  Greece  in  1828  and  presented  to  the  academy  by  Commodore 
Daniel  Patterson,  stood  guard  in  a  niche  above  the  entrance  to  the 
building.  In  August  1937,  after  an  existence  of  2,300  years,  the  statue 
began  to  crumble.  There  was  no  way  to  save  the  figure,  so  drill  and 
chisel  were  brought  into  play  and  the  ancient  statue  was  demolished. 

Through  the  years  the  academy  has  grown  in  stature,  becoming 
more  and  more  widely  recognized  as  a  sponsor  of  native  American 
art. 

Although  there  is  no  set  policy  governing  purchases,  the  great 
majority  of  works  acquired  are  of  native  origin.  The  faculty  is  com- 
posed chiefly  of  native  citizens. 

The  galleries  of  the  academy  contain  one  of  the  finest  collections 
of  American  historical  portraits  to  be  found  in  this  country.  Included 
are  studies  of  George  Washington  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  Charles  Willson 
Peale,  and  Rembrandt  Peale.  Although  Stuart's  Washingtons  are 
the  best  known,  the  works  of  the  others  are  of  equal  importance. 

Other  famous  personages  of  the  Revolution  presented  on  canvas 
include  Benjamin  Franklin,  painted  by  Charles  Willson  Peale  ; 
Benjamin  West,  by  Matthew  Pratt  ;  and  James  Claypoole,  by  Charles 
Willson  Peale,  all  in  K  gallery.  A  portrait  of  Washington  by  Gilbert 
Stuart  is  exhibited  in  L  gallery,  and  two  others  by  Rembrandt  Peale 
and  Charles  Willson  Peale  in  gallery  K.  Later  studies  of  Francis  Scott 
Key,  by  Charles  Willson  Peale;  Henry  Clay,  by  Rembrandt  Peale; 
and  a  large  collection  of  Stuart's  other  works  are  also  included. 

The  Hudson  River  school,  a  group  of  landscape  artists  who  settled 
along  the  Hudson  River  about  1875,  is  represented  by  William  Hunt's 
Flight  of  Night.  Hunt  was  a  well-known  member  of  this  group. 

The  Temple  Collection,  founded  in  1880  by  Joseph  E.  Temple, 
is  best  exemplified  by  the  painting,  New  England  Woman,  by  Cecilia 
Beaux. 

The  John  Lambert  collection,  established  in  1913  with  an  en- 
dowment of  $50,000,  uses  the  income  of  the  trust  to  purchase  the 
works  of  young  artists  who  have  not  had  sufficient  encouragement. 

The  Lambert  collection  hangs  in  the  west  central  gallery.  Included 
in  the  group  are  The  Seine,,  Paris  by  Samuel  Halpert,  Bell  by  Clyde 
Snyder,  Cornwall  Cliffs  by  Margaret  Huntington,  An  Actress  as 

455 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Cleopatra  by  Arthur  B.  Carles,  and  Holidays  by  Horace  Giles.  One 
of  the  most  distinguished  paintings  is  The  Fisherman  by  John  R. 
Connor. 

One  of  the  foreign  groups  is  the  Henry  C.  Gibson  collection,  pre- 
sented to  the  academy  in  1896.  This  represents  the  famous  Barbizon 
school  of  painting. 

The  Edward  H.  Coates  collection  represents  the  French  and  Ameri- 
can schools.  It  was  presented  to  the  academy  in  1923  by  Mr.  Coates 
as  a  memorial.  The  Tragic  Muse  by  Violet  Oakley,  February  by  Wil- 
liam T.  Richards,  and  the  Grand  Canal  by  Thomas  Moran  are  in- 
cluded here. 

The  Gilpin  Gallery,  formed  in  1850,  includes  a  fine  study  of  Wil- 
liam Ewart  Gladstone,  done  at  10  Downing  Street,  London,  official 
town  residence  of  the  British  Prime  Minister,  by  John  McClure 
Hamilton.  This  gallery  also  includes  23  specimens  of  dekadrachms 
(Greek  silver  coins)  presented  by  George  H.  Earle,  the  father  of  the 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania. 

In  the  school  office  hangs  the  small  Fields  collection,  containing 
the  Virgin  and  Child  of  Gozzoli  and  a  small  St.  John  the  Baptist  by 
Veronese. 

Aside  from  the  galleries  and  the  fine  school  maintained  by  the 
academy,  a  permanent  fellowship  and  a  summer  school  are  among 
its  activities.  The  fellowship  is  composed  of  the  alumni  of  the  school 
and  is  designed  to  further  the  art  of  America.  Annual  prizes  are 
offered  by  the  fellowship  for  the  best  work  by  a  student  done  within 
10  years  after  his  or  her  matriculation,  including  two  medals  awarded 
in  the  water-color  exhibit,  two  prizes  in  black  and  white,  and  three 
medals  and  three  money  prizes  in  oils  and  sculpture.  The  fellowship 
maintains  exhibits  that  are  kept  moving  from  school  to  school  in 
the  Philadelphia  district  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  regular  academic 
students  into  close  contact  with  artistic  expression.  The  summer 
school  is  at  Chester  Springs,  35  miles  northwest  of  Philadelphia. 

The  SCOTTISH  RITE  TEMPLE  (3),  on  the  southwest  corner  at 
Race  Street,  is  a  focal  point  of  Masonic  activities  in  Philadelphia. 

The  building,  designed  by  Horace  W.  Castor  and  completed  in 
1927,  is  a  massive  seven-story,  gray  limestone  structure  of  Greek 
Doric  design.  Above  the  one-story  base,  pierced  by  three  doorways 
—  the  monumental  main  entrance  in  the  center  —  rise  eight  broad 
pilasters  to  the  sixth  story.  Narrow  window-like  openings  between  the 
pilasters  form  vertical  accents.  The  huge  entablature  is  colored  with 
gold,  green,  and  blue  terra  cotta,  the  architrave  having  a  blue  fret 
design. 

The  building  contains  103  rooms  devoted  exclusively  to  the  interests 
of  Masons.  The  main  lobby,  known  as  the  outer  court,  is  entered 
through  a  vestibule  within  the  main  entrance  of  the  building,  The 

456 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  5) 

outer  court  leads  to  the  inner  court  and  the  main  part  of  the  build- 
ing. The  inner  court,  a  soundproof  room,  was  arranged  for  the  use 
of  the  Consistorial  bodies. 

The  temple  stage  extends  40  feet  behind  the  curtain  and  runs  the 
entire  width  of  the  building.  The  stage  lights  and  other  lighting 
connections  of  the  building  are  controlled  by  a  huge  switchboard  con- 
taining 4,400  switches  with  16  presets,  and  weighing  eight  and  three- 
fourths  tons. 

The  building  was  dedicated  to  George  Washington.  A  portrait  of 
the  first  President  by  Charles  Willson  Peale  hangs  over  the  fireplace 
in  the  reception  room.  On  the  north  wall  of  the  outer  court  is  a 
bronze  tablet  containing  the  names  of  the  Masons  under  whose  super- 
vision the  building  was  constructed. 

R.  from  Broad  St.  on  Race. 

The  modern  headquarters  BUILDING  OF  THE  PHILADELPHIA 
BUREAU  OF  FIRE  (4)  is  right,  at  1328  Race  Street.  This  bureau 
represents  a  far  cry  from  the  private  fire  protection  offered  by  early 
insurance  companies.  Identifying  plaques  of  these  companies  remain 
on  the  fronts  of  some  of  Philadelphia's  old  buildings. 

The  fire  bureau  building  designed  by  the  city  architect,  John 
Molitor,  and  erected  in  1925,  stands  on  ground  that  has  been  occupied 
by  the  Fire  Department  of  Philadelphia  since  1875.  It  is  a  dignified 
structure  of  red  brick  with  limestone  trim,  a  Gothic  adaptation.  Its 
triple,  lancet  arched  entrance,  with  grotesque  figures  of  firemen 
carved  into  the  capitals  of  the  piers,  and  the  corbeled  arches  at  the 
eaves  enhance  the  effect  of  the  structure.  All  the  administrative  offices 
of  the  bureau,  as  well  as  the  offices  of  the  chief  engineer  and  of  the 
Firemen's  Pension  Fund,  are  in  this  building. 

On  the  premises  is  stationed  a  fire-fighting  force  especially  trained 
and  equipped  to  cope  with  fires  in  the  tall  buildings  of  the  central 
city  section.  The  force  is  augmented  by  a  rescue  squad  with  spe- 
cialized functions,  which  operates  only  on  multiple  alarms,  or  ir: 
cases  of  emergency. 

Personnel  of  the  bureau  consists  of  the  chief  engineer,  one  deputy 
chief,  11  battalion  chiefs,  one  fire-school  instructor,  90  captains, 
94  lieutenants,  six  marine  engineers,  six  pilots,  12  marine  firemen, 
and  1,600  hosemen  and  laddermen.  There  is  one  captain  of  the 
fire  school. 

The  present  efficient  fire-fighting  system  contrasts  sharply  with 
the  turmoil  of  the  volunteer  days,  when  bitter  rivalry  reached  such 
a  height  that  it  was  found  advisable  to  create  a  paid  fire  department, 
which  started  to  function  March  15,  1871,  with  22  engine  companies 
and  5  truck  companies.  These  were  selected  from  the  117  volunteer 
organizations,  and  so  much  controversy  was  aroused  that  five  addi- 
tional companies  were  added  to  the  paid  organization  in  1872.  The 

457 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Fire  Prevention  Division  and  the  Firemen's  Training  School  for 
officers  and  new  members  are  two  of  the  most  valuable  additions  made 
to  the  department  in  recent  years. 

Retrace  on  Race  St.;  R.  on  Broad. 

The  oldest  homeopathic  medical  college  in  the  United  States  is 
on  the  left,  just  north  of  Race  Street.  This,  the  HAHNEMANN  HOS- 
PITAL AND  MEDICAL  COLLEGE  (5),  was  merged  with  the  Hos- 
pital of  Philadelphia  in  1885  and  moved  to  its  present  site.  In  1928 
the  old  building  was  razed  and  replaced  with  a  modern  20-story 
structure.  The  building  is  of  Gothic  design,  the  work  of  H.  Hall 
Marshall.  Normally  500  students  are  enrolled  in  the  college.  The 
hospital  can  accommodate  700  patients. 

The  hospital  faces  on  Broad  Street.  The  college  entrance  is  on 
Fifteenth  Street. 

The  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  HIGH  SCHOOL  FOR  BOYS  (6),  on  the 
northeast  corner  at  Vine  Street,  is  the  oldest  of  the  high  schools  sup- 
plementing the  Philadelphia  parochial  school  system.  The  building, 
a  gray  limestone  structure  in  Victorian  Gothic  style,  has  an  ornate 
tower  rising  to  a  dome.  It  was  built  in  1886. 

The  BROADWOOD  HOTEL  (7),  on  the  southwest  corner  at  Wood 
Street,  has  hotel  facilities,  gymnasium  and  swimming  pool.  A  12- 
story  red  brick  and  limestone  building  in  Italian  Renaissance  design, 
the  work  of  Andrew  Saur,  it  was  built  in  1923. 

The  Philadelphia  Record  is  published  in  the  RECORD  BUILDING 
(8),  on  the  southeast  corner  at  Wood  Street.  The  eight-story  terra- 
cotta structure  is  topped  by  an  overhanging  cornice  and  has  broad 
window  areas  on  each  floor. 

Just  beyond,  and  on  the  same  side  of  Broad  Street  as  the  Record 
Building,  is  the  103rd  REGIMENT  ARMORY  (9).  Built  in  1883  to 
house  the  military  organization  previously  known  as  the  Gray  Re- 
serves, the  building  is  also  the  home  of  the  Walter  M.  Gearty  and 
the  Yeomanettes  posts  of  the  American  Legion. 

This  fort-like  structure,  rising  three  stories  from  a  gray  granite 
base  to  a  crenelated  top,  was  designed  by  James  H.  Windrim. 

The  Philadelphia  Inquirer  is  printed  in  the  tall  and  imposing 
ELVERSON  BUILDING  (10),  on  the  northwest  corner  at  Callowhill 
Street  (tours  through  the  plant  daily,  2:30  to  9). 

The  building,  a  huge  Italian  Renaissance  structure  faced  with  white 
terra  cotta  details  rises  in  a  series  of  setbacks  to  a  graceful,  central 
clock  tower  with  a  lantern  and  small  golden  dome.  The  rear  fiVe- 
story  section,  extending  to  Fifteenth  Street,  is  of  buff  brick.  Large 
front  windows  on  the  first  story,  on  the  Broad  Street  side,  reveal  the 
color-plate  presses  in  action. 

The  building,  which  was  erected  in  1924,  was  designed  by  Rankin, 
Kellogg,  &  Crane. 

458 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  5) 

The  TERMINAL  COMMERCE  BUILDING  (11),  northeast  corner 
at  Callowhill  Street,  houses  a  large  railroad  freight  depot  and  a  num- 
ber of  offices  and  manufacturing  units.  This  massive  13-story  build- 
ing of  yellow  brick  and  light  brown  terra  cotta,  with  Egyptian  orna- 
mentation in  colored  terra  cotta,  was  designed  by  William  Steele  & 
Sons  and  built  in  1930. 

On  the  left,  just  below  Spring  Garden  Street,  is  the  SITE  OF  THE 
OLD  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS  (12).  The  buildings,  razed 
in  1937,  covered  about  20  acres.  Here  was  the  famous  plant  where 
a  large  portion  of  America's  "iron  horses"  were  produced.  t  In  1928 
the  company  removed  to  Eddystone,  south  of  the  city,  leaving  the 
red  brick  structures  deserted. 

On  the  northeast  corner  at  Spring  Garden  Street  is  the  SPRING 
GARDEN  INSTITUTE  (13),  still  housed  in  the  original  building, 
dedicated  in  1852. 

The  first  story  of  the  Victorian  structure  on  the  Broad  Street  cor- 
ner is  of  brown  stone,  and  two  upper  floors  are  of  light  buff  plaster. 
A  small  green  domed  tower  rises  above  the  center  of  the  facade. 
The  adjoining  building  on  Spring  Garden  Street  is  three  stories  high 
and  is  constructed  of  brown  brick  in  Italian  Renaissance  style.  It 
was  the  first  school  in  the  United  States  to  provide  courses  in  manual 
training.  It  now  offers  day  and  night  classes  in  electrodynamics,  pat- 
tern-making, auto  mechanics,  home  economics,  dressmaking,  and 
interior  decorating. 

The  second  oldest  high  school  in  the  United  States,  CENTRAL 
HIGH  SCHOOL  (14),  on  the  southwest  corner  at  Green  Street,  is 
rich  in  traditions.  The  present  building  was  erected  in  1900  at  a  cost 
of  $1,500,000.  The  original  red  brick  structure,  now  used  as  an  annex, 
is  across  the  street. 

The  TEMPLE  RODEPH  SHALOM  (15),  southeast  corner  at  Mt. 
Vernon  Street,  is  an  excellent  example  of  Byzantine  architecture. 
Designed  by  Simon  &  Simon  and  begun  in  1927  for  a  Jewish  conserva- 
tive congregation,  the  building  is  of  Indiana  limestone.  The  interior 
is  notable  for  its  great  painted  dome  supported  by  massive  painted 
pendentives.  Within  is  the  arch  of  the  ark,  with  its  copper  and  glass 
inlaid  iron  doors.  Red  Tennessee  marble  columns,  with  carved  white 
marble  capitals,  support  a  canopy. 

K.  from  Broad  St.  on  Fairmount  Ave.;  R.  on  12th  St. 

The  home  of  POST  NO.  2  MEMORIAL  HALL,  G.  A.  R.  (16),  at 
667  North  Twelfth  Street  (open  daily,  10  to  3,  closed  Sat.  in  summer; 
adm.  free),  contains  numerous  relics  of  the  Civil  War,  including  the 
first  Confederate  flag  captured  by  a  Philadelphia  regiment,  handcuffs 
and  shackles  found  in  the  possession  of  John  Wilkes  Booth,  and  a 
collection  of  flags,  cannon,  and  rifles. 

R.  from  12th  St.  on  Spring  Garden. 

459 


Rodeph   Shalom   Synagogue 

"They   Built  a   Temple   to 

Jehovah    .    .    ." 


Observatory — Central  High  School 
"We  will  keep  the  watches  of 
the    night" 


1      81 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  5) 

The  SITE  OF  THE  CALEDONIAN  CLUB  (17),  which  was  estab- 
lished in  1859,  is  on  the  northeast  corner  at  Thirteenth  Street. 

The  PHILADELPHIA  NORMAL  SCHOOL  AND  SCHOOL  OF 
PRACTICE  (18)  is  on  the  northwest  corner  at  Thirteenth  Street. 
It  is  four-story,  gray  granite  structure  of  Italian  Renaissance  design 
with  a  broad  arched  entrance  after  the  Richardson  Romonesque  in- 
fluence. The  building,  erected  in  1893,  was  designed  by  Joseph  W. 
Anschutz. 

Adjacent  to  it  is  a  large  building  of  Saracenic  architecture,  with 
curious  pointed  domes.  This  is  the  LU  LU  TEMPLE  (19),  Nobles 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

The  building  is  a  profusely  decorated  buff  brick  and  terra-cotta 
structure  of  Moorish  design.  Coupled  marble  columns,  cusped  arches, 
and  lavishly  carved  ornaments  form  an  all  over  pattern  on  the  facade. 
A  huge  green  dome,  surrounded  by  four  similar  domes,  tops  the  struc- 
ture. The  building  was  erected  in  1903. 

PHILADELPHIA  AERIE  NO.  42  (20),  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles, 
built  in  1907,  is  at  1336  Spring  Garden  Street.  The  order,  organized 
in  Seattle  in  1898,  has  as  its  prime  motive  mutual  protection  against 
illness  and  death.  Recreation,  companionship,  and  the  desire  to  aid 
others  less  fortunate  are  other  objectives  of  the  organization. 

R.  from  Spring  Garden  St.  on  Broad. 

The  Philadelphia  HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  SALVATION 
ARMY  (21)  are  at  701  North  Broad  Street.  The  building  is  a  Vic- 
torian structure  of  brick,  built  in  1887  and  designed  by  J.  B.  Mc- 
Elpatrick.  The  organization  maintains  an  Anti-Suicide  Club,  where 
persons  contemplating  self-destruction  are  assured  of  a  sympathic 
hearing,  spiritual  and  sometimes  financial  assistance. 

The  Roman  Catholic  church  for  Negroes  —  occupied  by  them  since 
1907— called  the  CHURCH  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  THE  BLESSED 
SACRAMENT  (22),  is  on  the  left  just  north  of  Fairmount  Avenue. 

On  the  southwest  corner  at  Poplar  Street  is  the  METROPOLI- 
TAN OPERA  HOUSE  (23).  The  Metropolitan  of  today  is  little  more 
than  the  tomb  of  the  musical  glories  of  another  generation.  The  dis- 
coloration of  the  light  brick  and  limestone  exterior  emphasizes  the 
air  of  somberness  that  has  enshrouded  the  massive  building  during 
recent  years. 

In  its  heyday,  1908  to  1913,  operatic  stars  of  the  first  magnitude 
graced  its  stage,  and  wealthy  and  socially  prominent  Philadelphians 
filled  the  horseshoe  boxes  and  the  orchestra  and  dress  circle  seats. 
The  house  has  been  dark  most  of  the  time  during  recent  years,  ex- 
cept for  sporadic  theatrical  and  operatic  productions  and  one  period 
of  four  years  when  motion  pictures  were  presented  intermittently. 
On  occasion,  religious  and  political  affairs  have  been  held  here. 

Oscar  Hammerstein  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1907  and  built  the 
opera  house,  then  known  as  the  Philadelphia  Opera  House,  on  the 

461 


V 


Dome  of  Lu  Lu  Temple 
'Scimitars  .    .   .  Fezes  .    .    .  Bagdad'9 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (€ITY  TOUR  5) 

site  of  the  former  O'Harrah  mansion.  Comment  in  musical  circles 
at  the  time  ran  to  the  effect  that  "social  Philadelphia  will  never  go 
uptown."  Society's  playground  was  centered  south  of  Market  Street. 
Hammerstein  proceeded  serenely  enough  with  the  new  project,  how- 
ever, and  when  the  doors  of  the  house  opened  for  a  presentation  of 
Carmen  on  November  17,  1908,  social  Philadelphia  attended  in  a 
body. 

Philadelphia  audiences  responded  whole-heartedly  to  Hammer- 
stein's  presentations  for  two  seasons.  But,  faced  with  a  $400,000 
mortgage  which  he  saw  no  way  of  clearing,  he  abandoned  hope  of 
making  a  success  of  the  house.  It  was  taken  over  by  E.  T.  Stotes- 
bury  as  an  adjunct  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  Company  of  New 
York,  and  the  name  of  the  theatre  was  changed  to  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House.  For  three  successive  years  opera  was  presented  there 
each  Tuesday  evening  with  such  luminaries  as  Enrico  Caruso,  John 
McCormack,  Tetrazzini,  Nellie  Melba,  Frieda  Hempel,  Mary  Garden, 
Geraldine  Farrar,  Louise  Homer,  Antonio  Scotti,  and  Mme.  Schumann- 
Heink. 

Since  then  the  house  has  been  intermittently  devoted  to  a  variety 
of  purposes.  It  was  leased  to  Fred  G.  Nixon-Nirdlinger,  theatrical 
producer,  in  1913.  In  1920  the  lease  was  taken  over  by  the  trustees 
of  Lu  Lu  Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  who  now  own  the 
building. 

In  order  to  accommodate  Morris  Gest's  production,  The  Miracle, 
in  the  winter  of  1926-27,  the  theatre  was  redecorated  to  simulate  a 
cathedral.  Evangelistic  services  were  conducted  here  in  1930,  and  it 
was  used  by  the  world-famous  Freiburg  Players  for  the  presentation 
of  their  Passion  Play  in  1931. 

The  heavy  marquee  is  in  keeping  with  the  structure's  French 
Renaissance  style  of  architecture.  The  ornate  white,  gold,  and  brick- 
red  auditorium  is  in  the  over-ornamented  classic  manner.  The  stage 
is  the  largest  of  any  theatre  in  the  city,  and  the  seating  capacity  — 
3,791  —  the  second  greatest. 

A  branch  of  the  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia,  the  H.  JOSEPHINE 
WIDENER  MEMORIAL  LIBRARY  (24),  is  on  the  northwest  corner 
at  Girard  Avenue. 

Designed  by  George  Herzog  and  built  in  1887,  the  brownstone 
structure  has  a  chateau-like  appearance.  It  is  decorated  with  turrets, 
dormers,  and  arched  galleries.  A  horseshoe  stairway  leads  to  the 
broad  arched  entrance. 

On  the  northeast  corner  at  Girard  Avenue  is  the  MAJESTIC 
HOTEL  (25),  a  building  reconstructed  from  the  home  of  William 
L.  Elkins  in  1905.  The  original  structure  was  built  in  1892. 

On  the  left,  at  1314  North  Broad  Street,  is  MOOSE  HALL  (26) , 
the  Philadelphia  home  of  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose.  The  hall  con- 

463 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

sists  of  three  brownstone  buildings,  formerly  dwellings,  which  were 
built  in  1914  after  designs  of  Carl  P.  Berger. 

THE  PATRIOTIC  ORDER  SONS  OF  AMERICA  BUILDING  (27) 
is  at  1317. 

The  CLUBROOMS  OF  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  COLUMBUS  (28)  are 
at  1324.  The  building,  a  four-story  Victorian  brownstone  structure, 
was  originally  erected  as  a  private  home. 

THE  MOORE  INSTITUTE  OF  ART,  SCIENCE  AND  INDUSTRY 
(29) ,  southwest  corner  at  Master  Street,  was  founded  in  1844.  Form- 
erly known  as  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Design  for  Women,  its 
present  name  dates  from  1932.  The  Philadelphia  School  of  Design 
was  the  first  school  in  the  United  States  to  offer  designing  courses 
for  women. 

The  institute  has  been  at  its  present  address  since  1881.  The  corner 
house  of  the  mid- Victorian  brownstone  dwellings  that  form  the  school 
group  was  at  one  time  the  home  of  Edwin  Forrest,  noted  Shake- 
spearean actor. 

The  IRISH-AMERICAN  CLUB  (30),  a  social  and  patriotic  as- 
sociation, maintains  quarters  at  1428  North  Broad  Street.  It  is  a  nar- 
row, four-story  brownstone  building. 

The  Philadelphia  HEADQUARTERS  OF  JEHOVAH'S  WIT- 
NESSES (31)  is  at  1620.  This  group  achieved  notoriety  as  a  result 
of  its  aversion  to  saluting  any  flag. 

TEMPLE  KENESETH  ISRAEL  (32),  one  of  the  best-known 
Hebrew  cultural  and  educational  organizations  in  the  country,  is  on 
the  right  between  Columbia  and  Montgomery  Avenues.  This  temple 
of  a  Reformed  Jewish  congregation  was  founded  by  Rev.  Joseph 
Krauskopf,  Hebraic  educator  noted  for  his  devotion  to  charitable 
causes. 

The  building,  erected  in  1892,  was  designed  by  Louis  C.  Hick- 
man  and  Oscar  Trotscher.  It  is  an  Italian  Renaissance  structure  of 
buff  brick  and  gray  limestone  with  a  tall  campanile  above  the  left 
side  of  the  facade.  The  center  is  surmounted  by  a  huge  silvery  dome. 

UNIVERSALIST  CHURCH  OF  THE  MESSIAH  (33)  is  on  the 
southeast  corner  at  Montgomery  Avenue.  The  Gothic  gray  granite 
structure  with  limestone  trim,  erected  in  1890,  was  designed  by 
Hazel,  Hurst  &  Huckel. 

The  main  building  of  TEMPLE  UNIVERSITY  (34)  is  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Montgomery  Avenue. 

The  story  of  the  birth  and  growth  of  Temple  University  forms  one 
of  the  most  inspiring  chapters  in  the  history  of  higher  education. 

In  1884  Dr.  Russell  H.  Conwell,  pastor  of  Grace  Baptist  Temple, 
Broad  and  Berks  Streets,  envisioned  a  mighty  institution  that  would 
provide  a  liberal  education  for  all  who  desired  it.  Today,  on  the 
spot  where  his  dreams  first  placed  it,  stands  Temple  University  — 

464 


Mitten  Hall,  Temple   University 
'Founded  on  'Acres  of  Diamonds' " 


Rear  of  Temple  University  Dormitories 
'College  Life   .    .    .  with  a  Touch  of  Home" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

recognized  as  one  of  the  country's  leading  seats  of  higher  learning. 

From  a  small  group  of  young  men,  studying  under  Dr.  Conwell's 
direction  each  evening  in  his  home,  the  university  has  grown  until 
it  now  has  a  student  body  of  12,000. 

The  university's  climb  to  its  present  degree  of  development,  al- 
though rapid,  was  attended  with  difficulty.  Dr.  Conwell's  congregation 
supported  him,  but  in  many  quarters  he  met  with  rebuffs.  Within 
four  years  the  original  student  body  of  less  than  10  had  grown  to  590. 
At  this  time,  1888,  Dr.  Conwell  obtained  a  college  charter,  and  three 
years  later  the  college  received  the  right  to  confer  degrees.  Until 
then  it  had  operated  exclusively  as  a  night  school. 

The  Theological  School  was  opened  in  1893,  and  in  1901  an  even- 
ing course  in  medicine  was  added.  In  the  same  year  Samaritan  Hos- 
pital, which  has  now  become  Temple  University  Hospital,  was 
brought  within  the  provisions  of  the  charter,  and  a  school  of  phar- 
macy was  opened.  In  1907  a  charter  was  issued  changing  the  name 
from  Temple  College  to  Temple  University,  and  during  the  same 
year  the  Philadelphia  Dental  College,  one  of  the  oldest  schools  of 
dentistry  in  the  United  States,  was  absorbed  by  Temple. 

Born  in  South  Worthington,  Mass.,  in  1843,  Dr.  Conwell  received 
his  higher  education  at  Yale.  Even  while  devoting  much  of  his  time 
to  the  college  he  was  gaining  wide  fame  as  a  lecturer.  The  lecture, 
Acres  of  Diamonds,  which  he  delivered  thousands  of  times  through- 
out the  country,  inspired  millions  and  brought  large  financial  returns. 
This  money  was  used  to  further  the  development  of  Temple.  Dr. 
Conwell  received  the  Bok  Award  in  1923. 

At  the  time  of  the  founder's  death  in  1925,  enrollment  at  the  univer- 
sity had  reached  10,000.  It  had  expanded  to  seven  professional  schools, 
three  undergraduate  schools,  three  hospitals,  a  high  school,  and  an 
elementary  laboratory  school  ;  for  a  time  a  special  course  in  aviation 
was  offered. 

Dr.  Conwell  was  succeeded  as  president  of  the  university  by  Dr. 
Charles  E.  Beury,  his  associate  for  many  years,  who  continues  to 
improve  the  standards  and  fulfill  the  ambitions  of  the  founder.  Dur- 
ing President  Beury's  administration  the  university's  assets  have  been 
increased  between  $6,000,000  and  $7,000,000  and  all  of  its  depart- 
ments awarded  grade-A  ratings. 

Most  of  the  newest  and  largest  buildings,  of  modern  collegiate 
Gothic  design  in  gray  field  stone  and  limestone  trim,  are  in  the 
vicinity  of  Broad  Street  and  Montgomery  Avenue.  A  few  are  scattered 
in  other  parts  of  the  city. 

Conwell  Hall,  northeast  corner  of  Broad  Street  and  Montgomery 
Avenue,  houses  the  administrative  offices  and  the  School  of  Com- 
merce. This  hall,  built  before  the  founder's  death,  is  the  first  unit 
of  the  proposed  Tower  group,  which,  when  completed,  will  consist  of 

466 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  5) 

five  skyscraper  buildings.  It  is  distinctive  for  its  crenelated  turrets  on 
the  Broad  Street  facade.  Adjacent  on  the  north  is  Carnell  Hall,  com- 
pleted in  1929  and  named  for  the  late  Dean  Laura  Carnell.  In  the 
same  block,  and  likewise  facing  Broad  Street,  are  older  buildings 
which  house  Teachers'  College,  College  of  Liberal  Arts  and  Sciences, 
and  evening  schools. 

Mitten  Memorial  Hall,  northeast  corner  of  Broad  and  Berks  Streets, 
completed  in  1931  as  a  recreational  center,  has  a  broad  facade  with 
three  high  bays  in  the  center.  At  the  corner  of  the  building,  in  a 
carved  niche  of  Gothic  design,  is  a  sculptured  stone  image  of  the 
Temple  "Owl,"  traditional  symbol  of  the  university.  Within  the 
building  is  a  lofty,  spacious  auditorium.  In  addition  to  lounge  and 
auditorium,  Mitten  Hall  contains  a  dining  room,  a  cafeteria,  and 
other  club  conveniences. 

Right,  on  Berks  Street,  a  half  block  away,  is  the  Thomas  D.  Sullivan 
Memorial  Library,  dedicated  in  1936,  its  four  high  Gothic  traceried 
windows  separated  by  buttresses.  The  southern  end  of  the  wall  on 
Watts  Street  discards  the  Gothic  and  is  a  frank  treatment  of  the  tall 
vertical  piers  of  the  stackroom.  Exposed  hammerbeam  trusses  sup- 
port the  roof  of  the  reading  room  on  the  second  floor. 

The  School  of  Medicine  building,  Broad  and  Ontario  Streets,  op- 
posite the  Temple  University  Hospital,  was  dedicated  in  1930.  The 
structure  is  built  of  brick  and  limestone.  The  Georgian  characteristics 
are  mainly  evidenced  by  its  triple  arched  entrance,  pedimented  center 
windows  above  the  entrance  and  round  top  windows  of  the  entire 
sixth  floor  between  the  wings.  William  H.  Lee,  architect  of  Mitten 
and  Carnell  Halls  and  Sullivan  Library,  was  likewise  the  designer 
of  this  building.  One  of  the  outstanding  departments  of  the  hospital 
is  the  Bronchoscopic  Clinic,  directed  by  Dr.  Chevalier  Jackson,  who 
perfected  the  use  of  the  bronchoscope. 

The  Oak  Lane  Country  Day  School  was  acquired  in  1931  and  be- 
came the  laboratory  division  of  Teachers'  College.  Other  schools 
now  include  those  of  Chiropody,  Oral  Hygiene,  Music,  Law,  Secre- 
tarial Training,  and  various  specialized  courses. 

Today  the  remains  of  Russell  H.  Conwell  rest  within  the  shadows 
of  the  institution,  itself  the  finest  monument  to  the  lifework  of  this 
patriot,  preacher,  educator,  and  friend  of  mankind. 

GRACE  BAPTIST  TEMPLE  (35),  where  Dr.  Conwell  was  pastor 
for  years,  is  on  the  southeast  corner  at  Berks  Street.  The  granite 
Romanesque  structure,  designed  by  Thomas  Lonsdale,  was  completed 
in  1893.  Above  the  two  center  doorways  is  a  huge  fan-shaped 
window.  The  edifice  is  surmounted  by  a  green  dome. 

The  108TH  FIELD  ARTILLERY  ARMORY  (36)  is  on  the  left  at 
2110.  This  was  the  first  regiment  of  State  militia  to  use  the  name 
"National  Guards." 

467 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  NATIONAL  HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN 
FEDERATION  OF  HOSIERY  WORKERS  (37)  is  at  2319,  on  the 
right.  The  remodeled  facade  of  the  building  is  of  modern  design  in 
buff  plaster  and  glass  brick. 

DROPSIE  COLLEGE  (38),  just  below  York  Street,  on  the  right, 
is  a  school  of  cognate  learning,  established  in  1907  in  accordance 
with  the  will  of  Moses  A.  Dropsie.  The  college  asks  no  tuition  fee, 
but  each  applicant  for  admission  must  have  a  B.  A.  degree,  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Hebrew  language,  and  an  acquaintance  with  modern 
languages.  The  school  cooperates  with  all  other  colleges  which  offer 
courses  in  Semitic  law  and  languages.  The  two-story  gray  limestone 
building  of  Italian  Renaissance  style  was  designed  by  the  architect, 
Tachau,  and  built  in  1911. 

GRATZ  COLLEGE  (39),  around  the  corner  from  Dropsie  College, 
is  the  oldest  Hebrew  educational  institution  in  the  United  States. 
Founded  in  1895  under  a  trust  fund  established  in  1856  by  the  will 
of  Hyman  Gratz,  it  specializes  in  the  teaching  of  Hebrew  law.  Gratz 
College  encourages  its  students  to  take  postgraduate  courses  at 
Dropsie. 

The  college  has  occupied  the  present  site  since  1909.  The  build- 
ing was  designed  by  Pilcher  &  Tachau  in  Greek  Revival  manner. 

The  oldest  Hebrew  congregation  in  Philadelphia,  and  the  second 
oldest  in  the  United  States,  is  the  Congregation  Mikveh  Israel.  The 
MIKVEH  ISRAEL  SYNAGOGUE  (40)  is  on  the  southeast  corner 
at  York  Street. 

The  present  building,  erected  in  1909,  was  designed  by  Pilcher  & 
Tachau.  It  is  a  monumental  limestone  structure  of  Italian  Renaissance 
design  with  three  large  arched  doors  between  four  pairs  of  engaged 
Ionic  columns.  Between  these  columns  are  arched  niches.  The 
interior  is  Georgian  in  blue,  gold,  and  gray.  The  barrel-vaulted 
foyer  is  also  Georgian. 

The  NORTH  BROAD  STREET  STATION  (41)  of  the  Reading 
Railroad  stands  on  the  northeast  corner  at  Huntingdon  Street.  Built 
in  1929  after  plans  by  Horace  Trumbauer  and  constructed  of  light  buff 
Indiana  limestone  on  a  granite  base,  the  building  resembles  a  Greek 
temple  with  its  colonnade  of  12  Ionic  columns  facing  Broad  Street. 

The  PHILADELPHIA  NATIONAL  LEAGUE  BASEBALL  PARK 
(42),  extending  from  Huntingdon  Street  to  Lehigh  Avenue  on  the 
left,  was  opened  in  1887.  It  is  the  home  of  the  major  league  team 
known  locally  as  the  Phillies.  The  seating  capacity  is  18,500.  Boxing 
and  wrestling  shows  and  football  games  are  also  held  in  this  park. 
It  is  an  enclosure  of  red  brick  and  corrugated  iron,  painted  green. 

The  NORTH  PHILADELPHIA  STATION  (43)  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  is  on  the  northwest  corner,  at  Glenwood  Avenue. 
Designed  by  A.  C.  Shand,  and  built  in  1900  it  is  a  gray  limestone  and 

468 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  5) 

terra-cotta    structure    in    Italian    Renaissance    and    French    Chateau 
style. 

The  MASONIC  HOME  FOR  THE  AGED  (44),  on  the  southeast 
corner  at  Ontario  Street,  is  one  of  the  many  charitable  institutions 
maintained  by  Masons.  The  three-story  building  of  brown  brick  and 
limestone  in  Renaissance  style,  was  designed  by  Philip  Johnson  and 
erected  in  1924. 

TEMPLE  UNIVERSITY  HOSPITAL  (45)  (formerly  Samaritan 
Hospital) ,  on  the  northeast  corner  at  Ontario  Street,  and  the  TEMPLE 
UNIVERSITY  MEDICAL  COLLEGE  (46),  facing  it  on  the  left,  are 
operated  by  the  university. 

Broad  Street,  Germantown  Avenue,  and  Erie  Avenue  intersect  a 
few   blocks    beyond.    Around   this    intersection    the    once    prevalent 
brownstone-front  dwellings  are  slowly  giving  way  to  modern  shops. 
Roosevelt  Boulevard  intersects  at  4400  North  Broad  Street. 
R.  from  Broad  St.  on  Roosevelt  Blvd. 

The  Roosevelt  Boulevard,  one  of  Philadelphia's  happier  civic 
developments,  named  in  honor  of  Theodore  Roosevelt,  is  a  refresh- 
ingly verdant  parkway.  It  is  a  main  traffic  artery  through  northern 
Philadelphia  and  forms  a  part  of  the  Lincoln  Highway  between 
Philadelphia  and  New  York. 

The  lawns  and  woodlands  of  HUNTING  PARK  (a),  right,  at  the 
intersection  of  Old  York  Road  and  the  Boulevard,  give  to  a  large 
area  along  the  highway  a  forest  grace  and  felicity.  The  ground  was 
a  race  track  from  the  time  of  the  opening  in  1818  until  1854,  when 
it  was  dedicated  as  a  park  for  the  people  of  Philadelphia.  A  music 
pavilion,  tennis  courts,  a  lake,  and  a  carrousel  are  in  the  park,  which 
is  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Fairmount  Park  Commission. 

The  Boulevard,  from  Old  York  Road  to  Pennypack  Circle,  consists 
of  three  roadways.  The  four-lane  artery  in  the  center  is  separated  from 
the  two-lane,  one-way  roadways  on  either  side  by  pleasing  strips  of 
shade  trees,  shrubs,  and  grass.  Traffic  on  the  center  highway  is  re- 
stricted to  private  cars;  commercial  vehicles  use  the  outer  lanes. 
From  Pennypack  Circle  to  City  Line  the  Boulevard  is  laid  out  in 
two  one-way  roads,  each  two  lanes  in  width. 

At  Adams  Avenue  and  the  Boulevard,  right,  is  the  FRIENDS 
HOSPITAL  FOR  MENTAL  AND  NERVOUS  DISEASE  (fe).  The 
first  building  on  this  site  was  erected  in  1817.  It  is  a  private  insti- 
tution founded  in  1813  under  the  auspices  of  Philadelphia  Quakers. 
Next  to  it  at  Adams  and  Fisher's  Avenues  on  the  right,  and  covering 
an  area  of  43  acres,  is  OAKLAND  CEMETERY  (c)  opened  in  1881. 
On  the  left,  at  Adams  Avenue  and  the  Boulevard,  the  giant  depart- 
ment store  and  warehouse  of  SEARS,  ROEBUCK  &  CO.  (d),  which 
was  built  in  1920,  rises  in  terra-cotta  tiers.  A  tour  of  this  branch  of  the 
country's  largest  mail  order  house  provides  an  exciting  glimpse  into 
the  technique  of  a  highly  efficient  industry — girls  dashing  about  on 
roller  skates  and  collecting  goods  from  a  giant  conglomeration  of 
bins;  merchandise  whizzing  through  chutes;  thousands  of  workers 
performing,  in  carefully  allotted  time,  the  minutely  specialized  tasks 
involved  in  filling  mail  orders. 
The  SHRINERS'  HOME  FOR  CRIPPLED  CHILDREN  (e),  on  the 

469 


HE  LONG  STRAIGHT  STREET! 

THE    TREE    LINED    BOULEVARD 


a.  Hunting  Park 

b.  Friends'  Hospital  for  Mental  and 
Nervous   Diseases 

c.  Oakland  Cemetery 

d.  Sears,  Roebuck  &  Co. 

e.  Shriners'  Home  for   Crippled 
Children 

f.  Baptist  Home 

f.  Evangelical  Home   for  the  Aged 

g.  Pennypack  Park 
h.    Boulevard   Airport 

j.    Philadelphia   Hospital   for  Mental 
Diseases 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (€ITY  TOUR  5) 

left  at  North  Pennypack  Circle,  was  established  in  1926.  Maintained 
by  Lu  Lu  Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  it  cares  for  crippled 
children,  free  of  charge. 

On  the  right  at  North  Pennypack  Circle  is  the  BAPTIST  HOME 
(f),  for  aged  and  infirm  members  of  that  faith,  and  on  the  northeast 
corner  at  Strahle  Street  is  the  EVANGELICAL  HOME  FOR  THE 
AGED  (f). 

The  Boulevard  crosses  PENNYPACK  PARK   (g)    (see  City  Tours 

18  and  19),  one  of  the  largest  units  of  the  Fairmount  Park  system. 

At   Red   Lion   Road,   left,  is   the   BOULEVARD    AIRPORT    (h), 

a    passenger-carrying    air    center    used    by    sightseeing    planes    as    a 

terminus  for  air  tours  of  the  city. 

The  PHILADELPHIA  HOSPITAL  FOR  MENTAL  DISEASES  (j), 
at  Southampton  Road  and  the  Boulevard,  marks  the  end  of  the 
outgoing  trip.  The  hospital,  operated  by  Philadelphia  County,  with 
assistance  of  a  State  appropriation,  is  the  largest  institution  of  its 
kind  in  Pennsylvania.  The  women's  and  children's  buildings  are  on 
the  left,  the  men's  on  the  right. 
Retrace  on  Roosevelt  Blvd.;  R.  on  Broad  St. 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Boulevard  and  Broad  Street  are 
the  HOME  FOR  AGED  WIDOWS  AND  WIVES  OF  FREE  MASONS 
and  the  WILLIAM  L.  ELKINS  MASONIC  ORPHANAGE  FOR 
GIRLS  (47). 

Broad  Street  north  of  Roosevelt  Boulevard  becomes  the  business 
section  of  Logan,  with  its  many  shops  lining  both  sides  of  the  street. 
At  Duncannon  Street,  on  the  northwest  corner,  is  the  HOLY  CHILD 
ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  (48),  erected  in  1909.  Its  design  is 
adapted  from  the  Norman  style.  Constructed  of  Mount  Airy  granite, 
the  church  edifice  and  the  rectory  and  school,  between  which  it 
stands,  form  a  harmonious  composition. 

The  most  noteworthy  features  of  the  interior  are  the  reredos  of  the 
main  altar  and  traceried  west  window.  The  light  from  the  red  and 
blue  stained  glass,  composed  in  the  manner  of  thirteenth  century 
French  windows,  filters  through  the  delicate  tracery  to  produce  a 
purple  glow. 

The  chancel  is  richly  adorned  with  stone  and  marble.  On  the  high 
altar,  executed  in  gold-veined  Sienna  marble  trimmed  with  gold- 
veined  black  marble,  is  a  six-foot  ebony  crucifix  of  filigree  with  gold 
corpus.  The  golden  Sienna  marble  font  in  the  octagonal  baptistry 
has  a  finely  carved  bowl  supported  by  eight  decorative  angels  sym- 
bolizing the  eight  beatitudes. 

On  the  right,  beginning  at  Fisher's  Avenue  and  continuing  to  Tabor 
Road,  is  CLARKSON  PARK  (49),  separating  Old  York  Road  from 
Broad  Street  and  coming  to  a  point  where  the  two  streets  meet. 

At  the  point  is  a  monument  erected  in  memory  of  George  McKenzie 
Poinsett,  a  native  of  this  neighborhood,  who  was  killed  in  action  at 
Vera  Cruz,  Mexico,  April  21,  1914.  The  memorial  was  erected  by  the 
Logan  Improvement  League. 

471 


Main  Altar,  Church  of  the  Holy  Child 
"I  will  enter  unto  the  altar  of  God" 


WHERE  HOUSES  STAND  IN  REGIMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  5) 

At  Old  York  Road  is  the  JEWISH  HOSPITAL  (50).  The  first 
building,  designed  by  Furness  Hewett,  was  erected  in  1871.  Fresh 
vegetables  for  the  use  of  the  institution  are  grown  in  an  extensive 
garden  in  the  rear. 

The  WIDENER  HOME  FOR  CRIPPLED  CHILDREN  (51),  on  the 
southwest  corner  at  Olney  Avenue,  cares  for  and  attempts  to  teach  use- 
ful occupations  to  the  afflicted.  The  rolling  lawns  of  this  spacious 
charitable  institution  extend  two  blocks  on  Broad  Street  and  three 
blocks  on  Olney  Avenue.  Designed  by  Horace  Trumbauer,  it  was 
built  in  1904. 

L.  from  Broad  St.  on  Old  York  Rd. 

Approximately  100  yards  to  the  left  of  Old  York  Road,  about  mid- 
way between  Olney  Avenue  and  Nedro  Avenue  (about  half  the  dis- 
tance above  the  5700  block) ,  is  the  SITE  OF  THE  BUTLER  PLACE 
(5 la)  which  was  built  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Pierce  Butler,  Senator  from  South  Carolina,  purchased  it  as  a  country 
home  in  1790.  In  1910  it  became  the  home  of  Owen  Wister,  author 
of  The  Virginian. 

With  Senator  Butler's  death  in  1822  the  house  passed  to  his  sister 
Frances  (or  Sarah) .  Upon  her  death,  10  years  later,  the  house  became 
the  property  of  the  Senator's  grandson,  Pierce  Butler,  who  married 
Fanny  Kemble,  novelist,  daughter  of  Charles  Kemble,  actor. 

At  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  her  oldest  daughter,  Sarah,  inherited 
the  house.  A  short  time  afterward  Sarah  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Owen 
Jones  Wister,  of  Germantown.  At  about  this  time,  the  original  acre- 
age was  cut  down  by  other  heirs  disposing  of  their  shares,  and  finally, 
in  1925,  the  estate  and  isolated  farm,  surrounded  by  blocks  of  city 
dwellings,  gave  way  to  the  trend  of  the  times.  The  old  homestead, 
outhouses,  and  stables  were  torn  down.  Streets  were  cut  through  and 
the  property  was  divided  into  lots. 

The  estate,  originally  some  20  acres  in  extent,  was  believed  to  have 
been  owned  and  occupied  originally  by  a  French  family  of  the  name 
of  deBenneville. 

Retrace  on  Old  York  Rd.  ;  R.  on  Broad  St.  ;  R.  on  Lehigh  Ave. 

Extending  from  Twentieth  to  Twenty-first  Streets  is  SHIBE  PARK 
(52),  home  of  the  Philadelphia  American  League  Baseball  Club,  the 
Athletics,  who  have  captured  nine  American  League  championships 
and  five  World  Series  under  the  leadership  of  Connie  Mack.  The 
park,  opened  in  1908  at  a  cost  of  $654,000,  seats  33,000. 

L.  from  Lehigh  Ave.  on  22d  St. ;  L.  on  Montgomery  Ave. 

The  WAGNER  FREE  INSTITUTE  OF  SCIENCE  (53),  at  Seven- 
teenth Street  (library  open  daily  10  to  9  ;  museum  open  Wed.  and 
Sat.  2  to  5  ;  adm.  free),  was  founded  by  William  Wagner  in  1855  to 
give  instruction  on  scientific  subjects  to  persons  who,  like  himself, 
were  unable  to  obtain  a  formal  education.  Wagner,  a  retired  mer- 

473 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

chant,  originated  the  school  in  a  series  of  lectures  he  gave  in  his  home, 
Elm  Grove,  opposite  the  present  building.  The  edifice,  built  of 
plastered  brick,  with  a  massive  pediment  above  the  facade,  is  of 
classical  revival  design.  It  was  opened  in  1865. 

Museum  exhibits,  which  are  used  primarily  by  students,  include 
25,000  specimens  in  mineralogy,  paleontology,  petrology,  conchology, 
geology,  and  zoology. 

On  display  are  some  of  the  fossil  remains  of  the  huge  "thunder  liz- 
ard," an  amphibious  dinosaur  which  roamed  the  flooded  plains 
around  Canon  City,  Colorado,  millions  of  years  ago. 

The  institute  maintains  a  comprehensive  reference  library  (open 
weekdays  10  to  9).  School  teachers  and  their  classes  are  invited  to 
tour  the  museum  in  groups,  and  may,  by  special  appointment,  visit 
the  displays  when  the  museum  is  closed  to  the  general  public.  A  pub- 
lic circulating  library  occupies  a  wing  of  the  building. 

JR.  from  Montgomery  Ave.  on  17th  St. ;  R.  on  Girard  Ave. 
GIRARD  COLLEGE     (54)    lies    behind  the    high  stone  wall  at 
Corinthian  Avenue   (see  Points  of  Interest). 

Also  at  this  intersection,  left,  is  LANKENAU  HOSPITAL  (55), 
formerly  known  as  the  German  Hospital,  founded  in  1860.  Joseph 
Lankenau's  election  to  the  presidency  of  the  institution  in  1869 
resulted  in  many  improvements.  The  hospital  maintains  a  dea- 
conesses' home,  children's  hospital,  old  folk's  home,  and  a  school  for 
girls,  all  housed  in  the  Mary  J.  Drexel  Home,  a  building  erected  on 
the  grounds  in  1888. 

L.  from  Girard  Ave.  on  Corinthian  ;  R.  on  Fairmount. 
On   Corinthian  Avenue,  before  reaching  Fairmount  Avenue,  the 
high  gray  walls  of  the  EASTERN  PENITENTIARY  (56)   rise  above 
the  roofs  of  some  of  the  surrounding  dwellings.  The  entrance  gate  to 
the  prison  is  on  Fairmount  Avenue. 

L.  from  Fairmount  Ave.  on  22d  St. ;  L.  on  Spring  Garden. 
On  the  left  at  Seventeenth  Street  is  the  building  of  the  PHILA- 
DELPHIA  HIGH  SCHOOL    FOR    GIRLS     (57),  the   first   public 
secondary  school  for  girls  in  Philadelphia.  Next  door  to  the  school 
is  the  WILLS  HOSPITAL  (58),  one  of  the  leading  eye  hospitals  of 
the  world.  It  was  built  in  1932.  Opposite  the  hospital,  on  the  right, 
is  the  UNITED  STATES  MINT  (59)  '(see  Points  of  Interest). 
R.  from  Spring  Garden  St.  on  15th. 

On  the  southwest  corner  at  Race  Street  is  the  FRIENDS  MEETING 
HOUSE  (60) ,  built  in  1856.  This  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Friends 
Yearly  Meeting  and  houses  administrative  offices. 

The  building  is  a  two-story,  red-brick  structure  with  an  attic  and 
two  shallow  side  wings.  The  front  and  rear  facades  are  similar,  with 
their  three  large  double  entrance  doors  and  large  window.  Simple 
pediments  surmount  the  facades  and  the  two  side  wings.  A  simple 

474 


HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN  (CITY  TOUR  6) 

cornice  extends  around  the  entire  building.  The  meetinghouse  is  set 
within  a  large  brick  court  surrounded  by  buildings  of  later  date. 

The  structure  contains  two  auditoriums  for  worship.  The  larger 
auditorium,  facing  Race  Street,  is  open  to  the  public  on  Sunday  eve- 
nings during  the  winter  months,  as  the  Race  Street  Forum.  A  library 
containing  about  2,000  volumes  and  pamphlets  is  maintained. 

At  1506  Race  Street,  near  the  corner,  is  the  CO-OPERATIVE 
CENTER  (61),  devoted  to  co-operative  trading. 

L.  from  15th  St.  on  Arch. 

Midway  between  Fifteenth  and  Broad  Streets  is  the  central  build- 
ing of  the  PHILADELPHIA  BRANCH  OF  THE  YOUNG  MEN'S 
CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION  (62),  built  in  1929. 

R.  from  Arch  St.  on  Broad  to  City  Hall. 

HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN 

City  Tour  6 

IN  GERMANTOWN  are  many  mansions  which  were  old  when  the 
British  occupied  Philadelphia,  homes  whose  quiet-colored  walls 
have  looked  upon  the  gallantries  of  the  King's  officers  and  the 
coquetries  of  Tory  maids.  These  are  houses  full  of  years  and  memories 
and  a  quiet  dignity.  Built  in  an  age  when  privacy  was  deemed  the 
essence  of  a  home,  they  are  set  in  spacious  gardens  and  the  common 
world  is  shut  out  by  high  stone  walls.  Today  they  still  have  a  quality 
of  aloofness,  deepened  rather  than  diminished  by  the  years.  Aged 
vines  embower  their  walls  and  gateways,  and  the  heavy  window 
draperies  of  an  older  day  shield  their  interiors  from  the  glances  of 
the  curious. 

The  past  is  revered  in  Germantown,  perhaps,  because  it  is  so  closely 
linked  with  the  present.  The  Battle  of  Germantown  was  fought  among 
these  very  homes  and  gardens.  Many  of  the  houses  bear  the  marks 
of  cannon  and  musket  balls. 

Yet,  not  all  Germantown  cherishes  yesterday  ;  on  its  northern 
fringe,  where  it  merges  with  Chestnut  Hill,  youth  is  served  and  serves 
in  turn  the  commands  of  imperious  today.  The  street  scene  moves  to 
a  jazzier  tempo.  The  common  sight  here  is  not  of  age,  but  of  debu- 
tante and  subdebutante  in  tweeds  and  flat-heeled  shoes.  It  is  a  section 
of  Philadelphia  peopled  by  Americans  conscious  of  their  own  mod- 
ernism, who  find  distinction  in  a  present  of  hard  work  and  hard  play 
rather  than  in  the  recollection  of  past  glories. 

N.  from  City  Hall  on  Broad  St.  to  Butler  (3800  north)  ;  L.  on  But- 
ler ;  on  Germantown  ^ve. 

Just  north  of  Wayne  Junction,  left,  with  its  rim  of  railroads  and 
nineteenth  century  brick  factory  buildings,  rises  Negley's  Hill,  sur- 

475 


TOUR  OF  HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN 


WAYNE  y 

JUNCTION      y 


HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN  (CiTY  TOUR  6) 

mounted  by  LOUDOUN  (1),  one  of  the  fine  old  mansions  for  which 
Germantown  is  famous. 

Patrician  white  pine  trees  and  a  terraced  garden  frame  the  two- 
and-a-half  story  structure,  with  its  gabled  roof,  hipped  at  one  end, 
and  its  ivy-covered  walls  of  irregular  stone,  plastered  over.  Although 
the  house  was  erected  after  the  Revolution  by  Thomas  Armat,  whose 
descendants  occupy  it,  the  handsome  leaded  fanlight  above  the 
paneled  front  door  and  a  pillared  portico  with  a  simple  wooden  pedi- 
ment and  wooden  columns  express  the  Colonial  spirit. 

On  the  left,  at  4840,  is  the  SITE  OF  THE  WAGNER  HOUSE  (2), 
which  was  built  in  1747  and  used  as  a  hospital  after  the  Battle  of 
Germantown.  The  house  was  demolished  in  1915,  and  a  row  of  dwell- 
ing houses  was  built  upon  the  site. 

On  the  right  at  Logan  Street  is  Hood's  Cemetery,  known  also  as 
the  LOWER  BURIAL  GROUND  (3).  The  oldest  tombstone  here  is 


1.  Loudoun 

2.  Site  of  the  Wagner  House 

3.  Lower  Burial  Ground 

4.  Kunders  House 

5.  Gilbert  Stuart  House 

6.  Germantown   Historical   Society 

7.  Grumblethorpe 

8.  Watson  House 

9.  Germantown       Friends       Meeting 
House 

10.  Germantown    Friends    Library 

11.  Morris  House 

12.  Market         Square         Presbyterian 
Church 

13.  Market  Square 

14.  Germantown  Academy 

15.  Vernon  Park 

16.  Germantown    Branch    of    the    Y. 
W.  C.  A. 

17.  Town  Hall 

18.  Germantown    High    School 


19.  Green  Tree  Inn 

20.  Wyck 

21.  Germantown    Mennonite    Church 

22.  Keyser  House 

23.  Awbury    Arboretum    and    Park 

24.  Johnson  House 

25.  Concord   School  House 

26.  Upper  Burial  Ground 

27.  Chew  Mansion 

28.  Upsala 

29.  Billmeyer  House 

30.  "Sparrowjack's  House" 

31.  First   Church   of  the  Brethren 

32.  St.  Michael's  Lutheran  Church 

33.  Luthern  Orphanage 

34.  Lovett  Memorial  Library 

35.  Lutheran  Theological   Seminary 

36.  Pennsylvania  School  for  the  Deaf 

37.  Morris   Arborteum 

38.  Germantown    Unitarian    Church 

39.  William   Penn    Charter   School 


477 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

marked  1708.  Crossbones  and  the  words,  "Memendo  Mory,"  a  mis- 
spelled Latin  phrase  meaning  "remember  we  must  die,"  have  been 
chiseled  on  another  ancient  gravestone  built  into  the  cemetery  wall 
on  Logan  Street.  William  Hood,  who  amassed  a  fortune  in  Cuba, 
provided  for  the  erection  of  the  marble  wall,  balustrade,  and  gate- 
way. He  and  his  wife  were  buried  just  inside  the  gates  of  the  ceme- 
tery. 

At  5109  is  the  old  KUNDERS  HOUSE  (4) .  The  street  numbers 
are  confusing  at  this  point,  5100  on  the  right  being  directly  opposite 
5000  on  the  left. 

The  Kunders  house  stands  on  the  spot  where  Thones  Kunders, 
original  settler,  built  his  first  house  in  the  New  World  in  1683.  Part 
of  the  north  wall  of  the  dwelling  is  believed  to  be  a  remnant  of  the 
wall  of  the  original  structure. 

The  building,  constructed  of  stone  and  plaster  and  three  stories  in 
height,  has  been  remodeled  several  times.  Small  wrought-iron  bal- 
conies to  each  of  the  second-story  windows  and  one  to  the  center  .win- 
dow of  the  third  floor  are  recent  additions.  At  the  right  of  the  Colonial 
doorway  there  is  a  bay  window  of  English  style. 

Here  were  held  the  first  meetings  in  Germantown  of  the  Society 
of  Friends,  and  from  this  house,  in  1688,  came  the  first  public  pro- 
test against  slavery  in  America.  This  was  contained  in  a  paper  writ- 
ten by  Daniel  Pastorius  and  signed  by  him  and  three  others. 

GILBERT  STUART  HOUSE  (5)  is  at  5140  Germantown  Avenue. 
Occupied  at  times  by  some  of  Germantown's  most  prominent  families, 
including  the  Shippens,  Bringhursts,  and  Wisters,  the  house  is  most 
famous  for  its  connection  with  Gilbert  Stuart,  the  early  American 
painter.  Here  he  painted  a  full-length  portrait  of  Cornplanter,  famous 
Indian  chief  ;  and  here,  in  1796,  he  did  one  of  his  well-known  por- 
traits of  George  Washingtion.  While  posing,  Washington  was  enter- 
tained by  the  daughters  of  Benjamin  Chew,  to  whom  the  President 
gave  full  credit  for  any  success  he  achieved  as  a  sitter.  The  portrait, 
property  of  the  Athenaeum,  is  now  being  exhibited  at  the  Boston 
Museum  of  Fine  Arts.  The  house  is  a  two-story-and-attic  building, 
with  dormer  windows  and  brick  chimneys  at  either  end. 

For  a  time  Stuart  used  the  barn  in  the  rear  of  the  property  as  a 
studio.  It  later  served  as  a  manufacturing  shop  and  as  a  schoolhouse. 
Possibly  because  of  the  crows  that  are  among  the  numerous  birds 
frequenting  the  place,  it  has  become  known  as  "The  Corvy." 

Only  tulip  trees  and  hydrangeas  remain  today  of  the  old  garden 
where  Washington  used  to  lounge  between  sittings. 

A  Colonial  building  of  rough  gray  stone  at  5214  Germantown 
Avenue  houses  the  GERMANTOWN  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  (6) 
(open  weekdays  1  to  5 ;  adm.  free).  The  building  contains  the 
society's  collection  of  relics,  china,  portraits  by  Charles  Willson  Peale, 

478 


HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN  (Crry  TOUR  6) 

and  a  library  of  works  on  Germantown.  The  house,  three  stories  in 
height,  built  about  1772,  was  known  successively  as  the  Conyngham, 
the  Wister,  and  the  Hacker  house.  It  was  renovated  in  1927  and 
taken  over  by  the  society. 

The  estate's  brick  wall,  draped  with  vines  and  roses,  encloses  a 
garden  bordered  with  box  and  other  evergreens. 

At  5267  is  GRUMBLETHORPE  (7),  the  Wister  "Big  House." 
When  built  by  John  Wister  in  1744,  it  was  the  first  summer  home 
in  Germantown.  Originally  constructed  of  timber  and  native  stone, 
it  was  altered  in  1808,  and  today  the  rubblestone  building,  now 
pebble-dashed  in  front,  reflects  both  the  earlier  and  the  more  sophis- 
ticated later  architecture. 

The  once  fine  gardens  in  the  rear  of  the  house  were  developed  by 
Charles  J.  Wister,  grandson  of  the  builder  and  one  of  the  leading 
horticulturists  of  his  day.  Some  of  the  fruit  trees  have  been  productive 
for  almost  two  centuries  ;  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  purple  beech 
graces  the  garden,  and  a  gingko  tree  in  front  of  the  garden  is  one 
of  the  largest  female  species  in  the  country.  Wister,  who  was  inter- 
ested in  mineralogy  and  astronomy  as  well  as  botany,  built  an  observ- 
atory in  the  yard  in  1835  ;  four  feet  of  the  original  wall  still  stands. 

In  her  sprightly  diary,  Sally  Wister  described  the  entertaining 
persons  and  events  revolving  around  the  Wister  house  in  the  days 
when  the  British  occupied  Philadelphia.  One  of  Sally's  most  whim- 
sical stories  centers  on  the  British  Grenadier,  a  life-size  figure  painted 
on  a  wooden  panel,  supposedly  by  Major  Andre,  for  the  Meschianza, 
the  pageant  held  by  British  officers  in  May  1778  as  a  farewell  to 
Sir  William  Howe.  The  panel,  once  displayed  in  the  hallway  of  the 
house,  was  used  by  Sally's  father,  Daniel  Wister,  and  a  number  of 
American  officers  visiting  his  home,  to  deflate  the  ego  of  one  Major 
Tilly,  who  boasted  his  anxiety  to  meet  the  British  in  battle.  The 
panel  was  placed  near  the  front  door  in  the  dim  light  of  a  lantern, 
and  Tilly  was  summoned.  A  hidden  officer  demanded  to  know  if  any 
rebel  officers  were  in  the  house.  Tilly  fled  through  a  rear  door  and 
was  making  for  Washington's  camp  when  he  fell  into  a  mill  pond. 
His  fellow  officers  overtook  him  and  explained  the  deception. 

Some  of  the  incidents  related  about  the  house,  however,  are  grim. 
During  the  Battle  of  Germantown  the  British  General,  James  Agnew, 
was  brought  to  the  house  bleeding  profusely  from  mortal  wounds 
and  was  laid  on  the  floor  of  the  west  parlor.  His  blood  soaked  into 
the  boards,  and  the  stain  remains,  despite  the  scrubbings  of  one  and 
a  half  centuries. 

A  few  doors  beyond  Grumblethorpe,  at  5275-77,  is  the  WATSON 
HOUSE  (8) ,  where  Washington  is  said  to  have  spent  one  or  two 
nights.  The  British  held  a  court  martial  in  the  upstairs  parlor.  Dur- 
ing the  fever  epidemic  of  1793  Thomas  Jefferson,  then  Secretary  of 

479 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

State,  and  Edmund  Randolph,  Attorney  General,  took  refuge  here. 

Although  there  is  no  record  of  the  date  of  the  erection  of  this 
building,  its  association  with  Revolutionary  War  events  gives  it  an 
air  of  antiquity.  It  is  a  two-and-one-half  story  building  of  plaster 
with  a  slag  shingled  roof. 

Between  1824  and  1868  this  and  the  adjoining  dwelling  served  as 
headquarters  for  the  National  Bank  of  Germantown,  and  parts  of  the 
old  vaults  may  still  be  seen.  The  house  is  named  for  John  F.  Watson, 
the  historian,  who  was  cashier  of  the  bank  for  34  years.  While  a  resi- 
dent there,  Watson  compiled  the  Annals  of  Philadelphia. 

On  the  left,  just  north  of  Coulter  Street,  which  it  faces,  is  the  GER- 
MANTOWN FRIENDS  MEETINGHOUSE  (9),  set  far  back  from  the 
street,  with  a  playground  and  graveyard  separating  it  from  the  Ger- 
mantown Friends  School  on  the  same  premises.  The  present  building 
was  erected  in  1871  on  land  conveyed  to  the  meeting  in  1693  by  Jacob 
Shoemaker.  A  meetinghouse  has  existed  on  this  site  since  the  com- 
pletion of  the  first  stone  building  in  1705. 

Daniel  Pastorius,  who  was  born  September  26,  1651,  and  died 
September  27,  1719,  is  believed  to  be  buried  in  the  graveyard,  al- 
though the  exact  location  of  his  grave  has  never  been  determined. 

On  a  small  plot  of  ground  adjoining  the  meetinghouse  grounds  is 
the  GERMANTOWN  FRIENDS  LIBRARY  (10),  a  comprehensive 
reference  library  much  used  by  the  residents  of  the  community. 

The  MORRIS  HOUSE  (11),  at  5442  Germantown  Avenue,  retains 
its  delightful  gardens  and  fine  orchards  and  vineyards. 

The  house  was  built  in  1772  by  David  Deschlet,  a  wealthy  India 
merchant.  This  two-story-and-attic  plastered  gray  stone  structure 
with  white  trim  has  a  pedimented  doorway  with  recessed  heavy  pan- 
eled door  flanked  by  engaged  Tuscan  columns.  Between  the  end 
chimneys  are  two  pedimented  dormers  with  round-topped  windows. 
Twenty-four  panel  windows  on  the  first  and  second  floors  have 
frames  with  molded  sills.  The  cornice  has  modillions  and  dentils. 

A  large  hall  extends  through  the  center  of  the  house,  widening 
beyond  the  front  room  to  contain  a  graceful  stairway.  White  wood 
paneling  in  all  the  rooms  and  halls  rises  to  the  height  of  the  chair 
rail.  Fireplaces  faced  with  dark  Pennsylvania  marble,  overmantels, 
and  woodwork  exemplify  Colonial  craftsmanship.  Many  pieces  of  the 
original  furniture,  china,  and  silverware  remain. 

Here,  in  1793,  when  a  fever  epidemic  was  ravaging  Philadelphia, 
President  Washington  found  refuge.  At  that  time  the  first  President 
and  his  family  attended  services  in  the  Market  Square  Church,  al- 
most directly  across  the  square  from  the  house. 

The  present  MARKET  SQUARE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 
(12),  facing  on  the  square  from  the  eastern  side,  was  erected  in  1888, 
upon  the  site  of  a  Dutch  Reformed  church  established  in  1733.  It 

480 


HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN  (CITY  TOUR  6) 

retains  some  relics  of  the  early  edifice,  including  a  bell,  brass  angels, 
a  weathercock,  and  a  steeple  which  was  perforated  by  bullets  when 
the  Paxton  Boys  descended  upon  Germantown  in  search  of  the 
Conestoga  Indians  who  fled  Lancaster  County  after  members  of  their 
tribe  had  been  massacred. 

MARKET  SQUARE  (13),  on  which  the  church  fronts,  in  the  early 
days  of  the  community  was  Germantown's  market  place,  the  site  of 
its  stocks,  its  jail,  and  its  firehouse.  In  recent  years  the  plot  has  been 
transformed  into  a  plaza,  with  tree-shaded  lawns.  A  memorial  to  the 
Civil  War  dead  stands  in  the  square. 

L.  from  Germantown  Ave.  on  School  House  Lane. 

At  Greene  Street  is  one  of  the  oldest  schools  in  the  United  States, 
the  GERMANTOWN  ACADEMY  (14).  It  was  founded  as  the  Ger- 
mantown Union  School  in  1760.  The  buildings  that  compose  the 
school  group,  like  numerous  others  in  the  vicinity,  were  used  as  a 
hospital  for  British  soldiers  after  the  Battle  of  Germantown.  Some 
of  the  British  dead  were  buried  in  the  grounds.  The  crown  of  Eng- 
land still  surmounts  the  spire  over  the  belfry  which  contains  a  bell 
brought  to  the  city  in  1774  in  the  Polly,  a  British  tea  ship  which  the 
citizens  of  Philadelphia  prevented  from  docking.  The  bell  was  car- 
ried back  to  England  and  was  reshipped  in  1784. 

The  local  dressed  stone  of  the  two-story,  six-room  schoolhouse  is 
veiled  with  ivy.  Except  for  the  modillions  in  the  cornice,  the  facade 
is  bare  of  ornament.  Recent  additions  in  the  Colonial  spirit  have  been 
made  so  skillfully  that  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  old  from  new.  The 
years  have  wrought  few  changes  in  the  appearance  of  Germantown 
Academy,  and  the  original  building  is  still  in  use. 

Retrace  on  School  House  Lane  ;  L.  on  Germantown  Ave. 

Between  School  House  Lane  and  a  point  slightly  north  of  Chelten 
Avenue  is  one  part  of  Germantown's  business  and  amusement  sec- 
tions. 

Just  north  of  Chelten  Avenue,  on  the  left,  is  VERNON  PARK  (15) , 
extending  west  to  Greene  Street.  Some  of  the  holly  trees  in  the  park 
are  noteworthy.  The  mansion  in  the  park's  center  was  built  in  1803  by 
James  Matthews  and  later  was  purchased  by  John  Wister,  who  named 
it  in  honor  of  Washington's  home,  Mount  Vernon.  At  one  time  it 
housed  a  branch  of  the  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia  and  later  was 
the  headquarters  of  the  Site  and  Relic  Society  of  Germantown. 

City  Council's  Committee  on  City  Property,  on  March  29,  1937, 
approved  the  leasing  of  historic  Wister  house  to  the  Germantown 
Community  Council  for  $1  a  year.  The  council,  which  represents  40 
civic,  educational,  and  social  organizations  in  Germantown,  agreed  to 
put  the  house  in  good  condition,  using  $925  collected  for  the  purpose 
and  a  $7,000  WPA  grant.  The  structure  will  be  used  as  a  community 
center,  with  art  exhibitions  and  similar  events  to  be  held  there. 

481 


Germantown  Academy 
"Its  steeple  still  wears  the  crown  of  England" 

The  library  is  now  housed  in  the  Carnegie  Library  building  on  the 
north  side  of  the  park.  A  battle  monument,  a  memorial  fountain, 
a  shaft  to  Pastorius,  a  band  pavilion,  and  an  open  plaza  are  also  on 
the  grounds.  The  GERMANTOWN  BRANCH  OF  THE  YOUNG 
WOMEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION  (16)  is  on  the  northern 
border  of  the  Park. 

Germantown's  TOWN  HALL  (17),  a  striking  white  building  sur- 
mounted by  a  tall  spire,  is  on  the  left  at  Haines  Street. 

482 


HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN  (CITY  TOUR  6) 

The  building  is  three  stories  in  height  and  constructed  of  white 
sandstone  with  steel  construction  and  granite  hase.  Above  the  six 
Ionic  columns  of  the  semi-circular  porch  is  a  denticulated  cornice 
and  above  this  a  railing.  The  building  was  completed  in  1923  by  John 
Molitor.  It  was  dedicated  in  1925  and  supplanted  the  old  Town  Hall, 
which  was  used  as  a  hospital  during  the  Civil  War.  The  clock  and 
the  bell  in  the  tower  were  formerly  in  Independence  Hall. 

GERMANTOWN  HIGH  SCHOOL  (18),  one  of  Philadelphia's 
finest  school  buildings,  sets  back  in  a  wide  plot  of  well-kept  lawn, 
studded  with  trees  and  interlaced  with  cement  walks,  at  High  Street, 
right. 

Just  north  of  High  Street,  adjoining  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  right,  is  the  old  GREEN  TREE  INN  (19),  famous  in  the 
early  days  of  Germantown  as  a  rendezvous  for  sleighing  and  coach- 
ing parties.  The  building  now  is  the  parsonage  of  the  church.  Estab- 
lished in  1748  by  Daniel  Pastorius,  grandson  of  the  founder  of  Ger- 
mantown, and  maintained  by  him  until  his  death  in  1754,  the  inn  was 
carried  on  under  the  direction  of  his  widow.  Here,  in  1759,  a  group 
of  citizens  gathered  to  form  the  Germantown  Union  School,  later 
Germantown  Academy.  Lafayette  was  a  guest  here,  and  a  picture  in 
the  hall  portrays  his  reception.  The  two-and-a-half  story  structure  of 
field  stone  is  of  Colonial  design,  with  three  small  plain  dormers  with 
segmental-topped  windows  and  a  six-paneled  Dutch  door. 

WYCK  (20) ,  on  the  left  at  Germantown  Avenue  and  Walnut  Lane, 
is  said  to  be  a  remnant  of  the  oldest  house  in  the  community.  Two 
and  a  half  stories  high,  with  a  one-story  kitchen  wing,  Wyck  is  a 
combination  of  two  houses  once  divided  by  a  paved  wagonway. 
Horizontal  trellises,  beribboned  with  vines,  accentuate  the  length  of 
the  80-foot  fronts  of  white  plaster  and  rubble  masonry.  Luxurious 
ferns,  drooping  willows,  and  rare  shade  trees,  including  the  famous 
Spanish  chestnut  planted  by  Washington  and  the  white  walnut  grown 
from  a  slip  planted  by  Lafayette  at  Belmont  upon  the  occasion  of  his 
farewell  visit  to  America,  embower  the  house  in  foliage. 

In  the  garden,  roses  bloom  riotously  in  late  spring  mingling  their 
fragrance  with  that  of  the  hawthorn  and  lilac.  A  rose  so  old  as  to 
defy  identification,  a  Burgundy  rose,  meadowsweet  and  crepe  myrtle, 
pink  lilies  of  the  valley,  purple  and  white  drop,  chimonanthus,  which 
bloom  at  Christmas,  fuchsias,  oak-leaved  hydrangeas,  and  hardy  phlox 
make  the  garden  among  the  loveliest  in  all  Germantown. 

The  property,  still  in  the  hands  of  the  family  whose  ancestors 
cleared  the  land,  was  used  as  a  hospital  during  the  Battle  of  German- 
town.  Reminders  of  that  time,  in  the  form  of  dark  bloodstains  on 
the  floor,  have  withstood  the  years. 

On  the  right,  a  few  yards  north  of  Herman  Street  and  just  north  of 
Wyck,  is  the  GERMANTOWN  MENNONITE  CHURCH  (21),  with  a 

483 


77ie  JFycfc  House 
'A  symphony  of  shutters  and  shadows" 


Germantown  Mennonile  Church 
Where  a  Picturesque  Sect  Worships 


HIT 

IT 


HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN  (CITY  TOUR  6) 

burial  ground  on  the  south  side  of  the  building.  Built  in  1770,  the 
edifice,  oldest  Mennonite  church  in  America,  retains  the  original 
pews  and  furnishings,  including  a  table  on  which,  it  is  said,  an  early 
protest  against  slavery  in  America  was  written. 

A  tall  tulip  tree  towers  above  this  simple  structure  of  gray  field 
stone  with  painted  white  woodwork.  A  pediment  forms  a  hood  above 
the  entrance  door,  on  either  side  of  which  is  a  shuttered  window  of 
24  small  panes.  A  16-pane  window  without  shutters  centers  above  the 
door.  Between  this  window  and  the  eaves  is  a  date  stone  marked  1770. 

On  the  northeast  corner  at  Tulpehocken  Street,  set  above  the  side- 
walk and  flanked  by  a  wide  garden,  is  the  KEYSER  HOUSE  (22), 
built  in  1738  by  Dirck  Key^er.  It  is  believed  to  be  the  first  two-story 
dwelling  erected  in  the  community  and  is  one  of  Germantown's  oldest 
houses.  Keyser,  a  Mennonite,  was  one  of  the  original  settlers.  He 
came  to  America  from  Amsterdam  in  1688. 

R.  from  Germantown  Ave.  on  Washington  Lane. 

AWBURY  ABBORETUM  AND  PARK  (23)  a  picturesque  and 
inviting  spot,  with  its  spacious  gardens  and  woodland,  stretches  away 
to  the  right  east  of  Chew  Street.  When  the  city  took  over  the  40 
acres  of  the  old  Awbury  estate,  it  constructed  in  the  grounds  an 
artificial  lake  and  stream,  planted  additional  trees  and  shrubs,  and 
provided  seats  along  the  paths  and  drives  that  interlace  the  woods 
and  meadowland.  Now  and  then  turns  in  the  drive  bring  into  view 
old  houses,  reminders  of  the  years  past  and  typical  of  Germantown. 

Retrace  on  Washington  Lane ;  R.  on  Germantown  Ave. 

The  gray  stone  JOHNSON  HOUSE  (24),  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
Germantown  Avenue  and  Washington  Lane,  now  housing  the  Ger- 
mantown Women's  Club,  was  the  center  of  fierce  fighting  during  the 
Battle  of  Germantown.  The  house  was  erected  in  1768  by  John  John- 
son for  his  son  and  the  latter's  bride,  the  former  Rachel  Livezey.  The 
extensive  gardens,  planted  by  the  first  mistress  of  the  house,  hold  a 
wealth  of  hardy  perennials  along  with  familiar  shrubs  such  as  caly- 
canthus,  snowball,  and  Persian  lilac,  a  glorious  fig  tree,  and  large 
beds  of  lilies  of  the  valley. 

Typical  of  Colonial  Germantown's  architecture  is  the  solidly  con- 
structed native  ledge  stone  house,  two-and-one-half  stories  high,  with 
a  gabled  roof.  On  the  front  facade  two  dormer  windows  intersect  the 
large  end  chimneys,  and  a  brass  knocker  and  wrought-iron  hinges 
decorate  the  split  Dutch  door.  The  interior  of  the  house  retains 
Colonial  charm.  The  floors,  woodwork,  fireplace,  and  many  of  the 
windows  are  original.  Much  of  the  furniture  is  antique,  and  in  the 
corner  cupboards  is  the  old  china  used  during  the  pre-Revolutionary 
period. 

In  the  battle,  soldiers  used  as  a  breastwork  the  stone  wall  that 
separated  the  garden  from  that  of  the  house  next  door.  A  northwest 

485 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

wall  still  bears  marks  of  bullets  and  cannon  balls.  It  is  said  that 
while  the  fighting  raged,  milkmaids  carried  their  tasks  to  completion, 
despite  warnings  to  seek  safety.  Thus,  after  the  battle,  British  soldiers 
who  ransacked  the  house  found  refreshments  awaiting  them. 

On  the  right,  a  few  yards  north  of  Washington  Lane,  is  the  CON- 
CORD SCHOOL  HOUSE  (25),  set  above  the  avenue  and  fronted  by 
a  four-and-a-half-foot  stone  wall.  It  was  built  in  1775  for  the  use  of 
children  who  found  it  difficult  to  travel  to  the  Germantown  Union 
School  during  the  winter  months.  The  simple  Colonial  edifice  is  in 
fairly  good  condition. 

Adjoining  the  school  on  the  north  is  the  old  UPPER  BURIAL 
GROUND  (26) .  This  is  surrounded  by  a  high  stone  wall,  but  parts 
of  it  may  be  seen  through  the  narrow  gate.  The  oldest  gravestone  is 
dated  1716.  One  grave  is  the  resting  place  of  three  officers  and  six 
men  killed  in  the  battle. 

The  CHEW  MANSION  (27)  (private),  on  the  right,  surrounded  by 
grounds  occupying  the  entire  block  between  Johnson  and  Cliveden 
Streets,  was  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  desperate  phases  of  the  battle. 

In  its  first  stages  Washington's  attack  was  successful.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  October  3,  1777,  the  Continentals  advanced  under  cover  of  a 
heavy  fog  and  drove  the  British  before  them.  The  main  assault  had 
swept  past  the  Chew  house  and  was  moving  on  towards  the  heart  of 
Germantown  when  Washington  discovered  that  five  companies  of 
British  infantry  had  barricaded  themselves  in  the  Chew  house  and 
were  threatening  his  force  from  the  rear. 

Maxwell's  brigade  was  told  off  from  the  American  reserves  to  storm 
the  house,  but  the  hot  fire  of  the  British  within  halted  the  attack. 
Cannon  were  brought  up  and  the  door  was  blown  in.  Men  were  sent 
forward  to  fire  the  mansion,  but  were  shot  down  in  the  Chew  grounds, 
and  a  messenger  with  a  flag  of  truce  and  a  demand  for  surrender 
suffered  the  same  fate. 

The  heavy  walls  of  the  Chew  home  withstood  bullets  and  cannon 
balls,  and  the  Americans  withdrew  from  Germantown.  This  they  were 
forced  to  do  because  their  own  ranks  had  been  thrown  into  confusion 
by  one  commander,  General  Stephen,  who  was  confused  by  a  dense 
fog  ;  and  another,  General  Greene,  whose  troops  came  up  too  late 
to  fit  into  Washington's  plans. 

After  the  battle,  the  Chew  family,  absent  at  the  time,  returned  to 
the  house  and  repaired  the  damage,  but  the  building  still  bears 
marks  of  the  encounter. 

The  house  is  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  domestic  architecture 
in  local  Colonial  style.  The  plans  were  made  by  Chief  Justice  Ben- 
jamin Chew,  who  began  construction  of  the  building  in  1761.  A 
Doric  doorway,  with  pediment,  dignifies  the  front  entrance.  The 
limestone  belt  course  at  the  second  floor  level,  the  heavy  modillioned 

486 


HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN  (CITY  TOUR  6) 

cornice,  projecting  water  table,  and  the  fine  roof  line  give  a  sense 
of  quiet  stability  in  contrast  with  the  broken  effect  of  the  chimney, 
the  dormer  windows,  urns,  and  pediments  above  the  second  floor. 

The  heavy  masonry  front  of  the  two-and-a-half-story  house  is  of 
faced  Germantown  stone  quarried  within  one  hundred  yards  of  the 
house  ;  the  other  walls  are  of  rubble  masonry,  plastered  and  marked 
to  simulate  dressed  stone.  The  two  wings  were  originally  connected 
by  quadrants.  Behind  the  house,  connected  by  an  underground  pas- 
sage, a  stable  in  virtually  its  original  condition  still  shelters  the  old 
family  coach. 

Off  the  large  central  hall  are  small  front  rooms  used  as  offices.  All 
of  the  walls  of  the  first  story  are  beautifully  wainscoted  and  have 
dentilated  cornices.  Mahogany  top  moldings  on  the  stairway  wains- 
coting and  balustrade  afford  effective  contrast  with  the  white  wood- 
work. 

The  estate  was  once  the  seat  of  romance.  Four  beautiful  daughters 
entertained  suitors  in  the  house  and  walked  with  them  in  the  garden. 
A  few  faded  souvenirs  treasured  by  the  Chew  family  commemorate 
the  romance  of  Peggy  Chew  and  the  ill-starred  Major  Andre,  who 
was  among  the  town's  most  popular  beaus  when  the  British  Army 
was  in  Philadelphia. 

Directly  across  Germantown  Avenue  from  the  Chew  house  is 
UPSALA  (28),  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  post-Revolutionary  ar- 
chitecture in  Philadelphia.  The  British  were  encamped  on  the  site 
of  this  house  for  some  time,  and  a  tablet  set  in  a  large  boulder  in  the 
front  of  the  property  lists  the  names  of  American  officers  killed  in 
the  battle  that  raged  about  this  spot. 

The  ivy-covered  house,  standing  amid  verdant  lawns,  with  a  white 
fence  running  along  the  street  border  of  the  property,  presents  a 
peaceful  picture.  This  two-and-a-half-story  square  gabled  residence 
belonging  to  the  Johnson  family  was  begun  in  1798  and  was  three 
years  in  the  building.  The  pedimented  porch  .of  Upsala  is  mentioned 
by  authors  of  books  on  architecture  as  one  of  the  finest  in  America. 
At  the  top  of  three  stone  steps  is  a  square  platform  with  slender, 
fluted  Doric  columns.  Engaged  columns  flank  the  high,  fairly  narrow 
stairway.  The  front  of  the  house  is  veneered  with  three-inch  ashlar 
of  dressed  Germantown  stone,  applied  to  a  rubble  wall  ;  the  rear 
wall  is  plastered  and  has  quoined  corners,  covered  by  a  grapevine. 
The  beauty  of  the  interior  is  particularly  marked  in  the  delicately 
ornamented  mantelpieces,  fine  cornices  of  Roman  design  gracefully 
modeled  in  plaster,  paneled  wainscoting  throughout  the  house,  and 
good  wood  finishes.  The  house  contains  three  of  the  most  prized  hand- 
carved  mantelpieces  in  America.  Upsala  belongs  to  a  later  period 
than  most  of  Philadelphia's  Colonial  homes.  The  delicate  design  of 

487 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  mantels  and  interior  woodwork,  the  broad  sweeping  curves  of 
the  graceful  staircases  with  their  simple  dark  wood  handrail  and 
square  molded  balusters,  definitely  show  the  influence  of  the  Adam 
style  in  their  design. 

Henry  N.  Johnson,  one-time  resident  of  Upsala,  was  an  enthusiastic 
horticulturist,  fond  of  cultivating  grapes.  Concord,  Isabella,  and 
Catawba  vines  to  this  day  decorate  the  sunny  walls  of  the  house.  In  a 
small  greenhouse  attached  to  Upsala  are  a  few  old  white  jasmines 
and  a  century-old  white  camellia,  which  used  to  bear  a  hundred 
flowers  at  once. 

The  BILLMEYER  HOUSE  (29) ,  on  the  right,  north  of  Upsal  Street, 
bears  many  scars  received  during  the  assault  on  the  Chew  house.  A 
tablet  in  the  front  of  the  building  marks  the  spot  where  Continental 
officers  held  a  council  of  war  to  determine  the  best  means  of  attack- 
ing the  barricaded  Chew  home.  Erected  in  1727,  the  Billmeyer  house 
is  an  interesting  example  of  an  early  Germantown  two-family  stone 
dwelling.  Steps  on  the  outer  side  lead  up  from  the  pavement  to  each 
doorway,  with  simply  designed  wrought-iron  balustrades  and  two  seats 
placed  back  to  back  on  the  stoop. 

Opposite  the  Billmeyer  house  is  "SPARROWJACK'S  HOUSE" 
(30) ,  which  received  its  name  from  John  Bardley,  an  occupant,  whom 
City  Council  engaged  to  procure  English  sparrows  to  combat  a  plague 
of  caterpillars. 

The   Billmeyer   House 
"A    battle-scarred  veteran  of  the  Revolution" 


M 


iii-        iru 

!E   t 


HISTORIC  GERMANTOWN  (CITY  TOUR  6) 

On  the  northeast  corner  at  Montana  Street  stands  the  FIRST 
CHURCH  OF  THE  BRETHREN  (31),  mother  church  of  the  Dun- 
kard  sect  in  America.  From  1760  to  1770  a  wooden  building  housed  the 
congregation  while  the  present  stone  church  was  being  erected.  This 
latter  building  was  remodeled  in  1896  and  again  in  1915.  The  burial 
ground  in  the  rear  has  been  neatly  kept  and  holds  the  dust  of  2,000 
persons. 

During  the  battle  the  church  was  the  scene  of  vigorous  action.  In 
the  loft,  Christopher  Sauer  had  stored  a  number  of  sheets  of  the  third 
edition  of  the  Sauer  Bible.  British  soldiers  seized  the  sheets  and  used 
them  as  musket  wadding.  Sauer,  however,  collected  enough  unspoiled 
sheets  to  make  compete  Bibles  for  each  of  his  children.  A  tablet 
within  the  church  honors  the  memory  of  this  pioneer  scriptural  print- 
er, who  became  a  bishop  in  1753. 

At  Phil-Ellena  Street,  on  the  northeast  corner,  stands  ST. 
MICHAEL'S  LUTHERAN  CHURCH  (32).  Set  far  back  from  the 
street,  with  a  graveyard  at  both  the  front  and  back,  St.  Michael's 
Church  holds  much  historic  interest.  Here  for  a  time  Rev.  Henry 
Melchior  Muhlenberg,  the  noted  cleric-soldier,  served  as  pastor.  The 
present  church  is  the  third  on  the  site.  The  Colonial  structure  was 
looted  by  British  soldiers  who  dismantled  the  organ  and  ran  through 
the  streets  blowing  on  the  pipes.  The  first  church  was  built  in  1730, 
and  the  graveyard  contains  many  stones  with  curious  Colonial  in- 
scriptions. 

The  small,  stone  building  bordering  the  sidewalk  was  erected  be- 
fore 1740  and  through  its  early  history  served  as  a  schoolhouse,  the 
first  in  Germantown. 

The  LUTHERAN  ORPHANAGE  (33),  is  the  only  Lutheran 
children's  asylum  in  the  city.  It  was  established  in  1859. 

The  LOVETT  MEMORIAL  LIBRARY  (34),  6945  Germantown 
Avenue,  diagonally  above  the  orphanage,  is  a  branch  of  the  Free 
Library  of  Philadelphia. 

The  library  was  founded  in  1885  and  the  one-story-and-attic  build- 
ing was  erected  year  later.  It  has  a  one-story  wing,  used  as  the  chil- 
dren's department.  The  building  is  constructed  of  stone  with  a 
shingled  gable  at  each  side  of  the  entrance. 

In  a  deep  hollow  just  over  the  crest  of  a  rise  beyond  the  library, 
lies  the  business  section  of  Sedgwick,  a  compact  double  strip  of 
small  stores  compressed  within  a  half-block.  Victorian  type  resid- 
ences of  heavy  stone  rim  the  bowl  of  neighborhood  commerce,  pre- 
senting a  sharp  contrast  between  past  and  present. 

On  the  right,  north  of  Allen's  Lane,  is  the  LUTHERAN  THEOLO- 
GICAL SEMINARY  (35),  with  a  splendid  memorial  to  Rev.  Henry 
Muhlenberg  on  the  front  lawn. 

489 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  PENNSYLVANIA  SCHOOL  FOR  THE  DEAF  (36),  7500 
Germantown  Avenue,  is  distinguished  by  its  acres  of  green  lawn,  and 
its  great,  gray  buildings  set  on  gentle  slopes,  far  back  from  the  avenue. 
"P.  S.  D.,"  as  the  school  is  known  throughout  Germantown,  is  the 
largest  oral  school  for  the  deaf  in  the  United  States. 

The  institution  had  its  beginning  in  a  small  shop.  David  Seixas, 
proprietor  of  a  grocery  store  on  Market  Street  near  Seventeenth, 
gathered  together  a  few  deaf  and  dumb  waifs  who  had  been  left  to 
roam  the  streets  uncared  for.  In  his  small  shop  he  opened  a  school, 
taught  the  children  what  he  could,  and  clothed  and  fed  them.  That 
was  in  1819.  One  year  later  a  town  meeting  was  called  by  a  group 
of  public-spirited  citizens  whose  attention  had  been  drawn  to  Seixas' 
efforts,  and  the  school  was  founded. 

Through  the  years  it  has  been  enlarged  and  improved.  Its  535  boys 
and  girls,  from  6  to  21  years  old,  receive  a  thorough  vocational  and 
academic  training.  All  the  pupils  are  instructed  orally  by  the  lip-read- 
ing method  and  are  taught  to  use  speech.  State  appropriations,  en- 
dowments, and  the  tuitions  of  paying  pupils  support  the  institution. 

Germantown  Avenue  passes  over  Chestnut  Hill  and  merges  with 
Germantown  Pike. 

R.  from  Germantown  Pike  on  City  Line  Ave. 

The  MORRIS  ARBORETUM  (37),  on  City  Line  Avenue  (open 
Wed.,  Thur.,  Sat.,  and  Sun.  1  to  5  ;  adm.  free)  is  one  of  the  best- 
known  gardens  of  its  kind  in  America  ;  its  176  acres  contain  many 
rare  and  exotic  trees,  flowers,  and  shrubs  gathered  from  every  part 
of  the  world.  Bequeathed  to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  by  the 
late  Lydia  Thompson  Morris,  it  was  opened  to  the  public  on  June  2, 
1933. 

Although  the  arboretum  has  come  to  be  identified  as  a  place  of 
public  interest,  it  is  still  utilized  by  the  university  as  a  practical  illus- 
tration for  lectures  and  classes  on  horticultural  and  botanical  sub- 
jects. Here  each  year  women  of  the  university  hold  their  May  Day 
frolic,  marked  by  the  crowning  of  a  May  Queen  and  the  presentation 
of  a  play. 

As  its  educational  influence  and  prestige  expanded,  it  became  neces- 
sary to  provide  for  the  arboretum's  future  growth  by  developing 
young  plants  for  later  use  in  botanical  groupings.  A  nursery  was  built 
on  the  farm  to  receive  the  young  stocks.  Another  nursery  was  added 
near  the  green  houses  on  land  having  a  higher  acid  content. 

A  working  arrangement  has  been  entered  into  with  the  important 
botanical  gardens  of  Europe  and  Asia,  which  makes  it  possible  for 
the  arboretum  to  obtain  plants  and  seedlings. 

The  Morris  mansion  on  the  grounds,  a  medieval-looking,  gray  stone 
structure,  formerly  the  home  of  John  and  Lydia  Morris,  has  been 

490 


WEST  PHILADELPHIA 

adapted  to  provide  office  and  laboratory  space  and  to  house  the  her- 
barium. A  growing  library  for  the  use  of  students  and  a  laboratory  for 
forest  pathology,  adequately  equipped  for  research,  are  attached  to 
the  mansion.  Within  the  grounds,  but  across  the  Montgomery  County 
line,  is  a  farm  group  which  includes  an  old  mill  and  a  stone  black- 
smith shop.  Of  two  old  farmhouses  in  the  group,  one,  dated  1834,  has 
walls,  made  of  large,  long,  thin  stones. 

Retrace  on  City  Line  Ave. ;  L.  on  Germantown  Turnpike  ;  R.  on 
Mt.  Pleasant  Ave. ;  L.  on  Lincoln  Drive. 

GERMANTOWN  UNITARIAN  CHURCH  (38),  at  6511  Lincoln 
Drive,  erected  in  1928  and  designed  by  Edmund  B.  Gilchrist,  presents 
stained  glass  windows  and  mosaic  work  in  the  finest  tradition  of 
church  decoration.  The  memorial  window  in  the  chancel,  of  antique 
glass,  was  designed  to  harmonize  with  the  Colonial  Georgian  style  of 
the  architecture. 

L.  from  Lincoln  Drive  on  Wayne  Ave. ;  R.  on  School  House  Lane. 

The  WILLIAM  PENN  CHARTER  SCHOOL  (39) ,  on  School  House 
Lane,  is  a  direct  outgrowth  of  the  first  school  established  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

L.  from  School  House  Lane  on  Henry  Ave.  ;  R.  on  Midvale  Ave.  ; 
L.  on  East  River  Drive,  which  leads  to  the  Parkway  and  City  Hall. 


WEST  PHILADELPHIA 

METROPOLITAN  subdivisions,  like  cities  themselves,  have  a 
definite  character.  West  Philadelphia's  is  uniformity.  Looking 
across  West  Philadelphia  from  the  Market  Street  Elevated 
Railway  or  from  any  other  vantage  point,  the  eye  travels  miles  over 
low  flat  roofs  toward  a  horizon  broken  only  by  chimneys,  a  tangle  of 
radio  aerials,  and  occasional  church  spires. 

Row  houses  are  West  Philadelphia's  characteristic.  Row  upon  row, 
each  house  differs  from  the  others  only  in  its  window  shades  and 
curtains,  in  its  porch  furniture,  or  the  flowers  on  tiny  front  lawns. 

The  reason  for  this  uniformity  lies  in  the  sudden  growth  of  the 
section.  West  Philadelphia  was  a  plain  of  grass  before  Philadelphia 
leaped  the  Schuylkill  and  surged  westward  a  half  century  ago. 
Homes  were  built  rapidly  to  provide  cheap  housing,  and  the  archi- 
tects who  designed  them  held  expenses  down  by  adhering  to  a  pat- 
tern. South  of  Market  Street  hundreds  of  apartment  houses,  duplexes, 
or  single  homes  relieve  the  monotony  of  row  houses. 

Running  along  Market  Street,  the  backbone  of  the  community,  is 
the  elevated,  its  platform  throwing  the  street  into  perpetual  semi- 
gloom.  Business  houses  line  both  sides  of  this  double-tracked  thor- 
oughfare. 

491 


WEST  PHILADELPHIA 

CITY    OF    APARTMENTS 


1.  Convention  Hall 

2.  Commercial  Museum 

3.  Philadelphia  General  Hospital 

4.  Woodland   Cemetery 

5.  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy 

6.  Breyer  Ice  Cream  Company 

7.  The  Mercy  Hospital 


8.  Bartram's  Gardens 

9.  Brill  Car  Works 

10.  St.  James'  Church 

11.  Blue  Bell  Tavern 

12.  Drexel  Institute 

13.  Naval  Home 

14.  Schuylkill  Arsenal 


CITY  OF  APARTMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  7) 

Tour  A-  City  of  Apartments 
City  Tour  7 

S.  on  Broad  St.  from  City  Hall;  R.  on  Walnut;  L.  on  34th. 
After  passing  through  prosaic  business  sections  and  over  the  muddy 
Schuylkill,  the  route  enters  a  neighborhood  of  quiet  dignity  as  it  turns 
left  on  Thirty-fourth  Street  and  crosses  the  campus  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  (see  City  Tour  14). 

At  the  junction  of  Thirty-fourth  Street  and  Vintage  Avenue  are 
two  massive  buildings.  CONVENTION  HALL  (1)  faces  on  Vintage 
Avenue,  while  the  COMMERCIAL  MUSEUM  (2),  now  an  adjunct 
to  Convention  Hall,  is  reached  by  a  short  driveway  to  the  right  of  the 
hall. 

Convention  Hall  presents  a  sharp  contrast,  architecturally,  to  City 
Hall.  Designed  by  Philip  Johnson  in  the  style  of  the  Italian  Renais- 
sance, it  is  constructed  of  marble,  limestone,  and  steel  and  has  suc- 
ceeded conspicuously  in  meeting  the  various  needs  for  which  it  was 
built. 

It  has  been  the  scene  of  diverse  events  from  the  athletic  to  the 
esthetic  ;  from  the  spectacular  to  the  commonplace.  Its  greatest 
moment  to  date  came  in  June  1936,  when  the  Democratic  National 
Convention  nominated  President  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt  here  for  a 
second  term.  Basking  for  a  week  in  the  white  glare  of  international 
publicity  and  drawing  to  the  city  throngs  of  visitors,  including  the 
Nation's  executives,  Convention  Hall  more  than  fulfilled  the  hopes 
of  its  sponsors. 

The  building,  begun  in  1929  and  opened  with  ceremony  on  Septem- 
ber 17,  1931,  by  Mayor  Harry  A.  Mackey,  cost  $5,350,000.  It  covers 
a  ground  space  of  96,288  square  feet. 

The  main  hall,  seating  13,500,  is  300  feet  long  and  226  feet  wide, 
with  an  arched  ceiling  rising  88  feet  above  the  floor.  Built  with 
hanging  balconies,  its  roof  supported  by  12  giant  trusses,  the  hall 
has  no  pillars  to  obstruct  the  view.  The  great  stage,  which  can  seat 
an  additional  1,500  persons,  is  116  feet  wide  and  56  feet  deep,  with 
dressing  rooms  and  other  accommodations  in  the  wings.  The  equip- 
ment includes  an  amplifying  system,  capable  of  carrying  a  whisper 
to  any  part  of  the  hall,  and  a  giant  asbestos  curtain  weighing  42  tons. 
In  the  building  are  23  smaller  meeting  rooms,  which  range  in  seat- 
ing capacity  from  500  to  1,800.  The  second-floor  ballroom  has  a  com- 
plete stage  equipment  of  its  own. 

Convention  Hall  is  used  for  exhibition  purposes  as  well  as  for 
conventions.  With  its  80,000  square  feet  and  the  150,000  square  feet 
in  the  adjacent  Commercial  Museum,  enough  floor  space  can  be 
provided  jointly  to  house  the  largest  of  trade  shows. 

493 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

One  of  the  features  is  a  beautiful  restaurant,  with  a  modern  hotel 
kitchen  and  a  seating  capacity  of  884  persons. 

In  the  first  three  and  a  half  months  following  completion  of  the 
hall,  22  different  types  of  events  were  held,  attracting  a  total  of 
415,000  persons.  Yearly  more  than  2,000,000  persons,  exceeding  Phila- 
delphia's entire  population,  have  witnessed  the  dances,  contests, 
luncheons,  graduations,  tennis  matches,  automobile  shows,  political 
rallies,  concerts,  dog  shows,  boxing  and  wrestling  bouts,  and  folk 
pageants  flowing  endlessly  through  this  great  coliseum  of  the  twen- 
tieth century. 

R.  from  34th  St.  on  Vintage  Ave. 

Opposite  Convention  Hall  is  the  PHILADELPHIA  GENERAL 
HOSPITAL  (3).  This  institution,  organized  in  1732  as  an  almshouse, 
is  one  of  the  largest  municipal  hospitals  in  the  country. 

R.  from  Vintage  Ave.  on  University  Ave. 

WOODLAND  CEMETERY  (4),  on  the  left,  was  laid  out  in  1839 
when  Thomas  Mitchell  established  Woodland  on  his  own  property. 
Rare  and  exotic  plants  and  hundreds  of  trees  are  in  the  grounds. 

L.  from  University  Ave.  on  Woodland  Ave. 

The  oldest  American  collegiate  institute  for  the  training  of  phar- 
macists, the  PHILADELPHIA  COLLEGE  OF  PHARMACY  (5),  is 
at  Forty-third  Street.  Since  its  establishment  in  1821  in  Carpenters' 
Hall  as  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Apothecaries,  it  has  progressively 
broadened  its  activities. 

L.  on  43d  St. 

The  plant  of  the  BREYER  ICE  CREAM  COMPANY  (6)  is  on 
Forty-third  Street  near  Woodland  Avenue  (open  to  visitors  between 

Convention  Hall 
"Today  a  boxing  match — tomorrow  a  political  conclave" 


11111 1  i 


CITY  OF  APARTMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  7) 

Sept.  1  and  June  1  only;  daily  tours  at  10:30  and  1,  except  Sat.  and 
Sun.  ;  arrangements  for  visit  must  be  made  in  advance). 

The  finished  product  of  this  plant  is  the  result  of  five  manufactur- 
ing processes.  A  properly  proportioned  "mix"  of  cream  and  granu- 
lated sugar  is  heated  sufficiently  to  melt  the  sugar.  The  "mix"  is  then 
clarified  and  pasteurized  at  a  temperature  of  150  degrees  Fahrenheit. 
Under  high  pressure  it  is  forced  through  a  viscolizer,  which  makes 
the  product  smoother  and  more  digestible.  After  cooling,  the  "mix" 
is  placed  in  a  freezer  where  fresh  fruit  and  pure  extracts  are  added 
for  flavoring.  From  this  freezer  it  flows  into  containers  which  are 
stored  in  a  refrigerator  until  frozen.  The  ice  cream  is  then  ready 
for  shipment  in  the  refrigerated  delivery  trucks. 

The  Breyer  plant  is  said  to  be  the  largest  modern  ice  cream  manu- 
facturing unit  in  the  world.  A  fully  equipped  laboratory  and  a  staff 
of  chemists  are  maintained  to  test  the  finished  product  and  the  in- 
gredients that  go  into  it. 

Retrace  on  43d  St.  to  Woodland  Ave. 

The  MERCY  HOSPITAL  (7),  at  Fiftieth  Street,  is  maintained  for 
and  by  Negroes.  The  hospital  conducts  a  nurses'  training  school.  The 
hospital  proper  is  housed  in  the  buildings  formerly  occupied  by 
the  Philadelphia  Divinity  School. 

L.  from  Woodland  Ave.  on  54th  St. 

BARTRAM'S  GARDENS  (8),  Fifty-fourth  Street  and  Eastwick 
Avenue  (open  daily  8:30  to  5;  adm.  free),  the  first  botanical  gardens 
in  the  American  Colonies,  were  established  in  1728  by  John  Bartram, 
America's  first  scientific  botanist  of  eminence. 

Healthy  specimens  of  pine,  fir,  and  English  oak  trees,  and  two  fine 
boxwoods,  sent  to  Bartram  150  years  ago  by  the  Earl  of  Bute,  line 
both  sides  of  a  gravel  walk  leading  to  the  eastern  doorway  of  the 
house.  Along  the  adjoining  walks  a  canopy  of  acacias,  magnolias, 
Norwegian  pines,  balsams,  and  cypress  trees  whispers  in  the  breeze. 

Until  20  years  ago  there  stood  in  these  gardens,  reaching  its  mighty 
limbs  into  the  sky,  one  of  the  largest  cypress  trees  in  the  country. 
It  dated  from  a  time  when  Bartram  was  journeying  through  the 
Georgia  swamps  on  horseback.  He  lost  his  whip  and  while  searching 
for  a  switch  discovered  a  twig  of  a  rare  specimen  of  the  cypress.  He 
brought  it  home  and  planted  it,  predicting  that  some  day  it  would 
grow  to  a  great  height.  It  eventually  towered  to  175  feet,  and  had  a 
circumference  of  27*4  feet  at  its  base. 

Throughout  the  grounds  unusual  and  exotic  plants  and  herbs  were 

once  abundant botanical  oddities  gathered  by  Bartram  from  the 

four  corners  of  the  globe. 

Bartram  built  with  his  own  hands  an  18-room  house  of  hewn  stone, 
completed  about  1731.  A  stone  in  one  of  the  gables  bears  a  Greek 
inscription  which  may  be  translated,  "May  God  save,"  followed  in 

495 


Bartram  House,  Close-up  View 
"It  is  God  alone  Almyty  Lord 
The  Holy  One  by  me  ador'd" 


CITY  OF  APARTMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  7) 

English  by  "John  and  Ann  Bartram,  1731."  It  is  probable  that  im- 
portant additions  and  changes  were  made  later,  when  a  stone  bear- 
ing the  following  inscription  was  placed  over  the  study  window: 
IT  IS  GOD  ALONE  ALMYTY  LORD 
THE  HOLY  ONE  BY  ME  ADOR'D 
JOHN  BARTRAM  1770 

Successive  additions  and  alterations  have  changed  the  interior  more 
than  the  exterior. 

The  Bartram  house  is  a  simple  two-and-a-half  story  gable-roof 
structure  of  large,  rough-hewn  stone.  The  east  facade  has  a  character- 
istic trellis-shaded  doorway  with  quaint  Dutch  seats  at  each  side. 
The  western  facade  has  an  odd,  recessed  porch  between  rude  Ionic 
columns  of  native  stone.  Crudely  carved,  elaborately  ornamented 
window  casings,  lintels,  and  sills  form  a  curious  feature  of  this  facade. 
The  carved  stone  designs  around  the  windows  are  unlike  anything  in 
any  other  American  house  of  the  period.  Clinging  ivy  and  climbing 
roses  give  the  house  a  rustic  appearance. 

Virtually  none  of  the  exterior  woodwork  is  original.  The  three 
dormer  windows,  probably  restorations,  show  unmistakable  signs  of 
comparatively  recent  work. 

In  the  hallway  is  one  of  the  earliest  Franklin  stoves,  presented 
to  Bartram  by  his  friend,  Benjamin  Franklin.  In  the  kitchen  is  one 
of  the  oldest  fireplaces  in  the  city,  complete  with  brick  hearth,  crane, 
and  Dutch  oven  ;  and  in  one  of  the  rooms  above  are  two  small 
closets  over  the  mantel,  where  soapstones  were  heated  for  warming 
beds.  An  ancient  loom,  a  spinning  wheel,  and  other  equipment  are 
also  stored  in  the  old  workroom.  Pieces  of  furniture  arranged  through- 
out the  house  are  contemporary  with  those  used  in  Bartram's  time. 
Another  curio  still  remaining  is  an  old  cider  press  drilled  out  of 
solid  rock. 

Bartram  was  born  near  Darby,  Pennsylvania,  March  23,  1699.  From 
childhood  he  manifested  a  love  for  everything  that  sprang  from  the 
earth.  When  old  enough  to  strike  out  for  himself,  he  set  forth  on  a 
long  journey,  searching  for  a  spot  suitable  for  a  garden  where  he 
might  study  trees  and  plants. 

In  1731  he  came  upon  the  present  site  of  the  gardens  and  pur- 
chased it  at  sheriff's  auction.  The  property,  edged  by  the  winding 
Schuylkill  River,  was  originally  a  wilderness  in  a  section  which  the 
Indians  called  Chinsessing  (Kingsessing)  after  a  tribe  living  in  that 
vicinity. 

Some  time  after  Bartram  had  established  his  home,  he  found  him- 
self financially  distressed,  and  in  1742  a  subscription  was  started  to 
enable  him  to  travel  in  search  of  botanical  specimens. 

Franklin,  introducing  Bartram  to  Jared  Eliot  in  1775,  wrote  :  "I 
believe  you  will  find  him  to  be  at  least  20  folio  pages,  large  paper, 

497 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

well  filled,  on  the  subject  of  botany,  fossils,  husbandry,  and  the  first 
creation."  The  great  Linnaeus,  with  whom  Bartram  regularly  corres- 
ponded, referred  to  him  as  "the  greatest  natural  botanist  in  the 
world." 

His  talents  were  recognized  when  he  was  appointed  "American 
Botanist  to  King  George  III."  He  was  the  author  of  the  book  Ob- 
servations Made  in  Travels  from  Pennsylvania  to  Onondaga,  Oswego 
and  Lake  Ontario,  published  in  London  in  1751,  and  many  other 
treatises  of  a  similar  nature. 

After  Bartram's  death  on  September  22,  1777,  his  son  William,  al- 
so an  eminent  botanist,  carried  on  the  work.  Later  his  son-in-law, 
Colonel  Carr,  did  likewise  until  the  place  became  one  of  the  most 
interesting  botanical  gardens  in  the  country. 

In  1851  the  estate  was  purchased  by  Andrew  Eastwick,  who  erected 
a  large  residence  in  another  part  of  the  grounds.  In  1893  the  city 
bought  Bartram  House  and  its  immediate  grounds  and  in  1897  ac- 
quired the  remainder  of  the  estate.  The  old  house  was  then  fur- 
nished and  put  in  good  condition  by  descendants  of  the  Bartram 
family,  and  the  entire  estate  was  converted  into  a  public  park.  Today 
the  gardens  are  under  the  supervision  of  the  Fairmount  Park  Com- 
mission. 

Retrace  on  54th  St.;  L.  on  Woodland  Ave. 

The  BRILL  CAR  WORKS  (9) ,  home  of  America's  largest  manu- 
facturer of  urban  and  interurban  high  speed  traction  equipment,  ex- 
tends from  Fifty-eighth  Street  to  Sixty-second  Street  on  the  left  side 
of  Woodland  Avenue. 

Since  1868  the  J.  G.  Brill  Company  has  been  identified  with  every 
step  of  the  industry  —  from  horsecars  through  cable  and  electric 
cars  to  the  latest  self-propelled  types;  from  flimsy  contraptions  of 
wood  to  streamlined  conveyances  of  stainless  steel. 

The  history  of  the  Brill  Company  provides  a  classic  example  of 
the  concentration  and  centralization  of  industry  and  its  fusion  with 
the  financial  structure.  The  plant  that  John  G.  Brill  and  his  son,  G. 
Martin  Brill,  employed  when  they  entered  business  on  their  own, 
would  be  lost  in  a  single  department  of  the  modern  structure,  which 
occupies  30  acres  of  ground  and  contains  725,000  square  feet  of  floor 
area. 

The  firm  passed  through  various  stages.  In  1906  the  capitalization 
was  increased  to  $10,000,000.  In  1926  the  Brill  Corporation  was  or- 
ganized as  a  holding  company  controlling  three  enterprises  —  J.  G. 
Brill  Company,  the  American  Car  and  Foundry  Motors  Company, 
and  the  Hall-Scott  Motor  Company.  The  Brill  Automotive  Car  Divi- 
sion was  set  up  in  1923  for  the  production  of  gasoline-driven  rail  cars. 

The  principal  outlet  for  Brill  products  is,  of  course,  the  transit 
industry,  for  which  three  types  of  vehicles  are  made  —  streetcars, 

498 


Bartram  House,  full  view 
'Built  by  the  hands  of  America's  first  botanist' 


Bartram  House,  Interior 
'Here  Bartram  and  Franklin  exchanged  pleasantries  and  ideas' 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

trackless  trolley  cars,  and  motor  coaches.  The  concentration  under 
single  control  of  the  Hall-Scott  engine,  the  A.  C.  F.  design  features, 
and  Brill  experience,  virtually  assures  this  company  a  monopoly  in 
these  spheres.  Brill  has  furnished  two-thirds  of  all  trackless  trolleys 
in  operation  since  1931. 

The  problem  of  greater  seating  capacity  was  solved  with  the  in- 
vention by  John  A.  Brill,  youngest  son  of  the  founder,  of  the  double- 
truck  or  eight-wheeled  car,  now  in  general  use.  This  necessitated  a 
new  process,  also  devised  by  the  Brill  Company,  of  solid-forging  the 
truck  side  frames  for  strength  and  durability.  All-steel  car  construc- 
tion originated  with  the  Brills,  as  did  innumerable  less- well-known 
developments. 

ST.  JAMES  CHURCH  (10),  at  Sixty-eighth  Street,  was  established 
in  1760  as  St.  James  of  Kingsessing,  a  "Swedish  church  to  be  officiated 
and  served  in  the  English  tongue  by  the  Swedish  ministers  at  Wicaco 
near  the  city  of  Philadelphia  forever."  Wicaco  was  the  name  of  the 
original  Swedish  settlement  on  the  Delaware. 

Tall  ash  and  maple  trees  shade  the  entrance  to  the  Georgian  Colo- 
nial church,  rectory,  and  parish  house,  which  are  constructed  of 
local  gray  stone.  The  original  double  row  of  oblong  windows  of  the 
church  has  been  replaced  by  long,  narrow  windows  with  arched  tops 
and  white  shutters.  On  the  exterior,  S-irons  clamp  the  interior  beam 
ends  to  the  outside  walls.  The  wide  mortar  lines  are  studded  with 
small  pieces  of  the  same  stone,  in  the  odd  "plum  pudding"  style. 

The  main  door  has  a  massive  hand-wrought  latch  and  lock  with 
heavy  key.  The  interior  walls  were  originally  bluish  gray,  with  the 
plaster  laid  directly  on  the  stone.  They  were  later  furred  and  colored 
a  pale  buff.  Their  timbers  are  pegged  with  wooden  pins.  The  chan- 
cel, altar,  and  pulpit  are  of  oak,  and  new  doors  have  been  put  on 
the  white-lined  oak  pews. 

Over  Woodland  Avenue,  variously  known  in  former  times  as  Darbv 
Road,  Chester  Pike,  or  King's  Highway,  Washington  marched  his 
army  after  the  defeat  at  Brandywine.  Later  he  stopped  frequently  at 
the  BLUE  BELL  TAVERN  (11),  at  Seventy-third  Street,  and  it  was 
there  that  the  first  welcome  was  tendered  him  when  he  came  from 
Mount  Vernon  to  Philadelphia.  The  picket  guard  of  the  Revolution- 
ary Army  was  stationed  there  in  1777.  The  tavern  consists  of  two 
buildings,  both  of  plain  rough  stone.  The  older  of  the  two  is  two 
stories  high,  the  later  building  three  stories  with  attic  and  hipped 
roof. 

R.  from  Woodland  Ave.  on  Cobbs  Creek  Parkway;  L.  on  59th  St. 
to  a  junction  with  58th;  L.  on  58th  to  CobVs  Creek  Parkway;  R.  on 
Chestnut  St. 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  Chestnut  and  Thirty-second  Streets  is  the 
DREXEL  INSTITUTE  (12),  offering  comprehensive  courses  in  the 

500 


CITY  OF  APARTMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  7) 

branches  of  engineering  and  technical  business  training.  The  cooper- 
ative college  system  is  in  practice  here.  After  the  freshman  year,  the 
student  spends  half  his  time  in  college  and  the  other  half  in  a  care- 
fully selected  position  with  some  business  or  industrial  firm  —  alter- 
nating in  three-month  periods  between  the  college  and  his  outside 
position. 

The  main  building  is  constructed  of  light  buff  brick  with  terra  cotta 
ornamentation  and  stained  glass.  The  Chestnut  Street  facade  is  Re- 
naissance, richly  ornamented.  The  architects  were  Wilson  Brothers 
&  Co.,  and  the  building  was  completed  in  1891. 

The  LIBRARY  AND  GALLERY  (open  weekdays  10  to  4,  Sat.  10  to  12; 
adm.  free)  contain  priceless  collections  of  manuscripts  and  paintings. 

The  rotating  exhibit  in  the  picture  gallery  on  the  third  floor  in- 
cludes works  gathered  by  Anthony  J.  Drexel,  John  D.  Lankenau, 
and  Lillie  Belle  Randell.  The  collection  affords  an  opportunity  to 
study  representative  works  of  nineteenth  century  German  artists  and 
of  French  painters  of  the  Barbizon  school  which  flourished  at  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  collection  of  manuscripts  includes  two  highly  prized  origi- 
nals, Charles  Dickens'  Our  Mutual  Friend  and  Edgar  Allan  Poe's 
Murders  in  the  Rue  Morgue.  Many  other  valuable  manuscripts,  Jap- 
anese prints,  and  William  Hogarth  engravings  enhance  the  collection. 
Some  are  too  valuable  to  be  left  on  display  and  may  be  seen  only 
with  special  permission. 

Among  the  curios  in  the  museum  are  a  chess  table  used  by 
Napoleon  Bonaparte  during  his  exile  on  the  Island  of  St.  Helena  ;  the 
desk  on  which  Lord  Byron  wrote  Don  Juan  ;  and  a  harp  once  owned 
by  the  Irish  poet,  Thomas  Moore.  A  clock  made  by  David  Rittenhouse 
after  the  style  of  Chippendale,  with  a  very  accurate  orrery  above 
the  dial,  is  also  displayed. 

Museum  features  include  the  collection  of  old  ivory  assembled  by 
George  W.  Childs  ;  an  exhibit  of  rare  works  in  bronze,  brass,  copper, 
pewter,  and  silver  ;  old  coins,  laces,  ceramics,  sculpture,  jewelry,  and 
furniture  ;  some  very  fine  examples  of  Flemish,  Old  English  (Mort- 
lake),  and  French  tapestries  ;  Indian  pottery  and  baskets,  and  shoes 
of  all  nations. 

In  the  process  of  collection,  some  of  the  pieces  in  the  museum 
have  acquired  interest  second  only  to  their  value  as  art.  Moore's  harp, 
green  and  adorned  with  gilt  shamrocks,  was  at  first  an  enigma  to  the 
museum  authorities,  who  did  not  know  whence  it  had  come.  After 
a  lapse  of  two  years  they  learned  that  it  had  been  purchased  from 
the  poet's  family  by  George  W.  Childs  and  had  been  presented  to 
the  museum  by  Mrs.  Childs.  Museum  officials  since  have  discovered 
that  the  harp  was  the  model  for  the  improved  American  harp.  It  was 
made  by  John  Egan,  noted  Dublin  harpmaker  (about  1800). 

501 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

R.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  22d;  R.  on  South;  L.  on  Gray's  Ferry  Ave. 

The  NAVAL  HOME  (13),  (R),  Gray's  Ferry  Avenue  and  Bain- 
bridge  Street,  provides  an  honorable  and  comfortable  harbor  of  refuge 
for  old,  disabled,  and  retired  officers  and  men  of  the  Navy  and  the 
Marine  Corps  who  are  entitled  by  law  to  the  benefits  of  the  institu- 
tion. It  is  under  the  direction  and  supervision  of  the  Bureau  of 
Navigation,  subject  to  the  control  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Before  the  Revolution  the  site  of  the  Naval  Home,  was  known  as 
the  Pemberton  Plantation.  In  1799  an  act  of  Congress  provided  a 
hospital  fund  to  which  all  persons  in  the  Navy  were  required  to  con- 
tribute 20  cents  monthly  out  of  their  pay.  This  practice  is  still  car- 
ried on.  From  funds  thus  secured  from  the  personnel  of  the  Navy 
the  Old  Pemberton  Plantation  was  purchased  in  1826  from  Timothy 
Abbott. 

Construction  was  begun  in  1830,  and  the  home  was  opened  in  1831 
with  four  regular  inmates.  Lieut.  J.  B.  Cooper,  a  veteran  of  the  War 
of  1812,  was  the  first  superintendent.  The  first  governor  was  Com- 
modore James  Biddle,  a  noted  Philadelphia  naval  officer,  who  served 
from  1838  to  1842. 

For  50  years  the  institution  was  called  the  Naval  Asylum,  then  the 
name  was  changed  to  the  Naval  Home.  As  late  as  the  1880's  sailors 
spoke  of  it  as  the  "White  House." 

U.  S.  Naval  Home 
"...  and  the  sailor  home  from  the  sea" 


I  i 

•lO 


">wftig 


CITY  OF  APARTMENTS  (CITY  TOUR  7) 

The  home  consists  of  four  structures,  separated  from  one  another, 
yet  forming  one  entire  plant  :  the  main  building  ;  the  residence  of  the 
governor,  executive  officer,  and  the  surgeon  ;  executive  offices  ;  and  an 
annex  in  the  rear  of  the  main  building.  There  are  also  numerous 
small  outbuildings  on  the  grounds. 

The  main  building  is  three  stories  high,  built  of  Pennsylvania 
marble,  and  is  embellished  with  a  handsome  portico  of  eight  Ionic 
columns.  The  wings  contain  verandas  on  each  story. 

Fine  walks,  flowers  and  trees  adorn  the  grounds.  A  ship's  bell 
from  the  cruiser  Philadelphia  strikes  ship's  time  from  its  place  on 
the  lawn.  Here,  too,  are  brass  howitzers  from  the  Civil  War  period 
and  a  12,000-pound  wood-stock  anchor.  These  —  reminders  of  the 
"Old  Navy"-  — serve  to  impart  a  certain  shipboard  atmosphere  to  the 
place.  There  are  also  a  number  of  brass  cannon  from  the  Brandywine 
battlefield  and  carronades  captured  by  Commodore  Charles  Stewart, 
the  last  of  the  old  "sea  lions,"  from  the  British  sloops  Cyane  and 
Levant. 

In  the  portico  are  two  colossal  stone  balls  brought  from  the 
Dardanelles  in  the  Constitution  in  1838  and  presented  by  Commo- 
dore J.  D.  Elliott. 

The  figurehead  of  the  old  frigate  Franklin  of  1815  was  obtained 
in  1929  from  the  Naval  Academy  and  is  on  the  grounds.  It  is  a  bust 
of  Franklin,  of  fine  workmanship,  by  Gerrish. 

Rifles,  boarders'  pikes,  cutlasses,  and  ship  models  adorn  the  walls 
of  the  assembly  hall.  There  is  also  a  tablet  of  the  governors  hung 
in  the  hall  and  inscribed  with  their  names.  On  this  list  are  names 
famous  in  the  War  of  1812,  the  Civil  War,  the  Spanish-American  War, 
and  the  World  War. 

In  the  winter  of  1836-37  many  old  trees  on  the  grounds  were  cut 
down  and  used  for  fuel.  The  larger  trees  that  stand  today  were  for 
the  most  part  planted  by  Captain  Biddle  in  1838-40. 

It  was  also  in  his  time  that  the  midshipmen  who  were  under  in- 
struction on  board  receiving  ships  at  Boston,  New  York,  and  Norfolk 
were  brought  to  Philadelphia,  and  a  naval  school  was  established 
at  the  asylum.  The  scheme  was  not  altogether  a  success,  and  in  1845 
the  school  was  transferred  to  Annapolis,  Md.,  becoming  the  United 
States  Naval  Academy. 

The  home  is  planned  with  a  spacious  mess  hall,  where  all  meals, 
except  those  for  the  aged  and  infirm,  are  served.  Two  poolrooms  are 
in  operation,  and  at  each  end  of  the  wings  on  all  floors  are  sitting 
rooms  where  newspapers  and  periodicals  are  provided.  Sound  motion- 
picture  equipment  is  installed,  and  two  programs  are  shown  each 
week.  The  library,  under  the  supervision  of  the  chaplain,  contains 
5,000  volumes  of  reference,  history,  and  fiction.  The  care  of  the  in- 
mates extends  to  every  need. 

503 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

A  typical  room  is  about  9  feet  wide  and  12  feet  long,  with  a  window 
opening  on  a  veranda.  It  is  furnished  simply  with  a  bed,  mattress, 
linens,  blankets,  pillows  and  coverlets,  chair,  small  table,  mirror 
and  clothes  locker,  and  such  other  personal  furniture  and  decorations 
as  a  radio,  pictures,  and  the  like. 

The  average  age  of  the  home's  beneficiaries  is  61.  The  youngest  in- 
mate was  27  years  ;  the  oldest  was  91.  Among  the  disabled  are  those 
who  have  served  less  than  five  years  in  the  Navy  or  with  the  Marines  ; 
among  the  infirm  are  aged  men  who  have  served  more  than  30  years. 
The  governor  (1937)  of  the  home  is  Rear  Admiral  Harris  Laning, 
retired.  Lieut.  Richard  G.  Ganahl  is  the  executive  officer. 

The  SCHUYLKILL  ARSENAL  (14),  Gray's  Ferry  Avenue  and 
Washington  Avenue,  though  designated  by  the  War  Department  as  an 
arsenal,  does  not  fabricate  arms  and  explosives.  After  the  War  of  1812 
it  ceased  storing  arms  and  began  fabricating  clothing,  blankets,  bed- 
ding and  tentage  for  the  soldier.  It  is  now  used  as  a  school  to  instruct 
commissioned  officers  of  the  Army  in  the  duties  and  functions  of  the 
Quartermaster  Corps. 

Its  record  dates  back  to  1781.  In  1799  the  War  Department,  with- 
out awaiting  Federal  appropriation,  purchased  the  8-acre  site  on  the 
Schuylkill.  Four  large  three-story  brick  storehouses,  forming  a 
hollow  square,  composed  this  early  military  unit.  It  was  completed 
in  1806  at  a  cost  which  had  been  announced  in  Congress,  four  years 
earlier,  as  $152,607.02.  The  commanding  officer's  residence,  a  powder 
magazine,  and  several  miscellaneous  structures  supplanted  the  earlier 
temporary  buildings. 

The  powder  magazine,  or  "pill  box,"  constructed  about  1799,  is  a 
two-story-and-attic  structure  with  lower  walls  of  stone  five  feet  thick 
and  upper  section  of  brick.  The  roof  of  brick-groined  arches  is  sup- 
ported on  four  stone  columns.  At  a  later  date,  a  brick  superstructure, 
with  lock-jointed  oak  beams  in  the  roof,  was  added.  The  magazine  is 
surrounded  by  a  10-foot  moat  and  has  a  bridge  to  a  second-story  en- 
trance. 

The  enlisted  men's  barracks,  or  the  Ludington  Building,  erected  in 
1800,  is  a  two-story-and-attic,  rectanguler  structure  with  walls  of  Flem- 
ish bond  brick  and  dormer  windows.  The  timber  work  is  of  oak,  held 
together  by  wooden  pegs.  At  each  end  of  the  house,  a  circular  stair- 
case extends  from  basement  to  roof.  The  brick  vaulting  of  the  base- 
ment is  noteworthy. 

During  the  Civil  War  disbursements  at  the  arsenal  were  valued 
at  $20,000,000  to  $35,000,000  a  year  ;  during  the  World  War,  when 
more  than  850  persons  were  employed,  the  disbursements  increased 
tremendously. 

In  1803  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  cooperated  in  equipping  the  famous 
Lewis  and  Clark  expedition  to  the  Pacific  Northwest.  The  explora- 

504 


TOWARD  THE  SUBURBS  (CiTY  TOUR  8) 

tions  of  Lewis  and  Clark  resulted  in  the  annexation  of  this  northwest 
territory.  The  total  outlay  for  the  expedition  was  $2,160.40  —  far 
less  costly,  proportionately,  than  the  traditionally  sharp  bargain 
driven  by  the  Dutch  in  their  purchase  of  Manhattan  Island  from 
the  Indians.  The  arsenal  participated  also  in  sending  tribute  to  the 
Barbary  pirates  as  insurance  for  United  States  shipping.  In  February 
1792  the  Senate  voted  to  pay  $100,000  annually  for  immunity  from 
piracy  and  $40,000  for  ransom  of  captives.  This,  shipped  under  direc- 
tion of  the  Purveyor  of  Public  Supplies  and  partly  in  the  form  of 
merchandise,  was  sent  from  Philadelphia. 

Retrace  on  Gray's  Ferry  Ave.  to  23d  St.  ;  Continue  on  23d  St.  to 
Chestnut ;  R.  on  Chestnut  to  Broad  St. 

Tour  B — Toward  The  Suburbs 

City  Tour  8 

LEAVING  City  Hall,  the  route  leads  out  Market  Street  and  crosses 
the  Schuylkill  River  on  the  Market  Street  Bridge.  At  Thirtieth 
and  Market  Streets,  on  the  right  is  the  PENNSYLVANIA  RAIL- 
ROAD STATION  (1),  opened  in  1933.  Its  erection  contributed  to 
the  city's  significant  westward  movement.  This  enormous  building  is 
part  of  a  plan  which  contemplates  demolition  of  the  old  Broad 
Street  Station  and  of  the  "Chinese  Wall,"  a  long,  high,  track  bed 
preventing  commercial  development  on  the  north  side  of  Market 
Street  between  Fifteenth  and  Eighteenth  Streets. 

Of  monumental  proportions,  the  design  of  the  station  is  based  upon 
the  classic  Roman  style.  The  exterior  is  of  Alabama  limestone  with 
base  and  trim  of  granite  ;  the  interior  is  lined  with  Italian  travertine. 
The  station  proper  is  328  by  638  feet.  The  architects  were  Graham, 
Anderson,  Probst  &  White. 

East  and  west  covered  porticos,  with  huge  fluted  Corinthian 
columns,  provide  access  to  the  great  concourse,  134  feet  wide,  295 
feet  long,  and  94  feet  high.  Ten  octagonal  chandeliers,  approximately 
18  feet  long  and  5  feet  in  diameter,  hang  from  the  red  and  gold 
coffered  ceiling. 

In  the  west  end  of  the  main  waiting  room  is  Karl  Bitter's  mammoth 
plaque,  Spirit  of  Transportation,  transferred  from  Broad  Street  Sta- 
tion, where  it  had  hung  since  1894. 

On  the  main  floor  are  ticket  offices,  parcel  and  baggage  checking 
rooms,  telegraph  offices,  telephone  rooms,  dining  facilities,  and  other 
features. 

An  interlocking  tower  known  as  "Penn  Tower"  on  the  fourth  floor, 
by  means  of  an  electro-pneumatic  system  combining  the  use  of  elec- 
tricity and  compressed  air,  controls  all  trains  operating  through  the 

505 


WEST  PHILADELPHIA 

TOWARD    THE    SUBURBS 


x    \\PENNA.  HOSPITAL 

x  Hfy^  FOR  MENTAL  & 

\  %s  X%JPVOUS  DISEASE 

\%A\ 


1.  Pennsylvania   Railroad   Station 

2.  Philadelphia    General   Post    Of! 

3.  Drexel  Institute 

4.  Abbott  Dairies 

5.  Cavalry  Armory 

6.  Rush  Hospital 

7.  Pennsylvania  Working   Home 
Blind  Men 

8.  Pennsylvania  Hospital  for  Mei 
and  Nervous  Diseases 

9.  Edwin  Forrest  Home  for  Actc 

10.  Belmont     Filtration      Plant     \ 
Reservoir 

11.  Philadelphia  Home  for  Incural 

12.  Wynnestay 

13.  St.  Joseph's  College 

14.  Episcopal  Academy  for  Boys 

15.  St.  Charles  Borromeo  Seminar 

16.  Overbrook  Presbyterian 

17.  St.   Paul's   Memorial    (Episcop; 

18.  Our    Lady    of    Lourdes     (Ror 
Catholic) 


Pennsylvania    Institution    for 
Instruction   of  the   Blind 


19. 

20.    Friends   Central   School. 


TOWARD  THE  SUBURBS  (CITY  TOUR  8) 

station.  Here,  also,  are  automatic  and  manual  telephone  exchanges 
for  the  entire  railroad  network  in  the  Philadelphia  area. 

Ten  of  the  station's  14  tracks  are  level  with  the  river. 

To  the  left,  across  Market  Street,  is  the  PHILADELPHIA  GEN- 
ERAL POST  OFFICE  (2),  completed  in  1935  at  a  cost  of  $4,500,000. 
Huge  and  imposing,  it  faces  the  Schuylkill  River  and  is  accessible 
by  road,  rail,  water,  and  air. 

The  exterior,  a  simplified  modernized  classic  treatment  of  Indiana 
limestone  and  Deer  Island  granite,  is  notable  for  its  rhythmic  ar- 
rangement of  huge  piers,  window  bays,  and  smaller  windows  above. 
The  window  frames  along  the  driveway  are  of  stainless  steel,  the  ex- 
terior doors  of  bronze,  and  the  workroom  walls  of  buff-colored  tile. 
Rankin  and  Kellogg  were  the  architects,  the  firm  of  Tilden,  Register 
&  Pepper  their  associates. 

Identical  entrance  rotundas  at  Market  and  Chestnut  Streets  are 
roofed  with  domes  of  green  and  blue  mosaics.  Above  each  entrance  is 
an  American  eagle  flanked  on  either  side  by  carrier  pigeons,  symboliz- 
ing one  of  the  earliest  means  of  communication.  Between  the  en- 
trances runs  the  long  corridor  used  for  public  mail  transactions.  Of 
marble  trimmed  with  nickel  silver,  its  long  tables  and  many  windows 
give  it  the  appearance  of  a  large  banking  room. 

Steel  chutes  and  belt  conveyors  facilitate  rapid  handling  of  ap- 
proximately 1,125,000  pieces  of  mail  daily.  Robot  "selectoveyors" 
automatically  load  and  unload  trays  of  mail  destined  for  various 
places.  A  changing  of  air,  electric  dryers  for  letter  carriers'  clothes, 
and  a  heating  system  that  keeps  the  roof  free  of  snow  and  ice  are 
other  innovations.  The  spacious  roof  has  been  laid  out  as  a  landing 
place  for  autogyros.  The  loading  platform  has  room  for  100  trucks. 

Like  many  other  Philadelphia  institutions  the  Post  Office  has  its 
historic  memento.  A  cannon,  believed  to  have  been  spiked  and  aban- 
doned by  Washington  after  the  Battle  of  the  Brandywine,  rests  at 
the  east  Market  Street  entrance.  This  cannon  was  unearthed  during 
excavations  for  the  Market  Street  Subway. 

L.  from  Market  St.  on  30th;  R.  on  Walnut;  R.  on  32nd. 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  Thirty-second  and  Chestnut  Streets  is 
the  DREXEL  INSTITUTE  (3)  (see  City  Tour  7). 

R.  from  32nd  St.  on  Chestnut. 

At  3043  Chestnut  Street,  on  the  left,  is  the  modern  plant  of  the 
ABBOTT  DAIRIES  (4) .  (Conducted  tours  at  9  a.  m.  and  1  p.  m.  on 
weekdays.,  by  arrangement). 


Thirtieth  Street  Station,  P.  R.  R. 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  milk  prepared  at  this  dairy  is  brought  from  three  States — 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  New  Jersey.  The  farmers  deliver  the 
milk  to  country  receiving  stations,  scattered  throughout  these  States. 
There  it  is  cooled,  pumped  into  sanitary,  glass-lined  trucks  and 
brought  to  the  city  plant.  Dairymen  close  to  Philadelphia  make 
delivery  to  the  plant. 

Upon  arrival  the  milk  is  tested  for  richness  and  purity.  Pasteuri- 
zation—  heating  to  and  maintaining  a  temperature  of  143  to  145 
degrees  for  30  minutes  —  follows.  After  pasteurization  the  milk  is 
cooled  to  38  degrees  in  preparation  for  bottling.  Conveyors  feed 
freshly  sterilized  bottles  to  six  automatic  filling  machines.  Each  of 
these  is  capable  of  filling,  capping,  and  sealing  50  bottles  a  minute. 
The  bottles  are  placed  in  wooden  cases  and  conveyed  to  a  large  re- 
frigeration room,  where  they  await  delivery  to  the  consumer. 

The  Abbott  plant  consists  of  three  floors.  A  power  plant,  a  large 
repair  shop,  and  a  fully-equipped  laboratory  are  maintained.  Labora- 
tory facilities  are  also  maintained  at  the  rural  receiving  stations. 

L.  from  Chestnut  St.  on  30th  ;  L.  on  Market ;  R.  on  Lancaster  Ave. 

The  103d  CAVALRY  ARMORY  (5),  built  in  1916,  is  on  the  right 
at  Thirty-second  Street  and  Lancaster  Avenue.  The  avenue,  swinging 
to  the  northwest,  begins  at  this  point.  The  castle-like  armory  houses 
the  famous  old  Second  Light  Horse  (B)  Troop. 

On  the  northwest  corner  at  Thirty-third  Street  is  the  RUSH 
HOSPITAL  (6),  which  specializes  in  the  treatment  of  pulmonary, 
bone,  and  laryngeal  tuberculosis.  It  cares  for  about  550  patients  each 
year.  Chartered  on  September  16,  1890,  the  hospital  opened  on  June 
4,  1891,  as  a  dispensary.  The  institution  was  then  at  Twenty-second 
and  Pine  Streets.  It  was  moved  to  its  present  site  in  1895. 

At  3518  Lancaster  Avenue,  to  the  left,  is  the  PENNSYLVANIA 
WORKING  HOME  FOR  BLIND  MEN  (7)  (open  9  to  5,  Mon.  to 
Fri. ;  adm.  free),  a  complete  community  serving  all  the  needs  of 
blind  men,  and  to  some  extent  compensating  them  for  their  luckless 
plight.  In  the  industrial  department  inmates  are  taught  chair  caning, 
rag  rug  weaving,  and  broom  and  brush  making.  These  articles  are 
sold  at  a  profit,  the  funds  thus  realized  being  used  for  maintenance 
of  the  institution  and  to  pay  small  salaries  to  the  workers.  The  men 
have  living  quarters  in  the  lawn-fronted  dormitories. 

L.  from  Lancaster  Ave.  on  Haverford  Ave.  at  40th  St. 

On  the  left,  extending  from  Forty-second  Street  to  Forty-ninth,  is 
the  PENNSYLVANIA  HOSPITAL  FOR  MENTAL  AND  NERVOUS 
DISEASES  (8) ,  opened  in  1841  as  a  department  of  the  old  Pennsyl- 
vania Hospital,  when  the  many  incoming  mental  and  nervous  cases 
necessitated  larger  quarters  and  better  facilities  (see  City  Tour  2). 
Dr.  Thomas  S.  Kirkbride,  from  whom  the  institution  takes  its  popular 

508 


TOWARD  THE  SUBURBS  (CITY  TOUR  8) 

name,  "Kirkbride's,"  was  the  first  chief  physician  and  superintendent 
of  the  institution. 

The  spacious  administration  building  is  capped  by  a  round  dome, 
which  is  surmounted  by  a  small  lantern  cupola.  A  short  flight  of 
stone  steps  leads  up  to  the  simple  pedimented  doorway,  flanked  by 
fluted  Doric  columns  of  sandstone.  The  left  and  right  wings  have 
porches  with  fluted  Doric  columns.  Each  wing  is  surmounted  by  a 
hexagonal  dome.  It  is  constructed  of  Pennsylvania  stone,  stuccoed, 
with  wood  trim  painted  white. 

R.  from  Haverford  Ave.  on  44th  St.  (which  becomes  Belmont 
Ave.  above  Lancaster  Ave.) ;  L.  on  Parkside  Ave. 

At  4849  is  the  EDWIN  FORREST  HOME  FOR  ACTORS  (9) .  Es- 
tablished through  the  will  of  Edwin  Forrest,  noted  Shakespearean 
actor,  it  serves  as  a  sanctuary  for  disabled  and  infirm  actors  past 
60  years  of  age. 

Retrace  on  Parkside  Ave. ;  L.  on  Belmont. 

On  the  right  at  Conshohocken  and  Belmont  Avenues  is  the  BEL- 
MONT FILTRATION  PLANT  AND  RESERVOIR  (10),  a  series  of 
low,  buff  brick  buildings  with  blue  slate  roofs,  built  in  1903.  Beyond, 
on  the  left,  is  the  PHILADELPHIA  HOME  FOR  INCURABLES 
(11).  Early  in  1877  Annie  G.  Ingles,  a  child  crippled  from  infancy, 
gave  a  gold  dollar  to  her  mother,  requesting  her  to  "please  use  this 
in  some  way  to  start  a  place  to  take  care  of  poor,  sick,  suffering 
children."  Thus  began  a  movement  which  in  a  short  time  resulted 
in  the  collection  of  almost  $1,000,000  and  the  founding  of  the  home. 
The  gold  dollar  given  by  the  child  is  displayed  on  the  door  of  the 
Gold  Room. 

Wynnestay 
Home  of  Penn's  Physician 


m 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  buildings,  a  modern  adaptation  of  Gothic  architecture,  form  a 
U-shaped  composition.  In  the  loop  of  the  U  is  a  garden  used  for 
recreation  and  exercise.  One  wing  of  the  main  building  is  for  children, 
another  for  cancer  patients.  There  is  no  age  restriction. 

L.  from  Belmont  Ave.  on  Conshohocken  ;  L.  on  City  Line  ;  L.  on 
52nd  St. 

At  Woodbine  Avenue  is  WYNNESTAY  (12) ,  construction  of  which 
was  begun  in  1690  as  a  residence  for  Dr.  Thomas  Wynne,  physician 
and  personal  friend  of  William  Penn.  In  1872  it  passed  from  the 
Wynne  family,  immortalized  in  S.  Weir  Mitchell's  novel  Hugh 
Wynne,  to  the  Smedleys,  then  its  occupants. 

Although  Revolutionary  cannon  balls  and  bullets  have  left  their 
marks  upon  it,  the  structure  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation 
and  exemplifies  Pennsylvania's  Welsh  Colonial  architecture.  The 
heavy  walls  of  local  gray  field  stone  are  set  in  rubble  style  with  white 
mortar,  and  doors  and  windows  are  wide  and  low.  The  cornice  is 
bold  and,  at  the  gable,  frames  a  pediment  in  which  is  a  small  central 
circular  window. 

R.  from  52nd  St.  on  Woodbine  Ave.;  R.  on  54th  St.;  L.  on  City 
Line  Ave. 

ST.  JOSEPH'S  COLLEGE  (13),  on  the  left,  covering  the  area 
between  Fifty-fourth  and  Fifty-sixth  Streets,  stands  on  one  of  the 
highest  elevations  within  the  city.  The  college  first  opened  its  doors 
in  Willing's  Alley  in  1851. 

The  rapidly  increasing  enrollment  forced  the  officials  to  move  into 
a  three-story  building  at  Filbert  and  Juniper  Streets,  the  present  site 
of  the  Evening  Bulletin.  The  college  was  later  returned  to  Willing's 
Alley.  Then,  a  northern  trend  continuing,  a  tract  of  land,  bounded  by 
Stiles,  Thompson,  Seventeenth,  and  Eighteenth  Streets,  was  pur- 
chased for  the  erection  of  a  chapel,  additional  buildings  for  student 
work,  and  the  Church  of  the  Gesu.  The  first  classes  were  held  there 
on  September  1,  1889.  Classes  were  transferred  from  the  old  college 
to  the  present  23-acre  site  in  1927.  The  new  buildings,  collegiate  Gothic 
in  design,  are  constructed  of  local  gray  field  stone,  with  white  sand- 
stone trim  and  a  steep  slate-covered  roof.  A  crenellated  central  tower, 
dormer  windows,  and  lancet  arches  add  to  its  charm.  The  stadium, 
built  in  the  form  of  a  horseshoe  in  a  natural  hollow,  has  a  seating 
capacity  of  8,000. 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  Berwick  Road  and  City  Line  Avenue  is 
the  EPISCOPAL  ACADEMY  FOR  BOYS  (14).  Established  in  1785, 
it  is  one  of  the  oldest  schools  in  Philadelphia,  and  moved  from  the 
center  of  the  city  to  its  present  quarters  in  1921. 

The  school  is  a  gray  stone  Victorian  building  with  an  ornate,  square 
central  tower  and  a  large,  white  Doric  portico.  The  gymnasium,  to 
the  left,  is  a  large  building  of  Tudor  Gothic  design,  constructed  of 

510 


St.  Joseph's  College 
'Steeped  in  rich  cultural  traditions" 


Seminary  of  St.  Charles  Borromeo 
"Going,  teach  all  nations" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

gray  stone  with  a  high,  red  slate  roof.  The  school  is  surrounded  by 
spacious  lawns  and  shade  trees. 

The  northeast  corner  of  City  Line  and  Lancaster  Avenues  forms 
the  southwest  corner  of  the  grounds  of  ST.  CHARLES  BORROMEO 
SEMINARY  (15),  where  young  men  are  trained  for  the  Catholic 
priesthood. 

An  atmosphere  of  peace  and  quiet  surrounds  the  three  principal 
seminary  buildings. 

The  Major  Seminary,  erected  in  1866,  is  a  large,  rough  gray  stone 
Victorian  building.  The  central  unit  is  surmounted  by  a  high  domed 
lantern  and  the  end  wings  by  smaller  domed  lanterns.  Samuel  S. 
Sloan  and  Addison  Hutton  were  the  architects.  Later  additions  are 
of  Italian  Renaissance  design. 

The  huge  Minor  Seminary  is  a  low,  three-story,  Italian  Renaissance 
structure  of  limestone  and  gray  granite.  Above  the  central  portico, 
with  large  Roman  Doric  columns,  rises  a  square  tower  and  a  tall 
domed  lantern.  Huge  wings  extend  to  the  rear. 

St.  Martin's  Chapel,  also  of  limestone  and  gray  granite,  is  designed 
in  the  Spanish  Renaissance  style,  with  a  large  semi-circular  Roman 
Doric  portico.  At  the  left  of  the  chapel  is  a  beautiful,  tall  campanile, 
also  Spanish  Renaissance  in  design,  of  light  limestone  and  gray  granite. 

Between  the  chapel  and  the  eastern  end  of  the  Minor  Seminary  is 
a  beautiful  cloister  with  delicate,  Ionic  columns  and  gray  plastered 
walls  and  vaulting. 

The  new  seminary  group,  consisting  of  the  main  building,  church, 
campanile,  cloister,  and  infirmary,  was  designed  by  Paul  Monaghan 
and  erected  in  1928. 

L.  from  City  Line  Ave.  on  Lancaster. 

Three  churches  are  grouped  here  in  a  small  area,  the  OVER- 
BROOK  PRESBYTERIAN  (16) ,  on  the  northwest  corner  at  City  Line 
Avenue;  ST.  PAUL'S  MEMORIAL  (Episcopal)  (17),  on  the  south- 
west corner  at  Sherwood  Road;  and  OUR  LADY  OF  LOURDES 
(Roman  Catholic)  (18),  on  the  southwest  corner  at  Sixty-third  Street. 

R.  from  Lancaster  Ave.  on  63rd  St.;  R.  on  Malvern  Ave. 

The  Overbrook  School  for  the  Blind  —  PENNSYLVANIA  INSTI- 
TUTION FOR  THE  INSTRUCTION  OF  THE  BLIND  (19),  extends 
west  to  Wynnewood  Road  from  the  northwest  corner  at  Sixty-fourth 
Street.  Started  in  1889  and  completed  in  1900,  it  is  an  attractive  two- 
story  building  in  the  Spanish  Mission  style  of  stone  and  brick  covered 
with  white  plaster  wash  stucco. 

The  upper  facade  with  its  flanking  towers  is  embellished  with 
huge  scrolls.  Above  the  rotunda  of  the  main  building  is  a  low,  broad, 
octagonal  lantern.  The  roof  is  of  reddish  brown,  glazed,  mission  tile. 
Each  of  the  wings  encloses  a  cloistered  patio  or  quadrangle  around 
a  garden.  Architects  were  Cope  &  Stewardson. 

512 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

Founded  in  1833  at  Third  and  Race  Streets  by  Julius  R.  Fried- 
lander,  the  school  is  liberally  endowed  under  the  will  of  William 
Young  Birch,  former  superintendent.  The  curriculum  includes  studies 
from  kindergarten  to  high  school  and  both  academic  and  manual 
training  subjects.  Athletics  are  an  important  feature,  and  Overbrook's 
wrestling  teams  have  brought  fame  to  the  school. 

R.  from  Malvern  Ave.  on  64th  St. ;  L.  on  City  Line  Ave. 

FRIENDS  CENTRAL  SCHOOL  (20),  is  on  the  right  at  Sixty- 
eighth  Street  and  City  Line  Avenue.  Previously  on  the  old  Quaker 
Meeting  plot  at  Fifteenth  and  Race  Streets,  the  school  was  moved  to 
its  present  location,  formerly  a  private  home,  in  1925.  Of  Tudor  de- 
sign, the  structure  is  of  rough  stone  with  red  tiled  roofs.  A  small  gym- 
nasium, shop  buildings,  and  the  "lower"  school,  a  low,  simple,  Tudor 
building  constructed  of  gray  stone,  are  to  the  north.  The  school  offers 
general  courses,  with  special  emphasis  on  college  training  through  its 
affiliation  with  Swarthmore  College.  Friends  Central  is  also  affili- 
ated with  Friends  West  Philadelphia  and  Friends  Germantown 
Schools. 

Retrace  on  City  Line  Ave.  ;  R.  on  Lancaster  Ave.  ;  L.  on  Market 
St.  to  City  Hall. 

THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA 

City  Tour  9 
Typical  Philadelphia  Activities 

DESPITE  its  historic  past,  its  scientific,  educational,  and  artistic 
importance,  Philadelphia   is   primarily  an  industrial  city.   The 
transition  from  the  little  Colonial  metropolis  is  complete.     To- 
day, the  only  forests  are  factory  chimneys  of  steel,  brick,  and  cement, 
and  the   gloom  of  smoky  streets  replaces  the   dim  wilderness  trail. 
Most  of  the  city's   vast   industry   is   concentrated   in   Frankford   and 
Kensington,  although  no  section  of  Philadelphia  is  without  its  variety 
of  industrial  establishments,  sprouting  up  in  the  midst  of  residential 
or  mercantile  areas. 

The  names  Frankford  and  Kensington  persist  merely  as  sentimental 
recollections  of  the  time  prior  to  January  31,  1854,  when  they  were 
independent  municipalities,  already  industrialized  and  thriving. 
There  lingers  still  an  occasional  weed-infested  field  where  the  hum 
of  crickets  provides  an  obbligato  to  the  blatancy  of  neighboring  fac- 
tories, but  these  are  being  slowly  and  surely  eliminated. 

Frankford  is  generally  considered  to  lie  to  the  north  of  Kensington, 
although  of  late  years  the  names  have  tended  to  become  interchange- 
able, designating  a  single  area  which  is  part  of  Philadelphia's  great 

513 


INDUSTRIAL  TOUR 


1.  John    B.   Stetson   Plant 

2.  Mill  of  John  Bromley  &  Sons, 
Inc. 

3.  H.    C.    Aberle    &   Co.    Hosiery 
Plant 

4.  Philco    Radio    and    Television 
Corporation 

5.  S.  K.  F.  Plant 

6.  Sloane-Blabon  Corporation 

7.  Cuneo  Eastern  Press.  Inc. 

8.  Carl  Mackley  Houses 

9.  Home    of    First    Building    and 
Loan  Association  in  the  United 
States 

10.  La  France  Art   Institute 

11.  Frahkford  Historical  Society 

12.  Orthodox       Friends'       Meeting 
House 

13.  Henry    Disston    &    Sons,    Inc., 
Plant 

14.  Frankford  Arsenal 

15.  Cramp  Ship  and  Engine  Build- 
ing  Company 

16.  Plant      of      the      Pennsylvania 
Sugar  Company 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

Northeast.  The  area  may  be  loosely  defined,  rather  than  bounded, 
by  Front  Street,  the  Delaware  River,  Bridge  Street,  and  Kensington 
and  Frankford  Avenues. 

Textiles,  employing  about  one  fourth  of  Philadelphia's  industrial 
workers,  are  the  foundation  of  all  local  industries.  They  are  concen- 
trated in  Frankford  and  Kensington,  where  textile  mills  predating 
the  city's  amalgamation  still  exist.  Variety  is  the  distinctive  feature 
of  the  other  products,  which  range  from  magazines  to  ball  bearings 
and  from  sugar  to  radios. 

N.  on  Broad  St.  fram  City  Hall;  R.  on  Girard  Ave.;  L.  on  5th  St. 

Fifth  Street,  a  much-used  northbound  artery,  formerly  a  select 
residential  street,  is  lined  with  worn  brick  houses,  minor  shops,  and 
factories  of  all  sorts.  At  Montgomery  Avenue,  on  the  right,  are  the 
several  brick  buildings  of  the  JOHN  B.  STETSON  PLANT  (1). 
(Open  Mon.  to  Fri.  for  group  visits  only.  Arrangements  must  be  made 
in  advance.) 

John  B.  Stetson  made  a  better  hat,  and  the  world  beat  a  path  to  his 
door.  Even  Emerson,  however,  might  have  agreed  that  some  promo- 
tion was  necessary.  Stetson  made  of  his  work  a  business,  a  profession, 
a  science,  and  an  art.  He  was  an  economist,  an  organizer,  and  a  hu- 
manitarian —  and  became,  incidentally,  a  rich  man.  Stetson  wearers 
may  be  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  whether  it  be  in  a  German 
hamlet,  on  a  Japanese  street,  or  on  an  Argentine  ranch. 

Stetson  was  born  in  Orange,  N.  J.,  in  1830.  His  first  hat  was  made 
when  he  demonstrated  to  skeptical  friends  how  cloth  or  felt  could 
be  made  without  a  loom  by  the  ancient  process  of  felting.  Hats  in 
those  rough  days  were  something  of  a  luxury.  Stetson's  first  hat  at- 
tracted considerable  attention.  It  was  big  and  picturesque,  and  it  was 
bought  for  $5  by  a  bullwhacker.  This  transaction  may  be  said  to  have 
been  the  start  of  a  giant  industry. 

He  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1865  with  $100  and  the  determination 
to  enter  the  hat  business.  With  his  small  capital  he  bought  tools 
and  $10  worth  of  furs  and  rented  a  room  at  Seventh  and  Callowhill 
Streets.  At  first  his  efforts  to  create  a  style  market  failed.  He  was  told 
derisively  that  fashions  came  from  across  the  sea  —  words  which  have 
a  familiar  ring  even  today.  Undismayed,  he  made  a  two-ounce  hat, 
donned  it  rakishly  and,  simulating  the  swagger  of  a  town  blade, 
created  a  vogue  single-handed. 

However,  profits  were  small  until  Stetson  heeded  the  call  of  his 
guiding  star  and  first  customer,  the  bullwhacker.  He  evolved  the 
"Boss  of  the  Plains,"  a  lush,  10-gallon  affair  in  qualities  selling  from 
$5  to  $30.  Its  success  was  immediate  —  westerners  apparently  took 
their  headgear  seriously.  In  1865  Stetson  discarded  his  local  trade  and 
viewpoint,  purchased  land  at  Fourth  Street  and  Montgomery  Avenue, 
then  a  suburb,  and  erected  a  three-story  building  covering  an  area 

515 


Stetsoit  Hat  Company 
"Covering   the   heads   of  the   world" 


"Sattidy    Evenin'    Post — Just    out' 
Curtis  Publishing  Company 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

100  by  30  feet.  Expanded  greatly,  this  location  today  is  one  of  the 
world's  largest  hat-producing  factories,  with  an  annual  output  of 
more  than  three  million  hats.  The  largest  foreign  markets  are  in 
Mexico,  Argentina,  Canada,  South  Africa,  and  Europe. 

Stetson  preferred  to  manufacture  everything  that  went  into  his 
hats  as  well  as  the  hats  themselves.  He  controlled  his  raw  supplies, 
made  his  own  blocks,  ribbons,  and  boxes.  His  name  stands  for  hat, 
and  if  imitation  is  flattery,  he  must  have  been  surfeited  with  praise 
when  he  died  in  1906. 

The  Stetson  plants  extend  over  six  acres  of  land  and  contain  30 
acres  of  floor  space.  In  busy  times  employees  number  2,500  men  and 
1,000  women. 

The  hats  are  made  of  fur — United  States  and  Canadian  beaver  and 
muskrat,  Argentinian  nutria,  and  rabbit  from  England,  Scotland,  and 
Continental  Europe.  Fifteen  million  fur  skins  are  used  annually. 

The  first  process  applied  to  the  skins  is  that  technically  known 
as  "carroting,"  which  consists  of  applying  a  solution  of  nitrate  of 
mercury  with  a  coarse  brush.  This  process  adds  to  the  felting  proper- 
ties of  the  fur  fibers  and  causes  them  to  mat  more  readily.  Under 
the  microscope  these  fibers  appear  to  be  a  barbed  wire  shaft  covered 
with  scales.  Carroting  causes  these  scales  to  open  so  that  they  will 
interlock  when  the  fibers  are  shrunk  in  hot  water.  Millions  of  the 
carroted  fibers  are  stored  in  fur  cellars,  sometimes  for  months,  before 
they  are  taken  to  the  fur-cutting  department,  where  they  are  brushed 
by  machinery.  A  machine  then  cuts  the  hide  into  shreds,  and  the  fur 
emerges  on  an  endless  belt. 

The  most  desirable  fur  of  water  animals  is  from  the  belly,  while 
from  the  rabbit  the  best  is  taken  from  the  back.  Graded,  the  fur  is 
placed  in  five-pound  paper  bags  and  sent  to  storerooms. 

Activity  starts  anew  in  the  blowing  rooms  where  the  fur  is  auto- 
matically fed  into  large  machines,  the  revolving  cylinders  of  which, 
equipped  with  thousands  of  steel  teeth,  tear  the  fibers  apart.  The  fur 
rises,  passing  through  the  several  compartments  of  the  machine,  and 
the  heavier  hair  falls  to  the  bottom,  whence  it  is  eliminated  along 
with  foreign  matter.  Other  machines  blend  the  fur  in  the  proper  pro- 
portions to  produce  various  qualities. 

The  forming  machine  shapes  the  body  of  the  hat.  At  one  end  a 
quantity  of  blended  fur  is  weighed,  and  upon  being  fed  into  the 
machine,  is  projected  into  a  chamber  containing  a  minutely  perfo- 
rated copper  cone  about  three  feet  high.  The  cone  revolves  ;  thou- 
sands of  mistlike  particles  are  drawn  by  suction  to  its  damp  outer 
side,  forming  a  thin  covering  of  felt  depending  on  the  character 
of  the  hat  to  be  made.  The  cone  and  felt,  protected  by  flannel  wrap- 
pings and  a  metal  covering,  are  placed  in  hot  water  until  thoroughly 
soaked,  after  which  the  formed  body  is  removed.  A  most  important 

517 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

step  in  the  manufacture  is  sizing.  The  task  here  is  to  arrange  so  that 
the  shrinkage  shall  leave  the  hat  lightest  at  the  tip  of  the  crown  with 
a  gradually  increasing  thickness  down  to  the  brim. 

In  the  coloring  department  the  bodies  are  placed  in  dye  baths. 
Stiff  hats  are  immersed  for  more  than  two  hours,  soft  hats  for  three. 
When  thoroughly  rinsed  and  dried,  they  are  ready  for  the  stiffening 
department.  Here  the  body  which  is  to  become  a  soft  hat  has  the 
future  brim  dipped  in  a  preparation  of  shellac  dissolved  in  alcohol, 
water,  and  other  ingredients,  and  the  set  bodies  are  steamed  to  soften 
the  shellac. 

In  the  blocking  department  the  hat  body,  after  being  worked  in 
hot  water  on  a  wooden  block,  becomes  recognizable.  The  hat  is  pulled 
off  the  proper  block,  steamed,  sponged,  and  ironed.  The  brim  is 
ironed  perfectly  flat  and  cut  to  the  desired  width.  Next,  the  brim  is 
curled,  and  operations  in  the  trimming  department  prepare  the  hat 
for  packing. 

R.  from  5th  St.  on  Lehigh  Ave. 

This  is  a  double-track  thoroughfare,  nine  squares  north  of  the 
Stetson  plant,  cutting  through  the  heart  of  Kensington.  At  A  Street 
and  extending  to  B,  on  the  left,  is  one  of  the  largest  centers  for  the 
manufacture  of  rugs,  lace,  and  lace  curtains  in  the  country  —  the 
MILL  OF  JOHN  BROMLEY  &  SONS,  INC.  (2)  (may  be  visited  by 
appointment).  Founded  in  1863,  it  now  covers  an  entire  city  block 
and  rises  to  a  height  of  five  stories.  The  administrative  and  business 
offices  are  at  the  mill.  The  present  quarters  were  first  occupied  in 
1899,  when  the  company  removed  in  units  from  its  former  plant  at 
Front  and  York  Streets. 

Seventy-five  looms  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  lace  and  lace 
curtains.  Artists  make  all  the  designs,  creating  various  patterns  for 
this  department.  Products  are  graded  according  to  weave,  the  quality 
of  the  materials  being  the  same. 

The  weaving  of  rugs  and  carpets  is  done  on  30  broad  looms  and  20 
narrow  looms.  The  wool  used  is  purchased  in  the  chief  wool-raising 
centers  of  the  world.  The  cleaning,  mixing,  and  combing  of  the  wool, 
and  its  transformation  into  yarn  are  all  done  in  the  mill.  There  are 
facilities  for  dyeing  the  yarns,  and  artists  make  all  the  designs  and 
number  the  various  yarn  colors  that  are  to  be  used.  The  rugs  and 
carpets  produced  here  are  of  many  dimensions,  but  of  only  two 
types  ;  Axminster  and  broadloom. 

When  finished,  rugs  are  rolled  on  bamboo  poles  and  wrapped  in 
burlap  or  paper  ready  to  be  placed  on  sale.  The  lace  and  curtains  are 
packed  in  cartons.  A  thorough  inspection  is  made  before  an  item  is 
certified.  The  plant  employs  approximately  800  workers. 

518 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

Actual  process  of  rug  and  carpetmaking  begins  with  the  selection 
of  materials  ;  there  are  400  types  of  carpet  wools.  (North  America,  a 
great  wool  center,  yields  no  grades  suitable  for  carpets.)  Of  chief 
importance  to  the  buyer  of  wool  are  length,  strength,  resilience,  loft 
or  curl,  color,  and  sheen  of  the  staple.  Above  all,  the  wool  must  be 
lively,  so  that  it  will  spring  back  after  being  stepped  on. 

Raw  wool  is  introduced  into  the  mixing  bowl,  where  the  blender, 
thinking  in  terms  of  the  final  tuft,  combines  different  varieties  into 
the  proper  proportions  to  meet  the  requirements  of  certain  grades. 
The  scouring  machine  receives  the  wool,  after  the  opener  has  beaten 
out  some  of  the  dirt,  and  removes  10  to  40  percent  of  the  original 
mass.  The  scouring  temperature  must  be  watched  carefully  to  pre- 
vent too  great  or  too  little  elimination  of  the  natural  animal  grease. 

The  wool  is  then  dried.  From  the  driers  it  is  blown  through  air 
conveyors  to  the  blending  bins,  while  switches  control  the  destination 
of  any  particular  batch.  In  the  bins  it  is  stacked  in  piles.  The  picker 
untangles  the  wool  and  mixes  it,  and  it  is  ready  for  the  carding 
machinery,  which  completes  the  mix,  combs  it  out,  and  interlocks  the 
separate  fibers  into  a  soft  web.  It  then  separates  the  wide  web  into 
small  strands  and  rubs  them  into  the  roving. 

Spinning  produces  finished  yarn  from  the  roving  by  simultaneously 
drawing  it  down  to  the  proper  weight  and  twisting  it.  The  spun  strand 
of  yarn  is  rather  small.  In  order  to  make  a  bulkier  thread  —  and  also 
to  obtain  particular  textural  effects  in  the  finished  rug  —  multiple 
strands  are  combined  to  make  two,  three,  or  four-ply  yarn.  Worsted 
yarn  uses  only  the  long  wool  fibers,  laid  parallel,  while  in 
woolen  yarn  all  the  fibers  are  used,  and  the  textile  strength  is  due 
to  interlocking.  Worsted  yarn  is  a  very  fine  thread,  and  this  must  be 
built  up  before  it  can  be  used  in  a  rug. 

After  the  yarn  is  made,  it  is  dyed,  dried,  bundled,  and  stored  to 
await  spooling  and  setting.  Samples  of  each  color  are  placed  on  a 
large  rack,  which  the  colorist  consults  when  he  receives  a  new  pattern 
from  the  designers,  to  see  if  the  indicated  colors  are  in  stock  in  the 
needed  amounts. 

When  it  comes  from  the  loom  the  pile  of  the  rug  is  slightly  uneven 
and  must  be  sheared.  Long  chains  of  rugs  are  sewn  together  and 
fed  into  a  machine,  which,  like  a  gigantic  lawn  mower,  shears  the 
pile  to  the  correct  height.  Three  shearings  are  necessary  to  produce 
the  smooth,  velvety  appearance  of  the  finished  article. 

Completed  rugs  are  inspected  for  missing  tufts.  The  rugs  are  laid 
over  glass-topped  tables  with  underneath  illumination,  enabling  the 
"pickers"  to  see  the  tiniest  hole.  The  holes  are  marked  with  white 
thread,  and  tufts  are  sewn  in  by  hand  in  the  proper  color,  after 
which  the  corrected  fabric  is  again  scrutinized  for  flaws  by  another 
group  of  inspectors. 

519 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  trimming  of  a  rug  varies  according  to  type  and  quality.  Some 
rugs  are  made  with  a  self-fringe,  which  is  formed  by  a  continuation 
of  the  warp  threads.  Others  are  hemmed,  with  no  fringe,  and  still 
others  are  furnished  with  a  sewn-on  fringe. 

L.  from  Lehigh  Ave.  on  A  St. 

At  Lippincott  Street  is  the  H.  C.  ABERLE  &  CO.  HOSIERY 
PLANT  (3)  (open  Mon.  to  Fri.  for  group  visits  only.  Arrangements 
must  be  made  in  advance). 

Beginning  with  the  knitters  who  settled  in  Germantown  before  the 
arrival  of  William  Penn,  the  hosiery  industry  has  continuously  flour- 
ished, until  today  Philadelphia  is  one  of  the  world's  leading  hosiery 
producers.  Kensington's  activity  centers  around  this  industry. 

Because  of  the  demand  for  finer  texture  (among  other  factors), 
numerous  changes  have  been  made  in  the  delicately  machined  and 
finely  adjusted  hosiery  manufacturing  equipment.  Gauges  have  risen 
to  the  point  where  today  the  knitting  machines  producing  some  of  the 
finer  stockings  require  the  use  of  40  needles  to  the  linear  inch. 

In  contrast  to  plain  stockings,  which  are  knit  straight  and  then 
stretched  to  shape,  the  hose  produced  by  full-fashioned  knitting 
machines  is  actually  knit  to  proportion.  When  the  stocking  is  com- 
pletely knitted,  it  is  stitched  up  the  back  on  a  sewing  machine. 

The  first  operation  after  seaming  is  degumming  and  dyeing.  These 
two  processes  are  usually  done  at  one  time  to  save  the  silk  from  too 
much  processing.  These  stockings  are  then  taken  to  the  boarding 
room,  where  they  are  boarded  on  aluminum  forms.  Their  next  stop 
is  in  the  inspection  department,  where  they  are  graded  for  quality 
and  separated  into  sizes.  They  are  then  folded,  boxed,  and  are  ready 
for  shipping. 

The  intersection  of  A  and  Lippincott  Streets  is  typical  of  Frank- 
ford  and  Kensington.  The  massive  factory  here  dwarfs  the  rows  of 
workers'  homes,  which  are  tiny,  in  need  of  repair,  and  unrelieved  by 
any  sign  of  vegetation.  Most  of  them  were  built  during  the  industrial 
boom  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  but  construction  im- 
provements during  recent  years  have  left  their  dreariness  unaltered. 

R.  from  A  St.  on  Allegheny  Ave.  ;  L.  on  C  St.  to  Ontario. 

The  PHILCO  RADIO  AND  TELEVISION  CORP.  PLANT  (4) 
at  C  Street  (may  be  visited  by  appointment),  are  distributors  of  ap- 
proximately 30  percent  of  all  radios  produced  in  the  United  States. 
The  manufacturing  company,  the  Philadelphia  Storage  Battery  Com- 
pany, began  its  phenomenal  industrial  career  in  1906  as  a  manu- 
facturer of  storage  batteries. 

Launched  with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  equally  contributed  by  five 
founders,  the  battery  company  has  survived  serious  vicissitudes  to  be- 
come one  of  the  giants  of  the  radio  industry. 

520 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (Cmr  TOUR  9) 

By  1929  Philco  had  inaugurated  intensive  methods  of  mass  produc- 
tion—  from  the  arrival  of  the  raw  material  in  the  form  of  metal 
sheets,  wire,  and  wood  to  shipment  of  the  packaged  product. 

The  various  parts  of  the  radio  set,  manufactured  in  separate 
departments,  flow  together  to  the  final  assembly  lines.  One  fifth  of 
Philco's  workers  are  inspectors.  The  plant  maintains  no  storage 
room  ;  the  completed  radio  sets  go  from  assembly  lines  and  packers 
to  the  trucks  and  freight  cars.  There  is  at  the  plant  a  private  railroad 
siding  with  nearly  a  half  mile  of  track.  Packaging  is  a  careful  process, 
especially  for  the  automobile  set,  which  is  tested  for  loose  parts  by 
being  slammed  on  a  one-inch-thick  lead  plate,  pounded  with  a  heavy, 
rubber  mallet,  and  shaken  in  imitation  of  road  conditions.  The  final 
package  is  thrown  against  the  floor. 

Successive  improvements  have  emerged  from  Philco's  research  and 
engineering  department  —  automatic  volume  control,  tone  control, 
6.3-volt  tubes  of  universal  application,  shadow  tuning,  inclined  sound- 
ing board,  short-wave  reception,  all-wave  aerial,  automatic  aerial 
selector,  acoustic  clarifiers  on  high  fidelity  models,  precision  radio 
dial,  automatic  tuning,  magnetic  tuning,  cone  centric  tuning,  spread 
band  dial,  and  music  interpretation  controls.  In  special  laboratories 
extreme  climatic  conditions  are  reproduced.  Another  testing  room  is 
the  "padded  cell,"  soundproofed,  where  each  new  speaker  is  tested  so 
that  it  "hurts"  the  ear,  to  assure  the  reproduction  of  sound  for  the 
entire  range  of  the  human  ear,  including  many  vibration  frequencies 
audible  to  but  few  persons  and  also  some  only  to  insects. 

Television  has  been  pioneered  in  the  local  factories,  and  a  tele- 
vision broadcasting  station  sends  regular  programs,  received  at  many 
suburban  test  stations. 

L.  from  Ontario  St.;  R.  on  Front. 

At  Erie  Avenue,  on  the  right,  is  the  S.K.F.  PLANT  (5)  (visitors  not 
admitted),  a  low,  modern  structure  fenced  in  and  surrounded  by  a 
lawn.  Ball  bearings  are  manufactured  here.  The  plant  was  built  in 
1912  and  designed  by  Dodge  Day  Zimmerman. 

The  official  name  of  this  establishment  is  S.K.F.  Industries,  Inc. 
S.K.F.  was  derived  from  the  name  "Aktiebolaget  Svenska  Kullager 
Fabriken"  (Swedish  Ball  Bearing  Co.). 

In  the  manufacture  of  ball  bearings,  Swedish  and  American  steel 
are  used  —  metal  of  extreme  hardness  and  toughness,  free  from  de- 
fects and  chemically  pure.  The  pressure  between  the  balls  and  the 
raceways  at  the  point  of  contact  is  about  150  pounds  per  square  inch. 
Ball  and  roller  bearings  have  their  loads  concentrated  in  a  compara- 
tively limited  space.  Of  paramount  importance  are  accuracy  of  di- 
mensions, surface  finish,  and  strength. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  manufacturing  process,  the  material  used 
is  in  the  form  of  bars,  tubes,  and  forgings.  These  must  be  annealed 

521 


W  I 


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J*ffc 

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J.  B.  Brill  Co.  Plant 
Steel  giants  press  more  steel  into  cars 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

to  permit  turning  on  automatic  lathes,  screw  machines,  and  a  special 
chamfering  machine.  During  these  operations  a  small  amount  of 
material  is  left  over  in  the  ball  to  permit  grinding  after  the  parts 
are  hardened.  In  the  turnings  tolerances  are  as  high  as  a  few  thou- 
sandths of  an  inch,  while  the  grinding  operations  restrict  tolerances 
to  a  few  ten-thousandths.  The  standard  tolerance  for  balls  and  rolls 
is  .0005  of  an  inch.  Such  accuracy  is  necessary  to  insure  uniform 
loadings,  as  overloading  on  any  single  bearing  in  a  series  would  result 
in  its  early  failing. 

/?.  from  Front  St.  on  Erie  Ave. 

At  Erie  Avenue,  left,  is  the  vast  PLANT  OF  THE  SLOANE-  BLA- 
BON  CORPORATION  (6),  manufacturers  of  linoleum,  both  inlaid 
and  printed. 

The  CUNEO  EASTERN  PRESS  PLANT  (7),  at  F  Street  (may  be 
visited  by  appointment,  singly  or  in  groups),  a  red  brick,  three-story 
structure,  with  overhead  ventilation  and  350,000  square  feet  of  floor 
space,  is  one  of  eight  plants  controlled  by  the  Cuneo  Press,  Inc.  It 
contains  70  presses,  from  the  tiny  job  press  to  the  towering  four- 
color  rotary  press,  and  has  a  capacity  of  more  than  250  tons  of 
printed  material  daily.  Its  chief  products  include  such  well-known 
magazines  of  national  distribution  as  Aero  Digest,  American  Homes, 
American  Legion,  Cosmopolitan,  Delineator,  Good  Housekeeping, 
House  Beautiful,  Liberty,  Motor,  Screenland,  Silver  Screen,  and  many 
others. 

To  copy  coming  in  is  assigned  one  of  the  many  type  faces,  and  type 
size  and  paper  texture  are  determined  in  order  to  estimate  the  size 
and  volume  the  printed  matter  will  occupy.  Type  faces,  illustrations, 
and  paper  are  harmonized,  since  a  delicate  type  design  would  be  lost 
on  rough  paper. 

The  old  method  of  hand  composition,  used  for  small  jobs  and 
special  work,  entails  setting  the  type  in  lines  in  a  device  called  a 
"stick,"  open  on  one  side,  and  one  end  of  which  is  adjustable  to  the 
width  of  the  line  desired.  When  set  in  the  stick  the  type  is  upside 
down.  Sentences  are  "justified,"  or  made  even,  by  inserting  or  re- 
moving spaces,  which  are  measured  on  the  point  and  pica  basis,  to 
insure  an  accurate  fit  when  used  in  combination. 

The  filled  stick  of  type  is  then  transferred  to  a  galley  —  a  long, 
shallow,  metal  tray  which  holds  the  type  firm  for  inking.  The  im- 
pression taken  from  the  galley-held  type  by  pressure  from  a  roller 
is  a  galley  proof,  used  for  proofreading. 

The  two  machines  used  for  composing  are  the  linotype  and  the 
monotype.  The  linotype  assembles  brass  molds  or  matrices  in  a  line, 
each  bearing  a  letter  or  character  which  has  been  stored  in  a  maga- 
zine in  the  machine.  Molten  metal  enters  the  assembled  brass  moulds 
and  a  metal  line  or  "slug"  of  type  is  cast  by  the  action.  The  cast  line 

523 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

is  ejected  by  the  machine  and  the  brass  moulds  automatically  redis- 
tributed. No  correction  can  be  made  without  recasting  the  entire  line, 
called  a  "slug."  When  the  printing  job  has  been  completed,  the 
"slugs"  are  remelted  into  fresh  type  metal.  The  linotype  is  used  in 
all  grades  of  magazine  and  pamphlet  printing. 

The  monotype  consists  of  two  distinct  parts,  a  composing  machine 
with  keyboard,  and  a  caster.  The  keyboard  perforates  a  paper  roll, 
and  can  be  operated  at  any  speed  regardless  of  the  limitations  of  the 
casting  part  of  the  operation.  The  perforated  paper  roll  is  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  caster  where  compressed  air  passes  through  the  per- 
forations, forcing  a  jet  of  molten  type  metal  into  a  mold  corres- 
ponding to  the  letter  whose  pressure  created  the  perforation.  The 
connection  with  the  actual  physical  production  of  the  type  metal  is 
thus  relaxed,  and  this  .constitutes  the  principal  advantage  of  the 
monotype  machine,  conceived  in  1890  by  Lanston  and  manufactured 
at  the  present  time  at  Twenty-fourth  and  Locust  Streets,  Philadelphia. 

After  the  galley  proof  has  been  pulled,  it  is  corrected  in  the  plant 
to  eliminate  compositor's  errors.  This  copy  is  sent  back  to  the  com- 
positor, who  makes  indicated  corrections.  A  revised  proof  is  then 
submitted  to  the  author  and  is  returned  by  him  with  further  correc- 
tions or  approval. 

After  the  type  has  been  set  in  galleys  and  the  galley  proofs  cor- 
rected, it  is  divided  into  page  lengths  ;  running  heads  and  page 
numbers  are  added,  and  the  mass  of  type  is  tied  up  in  page  units. 
Title  pages,  illustrations,  and  other  matter  also  are  set  up  in  blocks  of 
page  size,  the  unused  areas  being  filled  in  with  metal  or  wooden 
strips  of  varying  width.  "Imposition"  is  the  arrangement  of  page 
blocks  on  a  metal  slab,  called  the  stone,  in  such  position  that  they 
will  emerge  in  proper  order  when  the  sheet  is  printed  and  folded. 
Strips  of  wood  or  metal  called  "furniture"  are  placed  between  the 
page  blocks  to  form  the  margins  of  the  printed  pages.  A  metal  frame 
called  a  chase  is  put  around  the  pages  so  arranged  on  the  stone.  The 
vacant  space  in  the  chase  is  built  into  a  firm  mass  of  type  pages  and 
furniture,  tightened  by  expanding  keys  called  quoins.  This  locked- 
up  mass  of  metal,  furniture,  and  chase  is  called  the  form.  Ordinarily 
the  printing  is  done  from  the  surface  of  this  form.  When  a  form  is 
locked  for  the  press,  it  is  called  the  press  lock-up.  If  single  pages  or 
small  units  are  locked  for  the  stereotyper  or  electrotyper  they  are 
called  "foundry  lock-ups."  If  the  edition  is  large  the  form  itself  is  not 
used  directly,  but  the  printing  is  done  from  either  stereotyped  or 
electrotyped  plates. 

In  stereotyping,  a  matrix  ("mat"),  composed  of  several  sheets  of 
absorbent  paper  pasted  together  in  a  mass,  is  moistened  and  pressed 
into  every  part  of  the  surface  of  the  form.  The  mat  is  dried,  type 

524 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

metal  poured  into  it,  and  a  negative  plate  or  cast,  an  exact  reproduc- 
tion of  the  original  form,  results.  This  cast  or  stereotype  is  mounted 
on  a  block  and  used  as  a  form.  The  mat  can  be  used  for  making 
additional  casts,  if  needed.  Ordinary  stereotypes  will  not  reproduce 
fine  screen  illustrations  well. 

In  electrotyping,  the  form  is  pressed  into  a  sheet  of  metal  heavily 
surfaced  with  wax  and  coated  with  fine  graphite.  The  wax  surface 
takes  a  positive  mold  of  the  form,  as  in  the  case  of  the  stereotyped 
mat.  That  part  of  the  mold  which  is  to  be  plated  is  again  dusted  or 
washed  with  graphite  and  placed  in  a  bath  of  copper  sulphate  through 
which  an  electric  current  is  passed.  The  selected  part  of  the  wax  mold 
is  thereby  plated  with  a  thin  shell  of  copper  which  is  an  exact  dupli- 
cate of  the  original  form.  When  a  shell  of  sufficient  thickness  has  been 
deposited,  it  is  peeled  from  the  wax,  trimmed,  backed  up  with  type 
metal,  mounted  on  wood  or  metal  base,  and  used  in  place  of  the 
original  form.  Electrotyping,  slower  and  more  expensive  than  stereo- 
typing, is  used  for  fine  printing.  After  the  forms  have  served  their 
purpose  they  are  broken  up  and  used  for  type  metal. 

The  cuts,  stereotype  or  electrotype  plates,  may  now  be  attached 
in  their  proper  sequence  on  the  press,  an  intricate  mechanical  task 
on  the  large  presses. 

Small  job  presses  and  great  color  machines,  with  their  rows  of 
cylinders,  fit  into  the  pressroom.  Presses  here  are  operated  day  and 
night. 

Good  register  —  the  exact  meeting  of  lines  on  both  sides  of  a  sheet 
—  is  the  concern  of  stoneman  and  pressman.  The  former  determines 
the  margins  and  the  position  of  the  pages  ;  the  latter  sees  that  the 
paper  goes  on  the  press  accurately.  In  color  work,  in  which  several 
impressions  may  be  printed  over  each  other,  exactness  is  particularly 
important. 

In  the  bindery,  thousands  upon  thousands  of  sheets  from  the  presses 
are  put  through  folding,  gathering,  stitching,  covering,  and  trimming 
machines.  The  conveyor  system  in  use  runs  24  hours  a  day. 

The  addressing  and  mailing  department  releases  the  flood  of  printed 
matter  to  every  corner  of  the  world.  "The  Cuneo"  has  one  press 
among  its  great  battery,  capable  of  printing  10,000  books  in  each 
of  the  17  hours  it  runs  daily.  With  such  Niagaras  of  the  printed  word 
in  action,  it  is  easy  to  understand  why,  in  the  year  1936,  the  shipping 
department  was  called  upon  to  handle  31,200,000  shipments,  totaling 
125,000,000  pounds. 

L.  from  Erie  Ave.  on  M  St. 

At  Bristol  Street  are  the  CARL  MACKLEY  HOUSES  (8)  (named 
for  a  hosiery  worker  who  was  killed  during  a  strike  on  March  6,  1930) , 
constituting  one  of  the  first  low-rent  housing  developments  established 

525 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

in  the  United  States  with  the  aid  of  the  Federal  Government.  The 
group  of  four  multi-family  apartment  houses,  situated  across  from 
the  onetime  farm  of  Stephen  Decatur,  Jr.,  occupies  a  city  block  and 
was  erected  in  1934  by  the  Hosiery  Workers  Union  through  the 
Juniata  Park  Housing  Corporation.  The  strikingly  modern  design  of 
these  buildings  is  warmed  by  the  use  on  the  exterior  of  buff  and 
yellow  glazed  terra-cotta  tiles.  The  units  are  three  and  three-and-a- 
half-stories  high,  built  of  reinforced  concrete,  and  are  without  orna- 
mentation, except  for  plaster  surfaces  around  exterior  doors.  The 
project  was  sponsored  by  the  American  Federation  of  Hosiery 
Workers  and  erected  with  the  proceeds  of  a  $1,039,000  loan  from  the 
Public  Works  Administration,  to  be  repaid  over  a  35-year  period, 
with  interest  of  4  percent  and  annual  amortization  charges  starting 
at  1.51  percent.  The  group  of  buildings  was  designed  by  Kastner  & 
Stonorov  and  William  Pope  Barney.  The  cost  of  the  plot  was  $115,000. 
Work  began  in  January  1934,  and  the  first  tenants  were  received  in 
January  1935.  All  but  seven  of  the  284  apartments  had  been  rented 
by  November  of  that  year. 

Included  in  the  rental  prices  are  steam  heat,  electric  light,  power 
for  refrigeration  and  stoves,  the  use  of  electric  washing  machines, 
and  laundry  driers  in  rainy  weather.  The  construction,  two  rooms 
deep,  eliminates  corridors,  provides  cross  ventilation,  and  admits  a 
maximum  of  sunlight. 

Most  of  the  apartments  have  porch  balconies,  and  the  roofs  of 
the  units  have  been  utilized  as  terraces  for  work  and  recreation.  A 
swimming  pool  ;  a  wading  pool  for  small  children  ;  a  nursery  school  ; 
an  auditorium  ;  a  free  library  ;  recreation  rooms  ;  art,  modeling,  and 
woodworking  classes  ;  and  work  shops  are  available  to  tenants. 

Although  the  group  was  established  primarily  to  solve  an  acute 
housing  problem  for  members  of  the  American  Federation  of  Hosiery 
Workers,  tenancy  is  not  restricted  to  members.  Approximately  60 
percent  of  the  residents  are  members  of  some  union,  the  remainder 
being  made  up  largely  of  industrial  and  clerical  workers. 

The  relationship  of  management  to  residents  is  mildly  paternalis- 
tic, and  the  "human  element"  is  carefully  considered.  There  is  no 
suggestion  of  the  "take  it  or  leave  it"  attitude.  Reasonable  complaints 
are  considered  ;  no  pressure  to  obtain  immediate  payment  of  rent  is 
exerted  on  tenants  whom  illness  or  unemployment  has  placed  in 
financial  extremity.  Despite  this  lenient  policy,  rent  arrears  are  negli- 
gible. Cooperating  with  the  management  is  a  steering  committee  of 
tenants,  whose  nine  members  debate  any  questions  or  grievances  that 
may  arise.  The  residents  operate  a  credit  union  and  a  cooperative 
market. 

The  auditorium  is  available  free,  but  only  for  those  functions  in 

526 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

which  all  residents  may  have  a  part.  No  dues  may  be  charged  by  any 
of  the  clubs  using  the  buildings'  facilities. 

Three  acres  of  the  block  containing  the  houses  is  open  area,  largely 
lawns  and  gardens  ;  and  care  was  taken  in  the  initial  design  to  provide 
light,  air,  and  space,  along  with  safety  for  the  children.  There  is  but 
one  street  on  the  entire  block,  Juniata  Park  and  Juniata  Public 
Golf  Course  bordering  the  community  on  the  north. 

R.  from  M  St.  on  Cayuga  ;  L.  on  Adams  Ave.  to  Frankford  Ave. 

This  leads  to  a  point  a  little  to  the  right  of  where  Kensington 
Avenue  merges  into  Frankford  Avenue.  Overhead  are  the  Frankford 
"El"  tracks,  main  connecting  link  with  the  central  shopping  district 
and  with  West  Philadelphia. 

At  4217-21  Frankford  Avenue,  a  short  distance  to  the  right  of  the 
Hunting  Park  Avenue  intersection,  is  the  HOME  OF  THE  FIRST 
BUILDING  AND  LOAN  ASSOCIATION  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 
(9). 

On  January  3,  1831,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  public  house  of 
Thomas  Sidebotham  (Side-both-am's  Inn)  for  the  purpose  of  "form- 
ing an  association  to  enable  contributors  thereof  to  build  or  purchase 
dwelling  houses."  The  organization  name  selected  was  the  Oxford 
Provident  Building  Association  of  Philadelphia  County.  The  associa- 
tion matured  in  10  years,  the  first  payment  being  made  January  17, 
1831  ;  the  last,  January  11,  1841.  It  is  said  the  first  loan  was  made  to 
a  lamplighter,  Comly  Rich,  who  borrowed  $500  to  buy  his  little  two- 
and-a-half-story  frame  house  in  Orchard  Street.  This  house  is  still 
standing.  The  Oxford  association  had  been  patterned  after  the  plan 
of  the  Earl  of  Selkirk's  association,  instituted  in  Scotland  in  1815, 
and  the  founders  of  the  Philadelphia  organization  learned  of  it 
through  correspondence  with  relatives  and  friends  in  that  country. 
It  was  a  terminating  association  and  unincorporated,  but  in  the  main 
its  features  have  been  the  basis  of  all  the  building  and  loan  associa- 
tions in  the  United  States,  one  seventh  of  which  are  in  Philadelphia. 

On  August  11,  1931,  a  boulder,  to  which  was  attached  a  bronze 
plate  commemorating  the  construction  of  8,000,000  houses,  through 
the  agency  of  American  building  and  loan  associations,  was  dedicated 
in  Womrath  Park,  Frankford,  a  tiny  square  opposite  the  former  inn. 

L.  from  Frankford  Ave.  on  Church  St.  ;  L.  on  Paul. 

The  LA  FRANCE  ART  INSTITUTE  (10),  4420  Paul  Street  (open 
9  to  4  daily.,  except  Sat.  and  Sun.  ;  adm.  free),  was  founded  in  1920 
as  an  affiliate  of  the  La  France  Industries,  weavers  of  upholstery 
fabrics.  The  institution  has  greatly  expanded  its  scope,  and  is  now 
an  important  factor  in  the  art  education  of  Philadelphia. 

The  La  France  museum  contains  collections  of  contemporary  paint- 
ing and  sculpture,  wood  carving,  posters  and  other  objects.  There  are 
two  large  exhibition  galleries  and  six  small  rooms  displaying  etchings, 

527 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

water  colors  and  gouaches.  Recently  the  works  of  American  painters, 
especially  Philadelphians,  have  been  added.  The  school  is  strongly 
influenced  by  L'Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts,  Paris. 

Continue  on  Paul  St.  to  Sellers  ;  R.  from  Paul  on  Sellers  ;  R.  on 
Frankford  Ave.  ;  L.  on  Orthodox  St. 

The  building  at  1507  Orthodox  Street  houses  the  FRANKFORD 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  (11)  (open  Tues.  8  to  10  p.  m.,  Thurs.  2  to 
4  p.  m.  ;  adm.  free),  founded  in  1905  to  preserve  the  records  and  his- 
tory of  Frankford.  Built  in  Georgian  Colonial  style,  of  red  brick 
with  limestone  trim,  it  houses  an  interesting  collection  of  relics, 
manuscripts,  and  pictures  dealing  with  historic  Frankford. 

Directly  opposite  is  the  ORTHODOX  FRIENDS'  MEETING 
HOUSE  (12),  built  in  1831.  It  is  a  frame  structure,  with  a  carriage 
shed  attached. 

R.  from  Orthodox  St.  to  Penn  ;  Continue  on  Penn  to  Arrott  ;  R. 
from  Arrott  to  Frankford  Ave.  ;  R.  on  Frankford  to  Meadow  ;  L.  on 
Meadow  to  Paul  to  Frankford  ;  R.  on  Frankford  to  Unruh  ;  R.  on 
Unruh. 

At  Milnor  Street  is  HENRY  DISSTON  &  SONS,  INC.,  PLANT  (13) 
(open  weekdays  from  9  to  A). 

The  life  story  of  Henry  Disston,  founder  of  a  vast  industrial 
plant,  recapitulates  in  minature  the  history  of  American  industry 
during  its  period  of  ascension. 

He  came  to  Philadelphia  from  Tewkesbury,  England,  in  May  1833, 
at  the  age  of  14.  The  same  year  he  apprenticed,  himself  to  a  saw- 
maker,  who  later  failed  in  business,  leaving  in  lieu  of  wages  a  few 
unfinished  saws.  Henry  completed  and  sold  them,  thus  obtaining 
the  small  capital  with  which  he  started  his  own  venture  in  a  room 
and  basement  near  Second  and  Arch  Streets. 

In  1846  Disston  took  larger  quarters.  When  the  new  plant  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1849,  he  rapidly  erected  a  four-story  factory,  50 
by  100  feet,  on  an  adjoining  site. 

Disston  evidenced  skill,  persistence,  and  an  eagerness  to  try  new 
methods  and  devices.  He  was  always  ready  to  experiment  with  a  new 
machine  or  a  new  labor  saving  device  which  would  lower  the  cost  of 
production.  He  never  lost  a  market  once  gained.  Through  his  efforts, 
this  country  became  independent  of  English  producers  of  saws,  files, 
and  other  tools. 

During  the  Civil  War,  Disston  equipped  an  enlisted  company  of  his 
workmen  at  his  own  expense,  and  one  of  his  sons  marched  as  a  pri- 
vate in  its  ranks.  He  discovered  that  it  paid  to  encourage  harmony 
among  his  workers.  He  gave  them  an  excursion  up  the  Delaware  at  a 
time  when  company  outings  were  a  rarity  ;  when  the  Centennial  Ex- 
hibition revealed  his  display  of  steel  tools  as  among  the  finest  ever 
seen  in  the  country,  he  spent  $500  to  pay  admissions  for  his  workers. 

528 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

Today  the  plant  is  the  largest  saw  works  in  the  world,  employing 
2,600  workers  in  68  buildings  that  cover  65  acres. 

The  simple  handsaw  involves  more  than  80  progressive  operations. 
Steel  is  made  in  the  company's  steel  mill  using  the  latest  electric 
furnaces,  steam  hammers,  and  rolling  mills  ;  there  are  also  pyrometers 
that  control  furnace  heat,  testing  apparatus,  chemical  and  physical 
laboratories. 

Cast,  the  steel  ingot  is  rolled  into  a  plate  and  then  trimmed.  The 
transformation  actually  commences  in  the  handsaw  department. 
Massive  power  shears  cut  the  sheet  to  form  and  size.  These  machines 
are  hand  fed,  and  the  speed  and  precision  of  the  operators  seem 
almost  automatic.  Each  blade  is  stamped  with  a  figure  indicating  the 
number  of  points  to  the  inch  it  will  have,  and  an  automatic  toothing 
machine  tooths  the  saw  blade. 

The  blade  here  is  soft  and  unfit  for  sawing.  It  goes  now  to  the 
hardening  shop,  where  special  oil-burning  furnaces  heat  it  to  the 
desired  temperature.  It  is  then  plunged  edge  first  into  a  special 
hardening  bath,  where  it  becomes  so  hard  and  brittle  that  care  must 
be  used  in  handling  it  until  after  the  blade  is  tempered.  This  delicate 
operation,  which  dictates  to  a  considerable  extent  the  durability  and 
cutting  qualities  of  the  saw,  consists  of  drawing  or  reducing  the 
extreme  hardness  imparted  during  the  previous  operation,  thus  re- 
laxing the  molecular  rigidity  and  imparting  life  and  elasticity  to 
the  saw  blade. 

"Smithing-in-the-black" —  the  skillful  hammering  of  the  saw  blade 
to  straighten  and  flatten  it  —  is  the  next  operation  before  sending 
the  blade  to  grinding  machines.  "Smithing"  requires  the  highest  de- 
velopment of  the  saw  maker's  skill.  In  a  room  430  feet  long,  where 
the  operation  is  performed,  the  line  of  men  fades  away  in  the  dis- 
tance, while  the  rhythmical  tapping  of  their  hammers  sounds  like 
the  regular  vibrations  of  some  gigantic  machine.  A  man  lifts  a  blade, 
sights  along  it  toward  the  light  to  learn  from  the  shadows  on  the 
blade  just  where  the  hammer  should  fall.  The  wavering  nature  of 
artificial  light  makes  daylight  essential  for  this  kind  of  work. 

Across  the  same  room  are  the  grinding  machines,  extending  in  an 
uninterrupted  line  the  entire  length  of  the  building. 

In  these,  the  blade  is  ground  to  the  proper  gauge  or  thickness,  and 
taper-ground  towards  the  back.  The  handsaw  blade  is  ground  so  that 
it  tapers  in  thickness  from  the  tooth  edge  to  the  back  and  from  the 
handle  to  the  point.  The  tooth  edge  is  of  even  thickness  from  end 
to  end. 

Tension,  the  next  step,  is  a  process  of  hammering.  It  requires  con- 
siderable skill  and  experience,  for  in  it  the  blade  is  given  the  proper 
amount  of  tension,  spring,  or  character.  In  a  "fast"  blade  the  metal 

529 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

is  too  long  on  the  edge,  and  needs  expanding  from  the  center.  In 
a  "loose"  blade  the  metal  must  be  stretched  on  the  edge.  A  saw  not 
properly  tensioned  will  not  cut  straight.  Without  tensioning,  the 
blade  would  buckle  in  the  wood. 

The  blade  is  then  ground  a  second  time.  This  is  the  final,  or 
"draw"  grinding,  which  prepares  the  blade  for  a  higher  polish.  Glaz- 
ing or  buffing  is  necessary  to  give  polish  to  the  finished  blade. 

The  next  operation,  "blocking,"  done  by  highly  experienced 
workers,  consists  of  tensioning  and  correcting  any  slight  irregularities 
which  may  have  developed  during  the  "draw"  grinding  or  glazing. 

In  addition  to  the  anvil,  these  men  use  also  a  lignum  vitae  block, 
whence  the  name  of  the  operation  —  blocking.  While  affording  a 
base  sufficiently  hard  for  the  work,  this  wood  prevents  hammer  marks 
from  appearing  on  the  finished  blade.  After  blocking,  the  blade  is 
polished  and  stiffened  to  restore  the  spring  of  the  steel,  which  is 
more  or  less  affected  by  the  previous  operations. 

After  stiffening,  the  blade  is  passed  into  the  etching  room,  where 
the  mark  of  quality  is  placed  on  it,  and  it  is  now  ready  for  the 
setting  of  the  teeth.  A  skilled  workman  lays  the  blade  on  the  setting 
block  or  stake,  and  beginning  with  the  first  tooth  at  the  butt  end 
sets  each  alternate  tooth.  Then  the  blade  is  reversed,  and  beginning 
with  the  first  unset  tooth  at  the  point,  each  alternate  tooth  is  set.  A 
hammer  with  a  long,  tapering  head  is  used.  A  tap  of  the  hammer 
sets  each  tooth  half  the  thickness  of  the  blade,  making  the  cutting 
edge  about  twice  as  thick  as  the  blade.  This  prevents  binding. 

Sharpening  follows  setting.  With  the  saw  fastened  in  a  special 
vise,  and  the  file  held  in  both  hands,  the  sharpener  moves  swiftly 
from  tooth  to  tooth,  giving  each  the  proper  bevel  and  a  keen  edge. 
To  the  amateur,  with  whom  saw  filing  is  a  slow  and  laborious  pro- 
cess, the  speed  attained  by  these  experts  is  astonishing.  The  file  seems 
to  leap  from  tooth  to  tooth,  and  yet  every  stroke  has  the  sureness 
gained  from  long  experience  and  practice. 

Retrace  on  Unruh  St.  ;  L.  on  State  Rd.  to  Bridge  St. 

This  street  crosses  the  approach  to  the  Tacony-Palmyra  Bridge, 
which  spans  the  Delaware  here.  Designed  by  Ralph  Modjeski,  Frank 
M.  Masters,  and  Clement  E.  Case,  and  begun  in  1928,  the  main  span 
measures  2,324  feet.  Extensive  factory  grounds  line  State  Road  on 
the  right. 

The  FRANKFORD  ARSENAL  (14),  one  boundary  of  which  is 
the  left  side  of  State  Road  (also  Tacony  Avenue)  (open  10  to  4  ex- 
cept Sat.  and  Sun.  ;  adm.  free),  is  used  by  the  Federal  Government 
for  the  manufacture  of  small  arms,  ammunition  components,  and  fire 
control  instruments.  The  arsenal  stands  on  the  point  of  land  formed 
by  the  confluence  of  Frankford  Creek  and  the  Delaware  River, 
extending  along  the  northern  boundary  of  the  creek  to  Bridge  Street. 

530 


THROUGH  INDUSTRIAL  PHILADELPHIA  (CITY  TOUR  9) 

The  arsenal's  282  buildings  and  grounds  cover  an  area  of  94  acres 
and  include  shops,  storehouses,  and  barracks.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest 
institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  It  was  provided  for  in  an  act 
of  Congress  on  February  8,  1815,  and  the  construction  of  buildings 
was  begun  in  1816. 

Those  that  are  of  interest  in  point  of  both  age  and  architecture 
are,  in  chronological  order  :  Nos.  2  and  3,  of  brick  with  oak  beams, 
evidently  purchased  with  the  original  tract ;  No.  6  and  the  west 
storehouse,  of  stone  and  timber,  dating  from  1817  ;  Nos.  4  and  5, 
of  stone  and  timber,  built  in  1820  ;  and  the  house  of  the  commandant, 
which  is  of  stone  faced  with  brick.  No.  1,  the  most  recent  of  the  old 
houses,  is  of  stone  and  was  built  in  1823. 

All  these  buildings  are  painted  yellow  with  a  black  trim.  The  roofs 
of  some  are  of  slate  ;  others  of  tin.  The  architectural  style  is  very 
simple,  exhibiting  the  influence  of  the  Greek  Revival.  The  timber 
framework  is  of  oak,  joined  by  wooden  pegs. 

The  first  purchase  of  land  for  the  arsenal,  approximately  21  acres 
on  Frankford  Creek,  was  made  from  Frederick  Fraley  and  his  wife 
at  a  price  of  $7,680.75. 

Originally,  the  arsenal,  besides  being  a  storage  depot,  was  used  for 
the  repair  and  cleaning  of  small  arms  and  harness,  the  manufacture 
of  percussion  caps,  friction  primers,  brushers,  and  musket  balls, 
and  for  the  proving  and  inspection  of  gunpowder,  In  1851  there  was 
introduced  the  manufacture  of  small  arms,  fixed  ammunition,  and 
cavalry,  artillery,  and  infantry  equipment.  Standard  gauges,  scales, 
weights,  calipers,  and  measures  of  proportion  are  made  here  for  use 
in  Government  shops  elsewhere.  A  large  part  of  the  small-arms  am- 
munition for  use  by  the  Federal  forces  is  manufactured  at  the  arsenal. 

The  arsenal  has  had  a  placid  history,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Civil  War  period.  Capt.  Josiah  Gorgas,  a  native  Pennsylvanian  who 
commanded  the  arsenal  at  that  time,  resigned  April  3,  1861,  just  be- 
fore the  first  guns  were  fired  upon  Fort  Sumter,  and  cast  his  lot 
with  the  South. 

L.  on  Bridge  St.  ;  R.  on  Richmond  St. 

At  the  foot  of  Norris  Street  are  the  buildings  of  what  was  formerly 
the  PLANT  OF  THE  WM.  CRAMP  &  SONS  SHIP  AND  ENGINE 
BUILDING  CO.  (15),  later  occupied  by  the  I.  P.  Morris  Iron  Works 
a  company  which  passed  into  the  control  of  Cramps  in  1891. 

From  1830  until  1927  this  plant  constructed  vessels  for  peace  and 
war.  William  Cramp,  the  founder,  contributed  greatly  to  the  per- 
fection of  the  modern  warship.  In  1830,  with  a  capital  saved  from 
his  earnings  as  a  journeyman  ship  carpenter,  he  began  as  a  ship- 
builder at  the  foot  of  Otis  Street,  now  East  Susquehanna  Avenue. 
In  1872  the  William  Cramp  &  Sons  Ship  and  Engine  Building  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $500,000.  Subsequent  growth 

531 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

was  rapid.  The  main  works,  fronting  1,000  feet  on  the  Delaware  River, 
and  the  adjacent  Port  Richmond  Iron  Works,  owned  by  the  sub- 
sidiary, the  I.  P.  Morris  Company,  made  this  one  of  the  largest  ship- 
building plants  in  the  world. 

A  slump  in  naval  construction  following  the  Washington  Naval 
Limitation  Treaty  of  1921,  intensified  by  increasing  competition, 
forced  the  Cramp  organization  to  suspend  activities  in  1927. 

At  Delaware  Avenue  (into  which  Richmond  Street  merges)  and 
Shackamaxon  Street,  left,  the  PLANT  OF  THE  PENNSYLVANIA 
SUGAR  COMPANY  (16)  (visiting  hours  8  to  5,  except  Sat.  and  Sun.  ; 
report  to  engineer's  office)  rises  in  a  strangely  shaped  geometrical 
brick  mass,  from  which  protrude  at  fantastic  angles  a  variety  of  tanks 
and  metal  pipes. 

This  huge  refinery  imports  its  raw  material  from  Cuba,  Puerto 
Rico,  the  Philippines,  and  Hawaii.  The  dark  brown  raw  sugar,  in 
325-pound  bags,  is  transferred  from  the  docks  to  a  long  conveyor,  at 
the  end  of  which  workmen  open  the  bags  for  mechanical  emptying 
into  a  hopper.  The  raw  mass  is  raised  to  a  bin  of  1,000-ton  capacity 
on  the  roof  of  the  melter  house  or  into  the  warehouse  from  which 
it  is  reclaimed  by  a  system  of  conveyors.  The  residue  in  the  bags, 
amounting  to  five  tons  a  day,  is  conserved  by  a  laundering  process. 

From  the  minglers  where  the  crystals  are  puddled  with  saturated 
syrup,  they  pass  through  rapid  centrifugals,  similar  to  laundry  driers, 
which  wash  the  now  fluid  mass  free  of  impurities  and  of  molasses, 
leaving  it  ivory  colored.  In  the  melters,  water  converts  it  into  a 
thick  syrup.  The  melters  are  a  maze  of  piping  and  tanks. 

Passage  through  a  corridor  of  mechanical  filters,  consisting  of  filter 
leaves  covered  with  minutely  perforated  monel  metal  cloth,  is  the 
next  step.  These  cloths  are  covered  with  a  spongy  mass  of  diatomous 
silica,  composed  of  myriads  of  capillary  tubes,  and  by  the  time  the 
syrup  has  passed  through  it  is  amber  in  color.  It  is  then  pumped 
through  bright  copper  piping  to  the  char  house,  a  12-story  building 
filled  with  an  array  of  pumps,  piping,  batteries  of  filters  10  feet  in 
diameter  by  25  feet  deep,  and  oil-burning  kilns  for  revivifying  the 
char.  The  filters  are  charged  with  5,000  tons  of  hard,  granulated, 
porous  charcoal  which  decolorizes  the  amber  syrup.  An  operator 
watches  the  liquid  to  detect  a  slackening  of  the  decolorizing  power 
of  the  char,  in  which  case  he  drains  the  sugar  syrup,  washes  the 
char  with  hot  water,  and  sends  it  through  the  tight  retorts  in  a 
red-hot  furnace  for  restoration. 

The  colorless  syrup  proceeds  to  the  storage  tanks  in  the  top  of  the 
pan  house  to  await  its  turn  to  be  drawn  into  the  vacuum  pans  —  large 
tanks  built  of  heavy  copper  plates  and  fitted  with  steam  coils,  a 
condenser,  and  a  vacuum  pump.  The  pump  lowers  the  temperature 
of  the  boiling  liquid  to  about  130  to  170  degrees,  and  prevents  scorch- 

532 


ALONG  THE  WATER  FRONT  (CITY  TOUR  10) 

ing.  In  the  pans,  crystab  of  any  size  are  produced  from  the  fine 
caster  sugar  to  "Sparkling  A,"  or  even  as  large  as  ^-inch  rock  candy. 
The  crystals  form  slowly  and  float  in  the  "mother  syrup."  Centrifugals 
(bronze  baskets  40  inches  in  diameter,  with  finely  perforated  screen 
perimeters)  spin  toplike  at  a  speed  of  1,000  revolutions  per  minute, 
ejecting  the  syrup  while  the  crystals  remain  on  the  screen  to  be 
washed.  The  wet  sugar  is  delivered  to  the  revolving  dryers  for  dry- 
ing and  separation  into  various  sizes. 

In  the  packing  house  a  great  variety  of  automatic  weighing  and 
packing  machinery  fills  bags  and  cartons  of  all  sizes  from  two  pounds 
to  100,  all  within  an  accuracy  of  a  fraction  of  an  ounce.  For  special 
trade,  kosher  sugar  is  furnished.  Some  customers  require  their  sugar 
packed  in  wooden  barrels  containing  350  pounds.  Some  export  buyers 
demand  moisture-proof  bags,  and  the  southern  housewife  has  a  predi- 
lection for  cotton  bags  which  make  good  dishcloths. 

Cubes  and  tablets  of  various  sizes  and  shapes  are  made  in  cylin- 
drical presses  fitted  with  automatic  packers.  Powdered  sugar  is  pro- 
duced in  large  pulverizers  from  standard  sugar  and  is  packed  im- 
mediately. 

Final  product  of  the  refining  process  is  black  strap  molasses,  con- 
taining sugar,  glucose,  potash,  and  various  chemicals.  This  is  some- 
times refined  into  table  syrup,  but  in  the  Pennsylvania  refinery  it  is 
sent  to  the  byproducts  plant.  Here  it  is  used  for  alcohol  production, 
being  mixed  with  yeast  which  breaks  up  the  glucose  into  alcohol 
and  carbonic  acid  gas.  The  latter  bubbles  through  the  mash  and  is 
recovered. 

The  mash,  containing  about  8  percent  of  alcohol,  is  pumped  into 
a  continuously  operating  still,  where  the  alcohol  is  boiled  off  and  then 
packed  for  such  uses,  as  an  antifreeze,  a  flavoring,  and  a  solvent. 

The  final  processing  of  the  distillery  slop  completes  the  cycle,  de- 
livering fertilizer  for  the  production  of  sugar  cane. 

R.  from  Delaware  Ave.  on  Market  St.  to  City  Hall. 

ALONG  THE  WATER  |FRONT 

City  Tour  10 

Route:  Take  Market  St.  subway  train 
marked  Frankford,  east  bound,  from  City 
Hall  Station  to  Fairmount  Ave.  Returning: 
north  on  Broad  St.  to  City  Hall. 

THERE  was  a  time  when  the  bowsprits  of  schooner,  brig,  and 
barque  cast  their  shadows  upon  Delaware  Avenue  ;  a  time  when 
long  jib   booms   thrust   their   tips   into   the   upper   windows   of 
buildings   across  the   then  narrow  thoroughfare.   There  was   a  time, 

533 


ALONG  THE  WATER  FRONT 


1.  Church  of  Gloria  Dei 

2.  Settlement  Music  School 

3.  Graphic   Sketch   Club 

4.  Arthur  House 


ALONG  THE  WATER  FRONT  (CiTY  TOUR  10) 

moreover,  when  Delaware  Avenue  did  not  exist  ;  what  is  now  Water 
Street  —  one  half  block  westward  from  the  avenue  —  actually 
fronted  on  the  river  at  Market  Street. 

When  the  eyes  of  white  men  first  beheld  what  is  now  Philadelphia's 
busy  water  front,  the  woods  on  the  embankment  almost  reached  the 
water's  edge.  Near  the  present  Market  Street  a  steep  hill  rose  inland  ; 
into  the  slope  of  this  hill  were  dug  the  caves  which  for  a  time  shel- 
tered some  of  the  settlers  who  had  preceded  Penn.  The  hill,  its  grade 
especially  noticeable  where  today's  Market  Street  dips  downward  to 
Delaware  Avenue,  is  responsible  for  Market  Street's  original  name  — 
High  Street. 

Water  Street  still  exists  behind  its  barricade  of  brick-walled  struc- 
tures, but  the  tall  ships  live  only  in  memory.  Gone  are  the  square- 
riggers  and  schooners,  gone  also,  the  fast  clippers  which  in  the  latter 
days  of  sail  tried  desperately  to  match  canvas  and  wood  against  steam 
and  steel. 

Nowadays,  the  water  front  is  the  home  of  a  great  industry  with  its 
particular  job  to  do.  Its  business  is  the  transshipment  of  commodities, 
and  it  is  geared  to  do  that  job  with  the  least  possible  delay  and  the 
greatest  possible  profit.  The  sail  lofts  of  an  earlier  day  have  been 
replaced  by  factories  and  warehouses.  Along  Delaware  Avenue,  once 
a  strip  of  gluey  mud,  locomotives  now  crawl,  hauling  clanking  box- 
cars ;  while  overhead,  from  Arch  to  South  Street,  the  "El"  rumbles 
and  quakes  to  the  passage  of  electric  trains.  Where  once  only  horses 
strained  against  the  traces  of  high-piled  drays,  trucks  now  too  dart  be- 
tween the  supports  of  the  "El"  structure.  Along  the  avenue  are 
refineries  that  produce  a  major  portion  of  the  Nation's  sugar  supply  ; 
distilleries  that  turn  out  a  vast  amount  of  alcohol  and  whiskey  ; 
and  great  factories  with  a  dozen  other  products. 

The  old  taverns  with  their  aroma  of  ale  and  rum  have  long  since 
disappeared,  and  their  places  have  been  taken  by  tawdry  taprooms, 
where  the  sailor  home  from  a  voyage  may  seek  relaxation  in  cheap 
whiskey  and  cheaper  women.  And  home  to  the  Delaware  the  voyagers 
do  come,  from  all  over  the  world.  The  water  front  is  almost  a  hundred 
miles  from  the  sea,  yet  along  its  piers  are  tied  vessels  from  the  banana 
republics  to  the  south  of  us,  ships  with  cargoes  of  jute  and  tea  from 
India,  copra  from  the  South  Seas,  manganese  and  copper  from  Africa, 
or  wares  from  the  Orient.  Rising  and  falling  on  the  quiet  Delaware, 
these  ships,  with  their  businesslike,  bluff  bows  and  neat  deck- 
houses, in  no  way  suggest  the  perils  and  adventure  of  the  sea. 

R.  from  Elevated  Station  at  Fairmount  Ave.  ;  R.  on  Delaware  Ave. 

Walking  along  the  river  side  of  Delaware  Avenue,  where  wavelets 

slap  against  bulkheads  that  prevent  the  street  from  sliding  into  the 

535 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

water,  gazing  at  ships  whose  names  recall  far  places,  even  a  landsman 
may  feel  the  urge  that  has  moved  men  immemorially  to  go  down  to 
the  sea  in  ships.  Walking  there,  few  may  escape  a  wish  to  take  part 
in  that  moving  world. 

On  summer  nights  when  warm  breezes  crisp  the  water  and  the 
moon  rides  high,  the  river  is  gay  with  brightly  lighted  excursion 
boats  plying  between  Philadelphia  and  Wilmington.  The  music  of 
jazz  bands  floats  across  the  water  —  now  soft  and  low,  now  swift  and 
blaring.  The  boat  decks  are  a  favorite  rendezvous  for  lovers. 

By  day,  these  same  boats  are  converted  into  a  floating  picnic  ground 
for  hundreds  of  women  who,  with  their  children,  sail  leisurely  up 

Delaware  River  Bridge 
"A  poem  of  stone  artd  steel" 


ALONG  THE  WATER  FRONT  (CITY  TOUR  10) 

stream  and  down,  munching  sandwiches  and  commenting  upon  the 
sights  —  and  smells  —  of  the  Delaware. 

From  Fairmount  Avenue  to  South  Street,  many  piers,  some  large 
and  some  small,  line  the  riverbank,  and  through  the  doors  of  each 
passes  a  never-ending  stream  of  commodities.  The  banana  boats  un- 
load their  cargoes  at  Pier  9,  North.  The  size  of  the  cargo  varies  with 
the  season.  "One  boat  arrives  each  week  during  the  winter  ;  in  sum- 
mer the  shipments  are  doubled.  About  30,000  bunches  of  bananas  are 
imported  in  each  boat. 

A  common  sight  is  the  long  queue  of  teams  lined  up  in  the  middle 
of  the  avenue  near  Pier  9.  These,  the  banana  wagons  awaiting  their 
turn  to  drive  into  the  warehouse,  sometimes  extend  for  blocks  on  the 
busy  streets,  and  so  closely  are  they  drawn  up  that  the  horses  of 
one  wagon  may  nuzzle  the  tailboard  of  the  wagon  in  front. 

A  stroll  southward  from  Fairmount  Avenue  is  as  hard  upon  the 
feet  as  it  is  interesting  to  the  eye.  The  jaunt  is  likewise,  for  the  un- 
wary, attended  with  a  certain  amount  of  hazard.  To  view  all  the 
phases  of  activity,  the  wayfarer  must  weave  in  and  out  of  narrow 
lanes  between  railroad  cars,  dodge  hurrying  trucks  and  drays  rumb- 
ling from  warehouses,  and  generally  risk  injury  a  dozen  times  within 
a  block. 

On  the  right  are  factories  and  warehouses,  constructed  with  a  view 
to  efficiency  rather  than  to  architectural  beauty,  and  typical  of  a 
progress  indifferent  to  everything  but  the  efficient  movement  of  its 
machine.  Crowded,  almost  stifled,  by  these  grimy  and  ugly  monu- 
ments to  the  speeding-up  of  commerce  are  the  few  small  shops  that 
still  retain  the  old-time  flavor  of  the  sea  —  among  them  are  the  pipe 
shops,  catering  to  seafaring  men  and  carrying  in  stock  tobaccos  from 
all  parts  of  the  world. 

Impressive  in  its  graceful  sweep  is  the  Delaware  River  Bridge, 
arching  over  the  river  from  a  point  between  Vine  and  Race  Streets. 
One  of  the  longest  single-span  suspension  bridges  in  the  world,  it 
has  eased  the  traffic  jams  and  tie-ups  that  were  so  frequent  on  Dela- 
ware Avenue  when  ferries  provided  the  only  means  of  transporta- 
tion across  the  river. 

The  bridge,  designed  by  Ralph  Modjeski  and  completed  in  1926 
at  a  cost  of  more  than  $37,000,000,  has  a  length  of  1.81  miles  and  an 
over-all  width  of  125  feet,  6  inches.  A  57-foot  roadway  provides  space 
for  six  traffic  lanes.  On  each  side  of  the  way  is  a  trolley  track 
and  a  high-speed  track,  with  a  10-foot  pedestrian  walk  suspended 
above  the  tracks  on  either  side.  The  high-speed  line  began  operation 
in  June  1936. 

As  for  the  construction  details,  the  span  has  two  main  cables  30 
inches  in  diameter,  each  consisting  of  18,360  wires  strung  on  what  is 
called  a  traveling  spider.  More  than  22,000  miles  of  wire,  weighing 

537 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

6,100  tons,  was  used  ;   the  steel  has  an  ultimate  tensile  strength  of 
229,500  pounds  per  square  inch. 

The  height  of  the  main  span  is  135  feet  above  mean  high  water  ; 
the  Delaware  River  itself  is,  and  was  from  early  days,  quite  deep  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Race  and  Vine  Street  fronts.  It  is  recorded  that 
when  the  ship  John  Trux  was  sunk  hy  crushing  ice  floes  off  Race 
Street  in  the  winter  of  1863,  her  topsail  yards  were  not  visible  above 
water. 

Market  Street,  two  blocks  south  of  Race,  had  for  its  terminus  as 
late  as  1800  a  wood  wharf  and  a  fish  market.  The  hill  here  was  used 
in  winter  as  a  race  course  for  sleds,  which  sped  from  the  summit  to 
the  water's  edge.  Here,  during  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
a  portion  of  the  wharf  acquired  the  name  Crooked  Billet  (because 
it  was  made  of  crooked  and  twisted  lumber)  and  won  for  itself  the 
sinister  reputation  of  a  mantrap.  History  preserves  the  name  of  one 
victim,  Isaac  Jones,  who  at  the  age  of  64  slipped  off  the  icy  wharf 
to  his  death  in  the  Delaware. 

From  the  first  wharf  below  the  Crooked  Billet  (this  name  is  per- 
petuated in  a  small  bystreet  south  of  Market) ,  a  line  of  fast  packets 
in  1805  forged  a  commercial  link  with  New  York.  Other  lines  nearby 
made  contact  with  the  South,  bringing  in  cargoes  of  watermelons 
that  sold  at  the  dock  for  a  penny  apiece  ;  and  peaches  for  six  pence 
a  half-peck.  Old-fashioned  shallops  brought  hickory,  pine,  oak,  maple, 
and  gum.  By  the  time  of  Stephen  Girard  commerce  had  so  increased 
as  to  make  imperative  better  wharfage  facilities  and  an  improved 
thoroughfare  along  the  river. 

Girard  had  dreamed  of  some  day  building  a  tree-lined  boulevard 
along  the  water  front.  He  died  before  he  could  realize  his  dream,  but 
in  his  will  he  made  a  $500,000  bequest  for  the  laying  out  of  Delaware 
Avenue.  In  the  vicinity  of  Market  Street  the  land  required  for  the 
avenue  had  to  be  reclaimed  from  the  river.  But  no  trees  were 
planted  ;  rapidly  encroaching  warehouses  and  other  structures 
doomed  forever  the  hope  of  a  tree-canopied  boulevard.  Thus  Girard's 
wishes  were  only  partly  fulfilled. 

Probably  the  most  interesting  section  of  the  water  front  historically, 
as  well  as  the  most  important  commercially,  is  that  part  just  south 
of  Market.  Here,  under  the  frowning  canopy  of  the  "El,"  where  rail- 


Delaware  Avenue  at  Noon 
Claimed  from  the  river  by  Stephen  Girard 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

road  beltline,  ferry  traffic,  taxicabs,  and  freight  trailers  contribute 
their  individual  discords  to  the  general  dissonance,  can  be  found 
occasional  mementos  of  a  day  when  river  grass  grew  where  hard- 
packed  granite  blocks  now  lie. 

For  example,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Delaware  Avenue  and 
Walnut  Street,  on  the  Merchants  Warehouse  —  a  building  occupying 
an  entire  block  from  Chestnut  Street  to  Walnut,  and  from  Delaware 
Avenue  to  Water  Street  —  hangs  a  bronze  plaque  bearing  this  in- 
scription : 

EXILES 

FOR  CONSCIENCE  SAKE 
To  the  memory  of  the  followers  of 
CASPAR  von  SCHWENCKFELD 
who  fled  from  Silesia  and  found 
in  Pennsylvania  a  haven  of 
-religious   toleration 
They  landed  near  this  spot  1731-37 
Erected  by  the  Society  of  the  Descendants  of 
The  Schwenkfeldian  Exiles   September  22,   1934 

In  the  rear  of  the  same  building,  and  about  midway  between  Chest- 
nut and  Walnut  on  Water  Street,  are  two  more  plaques.  One,  over 
the  garage  entrance,  reads  : 

THIS  TABLET  MARKS 

THE  SITE  OF  TUN  TAVERN 

THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  THE 

UNITED  STATES  MARINE  CORPS. 

HERE  IN  1775  CAPTAIN  SAMUEL 

NICHOLAS,  THE  FIRST  MARINE 

OFFICER,  OPENED  A  RECRUITING 

RENDEZVOUS  FOR  THE  MARINE 

BATTALIONS  AUTHORIZED  BY 

RESOLUTION  OF  THE 

CONTINENTAL  CONGRESS 

NOVEMBER  10,  1775. 

The  other,  to  the  left  of  the  garage  entrance,  reads  : 

ON  THIS  SITE  STOOD  THE  TUN 

TAVERN,  WHERE,  ON  ST.  JOHN'S 

DAY  JUNE  24th,  1732,  A  GRAND 

LODGE  OF  THE  ANCIENT  AND 

HONORABLE  SOCIETY  OF 
FREE  AND  ACCEPTED  MASONS 

WAS  HELD. 

IN  COMMEMORATION,  THIS  TABLET 

IS  ERECTED  BY  THE  PHILAD'A. 

CHAPTER  #  16,  SOJOURNERS 

CLUB,  JUNE  2d,  1926. 

Dock  Street,  the  city's  market  basket,  winding  from  Delaware 
Avenue  below  Walnut  to  Third  Street  near  Chestnut,  is  a  teeming 
community,  alive  with  trucks  and  piled  high  with  foodstuffs  during 

540 


Old  Swedes'  Church 
icross    the    meadows    wer 
wafted  sounds  of  psalms" 


Old  Swedes'  Church 

Graveyard 
Eternal  rest  in  Gloria  D 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  gray  hours  preceding  dawn.  Activity  slows  to  a  whisper  during 
the  day  (see  City  Tour  2). 

R.  from  Delaware  Ave.,  on  South. 

South  Street,  the  "bargain  basement"  of  Philadelphia,  is  lined  on 
both  sides,  from  4th  Street  to  15th  Street,  with  shops  that  cater  to 
the  apparel  needs  of  the  city's  slim-pursed  element. 

Barkers,  who  solicit  trade  for  the  stores,  employ  both  physical 
force  and  oral  persuasion  in  their  efforts  to  ensnare  a  prospective 
purchaser.  To  the  uninitiated  visitor,  this  practice  may  be  both  alarm- 
ing and  embarrassing. 

Saturday  night  transforms  the  street  to  a  garish  scene  of  neon 
signs  ;  brilliantly  lighted  windows  arrayed  with  tawdry  finery  and 
cheap  jewelry  to  attract  the  dollars  of  the  milling  shoppers. 

R.  from  South  St.,  on  Broad  to  City  Hall. 

Alternate  route  from  Delaware  Ave.  and  South  St.  to  Broad, 
traverses  the  older  section  of  the  city. 

R.  from  Delaware  Ave.  on  Christiart  St.  ;  R.  on  Swanson. 

In  the  midst  of  the  teeming  water-front  slums  of  Philadelphia 
stands  the  small,  ivy-covered,  red  brick  CHURCH  OF  GLORIA 
DEI  (1)  (open  daily  9  to  5).  As  lavish  in  historical  tradition  as  it 
is  simple  in  design,  is  Old  Swedes',  the  oldest  church  still  standing 
in  this  city  and  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  country. 

The  congregation  of  Gloria  Dei  had  its  beginning  in  a  small 
structure  on  Tinicum  Island,  possibly  as  early  as  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  When  Swedish  colonization  moved  farther  north 
on  the  Delaware,  a  blockhouse  at  Wicaco  was  utilized  for  religious 
gatherings.  Wicaco  was  a  settlement  in  what  is  now  a  part  of  south- 
eastern Philadelphia,  extending  possibly  as  far  north  as  the  present 
line  of  South  Street  and  as  far  west  as  Seventeenth.  Divine  services 
were  held  in  the  blockhouse  from  about  1666  to  1671,  with  Pastor 
Lars  Lock  paddling  upriver  from  Chester  each  Sunday  to  preside. 

The  first  resident  ordained  clergyman  to  preach  to  the  Wicaco  set- 
tlers was  Rev.  Jacobus  Fabritius,  a  Dutchman,  who  took  charge  in 
1677.  As  the  congregation  grew  in  size,  it  became  increasingly  im- 
perative that  a  more  churchlike  edifice  be  erected.  Thus,  in  May  1698, 
work  was  begun  on  a  structure  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  old  block- 
house, and  in  1700  Gloria  Dei  was  completed  and  opened.  Rev. 
Eric  Tobias  Biork  pastor  of  the  New  Church  at  Christina,  delivered 
the  dedication  sermon  on  July  2  of  that  year. 

In  1846,  narrow  galleries  were  added.  The  fine  pipe  organ 
was  imported  from  Germany  and  installed  in  this  church.  The  com- 
parative modernity  of  the  galleries  is  attested  by  their  small  iron 
supporting  columns.  The  present-day  pews  were  added  in  1902.  A  visit 
to  the  church  is  interesting  from  both  the  historic  and  the  architec- 
tural point  of  view.  The  compactness  of  the  structure  is  striking. 

The  exterior  of  red  brick  with  white  wood  trim  is  unusual  be- 
cause of  the  large  size  of  its  front  and  side  bays,  compared  to  the  size 
of  the  structure.  The  brick  is  laid  in  both  Flemish  and  common  bond. 
About  the  only  touches  of  Swedish  architecture  are  the  steep  peaked 
gables  over  the  main  entrance,  and  possibly  the  squareness  of  the 

542 


ALONG  THE  WATER  FRONT  (€ITY  TOUR  10) 

fine  little  bell  tower.  Entrance  wings,  similar  in  design  to  the  main 
entrance,  were  added  on  either  side  in  1703  to  strengthen  the  walls. 
The  detail  work,  especially  the  doors  and  the  square,  many-paned 
windows,  shows  a  decided  English  influence. 

The  interior  walls,  ceiling,  and  wainscoting  are  original,  and  the 
building  has  a  certain  mellowness  of  character.  From  the  front  door 
to  the  rear  wall  behind  the  pulpit,  the  church  is  not  much  more  than 
50  feet  long.  The  ceiling  of  the  interior  does  not  follow  the  slope  of  the 
roof,  but  is  almost  a  barrel  vault  in  form,  following  the  Swedish  style. 

In  the  center  aisle  are  three  stones,  marking  the  graves  of  early 
pastors.  The  first  stone  between  the  door  and  pulpit  is  that  over 
the  grave  of  Olavius  Parlin,  a  missionary  sent  from  the  mother 
church  in  Sweden,  who  died  in  1757.  Next  is  the  grave  of  John 
Dylander,  pastor  of  the  church  for  four  years,  who  died  in  1741.  The 
grave  nearest  the  pulpit  is  that  of  Rev.  Andrew  Rudman,  who  died  in 
1708. 

On  the  side  walls  are  plaques  commemorating  the  long  service  of 
Nicholas  Collin,  last  missionary  sent  here  from  Sweden  ;  John  Curtis 
Clay,  first  Episcopal  rector  ;  and  Snyder  Binn  Simes.  The  pastorates 
of  these  three  covered  a  period  of  124  years.  The  first  died  in  1831 
and  the  last  in  1915.  To  the  right  of  the  pulpit  is  a  stone  baptismal 
font,  brought  from  Sweden  by  early  colonists.  It  dates  from  about 
1550.  One  of  the  pews  is  marked  with  the  name  plate  of  Justus 
Faulkner,  who  occupied  the  original.  It  was  at  Faulkner's  ordination 
that  the  first  concert  held  in  Philadelphia  was  given  by  members  of 
the  Hermits  of  the  Wissahickon,  a  mystic  religious  order. 

Hanging  below  the  organ  loft  is  a  figurehead  showing  two  gilded 
angels  above  an  open  Bible.  It  was  a  decoration  on  the  prow  of  one 
of  the  ships  that  brought  the  settlers  from  Sweden. 

A  narrow  door  leads  into  the  vestry,  which  contains  many  interest- 
ing relics.  In  a  frame  on  the  wall  is  a  parchment,  yellowed  by  age. 
It  is  the  naturalization  certificate  of  Rev.  Mr.  Rudman,  signed  by 
William  Penn,  and  dated  "Three  and  Twentieth  day  of  the  fifth 
month  in  the  Thirteenth  Year  of  the  Reign  of  William  the  Third  over 
England."  In  a  case  below  the  parchment  are  a  number  of  books,  in- 
cluding a  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  printed  in  London  in  1716  ;  a 
Psalm  Book  printed  in  1762  ;  a  Charles  XII  Bible,  published  in 
Stockholm  in  1707,  the  flyleaf  bearing  a  Swedish  inscription  written 
by  Dr.  Nicholas  Collin  in  1796  ;  and  a  catechism  in  the  dialect  of  the 
Lenape  Indians. 

On  another  wall  are  photostatic  copies  of  early  marriage  records. 
Included  are  references  to  the  wedding  on  June  15,  1777,  of  Joseph 
Ashbourne  and  Elizabeth  (Betsy)  Ross.  The  wedding  in  Old  Swedes 
was  her  second.  An  autographed  letter  by  Jenny  Lind,  who  sang  in 
the  church,  is  on  still  another  wall,  as  is  a  letter  in  Swedish  from 
Gustavus  Adolphus,  King  of  Sweden,  dated  1618. 

In  the  churchyard  are  a  number  of  old  tombstones,  the  oldest 
marking  the  grave  of  "Peter,  son  of  Andreas  S'andel,  minister  of  the 
church,  died  1708."  A  number  of  others  are  nearly  as  old,  but  vir- 
tually undecipherable.  One  slab,  marking  a  grave  dating  from  1763, 
has  sagged  in  the  middle  like  a  warped  board,  although  no  crack 
is  apparent  in  its  surface.  Alexander  Wilson,  father  of  American 
ornithology,  is  buried  here. 


543 


O/d  sailing  vessels  doomed   by  mans  desire  for  faster  travel 


ALONG  THE  WATER  FRONT  (CITY  TOUR  10) 

The  congregation  of  Old  Swedes'  Church  was  united  with  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church  at  the  Episcopal  Convention  of  1845, 
largely  because  of  the  curtailment  of  financial  support  from  Sweden 
and  the  gradual  adoption  of  the  English  tongue  following  the  Revo- 
lution. 

From  this  historic  spot  some  might  wish  to  continue  southward  to 
the  "Ship  Graveyard,"  where  three  wooden  sailing  vessels  lie  rotting 
in  the  mud  of  the  Delaware  River  off  McKean  Street.  These  four- 
masted  topsail  schooners  in  various  stages  of  decay  are  the  Albert 
D.  Cummins,  the  Francis  J.  McDonald,  and  the  Marie  C.  Cummins. 
Together  with  an  iron  barque,  the  Severn,  which  was  scrapped  two 
years  ago,  they  belonged  to  Francis  J.  McDonald  and  Albert  D. 
Cummins.  They  were  laid  up  in  Philadelphia  shortly  after  the  World 
War,  and  eventually  were  stripped  of  gear  and  fittings.  Now  only 
the  schooners  remain.  They  lie  in  the  squat  shadows  of  the  Cities 
Service  plant,  their  keels  imbedded  in  mud  and  their  main  decks 
awash.  All  their  masts  are  apparently  intact  ;  and  of  the  forward 
spars,  only  the  jib  boom  of  the  Francis  J.  McDonald  is  gone,  leav- 
ing the  blunted  tip  of  the  bowsprit  pointing  obliquely  skyward. 

Retrace  on  Swanson  St.  ;  R.  from  Christian  ;  R.  from  Christian 
on  Fourth  ;  L.  on  Queen. 

SETTLEMENT  MUSIC  SCHOOL  (2),  416  Queen  Street  (open 
daily,  9:30  to  6  and  7  to  10;  adm.  free),  has  for  its  major  objective 
the  promotion  of  music  on  a  community  basis.  Conceived  in  1908,  it 
had  its  birth  in  a  few  rooms  donated  by  the  College  Settlement 
which  it  now  adjoins.  Not  only  the  residents  of  this  densely  populated 
section,  but  also  those  of  modest  means  throughout  the  city,  may 
study  music  or  other  cultural  subjects  here. 

The  school  is  now  housed  in  a  four-story  red  brick  building  of 
modified  Colonial  Georgian  design.  The  gray  marble  base,  the  trim 
and  the  pediment  above  the  recessed  central  section,  together  with 
the  free-standing  entrance  piers  of  its  doorways,  set  this  building 
apart. 

Mrs.  Mary  Louise  Curtis  Bok  made  provision  for  the  erection  of 
the  present  building  in  1917  as  a  memorial  to  her  mother,  Mrs. 
Louisa  Knapp  Curtis,  first  wife  of  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  publisher  and 
philanthropist.  Mrs.  Bok  has  also  established  an  endowment  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  building  and  personnel.  Part  of  the  United  Cam- 
paign fund  is  allotted  to  the  school. 

Activities  for  adult  groups  include  classes  in  modeling,  sketching 
dramatics,  dancing,  and  adult  and  child  psychology;  round  table 
discussions;  an  Italian  women's  club;  monthly  socials  for  parents 
and  neighbors;  personnel  service;  vocational  guidance;  and  various 
forms  of  social  recreation.  For  children,  in  addition  to  instruction 
in  various  branches  of  music,  there  are  folk  and  rhythmic  dancing 
classes,  modeling  and  sketching  classes,  dramatic  clubs,  a  creative 
English  class,  and  general  social  clubs.  A  number  of  concerts  and 
students  recitals  are  sponsored,  and  each  spring  an  art  exhibition  of 
students'  work  is  held. 

During  the  winter,  when  attendance  is  greatest,  the  faculty  consists 
of  eight  staff  workers,  assisted  by  30  part-time  instructors  and  several 
WPA  workers.  The  enrollment  is  more  than  1,100. 

In  1922  a  conservatory  .department  was  established.     The  supply  of 
native  talent  in  this  section  was  so  plentiful  that  the  school's  facilities 
were  overtaxed.     The  success  of  the  conservatory  gave  impetus  to  the 
R.  From  Queen  St.  ort  5th  to  Catherine;  L.  on  Catherine. 

545 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

idea  for  the  Curtis  Institute  of  Music,  which  was  established  in  1924 
Branch   settlements   have  been    opened   throughout   the   city.    Two 
of   these — the   Lighthouse   Settlement   and   the   Reed   Street    House- 
have  become  independent. 
R.  from  Queen  St.  on  5th  ;  L.  on  Catharine. 

The  GRAPHIC  SKETCH  CLUB  (3),  at  711rl9  Catharine  Street 
(open  Oct.  1  to  May  1,  Mon.  to  Fri.,  9  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m.,  Sat.,  9  to  5  ; 
Sun.,  1  to  5;  other  months,  Mon.  to  Fri.  only,  9  to  5),  was  founded 
by  Samuel  S.  Fleisher  in  1899.  Its  objectives  were  and  are  to  foster 
study  and  appreciation  of  the  fine  arts  and  to  provide  opportunities 
for  self-expression  and  development  of  latent  talent  along  cultural 
lines  for  all  classes  of  people,  without  limitation  as  to  religion,  race, 
or  economic  status. 

In  pursuance  of  these  ideals,  tuition  in  the  various  classes  is  free 
and  attendance  voluntary.  The  school  has  a  registration  of  2800 
students,  ranging  in  ages  from  children  of  four  to  men  and  women 
well  in  the  seventies. 

The  curriculum  includes  courses  in  charcoal  drawing,  oil  painting, 
water-color  painting,  clay  modeling,  etching,  fashion  design  and 
illustration,  and  rhythmic  expression  in  the  dance.  Twelve  competent 
instructors  are  in  charge  of  these  classes. 

Albin  Polasick's  beautiful  statue  of  a  man  chiseling  himself  out 
of  a  block  of  rock  represents  the  club's  motto,  "Man  chisels  his  own 
destiny." 

The  club,  which  had  its  beginning  at  the  Neighborhood  Center, 
428  Bainbridge  Street,  moved  into  its  present  location  during  the 
year  1914,  when  Mr.  Fleisher  acquired  the  buildings  of  St.  Martin's 
College,  an  Episcopal  training  school  for  boys,  extending  from  715 
to  719  Catharine  Street. 

The  growth  of  the  institution,  spirited  from  the  .start,  demanded 
further  expansion  in  1922,  and  in  that  year  the  beautiful  sanctuary 
of  the  Church  of  the  Evangelists,  together  with  the  church  house, 
711  to  713  Catharine  Street,  adjoining  the  college,  were  annexed. 
Alterations  were  made  to  permit  communication  between  the  three 
units,  so  that  they  now  constitute  a  single  building,  with  entrance 
at  715  and  719. 

The  museum,  has  a  permanent  exhibition  of  art  pieces  from  all 
corners  of  the  world.  The  exhibit  includes  carved  ivories  and  other 
old  Japanese  art,  pottery,  brocades,  ancient  Greek,  Roman,  and  Vene- 
tian glass,  and  beautiful  rugs. 

The  Sanctuary,  formerly  the  Church  of  the  Evangelists,  houses  a 
museum  of  religious  works  of  art  bearing  upon  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments.  A  portion  of  this  building  is  more  than  one  hundred 
years  old. 

Lining  the  side  aisles  are  colored  frescoes  of  Biblical  scenes,  the 
work  of  Robert  Henri,  Nicola  D'Ascenzo,  and  other  outstanding 
artists.  The  altarpiece,  by  Miss  Violet  Oakley  of  Philadelphia, 
represents  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh  holding  the  infant  Moses,  and 
surrounding  this,  in  a  beautiful  frame,  are  scenes  depicting  outstand- 
ing events  in  the  life  of  Moses.  It  is  a  memorial  to  Mrs.  Celia  H. 
Fleisher,  mother  of  the  founder.  On  the  door  of  the  Sanctuary, 
which  adjoins  the  main  gallery,  is  this  invitation,  "To  patrons  of 
the  busy  streets  of  Philadelphia — Enter  this  Sanctuary  for  rest,  medi- 


546 


EAST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  11) 

tation  and  prayer.  May  the  beauty  within  speak  of  the  past  and 
ever-continuing  ways  of  God." 

No  sermons  of  any  kind  are  preached  during  the  entire  year,  but 
everyone  is  welcome  to  enter  for  the  sole  purpose  of  meditation. 
Organ  recitals  are  held  in  the  Sanctuary  every  afternoon,  and  people 
of  all  faiths  come  here  for  silent  meditation  and  prayer. 

The  art  teachers'  reference  library  on  the  third  floor  of  the  church 
house,  presented  to  Graphic  Sketch  Club  by  the  Carnegie  Founda- 
tion, contains  four  hundred  text  books  and  more  than  two  thousand 
colored  and  other  prints  of  outstanding  paintings,  architectural  photo- 
graphs, textiles,  sculptures. 

R.  from  Catherine  St.  on  10th. 

The  ARTHUR  HOUSE  (4),  721  S.  Tenth  Street  (private),  was  for 
many  years  the  home  of  Timothy  Shay  Arthur,  a  prolific  writer  of 
temperance  tracts,  who  was  the  author  of  Ten  Nights  In  a  Barroom 
and  What  I  Saw  There. 

Arthur,  who  had  embarked  on  a  literary  career  in  Baltimore,  joined 
a  temperance  society  in  1830  when  he  was  21.  He  devoted  his  talents 
to  producing  tracts  on  temperance,  and  in  1841  he  left  Baltimore  and 
settled  in  Philadelphia. 

While  living  in  this  three-story,  red-brick  house,  he  turned  out 
dozens  of  pamphlets  on  the  evils  of  intemperance.  In  1854  he  com- 
pleted his  most  famous  work.  As  a  novel,  Ten  Nights  irt  a  Barroon 
has  run  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  a  close  second  in  sales  and  circulation. 
Arthur  died  on  March  6,  1885. 

Retrace  on  10th  St^  to  South  ;  L.  on  South  to  Broad  ;  R.  on  Broad 
to  City  Hall. 

FAIRMOUNT  PARK 

The  sections  of  Fairmount  Park  through  which  these  tours  pass  constitute  a 
vast  outdoor  museum,  with  man's  artistic  efforts,  in  the  form  of  statuary,  con- 
signed to  a  secondary  place  by  the  surpassing  creations  of  the  master  artist — 
Nature.  Statues,  solitary  and  in  groups,  are  scattered  along  the  drives. 

Mansions  that  hark  back  to  the  Colonial  era  of  Philadelphia  are  numerous  in 
the  park,  many  of  them  restored  and  open  to  public  inspection.  In  many  in- 
stances these  houses,  of  Georgian  design,  have  been  placed  in  settings  that  closely 
approximate  the  quiet  charm  and  dignity  of  an  English  countryside. 

East  Park 
City  Tour  11 

This  route  passes  through  the  part  of  Fairmount  Park  which  lies 
east  of  the  Schuylkill,  where  the  natural  scenic  splendors  are  typical 
of  the  park  as  a  whole.  It  winds  through  rolling,  tree-dotted  hills, 
follows  for  a  long  stretch  the  serene  Schuylkill  River,  and  passes 
between  high  cliffs. 

N.  W.  from  City  Hall  on  Parkway  ;  R.  around  Pennsylvania  Mu- 
seum of  Art  into  East  River  Drive. 

To  the  right  of  the  drive  is  the  statue,  SILENUS  AND  THE  IN- 
FANT BACCHUS  (1),  which  was  reproduced  by  the  Barbedienne 

547 


Silenus     and     the     Infant 
Bacchus 


.    Lincoln  Monument 


Lioness    Carrying    a    Wild 
Boar  to  Her  Young 

Seaweed  Fountain 
The  Wrestlers 

Site    of    the    Lemon    Hill 
Pavilion 

Statue      of      Morton      Me- 
Michael 

Grant's  Cabin 

Humboldt   Monument 

Jeanne  D'Arc 

Tunnel 

The  Cowboy 

Statue  of  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant 

A  Pavilion 

Statue  of  the  Indian  Medi- 
cine Man 

Grand  Fountain 
Woodford  Tennis  Courts 
Woodford   Mansion 
Strawberry  Mansion 
Robin   Hood  Dell 
East  Laurel  Hill  Cemetery 

Queen  Lane  Pumping  Sta- 
tion 

Gustine  Lake 

Wissahickon  Valley 

Kenilworth 

Mayfair  House 

Home  of  Connie  Mack 

Stone  Plaza 

Garfield   Memorial 

Statue  of  the  Viking 

Boathouse  Row 

The  Puritan 

Tarn    O'Shanter   Group 


EAST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  11) 

Foundry  of  Paris  from  Praxiteles'  original  in  the  Louvre.  Silenus, 
oldest  of  the  satyrs,  holds  the  infant  Bacchus  in  his  arms. 

A  short  distance  ahead,  in  the  center  of  the  intersection  of  East 
River  and  Sedgley  Drives,  is  the  LINCOLN  MONUMENT  (2),  a 
huge  seated  figure  of  the  Civil  War  President  holding  a  copy  of  the 
Emancipation  Proclamation.  This  vigorous  work,  created  by  Ran- 
dolph Rogers,  was  erected  in  1871,  a  gift  of  the  Lincoln  Monument 
Association. 

R.  from  East  River  Drive  on  Sedgley  Drive. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill  to  the  left  stands  a  BRONZE  GROUP, 
Lioness  Carrying  a  Wild  Boar  to  Her  Young  (3),  an  arrest- 
ing animal  study  in  bronze  by  August  Cain,  placed  here  in  1888. 

A  few  feet  ahead  is  the  SEAWEED  FOUNTAIN  (4),  a  charming 
creation  by  Beatrice  Fenton.  Roughhewn  rocks  form  the  pedestal  for 
this  fountain,  and  in  the  center  of  the  pool  is  a  large  sculptured 
tortoise  with  the  figure  of  a  child  perched  daintily  on  its  back.  Water 
trickles  from  the  seaweed  that  trails  from  the  outstretched  finger  tips 
of  the  child.  Presented  by  Edwin  F.  Keen,  it  was  placed  here  in  1922. 

The  STATUE  entitled  The  Wrestlers  (5),  on  the  left,  repro- 
duced in  bronze  by  Barbedienne  from  the  original  in  the  Royal 
Gallery  at  Florence,  Italy,  is  a  striking  study  in  muscular  develop- 
ment. Presented  by  A.  J.  Drexel,  it  was  placed  in  November  1885. 

To  the  left,  several  hundred  feet  off  the  road,  on  top  of  a  hill,  is 
the  SITE  OF  THE  LEMON  HILL  PAVILION  (6).  Summer 
symphony  concerts  were  once  presented  in  the  pavilion.  The  old 
mansion  still  stands,  calm  behind  its  neat  white  fence.  Lemon  Hill, 
the  broad  area  surrounding  the  mansion,  was  at  one  time  the  country 
seat  of  Robert  Morris,  financier  of  the  American  Revolution. 

The  STATUE  OF  MORTON  McMICHAEL  (7),  onetime  president 
of  the  Fairmount  Park  Commission  and  editor  of  the  Philadelphia 
North  American,  is  a  sculptural  work  of  J.  H.  Mahoney.  Surmounting 
a  grassy  rise  a  short  distance  ahead,  this  statue,  the  gift  of  McMichael 
associates,  was  placed  in  1882. 

To  the  left,  at  the  far  side  of  the  road  entering  the  drive,  is 
GRANT'S  CABIN  (8),  used  by  the  general  at  City  Point,  Virginia, 
during  the  siege  of  Richmond,  and  transported  to  its  present  site  in 
1868,  Set  in  a  scene  of  serenity,  the  small,  unassuming  cabin  gives  no 
hint  of  the  turbulent  activity  that  throbbed  within  its  walls  during 
the  siege.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  memorial  oak  grove. 

On  the  right  is  the  HUMBOLDT  MONUMENT  (9),  gift  of  the 
German  Society  of  Philadelphia  in  memory  of  Alexander  von  Hum- 
boldt,  naturalist  and  statesman.  The  work  of  Frederick  Drake,  of 
Berlin,  it  was  dedicated  in  1876.  On  the  near  right  at  the  Girard 
Avenue  intersection  is  the  bronze  JEANNE  D'ARC  MONUMENT 
(10),  the  work  of  Emmanuel  Fremiet,  erected  in  1890. 

549 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

R.  from  Main  Drive  across  Girard  Ave.  into  loop,  circling  L.  and 
down  to  East  River  Drive. 

A  short  distance  ahead  is  a  TUNNEL  (11),  hollowed  out  of  a 
huge  solid  rock,  the  steep  side  of  which  reaches  down  to  the  water's 
edge.  In  1935  the  Park  Commission,  with  the  financial  assistance  of 
the  Federal  Works  Program  and  Col.  Robert  Glendinning  and 
his  friends,  transformed  the  roof  of  the  tunnel  and  the  area  to  the 
right  into  a  rock  garden  with  brilliant-hued  bushes  and  flowers  set 
among  varicolored  stones,  with  a  small  pond  in  one  of  its  corners. 

Immediately  beyond  the  tunnel,  to  the  right,  surmounting  a 
natural  rock  formation,  is  Frederic  Remington's  lusty  FIGURE  of 
The  Cowboy  (12),  erected  in  June  1908. 

Centering  the  intersection  of  Fountain  Green  Drive  is  a  bronze 
equestrian  STATUE  OF  GEN.  U.  S.  GRANT  (13),  by  Daniel 
Chester  French  and  Richard  C.  Potter,  erected  in  1899. 

A  PAVILION  (14),  on  the  left,  beyond  the  concrete  Columbia 
Bridge  of  the  Reading  Railroad,  marks  the  finish  line  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill  Regatta  course.  Local,  national,  and  international  rowing  events 

Indiart  Medicine  Man 
"Keeps  lonely  vigil  o'er  his  people's  hills." 


EAST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  11) 

and  motorboat  races  held  here  during  the  summer  and  fall  months 
attract  thousands  of  spectators. 

About  a  mile  north,  the  steel  span  of  the  Dauphin  Street  Bridge, 
completed  in  1897,  throws  a  wide-arched  silhouette  against  the  sky. 

R.  around  hairpin  turn  just  beyond  Dauphin  St.  Bridge. 

The  road  follows  an  S  curve  uphill  and  passes  through  picnic 
grounds  to  the  bronze  equestrian  STATUE  of  The  Indian  Medicine 
Man  (15),  left,  by  Cyrus  E.  Dallin,  erected  in  December  1903. 

At  the  Statue  is  a  junction  with  a  winding  road. 

Right  on  this  road,  beyond  a  curve,  stands  the  RANDOLPH  MAN- 
SION (a).  This  fine  old  residence  was  once  the  home  of  Dr. 
Philip  Syng  Physick,  noted  Philadelphia  surgeon,  who  was  known 
as  the  "Father  of  American  Surgery."  It  became  the  Randolph  man- 
sion in  1828,  when  Dr.  Physick  presented  it  to  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Randolph.  Earlier  it  was  known  as  Laurel  Hill. 

Built  in  1748  by  Joseph  Shute,  it  is  interesting  both  architecturally 
and  historically,  and  is  unusual  for  its  asymmetrical  plan.  Its  central 
portion  is  a  two-story-and-attic  Georgian  Colonial  mansion.  On  one 
end  is  a  transverse  wing  housing  an  octagonal  ballroom,  and  on  the 
other  end  is  a  one-story  kitchen.  The  structure  is  of  brick,  painted 
yellow  with  white  wood  trim.  The  pediment  of  its  simple  classic 
doorway  is  emphasized  by  another  above  the  cornice  line.  The 
windows  are  of  the  flat  arch  type  throughout  the  central  portion, 
and  the  interior  woodwork  is  exceptionally  fine. 
Samuel  Shoemaker,  early  Philadelphia  mayor,  lived  in  the  house  dur- 
ing the  British  occupation  of  the  city.  When  the  Revolutionists  re- 
captured Philadelphia,  Shoemaker  fled  to  New  York,  and  the  house 
was  searched  by  the  soldiers  and  later  stoned  by  Revolutionary  sym- 
pathizers. The  mansion  came  into  possession  of  the  city  in  1868. 

Sharp  R.  at  next  intersection. 

On  the  left  is  the  EAST  PARK  RESERVOIR  (b),  and  on  the  right, 
the  ORMISTON  MANSION  (c),  built  in  1798  on  the  estate  of  Joseph 
Galloway,  a  Tory  whose  land  was  confiscated  during  the  Revolution. 
The  residence  later  came  into  the  possession  of  Edward  Burd,  son-in- 
law  of  Chief  Justice  Shippen,  who  named  it  Ormiston  after  his  father's 
estate  in  Scotland. 

Set  on  the  edge  of  a  deep  glen,  Ormiston  is  a  square,  two-story,  rough 
stucco  building  with  a  hip  roof  and  wide  porches  on  the  river  and 
land  facades. 

R.  at  fork  of  road. 

ROCKLAND  MANSION  (d),  on  the  right  beyond  the  fork,  was  built 
in  1810  by  George  Thompson  on  an  estate  once  owned  by  John 
Lawrence,  Colonial  mayor  of  Philadelphia. 

A  two-story-and-attic  dwelling  of  cubelike  proportions,  it  is  of  stucco- 
covered  stone.  On  the  roof  is  a  "captain's  walk."  The  doorway  is 
deeply  recessed,  arched,  and  paneled,  with  a  fine  fanlight.  The  portico 
is  notable  for  its  finely  fluted  Doric  columns  and  pilasters. 

551 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Farther  along  on  the  right  is  MOUNT  PLEASANT  MANSION  (e) 
(open  weekdays  10  to  5  ;  Sun.  1  to  5;  adm.  adults  .25^,  children  10$), 
historically  the  most  important  of  the  four  mansions. 
Mount  Pleasant  dominates  a  picturesque  group  of  barns  and  other 
outbuildings  suggestive  of  the  manorial  settings  of  old  Virginia  man- 
sions along  the  James  River,  and  has  been  completely  refurnished  in 
harmony  with  its  period  by  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art. 

Mount  Pleasant  Mansion  rises  two-and-a-half  stories  above  a  high 
foundation  of  hewn  stone,  with  iron-barred  basement  windows  set  in 
stone  frames.  It  is  of  massive  rubblestone  masonry,  covered  with 
buff,  roughcast  stucco.  There  is  a  horizontal  belt  course  at  the 
second  floor  level  and  the  heavy  quoined  corners  are  of  red  brick. 
The  keyed  lintels  of  the  large  ranging  windows  are  of  faced  stone. 

The  interior  wood  trim  is  exceedingly  fine.  Beautiful  tooled  cor- 
nices, graceful  pilasters,  nicely  molded  doors  and  window  casings  and 
heavy  pedimented  doorheads  are  all  of  excellent  design  and  more 
carefully  wrought  than  most  Georgian  Colonial  work.  The  most  elabo- 
rate room  is  a  chamber  on  the  second  floor  overlooking  the  river,  and 
probably  the  boudoir  of  the  mistress  of  Mount  Pleasant.  The  archi- 
tectural treatment  of  the  fireplace  end  of  this  room,  with  exquisite 
carving  above  the  overmantel  panel  and  above  the  closet  doors,  is 
excellent. 

The  erection  of  Mount  Pleasant  was  begun  in  1761  by  John  Mac- 
Pherson,  a  sea  captain  of  Clunie,  Scotland,  who  amassed  a  fortune  in 
the  adventurous  practice  of  privateering.  He  lived  in  manorial 
splendor,  entertaining  the  most  eminent  personages  of  the  day  with 
prodigal  hospitality. 

In  the  spring  of  1779  MacPherson  sold  Mount  Pleasant  to  Gen. 
Benedict  Arnold.  Following  the  discovery  of  Arnold's  betrayal  of  his 
country,  his  property  was  confiscated  and  Mount  Pleasant  was  leased 
for  a  short  period  to  Baron  von  Steuben.  Thereafter,  it  passed  through 
several  hands  and  finally  to  Gen.  Jonathan  Williams,  of  Boston,  in 
whose  family  it  remained  until  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
when  it  was  acquired  by  the  city  as  a  part  of  Fairmount  Park. 

Retrace  to  Medicine  Man"  statue  at  intersection. 

The  GRAND  FOUNTAIN  (16),  on  the  right,  in  the  center  of  a 
circular  basin,  is  surrounded  by  a  brown  sand  walk  and  a  profusion 
of  flowers.  Of  bronzed  iron,  about  25  feet  high,  it  is  mounted  upon 
a  concrete  foundation.  The  circular  base  consists  of  five  winged 
cherubs  seated  on  rocks,  holding  frogs  which  discharge  streams  of 
water  into  the  basin.  Interspaced  are  lions'  heads  also  emitting  water. 
Standing  around  the  massive  pillar  in  the  center  are  three  tall  and 
beautiful  maidens,  heads  lowered  and  arms  upraised,  holding  a  huge 
round  tray,  edged  by  small  lions'  heads  and  three  cherubs,  holding 
vases  and  wands.  A  long,  narrow,  decorated  vase  surmounts  the  foun- 
tain. Sunlight  on  the  flowing  water  causes  a  beautiful  and  dazzling 
effect.  The  fountain  was  erected  in  1879  and  presented  to  the  city 
by  the  Fairmount  Park  Art  Association.  Behind  the  fountain  are 

552 


Mi 


Exterior  of  Mt.  Pleasant 


Interior  of  Mt.  Pleasarit 
Memories  of  lovely  Peggy  Shippt 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  WOODFORD  TENNIS  COURTS  (17).  (A  varying  fee  is  charged 
for  use  of  courts.)  During  the  summer  months  the  32  courts  are  in 
constant  use. 

L.  just  inside  Dauphin  St.  entrance  to  Park. 

A  short  distance  along  the  drive  is  the  WOODFORD  MANSION 
(18),  an  excellent  example  of  Georgian  architecture. 

Woodford's  stateliness  is  due,  in  great  measure,  to  its  peculiar 
design  and  coloring.  It  was  erected  some  time  before  1730  as  a  one- 
story  building.  Judge  William  Coleman,  in  1756,  added  a  story  and 
a  wing,  and  a  cornice  was  run  around  three  sides  at  the  first  floor 
level.  At  the  second  floor  is  a  heavier  cornice,  above  which  rise  a 
hip-roofed  attic  and  a  "captain's  walk."  A  heavy  pediment  above 
the  first  floor  cornice  adds  an  impressive  weightiness  to  the  facade. 
A  buff  wash  applied  over  the  Flemish  bond  brickwork  gives  the  man- 
sion a  soft,  tawny  color. 

The  fine  doorway  is  flanked  by  Doric  columns  and  surmounted  by 
a  beautiful  Palladian  window  and  a  pediment.  The  two  rooms  of 
the  original  first  floor  contain  a  wealth  of  interesting  architectural 
detail.  The  oak  floors,  an  inch  and  a  half  thick  and  doweled,  and 
the  stairway  balustrade  with  its  luxurious  ramps  and  casings,  are 
well  preserved. 

The  mansion  was  used  in  later  years  as  a  park  guard  station,  but 
after  restoration  in  1928  was  opened  to  the  public.  It  houses  the 
collection  of  Colonial  furniture  belonging  to  the  estate  of  Naomi 
Wood. 

R.  at  fork  of  road  ;   bear  L.  on  circular  driveway. 

STRAWBERRY  MANSION  (19),  on  the  left  (open  daily  11  a.  m. 
to  5  p.  m.  ;  adm.  25$),  once  was  the  home  of  United  States 
District  Court  Judge  William  Lewis,  a  friend  of  George  Washington. 
The  central  unit,  a  two-and-a-half  story  structure,  built  by  Judge 
Lewis  in  1798,  is  in  the  Georgian  Colonial  style  with  gabled  roof 
and  dormers  and  Doric  columns  supporting  the  pedimented  hood 
over  the  paneled  doorway.  The  three-story  wings,  added  about  1825 
by  Judge  Hemphill,  a  friend  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  belong  to  the 
period  of  the  Greek  Revival,  as  evidenced  by  the  design  of  their 
cornice  and  heavy  scroll  at  the  top.  The  central  hall  runs  through 
to  the  rear,  and  has  delicate  arched  niches  and  fluted  Doric 
pilasters.  The  music  room,  to  the  left,  shows  the  Greek  Revival 
influence,  notably  in  the  windows,  wide  doorway,  and  fretted  central 
ceiling  panel.  Especially  fine  in  its  delicate  plaster  work  is  the  fire- 
place mantel  in  the  parlor.  The  old  kitchen,  called  the  Indian  Queen 
Room,  is  of  plain  plaster,  and  contains  a  huge  fireplace,  with  a  swing- 
ing crane,  and  antique  furnishings.  A  hall  runs  along  the  entire  rear 
of  the  second  floor,  and  end  wings  rise  four  steps  above  the  central 

554 


EAST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  11) 

section.  The  house  is  furnished  throughout  with  fine  old  period 
pieces. 

In  1835  the  place  was  abandoned  as  a  summer  home,  and  the 
grounds  became  a  picnic  spot.  When  the  park  was  opened,  the  house 
was  utilized  as  a  restaurant.  It  was  restored  by  the  Women's  Com- 
mittee of  1926. 

Beyond  a  parking  space  in  the  crotch  of  the  next  fork  in  the  road, 
lies  ROBIN  HOOD  DELL  (20)  (open  every  evening  except  Wed. 
from  mid- June  to  mid~August ;  adm.  50$  upward). 

There  was  a  time  when  the  Philadelphia  musical  season  closed  with 
the  coming  of  spring.  Today,  however,  excellent  music  is  available 
throughout  the  summer.  In  Robin  Hood  Dell,  a  beautiful  natural 
auditorium,  walled  by  wooded  slopes  and  open  to  the  sky, 
world-renowned  artists  present  concert,  ballet,  and  opera  through 
eight  weeks  each  summer.  The  regular  orchestra,  composed  chiefly  of 
members  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra,  is  a  cooperative  organization 
in  which  the  members  share  the  profits.  Conductors  of  the  first  rank 
and  soloists  whose  names  are  familiar  throughout  the  world  are  en- 
gaged to  bring  the  music  of  the  masters  to  thousands  who  cannot  af- 
ford seats  for  the  regular  concert  season. 

Audiences  that  often  overflow  the  dell's  6,000  seats  relax  on  summer 
nights  in  the  cool  comfort  of  out  of  doors  to  enjoy  the  immortal 
melodies  of  the  world's  greatest  composers  or,  on  occasion,  lighter 
music  of  the  popular  concert  variety. 

Many  nonpaying  listeners  who  nightly  sit  or  lie  on  newspapers 
along  the  grassy  rim  of  the  auditorium  are  joined  for  weekend  or 
special  programs  by  the  hundreds  unable  to  obtain  tickets. 

The  dell  was  known  in  the  nineteenth  century  as  Robin  Hood  Glen 
and  was  occupied  by  a  hotel  which  gained  wide  popularity  because  of 
its  enchanting  surroundings.  Time  leveled  the  hostelry. 

The  summer  concert  series  was  planned  in  response  to  popular 
demand,  and  Robin  Hood  Dell  was  selected  as  the  auditorium.  It  was 
developed  through  the  joint  efforts  of  patrons  of  music  and  the  Fair- 
mount  Park  Commission.  The  finely  proportioned  but  unadorned 
orchestra  shell  and  the  layout  of  the  auditorium  were  designed  by 
Walter  Thomas. 

Wooden  benches  rise  in  terraces  on  the  sloping  floor  of  the  valley. 
A  barbed  wire  fence,  woven  through  dense  vegetation,  prevents  en- 
trance to  the  seating  area  except  through  gates  at  the  heads  of  rustic 
stairways. 

The  shell  is  equipped  to  provide  the  necessary  scenic  and  lighting 
effects  for  operas  and  ballets,  and  amplifiers  carry  the  music  to  the 
outer  fringe  of  the  audience. 

Well-policed  parking  areas  are  adjacent  to  the  dell. 

555 


Schuylkill  River  from  West  Drive 

Nature   comes   close   to   the   heart 

of  a  city 


EAST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  11) 

L.  on  Ridge  Ave.,  skirting  park  to  R.  of  parking  area;  L.  on  Nice* 
town  Lane. 

Nicetown  Lane  cuts  through  the  heart  of  EAST  LAUREL  HILL 
CEMETERY  (21),  where  many  old  Philadelphia  families  maintain 
burial  lots. 

R.  from  Nicetown  Lane  on  East  River  Drive. 

Beyond  the  Falls  Bridge  and  opposite  the  point  where  City  Line 
Avenue  enters  the  drive  at  an  angle  from  the  left,  is  the  QUEEN 
LANE  PUMPING  STATION  (22)  and  GUSTINE  LAKE  (23),  an 
artificial  pool  on  which  children  sail  boats  and  wade  in  summer  and 
skate  in  winter. 

East  River  Drive  becomes  Wissahickon  Drive  across  Ridge  Ave. 
(double  car  tracks). 

This  drive  follows  the  Wissahickon  Creek,  twisting  along  the  east 
bank  of  the  stream,  with  sheer  cliffs  rising  from  the  roadway  on  the 
right.  Unfortunately  the  most  attractive  features  of  the  WISSA- 
HICKON VALLEY  (24)  cannot  be  seen  from  the  drive  (see  City 
Tours  15,  16,  and  17).  The  undulating  hills,  the  glens,  and  the  tiny 
streams  that  trickle  down  the  ravines  are  hidden  from  the  motorist. 
Nevertheless,  the  landscape  is  lovely  enough  to  warrant  a  drive  along 
its  length,  to  Paper  Mill  Road,  where  Lincoln  Drive  begins. 

At  intervals  along  the  upper  section  of  the  drive,  the  great  masses 
of  apartment  houses  that  crowd  the  fashionable  Germantown  section 
can  be  seen,  bordering  upon  the  park,  their  roofs  just  topping  the 
tall  trees  on  the  crest  of  the  hills. 

KENILWORTH  (25)  is  one  of  Philadelphia's  most  exclusive  apart- 
ment  structures.  Four  giant  buildings  form  the  manor,  with  a  private 
golf  course,  tennis  courts,  swimming  pools,  and  a  theatre,  making  it 
almost  self-sufficient  in  the  realm  of  recreation. 

Farther  on,  just  before  the  drive  crosses  Wayne  Avenue  (double 
car  tracks)  is  the  MAYFAIR  HOUSE  (26),  on  the  left,  another 
fashionable  apartment  dwelling.  In  the  rear  of  the  Mayfair  House 
is  the  HOME  OF  CONNIE  MACK  (27) ,  patriarch  of  baseball  and 
manager  of  the  Philadelphia  Athletics. 

Retrace  on  Wissahickon  and  East  River  Drives  to  Girard  Ave. 
Bridge,  passing  this  time  under  the  bridge. 

Below  the  bridge  a  STONE  PLAZA  (28)  has  been  built  along  the 
riverbank.  In  1936  plans  were  under  way  for  statues  by  Gaston 
Lachaise  and  Robert  Laurent,  presenting  allegorically  the  history  of 
America,  to  be  erected  along  the  plaza.  Economic  stress  altered  the 
plan. 

GARFIELD  MEMORIAL  (29),  a  portrait  bust  of  the  martyred 
President,  stands  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road.  By  a  bend  in  the 
river  is  a  STATUE  of  The  Viking  (30),  (R).  Thorium  Karlsefni, 
whom  it  honors,  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  European  to  attempt 

557 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

colonization  of  the  American  Continent.  The  statue  is  the  work  of 
Einar  Joneson,  noted  Icelandic  sculptor. 

Beyond,  on  the  right,  is  BOATHOUSE  ROW  (31),  home  of  the 
Schuylkill  Navy. 

From  the  rivers,  lakes,  and  canals  of  Europe  and  Canada;  from  al- 
most every  watercourse  in  America,  brawny  oarsmen  have  come  to 
test  the  mettle  of  the  SchuylkilPs  sons.  During  the  last  eight  decades 
many  symbols  of  international  supremacy  have  graced  the  cup- 
room  of  one  or  another  of  these  sturdy  clubhouses. 

Eleven  rowing  clubs,  the  Philadelphia  Canoe  Club,  and  the  Phila- 
delphia Skating  Club  are  housed  in  as  many  vine-covered  buildings. 
Built  during  the  nineteenth  and  early  part  of  the  twentieth  centuries, 
these  structures  of  wood,  stone,  stucco,  and  brick  against  a  back- 
ground of  old  shrubbery  represent  the  varying  tastes  of  that  period. 

Dawn  finds  ambitious  young  oarsmen,  and  perhaps  a  few  oldsters 
who  have  retired  from  competition,  carrying  fragile  shells  or  sturdier 
work  boats  down  the  slips  to  launch  them  for  a  sunrise  spin  on 
the  river.  Rowlocks  creak .  .  .  coxswains  chant  in  raucous  rhythm . .  . 
coaches'  megaphones  bellow . .  .  trainers  clump  down  the  gangplanks 
for  a  look  at  their  proteges  .  .  .  Philadelphia's  youth  is  lacing  the  river 
with  tangled  skeins  of  foam,  intent  on  holding  for  the  Quaker  City 
the  renown  it  has  won  as  a  rowing  center. 

This  claim  to  fame  has  been  ably  defended  since  9  rowing  or- 
ganizations first  combined,  on  October  5,  1858,  to  form  the  Schuylkill 
Navy,  the  history  of  which  is  inseparable  from  that  of  Boathouse  Row. 

The  Fairmount  Rowing  Club,  organized  in  1883,  and  the  Quaker 

Boathouse  Row 
Home  port  of  the  Schuylkill  Navy 


i 


EAST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  11) 

City  Barge  Club,  organized  in  1858,  now  inactive  in  competition, 
have  their  quarters  in  the  first  of  the  twin  structures.  Next  is  the 
double  building  in  which  are  the  Pennsylvania  Barge  Club,  the 
history  of  which  dates  back  to  1861,  and  the  Crescent  Boat  Club, 
founded  in  1867. 

The  Bachelors  Barge  Club,  which  had  its  inception  on  July  4,  1853, 
occupies  a  single  building.  Next  to  it  a  twin  structure  quarters  the 
University  Barge  Club,  organized  in  1854,  with  which  the  Philadel- 
phia Barge  Club  has  been  merged,  the  combined  club  now  using  the 
entire  building. 

The  Malta  Boat  Club  and  the  Vesper  Boat  Club,  the  former  or- 
ganized February  22,  1860,  and  the  latter  five  years  later  to  the  day, 
occupy  the  next  twin  structure.  Beyond  these  is  the  clubhouse  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  Rowing  Association,  the  members  of 
which  compete  in  interclub  events  under  the  name  of  the  College 
Boat  Club,  active  on  the  river  since  1872. 

The  most  recent  addition  to  the  fleet  of  the  Schuylkill  Navy,  the 
Penn  Athletic  Club  Rowing  Association,  which  was  organized  in  1925, 
occupies  the  former  building  of  the  West  Philadelphia  Barge  Club, 
which  was  a  member  of  the  navy  from  1873  to  1925. 

The  Undine  Barge  Club,  an  outstanding  factor  in  rowing  activities 
since  May  9,  1856,  and  a  leading  contender  in  the  athletic  activities 
of  the  navy,  occupies  the  last  of  the  clubhouses  in  the  row,  next  to 
the  Philadelphia  Canoe  Club. 

The  Vesper  eight-oared  shell  swept  to  the  row's  first  Olympic 
triumph  at  Paris  in  1900,  repeating  its  victory  at  St.  Louis  in  1904. 
John  B.  (Jack)  Kelly  was  the  first  American  oarsman  to  win  the 
Olympic  single  sculls,  a  feat  which  he  accomplished  at  Antwerp, 
Belgium,  in  1920.  In  the  Olympics  of  1920,  and  again  in  1924,  at 
Paris,  France,  Kelly  paired  with  Paul  Costello  to  win  for  America 
the  double  sculls  championship.  On  Kelly's  retirement,  Costello 
teamed  with  Charles  J.  Mcllvaine  to  win  in  double  sculls  at  Amster- 
dam in  1928,  and  thus  establish  the  remarkable  record  of  being  the 
only  athlete  to  win  in  the  same  event  in  three  consecutive  Olympics. 
Five  crews  from  Boathouse  Row  wore  the  American  insignia  in  the 
1928  Olympic  games. 

W.  E.  Garrett  Gilmore  and  Kenneth  Meyers,  also  from  Boathouse 
Row,  captured  the  double  sculls  race  in  the  Olympics  at  Long  Beach, 
Calif.,  in  1932.  The  row  won  the  honor  of  representing  the  United 
States  in  four  of  the  seven  events  in  this  meeting,  in  which  America 
for  the  first  time  captured  the  pair-oared  race  with  coxswains.  The 
winners  of  this  event  were  Charles  Keiffer,  Joseph  Schauers,  and 
Edward  Jennings. 

The  long  list  of  international  victories  won  by  Schuylkill  Navy 
oarsmen  includes  such  achievements  as  Walter  Hoover's  winning  of 

559 


FAIRMOUNT  PARK 

WEST  PARK 


WEST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  12) 

the  Diamond  Sculls,  famed  English  trophy,  in  1922,  and  the  Penn 
Athletic  Club's  annexation  of  a  world  championship  in  the  inter- 
national eight-oared  race  at  Liege,  Belgium,  in  1930. 

The  Philadelphia  Gold  Challenge  Cup,  offered  by  the  Schuylkill 
Navy  in  1920  as  a  suitable  memorial  for  the  achievement  of  Jack 
Kelly,  goes  automatically  to  the  single  sculls  winner  in  each  Olympic 
meeting,  and  must  be  defended  by  its  holder,  on  proper  challenge 
during  the  interval  between  Olympic  games.  This  solid  gold  cup,  18 
inches  high,  has  been  taken  to  the  farthest  parts  of  the  world  by 
triumphant  oarsmen. 

Canoes  and  rowboats  may  be  hired  by  the  hour  or  day  at  the  pub- 
lic boathouse.  Here  individual  owners  of  rowboats  or  canoes  also  rent 
space  for  housing  their  craft. 

Opposite  Boathouse  Row  is  one  of  the  most  widely  known  works 
of  Saint-Gaudens,  the  STATUE  OF  THE  PURITAN  (32).  Nearby  is 
the  TAM  O'SHANTER  GROUP  (33),  by  James  Thorn.  In  this  work 
four  stone  figures  represent  characters  in  the  poem  of  Robert  Burns. 
A  rustic  wooden  shelter  protects  it. 

L.  on  Parkway  to  City  Hall. 

WEST  PARK 

City  Tour  12 

FROM  City  Hall's  seething  traffic  circle,  the  wide  Parkway  leads 
past  the  LOGAN  LIBRARY  (1),  on  the  right,  and  FRANKLIN 
INSTITUTE  (2),  on  the  left  at  Twentieth  Street,  terminating  at 
the  ART  MUSEUM    (3),  which  crowns  the  entrance  to  the  sylvan 
beauty  of  Fairmount  Park  (see  Points  of  Interest  for  1,  2,  and  3). 

R.  around  Museum  into  E.  River  Drive  ;  R.  at  Lincoln  Monument 
on  Main  Drive  ;  L.  on  Girard  Ave.  and  across  bridge. 

On  the  left  immediately  beyond  the  bridge  are  the  PHILADEL- 
PHIA ZOOLOGICAL  GARDENS  (4)  (open  daily  9  to  5  in  winter, 
9  to  6  in  summer;  adm.,  adults,  25$;  children,  5  to  12  yrs.,  15$;  under 
5  yrs.,  free). 


1.  Logan  Library 

2.  Franklin   Institute 

3.  Art  Museum 

4.  Philadelphia        Zoo- 
logical Gardens 

5.  Solitude 

6.  Letitia   Street  House 

7.  Sweetbriar    Mansion 

8.  Bronze  Group 


Cedar 
sion 


Grove    Man- 


10.  Smith  Memorial  Arch 

11.  Memorial   Hall 

12.  Welsh     Memorial 
Fountain  and  Garden 

13.  Roman  Catholic  Cen- 
tennial   Fountain 

14.  Statue  of  Christopher 
Columbus 

15.  Statue     of     Anthony 
Drexel 

16.  The  Japanese  Gardens 
and  Pagoda 


17.  Horticultural  Hall 

18.  Belmont  Mansion 

19.  Methodist     Episcopal 
Home  for  the  Aged 

20.  Methodist     Episcopal 
Orphanage 

21.  Woodside   Park 

22.  Plumstead    Estate 

23.  Chamounix  Lake 

24.  Peters  Island 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

One  of  the  most  diversified  animal  collections  in  the  world  and 
an  exceptional  record  of  pioneering  in  important  scientific  research 
distinguish  the  Zoological  Gardens,  first  "zoo"  to  he  established  in 
the  United  States. 

The  Philadelphia  Zoo  was  incorporated  in  1859.  Today  it  contains 
2,700  specimens,  including  600  mammals,  1,000  birds,  1,000  reptiles, 
and  100  amphibians. 

The  Penrose  Research  Laboratory,  named  for  its  donor,  Dr.  Charles 
B.  Penrose,  was  established  in  1901  as  the  first  zoological  laboratory 
in  the  country  in  a  zoological  garden.  Dr.  Penrose,  who  died 
in  1925,  maintained  his  intense  interest  in  all  phases  of  zoological 
activity  throughout  his  life.  The  laboratory's  research  into  animal 
diet  has  won  for  it  the  acclaim  of  scientists  and  interested  laymen 
everywhere.  Its  work  in  the  prevention  and  control  of  tuberculosis 
among  apes  and  monkeys  is  outstanding. 

Since  the  Penrose  laboratory  has  been  engaged  in  dietary  research 
and  diagnoses  and  autopsies,  malnutrition  as  a  cause  of  death  has 
been  lowered  by  80  percent.  This  work  has  also  helped  immeasurably 
to  preserve  the  natural  color  and  texture  of  animal  coats.  In  the 
primate  groups,  a  substitution  of  food  rich  in  vitamin  E  (incidentally, 
more  costly  than  that  formerly  used)  has  helped  to  increase  re- 
production. 

A  laboratory  of  comparative  pathology  is  also  maintained.  It  con- 
tained 3,419  exhibits  in  1933,  and  improvements  in  its  buildings  and 
collections  are  constantly  being  made. 

About  45  varieties  of  simians  are  housed  in  the  buildings  devoted 
to  primate  groups.  These  include  a  number  of  animals  born  in  the 
garden,  a  gibbon  maintained  in  captivity  for  31  years,  and  "Bamboo," 
the  largest  gorilla  in  captivity.  "Bamboo"  weighs  350  pounds  and 
has  spent  ten  years  in  the  Philadelphia  Zoo,  a  period  longer  than 
the  previous  life  span  of  captive  gorillas. 

The  reptile  house  is  the  home  of  one  of  the  largest  collection  of 
snakes  in  the  United  States,  the  finest  crocodile  group  in  the  country, 
and  an  excellent  turtle  collection.  Plants,  rocks,  and  pebbles  simulat- 
ing the  native  habitats  of  the  various  reptiles  form  the  settings  within 
glass-enclosed  pens. 

In  the  bird  collection  are  such  odd  varieties  of  bird  life  as  the 
rare  hornbill,  spoonbill,  and  cock-of-the-rock.  An  aged  griffon  vul- 
ture, an  inhabitant  of  the  zoo  for  36  years,  is  the  oldest  bird  in  the 
garden.  The  cassowary  group,  related  to  the  ostrich,  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  best  in  the  country. 

The  great  mammal  collection  includes  a  rare  Indian  rhinoceros, 
a  forest  elephant,  and  an  immense  Siberian  tiger.  Among  the  smaller 
mammals  are  badgers,  lemurs,  ocelots,  civet  cats,  and  grisons. 

Two  thousand  meals  are  prepared  daily  for  the  zoo's  beasts,  birds, 

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WEST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  12) 

and  reptiles.  The  enormous  food  stocks  required  annually  include 
approximately  550,000  pounds  of  hay,  868  dozen  eggs,  60,000 
pounds  of  fish,  130  horses  averaging  1,000  pounds  each,  more  than 
150  gallons  of  cod-liver  oil,  and  180,000  pounds  of  grain. 

An  additional  feature  of  the  Zoological  Gardens  is  the  collection 
of  trees  and  plants.  An  effort  has  been  made  to  maintain  as  complete 
a  collection  of  plants  as  it  is  possible  to  grow  in  this  climate.  The 
tree  groups  include  the  flowering  Japanese  cherry,  dogwood,  poplar, 
and  horse  chestnut.  Among  the  less  commonly  known  trees  are  the 
yellowwood,  codralla,  Kentucky  coffee  tree,  gingko,  and  sophora.  In 


Old  Solitude 


t 


• 

•  Wm 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

the  shrub  groups  are  azalea,  rhododendron,  holly,  and  hydrangea. 
Beautifully  patterned  beds  of  tulips,  hyacinths,  and  crocuses  are  also 
seen  in  season,  as  are  the  blooms  of  roses,  delphiniums,  hollyhocks, 
peonies,  and  irises. 

Estimated  attendance  at  the  zoo  during  1935  was  250,000.  It  is 
the  belief  of  the  Zoological  Society  of  Philadelphia  that  attendance 
could  be  greatly  increased  and  the  educational  as  well  as  recreational 
benefits  extended  by  modernizing  the  zoo  and  abolishing  admission 
fees.  Accordingly,  in  1936  it  established  a  few  free  days  and  provided 
Philadelphians  with  the  opportunity  of  studying  a  scale  model  of  a 
modern  cageless  zoo  the  first  unit  of  which  was  constructed  in  1937. 

High  cliffs,  barriers,  lush  growths  of  plants  and  foliage,  plateaus, 
and  other  natural  formations  will  be  built  in  accordance  with  this 
plan,  with  each  animal  group  confined  to  its  appointed  province  by 
a  moat  instead  of  iron  bars.  The  moats,  designed  to  give  adequate 
protection  to  the  visitor,  will  nevertheless  be  invisible  in  a  broad 
view  of  the  gardens  and  will  create  the  illusion  that  the  animals 
are  being  viewed  in  their  natural  habitats. 

Venerable  old  SOLITUDE  (5),  the  mansion  built  in  1784  by  John 
Penn,  grandson  of  William  Penn,  is  today  within  the  natural  limits 
of  the  Zoological  Gardens.  It  was  occupied  by  one  of  Penn's  descend- 
ants during  a  stay  in  Philadelphia  in  the  early  1850's.  The  grounds 
were  sold  a  short  time  thereafter.  This  was  the  last  bit  of  land  owned 
by  the  Penns  in  the  State.  It  became  part  of  Fairmount  Park  in  1867. 
At  present  it  is  used  as  an  administration  building.  The  mansion  to- 
day is  an  ivy-clad  cubical  structure,  with  tall  and  severely  plain 
windows.  A  simple  cornice  overhangs  the  four  plastered  sides,  and 
a  double  belt  of  brick  extends  along  the  second-story  line.  The 
pedimented  doorway,  flanked  by  Ionic  columns,  lends  an  air  of 
calm  and  stateliness  to  the  entire  building. 

The  interior  is  rich  and  delicate  in  detail.'  The  parlor,  facing  the 
river,  contains  an  excellent  ceiling  with  classical  motives  of  me- 
dallions, garlands,  and  candelabra  in  the  Adam  style.  Three  other 
rooms  in  the  house  have  equally  fine  ceilings.  A  large  hall  extends 
across  the  entire  western  front  of  the  mansion.  From  the  southwest 
corner  a  stairway  with  hand- wrought  iron  railing  ascends  to  the 
second  floor.  On  this  floor  are  two  small  bedrooms  and  a  library  con- 
taining John  Penn's  Sheraton  bookcase.  The  third  floor  contains 
several  bedrooms.  There  is  an  underground  passage. 

R.  from  Girard  Ave.  (under  railroad  bridge)  on  Lansdowne  Drive. 

The  LETITIA  STREET  HOUSE  (6)  (open  weekdays  10  to  5;  Sun. 
1  to  5;  adm.  adults,  25$;  children,  10$),  formerly  known  as  the  Wil- 
liam Penn  house,  is  on  the  left  of  Lansdowne  Drive,  which  parallels 
the  Schuylkill  River.  This  early  Georgian  Colonial  town  house, 
furnished  in  Queen  Anne  style,  stands  upon  a  wooded  knoll  and 

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WEST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (  CITY  TOUR  12 ) 

commands  a  fine  view  of  the  river  which  curves  from  sight  a  short 
distance  above. 

The  plain  two-and-a-half-story  dwelling  originally  fronted  on 
Letitia  Street.  It  occupied  the  Governor's  lot,  which  ran  along  Market 
Street  from  Front  to  Second  and  extended  back  halfway  to  Chestnut 
Street.  It  was  removed  to  the  park  in  1883  when  the  city's  commercial 
growth  threatened  the  dwelling's  destruction.  It  was  long  supposed 
to  have  been  built  and  occupied  by  William  Penn,  but  it  is  now 
Interior  of  Letitia  Street  House 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

known  to  have  been  erected  between  1703  and  1715.  For  many  years 
it  served  as  a  tavern.  Carefully  taken  down  and  re-erected  in  the 
park  as  an  outcome  of  the  historical  interest  enkindled  by  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  bicentennial  of  the  founding  of  Pennsylvania,  it  has  been 
restored  and  refurnished  by  the  Pennsylvania  Museum. 

The  house,  a  fine  example  of  an  eighteenth  century  town  house,  is 
a  small  building  with  a  steep  gable  roof.  The  broad  doorway  has  a 
beautifully  wrought  hood  of  unusual  design.  Bricks  are  laid  in 
Flemish  bond  with  heavily  vitrified  headers.  Joined  boards  form  a 
cove  cornice  which  extends  around  the  house  above  the  second-story 
windows.  The  windows  are  of  simple  design,  those  on  the  first  floor 
having  shutters  and  brick  arches. 

In  the  entrance  hall  is  a  large  walnut  gate-leg  table  and  chairs  of 
turned  and  spiraled  members,  characteristic  of  the  style  of  the  early 
eighteenth  century.  One  side  chair,  with  spiraled  legs  and  stretchers, 
was  used  originally  in  Penn's  manor  house  on  the  Delaware  River. 
On  the  mantel  shelves  in  the  hall  and  kitchen  are  plates  of  fine 
Delftware. 

The  interior  woodwork  bespeaks  the  good  taste  and  competent 
workmanship  which  prevailed  at  that  time.  A  simple  staircase  leads 
from  the  hall  to  the  upper  floor,  where  three  large  chambers  are 
furnished  with  rare  pieces  made  in  Philadelphia.  Noteworthy  are  a 
walnut  chest  of  drawers  with  ball  feet,  a  hutch  table,  and  a  corner 
washstand. 

On  the  right,  300  yards  along  Lansdowne  Drive  after  a  sharp,  up- 
hill bend,  is  SWEETBRIAR  MANSION  (7)  (open  daily,  except  Sun. 
10  to  5  ;  adm.  25$),  a  two-and-a-half-story  stone  house  set  in  what 
was  once  a  beautiful,  sloping  lawn  terminating  at  the  river.  It  was 
built  by  Judge  Samuel  Breck  in  1797  and  was  his  family  residence 
until  1836.  Sweetbriar  was  restored  in  1927  to  its  original  appearance. 
It  was  furnished  with  authentic  pieces  of  Colonial  days  by  the  Junior 
League  of  Philadelphia,  in  whose  charge,  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  Fairmount  Park  Commission,  the  mansion  now  is. 

The  simplicity  of  the  architecture  and  the  delicacy  of  the  wood- 
work are  impressive.  A  charming  mansion  in  late  Georgian  Colonial 
style  of  cream-colored  plastered  stone,  the  building  has  a  dignified 
symmetrical  facade  with  quoined  corners.  Above  the  tall  Doric 
entrance  with  simple  fanlight  is  a  roundheaded  window  with  crown- 
like  design.  Two  arched  dormer  windows  rise  above  the  cornice  of 
the  second  floor. 

The  lower  floor  consists  of  a  hallway,  living  room,  reception  room, 
and  small  office.  At  the  head  of  the  stairway  leading  to  the  second 
floor  is  a  balcony  believed  to  have  been  built  for  the  use  of  musicians 
at  social  functions.  The  second  floor  consists  of  five  bedrooms.  The 

566 


Sweet  Briar 

walls  and  woodwork  are  decorated  in  Adam  style,  painted  gray,  sal- 
mon, buff,  and  blue.  The  reception  room  contains  carved  Hepple- 
white  side  chairs,  a  pair  of  mahogany  card  tables,  and  a  Hepplewhite 
sofa.  Wedgwood  vases,  gilded  torcheres,  and  a  large  Oriental  rug 
are  imported  furnishings  which  the  room  might  have  exhibited  in 
its  original  state,  while  from  the  walls  hangs  a  rare  and  complete 
set  of  William  Birch's  views  of  Philadelphia. 

Directly  opposite  Sweetbriar  is  a  BRONZE  GROUP,  Stone  Age  in 
America,  (8),  the  work  of  John  J.  Boyle.  The  statue  depicts  a  mother 
poised  to  protect  her  baby  from  a  threatened  attack  by  wild  beasts. 

567 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

CEDAR  GROVE  MANSION  (9),  beyond  Sweetbriar  on  the  right 
fork  (open  weekdays  10  to  5  ;  Sun.  1  to  5  ;  adm.  25$),  is  a  true 
example  of  Georgian  Colonial  architecture.  Within  its  walls  are  the 
original  furnishings,  ranging  from  the  simplicity  in  style  of  the  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  period  to  elegant  examples  of  Hepplewhite,  Sheraton, 
and  Chippendale.  The  house  is  a  plain,  gray  stone  dwelling  of  two 
stories  with  picturesque  gambrel  roof  punctuated  by  tall  brick 
chimneys  and  dormer  windows. 

Built  in  1721  on  Kensington  Avenue  near  Harrowgate  Station,  and 
at  one  time  the  home  of  the  Isaac  Wistar  Morris  family,  it  was  en- 
larged in  1795  without  marring  its  architectural  integrity.  In  1927 
it  was  removed  to  its  present  location,  high  above  the  river,  when 
Miss  Lydia  Thompson  Morris  supplied  furnishings  appropriate  to 
the  date  and  simple  character  of  the  house  and  presented  it  to  the 
city.  Most  of  the  furnishings  date  from  1700  to  1770,  but  some  are 
later,  in  keeping  with  the  remodeling  of  the  house  in  1795. 

The  entrance  leads  directly  into  the  living  room.  A  Chippendale 
sofa  upholstered  in  yellow  brocade,  a  pie-crust  table,  and  six  ball 
and  clawfoot  chairs  are  in  contrast  with  the  earlier  William  and  Mary 
highboy  and  lowboy  in  the  room. 

In  the  dining  room  the  majority  of  pieces  are  in  the  formal  Hep- 
plewhite style,  but  the  kitchen  remains  in  a  simple  state,  its  large 
fireplace  adequately  supplied  with  cranes  and  pots.  Upstairs  there 
are  several  rooms  furnished  mainly  in  Hepplewhite  style. 

Bear  L.  on  Lansdowne  Drive  ;  R.  on  North  Concourse  Drive. 

On  the  left  fork  of  Lansdowne  Drive  is  SMITH  MEMORIAL 
ARCH  (10).  On  the  far  side  of  the  monument  with  its  two  tall 
pillars  surmounted  by  statues  of  General  Meade,  by  Daniel  Chester 
French,  and  General  Reynolds,  by  Charles  Grafly,  is  North  Con- 
course Drive.  During  the  Centennial  Exhibition  in  1876  this  wide 
straight  roadway,  lined  with  tall  and  stately  trees,  was  the  main 
entrance  to  the  grounds. 

At  the  base  of  the  Reynolds  column  is  the  figure  of  Richard  Smith, 
the  donor,  modeled  by  Herbert  Adams.  The  equestrian  statue  of 
Gen.  Winfield  Scott  Hancock,  and  that  of  Gen.  George  Brinton  Mc- 
Clellan  are  the  works  of  Messrs.  French  and  Potter.  The  two  granite 
abutments  surmounted  by  eagles  are  the  work  of  J«  Massey  Rhind. 
The  arches  between  niches  contain  the  busts  of  Admiral  Porter  and 
John  B.  Gest,  by  Charles  Grafly  ;  Major  General  Hartranft,  by  A. 
Sterling  Calder  ;  Admiral  Dahlgren,  by  George  E.  Bissel  ;  James  H. 
Windrim,  by  Samuel  Murray  ;  Maj.  Gen.  S.  W.  Crawford,  by  Bessie 
O.  Potter  ;  Governor  Curtin,  by  Moses  Ezekiel,  and  Gen.  James  A. 
Beaver,  by  Catherine  M.  Cohen. 

MEMORIAL  HALL  (11),  on  the  right  (open  daily  10:30  to  5; 
adm.  free),  is  built  on  a  terraced  elevation  commanding  a  view  of  the 

568 


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.'  '  1  .  ."  -:"'•'•    .*.: 


!!!! 


Exterior  of  Letitia  St.  House 


Interior  of  Cedar  Grove  Mansion 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Schuylkill  River.  It  was  erected  in  1876  for  the  Centennial  Exhibition 
and  as  a  permanent  repository  for  the  city's  art  treasures.  Of  modified 
classic  design,  the  building  is  faced  with  granite.  A  triple-arched  en- 
tranceway  is  the  main  feature  of  the  huge  central  unit  from  which 
arched  arcades  connect  with  the  massive  square-corner  pavilions. 
Above  the  building  is  a  square  Bishop's  dome  of  iron  and  glass  over 
which  rises  a  figure  of  Columbia.  At  each  corner  of  the  dome  are 
figures  symbolizing  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe.  The  52-fopt  high 
entrance  hall  is  Renaissance  in  style.  The  building  was  designed  by 
Herman  J.  Schwarzmann. 

In  this  permanent  memorial  is  a  complete  model  of  the  grounds 
and  buildings  of  the  Centennial  City.  Here  is  the  Pennsylvania 
Mnseum  of  the  School  of  Industrial  Art,  a  collection  of  ceramics, 
medals,  metals,  furniture,  and  textiles.  Housed  here  also  is  the  Wil- 
stach  collection  of  paintings,  founded  in  1892  as  the  nucleus  of  a 
municipal  art  gallery. 

Directly  across  the  drive  is  the  WELSH  MEMORIAL  FOUNTAIN 
AND  GARDEN  (12) ,  built  to  honor  John  Welsh,  who  was  responsible 
in  a  large  measure  for  the  success  of  the  Centennial  Exhibition. 

The  drive  courses  westward  past  Centennial  Lake,  on  the  right, 
and  Concourse  Lake,  on  the  left,  before  coming  to  its  end  at  the 
ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CENTENNIAL  FOUNTAIN  (13).  This  group 
of  statuary  by  Herman  Kirn  includes  a  figure  of  Moses,  encircled  by 
monuments  to  Bishop  John  Carroll,  of  Baltimore  ;  Commodore  John 
Barry,  preeminent  figure  in  our  early  Navy  ;  Father  Theobald  Math- 
ew,  champion  of  temperance  ;  and  Charles  Carroll,  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence. 

The  figure  of  Moses  looks  across  to  a  picturesque  little  arbor, 
at  the  farther  end  of  which  is  a  STATUE  of  Christopher  Columbus 
(14),  dedicated  in  1876  by  the  Italian  citizens  of  Philadelphia. 

Retrace  to  Belmont  Ave  ;  L.  on  Belmont  Ave.  ;  R.  on  Lansdowne 
Drive. 

On  this  drive,  a  few  yards  beyond  Belmont  Avenue,  right,  is  a 
STATUE  of  Anthony  Drexel  (15),  head  of  a  prominent  Phila- 
delphia family  and  founder  of  Drexel  Institute.  The  statue  was  ex- 
ecuted by  Moses  Ezekiel. 

THE  JAPANESE  GARDENS  AND  PAGODA  (16)  are  on  the 
right.  The  gardens  were  installed  during  the  Centennial  Exhibition. 
The  Nio-mon,  a  temple  gateway  which  is  commonly  called  the 
Japanese  Pagoda,  was  brought  from  Japan  and  reassembled  at  the 
St.  Louis  Exposition  in  1904.  It  was  later  purchased  by  John  H.  Con- 
verse and  Samuel  M.  Vauclain,  who  presented  it  to  Memorial  Hall. 

The  gate  measures  45  feet  in  height,  30  feet  in  length  and  18  feet 
in  depth.  It  has  a  balcony  supported  by  12  round  wooden  columns, 

570 


WEST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  12) 

two  of  which  are  interior  supports.  The  tiled  roof  has  an  overhanging 
denticulated  cornice. 

The  interior  contains  two  large  wooden  figures  about  eight  feet 
in  height,  representing  guards.  These  are  attributed  to  Fuyii  Chuyiu, 
a  celebrated  sculptor.  The  painting  on  the  ceiling  was  executed  by 
Kano  Tokinobu.  There  is  also  a  bronze  temple  bell  suspended  from 
one  corner  of  the  roof.  The  original  wood  carvings  and  metal  work 
have  been  removed  to  Memorial  Hall  for  safekeeping.  The  gardens 
are  fringed  with  delightful  plots  of  shrubbery,  which  are  spaced  in 
season  by  colorful  flower  beds. 

A  short  distance  beyond  the  gardens  is  HORTICULTURAL  HALL 
(17)  (open  daily  9  to  5  ;  adm.  free). 

Gray,  friendly  ghost  of  a  fading  age,  quickened  by  wild,  exotic 
plant  life  from  far  corners  of  the  world,  Horticultural  Hall  is  host 
not  only  to  the  most  beautiful  and  the  most  bizarre  of  Nature's  handi- 
work, but  to  glamorous  memories  of  the  Centennial  Exhibition. 

The  Crystal  Palace  erected  in  London  in  1850  and  the  Crystal 
Palace  built  in  New  York  in  1853  suggested  the  style  which  the 
architect,  Hermann  J.  Schwarzmann,  followed  in  his  design  for  the 
building.  The  structure,  a  Moorish  interpretation,  of  glass  and  iron, 
was  a  forerunner  of  modern  construction  methods. 

Standing  today  as  one  of  the  few  surviving  monuments  to  the 
Centennial,  this  great  conservatory,  built  at  a  cost  approximating 
$300,000,  is  the  permanent  home  of  a  horticultural  collection  which 
had  its  nucleus  in  a  hall  adjoining  the  Academy  of  Music,  at  Broad 
and  Locust  Streets,  whence  it  was  removed  to  the  exhibition  grounds 
in  1876. 

The  hall's  physical  aspects  are  subordinated  to  the  beauty  of  its 
exhibits.  Confusing  draperies  of  creepers  mount  the  branchless  trunks 
of  palms.  Near  them  in  the  glass-enclosed  conservatory,  bamboo 
trees  and  tropical  evergreens  reach  their  heads  into  the  filtered  sun- 
light. 

Two  tropical  houses,  two  fern  houses,  and  a  cactus  house  con- 
nect with  the  palm  house,  which  is  the  central  building.  Coconut, 
oil,  and  date  palms  feature  the  32  varieties  of  palms  —  representing 
virtually  every  country  in  the  tropics.  A  turn  to  the  right  or  left  re- 
veals a  jungle  vista  —  banana  and  other  tropical  trees  rising  from  a 
carpet  of  tender  ferns  in  which  trail  long  tentacles  of  aerial  roots 
shot  down  by  giant  growths. 

A  dozen  paces  from  this  heterogeneous  blend  of  jungle  flora,  a 
cactus  collection  including  specimens  from  Madagascar,  the  West 
Indies,  Brazil,  and  Western  United  States,  breathes  the  spirit  of 
arid  deserts. 

Within  glass  cases  in  another  quarter  grow  willowy  embroideries 

571 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

of  fern,  nurtured  in  a  moisture  comparable  to  that  of  the  Irish  coast 
or  the  tropic  valleys  in  which  they  abound. 

Sunken  gardens  stretching  from  Belmont  Avenue  to  the  main  en- 
trance of  the  hall  provide  a  delightful  foretaste  of  the  kingdom  with- 
in. Rectangular  pools,  their  placid  waters  dotted  by  lilies,  leafy  water 
flowers,  and  grasses,  run  down  the  center  of  a  concrete  plaza,  flanked 
by  flower-blanketed  and  shrub-fringed  terraces. 

Enshrined  among  the  works  of  nature  in  the  conservatory  grounds 
stand  splendid  examples  of  the  works  of  man  —  a  bronze  figure  of 
Goethe,  by  James  Thorn  ;  a  bronze  of  Schiller,  by  Thorn  ;  a  bust 
of  Verdi  ;  a  bronze  of  John  Witherspoon,  by  J.  A.  Bailey,  erected 
by  Presbyterian  churchmen  ;  the  allegorical  group,  Religious  Liberty, 
centered  by  a  female  figure  in  armor  and  erected  by  the  Jewish 
society,  B'nai  Brith,  opposite  the  eastern  front. 

Circle  Horticultural  Hall ;  R.  on  Belmont  Drive. 

On  the  right  are  the  West  Park  municipal  athletic  fields  on  Bel- 
mont Plateau,  and  above  is  BELMONT  MANSION  (18) ,  erected  about 
1743.  Originally  the  mansion  of  an  early  Colonial  plantation  and 
the  home  of  a  staunch  patriot  in  Revolutionary  days,  Belmont  Man- 
sion is  rich  in  memories  of  Judge  Richard  Peters,  who  entertained 
Washington  and  many  other  distinguished  guests  here.  This  huge, 
three-story  building,  surrounded  by  a  colonnade,  with  its  beautiful 
Colonial  interior  was  remodeled  to  its  present  form  in  1927.  The 
eminence  on  which  it  stands  affords  a  fine  view  of  the  city. 

R.  from  Belmont  Drive,  on  Belmont  Ave. 

At  Monument  Avenue  on  the  right  is  the  METHODIST  EPISCO- 
PAL HOME  FOR  THE  AGED  (19).  The  building,  erected  in  1865, 
is  a  gray  stone,  Tudor  Gothic  structure,  four  stories  in  height,  with 
a  steep  gray  slate  roof.  Farther  on  (R)  is  the  METHODIST  EPISCO- 
PAL ORPHANAGE  (20) .  From  Belmont  Avenue,  Ford  Road  extends 
to  the  right,  passing  WOODSIDE  PARK  (21).  This  is  the  largest 
amusement  park  within  the  city  limits.  The  next  intersection  is 
Chamounix  Drive  on  the  left.  Here,  to  the  right,  the  midcity  sky- 
scrapers are  clearly  visible,  and  the  view  from  this  point  is  one  of 
the  finest  around  Philadelphia. 

L.  from  Belmont  Ave.  on  Chamounix  Drive. 

Chamounix  Drive  continues  over  the  crest  of  Mt.  Prospect,  an 
elevation  of  210  feet,  which  affords  a  widening  panorama  of  the 
mid-city  to  the  right.  This  drive  has  an  abrupt  terminus  at  the  site 
of  the  PLUMSTEAD  ESTATE  (22) ,  which  formerly  was  the  property 
of  a  prominent  mill  owner.  On  the  estate  remain  a  coachman's  frame 
cottage,  a  barn,  and  the  Plumstead  mansion,  a  plain  structure  set 
upon  a  bluff  overlooking  the  river. 

The  mansion,  built  in  1802,  is  also  known  as  the  Chamounix  man- 
sion. The  two-story  building  is  of  late  Georgian  Colonial  design 

572 


WEST  FAIRMOUNT  PARK  (CITY  TOUR  12) 

with   cream-colored   plaster   exterior.   The   first   floor   windows    drop 
to  floor  level,  and  on  the  right  side  is  a  circular  bay  window. 

A  dirt  roadway  passes  the  house,  winds  downhill  through  a  heavily 
wooded  area  and  crosses  a  bridge.  A  few  feet  above  the  bridge  is  a 
pathway  leading  past  a  spring  to  CHAMOUNIX  LAKE  (23).  This 
small  lake  once  was  the  site  of  Simpson's  mill,  for  which  it  provided 
the  water  power. 

The  driveway  then  winds  up  hill  to  Falls  Road,  a  WPA  project, 
where  a  right  turn  leads  on  to  Neill  Drive.  Neill  Drive  becomes  West 
River  Drive  just  a  few  yards  above  the  Falls  of  Schuylkill  Bridge, 
across  the  river  from  the  section  known  as  East  Falls. 

R.  into  West  River  Drive. 

Along  the  drive  the  river's  banks  are  covered  with  riotous  verdure. 
Just  above  Nicetown  Lane  is  the  starting  point  for  Philadelphia's 
numerous  rowing  regattas,  and  a  mile  and  a  quarter  beyond  is  the 
finish,  near  which,  in  mid-river,  stands  PETERS  ISLAND  (24) .  This 
woodland  in  the  river  was  once  part  of  the  220-acre  Peters  estate. 

The  drive  bends  and  twists  with  each  curve  of  the  river,  allowing 
a  view  of  the  rear  of  Memorial  Hall,  visible  upon  a  hill  to  the  right, 
before  passing  under  Girard  Avenue  Bridge,  and  ending  at  Spring 
Garden  Street. 

L.  from  West  River  Drive  on  Spring  Garden  St.  Bridge  ;  R.  around 
Art  Museum  into  Parkway,  which  leads  to  City  Hall. 

Horticultural  Hall 
Giant  greenhouse  of  a  world's  J 

I   IPIHilii  il 


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ITALIAN   SEA  HORSE  FIDELITY  MUTUAL  LIFE 

BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN        «»•«*'«»          .NSURANCE  co 


PARKWY 


THE  TREE-LINED  PARKWAY 

City  Tour  13  —  2  m. 

THE  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  PARKWAY,  linking  Fairmount 
Park  and  its  East  and  West  River  Drives  with  the  heart  of  Phila- 
delphia, is  a  one-mile  stretch  of  wide,  tree-lined  boulevard. 
Splendid  examples  of  architectural  achievement,  housing  art  and  edu- 
cational collections  and  exhibits,  border  its  length. 

The  several  imposing  structures  which  may  be  noted  across  the 
Parkway  from  those  described  in  the  first  half  of  the  tour  are  in- 
cluded in  the  second  half  on  the  way  back  to  City  Hall.  This  elimi- 
nates crossing  and  recrossing  the  broad  thoroughfare  in  the  course 
of  the  tour. 

The  Parkway  begins  at  the  northwest  corner  of  City  Hall.  On 
the  right  is  REYBURN  PLAZA  (1),  a  large,  gravel-covered  city  com- 
mon that  has  been  the  scene  of  varied  events,  from  concerts  by  the 
Philadelphia  Orchestra  to  displays  of  war  machines  and  May  Day 
battles  between  police  and  radical  demonstrators. 

The  bandstand  in  the  middle  of  the  Arch  Street  side  is  flanked 
by  a  statue,  right,  of  Stephen  Girard,  whose  seat  of  financial  em- 
pire was  in  Philadelphia  and  whose  philanthropic  gifts  were  the 
foundations  of  many  present-day  institutions;  and  another  statue, 
left,  of  Maj.  Gen.  Peter  Muhlenberg.  This  figure  shows  Muhlenberg 
pulling  aside  his  clerical  vestments  to  reveal  the  uniform  of  a  Con- 
tinental Army  officer.  One  of  the  founders  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
in  America,  he  declared  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  :  "There 
is  *  *  a  time  to  preach  and  a  time  to  fight,  and  now  is  the  time  to 
fight."  The  statue  of  Girard  was  sculptured  by  J.  Massey  Rhind  in 
1897;  that  of  Muhlenberg,  by  Otto  Schweizer  in  1910. 

Surrounded  by  a  high,  red  brick  wall,  the  FRIENDS  SELECT 
SCHOOL  (2),  on  the  right  at  Seventeenth  Street,  has  maintained  its 
excellence  as  an  educational  institution  throughout  the  years.  Under 
the  supervision  of  the  Friends  Meeting,  it  is  a  direct  outgrowth  of  the 
first  school  in  Philadelphia.  Courses  of  study  range  from  kinder- 
garten to  college  preparatory  and  include  religious  instruction. 


1.  Reyburn  Plaza  8.    Rodin   Museum  Aquarium 

2.  Friends  Select  School          9.    Washington      Monu-  15.    Philadelphia  Council 

3.  Cathedral      o  f      SS.  ment  Headquarters,       Boy 
Peter    and    Paul  10.    Ericsson    Fountain  Scouts   of  America 

4.  Logan   Circle  11.    Pennsylvania        Mu-  16.    Board   of  Education 

5.  Shakespeare      Me-               seum   of  Art  Building 
morial  12.    Fidelity  Mutual  Life  17.    Franklin    Insitute 

6.  Free      Library       o  f  Insurance  Company  18.  Academy   of   Natural 
Philadelphia  13.    Italian     Sea     Horse  S'ciences 

7.  Army     and      Navy  Fountain  19.    Pennsylvania   Subur- 
Pylons  14.    Fairmount       Park  ban   Station 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  grounds  occupy  the  complete  block  bounded  by  the  Parkway, 
Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth,  Race  and  Cherry  Streets.  The  five  build- 
ings consist  of  the  school,  gymnasium,  elementary  building,  library, 
and  play  shed.  The  school,  the  main  and  original  building,  is  a  two- 
story  Flemish  bond  brick  structure  with  a  peaked,  slate  roof.  It  was 
built  in  1885  from  plans  of  Addison  Hutton.  A  Colonial  doorway 
designed  by  Walter  F.  Price  was  added  in  1922.  The  architect  also 
planned  the  alterations  in  the  new  buildings,  placing  white  keystones 
over  the  windows  in  the  Georgian  Colonial  manner.  Within  the  wall, 
at  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Race  Streets,  stands  a  pre-Revolution- 
ary  log  cabin,  a  lone  relic  of  a  farm  that  once  covered  the  site. 

The  CATHEDRAL  OF  SS.  PETER  AND  PAUL  (3),  right,  at 
Eighteenth  Street,  is  the  seat  of  the  Roman  Catholic  archdiocese  of 
Philadelphia.  The  brownstone  building  is  of  Italian  High  Renais- 
sance design.  Four  Corinthian  columns  support  the  portico.  The 
dim  austerity  of  the  interior  is  relieved  by  objects  of  beauty  and  ven- 
eration. The  main  altar  and  the  painting  of  the  Crucifixion  by 
Constantino  Brumidi  are  notable. 

In  the  crypt  lie  the  remains  of  Bishops  Egan,  Kenrick,  and  Connell; 
and  of  Archbishops  Wood,  Ryan,  and  Prendergast,  who  served  in  turn 
as  heads  of  the  See. 

Cross  18th  St. 

Facing  the  Cathedral  is  LOGAN  CIRCLE  (4) ,  one  of  the  five  parks 
included  in  William  Penn's  original  plan  of  Philadelphia. 

In  the  center  of  the  circle  is  a  large  fountain,  surrounded  by  three 
heroic  bronze  figures,  each  representing  one  of  the  waterways  of 
Philadelphia  —  the  Delaware,  the  Schuylkill,  and  the  Wissahickon. 
Alexander  Sterling  Calder  was  the  sculptor,  and  Wilson  Eyre  &  Mc- 
Ilvaine  the  architects. 

West  of  Nineteenth  Street,  in  a  plot  that  divides  Vine  Street  and 
the  Parkway,  is  a  MONUMENT  (5),  erected  in  joint  honor  of  Wil- 
liam Shakespeare  and  Philadelphia  actors  and  actresses  who  achieved 
fame.  The  controversy  that  has  long  existed  over  the  correct  spelling 
of  Shakespeare's  name  is  reflected  in  the  inscription  on  the  monu- 
ment. The  words  "Shakespeare  Memorial"  are  followed  by  the  infor- 
mation that  the  group  which  aided  in  erecting  the  shaft  is  the  "Shake- 
spere  Society."  The  latter  spelling  is  that  used  by  the  bard  when  he 
last  wrote  his  name.  The  monument,  designed  by  Wilson  Eyre  & 
Mcllvaine  and  sculptured  by  Alexander  Sterling  Calder,  was  erected 
in  1928. 

On  the  right,  directly  across  Vine  Street  from  the  monument,  is 
the  imposing  FREE  LIBRARY  OF  PHILADELPHIA  (6) ,  occupy- 
ing  the  entire  block  from  Nineteenth  to  Twentieth  Streets  along 
Vine  (see  Points  of  Interest). 

Continue  on  Vine  St. ;   to  20th. 

576 


Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul 


Entrance  Gate  of  Rodin  Museum 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

At  Twentieth  Street  and  Vine  Street,  the  Parkway  broadens  into  a 
two-way,  four-lane  central  highway  with  a  one-way  two-lane  roadway 
on  each  side.  Grass  plots  separate  the  main  highway  from  the 
auxiliary  lanes,  with  more  park  land  bordering  the  latter.  At  this 
point  are  the  ARMY  AND  NAVY  PYLONS  (7),  completed  in  1927 
in  honor  of  the  Civil  War  dead. 

On  the  right  at  Twenty-second  Street  is  the  RODIN  MUSEUM 
(8)  (open  daily  10:30  to  5;  adm.  free),  a  reproduction  of  the  famous 
Musee  Rodin  at  Meudon,  France. 

The  rugged  art  of  Auguste  Rodin,  imbued  with  the  rude  strength 
of  his  peasant  origin,  but  polished  and  mellowed  by  communion  with 
cultivated  minds  of  his  own  and  earlier  times,  found  a  home  in  Phila- 
delphia through  a  casual  incident.  Jules  E.  Mastbaum,  a  pioneer 
motion  picture  exhibitor,  visited  the  Hotel  Biron  (now  the  Musee 
Rodin)  in  Paris  in  1924.  So  impressed  was  he  by  the  sculptor's  work 
that  he  persuaded  the  curator  to  sell  him  a  small  bronze,  which  he 
carried  home  in  his  pocket.  The  seed  of  interest  thus  sown  developed 
through  further  acquisitions  until  the  plan  of  a  museum  devoted  to 
Rodin's  work  took  shape. 

Mastbaum  died  before  the  museum  was  built,  but  his  wife  and 
daughters  faithfully  completed  the  project  which  he  had  formulated. 

The  museum  building  embodies  the  style  of  architecture  chosen  by 
Rodin  —  the  French  Renaissance  of  the  periods  of  Louis  XIV  and 
Louis  XVI.  It  was  designed  by  Paul  Philippe  Cret  and  Jacques  Greber 
and  was  erected  in  1929.  The  entrance  is  a  reproduction  of  a  part 
of  the  facade  of  the  old  Chateau  d'Issy  at  Meudon,  France,  the  origi- 
nal of  which  was  reconstructed  by  Rodin  from  fragments.  In  front 
of  this  gateway,  on  a  stone  pedestal,  sits  The  Thinker,  characteristic 
of  Rodin  and  probably  his  best-known  work.  This  is  a  replica  in 
bronze. 

Beyond  the  gateway  is  a  rectangular  reflecting  pool  and  garden 
wherein  some  of  the  artist's  larger  and  more  notable  works  are 
grouped.  On  a  terrace  at  the  far  side  of  the  pool  is  the  museum,  con- 
structed of  Indiana  limestone.  Fluted  Doric  columns  are  at  the  front 
of  the  entrance  loggia,  which  leads  to  the  famous  bronze  Gates  of  Hell. 
In  the  walls  on  each  side  of  the  loggia  are  niches  containing  repro- 
ductions of  the  sculptor's  work.  The  museum  consists  of  a  main  gal- 
lery and  three  exhibition  rooms,  a  library,  and  administrative  offices. 
The  main  gallery  is  finished  in  tints  of  gold  and  gray.  The  terrazzo 
floor  is  inlaid  with  marble.  In  the  vaulted  ceiling  is  a  large  skylight. 

Over  the  east  and  west  walls  of  the  library  are  two  appropriate  al- 
legorical groups  representing  Keats'  Ode  to  a  Grecian  Urn  and  the 
Past,  Present  and  Future  by  the  Philadelphia  artist,  Franklin  C. 
Watkins,  who  was  winner  of  the  first  prize  at  the  Carnegie  Institute 
International  Exhibition  in  1931. 

578 


THE  TREE-LINED  PARKWAY  (CITY  TOUR  13) 

The  library  is  devoted  entirely  to  the  collection  of  publications 
dealing  with  Rodin  and  his  works.  It  lacks  only  a  few  of  the  important 
writings  touching  upon  the  sculptor. 

The  museum  proper  houses  the  Mastbaum  collection  of  Rodin's 
works,  and  a  collection  of  more  than  100  original  drawings,  water 
colors,  tempera  paintings,  and  studies  in  plaster  by  the  French  master. 
Many  of  these  drawings  and  paintings  will  command  the  interest  of 
the  art  lover  ;  they  represent  the  fluid,  emotionalized  perceptions 
of  the  artist  in  the  ardor  of  conception. 

Reproductions  of  his  works  exhibited  outdoors  include  The 
Thinker  and  the  arresting  Burghers  of  Calais.  The  latter  represents 
the  burghers  of  the  city  in  the  hour  of  their  abasement  and  in  the 
glory  of  self-abnegation  when  they  came  out  to  give  themselves  as 
hostages  to  the  English  after  the  siege  by  the  troops  of  the  Black 
Prince.  Rodin  did  not  attempt  to  conventionalize  the  strong  drama 
of  that  moment,  but  presented  it  without  artistic  subterfuge.  The 
figures  of  the  burghers,  bareheaded  and  their  feet  bare,  halters  about 
their  necks,  and  in  their  hands  the  keys  of  their  city,  evoked  en- 
thusiastic approval  when  first  shown  in  Paris.  It  is  characteristic  of 
the  artist  that,  although  the  city  of  Calais  had  commissioned  him  to 
do  but  one  figure,  so  strongly  moved  was  he  by  his  own  conception 
that  he  did  six  and  charged  only  the  commission  which  had  been 
promised  him  for  one. 

Interesting  not  alone  for  its  artistic  perfection,  but  for  its  effect 
upon  Rodin's  future  work  as  well,  is  the  Age  of  Bronze.  When  this 
work  was  shown,  Rodin  was  accused  of  having  made  his  casts  directly 
from  the  human  figure.  The  controversy  raged  for  three  years  before 
the  artist  was  vindicated,  and  the  piece  was  placed  in  the  salon. 

Determined  to  prove  that  he  did  not  employ,  indeed,  had  no  need 
to  employ,  any  cheap  tricks  to  create  great  art,  Rodin  decided  to 
produce  a  profusion  of  figures  in  bas-relief  on  a  small  scale.  He  did 
this  in  the  Gates  of  Hell,  which  was  commissioned  for  a  doorway  at 
the  Palace  of  the  Decorative  Arts  in  Paris.  He  took  his  conceptions 
from  Dante,  but  the  hell  he  depicted  is  one  of  supplication  and  atone- 
ment rather  than  an  inferno  of  agony  and  terror. 

Intended  originally  as  a  part  of  the  Gates  of  Hell  is  The  Kiss, 
generally  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  artist's  works. 
It  portrays  the  love  of  Paolo  and  Frahcesca,  of  Dante's  epic.  The 
piece  in  the  museum,  a  reproduction  in  Carrara  marble,  was  made 
by  Henry  Greber,  of  Paris. 

In  the  minor  works  of  the  collection,  the  progress  of  Rodin's  art 
can  be  studied.  In  his  lifetime,  Rodin  was  the  object  of  extremes  of 
praise  and  scathing  criticism.  As  a  youth  he  failed  of  admission  to 
the  ficole  des  Beaux  Arts  because  he  could  not  satisfy  the  academic 
standards.  In  his  later  years  he  worked  in  the  spotlight  of  the  world's 

579 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

esteem.  The  contrast  might  have  stultified  a  weaker  man,  but  he 
retained  his  deep  preoccupation  with  the  reality  of  common  things. 

Rodin  formed  many  friendships  in  the  world  of  politics  and  belles 
lettres.  His  studio  at  Meudon  became  a  cosmopolitan  salon  in  the 
true  sense.  His  wide  interests  are  reflected  in  the  many  busts  he 
created.  Among  'those  in  the  museums  arc  studies  of  Clemenceau, 
George  Bernard  Shaw,  and  Balzac. 

On  the  left  at  Twenty-fifth  Street  is  the  WASHINGTON  MONU- 
MENT (9) ,  standing  in  the  center  of  a  traffic  island.  The  equestrian 
figure  of  Washington,  the  work  of  Rudolph  Siemering,  was  erected 
in  1896  by  the  State  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  of  Pennsylvania. 

To  the  right,  in  the  center  of  another  traffic  circle,  is  the  ERICSSON 
FOUNTAIN  (10),  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  Capt.  John  Ericsson, 
Swedish  designer  of  the  Monitor,  which  met  the  Confederate  Merri- 
mac  in  the  first  engagement  of  ironclads,  at  Hampton  Roads,  during 
the  Civil  War.  The  fountain  was  designed  by  Horace  Trumbauer, 
Charles  L.  Borie,  Jr.,  and  Clarence  Zantzinger  and  erected  on  March  2, 
1933. 

On  the  hill  overlooking  the  rushing  traffic  of  the  Parkway  is  the 
PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  OF  ART  (11),  a  fine  interpretation 
of  Grecian  architecture  and  one  of  the  most  imposing  buildings  in 
Philadelphia.  Here  are  housed  extensive  collections  of  art,  art  ob- 
jects, and  antiques  arranged  in  period  rooms  (see  Points  of  Interest}. 

On  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  to  the  right,  is  the  broad  four-story 
building  of  the  FIDELITY  MUTUAL  LIFE  INSURANCE  COM- 
PANY (12),  a  modern  adaptation  of  classic  architecture.  The  two 
entrance  pavilions  have  high  arches,  and  the  bronze  entrance  grilles 
are  set  in  the  marble  frames  of  the  main  doorways.  The  friezes  above 
the  doorways,  designed  by  Lee  Lawrie,  are  symbolic  of  the  seven  ages 
of  man. 

Continue  on  Driveway  L.  around  the  Art  Museum. 

The  ITALIAN  SEA  HORSE  FOUNTAIN  (13),  on  the  right,  was 
presented  to  the  city  on  June  6,  1928,  by  the  Italian  Government  in 
commemoration  of  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
It  was  designed  by  Signor  di  Fausto,  architect  of  the  foreign  office 
in  Rome. 

Farther  along  and  on  the  right  is  the  FAIRMOUNT  PARK 
AQUARIUM  (14)  (open  weekdays  8:30  to  4:30;  Sun.  9  to  5;  adm. 
free). 

The  aquarium,  lodged  in  a  structure  set  in  a  great  rock  which 
rises  from  the  Schuylkill  River,  contains  a  large  collection  of  salt- 
water fishes  and  scores  of  fresh-water  varieties. 

The  rock  into  which  the  aquarium's  galleries  have  been  placed 
forms  the  base  for  three  miniature  Greek  temples  and  an  ancient 

580 


THE  TREE-LINED  PARKWAY  (CITY  TOUR  13) 

mansion,  once  units  of  the  historic  Faire  Mount  Water  Works. 

Gaudy  types  of  marine  life,  yielded  by  lake  and  stream  and  the 
seven  seas,  incessantly  rise  and  dive  in  the  glass-fronted  illuminated 
tanks  that  line  the  walls  of  the  aquarium.  The  soft  green  of  the  sea 
and  the  sparkling  silver  of  rivers  tint  backgrounds  broken  by  white 
pebbles,  shells,  and  water  plants. 

Oddities  imagined  only  by  Jules  Verne  in  his  prophetic  Twenty 
Thousand  Leagues  Under  the  Sea  are  living  realities  in  this  thumb- 
nail submarine  world. 

Inflated  balloon  fish  float  belly  upward,  out  of  harm's  way,  on  the 
water's  surface,  not  far  from  where  the  sergeant-major  fish  swiftly 
don  one  or  another  color  disguise  to  conceal  themselves  against 
momentary  backgrounds.  Large  porcupine  fish  from  the  Caribbean, 
so  named  for  the  spines  projecting  from  their  backs,  vie  for  attention 
with  blue  and  green  parrot  fish,  with  curved  mouths  strongly  resem- 
bling the  beaks  of  the  bright-feathered  birds.  "King  crabs,"  which  are 
not  crabs,  but  members  of  the  spider  family,  make  futile  efforts  to 
scale  the  rocky  sides  of  their  tanks. 

Red  toadfish,  from  the  West  Indies  ;  saucer-eyed  red  squirrel-fish, 
from  the  waters  off  Key  West  ;  the  vicious  green  moray,  resembling  a 
monster  eel  ;  the  queen  triggerfish,  whose  dorsal  fin  drops  into  a  slot 
in  its  back  ;  and  the  old  maid  fish,  with  wings  larger  than  those  of 
the  flying  fish,  add  their  respective  eccentricities  of  conduct  or  ap- 
pearance. 

More  than  2,000  specimens  in  all,  representing  nearly  500  species 
of  fishes,  amphibians,  invertebrates,  and  reptiles,  disport  themselves 
in  the  aquarium's  112  fresh-water  tanks  and  75  salt-water  tanks.  One 
salt-water  tank  has  a  capacity  of  25,000  gallons.  The  tanks  have  a 
circulation  of  150,000  gallons.  Salt  water  is  transported  from  the 
Caribbean  Sea. 

The  annual  visitation  by  nearly  75,000  pupils  from  schools  all  over 
the  country,  and  teachers  of  science  from  Germany,  England,  and 
other  countries  of  Europe  indicates  the  institution's  educational  value. 

Classified,  the  collection  includes  389  species  of  fishes  (1,866  speci- 
mens) ;  12  species  of  amphibians  (130  specimens)  ;  and  three  species 
of  invertebrates  (155  specimens).  These  do  not  include  numerous 
small  fishes  and  invertebrates  bred  and  maintained  as  food  for  larger 
species  and  for  use  as  study  material  in  the  public  schools. 

A  laboratory  is  maintained  for  the  study  of  maladies  and  parasites 
to  which  the  finny  tribe  is  subject  and  for  checking  the  alkalinity  or 
acidity  of  the  water.  The  water  in  the  various  tanks  is  kept  at  tem- 
peratures prevailing  in  the  native  waters  of  each  species. 

Proposed  by  the  late  Mayor  Reyburn  as  a  practical  use  for  the 
abandoned  water  purifying  and  pumping  station  in  the  city,  the 

581 


Facade  of  Rodin  Museum 
Replica  of  the  Musee  Rodin,  at  Meudon,  France 


THE  TREE-LINED  PARKWAY  (CITY  TOUR  13) 

aquarium  was  founded  in  1911.  During  1912  the  number  of  visitors 
to  the  new  institution  exceeded  40,000. 

The  Graff  Mansion,  in  which  the  aquarium  first  was  installed, 
with  19  tanks  containing  22  species  from  Pennsylvania  waters,  is  the 
largest  of  the  four  structures  rising  from  the  rock  base  in  which  the 
collection  now  is  housed.  It  is  a  domestic-looking  structure  of  plas- 
tered stone  with  gable  roof  and  massive  chimneys.  The  other  buildings 
in  the  group  follow  classic  Greek  temple  lines,  with  wooden  Doric 
columns,  and  rise  in  majestic  simplicity  against  tree-fringed  Old  Faire 
Mount,  the  rocky  promontory  for  which  the  park  was  named,  now 
crowned  by  the  imposing  art  museum. 

Continue  to  S.  side  of  Parkway  ;  R.  on  22d  St.;  L.  on  Winter. 

The  PHILADELPHIA  COUNCIL  HEADQUARTERS,  Boy  Scouts 
of  America  (15)  is  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Twenty-second  and 
Winter  Streets.  This  structure  of  Italian  Renaissance  design  was  com- 
pleted in  October  1930.  It  stands  near  the  Board  of  Education 
Building.  The  style  of  the  period  has  been  sustained  in  the  interior, 
from  the  hexagonal  red-tile  flooring  of  the  covered  court  with  its 
skylighting,  to  the  ornamented,  timbered  ceilings  of  the  library,  and 
the  council  chamber. 

On  the  southwest  corner  of  Winter  and  Twenty-first  Streets  is  the 
BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  BUILDING  (16),  which  houses  the  ad- 
ministrative offices  of  Philadelphia's  public  school  system  and  con- 
tains a  comprehensive  pedagogical  library. 

The  building,  a  large  gray  limestone  edifice,  rises  11  stories  in  its 
central  section.  The  lower  stories,  of  Italian  Renaissance  design 
with  two-story  wings,  extend  forward  to  flank  a  central  court  and  re- 
flecting pool.  The  court  is  enclosed  on  the  four  sides  by  a  large  wall 
rising  to  the  height  of  the  second  story  and  pierced  by  five  tall  open- 
ings on  the  keystones  of  whose  arches  are  large  scrolls.  Similar  key- 
stones lock  the  arches  above  the  windows  of  the  first  floor.  The 
upper  stories  of  the  building  depart  from  the  Italian  Renaissance, 
having  between  the  windows  long  columnettes  terminating  in  carved 
busts  of  eminent  men  of  letters. 

At  the  southwest  corner  of  Twentieth  Street  is  the  FRANKLIN 
INSTITUTE  (17),  a  veritable  theatre  staging  the  drama  of  science. 
Within  the  building  is  the  famous  Fels  Planetarium  (see  Points  of 
Interest). 

R.  from  Winter  St.  on  20th;  L.  on  Race. 

On  the  southwest  corner  of  Nineteenth  and  Race  Streets  stands 
the  ACADEMY  OF  NATURAL  SCIENCES  (18)  (open  weekdays  9 
to  5;  during  July  and  Aug.,  9  to  4;  Sun.  1  to  5;  closed  May  30,  July 
4,  December  25,  and  Labor  Day;  adm.  free). 

The  academy,  oldest  institution  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States, 
had  its  origin  in  1812  as  an  outgrowth  of  the  activities  of  John  Speak- 

583 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

man,  a  druggist,  and  a  group  of  his  friends.  Their  interest  in  natural 
phenomena  led  them  to  delve  into  the  meanings  and  mysteries  of 
the  earth's  elements,  its  vegetation,  and  its  living  creatures. 

Informal  discussions  in  natural  history  were  begun  by  the  group 
in  1812  in  a  small  coffeehouse  on  High  (now  Market)  Street.  In 
1826  Speakman  and  his  associates  purchased  the  Swedenborgian 
Church,  Twelfth  and  Sansom  Streets,  for  meeting  and  for  exhibition 
of  their  growing  collection  of  specimens.  The  society  grew  rapidly 
and  moved  its  collections  to  the  present  site  in  1876.  The  present 
home  of  the  academy,  whose  exterior  was  remodeled  in  1905,  1907, 
and  finally  in  1910,  is  an  undistinguished  classical  structure  of  red 
brick  with  limestone  trim. 

From  its  humble  beginning  the  academy  has  risen  throughout  the 
years  to  a  position  of  high  prominence,  its  development  guided  and 
molded  by  men  outstanding  in  the  natural  sciences.  Numerous  ex- 
peditions have  scoured  the  world  for  specimens  now  exhibited  in  the 
museum.  During  1935  alone  48  field  trips  to  19  foreign  countries 
were  undertaken  by  members  of  the  academy  and  their  friends. 

Exhibited  in  the  hall  to  the  right  of  the  entrance  is  the  skeleton 
of  a  great  hadrosaurus  unearthed  in  Haddonfield,  N.  J.,  about  1869. 
The  animal  lived  about  100,000,000  years  ago,  when  the  eastern  part 
of  the  continent  was  a  vast  marsh. 

In  Mineral  Hall  on  the  gallery  is  one  of  the  most  fascinat- 
ing exhibits  in  the  academy  —  at  first  glance  merely  a  number  of 
colorless  stones  and  mineral  ores  in  a  plain  glass  case.  When  the  touch 
of  a  switch  replaces  ordinary  light  with  violet  rays,  however,  radiant 
hues  leap  forth  from  the  fluorescent  minerals.  The  stones  and  ores 
glow  in  a  weird  aura  of  light.  Then  another  ray,  releasing  still  more 
dazzling  hues,  brings  out  on  the  largest  rock  a  handwritten  inscrip- 
tion explaining  the  principles  involved  in  the  demonstration. 

The  extensive  mineralogical  collection  includes  a  relief  map  of 
Philadelphia  showing  the  various  strata  of  rock.  Another  exhibit 
portrays  the  composition  of  the  earth  in  cross  sections  from  outer 
crust  to  core.  There  are  brilliant  representations  of  the  largest  gold 
nugget  ever  unearthed  and  of  the  world's  most  famous  diamonds,  and 
specimens  of  almost  all  the  known  minerals. 

A  large  collection  of  mounted  birds  occupies  the  room  at  the  top 
of  the  stairway  which  is  opposite  the  entrance.  Beyond  this  room  are 
the  academy's  newest  exhibits,  the  natural  habitat  groups.  The  dis- 
plays, assembled  with  much  effort  and  at  great  expense,  are  faced 
with  plate-glass  windows  through  which  the  spectator  sees  groups  of 
lifelike  animals  mounted  in  surroundings  representing  their  natural 
homes.  Expeditions  were  sent  far  and  wide  to  collect  these  groups, 
members  of  the  parties  gathering  grass,  moss,  stones,  rocks,  and 
shrubbery  at  the  scenes  of  the  trapping  and  shooting.  They  also  made 

584 


THE  TREE-LINED  PARKWAY  (CITY  TOUR  13) 

sketches  of  the  different  localities  as  a  help  in  reassembling  the 
groups,  and  the  resultant  displays  have  a  remarkably  natural  ap- 
pearance. 

Among  the  rarer  animals  in  these  groups  are  the  giant  panda 
and  the  takin  from  western  China,  and  the  giant  sable  antelope  from 
East  Africa.  The  larger  habitat  groups  include  the  Alaskan  brown 
bear,  Greenland  musk  ox,  American  bison,  African  lion,  whistling 
swan,  American  eagle,  and  caribou. 

An  entomological  collection  illustrates  the  life  histories  of  some 
of  the  more  common  insects,  particularly  those  having  significance 
in  the  economic  world.  In  the  same  section  is  the  extensive  collection 
of  butterflies  gathered  by  Titian  Ramsey  Peale,  the  artist. 

The  Samuel  George  Morton  collection  of  human  skulls  traces  the 
development  of  man  from  prehistoric  days  to  the  present. 

In  the  western  end  of  the  academy's  north  building  is  lodged  the 
institution's  herbarium,  with  its  700,000  specimens  of  flowering  plants, 
ferns,  mosses,  lichens,  algae,  and  fungi,  arranged  in  classified  sections. 
The  herbarium  boasts  an  international  reputation  for  its  work  on  the 
classification  and  distribution  of  plants. 

Beside  the  entrance  to  the  academy  stands  the  statue  of  Joseph 
Leidy,  eminent  physician-scientist  at  one  time  associated  with  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  whose  achievements  in  the  field  of  natural 
history  are  widely  recognized.  The  monument,  designed  by  Samuel 
Murray  in  1907,  once  stood  on  the  west  plaza  of  City  Hall  and  was 
moved  to  its  present  site  in  1930. 

The  academy  has  a  natural  history  library  of  more  than  116,000 
volumes.  Visitors  may  consult  the  books  in  the  reading  room.  Num- 
erous scientific  lectures  are  held  in  the  auditorium. 

Eight  natural  history  organizations  are  affiliated  with  the  academy, 
among  them  the  Delaware  Valley  Ornithological  Club,  the  Phila- 
delphia Mineralogical  Society,  and  the  American  Entomological 
Society. 

R.  from  Race  St.  on  Parkway  ;  R.  on  16th  St.;  L.  on  Pennsylvania 
Blvd. 

At  the  northwest  corner  of  Sixteenth  Street  and  Pennsylvania 
Boulevard  is  the  PENNSYLVANIA  RAILROAD  SUBURBAN  STA- 
TION (19),  a  vast  underground  railroad  station  over  which  loom?* 
a  massive  modern  building  containing  public  offices  and  the  private 
offices  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company. 

Proceed  on  Pennsylvania  Blvd.  to  City  Hall. 


AROUND  PEWS 


1.  College  Hall 

2.  Logan  Hall 

3.  Robert   Hare    Chemi- 
cal Laboratory 

4.  Houston  Hall 

5.  Irvine  Auditorium 

6.  Library 

7.  Bennett  Hall 

8.  Randal  Morgan  Labo- 
ratory of  Physics 

9.  Hygiene   Laboratory 


10.  John   Harrison   Labo-  17. 
ratory   of  Chemistry  18. 

11.  Fine  Arts  Building  19. 

12.  Engineering  Building 

13.  Moore    School    of  20. 
Electrical     Engineer-  21. 
ing  22. 

14.  Franklin  Field  23. 

15.  Weightman  Hall 

16.  Hutchinson   Gym-  24. 
nasium 


University  Museum 
University  Hospital 
Wistar  Institute  of 
Anatomy  and  Biology 
Men's   Dormitories 
Botanical  Gardens 
Vivarium 
Thomas  W.  Evans 
Institute 
Law  School 


AROUND  PENN'S  CAMPUS 

City  Tour  14  —  3.8m. 

D  PENN,"  or  as  the  Pennsylvanian,  student  daily  news- 
paper,  would  prefer,  "the  University,"  retains  within  its 
seething  academic  body  the  pride  of  high  ancestry. 

Rivaling  in  this  respect  such  aged  institutions  as  Harvard,  Yale, 
and  Princeton,  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  struggles  against  the 
fate  which  has  imprisoned  it  within  the  confines  of  a  great  urban 
center.  To  attempt  to  maintain  the  serene  spirit  of  learning,  the  quiet 
charm  of  academic  thought,  under  such  circumstances,  is  in  the  nature 
of  a  contradiction. 

It  is  true  the  surroundings  of  the  university  lack  some  of  the  beauty 
and  repose  which  are  evident  in  other  equally  famous  institutions. 
Hemmed  in  by  telegraph  wires,  screeching  streetcars,  honking  auto- 
mobilies — the  vast  discordant,  formless  blare  of  a  great  city — it  is 
with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  the  university  manages  to  retain  a 
fitting  character.  To  a  certain  degree  it  succeeds  in  doing  so.  The  older 
ivy-clad  buildings,  the  green  expanse  of  the  campus,  the  various  col- 
lege walks,  the  freshmen  with  their  blobs  of  caps,  the  members  of 
secret  societies  sporting  queer  hats,  and  the  upper  classmen  with  their 
colorful  blazers — all  reveal  glimpses  of  many-sided  university  life. 
Patterns  woven  by  the  feet  of  many  student  generations  crisscross  on 
the  greensward.  On  the  outskirts  of  the  clustered  college  buildings  are 
the  homes  of  Greek  letter  societies  and  fraternities,  boarding  houses 
(under  the  approval  of  special  college  authorities),  a  fringe  of  res- 
taurants, cafeterias,  and  beaneries,  the  haberdasheries  and  bookshops, 
which  have  achieved  the  status  of  institutions.  The  general  picture 
is  one  that  is  repeated  in  many  a  large  city  where  a  university  exists, 
where  the  stream  of  university  life,  like  a  great  river,  has  carved 
from  the  surrounding  refractory  mass  a  recognizable  path,  under  the 
constant  threat,  however,  of  having  its  banks  crumble  in  upon  it. 
The  busy  streets  and  the  city's  residents  proceeding  about  their  non- 
academic  pursuits  have  been  the  tolerant  witnesses  of  innumerable 
student  upheavals  ;  freshman-sophomore  pants  fights,  when  unfor- 
tunate members  of  either  class  have  been  placed  on  crowded  street 
cars,  clad  only  in  underwear  ;  the  uproarious  "Rowbottoms,"  be- 
ginning usually  in  the  dormitories  but  often  spreading  to  harass  the 
general  public  ;  the  marches  and  snake  dances  celebrating  football 
victories,  the  disconnection  of  trolley  poles  ;  the  baiting  of  police 
stationed  near  the  campus,  and  other  extra-curricular  exercises.  The 
student  life  is  a  wine  which  loses  none  of  its  headiness  because  its 
partakers  are  forever  under  the  eyes  of  somber  and  disapproving 
spectators. 

587 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  intellectual  life  of  the  university  will  bear  comparison  with 
that  of  any  similar  institution  in  the  world.  Here  its  urban  setting 
is  an  advantage  ;  for  the  large  number  of  its  students  who  live  in 
the  city,  close  to  normal  adult  life,  imbue  it  with  a  sense  of  actuality, 
bring  to  it  real  and  pressing  outlooks,  and  are  a  living  barrier  to  the 
growth  of  that  academic  insularity  evident  in  so  many  college 
towns.  Its  great  size,  wealth,  and  scope  have  attracted  outstanding 
teachers  and  made  possible  the  installation  of  modern  facilities  in 
all  departments. 

The  university  began  as  a  charity  school  in  1740.  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin was  the  foremost  of  a  body  of  men  whose  idea  it  was  to  establish 
a  free  school  for  the  instruction  of  young  men  in  modern  languages 
and  the  professions.  Among  this  group  were  10  of  the  signers  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  seven  signers  of  the  Constitution, 
and  21  members  of  the  Continental  Congress.  A  number  of  others 
later  held  high  rank  in  the  Continental  Army.  Franklin  for  years  had 
been  pointing  out  the  necessity  for  organizing  such  an  institution. 
He  issued  a  pamphlet  expressing  these  sentiments,  and  in  1749  his 
cherished  "Academy"  was  established  in  the  old  buildings  of  the 
charity  school,  Fourth  and  Arch  Streets.  Franklin  became  the  first 
president  of  the  board  of  trustees  and  served  from  1749  to  1756  and 
from  1789  to  1790. 

These  buildings  were  the  scene  of  several  stirring  events  during  the 
six  decades  they  served  as  the  home  of  the  growing  school.  During  a 
period  of  15  months  in  1777  and  1778  they  were  occupied  by  British 
troops  and  the  College  was  closed.  At  another  time  they  were  used 
by  soldiers  of  the  Continental  Army.  In  1778  Congress  met  in  the 
Old  College  Hall,  and  members  of  the  Congress,  George  Washington 
and  others  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  the  country  attended  the 
public  functions  and  commencement  exercises. 

The  Presidential  Mansion  at  Ninth  and  Chestnut  Streets,  built  for 
the  occupancy  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  when  Philadel- 
phia was  the  Nation's  Capital,  was  occupied  by  the  university  in 
1802.  The  ground  was  cleared  in  1829,  and  two  new  structures  built 
on  this  site  housed  the  university  until  1872,  when  pressing  need  for 
more  spacious  quarters  resulted  in  its  removal  to  its  present  situation. 
College  Hall,  Logan  Hall,  and  the  main  building  of  the  University 
Hospital  were  constructed  in  the  years  immediately  following  the 
purchase  of  the  site. 

The  school,  nonsectarian,  prospered  under  its  first  provost,  Dr. 
William  Smith.  In  1755  the  academy  became  a  college,  and  in  1765, 
under  Dr.  John  Morgan,  added  one  of  the  first  medical  schools  in 
America.  Lectures  were  given  in  Anatomical  Hall,  on  Fifth  Street 
above  Walnut.  This  school  grew  rapidly  and  attained  a  prominence 
which  later  made  it  the  foremost  institution  of  its  kind.  In  1790 

588 


AROUND  PENN'S  CAMPUS  (CITY  TOUR  14) 

James  Wilson,  one  of  the  Associate  Justices  of  the  United  States 
Supreme  Court  and  one  of  the  most  important  framers  of  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  was  elected  to  a  newly  established 
professorship  of  law,  and  in  the  following  year  a  charter  was  granted 
to  "The  University  of  Pennsylvania."  Thus,  the  institution  became 
one  of  the  first  and  eventually  one  of  the  leading  universities.  A 
formal  School  of  Law  was  opened  in  1850. 

Of  particular  interest  is  the  university's  record  of  leadership  in 
the  pursuit  of  new  ventures  in  education.  Not  only  did  it  establish 
an  early  school  of  medicine  in  North  America,  but  the  first  depart- 
ment of  botany  in  this  country  also  had  its  origin  there,  in  1768,  and 
the  first  teaching  hospital  in  1874.  The  Wharton  School  of  Finance 
and  Commerce,  established  in  1881,  was  the  first  university  school  of 
business,  and  in  1896  one  of  the  world's  pioneer  psychological  clinics 
was  established  at  the  university.  In  1910  the  first  department  of  re- 
search medicine  was  started  in  connection  with  the  university's 
School  of  Medicine,  and  in  1916  the  first  comprehensive  Graduate 
School  of  Medicine  was  established.  In  addition  the  university  is 
credited  with  having  participated  in  the  first  intercollegiate  match 
in  any  branch  of  sport  —  a  cricket  match  with  Haverford  in  1864. 

Today,  its  buildings — 164  in  all  —  ivy-covered  and  of  cloistered 
aspect  —  are  scattered  over  106  acres  along  the  west  bank  of  the 
Schuylkill  River.  About  26  buildings  elsewhere  complete  the  uni- 
versity community.  The  total  property  value  is  $53,000,000.  The 
undergraduate  student  enrollment  for  degrees  is  approximately 
4,400,  while  the  full-time  enrollment  of  candidates  for  degrees  in  the 
professional  schools  and  the  Graduate  School  totals  nearly  2,000.  In 
recent  years  the  enrollment  including  full  and  part  time,  and  evening 
and  summer  school  students,  has  been  approximately  16,000.  Virtually 
every  State  in  the  United  States  and  many  foreign  countries  contrib- 
ute to  this  number.  The  faculty  numbers  1,428  professors  and  in- 
structors, and  the  school's  endowment  is  more  than  $20,000,000. 

S.  on  Broad  St.  from  City  Hall ;  R.  on  Walnut  ;  diagonally  L.  on 
Woodland  Ave. 

Largest  of  the  main  campus  buildings  is  COLLEGE  HALL  (1),  built 
in  1871,  fronting  Woodland  Avenue  and  about  midway  between 
Thirty-fourth  and  Thirty-sixth  Streets.  It  is  easily  recognizable  in  the 
center  of  the  group  which  includes  Logan  Hall,  Houston  Hall,  the 
Irvine  Auditorium,  the  Library,  and  the  Hare  Laboratory.  Dominat- 
ing the  group,  which  in  turn  dominates  the  Woodland  Avenue  view 
of  the  institution,  College  Hall  is  the  center  of  the  College  of  Arts 
and  Science.  Constructed  of  green  serpentine  stone,  the  building  is 
designed  in  the  Victorian  Gothic  style.  Thomas  W.  Richards  was  the 
architect.  Within  are  the  offices  of  the  president,  the  provost,  and 
the  vice-president  in  charge  of  the  undergraduate  schools.  A  geology 

589 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

collection  is  on  public  exhibition  (open  weekdays,  9  to  1  and  2  to  5  ; 
Sat.  9  to  12).  College  Hall  is  virtually  covered  by  vines  of  ivy  which, 
as  custom  dictates,  are  planted  by  each  graduating  class,  with  a  tablet 
to  mark  the  occasion. 

To  the  right  of  College  Hall  is  LOGAN  HALL  (2),  built  in  1874 
for  the  use  of  the  Medical  School.  Victorian  Gothic  in  style,  of  green 
serpentine  stone,  highly  popular  at  that  time,  the  building  was  also 
designed  by  Richards.  Known  as  Medical  Hall,  in  1904  it  became  the 
Wharton  School,  among  the  leading  schools  of  business  administra- 
tion in  the  country.  The  offices  of  the  evening  and  extension  schools 
are  housed  in  this  building. 

L.  from  Woodland  Ave.  on  36th  St. 

A  short  distance  from  the  corner  of  Thirty-sixth  and  Spruce  Streets 
is  the  ROBERT  HARE  CHEMICAL  LABORATORY  (3),  also  of 
green  serpentine. 

L.  from  36th  St.  on  Spruce. 

On  the  left  side  beyond  Thirty-sixth  Street  and  immediately  back 
of  College  Hall  is  one  of  the  main  centers  of  undergraduate  activities, 
HOUSTON  HALL  (4) .  A  pleasing  three-story  Tudor  Gothic  building 
of  gray  stone,  it  was  the  gift  of  Henry  Howard  Houston,  in  memory 
of  his  son,  and  was  opened  in  1896.  Frank  Miles  Day  was  the  architect. 
There  are  quiet  reading  and  lounging  rooms  which  the  students  use 
in  off  periods  ;  big  open  fireplaces  that  throw  off  a  cheering  warmth 
in  winter,  reminding  one  of  scenes  which  have  been  described  in  a 
thousand  books  on  college  life  ;  offices  of  the  student  council  and 
other  undergraduate  organizations  ;  a  large  auditorium  where  promi- 
nent persons  from  various  walks  of  life  have  addressed  the  students  ; 
and  the  much  used  billiard  rooms.  The  university  store,  cafeteria, 
post  office,  and  barber  shop  are  also  in  Houston  Hall. 

The  IRVINE  AUDITORIUM  (5),  the  large  building  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  Thirty-fourth  and  Spruce  Streets,  seats  2,127  persons. 
Designed  by  Horace  Trumbauer  and  erected  in  1926,  it  houses,  be- 
sides the  spacious  auditorium,  the  general  alumni  offices,  certain 
administrative  offices,  and  the  Department  of  Music.  The  auditorium 
contains  a  large  modern  organ,  the  gift  of  the  late  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis. 
The  building  is  of  red  brick  and  limestone,  a  Normandy  Gothic 
adaptation  somewhat  like  a  massive  pyramid,  culminating  in  a  central 
tower  with  a  slate  roof,  over  which  rises  a  small  spire.  The  walls  of 
the  interior  are  vividly  decorated  with  colored  Gothic  designs. 

L.  from  Spruce  St.  on  34th. 

The  LIBRARY  (6),  erected  in  1889,  a  Gothic  structure  of  red 
brick  and  terra  cotta,  is  on  the  left,  midway  between  Spruce  and  Wal- 
nut Streets.  (Open  Mon.  and  Fri.  8:15  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m. ;  Tues.,  Wed. 
and  Thurs.  8:15  a.  m.  to  8  p.  m. ;  and  on  Sat.  8:15  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m. ; 
closed  Sun.)  It  was  designed  by  Furness  &  Evans.  The  rooms  and 

590 


z  lite 


I  I 


Irvine  Auditorium 


Entrance  to  U.  of  P.  Quadrangle 


HI 


~.^..,.   ,  "    •?„-.-'!*• 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

stacks  accommodate  approximately  850,000  volumes.  The  library  oc- 
casionally displays  incunabula,  and  there  is  a  permanent  exhibition 
of  Frankliniana.  Unofficially,  it  is  a  student  rendezvous. 

The  late  Henry  V.  Massey  started  the  collection  of  Franklin  im- 
prints in  1896.  In  eight  years  he  amassed  one  of  the  largest  single 
collections  of  Frankliniana,  consisting  of  1,740  separate  items,  ex- 
clusive of  a  long  run  of  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette. 

In  1908  the  collection  was  purchased  by  John  Gribbel,  who  added 
considerably  to  it  and  transferred  it  to  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  then  pub- 
lisher of  the  Saturday  Evening  Post.  The  collection  contains  the  first 
publication  on  which  Franklin's  name  appeared  as  publisher  ;  the 
first  book  on  which  he  worked  while  in  London  ;  the  first  book  on 
which  he  worked  when  he  and  Meredith  set  up  in  business  for  them- 
selves ;  the  first  book  to  bear  his  imprint  alone  after  Meredith  left 
him  ;  the  last  book  to  bear  his  name,  issued  from  his  Philadelphia 
press  ;  and  specimens  from  the  press  that  he  set  up  at  Passy,  for  his 
own  amusement,  while  he  was  envoy  to  France. 

Of  special  interest  is  the  remarkable  collection  of  the  Poor  Richard's 
Almanac,  probably  the  finest  in  existence.  It  lacks  only  four  of  the 
34  issues  that  Franklin  printed. 

Of  the  14  Indian  treaties  that  he  printed,  12  are  in  the  collection, 
including  the  first  and  rarest  of  them  all,  and  four  of  them  have 
copious  manuscript  annotations  in  Franklin's  handwriting.  These  four 
he  annotated  for  and  presented  to  Lord  Shelburne,  who  later  became 
prime  minister  of  Great  Britain.  Among  other  books  that  are  of  in- 
terest because  of  their  rarity,  some  being  unique,  are  Mystische  und 
sehr  Geheyme  Sprueche,  1730  ;  Evans9  Minister  of  Christ,  1732  ;  blank 
form  for  a  deed,  1733  (or  earlier)  ;  Brady  and  Tate  Psalms,  1733  ; 
Cato's  Moral  Distichs,  1735  ;  Fox's  Instructions  for  Right  Spelling, 
1737  ;  Rowe's  History  of  Joseph,  1739  ;  My  Dear  Fellow  Traveller, 
1740  ;  The  Querists,  Part  III,  1741  ;  Catalogue  of  Books,  1744  ;  both 
the  first  and  second  impressions  of  Cato  Major,  1744  ;  and  More's 
American  Country  Almanack  for  1752,  1754,  and  1757. 

On  the  southeast  corner  of  Thirty-fourth  and  Walnut  Streets  is 
BENNETT  HALL  (7).  Designed  by  Stewardson  &  Page  and  erected 
in  1924,  it  follows  the  traditional  Tudor  collegiate  architecture  modi- 
fied to  meet  modern  requirements.  It  contains  a  gymnasium  for  women 
students,  and  houses  the  School  of  Education,  the  Graduate  School, 
the  College  of  Liberal  Arts  for  Women,  the  summer  school,  and  the 
Maria  Hosmer  Penniman  Memorial  Library,  consisting  mainly  of 
books  on  education.  James  H.  Penniman,  brother  of  the  Provost 
Josiah  H.  Penniman,  endowed  this  library  as  a  memorial  to  his 
mother. 

Retrace  on  34th  St. 

On  the  left,  and  between  Walnut  and  Spruce  Streets,  is  the  RAN- 

592 


AROUND  PENN'S  CAMPUS  (CITY  TOUR  14) 

DAL  MORGAN  LABORATORY  OF  PHYSICS  (8),  particularly  well 
equipped  for  research  work  in  heat  radiation,  and  electromagnetic 
phenomena.  Built  in  1873,  it  is  a  three-story,  red  brick  building  in  the 
Italian  Renaissance  style.  General  laboratories  occupy  the  first  floor, 
lecture  and  classrooms  the  second,  and  research  rooms  the  third. 
The  museum  contains  a  large  collection  of  relics  associated  with  the 
early  development  of  the  telephone  and  other  modern  inventions. 

Next  door,  toward  Spruce  Street,  is  the  HYGIENE  LABORATORY 
(9),  in  which  courses  in  bacteriology  and  public  health  are  given 
and  which  also  houses  laboratories  of  the  Pennsylvania  Department 
of  Public  Health. 

A  few  steps  farther  on  is  the  JOHN  HARRISON  LABORATORY 
OF  CHEMISTRY  (10),  at  the  corner  of  Thirty-fourth  and  Spruce 
Streets.  It  was  added  to  the  university  group  in  1894.  This  is  a  three- 
story  brick  dwelling  designed  in  the  Italian  Renaissance  style,  and 
contains  modern  equipment  for  research  in  chemistry  and  the  Edgar 
F.  Smith  Memorial  Library  (open  weekdays  9  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m.  ;  Sat. 
9  a.  m.  to  1  p.  m.). 

L.  from  34th  St.  on  Spruce  ;  L.  on  33d. 

Many  important  campus  buildings  are  concentrated  within  this 
small  irregular  area.  At  the  rear  of  the  Hygiene  Laboratory,  and  op- 
posite the  Franklin  Field  Stadium,  is  the  FINE  ARTS  BUILDING 
(11),  housing  the  School  of  Fine  Arts.  It  contains  a  library  of  8,000 
volumes,  a  collection  of  170,000  photographs,  plates,  and  illustrations, 
and  29,000  lantern  slides.  Fifty  foreign  and  American  periodicals  are 
subscribed  to  for  the  library  files. 

The  large  building  on  the  left  next  toward  Walnut  Street  is  the 
ENGINEERING  BUILDING  (12),  which  houses  the  Towne  Scientific 
School,  with  its  departments  of  Civil,  Mechanical  and  Chemical  En- 
gineering. The  school  was  founded  in  1875  by  John  Henry  Towne,  a 
trustee  of  the  university  who  bequeathed  a  large  sum  of  money  for 
this  purpose.  It  is  a  broad,  three-story  Georgian  structure  of  red  brick 
and  limestone.  The  Roman  Doric  motif  is  employed  on  the  entrance 
at  either  end  with  fluted  Ionic  pilasters  rising  above  the  first  story. 


Franklin  Field 
'Fight  on,  Pennsylvania" 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

On  the  southwest  corner  of  Thirty-third  and  Walnut  Streets  is  an 
unpretentious  brick  building  housing  the  MOORE  SCHOOL  OF 
ELECTRICAL  ENGINEERING  (13). 

Retrace  on  33d  St. 

On  the  left  and  extending  from  a  point  about  opposite  the  Fine 
Arts  Building  to  the  intersection  of  South  Street  is  FRANKLIN 
FIELD  (14),  fronted  by  WEIGHTMAN  HALL  (15).  The  building 
contains  a  gymnasium,  offices,  and  a  swimming  pool  100  feet  long.  A 
broad,  red  brick  Tudor  structure  with  square  towers  rising  above  the 
entrances  at  the  ends,  it  was  built  in  1903  by  Day  &  Klauder,  archi- 
tects for  Franklin  Field,  constructed  the  same  year. 

The  huge  stadium  (seating  capacity,  78,000),  immediately  back  of 
it,  is  the  prodigal  offspring  of  gridiron  popularity.  Horseshoe  shaped 
and  double  decked,  of  steel  and  concrete  construction,  its  exterior  is 
faced  with  red  brick  trimmed  with  limestone.  A  huge  arcade  lines 
the  outside  beneath  the  upper  stands.  The  famous  Penn  Relays  — 
track  and  field  events  —  are  held  here  annually.  In  Franklin  Field, 
on  June  27,  1936,  President  Roosevelt  delivered  his  speech  accepting 
the  Democratic  nomination  for  the  Presidency. 

When  some  athletic  or  political  spectacle  draws  great  crowds  to 
Franklin  Field,  other  sections  of  the  city  feel  the  impact  of  mass 
movement.  At  the  end  of  a  game  or  rally,  currents  of  humanity  stream 
from  the  stadium's  gates  into  already  congested  streets.  Every  thor- 
oughfare near  Franklin  Field  bears  a  tide  of  humanity  surging  home- 
ward or,  in  many  cases,  towards  the  bright  gaiety  of  the  central  city. 
Staid  Chestnut  Street  assumes  a  festive  air,  while  Philadelphians  go- 
ing about  more  prosaic  affairs  become  that  curious  anomaly  — 
spectators  of  spectators. 

On  the  irregular  plot  of  ground  across  Lombard  Street  from  Frank- 
lin Field  stands  HUTCHINSON  GYMNASIUM  (16)  designed  by 
Day  &  Klauder  and  built  in  1926-27.  It  contains  the  Palestra,  or  basket- 
ball court.  Basketball  games  attract  crowds  of  10,000  persons.  The 
gymnasium  is  modern  and  completely  equipped,  with  a  75-foot 
swimming  pool,  a  beginners'  pool  35  feet  in  length,  and  steam  rooms. 

Opposite  the  stadium,  on  South  Street  (South  Street  links  with 
Spruce  Street  west  of  Thirty-third),  is  the  UNIVERSITY  MUSEUM 
(17)  (open  weekdays  except  Mon.  10  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m.  ;  Sun.  1  to  5 
p.  ni.  adni.  free).  The  museum  exhibits  important  archeological  and 
ethnological  collections  and  maintains  a  large  field  research  section 
which  has  annually  contributed  to  man's  knowledge  of  his  unrecorded 
past.  Relics  of  early  civilizations  in  Asia  Minor,  Africa,  the  South 
Seas,  Yucatan,  and  Peru  are  on  view.  On  the  lower  floor  is  the  Coxe 
Egyptian  wing,  holding  evidence  of  hard  and  fruitful  work  at  Mem- 
phis on  the  upper  Nile.  On  the  upper  floor  are  specimens  of  wrought 
gold  from  Colombia  ;  rugs,  pottery,  buffalo  robes,  and  feather  baskets 

594 


U.  of  P.  Dormitories 
'Fond  memories  for  Old  Grads' 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

from  the  American  Southwest  ;  and  canoes  and  utensils  of  Eskimo 
origin.  There  are  galleries  in  the  museum  which  contain  discoveries 
made  during  expeditions  to  places  with  such  exotic  names  as  Nippur, 
Ur,  Tell  Billa,  and  Tepe  Hissar,  in  the  Near  East.  The  main  hall  of 
the  Sharpe  wing  is  given  over  to  Greek  vases,  Greco-Roman  sculpture, 
and  unrivaled  collections  of  still  earlier  pottery  and  burial  furnish- 
ings from  Crete,  Cyprus,  and  Etruria. 

There  is  an  auditorium  with  excellent  acoustics,  and  classrooms  and 
studios  where  the  city's  school  children  are  initiated  into  the  realms 
of  history,  archeology,  and  esthetics. 

The  building  is  an  example  of  twelfth  century  Romanesque  style 
of  architecture.  The  circular  front  of  the  auditorium  affects  the  ex- 
terior design  of  the  structure.  Gates,  walls,  flower  beds,  and  the  re- 
flecting pool  in  the  courtyard  harmonize  with  the  building  ;  white 
and  colored  marble  ornamentation  are  utilized  skillfully  in  the  gen- 
eral scheme,  particularly  in  the  arches  beneath  the  cornices.  Work 
on  the  museum  was  started  in  1897  with  Wilson  Eyre,  Jr.,  Cope  & 
Stewardson,  and  Frank  Miles  Day  &  Bro.  cooperating  on  its  design 
and  execution.  Chief  credit  for  the  design  belongs  to  Mr.  Eyre. 

Continue  W .  on  Spruce  St. 

On  the  left,  directly  across  from  the  main  campus,  is  the  group 
of  hospital  buildings  including  the  Nurses'  Home,  the  UNIVERSITY 
HOSPITAL  (18),  the  Martin  Maloney  Clinic  Building,  and  the  Ag- 
new  Memorial  Pavilion.  These  extend  from  Thirty-fourth  to  Thirty- 
sixth  Streets. 

On  the  right  and  forming  a  triangle  bounded  by  Woodland  Avenue, 
Spruce  Street,  and  Thirty-sixth  Street  is  the  group  of  buildings  com- 
posing the  WISTAR  INSTITUTE  OF  ANATOMY  AND  BIOLOGY 
(19),  which  contains  human  embryos,  brain  and  skull  collections,  and 
many  other  important  permanent  exhibits.  This  is  the  oldest  biologi- 
cal institute  in  the  country.  It  was  named  for  Dr.  Caspar  Wistar, 
professor  of  anatomy  at  the  university  in  the  first  decade  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  whose  extensive  collection  of  brain  dissections  was 
turned  over  to  the  university  upon  his  death.  The  institute,  founded 
by  Isaac  J.  Wistar  in  1892,  is  a  center  for  biological  and  anatomical 
research.  Six  journals  of  international  importance  in  these  fields  are 
published  here.  The  institute's  colony  of  white  rats  bred  for  ex- 
perimental purposes,  is  a  source  of  material  for  many  laboratories. 

The  intersection  of  Thirty-sixth  and  Spruce  Streets  is  near  the  geo- 
graphical center  of  the  university.  Here  are  the  MEN'S  DORMITO- 
RIES (20),  stretching  from  Thirty-sixth  Street  to  Woodland  Avenue 
between  Spruce  Street  and  Hamilton  Walk. 

The  main  entrance  is  at  the  intersection  of  Spruce  Street,  Thirty- 
seventh  Street,  and  Woodland  Avenue.  The  quadrangle  of  Men's  Dor- 
mitories has  the  appearance  of  a  rectangle  ("Big  Quad") ,  with  a  right 

596 


AROUND  PENN'S  CAMPUS  (CITY  TOUR  14) 

triangle  ("Little  Quad")  extending  along  Woodland  Avenue.  The 
30  buildings  included  in  the  dormitory  group  are  among  the  most 
attractive  on  the  campus.  The  stately  towers,  charming  entrances  and 
archways,  the  arcaded  terrace,  and  landscaped  courtyards  convey  a 
spirit  of  restfulness  and  quiet  repose  befitting  their  purpose.  The 
buildings  are  constructed  of  red  brick  trimmed  with  white  sandstone 
and  are  designed  in  the  Jacobean  style. 

Hundreds  of  students  living  under  such  favorable  circumstances 
naturally  generate  a  form  of  electricity.  There  are  times,  during 
examination  weeks,  when  the  atmosphere  of  tense  effort  fairly 
crackles.  "Rowbottoms"  usually  occur  at  the  close  of  such  periods. 
Rowbottom,  legend  has  it,  was  the  roommate  of  a  student  given  to 
wassail  and  late  hours.  Moreover,  the  scapegrace  usually  forgot  his 
key.  When  he  returned  to  the  dormitory  after  an  especially  strenuous 
evening  he  would  stand  below  his  window  yelling: 

"Yea,  Rowbottom,  it's  me  :  throw  it  down  !"  (meaning  the  key) . 

Today,  and  of  recent  years,  when  the  resounding  cry  shortened  to 
"Rowbottom"  is  heard,  it  is  the  signal  for  wild  alarms  and  spon- 
taneous, if  destructive,  activity.  A  miscellany  of  objects  which  have 
comforted  the  student  during  the  long  academic  year,  bureau  drawers, 
footstools,  wastebaskets,  electric  bulbs,  bathroom  appliances  come 
flying  in  a  hail  from  a  hundred  windows,  to  the  accompaniment  of 
uncontrollable  excitement.  Soon  all  the  dormitory  students  are  en- 
gaged in  relieving  their  pent-up  feelings. 

Most  of  the  student  activity  of  the  sort  which  popular  belief  at- 
tributes to  collective  life,  arises  (not  always  only  in  the  form  popu- 
larly credited)  in  the  dormitories.  This  is  natural,  since  these  are  the 
young  men  upon  whom  beat  the  concentrated  rays  of  student  life, 
which  though  rich  and  interesting  is  still  one-sided  enough  to  become 
monotonous.  Thus,  the  "Big  Quad"  is  the  focal  point  of  student 
rallies  prefacing  important  football  games,  the  scene  of  victory  cele- 
brations, and  many  other  functions,  regular  or  irregular,  which  crop 
up  during  the  college  year. 

L.  from  Spruce  St.  on  36th  ;  R.  on  Hamilton  Walk. 

Hamilton  Walk,  one  of  the  most  popular  campus  lanes,  begins  at 
the  Thirty-fourth  and  Spruce  Streets  intersection  and  parallels  Spruce 
Street  to  Woodland  Avenue.  Near  its  terminus  at  Woodland  Avenue 
are  the  Botanical  Gardens,  and  along  its  length  are  the  Medical  School 
buildings,  Macfarlane  Hall  (botany),  greenhouses,  Vivarium,  and 
Zoological  Laboratories. 

The  BOTANICAL  GARDENS  (21),  on  the  left,  are  used  for  prac- 
tical studies  in  botany.  The  gardens  center  around  a  pond  surrounded 
by  an  artistic  arrangement  of  flowers  and  rocks.  The  pond  holds  small 
aquatic  life.  Only  art  could  convey  the  full  beauty  of  the  gardens 
on  the  sunny  days  of  late  spring  when  they  exhale  scents  quite 

597 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

different  from  the  odors  of  steam-heated  classrooms.  The  traditional 
function  of  gardens  the  world  over  —  to  inspire  poetry  and  romance 
—  is  fulfilled  here,  unimpeded  by  abstruse  purposes  or  scientific 
exactitude. 

The  greenhouses  contain  a  collection  of  plant  life  representative 
of  flora  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Students  of  the  physiology  or  mor- 
phology of  plants  have  at  their  disposal  the  experimental  or  "stove" 
house,  so-called  because  of  its  constant  high  temperature.  This  house 
contains  a  collection  of  tropical  plants.  There  is  an  aquatic  house, 
containing  a  tank  with  a  fine  collection  of  water  plants,  and  the  cen- 
tral unit  houses  an  exhibit  of  rare  orchids.  These  gardens  are  now 
supplementary  to  the  much  more  important  botanical  facilities  of 
the  University  at  the  Morris  Arboretum  in  Chestnut  Hill. 

The  VIVARIUM  (22),  west  of  the  Botanical  Gardens  along  Hamil- 
ton Walk  and  between  Macfarlane  Hall  and  the  Zoological  Labora- 
tories, is  used  for  practical  instruction  in  biology. 

Important  units  of  the  university  are  at  some  small  distance  from, 
but  still  convenient  to,  the  major  part  of  the  campus.  The  school 
of  dentistry  in  the  THOMAS  W.  EVANS  INSTITUTE  (23)  is  at  the 
corner  of  Fortieth  and  Spruce  Streets.  The  building  is  of  French 
Gothic  design,  three  stories  high,  of  red  brick  trimmed  with  white 
sandstone,  and  dates  from  1914.  It  maintains  a  clinic  with  132  chairs, 
a  large  section  for  graduate  instruction,  and  laboratories  of  bacte- 
riology, histology,  and  pharmacology,  and  the  Thomas  W.  Evans 
Museum  (open  weekdays  9  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m.  ;  Saf.  9  to  12  noon). 

The  LAW  SCHOOL  (24),  on  the  corner  of  Thirty-fourth  and 
Chestnut  Streets,  is  also  of  red  brick  and  white  sandstone.  It  contains 
executive  offices,  a  mock  courtroom,  student  club  rooms,  a  library, 
classrooms,  and  a  reading  room.  Tennis  courts  are  on  the  adjoining  plot. 

Continue  on  Chestnut  St.  to  Broad  ;  L.  on  Broad  to  City  Hall. 


Statue    of    Benjamin 

Franklin 

"A  college  founder — 
among  many  things" 


SIX 

WOODLAND 

HIKES 


Lower  Wissahickon 


1.  Canoe  House 

2.  Wissahickon  Hall 

3.  Hermit   Lane   Bridge 

4.  Hermitage  Estate 

5.  Hermit  Lane  Nursery 

6.  Henry  Avenue   Bridge 

7.  Lover's  Leap 

8.  Rittenhouse  Home 

9.  Walnut  Lane  Bridge 

10.  Kitchen's  Lane  Bridge 

11.  Mom  Rinker's  Rock 

12.  Monastery 


THE  LOWER  WISSAHICKON 

City  Tour  15 

Route:  Take  Route  61  trolley  marked 
Manayunk,  northbound  at  9th  and  Market 
Sts.,  to  entrance  of  Wissahickort  gorge  at 
Ridge  Ave.  and  Wissahickon  Drive.  Enter 
path  to  the  left  of  the  falls  and  proceed 
along  creek.  Returning,  leave  park  at  Kit- 
chen's Lane  and  walk  right  to  Wissahickon 
Ave.  Turn  left  on  Carpenter  Lane,  and  at 
Wayne  Ave.  take  Route  53  trolley  south? 
bound  to  Broad  St.  artd  Erie  Ave.,  then 
subway,  southbound  to  City  Hall.  Length  of 
hike — 4  m. 

Motor  Route:  From  City  Hall  on  Parkway 
and  East  River  Drive  to  Ridge  Ave. 

THE  Wissahickon  Valley  extends  seven  miles  from  Ridge  Avenue 
on  the  south  to  City  Line  on  the  north,  with  Wissahickon  and 
Roxborough  on  the  west,  Germantown  and  Mount  Airy  on  the 
east,  and  its  northern  extremity  cutting  through  Chestnut  Hill. 

Centuries  of  constant  erosion  created  the  rugged  gash  called  the 
Wissahickon  Valley,  and  its  chief  artisan  was  the  sparkling  creek  it 
cradles.  In  autumn  the  foliage  blazes  with  arresting  colors,  while  in 
winter  the  ice-covered  shrubs  and  whitened  boughs  of  the  firs  convey 
a  picture  of  vigorous  beauty. 

The  park  is  dedicated  to  the  people  of  Philadelphia  as  a  sanctuary 
from  the  excitement  and  confusion  of  metropolitan  life.  Bridle  paths 
and  foot  trails  abound.  Wooden  bridges  and  stone  bridges,  high 
bridges  and  low  bridges,  ancient  and  modern,  span  the  stream  at  in- 
tervals along  its  winding  course. 

Except  for  a  mile  on  Wissahickon  Drive,  where  it  parallels  the 
creek  north  of  Ridge  Avenue,  automobiles  are  barred  from  the  valley, 
but  park  guards  are  inclined  to  be  lenient  with  visiting  motorists  un- 
aware of  this  restriction.  Motorists  who  come  to  the  Wissahickon  are 
permitted  to  park  in  the  valley,  near  points  of  entrance  ;  but  only 
horses,  carriages,  and  pedestrians  are  allowed  to  traverse  the  drives 
along  the  stream. 

To  the  right  of  the  Ridge  Avenue  entrance  is  a  waterfall.  The  cas- 
cading water  forms  a  thin  sheet  of  silver,  and  then  reluctantly  flows 
on  to  the  nearby  Schuylkill.  Here  the  path  to  the  left  leads  along  the 
creek,  where  great  overhanging  rocks  border  the  trail.  Wooded  cliffs 

601 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

loom  high  over  the  valley  on  the  left,  while  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  creek  winds  Wissahickon  Drive  with  its  burden  of  traffic. 

Behind  the  falls,  like  an  ancient  Roman  viaduct,  the  Reading  Rail- 
road bridge  rears  its  stone  bulk  over  creek  and  drive.  A  short  distance 
beyond  the  bridge,  the  creek's  flow  is  interrupted  by  another  smaller 
waterfall.  On  the  left,  a  few  hundred  feet  farther  up,  is  a  CANOE 
HOUSE  (1)  (open  from  the  beginning  of  April  to  late  autumn  ; 
canoes,  75  cents  an  hour  ;  $1 .25  for  two  hours,  $1 .50  for  three  hours  ; 
rowboats,  50  cents  an  hour  ;  available  daily  from  11  a.  m.  to  4  p.  m.). 

A  cable  ferry  crosses  to  the  drive  in  front  of  the  old  WISSA- 
HICKON HALL  (2).  This  building,  formerly  one  of  the  numerous 
taverns  and  inns  in  the  valley  and  a  rendezvous  for  gay  sleighing  and 
carriage  parties  from  the  city,  now  is  a  barracks  for  park  guards. 
Like  other  inns  and  taverns  along  the  Wissahickon,  it  specialized  in 
catfish  and  waffle  dinners.  Old-timers,  passing  by,  still  sniff  re- 
miniscently. 

Wissahickon  Hall  was  built  in  1849.  It  is  set  snugly  in  a  recess  at 
the  bottom  of  a  towering  rock  formation  at  the  point  where  Gypsy 
Lane  meets  Wissahickon  Drive.  It  is  a  three-story,  stucco-covered  stone 
and  frame  building,  with  first  and  second  floor  porches  extending 
along  the  front  and  both  sides. 

The  cable  ferry  consists  of  a  small,  flat-bottomed  boat  fastened  to 
a  cable  stretching  from  landing  to  landing.  The  craft  is  operated  by 
hand,  and  accommodates  as  many  as  10  passengers  at  a  time.  Those 
wishing  to  cross  from  the  drive  for  canoeing  are  carried  free.  To 
others  the  fee  is  five  cents  a  trip.  This  primitive  method  of  transpor- 
tation, anachronistic  in  our  modern  age,  lingers  here  on  the  Wissa- 
hickon almost  in  the  shadow  of  gigantic  bridges. 

High  in  the  air  above  the  placid  stream  occasionally  drone  air- 
planes ;  giant  industries  not  far  distant  exhale  their  black  breath 
against  the  sky  ;  trains  roar  along  steel  highways  beyond  the  park, 
and  in  the  busy  Delaware  ply  great  cargo  ships  ;  but  at  this  spot 
on  the  Wissahickon  Creek  the  cable  ferryboat  still  reigns. 

In  the  early  days  the  Wissahickon  abounded  with  catfish,  but  trout 
are  now  the  angler's  chief  quarry  there.  In  winter,  skaters  by  the 
hundreds  glide  up  and  down  the  creek  from  the  Henry  Avenue  Bridge 
almost  to  the  falls. 

North  of  the  canoe  house,  the  path  follows  the  gentle  slopes  of  the 
ridge  before  descending  to  HERMIT  LANE  BRIDGE  (3),  a  small 
arch  of  stone  spanning  the  stream.  The  trail  swings  to  the  left  at 
the  bridge  and  leads  up  to  the  HERMITAGE  ESTATE  (4)  on  the 
hill's  crest.  The  Hermitage  estate,  last  owned  by  the  Powelton 
family,  comprises  about  66  acres  of  rolling  green  hills,  shaded  with 
a  variety  of  trees,  along  the  banks  of  Wissahickon  Creek.  The  history 
of  the  place  began  with  Johann  Kelpius  and  his  followers  who  or- 

602 


THE  LOWER  WISSAHICKON  (CITY  TOUR  15) 

ganized  the  Hermits  of  the  Mystic  Brotherhood.  The  only  visual  evi- 
dence of  this  now  extinct  sect  is  the  remains  of  a  cabin  which  is 
believed  to  have  been  part  of  the  tabernacle  used  by  the  brotherhood. 
The  only  building  on  the  land  is  an  ordinary  stone  house  of  two 
stories,  which  was  built  about  1848  and  is  occupied  by  Thomas  S. 
Martin,  secretary  of  the  Fairmount  Park  Commission.  The  com- 
mission acquired  the  property  in  1868.  The  HERMIT  LANE  NURS- 
ERY (5)  stands  opposite  the  estate  on  the  right  side  of  Hermit's 
Lane.  The  lane  meets  Henry  Avenue  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  the 
way  turns  left  on  Henry  Avenue.  After  a  few  yards,  a  narrow,  obscure 
path  to  the  left  leads  downward  about  a  hundred  feet  to  a  cave  where, 
according  to  legend,  Johann  Kelpius  lived.  This  "cave"  is  nothing 
more  than  a  spring  house.  A  spring  bubbles  from  the  rocks  close  by. 

Kelpius  and  his  Pietist  followers  here  founded  the  Society  of  the 
Woman  of  the  Wilderness.  Popularly,  the  group  was  called  the 
Hermits  of  the  Ridge.  A  mystic  of  Seibenburgen,  Germany.  Kelpius 
came  to  America  in  1694  to  await  the  millennium.  He  believed  it 
would  arrive  around  1700.  Gathering  a  group  of  devotees  from  Ger- 
mantown,  he  founded  a  colony  on  the  Wissahickon.  Members  of  the 
group  practiced  and  taught  magic,  divining,  healing,  and  the  casting 
of  horoscopes.  Kelpius  developed  the  first  garden  in  America  for 
the  growing  of  medicinal  plants  for  use  and  study.  While  the  garden 
was  the  first  of  its  kind  to  be  planned  according  to  the  botanical  ar- 
rangement of  plants,  it  was  not  actually  the  first  botanical  garden  in 
this  country  because  of  its  limited  scope.  Broadly  speaking,  the  first 
botanical  garden  in  America  was  started  by  John  Bartram,  renowned 
botanist,  in  1728. 

Dr.  Christopher  Witt,  a  follower  of  Kelpius,  established  the  second 
medicinal  botanic  garden  in  1711  shortly  after  the  death  of  Kelpius. 

Kelpius  established  free  education  in  the  schools  of  his  colony,  and 
his  reputation  as  saint  and  sage  spread  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  Delaware  Valley.  On  the  site  of  the  present  mansion 
he  and  his  companions  constructed  the  Tabernacle  of  the  Mystic 
Brotherhood.  Their  piety,  however,  was  touched  with  paganism.  On 
St.  John's  Eve  it  was  their  custom  to  ignite  a  pile  of  leaves  and  pine 
knots  on  the  wooded  hillside.  As  the  embers  glowed,  they  flung  the 
flaming  brands  into  the  valley  to  signify  the  end  of  the  sun's  power. 

The  long-awaited  millennium  did  not  materialize,  but  the  colony 
of  hermits  thrived.  In  1708,  his  slender  strength  sapped  by  the  aus- 
terities of  asceticism,  Kelpius  succumbed  to  tuberculosis.  He  then 
was  35  but,  despite  his  youth,  his  had  been  the  will  which  bound  the 
forest  sect  together.  After  his  death  the  community  disintegrated. 
Most  of  his  followers  returned  to  normal  pursuits  in  Germantown. 
The  others  lingered  for  a  while  in  their  old  haunts,  and  then  migrated 
to  Ephrata. 

603 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Kelpius  was  buried  somewhere  in  the  lower  Wissahickon  ;  precise- 
ly where,  none  living  knows.  Should  his  grave  be  found,  these  lines 
from  Whittier  might  well  serve  as  an  epitaph: 

Painful  Kelpius  from  his  hermit  den 
By  Wissahickon,  maddest  of  good  men, 
Deep  in  the  woods,  where  the  small  river  slid 
Snakelike  in  shade,  the  Helmstedt  Mystic  hid, 
Weird  as  a  wizard,  over  arts  forbid. 

Most  of  the  caves  used  by  the  hermits  have  disappeared,  although 
determined  searchers  now  and  then  find  traces  of  them  in  places 
hardly  accessible  to  the  casual  follower  of  the  trail. 

Retracing  the  way  to  Hermit  Lane  and  the  bridle  path  on  the 
left,  the  trail  leads  under  the  HENRY  AVENUE  BRIDGE  (6), 
opened  in  1932.  This  bridge  acclaimed  for  its  architectural  beauty, 
was  designed  by  Ralph  Modjeski  and  is  constructed  of  concrete  and 
field  stone  with  a  light  trim  of  limestone,  and  forms  a  sweeping  arc 
almost  directly  over  Hermit  Lane  Bridge.  Two  parallel  spans  support 
the  roadbed.  The  bridle  path  continues  past  LOVER'S  LEAP  (7),  a 
rocky  precijice  jutting  into  space  above  the  creek,  on  the  right.  This 
is  the  summit  of  a  mess  of  rocks  overhanging  the  stream.  According  to 
legend,  an  Indian  maiden  and  her  lover  jumped  to  their  deaths  from 
this  rock  when  their  wedding  was  frustrated  by  an  older,  wilier  suitor. 
There  are  those  who  like  to  believe  that  George  Lippard,  romancer 
of  the  Wissahickon,  sought  to  defy  the  rock's  grim  spell  when,  on  a 
moonlit  night  in  1847,  he  stood  there  with  his  frail  young  sweet- 
heart and  was  married  to  her  by  Indian  rites.  Kelpius  used  this  emi- 
nence as  a  place  of  meditation  and  for  studying  the  heavens. 

After  leaving  Lover's  Leap,  the  trail  descends  gradually  to  an 
open  field  upon  which  a  public  golf  course  is  being  constructed.  Here 
it  meets  Shur's  Lane  and  Shur's  Lane  Bridge,  commonly  known  as 
the  Blue  Stone  Bridge,  which  replaced  an  old  covered  bridge  that 
once  occupied  the  site.  From  the  center  of  this  span  the  camera  can 
capture  much  of  the  beauty  of  the  Wissahickon. 

Shur's  Lane  meets  Lincoln  Drive  at  a  sharp  turn  in  the  creek.  Just 
inside  the  park  from  the  drive  on  the  left  side  of  the  lane  is  a  bronze 
tablet  commemorating  a  Revolutionary  skirmish  in  1777  between 
Continental  soldiers  and  a  detachment  of  Hessians.  The  latter,  acting 
as  an  outpost  for  the  British  encamped  in  Philadelphia,  occupied 
the  high  ground  on  the  right  of  the  creek.  Pennsylvania  militia,  under 
command  of  Gen.  John  Armstrong,  failed  to  dislodge  them.  A  brief 
account  of  the  maneuver  is  given  on  the  tablet  : 

On  the  Morning  of  the  Battle  of  Germantown 

October  4,  1777 

The  Pennsylvania  Militia  under  Gen'l 
John  Armstrong 

604 


THE  LOWER  WISSAHICKON  (CITY  TOUR  15) 

Occupying  the  high  ground  of  the  west  side 
Of  the  creek  opposite  this  point  engaged  in  a 
Skirmish  the  left  wing   of  the   British  Forces 
In   command   of   Lieut-Gen'l   Knyphausen, 
Who  occupied  the  high  ground  on  the 
East  drive  along  School  House  Lane 
Erected  by  the  Pennsylvania  Society  of  Sons 
of  the  Revolution,  1907. 

On  the  drive  to  the  left  is  the  RITTENHOUSE  HOME  (8),  where 
lived  the  famous  astronomer,  statesman,  and  clockmaker,  David 
Rittenhouse.  The  structure,  built  in  1707  of  stone,  has  well  withstood 
the  ravages  of  time.  The  house  is  a  two-and-a-half-story  whitewashed 
rubblestone  building  with  green  shutters,  harmonizing  with  the 
rare  natural  beauty  of  the  spot  where  it  was  erected.  The  little  house 
is  simplicity  itself  ;  without  any  semblance  of  symmetry,  it  exempli- 
fies a  type  of  Pennsylvania  Colonial  architecture  now  virtually  for- 
gotten. A  stone  chimney  rises  in  the  center  of  the  building,  and  a 
broken  roof  line  is  formed  on  either  side  by  gable  roofs  of  different 
pitches.  The  junction  between  the  gable  and  the  roof  is  formed  by 
large,  plain  boards,  and  each  gable  has  a  window.  The  building  is 
interesting  for  its  varied  fenestration  and  for  the  projection  of  its 
joists  through  the  wall  on  the  stream  side.  A  tiny  brook,  called 
Paper  Mill  Run,  tumbles  through  a  moss-covered  spillway  along  one 
side  of  the  house,  which  marks  the  site  of  Rittenhouse's  mill,  one  of 
the  first  paper  mills  in  the  Colonies. 

WALNUT  LANE  BRIDGE  (9),  popularly  called  Suicide  Bridge,  is 
a  span  almost  as  high  as,  and  of  similar  construction  to,  the  Henry 
Avenue  Bridge.  It  is  148  feet  high,  one  of  the  highest  single-span 
concrete  arches  in  the  world.  It  rises  in  a  smooth,  superb  crescent  of 
beauty,  its  white  flanks  gleaming  in  reflected  sunlight.  The  bridge 
was  opened  in  1907.  George  S.  Webster  was  chief  engineer,  with 
Henry  H.  Quimby  as  his  assistant.  In  recent  years  a  number  of 
persons  have  leaped  from  the  railings  of  the  bridge  to  death  on  the 
rocks  of  the  valley. 

Beyond  Walnut  Lane  Bridge  the  left  fork  of  the  trail  parallels  the 
creek,  following  a  pathway  cut  into  a  high  rampart  of  cliffs  standing 
guard  over  the  valley.  A  short  distance  farther  on  the  cliffs  converge 
to  form  a  narrow  gorge.  Oaks  and  beeches  blend  with  hemlocks  to 
adorn  the  hillsides  with  shade  and  beauty.  The  route  continues  on 
Kitchen's  Lane,  just  beyond. 

KITCHEN'S  LANE  BRIDGE  (10)  is  a  picturesque  span  of  trellised 
wood  which  catches  the  slanting  sun  rays  and  embroiders  them  into 
a  pattern  of  shadows  upon  the  floor.  Not  far  away,  towering  atop  a 
rocky  cliff  above  the  stream,  stands  a  STATUE  OF  WILLIAM  PENN, 
erected  in  1883  by  John  Welsh,  onetime  American  Minister  to  Eng- 

605 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

land.  The  heroic  image,  bearing  the  simple  inscription  "Tolerance," 
occupies  an  eminence  on  MOM  RINKER'S  ROCK  (11),  a  massive 
shoulder  of  stone  that  basks  in  sunlight  long  after  the  valley  is  clothed 
in  deepening  shadow.  It  owes  its  name  to  one  of  many  Revolutionary 
legends.  The  original  Mom  Rinker,  so  goes  the  story,  was  a  shrewd  old 
woman  who  would  sit  for  hours  upon  the  rock,  placidly  knitting  a 
piece  of  handiwork  that  she  never  seemed  to  finish.  Because  of  her 
innocent  appearance,  she  did  not  excite  the  suspicion  of  British 
patrols  guarding  the  army  encamped  in  Philadelphia. 

But,  continues  legend,  while  Mom  Rinker  appeared  only  to  be 
knitting,  she  actually  was  biding  her  opportunity  to  drop  a  ball  of 
yarn,  containing  information  on  British  activities,  down  the  rocky 
ledges  to  an  American  patriot  waiting  below.  The  Colonial,  hidden 
from  patrols  by  trees  and  shrubbery,  would  carry  the  message  to 
Washington's  headquarters. 

The  trail  continues  to  the  right  up  Kitchen's  Lane,  High  on  the 
cliff  to  the  left  is  the  MONASTERY  (12),  erected  in  the  middle  of 
the  eighteenth  century  by  Joseph  Gorgas,  a  Dunkard,  on  the  site 
of  a  cabin  built  in  1737.  This  old  stone  structure,  greatly  in  need  of 
repair,  is  of  particular  interest  for  its  double  pent  roof,  one  running 
around  the  building  above  the  first  floor  and  the  other  above  the 
second  floor.  Gorgas  established  here  a  Seventh  Day  Baptist  com- 
munity as  a  branch  of  one  in  Ephrata.  This  second  hermit  colony 
was  founded  about  20  years  after  the  decline  of  Kelpius'  community. 
It  observed  fasts  and  practiced  a  modified  form  of  mysticism. 

Converts  were  inducted  into  the  order  by  baptism,  the  ceremony 
being  performed  in  a  pool  along  the  creek.  The  community  lasted 
only  a  few  years,  most  of  the  members  going  to  Ephrata  Cloisters. 
The  Monastery,  built  of  wood  and  stone,  now  is  used  as  a  guardhouse. 

A  half  mile  up  the  hill  the  trail  turns  left  on  Wissahickon  Avenue 
to  Carpenter  Lane.  Right,  on  Carpenter  Lane,  along  the  edge  of 
the  woods,  it  leads  to  the  terminal  of  Route  53  trolley,  and  the  end 
of  a  brief  vacation  in  the  valley.  Once  again  the  visitor  to  the  Wissa- 
hickon feels  the  impact  of  commerce  and  industry  and  the  tension 
of  a  fast-moving  civilization. 


ALONG  CRESHEIM  CREEK 

City  Tour  16 

Route:  23  trolley  marked  Bethlehem  Pike  or  Mer- 
maid Lane  at  llth  and  Market  Sts.,  to  Cresheim 
Drive.  Walk  (L)  through  Cresheim  Valley  to 
Wissahickon  Creek  and  follow  the  stream  to  Kit- 
chen's Lane  and  Bridge,  turn  (L)  on  Kitchen's 
Lane  to  Wissahickon'  Ave.,  then  (L)  to  Carpenter's 
Lane  and  (R)  to  Wayne  Ave.  53  trolley  south' 
bound  to  Broad  St.  and  Erie  Ave.,  then  Broad  St. 
Subway  to  City  Hall.  Length  of  hike — 3  m. 

Motor  route:  North  on  Broad  St.,  L.  on  Butler  St., 
R.  on  Germantown  Ave.  to  Cresheim  Drive. 

RESHEIM  VALLEY  is  the  age-long  work  of  Cresheim  Creek, 
I  a  tributary  of  the  Wissahickon.  It  is  much  smaller  and  more 
peaceful  than  the  Wissahickon  Valley,  and  its  slender  stream, 
where  the  sun  catches  it,  sparkles  like  silver. 

Except  for  a  hundred  yards  of  paved  roadway  on  Cresheim  Drive 
from  Germantown  Avenue  westward,  the  valley  has  never  heen  land- 
scaped, thus  preserving  the  impression  of  nature  in  the  rough — 
rambling  and  wooded.  And  there  is  added  charm  in  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  wildness  of  the  valley  and  its  urban  surroundings. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  drive  stands  an  OLD  STONE  FOUNTAIN 
(1),  which  bears  the  date,  October  4,  1774,  erected  in  memory  of  the 
Germans  who  settled  the  valley  and  named  it  Krisheim  after  their 
native  village.  An  arbor  forms  a  background  for  the  fountain,  and 
the  outspread  branches  of  a  towering  beech  shade  it  constantly. 

About  50  feet  to  the  left  of  the  fountain,  beginning  at  Germantown 
Avenue,  a  narrow  footpath,  parallel  with  creek  and  driveway,  leads 
beneath  a  bower  of  trees.  Through  occasional  openings  in  the  sloping 
woods  to  the  left  loom  the  turrets  of  the  Pennsylvania  School  for 
the  Deaf. 

Not  far  behind  the  fountain  a  small  park  guardhouse  stands  in 
the  fork  of  Cresheim  Drive,  and  another  thoroughfare  leads,  right, 
to  Lincoln  Drive.  At  the  left  of  the  guardhouse  the  foot  trail  passes 
under  a  stand  of  hemlocks  and  turns  into  Cresheim  Drive.  Here  the 
creek  also  swerves  and  flows  unseen,  but  not  unheard,  beneath  a 
bridge,  to  reappear  on  the  right  of  the  roadway. 

The  trail  continues  along  Cresheim  Drive,  where  tall  beeches  and 
hemlocks  cover  the  slopes  on  the  left,  and  the  creek,  now  far  to  the 
right  and  down  in  the  valley,  can  be  faintly  heard.  Gradually  the 
drive  descends,  finally  leveling  out  and  passing  under  a  high  railroad 
trestle.  Lincoln  Drive  leads  right,  but  the  route  follows  Cresheim 
Drive,  which  merges  with  Emlen  Street,  an  unpaved  road. 

607 


UUSHtlM  VALLEY 


1.  Old  Stone  Fountain 

2.  Lake   Surprise 

3.  Buttercup  Cottage 

4.  Woodward   Estate 

5.  Devil's  Pool 

6.  Valley  Green  Canoe 
Club 


ALONG  CRESHEIM  CREEK  (CITY  TOUR  16) 

As  though  weary  of  heing  cramped  in  narrow  gorges,  the  valley 
spreads  into  a  wide  meadow  of  thick  grass,  daisies,  and  black-eyed 
susans,  through  which  the  creek  meanders  between  retaining  walls  of 
field  stone.  In  the  meadow  are  irregular  clumps  of  weeping  willows, 
their  drooping  boughs  interlaced  in  an  unbroken  canopy  of  green. 
Though  squirrels  abound  in  the  park,  this  meadow  is  their  favorite 
playground.  Here  their  chatter  mingles  with  the  song  of  the  wood 
thrush  and  the  Kentucky  warbler. 

The  creek  suddenly  widens  into  LAKE  SURPRISE  (2),  fringed 
with  water  birches  and  clumps  of  tiger  grass.  Not  far  from  the  inlet 
a  tiny  island  clustered  with  willow  breaks  the  surface  of  the  lake. 
At  the  spillway  water  pours  over  a  stone  breastwork  and  flows  down 
the  valley. 

On  Emlen  Street,  past  a  small  park  of  hemlocks,  the  way  leads 
to  BUTTERCUP  COTTAGE  (3),  shielded  by  a  vine-choked  picket 
fence,  at  the  head  of  Buttercup  Lane.  Built  about  1812  for  exclusive 
use  as  a  farmhouse,  it  consisted  of  six  rooms  and  an  adjacent  barn 
The  buildings  were  designed  in  the  Georgian  Colonial  style.  An  open 
porch  extends  on  three  sides  of  the  house  and  ivy  covers  the  north- 
east wall. 

True  to  its  floral  appellation,  the  rooms  bear  the  names  of  various 
flowers  such  as  buttercup,  forget-me-not,  and  pansy.  Each  room  is 
reminiscent  of  the  days  when  the  guests  retired  by  candlelight,  and 
a  shelf  above  each  bed  holds  a  candlestick  of  hand  painted  china 
bearing  the  flower  for  which  the  room  is  named. 

About  1887  the  Houston  estate  established  the  house  as  a  vacation 
home  for  working  girls,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  Philadelphia.  The 
building  was  enlarged  to  25  rooms,  and  many  other  improvements 
were  made.  The  white,  wooden  fence  which  surrounds  the  build- 
ing was  purchased  from  the  Sesqui-Centennial  in  1926. 

The  cottage  is  closed  during  the  winter  due  to  lack  of  heating  facili- 
ties for  the  entire  house,  but  is  open  from  June  to  October  of  each 
year. 

Near  the  junction  of  Emlen  Street  and  Cresheim  Road  the  trail 
shifts  sharply  right  into  a  bridle  path.  Behind  Buttercup  Cottage  lies 
another  meadow  where  buttercups  and  wild  strawberries  grow  in 
abundance  in  season. 

Excursions  in  the  meadow  may  be  made  at  random,  but  a  con- 
venient weed-grown  trail  skirts  the  creek  and  eventually  climbs  to 
the  bridle  path  from  Buttercup  Cottage.  The  bridle  path  clings  to  a 
slope,  wooded  with  maple,  oak,  hemlock,  and  beech,  growing  so 
densely  that  even  at  high  noon  the  way  is  a  darkened  corridor. 

After  a  short  distance  the  trail  descends  to  a  lower  level,  where  a 
road  entering  the  valley  from  the  right  joins  the  bridle  path  at  the 
tunnel  bridge.  The  bridle  path  turns  left  ;  the  tour  follows  a  footpath 

609 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

leading  to  the  valley  floor.  The  trail  is  rough,  littered  with  upthrusts 
of  rock  and  exposed  roots.  Not  much  farther  on,  the  trail  rejoins  the 
bridle  path  under  an  iron  highway  bridge.  Here  the  path  drops 
sharply,  and  the  creek,  on  the  right,  tumbles  over  a  10-foot  declivity 
into  a  dark  pool,  the  blackness  of  which  is  intensified  by  overhanging 
beeches. 

Below  the  falls,  where  the  stone-guarded  spring  flows  from  the 
cliff,  the  bridle  path  turns,  right,  over  a  bridge.  Beside  the  spring  to 
the  left,  a  narrow  footpath  crosses  a  split-log  bridge  over  a  gulch  and 
for  some  distance  follows  the  wooded  hillside. 

Beyond  the  bridge  the  bridle  path  skirts  the  creek.  On  the  right 
a  private  road,  with  a  "No  Dogs  Allowed"  sign  at  the  entrance,  leads 
a  few  hundred  yards  uphill  to  the  gardens  of  the  WOODWARD 
ESTATE  (4)  (admission  free  to  visitors  during  daylight  hours). 

Upon  the  hillside  sloping  down  to  the  creek,  the  expertly  tended 
flowers  mass  in  deep  contrast,  each  spring  and  summer,  their  color- 
ful and  fragrant  blooms.  The  wild  and  the  cultivated  —  pink  dogwood 
and  tulips,  violets  and  arbutus  —  grow  side  by  side  among  the  quiet 
terraced  pools  from  which,  level  by  level,  clear  waters  cascade  to  the 
Cresheim.  The  route  descends  through  the  gardens  and  rejoins  the 
bridle  path  where  it  fords  the  creek. 

Past  the  entrance  of  the  Woodward  estate  the  bridle  path  pene- 
trates a  belt  of  woodland,  where  an  immense  stone  chimney  rises  amid 
the  trees.  This  shaft  of  field  rock  is  all  that  remains  of  an  old  settle- 
ment. Emerging  from  the  woods  into  an  open  meadow,  opposite  a 
hillside  thick  with  evergreens,  the  path  splits;  one  branch,  swinging 
sharply  left,  fords  the  creek  and  leads  to  Kitchen's  Lane.  A  foot 
trail  also  crosses  the  creek  and  skirts  the  left  bank.  The  route,  how- 
ever, follows  the  right  branch  of  the  bridle  path  away  from  the  creek 
and  over  a  hill. 

After  a  short  distance  the  bridle  path  descends  to  the  creek,  where 
a  wooden  bridge  crosses  the  stream.  Here  several  bridle  and  foot 
paths  meet.  The  route  follows  a  path  on  the  left  of  the  creek  which 
is  accessible  only  to  pedestrians.  Though  it  follows  the  precipitous 
slopes,  the  path  has  been  beaten  into  a  safe  aisle  by  countless  human 
feet. 

The  creek  plunges  on  through  the  valley,  now  narrowing  into  a 
gorge,  now  widening  into  a  glen.  The  path  swerves  toward  and  then 
away  from  the  stream,  following  the  gentler  slopes  to  a  small  open 
space,  long  used  as  a  picnic  ground.  Though  tables  and  benches  are 
available,  fires  of  any  kind  are  prohibited  by  the  Park  Commission. 
From  the  picnic  ground  the  trail  ascends  toward  DEVIL'S  POOL  (5), 
which  the  credulous  believe  bottomless.  That,  however,  does  not 
deter  the  neighborhood  youngsters  from  using  it  as  a  swimming  hole 
on  hot  summer  days. 

610 


Devil's  Pool 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

A  wooden  bridge  shadowed  by  tall  trees  spans  the  creek  at  the 
pool.  Its  rails  are  covered  with  a  design  of  hearts,  monograms,  and 
initials  carved  by  lovers  who  frequent  this  secluded  spot.  On  the 
side  stands  a  rustic  pavilion,  and  high  above  is  a  stone  bridge  which 
carries  a  pipe  line  over  the  narrow  valley.  Cresheim  joins  the  Wissa- 
hickon  a  few  feet  beyond. 

The  trail  continues  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Wissahickon,  hugging 
slopes  sheltered  by  tall  hemlocks  and  beeches  and  flanked  by  moss- 
coated  rocks.  Soon  it  reaches  the  VALLEY  GREEN  CANOE  CLUB 
(6),  housed  in  a  structure  built  in  1696  and  enlarged  in  1747,  and 
known  variously  as  the  old  Livezey  House  and  Glen  Fern.  The  house 
consists  of  three  increasingly  larger  but  similar  units,  the  smallest 
having  been  built  first  and  the  subsequent  units  added  as  the  owner 
prospered.  Each  roof  has  a  small  flat-roofed  dormer  window.  Within 
the  first  section  is  a  huge  fireplace  with  windowed  "courting  nook." 
The  fine  paneling,  fireplace,  and  staircase  are  well  executed.  This 
ancient  building  was  the  home  of  Thomas  Livezey  III,  miller,  poet, 
and  statesman,  who  purchased  it  in  1747.  His  descendants  retained 
possession  of  the  dwelling  until  the  valley  was  dedicated  to  public  use. 

In  1909  the  Livezey  family  founded  the  canoe  club  now  occupying 
the  building.  The  club  membership  numbers  about  50  business  and 
professional  men.  The  creek  has  been  deepened  and  widened  in  the 
vicinity  to  improve  canoeing  facilities. 

Just  off  the  creek,  below  the  famous  house,  lie  the  ruins  of  the 
old  Livezey  mill  —  long  famed  as  the  largest  gristmill  in  the  Colonies. 
Farther  downstream,  on  the  far  side  of  the  creek,  stands  a  lone  pier, 
the  only  visible  remains  of  a  bridge  which  150  years  ago  carried  farm 
wagons  over  the  creek  to  the  mill. 

A  flight  of  stone  steps  ascends  sharply  to  where  the  trail  again 
levels  out  on  a  higher  plane,  crossing  a  wooden  bridge  over  a  narrow 
gulch.  In  some  places  the  trail  is  flanked  by  towering  trees,  and  at 
other  points  gigantic  rocks  overhang  the  pathway. 

Again  the  trail  descends  to  the  creek.  It  leads  to  ALLEN'S  LANE 
BRIDGE,  which  must  be  crossed  to  reach  a  group  of  old  caves  in 
the  cliffs  above  Gorgas  Lane,  to  the  right.  The  largest  of  the  caves 
recalls  the  "gold  rush"  of  more  than  a  century  ago,  when  a  local 
"explorer"  wandering  through  the  glens  of  the  Wissahickon  came 
upon  a  glittering  fragment  of  rock  near  the  bridge.  As  a  result  hun- 
dreds of  Philadelphians  rushed  to  the  valley  and  staked  claims,  ex- 
pecting to  carve  their  fortunes  from  the  hills.  Analysis  of  the  metal 
hewn  from  the  rocks  showed  it  to  be  iron  pyrites,  or  "fool's  gold,"  a 
worthless  substance  found  in  abundance  in  many  places. 

The  trail  continues  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Wissahickon  along  the 
drive  to  Kitchen's  Lane  Bridge,  thence  across  the  bridge  and  up  the 
hill  to  Wissahickon  Avenue.  A  half  block  left  of  Carpenter  Lane, 
then  right  to  Wayne  Avenue,  brings  one  to  the  end  of  the  hike. 

612 


0 


Indian  Statue 
Lenape  council  fires  burn  here  no  more 


Upper  Wissahickon 


1.    Bell's  Mill  Road 
Bridge 

2.    Old  Covered  Bridge 

3.  Rex  Avenue    (Indian 
Rock)   Bridge 

4.  Indian  Rock 

5.  Valley  Green 

6.  Wayside  Shrine 


AROUND  VALLEY  GREEN 

City  Tour  17 

Route:  Take  northbound  23  trolley  marked 
Bethlehem  Pike  at  llth  and  Market  Sts. 
At  end  of  line  transfer  to  Bus.  Leave  bus  at 
City  Line  Ave.  and  Germantown  Pike  and 
walk  left  to  park  entrance.  Proceed  down 
creek  drive  through  park  to  Valley  Green  to 
German'town  Ave.  Take  southbound  trolley 
23  to  City  Hall.  Length  of  hike—3l/2  m. 
Motor  route:  North  on  Broad  St.  L.  on 
Butler  St.,  R.  on  Germantown  Ave.,  to  City 
Line  ;  L.  on  City  Line  to  Wissahickon  Creek. 

AT  THE  park's  entrance  is  a  20-acre  tract  known  as  HARPER 
MEADOW,  which  was  filled  in  and  landscaped  by  WPA  under 
sponsorship  of  the  Friends  of  the  Wissahickon,  to  serve  as  a 
picnic  ground  and  a  recreation  spot.  The  plot  which  is  named  in  honor 
of  William  Warner  Harper,  of  Andorra,  "a  lover  of  nature  in  all  its 
forms,"  was  formally  dedicated  in  the  spring  of  1937. 

A  dirt  road,  left,  from  City  Line  into  the  park,  skirts  the  meadow 
and  slopes  almost  imperceptibly  to  the  creek  under  oak  and  maple 
trees.  Where  the  road  meets  the  creek  at  a  sharp  bend  stands  the 
shelter  in  which  a  memorial  tablet  was  placed  during  the  dedication 
exercises. 

A  quarter  mile  down  the  valley  looms  the  first  of  the  tree-cloaked 
Wissahickon  Hills.  A  few  hundred  yards  farther  on,  BELL'S  MILL 
ROAD  BRIDGE  (1),  a  low  stone  span,  mu^t  be  crossed  to  reach  a 
wide  bridle  path  shaded  in  season  by  walnut,  oak,  hemlock,  beech, 
and  tulip  trees.  Sheer  cliffs  rise  above  the  roadway  for  a  half  mile  ; 
across  the  creek  the  hills  slope  gently  upward.  In  early  summer  the 
air  is  fragrant  with  the  scent  of  flowers.  Farther  on  the  OLD  COV- 
ERED BRIDGE  (2),  known  also  as  Thomas  Mill  Road  Bridge  - 
relic  of  a  day  when  the  valley  was  the  industrial  center  of  Philadel- 
phia —  leans  uncertainly  over  the  water.  Its  dim  recesses,  lighted  here 
and  there  by  sunlight  sifting  through  openings  near  the  roof,  conjure 
up  the  shades  of  long-departed  pioneers. 

Through  the  bridge  and  down  the  drive  to  REX  AVENUE  (or 
INDIAN  ROCK)  BRIDGE  (3).  To  the  left  on  Rex  Avenue  Bridge 
to  INDIAN  ROCK  (4),  and  statue  of  Tedyuscung. 

The  rock  is  reached  by  a  short  flight  of  stone  steps  leading  to  a 
winding  path.  According  to  legend,  some  of  the  early  Lenni  Lenape 
(named  Delawares  by  the  English)  held  tribal  councils  near  this 
rock.  Atop  this  massive  formation  crouches  the  stone  figure  of  an 
Indian,  tomahawk  on  bent  arm  and  gaze  fixed  across  the  valley.  The 
statue,  that  of  Tedyuscung,  famed  pre-Revolutionary  chieftain  of  the 
Delawares,  is  the  work  of  Massey  Rhind.  It  was  erected  in  1902  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  W.  Henry  to  replace  a  crude  wooden  figure 
which  previously  occupied  the  site. 

615 


Livezey  House 
Mellowed  by  more  than  two  centuries 


Old  Covered  Bridge 
Another  vanishing  American 


I  r 


AROUND  VALLEY  GREEN  (CITY  TOUR  17) 

In  late  afternoon,  when  the  sun's  rays  project  a  belt  of  brilliance 
upon  the  forested  heights,  the  arresting  image  of  that  sagacious  but 
intemperate  chieftain  stands  in  white  relief  against  rock  and  trees. 
Below  the  stone  figure  nestles  a  small  cave,  frequented  by  children 
"playing  Indian"  in  the  very  shadow  of  the  Lenni  Lenape's  last  great 
representative. 

From  the  bottom  of  the  steps  the  trail  leads  across  Indian  Rock  or 
Rex  Avenue  Bridge,  and  then,  left,  on  the  drive  to  one  of  the  first 
drinking  fountains  erected  in  Philadelphia.  The  fountain,  moss- 
covered  and  weathered,  bears  the  inscription  : 

"Pro  Bono  Publico  A.  D.  1854  Esto  Perpetua." 

Some  distance  below  the  fountain  stands  a  slate-roofed  park  guard- 
house. Originally  it  served  as  an  office  for  the  last  of  the  Wissahickon 
paper  mills  and  now  remains  a  link  between  the  present  and  the  time 
when  the  valley  hummed  to  the  rhythm  of  a  half  hundred  water 
wheels. 

As  early  as  1690  the  Wissahickon  Valley  became  an  industrial 
center,  growing  with  the  years.  For  almost  a  century  and  a  half, 
while  laden  wagons  and  straining  horses  blazed  the  highways  of  com- 
merce to  the  valley,  the  gentle  stream  turned  the  wheels  of  mill 
after  mill,  grinding  corn  into  meal,  pressing  linseed  into  oil,  and 
changing  wheat  into  flour. 

Such  names  as  Paper  Mill  Run,  Wise  Mill  Dam,  Bell's  Mill  Road, 
Thorp's  Lane,  Levering  Mill  Lane,  Livezey  Lane,  Righter's  Ferry 
Road,  and  a  score  of  others  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  Wissa- 
hickon's  busy  life  in  the  days  when  60  thriving  industries  drew  power 
from  the  crystal  water.  The  last  of  the  Wissahickon's  mills  was  the 
Megargee  Paper  Mill,  removed  by  the  Park  Commission  in  1884. 
With  the  departure  of  this  rear  guard  of  a  retreating  industry,  the 
creek  settled  back  to  the  quiet  of  former  years  and  was  given  over 
to  the  service  of  those  who  come  to  dream  and  to  delight  in  its  mani- 
fold beauties. 

From  the  fountain  it  is  an  easy  stroll  down  the  drive  past  Hartwell 
and  Springfield  Avenue  Bridges  to  VALLEY  GREEN  (5),  an  an- 
cient tavern  where  light  refreshments  can  be  purchased.  Though 
little  remains  of  its  original  interior,  the  century-old  structure  re- 
tains in  outward  aspect  a  strong  flavor  of  Colonial  architecture.  Its 
green,  steep-gabled  roof  and  green  shutters  contrast  sharply  with  the 
white  plaster  of  its  facade. 

Here  the  stream  serves  as  a  feeding  ground  for  a  mixed  colony  of 
wild  and  domesticated  ducks.  On  almost  any  summer  day  visitors  line 
the  fence  along  the  stream,  watching  delightedly  as  the  ducks  clamor 
and  fight  for  crusts  thrown  into  the  water. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  drive  the  slopes  rise  sharply,  though  not 

617 


Pennypack  Park 

i — i — i — i 1 ••    %-r—j o 1 — I 


PENNYPACK  NO.  1 

1.  Pine  Road  Loop 

2.  Stone   Bridge 

3.  Verree   Road 

4.  Bustleton  Avenue  Bridge 


ALONG  THE  PENNYPACK 

too  steeply  for  climbing.  Giant  hemlocks,  clinging  to  the  hillsides, 
shadow  the  inn  and  the  creek,  even  at  midday. 

Valley  Green  has  long  been  a  rendezvous  for  horsemen.  Auto- 
mobiles are  allowed  to  cross  Springfield  Avenue  Bridge  to  park  at 
the  tavern.  Trips  up  and  down  the  drive,  however,  must  be  made 
by  horseback,  carriage,  bicycle,  afoot,  or,  in  winter,  by  sleigh.  When 
snow  cloaks  the  valley  the  inn  becomes  a  gathering  place  for  sleigh- 
ing parties  and  devotees  of  snowshoe,  ski,  or  sled. 

In  nearby  reaches  of  the  creek  trout  fishing  is  popular.  During 
the  season  scores  of  fishermen  in  hip  boots  wade  the  stream,  casting 
for  the  elusive  trout  in  water  once  teeming  with  catfish.  To  improve 
trout  breeding  a  number  of  retards  of  twigs  and  stone  have  been 
installed  by  the  WPA,  with  runways  or  deflectors,  which  quicken  the 
flow  of  water  in  sluggish  places.  These  devices  not  only  serve  to  aerate 
the  water,  but  provide  shelter  in  times  of  flood.  The  stream  is  stocked 
annually,  and  fishing  is  permitted  every  Wednesday,  Saturday,  and 
Sunday  during  the  trout  season  (April  15  to  July  31) . 

Springfield  Avenue  Bridge  is  a  stone  span  about  100  yards  north 
of  Valley  Green  Inn.  After  crossing  this  bridge  the  hike  winds  up 
Springfield  Avenue  through  wooded  slopes.  Some  distance  beyond 
the  bridge,  to  the  left  of  the  roadway,  stands  the  WAYSIDE  SHRINE 
(6) ,  erected  March  11,  1920,  tribute  of  Mrs.  Samuel  F.  Houston  to  the 
memory  of  World  War  dead.  It  is  a  tiny  shelter  perched  on  a  narrow 
shaft.  Under  the  pedestal's  sharp-gabled  roof  a  diminutive  soldier 
once  offered  a  crown  of  laurel  to  a  thorn-crowned  Christ.  On  January 
15,  1937,  the  bronze  soldier  was  ripped  out  and  carried  away  by 
vandals. 

Springfield  Avenue  leads  uphill  approximately  a  mile  to  German- 
town  Avenue. 

ALONG  THE  PENNYPACK 

By  the  "OP  Swimming  Hole" 
City  Tour  18 

Routd :  From  City  Hall  N.  on  Broad  St. 
Subway.  At  Olney  Ave.  transfer  to  trolley 
eastbound,  marked  Fox  Chase.  Ride  to  Pine 
Road  loop,  then  walk  R.  to  the  Pennypack. 
Follow  the  creak  through  the  park  to  Bust- 
leton  Pike.  To  return,  board  trolley  south- 
bound and  transfer  to  Frankford  Elevated 
southbound.  Lertgth  of  hike — 5  m. 
Motor  route:  From  City  Hall  N.  ort  Broad 
St.,  to  Roosevelt.  Blvd.  ;  R.  on  Roosevelt 
Blvd.,  to  Risirtg  Sun  Ave.  ;  L.  on  Rising 
Sun  Ave.,  to  Pine  Rd.  ;  Continue  on  Pine 
Rd.,  to  Pennypack  Creek. 

619 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

THERE   is   something  curiously  exciting   and   unexpected   about 
this  region   of  rich  woods,   checkered  with   open   fields,   which 
climaxes  just  a  brief  ride  from  the  strident,  mechanized  center 
of  the  city.  A  walk  through  the  stretches  of  Pennypack  Park  is  hal- 


Concrete  Bridge  over  Pennypack  Creek 
God's  work  and  mans — in  harmony 


ALONG  THE  PENNYPACK  (CITY  TOUR  19) 

lowed  by  a  silence  broken  only  by  the  muted  murmur  of  the  creek 
and  the  caroling  of  birds. 

From  the  PINE  ROAD  LOOP  (1)  (Pine  Road  at  the  end  of  the 
26  car  line  is  the  most  convenient  entrance  to  the  park)  the  path 
winds  through  columns  of  sycamores,  poplars,  and  silver  maples, 
past  Susquehanna  Road  and  over  a  STONE  BRIDGE  (2),  spanning 
Pennypack  Creek. 

A  turn,  right,  across  the  fields  leads  downhill  to  Pennypack  Creek, 
where  the  winding  trail  now  weaves  close  to  the  water's  edge  and 
then  rises  high  on  the  rocky  cliffs.  After  a  mile,  the  path  merges 
at  VERREE  ROAD  (3)  and  turns  left  50  feet  on  Verree  Road,  then 
right  on  a  bridle  path.  Traversing  a  picnic  ground  and  a  strip  of 
dense  woodland,  the  way  cuts  through  a  wilderness  of  trees  and  over 
grassy  plots  and  banks. 

From  the  woods,  the  bridle  path  passes  through  farm  land  bor- 
dered with  gleaming  white  farm  buildings  and  fences.  Dipping  down 
hill,  the  trail  returns  to  the  creek  and  passes  beneath  a  railroad 
trestle.  The  route  climbs  up  the  embankment  and  follows  the  road 
a  short  distance,  right,  returning  to  Pennypack  Creek  50  yards  north. 

The  creek  swings  northward  into  wild  country,  heavily  wooded, 
the  ground  beneath  the  trees  fretted  with  a  tangled  maze  of  weeds 
and  underbrush.  The  path  pierces  this  section  to  BUSTLETON 
AVENUE  BRIDGE  (4) ,  then  an  ascent  of  the  embankment  leads  to 
the  street  and  to  the  old  Pennypack  Baptist  Church —  a  short  walk 
to  the  left.  The  burial  ground  surrounding  the  church,  which  ante- 
dates the  Revolutionary  War,  contains  tombstones  more  than  150 
years  old. 

Rendezvous  for  Izaak  Waltons 
City  Tour  19 

Route:  Frankford  Elevated  to  Margaret  St. 
Station.  Transfer  to  northbound  59  trolley 
to  Bustleton  Ave.  Bridge.  Walk  R.  along 
creek  to  Frankford  Ave.  Returning,  take  66 
trolley  southbound  and  transfer  at  Bridge 
St.  to  Frankford  Elevated  to  central  city  dis- 
trict. Length  of  hike — 5l/2  m. 
Motor  route:  N.  from  City  Hall  on'  Broad 
St.,  to  Roosevelt  Blvd.;  R.  on  Roosevelt 
Blvd.,  to  Lexington  Ave.;  L.  on  Lexington 
Ave.,  to  Bustleton  Ave.;  Continue  on'  Bustle- 
ton  Ave.  to  Creek. 

FROM  Bustleton  Avenue  Bridge,  Pennypack  Creek  stretches  east- 
ward through  a  maze  of  woodland,  swamp,  and  grassland. 

A  narrow  footpath  follows  the  creek  for  several  hundred  yards 
before  it  encounters  an  almost  impenetrable  wall  of  matted  vines, 
interwoven  with  weeds  and  shrubbery.  The  path  skirts  the  creek  as 

621 


Pennypack  Park 


PENNYPACK  NO.  2 

1.  Pennypack  Bridge 

2.  Axe  Factory  Road 

3.  Holmes  Avenue  Bridge 

4.  Rhawn  Street  Bridge 

5.  Welsh  Avenue  Bridge 

6.  Waterfall 


ALONG  THE  PENNYPACK  (CITY  TOUR  19) 

it  turns  southward  through  high  banks  dense  with  foliage.  Great 
weeping  willows  fringing  the  stream  dip  their  long  fingers  into  the 
cooling  water.  Sumach,  sycamore,  and  silver  maple  trees  rise  on 
either  side. 

A  short  distance  along  the  trail  there  is  a  turn  into  a  bridle  path, 
edged  with  hemlocks  and  catalpas.  Just  a  few  yards  from  PENNY- 
PACK  BRIDGE  (1),  sometimes  called  the  Bensalem  Avenue  Bridge, 
on  the  Roosevelt  Boulevard,  the  trail  strikes  a  pool  where  fishing  is 
permitted  on  Wednesdays,  Saturdays,  and  Sundays  in  season.  The 
stream  is  patrolled  and  stocked  by  the  Philadelphia  Chapter  of  the 
Izaak  Walton  League. 

The  trail  proceeds  along  AXE  FACTORY  ROAD  (2),  parallel 
with  the  creek,  intersects  a  bridle  path  and  turns,  right,  on  the  path. 
The  dense  woods  on  the  left  make  progress  difficult. 

The  bridle  path  leads  to  HOLME  AVENUE  BRIDGE  (3),  be- 
yond which  lies  the  least  frequented  section  of  the  park.  The  way 
passes  under  RHAWN  STREET  BRIDGE  (4)  and  through  forest 
land,  carpeted  to  the  water's  edge  with  waist-deep  ferns.  The  path, 
dotted  with  sharp-scented  mint  beds,  ascends  a  hill,  drops  again  into 
the  valley  in  the  heart  of  a  violet-strewn  glen,  and  then  passes  under 
WELSH  AVENUE  BRIDGE  (5). 

Just  beyond,  a  WATERFALL  (6)  breaks  the  flow,  the  stream  rush- 
ing over  the  declivity  with  a  roar. 

The  creek  again  takes  a  horseshoe  bend,  then  flows  past  palisades 
that  rise  on  the  right  bank.  Beyond  the  cliffs  the  trail  leads  under  a 
railroad  trestle  and  follows  the  path  through  a  wooded  area  to  Frank- 
ford  Avenue.  Penny  pack  Baptist  Church—Piety  and  simplicity  blend 


Cobbs  Creek  Park 


1.  New  Guardhouse 

2.  Old  Cobbs   Creek  Guardhouse 

3.  Cardington 

4.  Hollows 

5.  Cobbs  Creek  Falls 

6.  Cobbs  Creek  Golf  Club 


BY  PLACID  COBBS  CREEK 

City  Tour  20 

Route:  Take  34  subway-surface  trolley  car 
westbound  from  City  Hall  concourse  to  park 
entrance,  61st  St.  and  Baltimore  Ave.  Return- 
ing, route  10  trolley  car  eastbound  on  Lans- 
downe  Ave.  to  15th  St.  subway-surface  sta- 
tion. Length  of  hike — 4  m. 
Motor  route:  From  City  Hall  S.  on  Broad 
St.,  to  Walnut  St.;  R.  on  Walnut  St..  to 
Baltimore  Ave.;  L.  on  Baltimore  Ave.,  to 
61st  St.  an'd  Cobbs  Creek. 

COBBS  CREEK  PARK  in  West  Philadelphia,  although  not  so 
heavily  wooded  as  other  park  areas  in  the  city,  offers  an  excellent 
hiking  route,  with  a  wide  variety  of  scenic  and  trail  attractions. 

The  hike  extends  north  from  Baltimore  Avenue  and  Sixty-first 
Street,  the  latter  street  running  parallel  to  the  creek.  A  red  clay  bank 
rises  about  12  feet  on  the  right,  completely  blotting  from  view  the 
landscape  on  that  side. 

Impressive  rows  of  soldier-like  Lombardy  poplars  line  both  sides 
of  the  stream.  On  the  side  opposite  the  clay  bank  the  trees  partly 
screen  a  heavily  wooded  section. 

NEW  GUARDHOUSE  (1),  opposite  Catharine  Street,  was  built 
by  WPA  workmen.  The  new  building  is  Georgian  Colonial  in  design 
and  constructed  of  gray  stone  with  dark  blue  slate  roof.  The  stone 
used  in  the  building  was  taken  from  an  old  mill  demolished  by 
WPA  labor.  Herman  Miller,  WPA  architect,  designed  the  building. 

On  the  first  floor,  the  center  hall  is  the  roll  room  off  which  is  an 
ante-room  used  by  the  Fairmount  Park  guards  as  a  private  office  for 
the  sergeant.  The  north  wing  is  used  by  the  park  maintenance  fore- 
man as  a  tool  shop  and  blacksmith  forge.  The  south  wing  houses  the 
stable  for  guard  horses.  The  second  floor  is  used  for  storage. 

The  OLD  COBBS  CREEK  GUARDHOUSE  (2),  standing  athwart 
the  path,  is  just  south  of  Marshall  Road  Bridge.  This  structure,  built 
more  than  100  years  ago,  at  one  time  housed  the  offices  of  the  Henry 
mill,  an  old  paper  mill  that  used  the  stream  for  water  power. 

Directly  across  the  creek  in  Delaware  County  is  CARDINGTON 
(3),  a  community  of  quaint  homes,  in  groups  of  two-story  row  houses 
of  rough  stone  covered  by  buff  plaster.  A  busy  little  town  a  century 
ago,  today  its  mills  stand  idle,  relics  left  by  an  advancing  industry 
that  has  no  use  for  outmoded  machines. 

Across  Marshall  Road  the  route  proceeds  along  a  narrow  trail  that 
cuts  through  a  group  of  shrubs  and  trees.  A  short  distance  farther 

625 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

on,  the  path  emerges  upon  the  HOLLOWS  (4) ,  a  community  athletic 
field. 

Passing  under  the  Market  Street  Elevated  tracks  the  creek  turns  to 
the  left.  At  this  point  the  stream  is  dotted  with  rocks  and  boulders, 
the  water  swirling  over  and  around  them. 

The  creek  is  banked  on  the  right  by  a  stretch  of  high  rocks  that 
afford  an  opportunity  for  climbing.  Beyond  the  rocks  is  COBBS 
CREEK  FALLS  (5),  about  six  feet  high,  over  which  the  water  runs 
so  smoothly  that  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  transparent  film  stretched 
over  a  concrete  wall. 

The  path  leaves  the  creek  at  the  falls  and  turns  right.  It  continues 
past  the  clubhouse  of  the  COBBS  CREEK  GOLF  CLUB  (6),  the 
first  of  the  municipal  links  of  Philadelphia,  and  on  to  Lansdowne 
Avenue.  The  way  turns,  right,  on  Lansdowne  Avenue  a  short  distance, 
returning  then  to  the  park,  and  turning,  left,  up  the  left  bank  of  the 
creek.  This,  the  last  part  of  the  hike,  is  the  most  beautiful.  A  wood, 
dense  with  oak,  beech,  and  maple  trees,  lines  the  right  bank.  On  the 
left  are  a  number  of  abandoned  quarries. 

At  a  stone  crossing  just  short  of  the  wood's  end,  the  route  crosses 
the  creek  to  the  other  bank  and  returns  down  stream  to  Lansdowne 
Avenue. 

Long  trod  by  moccasined  feet — Cobbs  Creek  Park  Trail 


FOUR     TOURS 

to  the 

CITY'S      ENVIRON  S 


JAUNTS  TO  THE  ENVIRONS 

TO    BRANDYWINE 


Swarthmore  College 
Victoria  Plush  Mills 

Delaware    County   War 
Memorial  Bridge 

Hedgerow  Theatre 

Delaware    County    Court- 
house 

Black  Horse  Tavern 

Samuel  Riddle  House 

Glen  Riddle  Farm 

Riddle    Mills 

Riddle  Mills 

Concord   Meetinghouse 

Brandywine  Baptist  Church 

Chadds  Ford   Inn 

Chadds  House 

Marker 

Lafayette  Cemetery 

Birmingham  Meetinghouse 

Octagonal   Schoolhouse 

Kennett  Meetinghouse 

Anvil  Tavern 

Longwood    Gardens 

Longwood  Meetinghouse 

Shipping  Platforms 

Bayard  Taylor  Memorial 
Library 

Site  of  Taylor's  Birthplace 

Plant   of  the  Viscose   Com- 
pany 

Congoleum-Nairn,    Inc. 

Plant  of  the  General  Steel 
Castings   Co. 

Mills  of  the  Scott  Paper  Co. 
Ford  Motor  Co. 

Yards    of    the    Sun    Ship- 
building &  Dry  Dock  Co. 

Aberfoyle    Manufacturing 
Co. 

Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 
Lazaretto 
Model  Farm 
Fort  Mifflin 


To  BRANDYWINE  BATTLEFIELD 

Environs  Tour  1 

Note:  For  visit  to  Fort  Mifflin  permission 
must  be  obtained  from  U.  S.  Engineer 
Corps,  Custom  House,  Second  and  Chest- 
nut Streets. 

Philadelphia — Lansdowne  —  Clifton  Heights  —  Swarthmore — Media  — 
Concordville — Chadds  Ford — Kennett  Square — Marcus  Hook —  Ches- 
ter— Eddystone— Essington— Philadelphia.  85.2  m. 

The  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  parallels  the  route  at  intervals  on  the  outward 
trip. 

Concrete  and  macadamized  roadbed  except  between  Chester  and  Phila- 
delphia. Poor  roads  on  latter  portion. 

PEACE  now  reigns  on  the  Brandywine,  as  it  flows  sluggishly  amid 
its  low  ring  of  hills  ;  yet  along  its  banks  there  lingers,  for  an 
ear  attuned  to  history,  the  rolling  echo  of  gunfire.  And,  if  the  ear 
were  very  delicately  attuned,  it  might  catch  above  the  low  lisp  of 
purling  waters  the  startled  accents  of  a  British  baronet.  For  it  was 
here  that  Sir  William  Howe  discovered  to  his  astonishment  that  he 
was  fighting,  not  a  rebellious  mob,  but  an  army  of  determined  men 
who  might  be  checked,  but  could  not  be  beaten.  Here  occurred  an 
American  defeat,  which  was  the  beginning  of  American  victory.  After 
this  engagement  it  was  mainly  by  means  of  quick  thrusts  and  cal- 
culated retreats  that  Washington  wore  down  the  foe,  and  at  last 
brought  him  to  bay  at  Yorktown. 

The  route  to  the  battlefield  was  once  the  King's  high  road  to  the 
South  ;  it  is  still  an  important  motorway. 

South  from  City  Hall  on  Broad  St.;  R.  on  Walnut  St.;  L.  on  Wood- 
land Ave.  at  34th  St.  ;  R.  on  Baltimore  Ave.  at  39th  St.  (US  1) 

South  of  the  Philadelphia  city  line,  Baltimore  Avenue  becomes 
Baltimore  Pike,  a  portion  of  US  1.  At  4.6  m.  it  passes  through  the 
northern  tip  of  suburban  YEADON  (115  alt.  ;  5,430  pop.)  The  town's 
name  is  derived  from  Yeadon  Manor,  the  homestead  of  William 
Bullock,  an  early  settler.  To  the  left  is  FERNWOOD  (90  alt.  ;  700 
pop.),  a  thickly  settled  comunity  of  middle-class  homes.  On  the  right 
is  East  Lansdowne  (108  alt.  ;  3,212  pop.),  a  residential  section. 

At  6.4  m.  the  route  enters  LANSDOWNE  (120  alt.;  9,542  pop.),  a 
suburb  of  well-kept  homes  set  in  spacious  lawns  along  shaded  streets. 
Many  of  Lansdowne's  homes  bristle  with  the  turrets,  towers,  and 
decorations  of  the  architectural  melange  characteristic  of  the  nine- 
teenth century. 

At  7  m.  is  CLIFTON  HEIGHTS  (160  alt.;  5,057  pop.),  a  borough 
named  for  Clifton  Hall,  the  home  of  Henry  Lewis,  a  Welsh  Quaker 
who  settled  here.  The  borough's  houses,  many  of  them  needing  repair, 
rise  against  a  background  of  wooded  hills.  Most  of  its  workers  are 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  and  woolen  goods.  The  town 

629 


SWARTHMORE    COLLEGE 
CAMPUS 

Suit      100.  ,  ,  0         100       200      300      l«t 


Parish  Hall 
Isaac  H.   Clothier 
Memorial 

c.    Sproul   Astronomical 
Observatory 
Wharton  Hall 
The  Cloisters 
Hall  Gymnasium 
Swarthmore  Field 
Edward  Martin  Bio- 
logical  Laboratory 


b. 


j.    Beardsley  Hall 
k.   Hicks  Hall 
1.    Science  Hall 
m.    Hall   of   Chemistry 
n.    Bartol    Foundation 

Laboratory 
o.    Meetinghouse 
p.    Students'  Astronom- 
ical Observatory 
a.    Somerville  Hall 


r.  Worth  Hall 

s.  Bond  Memorial 

t.  Benjamin   West 

House 

u.  Magill  Walk 

v.  Library 

w.  Alumni  Field 

x.  Cunningham   Field 

y.  Field  House  for  Men 


To  BRAND YWINE  BATTLEFIELD  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  1) 

gradually  loses  its  identity  in  a  fertile  countryside  of  well-kept  farms 
and  estates. 

At  10.7  m.  the  highway  cuts  across  the  northwestern  corner  of 
SWARTHMORE  (115  alt.;  3,405  pop.),  center  for  intellectuals  from 
all  parts  of  the  country,  home  of  Swarthmore  College,  and  a  residen- 
tial borough  of  considerable  wealth.  The  college  was  established 
by  the  Society  of  Friends  in  1864  and  is  named  for  Swarthmore  Hall, 
home  of  George  Fox,  founder  of  the  society.  The  persistent  dignity 
of  the  Quaker  makes  itself  evident  in  the  restrained  Colonial  archi- 
tecture of  Swarthmore's  homes  and  the  quiet  aspect  of  its  tree-shaded 
streets. 

At  10.8  m.  is  a  junction  with  Chester  Road   (State  320) . 

Left  on  this  road  0.7  m.  to  SWARTHMORE  COLLEGE  (1),  founded 
in  1864  through  the  efforts  of  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
At  the  top  of  a  broad  campus,  with  lawns  rising  gently  uphill  from 
the  railroad  station,  is  PARRISH  HALL  (a),  the  administration  build- 
ing. This,  the  oldest  of  the  group,  is  a  three-story  Victorian  structure 
of  gray  stone  with  Roman  Doric  porches  of  wood,  painted  white. 
The  central  section  is  surmounted  by  a  large,  slate-covered  dome 
with  wood-railed  platform  on  top.  On  the  ground  floor  are  the  admin- 
istrative offices,  classrooms,  reception  rooms  and  dining  hall.  In  the 
main  section  the  upper  floors  contain  a  social  hall,  classrooms,  and 
offices.  In  the  wings  are  an  infirmary  and  dormitory  rooms  for  fresh- 
man, sophomore  and  junior  women. 

To  the  right  of  Parrish  Hall  is  the  ISAAC  H.  CLOTHIER 
MEMORIAL  (b),  designed  by  Walter  T.  Karcher  and  Livingston 
Smith,  started  in  1929  and  completed  in  1931.  The  memorial  con- 
sists of  a  quadrangle  of  buildings,  including  a  bell  tower  con- 
nected by  cloisters  with  a  suite  of  seminar  rooms,  the  managers' 
room,  and  a  hall  seating  1,000.  They  are  designed  in  collegiate  Tudor 
Gothic  style  of  local  gray  field  stone  with  gray  granite  trim.  Mas- 
sive towers  flank  the  central  entrance.  To  the  left  is  the  cloister 
which  connects  the  lofty  Clothier  Memorial  Tower  to  the  main 
body  of  the  memorial.  Large  hammerbeam  trusses  span  the  simple 
auditorium. 

Behind  the  Clothier  Memorial  rises  the  green  dome  of  the  SPROUL 
ASTRONOMICAL  OBSERVATORY  (c),  equipped  for  advanced  re- 
search. In  another  part  of  the  campus  is  a  Students'  Astronomical 
Observatory. 

Behind  this  is  the  men's  main  dormitory,  WHARTON  HALL  (d), 
a  long,  gray  stone  building  with  limestone  trim,  of  collegiate 
Tudor  Gothic  design.  Directly  below  this  are  several  tennis  courts 
and  four  fraternity  lodges,  known  as  THE  CLOISTERS'  (e),  used 
solely  as  social  gathering  places  for  men. 

Return  to  Parrish  Hall.  Just  to  the  rear  of  the  building  is  HALL 
GYMNASIUM  (f)  and  the  swimming  pool. 

Near  SWARTHMORE  FIELD  (g),  is  one  of  the  recent  additions, 
the  EDWARD  MARTIN  BIOLOGICAL  LABORATORY  (h)  for 

631 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

undergraduate  instruction  and  for  research.  This  is  a  gray  stone 
building  of  three  stories,  with  limestone  trim  and  aluminum  window 
spandrels.  The  architects  were  Karcher  and  Smith,  with  Cram  and 
Ferguson  as  consultants. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  Parrish  Hall  rear  extension  are  BEARDSLEY 
HALL  (j),  the  engineering  shop  building  with  forge,  foundry, 
machine  shop,  and  wood  working  equipment;  HICKS  HALL  (k),  the 
headquarters  of  the  Engineering  Department  with  civil,  electrical,  and 
mechanical  laboratories,  library,  etc.;  SCIENCE  HALL  (1),  contain- 
ing laboratories  for  the  physics  and  economics  departments;  and'  the 
HALL  OF  CHEMISTRY  (m),  which  contains  laboratories,  a  lecture 
amphitheatre,  and  a  research  library. 

At  the  far  end  of  this  group  is  the  BARTOL  FOUNDATION 
LABORATORY  (n),  erected  in  1928  by  the  Franklin  Institute  for 
research  in  physics.  This  is  used  by  a  group  of  research  physicists, 
entirely  independent  of  the  college.  John  T.  Windrim  planned  this 
plain,  two-story,  light  stone  structure  of  Greek  design,  with  four 
massive  piers  supporting  a  broad  entablature  to  form  the  central 
unit  of  the  facade.  It  was  erected  in  1928.  The  central  front  motif 
is  repeated  in  the  rear  of  the  building.  On  the  very  broad  frieze 
of  both  the  front  and  rear  entablatures  is  carved  the  following  in- 
scription : 

Henry  W.  Bartol  Foundation  of  the  Franklin  Institute 
for  the  conduct  of  researches  in  the  physical  sciences 
and  for  the  investigation  of  problems  of  a  scientific 
nature  arising  in  the  industries. 

1824  In  Memory  of  Henry  W.  Bartol  1928. 

On  the  way  back  to  the  administration  building  is  the  MEETING- 
HOUSE (o)  of  the  Swarthmore  Society  of  Friends  and  the  college, 
also  the  STUDENTS'  ASTRONOMICAL  OBSERVATORY  (p). 

To  the  east  of  Parrish  Hall  is  SOMERVILLE  HALL  (q),  the  women's 
gymnasium  and  swimming  pool. 

A  footpath  leads  to  WORTH  HALL  (r),  the  senior  women's  dormi- 
tory. This  is  a  charming  group  of  six  low,  connected  Tudor  struc- 
tures of  gray  and  rust-colored  stone  with  variegated'  slate  roofs, 
and  stone  chimneys.  The  buildings  are  contiguous,  but  each  has  its 
own  entrance  and  staircase.  Forming  a  quadrangle  with  Worth  Hall 
are  the  women's  activities'  lodges  and  BOND  MEMORIAL  (s), 
social  center  for  all  women  students.  Worth  Hall  was  erected  in 
1924  and  Bond  Memorial  Hall  in  1927.  Walter  T.  Karcher  and 
Livingston  Smith  were  the  architects. 

Close  by  is  the  BENJAMIN  WEST  HOUSE  (t),  a  quaint  two-story 
structure  with  gambrel-roof  attic,  containing  two  dormers  on  each 
side.  The  exterior  is  of  a  gray  stone,  buff  stuccoed  on  the  north 
side.  Above  the  first  story  is  a  shingled  Germantown  hood,  completely 
surrounding  the  house.  A  similar  but  smaller  hood  above  the  second 
story  continues  the  cornice  of  front  and  back.  It  was  built  1724; 
restored,  1875. 

On  the  path  leading  to  oak  lined  MAGILL  WALK    (u),  which  runs 


632 


To  BRANDYWINE  BATTLEFIELD  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  1) 

from  the  railroad  station  to  the  administration  building,  is  the 
LIBRARY  (v),  a  two-story  Tudor  Gothic  building  of  blue-gray 
granite  and  light  limestone  trim,  with  a  heavy  clock  tower  above  the 
low  entrance.  The  library,  in  part  the  gift  of  Andrew  Carnegie, 
contains  a  collection  of  100,000  volumes.  A  recent  addition  provides 
a  storeroom  for  150,000  volumes.  The  Library  houses  the  Friends 
Historical  Library  collection  of  books,  also  a  museum  of  old  fur- 
niture and  costumes  of  Quaker  interest.  The  Friends  Historical 
Library,  founded  in  1870  by  Anson  Lapham,  contains  a  valuable  and 
growing  collection  of  Friends'  records,  books,  tracts,  and  early  writ- 
ings (many  very  rare),  portraits  of  representative  Friends,  pictures 
of  old  meetinghouses,  objects  and  relics  of  personal  and  historic  in- 
terest, and  manuscripts  relating  to  the  society  and  its  history. 

Parrish  Hall  surmounts  the  rolling  campus 
Stvarthmore  College 


n 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

There  are  three  athletic  fields:  Swarthmore  Field,  ALUMNI  FIELD 
(w)  for  men  and  CUNNINGHAM  FIELD  (x)  for  women. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  railroad  tracks  is  the  FIELD  HOUSE  FOR 
MEN  (y),  a  low,  modern,  concrete  building  designed  along  broad, 
horizontal  lines.  This  building,  recently  completed,  was  designed 
by  Robert  E.  Lamb,  of  the  board  of  managers.  It  includes  two  basket- 
ball floors  and  a  clay  floor  large  enough  for  baseball,  football,  soccer, 
and  other  out-of-door  games;  also  a  cinder  track  and  tennis  court. 

From  Swarthmore  the  road  dips  into  the  valley  of  Crum  Creek  (a 
corruption  of  the  Swedish  Cromkill,  or  "Crooked  Creek")  and  passes 
the  picturesque  cluster  of  the  VICTORIA  PLUSH  MILLS  (2), 
12.1  m.,  in  a  deep  hollow  on  the  left.  The  site  originally  was  owned 
by  ancestors  of  Albert  Lewis,  who  had  a  gristmill  on  the  bank  of  the 
stream  during  the  Revolution.  Washington  and  his  men  at  one  time 
camped  nearby  and  were  fed  at  the  mill.  Lewis  later  transformed  the 
gristmill  into  a  cotton  mill  and  built  for  himself  the  house  on  the 
pike  now  occupied  by  John  Turner,  head  of  the  Victoria  concern. 
One  section  of  the  house  was  built  in  1763,  the  other  in  1789.  The 
present  owners  took  over  the  site  and  built  additional  mills  in  1897. 

A  monumental  Doric  arch  towers  above  the  roadway  at  the  DELA- 
WARE COUNTY  WAR  MEMORIAL  BRIDGE  (3),  which  crosses 
Crum  Creek  at  12.2  m.  Both  bridge  and  arch  are  of  concrete,  and  the 
latter  is  inscribed  :  "Erected  to  those  from  Delaware  County  who 
served  in  the  Great  World  War." 

Bordered  by  young  trees  and  flanked  by  gentle  slopes,  the  road 
rises  toward  Media. 

At  13.5  m.  is  a  junction  with  State  252.  Just  within  borough  limits 
of  Media. 

Left  on  State  252,  sharp  R.  on  Possum  Hollow  Road  after  cross- 
ing railroad  bridge;  R.  on  Rose  Valley  Road  at  bottom  of  valley, 
to  HEDGEROW  THEATRE  (4),  1.8  m. 

At  the  junction  of  Possum  Hollow  Road  and  Rose  Valley  Road 
a  row  of  buff-plastered  houses  stands  close  to  the  road.  They  were 
built  as  the  homes  of  workers  in  the  days  when  the  building  now 
housing  the  theatre  was  operated  as  a  mill. 

Hedgerow  Theatre,  in  a  grove  of  sycamore  trees  (R).  was  founded 
on  April  21,  1923.  It  is  one  of  America's  first  summer  playhouses 
and  one  of  its  most  unusual.  Two  black,  modern  figures  of  horses, 
carved  from  wood  by  a  resident  of  the  valley,  guard  the  entrance. 
Parking  space  is  provided  on  the  near  side  of  the  theatre. 

The  building,  originally  a  snuff  mill,  was  erected  in  1807  and  later 
remodeled  as  a  hand-weaving  mill.  It  is  of  local  field  stone,  buff 
plastered.  An  arched  entrance  way  of  more  recent  date  gives  a 
Spanish  character  to  the  otherwise  early  American  mill  structure. 
The  fish  pond  between  the  parking  space  and  the  theatre  originally 
was  a  millrace.  Residents  of  the  valley,  many  of  them  artists,  formed 
the  Rose  Valley  Association  in  1900  and  started  a  handicraft  venture 

634 


Glen  Riddle  Homes 
'Home"  to  generations  of  millworkers 


m 


Concord  Meetin'ghouse 
Once  a  shelter  for  wounded  Redcoats 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

in  the  old  mill.  This  enterprise  was  not  very  successful,  however, 
and  the  building  later  became  a  community  center.  A  stage  was 
built  for  amateur  theatricals,  and  the  players'  group,  now  nationally 
famous,  thus  was  organized  as  a  community  activity.  The  auditorium 
seats  only  168  persons. 

Here,  under  the  leadership  of  Jasper  Deeter,  21  actors  and  actresses 
live  and  work.  They  live  by  their  own  hands  —  all  the  work  in  and 
about  the  theatre  and  garden  is  done  by  the  members  —  and  aim 
constantly  to  improve  their  art. 

Cooperation  is  the  keynote  of  the  group,  cooperation  that  goes  beyond 
the  footlights  and  includes  the  audience.  A  memorable  pamphlet  was 
distributed  at  the  door  one  evening,  addressed  to  the  audience.  "We 
spend  from  $15,000  to  $20,000  a  year,"  it  read.  "What  do  you  sell? 
Where  is  your  place  of  business?"  It  proposed  that  Hedgerow  buy 
its  necessities  from  its  customers  through  a  plan  that  may  develop 
into  something  revolutionary  in  the  history  of  the  American  theatre. 
The  director  of  this  company,  Jasper  Deeter,  is  a  onetime  news- 
paperman who  left  a  job  on  a  Harrisburg  newspaper  to  turn  his 
attention  to  the  Provincetown  Players  of  New  York,  a  group  that 
included  Eugene  O'Neill,  Maxwell  Bodenheim,  Edna  St.  Vincent 
Millay,  and  other  writers  and  actors  now  famous. 

From  there,  in  1923,  he  journeyed  to  Hedgerow  and  began  his  experi- 
ment in  the  theatre.  Young  and  aspiring  persons  coming  to  the 
theatre  —  and  there  is  usually  a  waiting  list  including  hundreds  of 
names  —  agree  to  act  and  work  about  the  old  mill,  the  renovated 
chicken  coops  that  serve  as  bunkhouses,  and  the  garden  that  supplies 
food,  in  return  for  Deeter's  training,  and  $5  a  week  spending  money. 
Best  known  of  Deeter's  pupils  is  Ann  Harding,  motion  picture  star. 
Miss  Harding  returns  to  Hedgerow  occasionally  and  takes  a  part  in 
the  current  play. 

MEDIA  13.6  m.  (210  alt.;  5,375  pop.),  seat  of  Delaware  County 
and  named  for  its  geographical  position  in  the  center  of  the  county, 
is  situated  on  a  hill  and  surrounded  by  quiet  groves  and  woodlands. 
Founded  by  Quakers  in  1848,  and  originally  known  as  Providence, 
the  town  blends  an  air  of  pastoral  dignity  with  the  bustling  activity 
incident  to  its  county  offices.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  borough  in 
1850  under  an  act  of  the  State  Legislature  forbidding  the  sale  of 
"vinous,  spirituous  or  other  intoxicating  liquors  within  the  limits  of 
said  borough,  except  for  medicinal  purposes  or  for  use  in  the  arts." 
Becoming  thus  the  only  Pennsylvania  town  for  which  direct  legis- 
lation of  this  kind  was  enacted,  it  remained,  until  passage  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Liquor  Control  Act,  a  battleground  of  "dry"  and  anti- 
prohibition  forces. 

The  DELAWARE  COUNTY  COURTHOUSE  (5),  South  Avenue 
at  Fifth  Street,  is  a  handsome  white  marble  building  with  Ionic  en- 
trance portico  and  with  Ionic  columns  at  the  sides.  The  grounds  cover 
a  full  city  square.  At  the  east  end  of  the  courthouse  stands  a  soldiers' 

636 


To  BRAND YWINE  BATTLEFIELD  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  1) 

and  sailors'  monument  erected  in  memory  of  those  from  the  borough 
who  fell  in  the  Civil  War. 

West  of  Media  the  highway  climbs  through  rolling  uplands,  and 
at  16.1  m.  passes  (R)  the  BLACK  HORSE  TAVERN  (6).  Erected  in 
1739,  this  was  an  important  hostelry  on  the  southern  stage  route  in 
Colonial  days.  It  is  now  a  Pennsylvania  State  Highway  Patrol  station, 
as  well  as  a  hotel. 

Beyond  the  inn  the  road  dips  into  a  narrow  valley,  crosses  the  east 
branch  of  Chester  Creek,  and  climbs  a  steep  grade.  From  the  summit 
there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  Chester  Creek  valley  to  the  left. 

Chester  Creek  is  a  source  of  water  power  for  numerous  mills.  Once 
it  was  naviagable  by  large  vessels  for  two  miles  from  its  mouth  at 
Upland  (now  Chester) ,  but  its  volume  has  diminished  since  numerous 
communities  began  to  draw  upon  it  for  their  water  supply.  Along  the 
creek  and  along  the  highway  on  either  side  of  the  crossing  there  is  a 
stand  of  young  pine  and  oak  trees  planted  by  the  State  as  part  of  a 
reforestation  program. 

At  .Z  7  77i.  is  the  junction  with  State  452.  Here,  the  route  leaves  US 
1,  turning  R.  on  State  452. 

Pitching  down  a  steep  grade,  the  road  passes  through  the  pictures- 
que Colonial  mill  town  of  GLEN  RIDDLE  18.2  m.  (160  alt.  ;  339 
pop.),  founded  in  1850  and  named  by  Samuel  Riddle  for  a  town  of 
the  same  name  in  Scotland.  Clinging  to  the  hillside  are  wooden 
houses,  built  for  workers  in  a  bygone  day  when  the  hum  of  the  white- 
stuccoed  mills  in  the  valley  drowned  the  babbling  of  the  creek. 

On  the  far  left  corner  of  the  crossroads,  near  the  bottom  of  the 
grade,  stands  the  white-stuccoed  SAMUEL  RIDDLE  HOUSE  (7)  in 
which  Riddle  lived.  It  was  built  in  1823,  and  is  now  occupied  by  the 
original  owner's  youngest  son,  L.  W.  Riddle.  High  on  the  hill  behind 
it  lies  GLEN  RIDDLE  FARM  (8),  estate  of  Samuel  Doyle  Riddle, 
also  a  son  of  the  founder  and  noted  as  a  breeder  of  race  horses  and 
hunters.  The  rambling  white  house  is  visible  from  the  route.  Man  o' 
War,  who  made  racetrack  history  in  1919  and  1920,  was  a  Riddle 
thoroughbred.  Man  o'  War  sired  War  Admiral,  winner  of  the  Ken- 
tucky Derby,  the  Preakness,  and  the  Belmont  in  1937.  Several  of 
Man  o'  War's  colts  are  stabled  on  the  estate,  and  may  occasionally 
be  glimpsed  in  the  pasture  near  the  crest  of  the  hill. 

All  but  two  of  the  old  RIDDLE  MILLS  (9)  and  (10),  originally 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  textiles,  are  now  idle.  One  up- 
hill (R)  at  18.3  m.  is  operated  today  as  a  towel  mill,  while  another, 
at  18.5  m.  (L)  now  functions  in  the  production  of  tapestries. 

At  21.5  m.  US  322  swings  right,  to  a  junction  with  US  1  at  Concord- 
ville.  The  route  follows  US  1  westward. 

CONCORD VILLE,  24.8  m.,  (422  alt.  ;  438  pop.)  is  a  community 
of  old  houses  that  lies  deep  in  a  wood  along  a  high  ridge. 

637 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Concordville  derives  its  name  from  Concord  Township,  which  was 
so  called  hy  its  Quaker  settlers  in  token  of  the  harmonious  relations 
among  them.  Such  relations,  however,  did  not  exist  between  the 
settlers  and  their  Indian  neighbors,  for  in  1685  the  Penn  government 
was  petitioned  to  punish  the  Indians  for  "ye  Rapine  and  Destruction 
of  Hoggs."  There  are  large  nurseries  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village, 
and  in  the  vicinity  is  a  feldspar  quarry. 

On  the  right  of  US  322  near  its  junction  with  US  1,  overlooking  the 
Brandywine  Valley,  is  the  CONCORD  MEETINGHOUSE  (11),  built 
in  1694  on  land  leased  to  the  meeting  by  John  Mendenhall  for  "one 
peppercorn  yearly."  It  was  used  as  a  hospital  by  the  British  after  the 
Battle  of  the  Brandywine. 

From  Concordville  the  road  descends  through  gently  rolling  hills 
which  rise  on  the  left  (Brandywine  Summit),  set  against  a  backdrop 
of  a  sparse  growth  of  young  trees.  It  crosses  Harvey  Run  at  26.2  m. 
and  follows  the  valley  worn  by  the  stream.  At  27.8  m.  the  road  passes 
(R)  the  BRANDYWINE  BAPTIST  CHURCH  (12),  a  simple  gray 
stone  structure  with  white  trim.  The  building,  erected  in  1713,  was 
the  third  Baptist  edifice  in  Pennsylvania.  In  the  churchyard  are  a 
number  of  moss-grown  tombstones,  some  of  which  mark  the  graves 
of  Revolutionary  soldiers. 

The  road  descends  rather  steeply  to  CHADDS  FORD,  29.6  m. 
( 168  alt.  ;  200  pop. ) ,  a  quiet  rural  community  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Brandywine  Creek  and  at  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Brandywine  Battle- 
field. At  the  ford  is  the  old  CHADDS  FORD  INN  (13),  a  modernized 
wooden  structure  built  in  1737  ;  a  post  office  and  a  few  homes. 

One  hundred  yards  beyond  the  inn  is  a  junction  with  Brandywine 
Creek  Road,  which  this  route  follows,  R. 

This  macadam  road  leads  to  the  scene  of  action  in  the  Battle  of  the 
Brandywine.  Here  the  route  winds  along  the  creek,  through  the 
narrow  valleys  and  over  the  low  knolls  where  the  soldiers  of  a  young 
republic  faced  British  guns. 

This  tranquil  rustic  setting  holds  no  suggestion  of  the  roar  of 
cannon,  the  sharp  crackle  of  musketry,  yet,  here  the  ragged  Con- 
tinental Army  suffered  perhaps  its  most  decisive  defeat  of  the  war  — 
a  reverse  that  left  Philadelphia  open  to  British  occupation  in  the 
fall  of  1777. 

The  Baltimore  Pike,  a  direct  route  to  Philadelphia  from  his  land- 
ing place  on  Chesapeake  Bay,  was  the  objective  of  General  Howe  and 
his  army  of  18,000.  On  September  3,  1777,  he  began  his  march  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Elk  River  northward  through  a  countryside  teem- 
ing with  Tories.  One  of  his  two  columns  was  commanded  by  Lord 
Cornwallis,  the  other  by  the  Hessian,  General  Knyphausen. 

The  Supreme  Executive  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  upon  learning 

638 


To  BRAND YWINE  BATTLEFIELD  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  1) 

that  the  State  was  being  invaded,  had  issued  a  proclamation  calling 
upon  all  able-bodied  men  to  help  resist  "the  only  British  army  that 
remained  formidable  in  the  world."  Despite  the  council's  eloquent 
plea  for  reprisal  against  the  "wanton  ravages  and  brutal  butcheries 
perpetrated  in  New  Jersey  and  New  York,"  Washington  set  out  to 
meet  the  enemy  with  less  than  11,000  men. 

The  American  Army  took  position  behind  Red  Clay  Creek,  near 
Kennett  Square,  and  General  Maxwell's  light  infantry  was  sent  across 
the  creek  to  prepare  an  ambuscade.  Maxwell's  skirmishers  engaged 
the  British,  and  Howe's  troops  were  checked  temporarily,  but  by  Sep- 
tember 8  they  were  moving  forward  to  attack  Washington  himself 
and  to  turn  his  flank. 

By  a  dexterous  movement  on  the  night  of  September  9,  Washington 
fell  fack  to  Chadds  Ford  on  the  Brandywine,  established  strong  posi- 
tions on  the  hills  that  border  the  eastern  bank  of  the  stream,  and 
there  awaited  the  enemy.  The  next  morning  the  British  at  Red  Clay 
Creek  were  greatly  astonished  to  find  that  Washington  had  moved 
and  entrenched  himself  at  the  Brandywine.  Howe's  two  columns 
separated  at  Kennett  Square.  The  one  under  Cornwallis  moved  up 
Lancaster  Road  toward  the  forks  of  the  Brandywine  early  the  next 
day,  September  11.  The  other  column,  mainly  Hessians,  advanced  to 
Chadds  Ford.  A  thick  fog  blanketed  the  entire  countryside,  and  it 
was  extremely  difficult  to  recognize  friend  or  enemy  even  at  a  dis- 
tance of  several  feet. 

General  Greene's  division,  composed  of  the  brigades  of  Muhlen- 
berg  and  Weedon,  made  up  a  part  of  Washington's  left  wing.  Greene's 
division  was  held  in  reserve  and  Anthony  Wayne  commanded  the 
main  left  division.  Proctor's  artillery,  of  Wayne's  division,  completed 
it.  This  wing  occupied  the  hills  east  of  Chadds  Ford.  Composing 
the  right  wing  were  the  brigades  of  Sullivan,  Stirling,  and  Stephen, 
extending  along  the  Brandywine  to  a  point  above  the  forks.  General 
Armstrong  and  1,000  Pennsylvania  militia  held  Pyle's  Ford,  two  miles 
below  the  main  crossing. 

The  light  troops  of  General  Maxwell,  which  had  taken  part  in  the 
preliminary  skirmish,  were  stationed  west  of  the  creek  to  meet  the 
approaching  Hessians  under  Knyphausen.  When  the  latter  attacked, 
Maxwell,  skirmishing  every  inch  of  the  way,  was  pushed  to  the 
Brandywine's  banks,  where  he  was  joined  by  reinforcements.  With 
this  assistance  he  turned  upon  his  pursuers  and  drove  them  back  upon 
the  main  body  of  their  troops.  Then,  foreseeing  the  possibility  of 
being  flanked,  Maxwell  turned  back  across  the  stream  and  left  the 
west  bank  in  the  enemy's  possession. 

This  gave  Knyphausen  the  opportunity  to  set  his  artillery  in  posi- 
tion, and  the  bombardment  of  the  Americans  began.  The  main  object 
of  this  maneuver  was  to  divert  the  attention  of  Washington  and 

639 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

thereby  permit  the  unmolested  advance  of  Cornwallis  and  his  troops, 
now  approaching  the  scene  of  action  from  the  forks  of  the  creek. 
The  American  commander-in-chief,  quickly  sensing  the  significance 
of  this  strategy,  detailed  Sullivan  to  cross  the  Brandy  wine  from  above 
and  check  Cornwallis  first,  while  Washington  and  Greene  would  move 
forward  simultaneously  and  attack  Knyphausen. 

But  Sullivan  failed!  Cornwallis  came  down  upon  the  Americans 
and  had  almost  surrounded  Sullivan  before  that  general  was  aware  of 
peril.  In  this  skirmish  Lafayette  was  wounded,  but  he  continued  to 
fight  until  the  Continentals  retreated. 

Greene,  whose  advance  guard  had  crossed  at  Chadds  Ford,  in  keep- 
ing with  Washington's  plan,  was  recalled.  Taking  advantage  of  the 
fog,  Greene  began  one  of  his  famous  strategic  retreats,  pulling  the 
enemy  after  him  and  allowing  the  beleaguered  Americans  a  breathing 
spell.  Knyphausen,  is  spite  of  Proctor's  artillery,  crossed  directly  at 
Chadds  Ford  to  follow  Greene.  The  American  forces  under  Wayne 
fought  desperately  against  the  superior  enemy  until  compelled  to  re- 
tire. This  they  did  in  good  order,  as  soon  as  darkness  fell,  and  the 
British  advance  ceased. 

Washington  led  his  rallied  troops  in  a  rapid  march  for  four  miles 
from  the  scene  and  prevented  the  actual  surrounding  of  his  army  by 
the  opposing  forces.  Maxwell's  light  troops  lay  in  ambush  to  cover 
the  retreat,  and  as  the  twilight  faded,  a  slight  skirmish  took  place 
between  them  and  a  body  of  British  grenadiers.  This  action,  however, 
was  but  an  anti-climax  to  the  defeat  of  the  Continental  Army. 

The  estimated  loss  to  the  Americans  in  the  Battle  of  the  Brandy- 
wine  was  about  1,200  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners  ;  to  the  British, 
about  800. 

Right  on  Brandywine  Creek  Road  is  CHADDS  HOUSE  (R)  (14), 
an  old  stone  structure. 

At  32.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  Dilworthtown  Road  ;  R.  on  this  road. 

At  34.2  m.  (R)  at  a  crossroad  is  a  MARKER  (15)  that  records 
that  the  British  attack  upon  the  American  right  wing  under  Sullivan 
began  here. 

Here  the  route  turns  R.  to  the  LAFAYETTE  CEMETERY  (16), 
34.5  m.  where  stands  a  stone  obelisk  to  Lafayette,  and  another  to 
Brig.  Gen.  Casimir  Pulaski.  Both  were  erected  by  the  grandson  of  a 
soldier  who  served  under  Wayne  in  the  fight  at  this  spot.  A  stone  stile 
(R)  leads  into  the  wooded  grounds  of  the  BIRMINGHAM  MEET- 
INGHOUSE (17),  34.5  m.  Built  in  1763,  it  was  used  as  a  hospital 
after  the  battle. 

The  route  continues  past  the  meetinghouse. 

The  OCTAGONAL  SCHOOLHOUSE  (18),  34.5  m.  was  established 
in  1753  under  John  Forsythe,  who  became  the  first  headmaster 
of  Westtown  Boarding  School  (1799).  The  Octagonal  School,  scene 

640 


To  BRAND YWINE  BATTLEFIELD  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  1) 

of  the  bloodiest  fighting  on  the  Brandy  wine,  changed  hands  11  times 
in  45  minutes. 

At  the  schoolhouse,  retrace  on  Dilworth  town  Road  ;  at  36.8  m. 
the  route  turns  left  on  Brandywine  Creek  Road,  at  39.4  m.  is  a  junc- 
tion with  US  1.  The  route  turns  right  and  continues  westward,  on 
US  1  entering  Kennett  Township  at  40.1  m. 

The  township  was  erected  in  1705  from  part  of  a  30,000-acre  tract 
ceded  by  William  Penn  to  Sir  John  Fagg.  The  township  has  been 
immortalized  in  The  Story  of  Kennett  by  Bayard  Taylor,  distin- 
guished poet,  chronicler  of  Pennsylvania,  and  traveler,  who  was 
appointed  United  States  Minister  to  Germany  shortly  before  his 
death  in  1878. 

The  KENNETT  MEETINGHOUSE  (19),  at  40.1  m.  (R),  was 
erected  in  1707.  It  stands  in  a  grove  of  old  trees,  with  characteristic 
carriage  sheds  in  the  background. 

Right,  at  41.2  m.,  stands  the  ANVIL  TAVERN  (20),  now  a  private 
dwelling,  at  which  General  Knyphausen's  forces  encamped  on  Sep- 
tember 10,  1777. 

At  the  Anvil  Tavern  is  the  junction  with  an  unmarked  road. 
Right,   on   this   road  and   R.   at   second  fork  .8   m.   is   LONGWOOD 
GARDENS   (21),  the  estatq  of  Pierre  S.  duPont.   (Open  weekdays  11 
to  5;  admission  free;  first  and  third  Sun",  of  each  month,  admission 
50$). 

Among  its  attractions  is  a  $1,500,000  conservatory  housing  a  magnifi- 
cent display  of  plants  and  flowers.  Approximately  108,000  square  feet 
of  earth  is  under  glass. 

Longwood,  known  originally  as  Pierce's  Park,  was  conveyed  by  a 
grant  from  William  Penn  to  George  Pierce  in  1701.  The  permanent 
home  of  the  Pierce  family  was  built  there  in  1730  with  bricks  brought 
from  England.  The  original  structure,  which  now  forms  the  southern 
front  of  the  duPont  home,  contains  hand-hewn  roof  timbers  and 
floor  joists  which  have  withstood  the  elements  for  more  than  two 
centuries. 

The  estate  includes  more  than  1,000  acres,  of  which  800  are  under 
cultivation.  About  50  acres  have  been  made  into  a  nine-hole  golf 
course ;  15  more  acres  are  devoted  to  flower  gardens  and  lawns, 
while  many  more  are  covered  with  trees,  among  them  pines  planted 
by  the  Pierce  family  as  early  as  1800.  There  are  also  hemlocks  more 
than  100  years  old,  a  cucumber  magnolia  nearly  four  feet  in  diameter, 
and  a  number  of  bald  cypresses  brought  from  the  Dismal  Swamp 
of  Virginia  many  years  ago. 

The  Pierce  homestead  was  started  in  1725.  Since  passing  into  duPont 
possession,  each  generation  has  added  to  and  improved  the  gardens. 
The  most  distinctive  and  noticeable  object  in  the  gardens  is  the  cir- 
cular Clock  Tower,  flanked  by  pine  trees,  with  a  lake  in  front  and  a 
rocky  eminence  to  the  left. 

Every  15  minutes  the  clock  chimes  melodiously.  At  2  p.  m.  each 
day  in  clement  weather  the  fountains  are  set  into  play,  sending 
cascades  of  water  over  the  rocks.  Numerous  small  fountains  throw 
jets  of  water  into  the  air — jets  which,  caught  by  the  wind,  fall  in 
spray  into  a  blue  channel. 

641 


Octagonal   Schoolhouse 
Classes  ...   on  the  scene  of  a  bloody  battle 


Sproul  Observatory 
For  mental  scions  of  the  old  Chaldeans 


I 


To  BRANDYWINE  BATTLEFIELD  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  1) 

The  Conservatory  is  a  kaleidoscope  of  beauty.  New  and  startling  blends 
of  color  and  form  unfold  at  every  turn  in  the  aisles.  Vine-sheathed 
pillars  rise  to  the  lofty  glass  ceiling,  from  which  wide  shafts  of  sunlight 
slant  downward  on  clear  days  to  bathe  thousands  of  blooms  in  warmer 
color  and  transform  the  graceful  jets  of  fountains  into  showers  of  bril- 
liants. Subtle  perfumes  mingle  in  the  warm,  still  air,  and  the  profu- 
sion and  perfection  of  nature,  enriched  by  the  skill  of  man,  are 
everywhere  evident. 

In  one  wing  of  the  Conservatory  peaches  and  nectarines  are  seen 
apparently  growing  on  vines,  the  trees  having  been  trained  and  pruned 
so  that  all  of  their  branches,  laden  with  fruit  in  season,  spread  fan- 
wise  on  coarse  wire  trellises. 

Chairs  on  a  stone  terrace  overlooking  the  sunken,  formal  garden 
invite  leisurely  absorption  of  its  splendor. 

Next  in  interest,  during  those  seasons  when  the  species  it  contains 
are  blooming,  is  the  adjoining  Azalea  House,  where  in  addition  to 
many  varieties  of  azalea,  ranging  from  pure  white  through  salmon 
and  many  shades  of  pink  to  crimson,  are  displayed  huge  rhododen- 
drons and  a  comprehensive  collection  of  acacias. 

Below  the  broad  stone  terrace  in  front  of  the  greenhouses  is  the 
Electric  Fountain,  placed  in  operation  after  nearly  every  evening 
performance  at  the  Open-Air  Theatre,  about  1,000  feet  to  the  left. 
This  fountain  is  installed  in  a  beautiful  lawn  about  the  size  of  a 
city  square,  spotted  with  huge  clumps  of  boxwood  and  bordered 
front  and  back  with  boxwood  hedges  and  on  the  sides  with  double 
rows  of  maple  trees.  Spray  nozzles  are  arranged  in  pairs  in  the 
sides  of  a  wide  canal  behind  the  hedges,  and  around  each  pair  are 
grouped  10  waterproof  flood  lamps — two  each  of  red,  blue,  green, 
amber,  and  white.  Water  from  the  canal  overflows  down  a  flight  of 
stone  steps  and  divides  to  encircle  a  single  boxwood  bush  35  feet 
in  diameter  and  12  feet  high.  This  boxwood,  more  than  two  centuries 
old  and  valued  at  $2,000,  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  United  States. 
The  Open-Air  Theatre,  which  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  Pierce 
barn,  with  the  former  barnyard  for  its  auditorium,  employs  a  vine- 
covered  stone  wall  for  a  backdrop;  growing  hemlocks,  trimmed  flat 
on  two  sides,  for  its  wings;  and  a  line  of  closely  spaced  small  jets 
of  water,  rising  six  feet  and  rendered  opaque  by  strong  white  light 
from  the  wings,  for  a  curtain.  The  auditorium  will  seat  2,200  persons. 
The  Water  Garden,  some  distance  beyond  the  theatre,  was  laid  out 
by  Pierre  duPont  after  the  pattern  of  the  garden  at  the  Villa  Gam- 
beraia,  near  Florence,  Italy,  following  his  visit  to  the  villa  in  1925. 
It  consists  of  six  pools  in  a  rectangular  plot  of  lawn,  bordered  by 
fountains  and  trees,  with  an  observation  platform  occupying  the  place 
where  the  villa  is  situated  in  the  original  gardens. 
Four  of  the  pools  are  nearly  rectangular  in  form,  with  the  inner 
corners  cut  to  the  curve  of  a  circular  pool  in  the  center.  The  sixth 
pool  lies  at  the  farther  end  of  the  garden.  A  fountain  plays  in  the 
center  of  each  pool.  The  output  of  these  fountains  when  all  are  in 
operation  is  about  4,500  gallons  of  water  a  minute. 
The  estate  is  a  sizeable  village  in  itself.  Workers'  families  occupy 
80  tenant  houses  on  or  near  the  grounds,  and  single  employees  are 
quartered  in  dormitories  adjoining  the  greenhouses.  In  one  month 


643 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Longwood  consumes  about  30,000  kilowatt  hours  of  electric  current — 
enough  to  supply  an  average  family  for  40  years ;  150,000  cubic  feet 
of  gas,  which  would  cook  the  meals  of  one  family  for  5  years,  and 
more  than  1,000,000  gallons  of  water — a  10-year  supply  for  the  usual 
household. 

Employees  have  a  volunteer  fire  department,  a  gun  club,  and  base- 
ball team,  and  are  permitted  the  use  of  the  golf  course  and  tennis 
court. 

Longwood  received  its  present  name  from  the  "Long  Woods,"  as  the 
section  was  known  just  prior  to  the  Civil  War,  when  it  sheltered 
groups  of  Negro  slaves  fleeing  from  southern  plantations.  This  station 
on  the  "Underground  Railroad"  was  fostered  by  a  group  of  Quaker 
abolitionists  from  Kennett  Square,  Hamorton,  and  Wilmington,  Del. 

In  the  cemetery  adjoining  the  historic  LONGWOOD  MEETING- 
HOUSE (22),  on  the  right  at  413  m.  on  US  1,  is  a  cylindrical  stone 
marking  the  grave  of  Bayard  Taylor.  Here  the  road  enters  the  village 
of  Longwood. 

The  road  passes  over  Toughkennamon  Hill,  affording  a  fine  view 
of  the  rolling  hills  and  mica  schist  country  of  southern  Chester 
County,  and,  just  before  entering  Kennett  Square,  traverses  the  mush- 
room district  where  a  great  part  of  the  Nation's  supply  of  mushrooms 
is  grown.  Many  nurseries  of  this  edible  fungus  lie  within  sight  of 
the  road. 

KENNETT  SQUARE  (380  alt.  ;  3,091  pop.),  center  of  the  mush- 
room industry,  is  reached  at  44  m. 

In  the  environs  of  Kennett  Square  are  situated  the  SHIPPING 
PLATFORMS  (23),  at  44.2  m.,  where  mushrooms  destined  to  glorify 
steaks  from  Maine  to  California  begin  their  journeys.  Here,  in  the 
late  afternoon  of  every  weekday,  hundreds  of  crates  of  these  delicate 
morsels  are  loaded  on  trucks.  The  growing  of  mushrooms  in  the 
borough  was  condemned  as  a  nuisance  some  years  ago  because  of  the 
stench  caused  by  wetting  down  and  stirring  of  carloads  of  horse 
manure  used  in  the  production  of  ammonia,  which  is  essential  to  the 
cultivation  of  this  crop.  The  nurseries  and  greenhouses  are  now  con- 
fined to  the  environs  of  the  borough. 

On  South  Broad  Street  stands  the  BAYARD  TAYLOR  MEMORIAL 
LIBRARY  (24),  at  44.4  m.,  where  many  of  the  books,  paintings,  and 
drawings  of  the  author  are  displayed,  and  a  tablet  at  Station  and 
Union  Streets  marks  the  SITE  OF  TAYLOR'S  BIRTHPLACE  (25), 
at  44.5  m.  He  was  born  here  in  1825.  While  still  in  his  teens,  Taylor 
made  his  way  to  Europe,  virtually  without  funds.  His  Views  Afoot, 
or  Europe  Seen  with  a  Knapsack  and  Staff,  was  a  best  seller  before 
he  attained  his  majority.  At  21  he  was  publishing  a  newspaper  at 
Phoenixville,  and  at  22  he  joined  the  staff  of  the  New  York  Tribune. 
His  later  residence,  "Cedar-Croft,"  is  one  mile  south  of  Kennett 
Square. 

644 


To  BRAND YWINE  BATTLEFIELD  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  1) 

Retrace  on  US  1  to  Concordville  ;  R.  from  Concordville  on  US 
322  to  Village  Green  ;  R.  on  State  452  to  Marcus  Hook  ;  L.  on  US 
13. 

Here  the  tempo  changes,  and  the  whisper  of  history  is  lost  in  the 
roar  of  industry. 

MARCUS  HOOK,  64.8  m.  (20  alt.;  4,867  pop.),  lying  close  to  the 
edge  of  the  Delaware  River  and  once  a  quiet  boatbuilding  community, 
is  today  steeped  in  the  smelly  lifeblood  of  the  automotive  age  — 
gasoline  and  oil.  Refineries  and  huge  storage  tanks  of  the  Sun  Oil 
Co.,  the  Pure  Oil  Co.,  and  the  Sinclair  Refining  Co.  line  both  sides 
of  the  route.  The  odor  of  oil  is  heavy  on  the  air,  and  oily  vapors 
cling  at  times  to  the  windshields  and  windows  of  passing  automobiles. 
Flame-belching  stacks  and  ponderous,  complicated  refinery  equip- 
ment loom  against  the  sky. 

Land  in  what  is  now  Marcus  Hook  was  granted  by  Queen  Chris- 
tina of  Sweden  to  Capt.  Hans  Amundson  Besk  on  August  20,  1653. 
Although  Besk  never  took  up  the  grant,  the  region  was  settled  in  the 
ensuing  years  by  Swedes  and  Finns. 

In  a  later  patent  to  a  tract  of  1,000  acres  on  the  same  site,  dated 
1675  and  signed  by  Sir  Edmund  Andros,  governor  of  the  Duke  of 
York's  colony,  the  name  of  the  settlement  appeared  as  "Marreties 
Hoeck."  The  first  half  of  the  name,  sometimes  appearing  as  "Mar- 
retie's  Hoeck,"  or  "Maarte's  Hoeck,"  in  the  possessive  form,  was  be- 
lieved by  historians  to  refer  to  an  Indian  chief  residing  in  the  place. 
"Hoeck,"  from  the  Dutch,  signified  "a  corner,  point,  or  spit  of  land." 
The  combination  eventually  was  corrupted  into  Marcus  Hook. 

The  English,  on  their  arrival  in  1682,  changed  the  name  by  legal 
process  to  Chichester.  The  older  name  had  taken  root,  however,  and 
clung  to  the  town  in  defiance  of  their  legislation.  As  its  shipbuilding 
industry  sprang  up  and  flourished,  Marcus  Hook  threatened  to  rival 
Chester,  yielding  only  in  the  latter  part  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
when  the  evolution  of  larger,  ocean-going  vessels  found  its  facilities 
inadequate,  and  the  industry  moved  to  the  neighboring  city. 

According  to  tradition,  Marcus  Hook  in  the  late  seventeenth  and 
early  eighteenth  centuries  was  a  popular  rendezvous  for  Blackbeard 
and  other  notorious  pirates,  who  left  the  memory  of  their  noisy 
brawls  in  the  name  of  Discord  Lane. 

Beyond  the  refineries,  (R)  stands  the  huge  PLANT  OF  THE 
VISCOSE  COMPANY  (26),  one  of  the  largest  producers  of  rayon 
yarns,  occupying  one  and  a  quarter  million  square  feet  of  floor  space. 
An  experimental  laboratory  is  maintained  here,  and  from  this  oldest 
of  the  company's  six  plants  the  activities  of  its  20,000  employees  are 
directed. 

Another  great  industrial  company  in  Marcus  Hook  is  CONGO- 
LEUM-NAIRN,  INC.  (27),  at  Ridge  Road  and  Congoleum  Avenue. 

645 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  plant,  occupying  52  acres,  consists  of  42  brick  and  steel  buildings 
and  is  engaged  in  .the  manufacture  of  felt-base  floor  coverings  and 
linoleum. 

A  short  distance  beyond  the  Viscose  plant,  the  route  enters 
CHESTER,  67.8  m.  (22  alt.;  59,164  pop.),  formerly  called  Upland. 
This,  the  place  where  Penn  first  trod  Pennsylvania  soil,  is  today  one 
of  the  leading  industrial  cities  of  the  Commonwealth. 

In  Chester,  the  route  passes  by  or  near  great  factories  and  foundries 
manufacturing  a  wide  variety  of  products.  On  Highland  Avenue,  at 
Sixth  Street,  is  a  PLANT  OF  THE  GENERAL  STEEL  CASTINGS 
CO.  (28).  This  company  also  operates  plants  at  Delaware  Avenue 
and  Jeffrey  Street,  Chester,  and  at  Essington.  , 

At  the  foot  of  Market  Street,  a  few  blocks  to  the  right  of  the  route, 
are  the  MILLS  OF  THE  SCOTT  PAPER  CO.  (29).  The  large  as- 
sembly plant  of  the  FORD  MOTOR  CO.  (30)  is  situated  on  West 
Front  Street.  At  the  foot  of  Morton  Avenue  are  the  YARDS  OF  THE 
SUN  SHIPBUILDING  &  DRY  DOCK  CO.  (31).  The  plant  of  the 
ABERFOYLE  MANUFACTURING  CO.  (32),  makers  of  yarns  and 
textiles,  stands  at  Third  Street  and  Morton  Avenue. 

Leaving  Chester  on  State  291  the  route  enters  EDDYSTONE,  71.6 
m.  (19  alt.  ;  2,414  pop.),  passing  (L)  the  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE 
WORKS  (33). 

From  Eddystone  the  route  enters  ESSINGTON,  73.9  m.  (20  alt.  ; 
400  pop.),  and  turns  left  on  State  420.  The  LAZARETTO  stands 
(R)  (34)  on  a  site  now  occupied  by  the  New  Essington  School  of 
Aviation.  The  Lazaretto  is  a  simple,  red  brick  structure  of  late 
American  Georgian  design.,  The  square  central  section,  three  stories 
in  height,  is  topped  by  a  domed  cupola  surmounted  by  a  ball  and 
weather  vane.  The  two  side  wings  are  of  two  stories  with  dormers  in 
the  attic.  Flemish  bond  finishes  the  front  of  the  building,  and  an  open 
porch  with  Doric  columns  and  jig-saw  supporting  brackets  extends 
along  the  front. 

The  Lazaretto  was  devoted  to  use  as  a  quarantine  station  for  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania  from  1799  to  1895.  Ships  coming  up  the 
Delaware  were  met  by  the  quarantine  officers,  and  those  passengers 
suffering  from  contagious  diseases  were  removed. 

Title  to  the  Lazaretto  passed  to  the  Board  of  Health  of  Philadel- 
phia after  1895,  and  during  the  World  War  it  was  used  as  a  training 
school  for  aviators  by  the  Government.  After  the  war  it  was  leased 
by  the  city  to  a  group  who  ran  an  aviation  school,  and  its  subsequent 
history  has  been  closely  allied  with  the  development  of  aeronautics. 

From  Essington  the  road  follows  along  the  Delaware  River,  pass- 
ing through  Bow  Creek  and  Point  Breeze,  with  its  Goldbergian  maze 
of  oil  storage  tanks  and  pipes. 

At    Penrose    Ferry    Avenue    and    Island    Road,   79,7     m.,    is    the 

646 


I    !      ''.'  '•'".". 


Fort  Mifflin 
Strategic  stumblingblock  to  the  British 


Basking,  in  an  Olden  Glory 
Now  garrisoned  by  caretakers 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

MODEL  FARM  (35)  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  Upon  the  200  acres 
of  the  Model  Farm,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  bureau  of  city 
property,  the  superannuated  horses  of  the  police  department  and 
the  draught  horses  of  the  department  of  public  works  disport  them- 
selves in  equine  Elysian  Fields. 

At  80  m.  bear  R.  on  Magazine  Lane,  marked  with  a  sign  to  Fort 
Mifflin  80.6  m. 

FORT  MIFFLIN  (36)  (permission  to  visit  must  be  obtained  from 
U.  S.  Engineer  Department.,  Custom  House.)  The  upper  half  of  the 
Old  Fort  Mifflin  reservation  is  now  used  as  an  Army  Engineer  store- 
house, supply  depot,  repair  yard,  and  docking  base  for  floating  plant, 
and  the  lower  half  is  used  as  a  naval  ammunition  depot.  The  fortified 
section  of  the  fort  is  located  on  the  northern  half  of  the  reservation, 
and  is  important  as  the  scene  of  a  strategic  engagement  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  The  fort  during  that  period  guarded  the  waterways 
which  give  access  to  Philadelphia  from  the  south.  In  the  autumn  of 
1777,  when  British  forces,  advancing  by  land  and  sea,  menaced  the 
flickering  life  of  the  newborn  republic,  General  Washington  sent  to 
the  garrison's  handful  of  valiant  men  this  message  : 

"The  post  with  which  you  are  now  entrusted  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance to  America,  and  demands  every  exertion  of  which  you  are 
capable  for  its  security  and  defense." 

Washington's  reverse  at  Brandy  wine  on  September  11  had  opened 
for  the  British  an  unobstructed  path  to  Philadelphia  from  the  west. 
The  invading  troops,  commanded  by  Gen.  Sir  William  Howe,  marched 
into  the  city  on  September  26.  Denied  support  by  a  hostile  popula- 
tion, however,  Howe  found  his  position  untenable  without  the  war 
materials  and  food  that  could  be  supplied  only  by  the  British  fleet, 
whose  sole  means  of  access  to  the  city  lay  under  the  muzzles  of  Fort 
Mifflin's  guns. 

This  key  stronghold,  known  then  as  Mud  Fort,  occupied  the  south- 
western extremity  of  Mud  Island,  one  of  several  islands  formed  by 
alluvial  deposits  at  the  junction  of  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill 
Rivers,  approximately  seven  miles  from  Philadelphia's  central  section. 
Fort  Mifflin  had  a  garrison  of  about  300  men  and  20  cannon.  Eight 
of  the  guns  commanded  the  back  channel  between  the  island  and  the 
Pennsylvania  shore. 

The  British,  rather  than  subject  their  ships  to  the  fire  of  17  cannon, 
erected  batteries  on  Province  Island,  400  yards  from  Mud  Island  and 
somewhat  to  the  north,  where  artillery  could  be  trained  upon  the 
weakest  side  of  the  fort.  Construction  of  these  batteries  began  about 
October  12,  and  before  their  completion  a  raiding  party  from  the 
fort  attempted  to  take  them.  The  attack  failed  because  of  the  swampy 
land. 

648 


To  BRAND YWINE  BATTLEFIELD  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  1) 

On  November  10  the  British  guns  opened  a  final  assault  on  Fort 
Mifflin.  Cannon  on  floating  emplacements  subjected  the  fort  and  its 
defenders  to  a  withering  hail  of  shot — a  savage  cross-fire  from  250 
artillery  pieces.  For  six  days  and  nights  the  diminishing  garrison  held 
out,  with  earthworks  riddled,  guns  torn  from  their  mountings,  para- 
pets leveled,  and  enemy  ships  so  close  in  the  back  channel  that  hand 
grenades  tossed  from  their  topmasts  fell  at  the  feet  of  Fort  Minim's 
gun  crews.  Not  until  then  did  the  intrepid  defenders  abandon  their 
posts,  escaping  in  small  boats  to  Red  Bank  on  the  New  Jersey  side  of 
the  river. 

Fort  Mifflin  as  a  military  safeguard  for  Philadelphia  was  first  con- 
ceived by  the  British  Colonial  Administration  in  1762.  Ten  years 
later  the  task  of  drawing  up  plans  for  the  fort  was  begun.  The  Revo- 
lutionary War  broke  out  while  the  fort  was  still  under  construction, 
and  it  was  hastily  completed  in  1777  by  the  Committee  of  Safety, 
aided  by  the  Continental  Congress. 

As  originally  constructed,  the  fort  had  vertical  timber  palisades 
and  a  blockhouse  at  each  of  the  three  corners.  Only  the  moat  which 
surrounded  the  fort  remained  undamaged  by  British  fire.  Capt.  John 
Montressor  of  the  Royal  Engineers  participated  in  the  attack  which 
almost  demolished  the  structure. 

Fort  Mifflin  survives.  Its  battle  scars  healed  by  restoration,  it  re- 
mains a  monument  to  the  courage  of  its  nameless  heroes,  but  its 
armaments  are  gone,  and  now  its  "garrison"  consists  of  a  few  civilians 
from  a  neighboring  depot. 

The  fort  has  been  frequently  reconstructed.  The  Pennsylvania 
Assembly  appropriated  $5,000  for  that  purpose  as  early  as  1793.  Two 
years  later  the  State  ceded  it  to  the  Federal  Government,  and  it  was 
renamed  Fort  Mifflin  in  honor  of  Governor  Mifflin,  who  had  served 
as  Washington's  aide-de-camp.  In  1798  the  fort  was  rebuilt  of  stone 
after  the  plans  of  Major  Pierre  Charles  L'Enfant,  planner  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  and  work  was  carried  on  under  the  direction  of  Col. 
Louis  de  Toussard,  a  skilled  military  engineer,  who  had  served  with 
Lafayette. 

Behind  the  irregular  walls,  with  their  barbed  or  pointed  pro- 
jections, extending  600  feet  north  to  south,  and  475  feet  east  to  west, 
was  built  a  simple  but  interesting  group  of  structures.  The  com- 
mander's headquarters  in  the  center  of  the  group  are  in  a  one-story- 
and-attic  building  of  simple  classic  design,  with  regularly  spaced 
Doric  pilasters  on  all  sides  and  a  lookout  cupola  on  the  roof.  The 
barracks  nearby,  also  one-story-and-attic  in  height,  has  a  colonnaded 
porch  along  its  entire  front.  The  officers'  quarters  are  two  stories 
high,  a  full  length  two-story  colonnade  supporting  a  second-story 
balcony  which  has  a  wrought  iron  railing. 

The  hospital,   a  two-story  structure   with   Ionic   columns,   outside 

649 


JAUNTS  TO  THE  ENVIRON! 

TO    BRYN    ATHYN'S    CATHEDRAL 


AMERICAN  /         ATHYN 

GUIDE 
PENNSYLVANIA 


To  BRYN  ATHYN  CATHEDRAL  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  2) 

the  walls  (so  that  it  would  not  be  in  the  line  of  fire  during  bombard- 
ment), was  built  in  1812.  The  arsenal  was  added  in  1816,  and  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  the  present  brick  facings  of  the  ramparts 
were  installed,  replacing  the  old  wooden  ones.  The  white  of  the  cor- 
ner quoins  and  trim  of  the  gates  contrasts  with  the  red  brickwork. 
The  artillery  shed,  commissary  building,  and  blacksmith  shop  were 
constructed  during  the  Rebellion,  and  the  main  magazine  in  1867. 

Captured  Confederates  were  imprisoned  in  various  forts  along  the 
Delaware.  Some  of  Moseby's  celebrated  guerrillas  languished  for  a 
time  in  Fort  Mifflin's  five  dungeons.  These  subterranean  vaults  of  brick 
masonry  —  cold,  damp  sepulchres  penetrated  only  now  and  then  by 
vagrant  rays  of  sunlight  —  still  contain  the  double-tier  planks  that 
served  as  cots.  The  bakery,  15  ft.  by  80  ft.  in  size,  adjoins  the  dun- 
geons. It  still  has  the  two  ancient  brick  ovens  in  which  bread  was 
baked  in  times  of  siege  or  attack. 

In  1904  the  fort  was  dismantled  and  every  gun  removed.  It  fell 
into  partial  decay,  being  used  as  a  storehouse  by  the  Army's  engineer- 
ing department,  which  at  that  time  was  engaged  in  improving  the 
Delaware  River  and  its  tributaries.  In  1915,  an  Executive  order  de- 
clared the  fort  a  national  monument  and  placed  it  under  the  care  of 
the  United  States  Engineering  Department-at-large. 

Final  and  thorough  restoration  was  authorized  in  1930  by  the  War 
Department.  Col.  Earl  I.  Brown,  District  Engineer  of  the  United  States 
Army  Engineers,  renovated  all  the  buildings  both  inside  and  out.  The 
grounds  were  cleared  of  debris,  the  walls  repaired,  and  the  entire 
structure  restored,  so  that  today  the  fort  closely  resembles  that  rebuilt 
by  de  Toussard. 

Retrace  on   Magazine   Lane  ;   R.  on   Penrose   Ferry   Ave.,  which 
becomes  Moyamensing  Ave.  ;  L.  on  Broad  St.  to  City  Hall. 

CITY  HALL  TO  BRYN  ATHYN  CATHEDRAL 

Environs  Tours  2 

Route:  N.  on  Broad  St..  R.  on  Old  York  Rd.  at  66th  Ave.  Continue 
on  Old  York  Rd.  tearing  R.  at  Meeting  House  Lane  (just  beyond 
Elkin's  Park).  Continue  on  Meeting  House  Lane  (State  232)  to  Hunt- 
ingdon Valley.  Left  on  Paper  Mill  Rd.  to  Bryn  Athyn.  Round  trip — 
28.8  m. 

THIS  tour  traverses  fertile  farming  country  and  fine  residential 
communities,   passes   quaint   homes   reminiscent   of   old    Quaker 
settlement,  and  terminates  at  Bryn  Athyn    (Welsh,   hill  of  co- 
hesiveness),  center  of  Swedenborgianism  in  the  United  States. 

Elkins  Park,  on  the  route,  contains  many  luxurious  homes.  Beyond 
this  town  can  be  seen  clean,  whitewashed  farmhouses,  alternate  low 

651 


At  the  Swedenborgian  Cathedral 
Divinely  inspired,  it  grows  from  day  to  day 


To  BRYN  ATHYN  CATHEDRAL  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  2) 

hills  and  flat  country,  and  a  terrain  drained  by  occasional  brooks. 

The  beautiful  cathedral  stands  on  a  promontory  that  overlooks  a 
widespread  checkerboard  of  variegated  farm  land.  For  21  years  this 
edifice  has  been  under  construction,  and  although  today  it  is  not 
complete,  it  stands  out  as  an  architectural  landmark. 

This  shrine  is  the  realization  of  a  dream  long  cherished  by  mem- 
bers of  the  General  Church  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  or  Swedenborgians, 
of  whose  faith  it  is  to  be  an  architectural  symbol. 

Followers  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  Swedish  doctor  of  philosophy 
who  turned  to  religion  in  1743  as  the  apostle  of  a  new  dispensation, 
call  themselves  New  Jerusalem  churchmen.  Their  doctrines  teach  that 
the  spiritual  world  being  the  real  one,  the  Sacred  Scriptures  reveal 
it  ;  the  important  service  of  Swedenborg  is  in  the  disclosures  con- 
cerning the  Word. 

The  symbolism  of  the  Swedenborgian  church  differs  widely  from 
that  traditionally  used  in  Christian  churches.  Instead  of  using  sym- 
bols and  emblems  to  represent  the  various  phases  of  dogmatic  theol- 
ogy or  to  depict  sacred  personages,  the  General  Church  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  had  developed  a  symbolism  which  is  applied  to  the 
"Science  of  Correspondences,"  in  the  writings  of  Emanuel  Sweden- 
borg. 

The  Bryn  Athyn  Cathedral,  in  consonance  with  this  new  symbolism, 
represents  the  "inward  form,"  that  is,  the  mind  of  man  rather  than 
the  external  form  represented  by  the  shape  of  man's  body.  The  major 
divisions  of  the  cathedral,  in  turn,  are  symbolic  of  the  degrees  of  life 
in  man.  The  inmost  mind  is  represented  by  the  sanctuary  ;  the  inter- 
nal mind  by  the  chancel  ;  and  the  external  mind  by  the  nave. 

Plans  for  the  cathedral  were  discussed  shortly  before  the  turn  of 
the  century.  The  dream  of  erecting  it  moved  a  step  nearer  realization 
in  1908,  when  John  Pitcairn  donated  $30,000  to  the  building  fund. 
The  cornerstone  was  laid  in  1914. 

By  the  will  of  John  Pitcairn,  the  project  received  a  bequest  of  an 
additional  large  sum  of  money,  thus  permitting  completion  of  the 
main  church  building,  dedicated  in  1919.  Following  Pitcairn's  death, 
his  son,  Raymond,  directed  the  construction  of  the  edifice,  whose 
main  body  is  fourteenth  century  English  Gothic  and  the  choir  chapel 
twelfth  century  Romanesque.  Raymond  Pitcairn  has  spared  neither 
time  nor  money  in  the  work  of  erecting  the  cathedral,  which,  it  is 
estimated,  may  not  be  completed  for  another  50  years. 

Methods  used  in  the  building  of  this  structure  differ  from  the  ac- 
cepted, modern  procedure.  Some  parts  of  the  buildings  and  all  deco- 
rative pieces  are  finished  by  hand.  Models  are  made  on  the  scene  by 
designers  and  craftsmen  in  stone,  metal,  glass,  and  wood.  Each  process 
and  individual  part  is  carefully  inspected  at  each  step.  Granite  used 

653 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

in  its  construction  comes  from  a  nearby  quarry,  and  its  timber  from 
adjacent  woodlands. 

At  present,  the  group  of  buildings,  in  harmonious  design,  consists 
of  three  sections  —  the  church,  the  council,  and  the  choir  rooms.  A 
handsome,  square-pinnacled  tower,  rising  to  a  height  of  150  feet  above 
the  crossing,  dominates  the  group.  Cram,  Goodhue  &  Ferguson,  archi- 
tects of  the  Cathedral  of  St.  John  the  Divine  in  New  York  City,  de- 
signed Bryn  Athyn  Cathedral. 

The  building  is  of  granite  with  yellow,  red,  green,  and  gray  tints, 
giving  the  exterior  a  tone  of  warmth.  The  trim  is  of  white  Kentucky 
limestone.  The  use  of  these  materials  in  both  the  Gothic  and  Roman- 
esque parts  helps  to  unify  the  structure. 

The  west  or  main  facade  consists  of  a  porch  of  three  bays  between 
buttresses,  with  a  lofty  window  above.  Within  the  main  (but  tem- 
porary) door,  with  exquisite  monel  metal  hinges,  is  the  narthex,  also 
with  three  bays,  and  three  arches  supporting  the  balcony  above.  The 
nave,  five  bays  in  length,  is  lighted  by  the  great  west  window,  by  the 
five  clerestory  windows  on  each  side  and,  below,  by  the  light  from 
the  side  aisles. 

Above  the  arches  of  the  tower,  doubled  on  the  transept  sides,  are 
small  colored  lancet  windows,  two  on  each  side.  The  ceiling  of  the 
tower  is  70  feet  from  the  floor. 

The  chancel  is  divided  into  three  sections,  each  receding  section 
rising  three  steps.  The  third  section,  the  sanctuary,  has  lofty  windows 
on  three  sides,  below  which  are  21  stone  arches.  The  ceiling  of  the 
sanctuary  is  of  stone  supported  by  stone  ribs.  A  temporary  altar  over- 
laid with  gold  is  surrounded  by  seven  tall,  gilded  candelabra.  A 
monel  metal  screen  between  four  arches  separates  the  south  transept 
from  the  chapel.  The  windows,  warm  in  color,  except  for  the  pre- 
dominant blue  of  the  sanctuary,  are  exceptionally  fine. 

An  aisle  leads  from  the  south  transept  through  the  fine  Ezekiel 
tower  room,  with  its  two  rose  windows,  into  the  council  building, 
both  the  building  and  the  tower  being  of  simple  twelfth  century  de- 
sign. The  council  hall,  with  its  high,  steep,  oak-beamed  ceiling,  a  rose 
window  in  the  west  wall  and  triple  lancet  windows  that  light  the  east 
wall,  is  notable  for  its  stone  carvings.  A  winding  staircase  with  a  metal 
railing  leads  to  the  undercroft.  The  lancet  windows  of  the  stairs 
are  an  interesting  feature  of  the  exterior  of  the  building. 

Broad,  white-plastered  surfaces,  heavy  stone  trim  and  huge  oak 
beams  of  the  choir  hall  give  it  an  air  of  extreme  simplicity.  The 
delightful  irregularity  of  line  and  planes  is  probably  best  illustrated 
in  the  shape  of  this  room  and  the  completed  portion  of  the  cloister 
on  the  outside  of  its  western  wall. 

Among  contemplated  future  additions  to  the  cathedral  are  the 
extension  of  the  western  facade,  with  the  addition  of  two  towers  ;  the 

654 


To  BRYN  ATHYN  CATHEDRAL  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  2) 

heightening  of  the  tower  at  the  crossing  ;  the  completion  of  the  choir 
building  and  the  cloister  ;  and  the  placing  of  mosaics  in  the  arches 
and  vaulting  of  the  tower  room. 

The  Academy  of  the  New  Church  is  near  the  cathedral.  The  presi- 
dent of  the  academy  is  also  bishop  of  the  General  Church  of  the  New 
Jerusalem.  The  institution  consists  of  four  schools,  a  library,  and  a 
publication  office. 

A    Vaulted  Portico   of   the   Swedenborgian   Cathedral, 
From  surrounding  hills  the  stones  were  hewn 


tit 


1.  Latham    Park 

2.  Melrose   Academy 

3.  A  Bronze  Tablet 

4.  Old    York    Road 
Country  Club 

5.  Abington  Library 

6.  Baederwood    Golf 
Course 

7.  Abington    Presby- 
terian Church 

8.  Abington    Presby- 
terian Cemetery 

9.  Abington     Memo- 
rial Hospital 

10.  Old  Forge  Inn 

11.  Fountain   Hotel 

12.  Willow    Grove 
Park 

13.  Mineral       Springs 
Hotel 

14.  Horsham    Friends 
Meetinghouse 

15.  Pitcairn    Autogiro 
Company 

16.  Graeme   Park 

17.  Union  Library 

18.  Crooked    Billet 
Tavern 

19.  Crooked    Billet 
Monument 

20.  Site    of    Log    Col- 
lege 

21.  Presbyterian 
Church    of    Ne- 
shaminy 

22.  Robbins  House 
23    Museum   of   the 

Bucks  County  His- 
torical   Society 

24.  Fountain  House 

25.  Fonthill 

26.  General  Greene 
Inn 

27.  Buckingham  Meet- 
inghouse 

28.  Buttonwood  Inn 

29.  Catalpa  Inn 

30.  Solebury    Baptist 
Church 

31.  Union  Paper  Mill 

32.  Thompson-Neely 
House 


JAUNTS  TO  THE  ENVIRONS 

ROADS  OF  ROMANCE  IN  BUCKS  COUNTY 


33.  Bowman's    Hill 
Observation 
Tower 

34.  Washington  Cross- 
ing State  Park 


35.  Washington  Cross- 
ing Inn 

36.  Old    Newtown 
Presbyterian 
Church 


37.  Southampton  I 
list  Meetingho 

38.  Rydal  Country 
Club 


To  NEW  HOPE 

And  Washington  Crossing 
Environs  Tour  3 

Philadelphia  —  Jenkintown  —  Abington  —  Willow  Grove  —  Hat- 
boro  — •  Doylestown  —  New  Hope  —  Washington  Crossing  —  New- 
town  —  Bryn  Athyn  —  Philadelphia.  84.8  m,  USS  611  ;  State  233 
263,  202,  32,  632,  332,  and  232.  Round  trip  84.8  m. 

The    Reading    and    Pennsylvania    Railroads    parallel    the    route    at 
intervals. 
Roadway  paved  throughout. 

THE  route  traverses  a  region  rich  in  productive  soil,  historical 
associations,  scenic  beauty,  and  picturesque  hamlets.  Across  the 
Philadelphia  County  Line  the  highway  enters  Montgomery 
County,  and,  following  roads  laid  over  the  course  of  old  Indian  trails, 
describes  a  rough  circle,  through  Bucks  County  to  the  artists'  colony 
at  New  Hope  and  back  to  Philadelphia. 

North  from  City  Hall  on  Broad  St.  ;  R.  on  Old  York  Rd.  (US  611) 
just  beyond  Sixty-sixth  Ave. 

Crossing  CITY  LINE  at  7.9  m.,  the  route  enters  an  area,  the  rural 
aspects  of  which  are  steadily  being  transformed  by  real  estate  de- 
velopments. Tracks  of  the  P.  R.  T.  trolley  system  follow  the  highway 
as  far  as  Willow  Grove. 

At  8.2  m.  an  elaborately  designed  iron  gateway  (L)  frames  the  en- 
trance to  LATHAM  PARK  (1)  (open).  Fine  homes  line  the  wide 
parkway  which  cuts  through  the  center  of  this  skillfully  landscaped 
development.  Just  beyond  the  west  end  of  the  park  is  a  settlement 
known  as  La  Mott,  a  corruption  of  the  name  of  Lucretia  Mott,  famous 
abolitionist  and  advocate  of  women's  rights,  who  lived  in  this  vicinity. 

MELROSE  ACADEMY  (2),  a  large  brownstone  building  hous- 
ing a  school  for  girls,  surmounts  a  low  hill  at  8.4  m.  (R) . 

ELKINS  PARK,  9  m.  (175  alt.,  314  pop.),  is  one  of  the  suburban 
developments  which  sprang  up  in  1927.  A  number  of  fine  homes  set 
in  wide,  tree-shaded  lawns  line  the  route  as  it  approaches  the  com- 
pact business  section.  The  original  name,  Shoemakertown,  was 
changed  to  Ogontz  by  Jay  Cooke,  who  laid  out  a  large  estate  here. 
Although  officially  Elkins  Park,  the  name  Ogontz  is  quite  commonly 
used. 

A  BRONZE  TABLET  (3),  set  in  stone  on  a  lawn  (L)  at  9.3  m., 
marks  the  site  of  the  first  religious  meeting  "hereabout."  What  is 
now  known  as  the  Abington  Meeting  of  the  Society  of  Friends  was 
held  here  in  1683. 

Beyond  Elkins  Park  the  highway  is  flanked  by  large  walled  and 

657 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

hedged  estates,  among  them  Lindenhurst,  the  old  Wanamaker  prop- 
erty. This  102-acre  estate,  now  owned  by  Henry  W.  Breyer,  ice  cream 
manufacturer,  was  once  a  show  place,  but  the  mansion  is  unoccupied 
and  the  grounds  show  signs  of  neglect. 

At  10.2  m.  the  route  enters  JENKINTOWN  (211  alt.  ;  4,797  pop.), 
named  for  Stephen  Jenkins,  an  early  Welsh  settler.  A  few  hundred 
yards  farther  (R)  is  the  OLD  YORK  ROAD  COUNTRY  CLUB  (4) 
(private).  Much  of  the  acreage  of  this  18-hole  course  is  hidden  by  a 
high,  thick  hedge  which  parallels  the  highway.  At  10.5  m.  is  the  busi- 
ness section  of  this  community. 

At  10.8  m.  (within  the  Jenkintown  limits),  is  the  ABINGTON 
LIBRARY  (R)  (5),  housed  partly  in  the  original  building  of  the 
Jenkins  Town  Lyceum.  The  lyceum  was  built  in  1839,  the  same  year 
the  society  was  founded  for  the  purpose  of  holding  debates  and  giv- 
ing lectures.  The  Abington  Library  Company,  organized  in  1803, 
moved  into  the  lyceum  building  in  1910.  A  fine  collection  of  Pennsyl- 
vaniana  is  included  among  the  25,000  volumes  contained  in  the  li- 
brary. 

When  the  library  company  purchased  the  building,  two  wings,  in 
the  Classic  Revival  style  of  the  original,  were  added.  A  rear  arm  was 
erected  in  1913.  The  structure  is  of  white,  stuccoed  local  stone  set 
back  in  a  maple-studded  lawn.  The  front  pediment  of  Roman  Doric 
design,  is  supported  by  four  unfluted  white  columns. 

At  11.2  m.  the  highway  crosses  a  bridge  over  the  Reading  Railroad 
tracks.  At  11.3  m.  a  dense  hedge  (R)  borders  the  Old  York  Road 
side  of  the  18-hole  BAEDERWOOD  GOLF  COURSE  (6).  This  is 
a  public  daily-fee  course. 

A  real  estate  development  is  passed  at  11.7  m.  just  before  entering 
ABINGTON  11.9  m.  (340  alt.  ;  2,000  pop.).  The  lawn-flanked  dwel- 
lings of  Abington  (founded  in  1714  and  named  for  the  Abington 
Friends  Meeting  in  England)  are,  in  general,  typical  of  the  pros- 
perous suburb. 

At  12  m.  are  the  ABINGTON  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  (7) 
(L)  and  (R)  the  ABINGTON  PRESBYTERIAN  CEMETERY  (8). 
The  congregation  was  organized  in  1714,  and  in  1719  a  log  church 
was  built.  This  was  replaced  by  a  more  substantial  structure  in  1793. 
The  present  ivy-covered  stone  edifice  was  erected  in  1863.  It  has  a 
spire  which  rises  from  the  ground. 

Within  a  low  stone  wall  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  is  the 
cemetery.  A  number  of  the  graves  date  from  the  1720's,  but  time 
and  the  elements  have  rendered  many  of  the  inscriptions  illegible.  A 
huge  tulip  tree  graces  the  front  of  the  graveyard. 

The  ABINGTON  MEMORIAL  HOSPITAL  (9)  (L),  at  12.2  m.  is 
a  modern  adaptation  of  Georgian  Colonial  architecture,  this  group 
of  connected  units  of  red  brick  laid  in  Flemish  bond  is  set  back  in  a 

658 


Robbiris  House 
'A  young  French  soldier  came  to  aid — .' 


Old  Forge  Inn 
Welcome  after  a  weary  trip  by  stage 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

wide,  carefully  tended  lawn.  The  central  unit  is  dominated  by  a  por- 
tico of  four  piers  of  marble.  A  delicate  cupola  rises  above  the  roof. 
Incorporated  in  1913,  the  first  buildings  were  erected  in  1914  ;  addi- 
tions were  made  in  1919  and  in  1929.  There  are  234  beds. 

OLD  FORGE  INN  (10),  built  in  1803,  is  at  12.5  m.  (R).  The 
white-plastered  stone  walls  of  this  two-story-and-attic  building  are 
emphasized  by  green  shutters.  The  porches  fronting  the  first  and 
second  stories  are  recent  additions. 

Just  beyond  the  inn  a  wide  pasture  spreads  away  to  the  right  with 
a  small  wood  in  the  distance. 

The  route  tops  a  rise  at  13  m.  and  descends  a  gentle  slope,  pass- 
ing a  number  of  small,  neat  homes  to  the  right  and  left  and  affording 
a  fine  vista  straight  ahead. 

A  number  of  inns  were  established  in  the  early  eighteenth  century 
as  stopping  points  for  coaches  on  the  stage  routes  which  converged 
here  in  their  course  between  Philadelphia  and  northern  points.  One 
of  these,  FOUNTAIN  HOTEL  (11),  also  known  as  the  McAvoy 
House  (R),  where  the  road  enters  the  business  section,  has  been 
altered  but  little  since  its  erection  in  1717.  This  two-story-and-attic 
structure  with  white-plastered  stone  walls  stands  at  the  edge  of  the 
roadway.  Stage  passengers,  no  doubt,  were  able  to  step  from  the 
coach  to  the  first-floor  porch.  At  about  roof  level  of  the  old  four- 
wheelers  is  a  second-floor  veranda. 

WILLOW  GROVE  14.2  m.  (284  alt.  ;  2,065  pop.)  settled  in  1719, 
is  a  community  of  frame,  bungalow-type  dwellings  built  around 
WILLOW  GROVE  PARK  (12),  one  of  Pennsylvania's  largest 
amusement  parks. 

At  one  time  this  community  was  known  as  Red  Lion  after  an 
earlier  inn  of  that  name.  The  present  name  was  taken  from  the 
willow  trees  which  abound  in  and  about  the  park. 

MINERAL  SPRING  HOTEL  (13)  (R),  at  14.4  m.,  the  junction 
of  US  611  and  State  263,  is  a  yellow-painted  structure  of  stuccoed 
stone.  This  inn,  established  in  1803,  depended  for  its  patronage 
largely  on  those  attracted  by  the  mineral  waters  of  its  excellent 
spring. 

Opposite  the  hotel  is  the  entrance  to  WILLOW  GROVE  PARK 
(L)  (season  runs  from  Decoration  Day  to  Labor  Day).  Opened  in 
1896,  the  park  offered  band  concerts  in  addition  to  the  standard 
amusement  park  activities.  The  concerts  rapidly  increased  the  popu- 
larity of  the  park,  and  it  was  not  long  before  famous  bands  and  sym- 
phony orchestras  were  being  presented  in  the  open-air  concert  shell. 
Among  the  bands  and  orchestras  which  appeared  here  year  after 
year  were  those  of  such  notable  directors  as  Sousa,  Damrosch, 

660 


To  ARTISTIC  NEW  HOPE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  3) 

Creatore,  Pryor,  and  Herbert.  Since  the  latter  part  of  the  1920's 
the  stage  of  the  pavilion  has  been  devoted  to  a  variety  of  purposes. 

The  100-acre  grounds  contain  all  the  usual  amusements  found  in 
such  parks.  Boats  are  rented  for  use  on  the  large  artificial  lake.  One 
of  the  attractions  is  the  John  Philip  Sousa  Memorial  Fountain  in  the 
center  of  the  lake.  The  fountain  is  turned  on  nightly  during  the 
season. 

Left  at  fork  on  US  611.  The  route  traverses  a  productive  farming 
area. 

HORSHAM,  18.4  m.  (250  alt.  ;  800  pop.),  is  a  farming  community 
with  unpainted  frame  dwellings  clustering  around  a  crossroad.  Here 
(R)  is  the  HORSHAM  FRIENDS  MEETINGHOUSE  (14),  built  in 
1803  to  house  a  meeting  founded  in  1716.  The  house  is  of  brown 
local  stone  ;  the  doors  and  shutters  are  painted  white.  It  consists  of 
two  stories  and  attic  and  is  flanked  on  three  sides  by  a  wide,  covered 
walk,  paved  with  flagstones.  A  low  wall  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
road  encloses  the  burial  ground. 

The  white-painted  hangar  and  the  spacious  landing  field  of  the 
PITCAIRN  AUTOGIRO  COMPANY  (15)  are  (L)  at  19.1  m.  The 
late  Juan  de  la  Cierva,  inventor  of  the  autogiro,  conducted  much  of 
his  experimental  work  here. 

At  19.5  m.  is  a  junction  with  a  macadam  road. 

Left  on  this  road  is  DAVIS  GROVE,  0.8  m.,  a  delightful  nineteenth 
century  crossroads  village.  On  the  far  right  corner  of  the  cross- 
roads is  the  home  of  Morris  Penrose,  member  of  the  family  that 
occupied  Graeme  Park  from  1801  to  1920.  Proceed  straight  through 
Davis  Grove  to  GRAEME  PARK  (16),  1.8  m.,  onetime  estate  of 
Sir  Walter  Keith,  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  from  1717  to  1726. 
A  tract  of  1,200  acres  was  purchased  by  Sir  William  Keith  in  1718 
for  £500.  Here  in  the  woods  the  governor  built  a  stately  stone  manor 
house  of  three  stories,  surmounted  by  a  gambrel  roof  with  dormer 
windows.  Its  walls,  two  feet  thick,  are  constructed  of  brown  field 
stone.  The  extreme  narrowness  of  the  windows  and  doors  is  a  notable 
feature.  The  house,  unoccupied  and  virtually  unfurnished,  offers  a 
well-preserved  example  of  Georgian  Colonial  architecture. 
The  interior,  with  its  paneled  walls,  massive  fireplaces,  and  high 
ceilings  is  sophisticated  for  so  early  a  country  residence  in  this 
region.  In  Spring,  windows  opening  on  the  back  lawn  frame  gay 
masses  of  golden  daffodils. 

Within  this  now  deserted  mansion  Governor  Keith  entertained  royally. 
In  front  of  the  house  is  S'ir  William's  "lifting-stone,"  a  large  mush- 
room-shaped boulder  which  he  used  to  test  the  strength  of  slaves 
before  purchasing  them.  A  portion  of  the  wall  of  the  old  slave 
quarters  still  stands  near  the  house. 

The  road  from  Horsham  Meeting  to  Willow  Grove,  now  part  of  the 
Doylestown  Pike,  was  built  by  the  Province  for  Sir  William's  use. 
In  1726  Sir  William  fell  at  odds  with  the  Proprietary  Government 
and  was  removed  from  office.  He  retired  to  his  estate,  and  in  the 

661 


**F*sWJr  -*    : 

^1 


Friends'  Meeting  House  at  Horsham 
Sunday  worship  once  filled  the  shed  with  carriages 

Keith  House   at  Graeme  Park 
Memories   of  Eighteenth   Century   splendor 


To  ARTISTIC  NEW  HOPE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  3) 

following  year  returned  to  England.  The  expense  of  maintaining  his 
Pennsylvania  estate  and  his  many  charities  soon  exceeded  his  income, 
and  he  was  twice  imprisoned  for  debt,  dying  in  the  Old  Bailey  in 
1749. 

Graeme  Park  and  the  Keith  House  were  conveyed  in  1737  to  Dr. 
Thomas  Graeme,  who  had  married  Sir  William's  stepdaughter  ;  and 
during  the  period  that  followed,  Benjamin  Franklin  and  John  and 
Thomas  Penn  were  among  the  many  leaders  of  the  Colony  to  be 
entertained  there.  Dr.  Graeme  bequeathed  the  property  to  his  daughter, 
Elizabeth  Graeme  Fergusson,  who  was  its  occupant  during  the  Revo- 
lution. 

In  October  1777,  when  his  forces  encamped  nearby,  Washington 
was  graciously  welcomed  to  the  house  of  Mistress  Fergusson,  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  her  husband  had  enlisted  under  British  colors. 

Retrace  on  US  611  to  road  just  above  Horsham.  Continue  on 
this  road  to  Hatboro. 

At  HATBORO  (239  alt.;  2,651  pop.),  ancient,  frame  houses 
flank  the  broad,  modern  highway  which  the  route  now  traverses. 
The  name  is  derived  from  the  fact  that  one  of  the  early  industries 
was  the  manufacture  of  hats. 

UNION  LIBRARY  (17),  243  S.  York  Road  (open  daily  10  to  12 
and  2  to  5:30  ;  Sat.  10  to  5:30  ;  Tues.  and  Fri.  evenings,  7  to  9), 
founded  in  1755,  is  the  third  oldest  in  Pennsylvania.  Built  in  1849, 
the  one-story  structure,  of  white-stuccoed  local  stone,  is  in  the 
Greek  Revival  style. 

At  the  northern  end  of  the  town  is  the  old  CROOKED  BILLET 
TAVERN  (18)  (R),  now  a  private  dwelling.  The  CROOKED 
BILLET  MONUMENT  (19),  at  22.1  m.  (R),  was  erected  to  com- 
memorate the  Revolutionary  skirmish  near  here  in  which  30 
American  soldiers  were  slain. 

The  monument,  of  white  marble  on  a  base  of  gray  granite,  stands 
in  a  small,  square  grass  plot  above  the  level  of  the  roadway.  A  red 
sandstone  wall  supports  the  front  of  the  embankment,  and  steps  lead 
up  to  the  monument. 

With  a  detachment  of  50  men,  Gen.  John  Lacey  had  been  detailed 
to  protect  American  and  harass  British  supply  trains  in  this  region. 
Seriously  hampered  by  Lacey's  activities,  the  British  dispatched  a 
force  of  700  infantry  and  cavalry  to  the  section.  On  May  1,  1778,  the 
British  surrounded  and  attacked  Lacey's  men.  Seventeen  were 
wounded  in  addition  to  those  killed. 

Beyond  the  monument,  dwellings  are  few.  At  22.7  m.  a  white 
board  marker  (L)  indicates  the  way  to  the  actual  scene  of  the 
Crooked  Billet  massacre. 

At  the  intersection  with  State  132  in  WARMINSTER,  24.2  m. 
(300  alt.  ;  131  pop.),  is  a  stone  tablet  (L)  marking  the  spot  where 
John  Fitch  is  reputed  to  have  "conceived  the  idea  of  the  first 

663 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

steamboat."  Part  of  the  inscription  reads  :  "He  (Fitch)  ran  a  hoat 
with  side  wheels  by  steam  on  a  pond  below  Davisville,  in  1785." 
The  marker  is  placed  in  front  of  a  gasoline  station. 

A  monument  at  24.6  m.  (R),  consisting  of  three  bronze  tablets 
mounted  on  a  granite  stone,  marks  the  SITE  OF  LOG  COLLEGE 
(20).  In  October  1727  Rev.  William  Tennent,  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 
man, built  the  log  cabin  which  became  known  as  Log  College.  The 
college  was  discontinued  20  years  later,  when  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian synod  united  in  the  organization  of  the  "College  of  New  Jer- 
sey at  Elizabeth  Town."  The  latter  is  the  present  day  Princeton  Uni- 
versity. 

The  middle  panel  of  the  monument  bears  a  bas-relief  of  Log  Col- 
lege and  an  inscription.  The  panels  on  either  side  list  the  names  of 
the  63  colleges  of  which  Log  College  is  said  to  be  the  progenitor. 
Among  them,  in  addition  to  Princeton,  are  Washington  and  Jefferson, 
Illinois,  and  Lafayette. 

At  25.5  m.  (L)  is  the  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  OF  NE- 
SHAMINY  (21),  erected  in  1842  for  a  congregation  founded  in  1710. 
The  building,  set  back  in  a  spacious  lawn,  is  of  red  sandstone  stucco 
covered.  Four  Tuscan  columns  which  rise  from  a  sandstone  base 
support  a  wooden  pediment.  A  double  doorway  opens  from  a  wide 
portico.  On  either  side  are  four  long  windows  each  containing  three 
sashes. 

Splendid  vistas  on  either  side  are  afforded  at  several  points  be- 
tween HARTSVILLE,  25.6  m.  (250  alt.  ;  300  pop,),  and  the  ROBBINS 
HOUSE  (22)  (known  also  as  the  Moland  house  and  the  Bothwell 
house,  for  its  various  owners).  This  two-story-and-attic  stuccoed  stone 
dwelling,  (R)  at  26.2  m.,  which  was  used  as  a  headquarters  by  Wash- 
ington from  August  10  to  August  23,  1777,  was  built  in  1763.  On  the 
side  of  the  house  facing  the  road  is  a  marker  commemorating  Wash- 
ington's occupancy  and  relating  that  "here  the  Marquis  De  Lafayette 
first  joined  the  Army."  The  grounds  around  the  house  are  graced  by 
a  number  of  huge  silver  and  Norway  maples. 

As  the  route  passes  through  a  slight  cut  at  26.6  m.  several  veins  of 
sandstone  (R)  are  noticeable.  This  outcropping  is  an  indication  of 
the  reason  for  the  prevalence  of  sandstone  structures  in  this  region. 
The  sandstone  in  most  places  is  but  a  few  feet  beneath  the  surface. 

At  JAMISON,  27.6  m.  (1,071  alt.  ;  93  pop.),  a  settlement  on  a  high 
ridge,  is  a  junction  with  State  152.  Left  on  this,  State  152.  The  high- 
way cuts  through  fertile  farm  land  to  US  611.  Right  on  US  611,  which 
follows  a  winding  course. 

DOYLESTOWN,  32.8  m.  (355  alt.;  4,577  pop.),  is  the  seat  of 
Bucks  County,  one  of  the  three  original  counties  into  which  Penn 
divided  his  Province.  The  town,  originally  settled  simultaneously 
by  various  national  groups,  is  the  center  of  a  rich  dairying  and 

664 


To  ARTISTIC  NEW  HOPE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  3) 

farming  area.  The  name  is  derived  from  the  Doyle  tavern,  which 
was  a  stopping  place  for  the  Philadelphia-Easton  stagecoach. 

Numerous  old  but  well-preserved  frame  houses,  guarded  by  paling 
fences  and  surrounded  by  aged  trees,  lend  an  air  of  old-fashioned 
charm  to  the  town's  side  streets. 

Visible  through  the  trees,  (R)  before  reaching  the  business 
center,  is  the  MUSEUM  OF  THE  BUCKS  COUNTY  HISTORICAL 
SOCIETY  (23)  (open  weekdays  8  to  5,  and  from  April  1  to  Nov. 
1  aw  Sun.  1  to  5  ;  adm.  free).  The  entrance  to  the  building  is  on 
Pine  Street.  The  museum  is  a  large  reinforced  concrete  structure  con- 
nected by  a  passage  to  the  Colonial  red  brick  building  of  the  society. 
The  lofty  museum  was  constructed  in  1914-16  under  the  personal 
supervision  of  the  late  Dr.  Henry  Mercer,  a  manufacturer  of  pottery 
and  tile,  and  curator  of  American  and  prehistoric  archeology  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  Its  many  gables,  chimneys,  turrets,  and 
dormers  give  it  a  restless  effect. 

The  building  contains  a  collection  of  approximately  25,000  ancient 
tools  and  utensils  used  in  the  United  States  until  about  1820  ;  some 
imported  by  colonists,  others  copied  here  from  European  types.  In 
addition,  there  is  a  library  of  8,000  volumes  and  a  few  relics  of 
Indian  handiwork.  The  interior  court  of  the  museum  is  surrounded 
by  three  galleries,  with  33  fireproof  rooms  and  36  alcoves. 

Among  the  exhibits  are  :  a  wooden  food  chopper,  a  wooden  sausage 
stuffer,  a  spice  grinder,  old  china  and  willowware,  an  early  printing 
press,  a  large  cider  press,  a  fire  pumper,  Conestoga  wagons,  a  Dear- 
born wagon,  a  log  sled,  a  whaleboat  and  equipment,  a  cod  fisherman's 
boat  and  equipment,  dugout  canoes,  several  types  of  mills,  and  to- 
bacconist and  tavern  signs. 

A  glass  showcase  on  the  first  balcony  contains  an  inkwell  and 
sandbox  that  belonged  to  Edgar  Allan  Poe  ;  a  sword  that  belonged 
to  Gen.  Daniel  Morgan  ;  the  claymore  or  Scottish  broadsword  worn 
by  Edwin  Forrest  in  Macbeth  ;  a  wampum  belt  presented  to  Henry 
Clay  by  an  Indian  chief  ;  and  the  rifle  and  account  book  of  Edward 
Marshall,  a  participant  in  the  famous  "Walking  Purchase." 

On  the  Historical  Society  grounds  near  the  museum  is  a  log  cabin, 
which,  according  to  a  concrete  marker,  is  :  "Log  house  of  Colonial 
pattern  built  by  John  Byerly  or  Thos.  Roberts  between  1799-1812." 
Huge,  square  logs,  notched  at  the  corners  and  recently  patched  with 
concrete,  make  up  the  construction  of  this  one-story-and-attic  cabin. 

FOUNTAIN  HOUSE  (24)  NW.  corner  of  Main  and  State  Streets, 
licensed  in  1717,  was  a  stopping  place  on  the  old  stage  lines.  The 
present  structure,  the  oldest  section  of  which  is  said  to  have  been 
erected  in  1748,  is  a  two-slory-and-attic  building  with  a  broad  gambrel 
roof.  It  is  of  white-plastered  stone  with  porches  running  along  the 

665 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

front  of  the  first  and  second  stories.  The  remains  of  a  cobbled  court- 
yard fronts  the  hotel.  The  inn  derived  its  name  from  a  fountain  which 
once  flowed  in  this  courtyard. 

On  East  Court  Street,  is  FRONTHILL  (25)  (private),  the  chateau- 
like  former  residence  of  Dr.  Mercer.  The  building  is  an  unusual 
structure  of  concrete  and  stone  with  a  red  tile  roof.  The  interior 
rooms,  decorated  with  a  variety  of  colorful  tiles,  are  on  many  dif- 
ferent levels. 

On  the  right  of  the  buildijng  a  road  leads  to  the  U-shaped  pottery 
works.  The  design  of  the  pottery  works  shows  most  forcibly  the 
effects  of  Dr.  Mercer's  archeological  vists  to  Yucatan.  A  gray,  rough 
concrete  building,  it  is  Spanish  in  style.  The  restrained  use  of  decora- 
tive tiles  brightens  the  drab  concrete. 

At  32.8  m.  is  East  State  Street.  (US  202)  right  on  US  202,  which 
roils  over  hills  and  through  farming  and  woodland  stretches,  bridging 
several  streams  and  passing  a  number  of  red  barns.  At  35.7  (R)  is  a 
splendid  view  with  distant  haze-shrouded  hills  forming  a  background 
for  farming  and  grazing  lands. 

BUCKINGHAM,  36.8  m.  (217  alt.  ;  200  pop.),  consists  largely  of 
rustic,  well-kept  dwellings.  The  surrounding  country,  its  fertile  soil 
well-watered  by  four  creeks,  is  excellent  farming  land.  There  are 
also  several  fine  limestone  quarries  in  the  vicinity.  At  the  crossroads 
on  the  northeast  corner  is  the  GENERAL  GREENE  INN  (26),  a 
hostelry  that  has  retained  its  Colonial  dignity.  Inside  is  the  General's 
"den,"  containing  antique  furniture,  muskets,  and  other  mementos. 

Left  at  dead  end,  37  m.  on  US  202.  The  route  traverses  pine-dotted 
farm  land  with  an  excellent  view  (R)  at  37.9  m. 

HOLICONG,  38.2  m.  (240  alt.,  250  pop.),  is  a  farming  community 
of  the  staid  appearance  appropriate  to  its  centuries  of  existence. 

On  the  summit  of  a  hill  (L),  at  39  m.  is  the  BUCKINGHAM 
MEETINGHOUSE  (27),  a  two-story-and-attic  structure  of  native 
stone  set  in  sloping  ground.  The  pedimented  hoods  protecting  the 
simple  doorways,  the  white  shutters  of  all  the  windows,  and  the 
simple  coved  cornice  which  surrounds  the  building  are  the  principal 
exterior  features.  Within,  the  paneled  woodwork  remains  unpainted 
in  contrast  to  the  white-plastered  walls. 

The  meeting  was  founded  in  1720,  and  the  present  building  was 
erected  in  1763. 

From  the  highway  at  this  point,  is  a  widespread  view  (R),  into  a 
shallow  valley  of  fields  dotted  with  small  groves  and  larger  woods. 

LAHASKA,  39.2  m.  (300  alt.  ;  218  pop.),  is  the  site  of  two  old  inns. 
Either  side  of  the  road  here  is  flanked  by  white-painted,  green-shut- 
tered houses.  BUTTONWOOD  INN  (28)  (R),  built  in  1760,  faces 
CATALPA  INN  (29)  (L),  said  to  have  been  built  before  the  Revo- 
lution. 

666 


To  ARTISTIC  NEW  HOPE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  3) 

At  40.3  m.  is  (L)  the  SOLEBURY  BAPTIST  CHURCH  (30).  Set 
back  from  the  road  with  a  graveyard  adjoining,  this  one-story  build- 
ing of  stucco  over  local  stone  was  rebuilt  in  1851.  There  are  three 
windows  on  each  of  the  two  sides  and  a  small  belfry  near  the  front  of 
the  sloping  roof.  Large  coal  oil  lamps  are  suspended  from  the  ceiling 
of  the  stuccoed  interior. 

Several  excellent  views  are  afforded  on  both  sides  from  the  church 
to  AQUETONG,  41.1  m.  (240  alt.  ;  75  pop.),  a  crossroads  hamlet  con- 
sisting of  a  sprinkling  of  tottering  old  houses. 

Ingham  Spring  Creek  has  its  source,  Ingham's  Spring,  near  here  in 
a  ledge  of  red  shale  and  limestone.  The  spring  is  the  largest  between 
Maine  and  Florida,  having  a  flow  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  gallons 
daily.  Indian  legend  has  it  that  the  spring  was  caused  by  the  tears  of 
a  young  Indian  who  pursued  a  deer  into  the  crevice  and  became 
wedged  there. 

At  41.6  m.  is  a  small  lake  (R)  formed  by  the  damming  of  Ingham 
Spring  Creek  for  the  benefit  of  a  number  of  mills.  The  builder  of 
one  of  these  mills  was  Samuel  D.  Ingham,  for  whom  the  spring  and 
creek  are  named.  The  important  process  of  making  paper  from  old 
rope  and  bagging  was  developed  in  Ingham's  mill,  which  was  in  use 
until  it  was  burned  in  1867. 

From  Aquetong  the  road  skirts  woodland  stretches,  passing  an 
occasional  weather-beaten  mill  or  inn.  Low  hills  open  on  vistas  of 
geometrically  patterned  farm  land. 

NEW  HOPE  (86  alt.;  1,113  pop.),  is  entered  at  43.1  m.  Small 
homes  line  the  highway  as  it  swerves  right,  drops  down  a  slight  hill, 
crosses  railroad  tracks,  and  bridges  the  New  Hope  canal. 

One  of  the  few  permanent  artist's  colonies  in  the  east,  New  Hope 
lies  along  the  Delaware  River.  The  old  canal  of  the  Lehigh  Coal 
Navigation  Company  runs  through  the  town.  Rustic  and  modern 
dwellings,  an  occasional  inn,  or  abandoned  mill,  where  once  the  water 
wheel  sang  a  song  of  power,  provide  a  natural  setting  for  the  colony. 

Once  known  as  Coryell's  Ferry,  the  community  acquired  the  name 
of  Hope  Mills  after  the  erection  of  several  mills  here.  When  a  fire 
destroyed  these  mills,  other  buildings  were  erected  in  their  places, 
and  the  name  New  Hope  Mills,  later  shortened  to  New  Hope,  was 
adopted. 

The  art  colony  was  established  during  the  summer  of  1900  by  Wil- 
liam Lathrop.  His  home  is  near  the  canal's  edge.  The  landscapes 
which  attracted  Lathrop  soon  drew  not  only  painters,  but  also  repre- 
sentatives of  virtually  every  other  field  of  art  to  this  town.  During 
spring,  summer,  and  fall  art  exhibits  are  conducted  on  random  dates 
in  the  village  and  environs. 

In  addition  to  Lathrop,  such  distinguished  wielders  of  the  brush 
as  Redfield,  Garber,  and  Follansbee  are  leading  members  of  the 

667 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

colony.  What  is  now  known  as  the  "Delaware  Valley  School"  of  Amer- 
ican art  has  heen  developing  rapidly  in  recent  years.  A  favorite  set- 
ting for  many  of  the  paintings  are  the  picturesque  locks  where  un- 
hurried bargemen  once  eked  out  a  livelihood  on  the  canal. 

Pearl  S.  Buck,  author  of  The  Good  Earth  and  other  novels  of 
Chinese  life  and  customs,  has  taken  up  her  residence  in  the  vicinity. 

Other  authors  and  playwrights  who  have  joined  the  "back  to  the 
farm"  movement  to  this  neighborhood  are  Sam  and  Bella  Spewack, 
whose  farce  Boy  Meets  Girl  was  a  Broadway  success.  They  own  a  100- 
acre  farm.  Edwin  Justis  Mayer,  author  of  The  Firebrand.,  has  a  farm  at 
Tinicum,  a  short  distance  from  that  of  Dorothy  Parker.  George  S. 
Kaufman,  Lester  Cohen,  and  George  Anthiel  have  also  joined  the 
movement. 

New  Hope  was  the  principal  town  in  the  line  of  march  taken  by 
Washington  in  his  advance  on  Trenton.  On  Malta  Island,  in  the  Dela- 
ware River,  just  below  New  Hope,  Washington  assembled  the  Durham 
boats  he  used  on  that  memorable  Christmas  night. 


Canal  at  New  Hope 
Fit  subject  for  Van  Gogh 


.#•}.  '•   \;-  •'•-.^••'Jf  •.'"t.JwF. 


To  ARTISTIC  NEW  HOPE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  3) 

At  44.1  m.  is  a  junction  with  State  32.  Right  on  State  32  which  lies 
between  the  river  and  the  canal.  At  44.6  m.  the  route  crosses  a  bridge 
(R)  and  then  turns  (L)  to  parallel  the  canal  on  the  shore  side. 
Wooded  slopes  (R)  flank  the  road  and  at  intervals  tiny  wooden  foot- 
bridges cross  the  canal.  Rapids  in  the  river  are  visible  along  here. 

The  UNION  PAPER  MILL  (31)  (L.),  across  the  canal  at  45.1  m., 
is  an  eighteenth  century  mill  that  is  still  in  operation.  Dwellings  of 
red  brick,  frame,  or  local  stone  construction,  many  of  them  painted 
white  or  yellow  or  whitewashed,  are  scattered  along  the  highway.  In 
appearance  these  range  from  dilapidated  to  pin-neat. 

At  46.4  m.  a  tower  may  be  seen  ahead  to  the  right  rising  from  tree- 
cloaked  Bowman's  Hill. 

The  Solebury  Copper  Mine  is  near  here.  The  activities  in  this  mine 
cannot  be  dated  with  any  certainty.  An  Indian  tradition  that  white 
men  mined  copper  in  a  drift  near  the  river  was  passed  on  to  the 
early  settlers.  Not  until  1854  was  the  entrance  to  the  mine  discovered. 
Competent  investigation  indicated  that  the  tools  and  drills  which  had 
left  their  marks  on  the  mineral  within  the  shaft  had  been  used  at 
least  200  years  before  that  time.  It  was  suggested  that  the  Mound 
Builders  may  have  been  the  mysterious  miners,  but  the  Indian  tradi- 
tion was  specific  in  identifying  the  workers  as  white  men.  It  is  now 
considered  possible  that  they  may  have  been  Swedes,  who  came  to 
Pennsylvania  in  1637,  or  West  India  Company  employees  who  were 
known  to  have  traded  with  the  Indians  at  the  Falls  of  the  Delaware 
near  here. 

At  46.7  m.  is  (L)  the  THOMPSON-NEELY  HOUSE  (32)  in  the 
Bowman's  Hill  section  of  Washington  Crossing  State  Park.  The  broad 
two-story-and-attic  farmhouse  of  rough  local  stone  and  wood  is  set 
in  carefully  tended  grounds.  The  house,  an  excellent  example  of  early 
Pennsylvania  architecture  and  masonry,  was  built  in  three  sections. 
The  central  section  was  built  in  1702  by  John  Pidcock,  a  trader  and 
miller.  The  west  end,  nearest  the  road,  was  built  by  Robert  Thomp- 
son and  bears  a  quaint  date  stone  carrying  the  initials  "H  R  T"  and 
the  date  "1757."  The  east  end  was  probably  erected  in  1786.  The  doors 
and  shutters  are  white,  and  each  unit  has  a  different  type  of  doorway. 
There  are  four  massive  stone  chimneys. 

The  building  served  as  headquarters  for  General  Lord  Stirling 
(William  Alexander)  and  his  staff  prior  to  the  Battle  of  Trenton. 
James  Monroe,  later  President,  was  a  lieutenant  attached  to  Stirling's 
command. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  along  Pidcock  Creek  stands  the 
stuccoed  stone  and  frame  Neely  gristmill  with  its  huge  water  wheel 
ponderously  turning  around  and  around.  The  highway  crosses  Pid- 
cock Creek  on  a  stone  bridge. 

At  47.2  m.  is  a  junction  with  an  asphalt  road. 

669 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Right,  on  this  road,  1  m.,  is  BOWMAN'S  HILL  OBSERVATION 
TOWER  (33).  The  hill  was  named  for  Dr.  Thomas  Bowman,  who 
lived  in  a  cabin  at  its  base.  The  tower  is  a  tall,  square,  stone  structure 
rising  to  the  height  of  110  feet  above  the  top  of  the  hill.  It  has  a 
spiral  staircase  of  100  steps  leading  to  a  platform  from  which  an 
excellent  view  of  the  surrounding  country  is  afforded.  An  octagonal 
turret  tops  the  tower. 

The  tower,  which  stands  on  the  site  where  Colonial  troops  built  a 
crude  lookout  platform  prior  to  the  Battle  of  Trenton,  was  erected 
in  1930  to  commemorate  the  battle. 

Beyond  this  road  rolling  land  spreads  away  (R)  to  distant  green 
hills.  At  49  m.  the  highway  crosses  a  small  whitewashed  stone  bridge, 
and  at  49.4  m.  another  bridge  is  crossed  and  the  route  is  close  to  and 
parallel  with  the  Delaware.  Level  farming  land  lies  to  the  right. 

WASHINGTON  CROSSING,  51.6  m.  (60  alt.  ;  175  pop.),  is  situated 
within  the  confines  of  the  main  section  of  WASHINGTON  CROSSING 
STATE  PARK  (34).  The  village  green  or  common  (L)  is  flanked  on 
three  sides  by  clean,  white-stuccoed  houses  of  late  American  Georgian 
architecture.  Overhanging  shade  trees  enhance  their  quiet  charm. 

The  park,  established  by  the  Commonwealth  in  1917,  is  dedicated 
to  the  memory  of  Washington  and  the  2,400  soldiers  who  crossed  the 
Delaware  from  this  point  on  Christmas  night,  1776,  to  surprise  the 
merrymaking  Hessian  mercenaries  and  capture  Trenton. 

In  the  park  a  stone  gateway  gives  entrance  to  Concentration  Valley, 
where  the  ragged  troops  assembled  while  Washington  made  prepara- 
tions for  his  coup,  and  a  monument  marks  the  point  of  embarkation, 
where  the  soldiers  entered  the  roomy  Durham  boats  during  a  blind- 
ing snow  and  sleet  storm. 

At  51.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  632.  At  the  intersection  (R) 
stands  WASHINGTON  CROSSING  INN  (35),  a  large,  white-plas- 
tered structure  with  white  and  green-shutters.  It  consists  of  several 
units,  in  the  late  American  Georgian  style.  What  is  now  the  south- 
western end  of  the  inn  was  erected  in  1812. 

Right,  on  State  632.  Continental  troops  gathering  for  the  Battle  of 
Trenton  tramped  over  this  road,  which  was  known  for  many  years 
as  Continental  Lane.  It  is  now  called  Washington  Memorial  Boule- 
vard. 

Dense  woods  close  to  the  road  break  the  monotony  of  the  flat  farm 
lands.  At  several  places  are  wide  vistas  on  either  side.  Especially  note- 
worthy is  the  view  (R)  at  56 .1  m.  Here  level  land  near  the  road 
merges  with  rolling  terrain,  dotted  with  red-roofed  barns  and  broken 
by  small  groves.  A  smoky  blue  haze  partly  shrouds  the  hills  in  the 
distance. 

670 


To  ARTISTIC  NEW  HOPE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  3) 

At  58  m.  (R)  is  the  OLD  NEWTOWN  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 
(36) ,  a  one-story  native  browiistone  structure  erected  in  1769.  Serv- 
ices of  this  congregation,  which  was  founded  prior  to  1735,  are  now 
held  in  a  modern  church  in  the  center  of  Newtown. 

A  wide  lawn  surrounds  the  old  edifice,  and  a  graveyard  is  in  the 
rear.  A  white  wooden  porch  fronts  the  building,  and  on  either  side 
are  three  long  windows  flanked  by  green  shutters.  A  balcony  runs 
around  three  sides  of  the  interior,  and  old-fashioned  kerosene  lamps 
are  suspended  from  the  flat,  white-plastered  ceiling.  During  the 
Revolutionary  War  Hessian  soldiers  were  quartered  here  for  a  time. 

At  58.2  m.  the  outskirts  of  NEWTOWN  (175  alt.  ;  1,824  ppp.)  are 
reached.  This  town,  founded  by  Penn  in  1684,  was  the  county  seat 
of  Bucks  County  from  1724  to  1804.  There  are  a  number  of  houses 
dating  from  Revolutionary  times  in  and  about  the  community.  The 
route  skirts  the  western  edge  of  the  town. 

At  58.3  m.  is  a  junction  with  State  332.  Right  on  this.  The  route  is 
now  State  332  (Newtown  Pike).  Along  here  the  highway  traverses 
farming  country.  At  59.6  m.  the  route  turns  R.  into  an  old  but  well- 
preserved  covered  wooden  bridge  over  the  Neshaminy  Creek.  Left  at 
62.3  m.  a  striking  panorama  greets  the  eye. 

At  62.6  m.  is  a  junction  with  State  232.  Around  this  intersection 
are  the  neat  homes  of  the  town  of  RICHBORO  (280  alt.  ;  310  pop.) , 
Left  on  State  232. 

SOUTHAMPTON,  66 .1  m.  (260  alt.  ;  800  pop.),  with  homes  set  in 
tree-shaded  lawns,  presents  an  especially  prosperous  appearance.  The 
SOUTHAMPTON  BAPTIST  MEETINGHOUSE  (37)  (R)  in  South- 
ampton, was  founded  in  1751,  rebuilt  in  1772  and  enlarged  in  1840. 
It  is  a  broad  yellow-plastered  structure  with  wood  trim  painted  white. 
An  avenue  of  shade  trees  leads  to  the  carriage  sheds  (R).  The  ceme- 
tery (L)  contains  gravestones  dating  from  the  early  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. A  balcony  supported  by  slim  Doric  columns  runs  around  three 
sides  of  the  interior,  which  is  heated  by  four  free-standing  stoves.  The 
built-in  pews  are  painted  white,  and  the  walls  buff. 

At  68.8  m.  the  route  passes  the  outskirts  of  BRYN  ATHYN  (280 
alt.;  736  pop.),  site  of  the  Bryn  Athyn  Cathedral  and  center  of 
Swendenborgianism  in  the  United  States.  (See  Environs  Tour  2.) 

At  71.8  m.  (R)  is  the  RYDAL  COUNTRY  CLUB  (38),  a  private 
club  with  a  nine-hole  golf  course.  The  Montgomery-Philadelphia 
County  line  is  crossed  at  7,3.4  m.  At  76.6  m.  is  a  junction  with  Roose- 
velt Boulevard  (US  1). 

Right  on  Roosevelt  Blvd.  to  Broad  St.,  L.  on  Broad  St.  to  City 
Hall,  84.8  m. 

671 


1.  Wisconsin    House 

2.  Chinese    Burial    Ground 

3.  G.  Brook  Roberts  Estate 

4.  Pet  Animal  Cemetery 

5.  Overhanging    Rock 

6.  King  of  Prussia  Inn 

7.  Valley  Forge 

(Number  8  to  25  refer  to  de- 
scription in  tour.  Locations 
of  these  points  of  interest  are 
shown  in  map  obtainable  free 
at  Valley  Forge.) 

8.  Washington    Memorial 
Chapel 

9.  Washington    Memorial 
National  Carillon 

10.  Valley    Forge    Museum    of 
American    History 

11.  Grand  Parade 

12.  General     Varnum's     Head- 
quarters 

13.  Old    Camp    Schoolhouse 

14.  National   Memorial  Arch 

15.  Pennsylvania    Columns 

16.  Statue  of  Gen.  Anthony 
Wayne 

17.  Site  of  Scott's  Brigade 

18.  Statue  of  Baron  Von 
Steuben 

19.  Fort   Washington    Redoubt 

20.  Mount  Joy   Observatory 

21.  Site   of   Maxwell's    Brigade 

22.  Dogwood  Grove 

23.  Washington    Inn 

24.  Washington's  Headquarters 

25.  Headquarters  of  General 
Knox 

26.  St.  David's  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church 

27.  Radnor  Open   Golf   Course 

28.  Villanova  College 

29.  Rosemont  College  for 
Women 

30.  Baldwin  School 

31.  Bryn  Mawr  College 

32.  Old  Buck  Inn 

33.  Haverford  College 

34.  Old  Merion   Meetinghouse 

35.  General  Wayne  Inn 

36.  Barnes  Foundation 

37.  Seminary     of    St.     Charles 
Borromeo 


VALLEY  FORGE 

Environs  Tour  4 

Philadelphia — Gulph  Mills — King  of  Prussia — Valley  Forge — Devon — 
Wqyne — Bryn  Mawr — Haverford — Ardmore — Philadelphia.  State  23 
and  83,  US  30 — 51  m.  The  route  winds  back  and  forth  across  the 
tracks  of  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  and  Reading  R.  R.  on  the  outward 
trip,  and  parallels  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  on  the  return.  Round  trip 
61  m. 

Concrete  or  macadamized  roadbed  over  entire  route  passable  in  all 
weathers. 

FROM  City  Line  Avenue  (a  boundary  of  Philadelphia)  State  23 
winds  in  a  northwesterly  direction  through  some  of  Philadel- 
phia's wealthiest  suburban  sections,  a  picturesque  countryside  of 
extensive,  cultivated  estates,  and  wide  stretches  of  meadow  and  forest. 
There  are  steep-walled  valleys,  brooks,  and  thickly  wooded  settings 
which  belie  the  nearness  of  a  metropolitan  center. 

This  region  was  well  settled  long  before  the  Revolution,  and  an 
occasional  square,  stone  house,  dating  back  to  Colonial  times,  stands 
in  sight  of  the  road.  Farming  is  confined  chiefly  to  gardening  and 
horticulture  for  pastime  rather  than  livelihood.  The  route  is  rich  in 
historic  interest,  especially  as  it  nears  Valley  Forge. 

After  passing  through  Valley  Forge  Park,  the  route  returns  over 
State  83  to  Devon  ;  thence  over  US  30,  the  southernmost  of  three 
national  highways  crossing  Pennsylvania  and  passes  through  the 
heart  of  the  Main  Line,  a  chain  of  prosperous  suburbs  west  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

From  City  Hall,  Philadelphia,  follow  the  Parkway  NW.  ;  R. 
around  Logan  Circle  and  skirting  the  Art  Museum,  into  Fairmount 
Park  ;  L.  around  the  Lincoln  Monument  into  East  River  Drive  ; 
at  5.7  m.  L.  on  US  1,  which  crosses  City  Line  Avenue  Bridge. 

At  6  m.  (R)  WEST  LAUREL  HILL  CEMETERY  may  be  seen.  Large 
private  estates  line  the  right-hand  side  of  City  Line  Avenue,  shut 
off  from  the  road  by  stone  fences,  over  which  bloom  dogwood,  wist- 
aria, and  flowering  shrubs.  At  6.7  m.  (L)  paralleling  the  road  for 
an  eighth  of  a  mile,  is  the  walled  ATHLETIC  FIELD  OF  THE  FRIENDS 
SELECT  SCHOOL. 

At  7.2  m.  is  a  junction  with  State  23  ;  R.  on  this.  Now  the  route  is 
State  23  (Conshohocken  State  Road). 

Standing  serenely  a  short  distance  beyond  the  intersection  (L)  is 
the  old  WISCONSIN  HOUSE  (1),  a  square,  clapboard  structure  with 
a  weathered  sign  lettered  "Wisconsin"  on  the  front  of  the  upper  story. 
This  was  the  Wisconsin  State  Building  at  Philadelphia's  Centennial 
Exhibition.  Purchased  by  the  Simes  estate,  it  was  moved  here  from 

673 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

Fairmount  Park,  where  it  had  stood  between  the  English  and  Ohio 
buildings. 

The  first  contractors  engaged  to  move  the  building  were  unable  to 
complete  the  job  and,  as  a  result,  it  rested  for  more  than  a  year  in 
the  middle  of  Conshohocken  Road  near  Belmont  Avenue.  The  trans- 
fer was  completed  only  when  Philadelphia  authorities  threatened  to 
burn  the  structure.  Phipps  and  Bair  opened  the  building  on  its  pres- 
ent site  as  a  hotel,  calling  it  the  Wisconsin  House  ;  then  sold  it  to 
Dan  Titlow,  a  local  resident,  from  whom  it  was  purchased  by  W.  H. 
Doble,  father-in-law  of  the  present  owner.  It  was  operated  as  a  hotel 
until  1915. 

The  cupola,  shown  in  old  engravings,  is  gone,  and  one  of  the  three 
porches  was  removed  to  permit  widening  of  State  23.  Part  of  Union 
Avenue,  formerly  Ford  Road,  fronting  the  Wisconsin  House,  was 
given  to  the  owners  of  the  hotel  at  the  time  of  the  construction  of 
State  23. 

Left  of  the  Wisconsin  House  is  a  white-plastered  house  dating  from 
Revolutionary  times.  At  7.6  m.  (L)  is  the  SITE  OF  AN  OLD  TOLL 
HOUSE. 

At  7.7  m.  is  the  Bala-Cynwyd  station  of  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R. 

BALA-CYNWYD  (250  alt.  ;  3,000  pop.)  is  a  suburban  community 
composed  chiefly  of  large  estates. 

The  highway  crosses  the  railroad  tracks  and  turns  R. 

At  8.7  m.  (L)  is  the  CHINESE  BURIAL  GROUND  (2) ,  founded  in 
1888,  where  most  of  the  Philadelphia  Chinese  bury  their  dead  with 
all  the  ancient  ceremonies  of  the  race.  Each  headstone  is  engraved  in 
Chinese  letters,  which  give  the  year,  name,  and  home  district  of  the 
deceased.  The  custom  of  leading  spirituous  liquors  on  the  grave  to 
accompany  the  body  on  its  journey  to  the  Temple  of  Confucius  is 
observed.  The  brick  ovens  in  the  cemetery  are  used  for  burning  paper 
money,  paper  clothes,  and  incense  in  accordance  with  their  funeral 
traditions.  When  the  family  accumulates  enough  money  the  body  is 
exhumed  and  sent  to  China. 

At  10.2  m.  (R)  is  the  G.  BROOK  ROBERTS  ESTATE  (3),  fenced 
in  by  a  wistaria-covered  stone  wall.  The  main  entrance  is  guarded  by 
a  three-inch  oak  gate  bound  with  wrought-iron  strap  hinges  four  feet 
long,  and  fitted  with  a  massive  latch  of  the  same  metal.  Just  inside 
the  entrance  is  a  sunken  circular  pool,  and  directly  ahead  a  mansion 
of  polished  brick  rises  from  several  levels  of  terraced  stone  and  brick 
work.  These  terraces  are  adorned  with  fountains  and  statuary- filled 
niches  ;  curving  stone  stairways  mount  the  eminence  on  either  side. 
On  the  left  of  the  gateway  is  an  ascending  rock  garden,  bright  with 
varicolored  flowers  ;  on  the  right,  huge  banks  of  rhododendron.  This 
was  the  home  of  the  late  G.  Brook  Roberts,  former  president  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

674 


Sign  at  King  of  Prussia  Inn 
Purported  to  be  the  work  of  a  master 


1728 


Gulph  Mills 
Tranquillity  and  trees 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

PENN  VALLEY  is  reached  at  11.2  m.  There  is  a  sheer  drop  (R),  to 
sparkling  Mill  Creek.  The  road  descends  to  the  valley  floor  and 
crosses  Mill  Creek,  passing  two  small  cascades  a  little  farther  on. 
Again  the  road  winds  past  vast  estates  skirted  by  luxuriant  flowers, 
shrubs,  and  trees. 

At  1 6  m.  is  a  junction  with  Eagle  Road. 

Left  on  Eagle  Road.  6  m.  is  a  PET  ANIMAL  CEMETERY   (4).  The 
cemetery  is  attached  to   the   Francisvale  Home   for  Smaller   Animals, 
founded  by  Mrs.  George  Hare  McClellan  as  a  memorial  to  her  pet 
dog  "Francis."  In  the  cemetery  are  graves  of  more  than  3,500  animals, 
including    dogs,   cats,   monkeys,    canaries,   parrots,   two    horses,   and   a 
lion.    Many    of    these    were    interred    in    elaborate    concrete    or    steel 
coffins.    Granite    monuments,    some    with    pictures    of    the    dead    pets 
under  glass,  have  been  erected  over  many  of  the  graves. 
At  16.6  m.    (R)    is  a  large  OVERHANGING  ROCK    (5),  under 
which  Washington  marched  with  his  army  during  the  retreat  from 
Germantown  to  Valley  Forge.  There  is  a  legend  that  Washington  used 
the  rock  as  a  stand  to  review  his  troops. 

GULPH  MILLS,  17  m.  (160  alt.  ;  100  pop.)  consists  of  a  post  office, 
a  store,  a  gasoline  filling  station,  and  a  few  homes.  State  23  swings 
left  at  the  fork.  At  17.4  m.  (R)  is  the  Gulph  Mills  Golf  Course. 

At  KING  OF  PRUSSIA,  20.4  m.  (187  aut.  ;  129  pop.)  stands  a  great 
oak  tree  (R),  which  dates  from  the  period  when  only  Indians  in- 
habited the  land.  A  short  distance  beyond  (L)  is  the  KING  OF 
PRUSSIA  INN  (6) ,  erected  in  1709.  The  builder,  a  native  of  Prussia, 
named  it  for  the  Brandenburg  ruler  who,  a  few  years  earlier,  after 
transforming  Prussia  from  a  dukedom  into  a  kingdom,  had  become 
King  Frederick  I. 

A  weather-beaten  sign  showing  the  king  on  horseback,  supposed 
to  be  the  work  of  Gilbert  Stuart,  still  hangs  outside.  The  old  kitchen 
is  roofed  with  great  oak  beams  and  contains  a  fireplace  large  enough 
to  permit  the  roasting  of  an  ox.  On  the  second  floor,  reached  by  a 
steep,  narrow  flight  of  stairs,  worn  with  use,  is  the  room  in  which 
Lafayette  joined  the  Masonic  order  (in  what  is  now  the  Norristown 
Lodge),  and  where  the  Mount  Joy  Society  for  Recovery  of  Stolen 
Horses  and  Detection  of  Thieves  convened  semi-annually. 

The  original  stables  and  springhouse  remain,  as  do  some  of  the 
original  furnishings,  mantels,  doors  and  the  old  stair  rail  of  the  inn. 
At  the  door  which  led  from  the  kitchen  to  the  back  yard  but  now 
opens  on  a  spacious  enclosed  porch  (the  only  addition  to  the  inn) 
is  a  stone  sill  hollowed  to  a  depth  of  several  inches  by  the  footsteps 
of  two  centuries. 

Many  famous  men,  including  Washington,  patronized  the  inn,  but 
nothing  is  said  a^xbut  Washington  having  slept  there,  although  there 
are  few  houses  of  Colonial  or  Revolutionary  origin  in  these  environs 
that  do  not  claim  that  distinction. 

676 


VALLEY  FORGE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  4) 

At  22.9  m.  at  an  intersection,  the  route  turns  right  on  State  23. 

Beyond,  Mount  Joy,  surmounted  by  the  observation  tower  (L.), 
which  is  within  Valley  Forge  Park,  looms  in  the  distance.  State  23 
bears  left  and  enters  the  park  at  Port  Kennedy. 

VALLEY  FORGE  (7),  a  State  park  of  1,500  acres,  is  flanked  by 
natural  military  advantages  —  the  river  and  high  ground.  Washing- 
ton's army,  during  its  encampment  on  this  site,  consisted  of  11,000 
soldiers,  one  third  of  whom  were  rendered  unfit  for  duty  by  illness 
or  lack  of  necessities.  The  ragged  army  arrived  at  Valley  Forge  on 
Dec.  19,  1777.  Of  its  desperate  plight  during  that  winter,  Cyrus  T. 
Brady  has  written: 

"No  spot  on  earth,  not  the  plains  of  Marathon,  nor  the  passes  of 
Sempach,  nor  the  Place  of  the  Bastille,  nor  the  dykes  of  Holland,  nor 
the  moors  of  England,  is  so  sacred  in  the  history  of  the  struggle  for 
human  liberty  as  Valley  Forge." 

(Note:  A  detailed  map  of  the  park  may  be  obtained  free  from  the 
uniformed  attendants  in  the  park.) 
Within  the  park  State  23  swings  left. 

Valley   Forge    Chapel   Interior 
"Author  of  liberty,  to  Thee  we  sing" 


11 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

The  WASHINGTON  MEMORIAL  CHAPEL  (8)  (R),  the  WASH- 
INGTON MEMORIAL  NATIONAL  CARILLON  (9),  and  the  adjoin- 
ing VALLEY  FORGE  MUSEUM  OF  AMERICAN  HISTORY  (10) 
(open  10  to  5  except  Sun.  ;  adm.  adults  15$  ;  children  10$)  are  with- 
in the  park  limits,  but  are  privately  owned. 

The  chapel's  architecture  is  simplified  English  Gothic,  in  granite 
with  limestone  trim.  On  the  facade  is  a  large  stained  glass  window; 
many  of  the  structure's  details  and  furnishings  are  symbolic.  The 
Porch  of  the  Allies,  Patriot's  Hall,  the  five  bays  named  for  Lafayette, 
Rochambeau,  DeKalb,  Von  Steuben,  and  Pulaski  ;  the  pews,  pulpit, 
lectern,  prayer  and  litany  tables,  and  the  doors,  screens  and  choir 
stalls  commemorate  Revolutionary  leaders  or  events. 

The  ceiling,  composed  of  48  panels,  each  bearing  the  arms  of 
a  State,  pictures  early,  patriotic  achievements.  The  windows,  in  alle- 
gory, tell  of  the  Nation's  founding. 

The  museum  contains  many  interesting  relics,  including  a  tent 
supposed  to  have  been  used  by  Washington. 

Washington's  tent  or  marquee  passed  to  his  stepgrandson,  George 
Washington  Parke  Custis,  and  for  many  years  was  kept  at  Mount 
Vernon.  Custis  bequeathed  it  to  his  daughter,  who  married  Gen. 
Robert  E.  Lee.  During  the  Civil  War,  after  the  Lee  home  was  seized 
by  the  Federal  Government,  the  marquee  was  taken  to  Washington 
and  exhibited  in  the  Library  of  Congress.  Mrs.  Lee's  protest  to  Presi- 
dent Andrew  Johnson  was  disregarded,  and  the  marquee  was  placed 
in  the  National  Museum.  Under  McKinley's  administration  it  was 
returned  to  Mary  Custis  Lee,  the  general's  daughter.  It  was  later  pur- 
chased by  Rev.  Dr.  W<  Herbert  Burk,  founder  of  the  Washington 
Memorial  Chapel,  and  placed  in  the  museum  by  him. 

Behind  the  chapel  is  the  carillon  erected  OH  July  4,  1926,  by  the 
Thirteen  Original  States  in  memory  of  their  troops.  Directly  op- 
posite the  chapel  stretches  a  broad  unwooded  area,  the  GRAND 
PARADE  (11),  on  which  field  Baron  von  Steuben,  the  Army  drill 
master,  trained  the  undisciplined  Revolutionary  troops.  On  May 
6,  1778  news  of  the  alliance  with  France  was  read  to  the  army 
assembled  at  this  place.  On  the  slight  slope  leading  to  the  parade 
ground  from  State  23  is  the  Lt.  John  Waterman  Monument,  which 
marks  the  only  identified  resting  place  of  all  the  3,000  who  died  in 
the  encampment  during  that  terrible  winter.  Farther  along  (L)  stands 
the  stone  residence  that  was  GENERAL  VARNUM'S  HEAD- 
QUARTERS (12)  (open  daily  9  to  5  ;  adm.  free). 

Beyond  the  parade  grounds  is  the  plant  of  the  Ehret  Magnesia  Co. 
It  is  one  of  several  plots  within  the  park  boundaries  which  (1937) 
has  not  been  acquired  by  the  park  commission. 

Left  on  Baptist  Road.  At  the  intersection  with  State  223  (Gulph 
Road)  stands  the  OLD  CAMP  SCHOOLHOUSE  (13)  (R)  (open  daily 

678 


VALLEY  FORGE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  4) 

9  to  5;  adm.  free),  erected  in  1705  by  William  Penn's  second  daughter, 
Letitia.  It  was  used  as  a  hospital  during  the  encampment.  It  was 
restored  by  the  park  commission  in  1907. 

Left  on  State  223  and  L.  at  the  county  line  marker  on  a  road  to 
the  Ehret  magnesia  plant  and  quarries.  On  either  side  of  the  road 
beyond  the  plant  the  quarries  are  filled  with  water  turned  turquoise 
blue  by  chemical  action  of  the  magnesia.  Except  for  occasional  scrap 
heaps  and  broken  frequently  by  growing  trees  rooted  in  their  beds 
and  brightened  by  their  contrasting  backdrops  of  white  rock,  these 
blue  lakes  provide  a  pleasing  picture.  Retrace  to  State  223. 

Left  on  223,  up  the  hill  (R)  is  the  NATIONAL  MEMORIAL 
ARCH  (14).  It  marks  the  site  where  Washington's  Army  broke 
ranks,  forming  upon  the  left  the  Pennsylvania  line,  marked  by  the 
PENNSYLVANIA  COLUMNS  (15),  and  on  the  right  a  line  of  troops 
from  other  Colonies. 

Right,  circling  the  arch,  on  Outer  Line  Drive  between  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Columns. 

Immediately  beyond  the  columns  is  a  reproduction  of  one  of  the 
soldiers'  huts.  Its  "hard  pan"  floor,  uncovered  during  excavations, 
is  the  same  that  was  trodden  by  soldiers  who  occupied  a  similar 
hut  on  the  site.  Down  the  hill  a  short  distance  is  a  reproduction  of 
a  field  hospital  containing  an  operating  table  of  rough  logs.  As  a 
result  of  primitive  conditions  and  almost  primitive  methods,  four 
fifths  of  the  patients  died.  In  the  nearby  woods  are  two  reconstructed 
bake  ovens. 

A  short  distance  beyond  is  the  equestrian  STATUE  of  Gen. 
Anthony  Wayne  (16),  facing  in  the  direction  of  Waynesborough, 
the  town  where  Wayne  was  born.  He  was  chosen  to  lead  Washington 
to  the  Valley  Forge  winter  quarters,  because  of  his  knowledge  of 
the  country. 

The  road  passes  the  SITE  OF  SCOTT'S  BRIGADE  (17)  (R)  and 
the  STATUE  of  Baron  Von  Steuben  (18)  (R),  erected  in  1915  by 
the  National  German-American  Alliance,  and  winds  past  the  FORT 
WASHINGTON  REDOUBT  (19)  L),  one  of  the  inner  lines  of 
earthworks  stretching  from  the  foot  toward  the  crest  of  Mount  Joy, 
to  which  the  road  ascends. 

MOUNT  JOY  OBSERVATORY  (20),  on  the  summit,  affords  a 
splendid  view  of  pastoral  Chester  County. 

Leaving  Mount  Joy  the  road  makes  a  sharp  turn  L.  The  curving 
descent  skirts  the  camp  SITE  OF  MAXWELL'S  BRIGADE  (21)  (L) 
and  affords  a  glimpse  of  the  Schuylkill  glinting  through  the  trees. 

Left  on  Gulph  Road. 

The  DOGWOOD  GROVE  (22)  on  either  side  in  spring  is  a  thick 
mass  of  pink  and  white  blossoms.  The  way  descends  to  Valley  Road. 

At  the  intersection   (R)   is  the  WASHINGTON  INN   (23),  in  the 

679 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

cellar  of  which  the  army's  bread  was  baked.  One  hundred  yards  to 
the  right  on  Valley  Road,  opposite  willow-fringed  Valley  Creek,  is 
WASHINGTON'S  HEADQUARTERS  (24)  (open  8  to  5  ;  adm.  free), 
a  small  two-story  farm  structure  of  rough  stone  with  tints  of  pink, 
yellow,  and  gray,  built  in  1758. 

In  1777  this  structure  was  owned  by  Isaac  Potts,  a  young  Quaker 
preacher,  and  occupied  by  a  tenant,  Deborah  Hewes.  Though  he  could 
have  commandeered  it,  Washington  paid  £100  for  its  use  for  six 
months.  Staff  conferences  with  Lafayette,  Knox,  Morgan,  Wayne, 
Nathaniel  Greene,  Alexander  Hamilton,  Von  Steuben,  DeKalb.  and 
Muhlenberg  were  held  in  it  during  the  encampment.  The  furnishings 
duplicate  those  used  by  Washington.  Adjoining  Washington  Head- 
quarters stands  the  original  building  which  first  stabled  Washington's 

Washington  Memorial  National  Carillon 
"The  rhyming  and  the  chiming  of  the  bells" 


VALLEY  FORGE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  4) 

horses  and  was  later  used  as  a  hospital.  It  now  houses  a  museum  con- 
taining some  interesting  Valley  Forge  relics.  (Open  daily  10  to  5; 
adm.  free). 

Retrace  to  Valley  Road  ;  turn  right. 

In  Valley  Creek,  which  winds  along  Valley  Road,  were  two  small 
dams  that  in  Washington's  day  formed  a  partial  moat  for  the  camp. 
Farther  south  on  the  creek  is  the  site  of  the  Lower  Forge.  The 
original  Upper  Forge,  destroyed  hy  the  British  in  1777,  has  heen  un- 
covered and  is  to  be  restored.  The  road  swings  L.  past  the  HEAD- 
QUARTERS OF  GENERAL  KNOX  (25)  (L),  which  is  outside  the 
confines  of  the  park,  and  passes  through  a  wooded  countryside. 

From  Valley  Forge  R.  on  State  63  ;  L.  on  US  30. 

From  this  point  the  route  follows  the  Main  Line  through  a  con- 
tinuous chain  of  prosperous  suburbs. 

DEVON  31.8  m.  (536  alt.  ;  125  pop.),  on  a  gently  rising  crest,  is 
famous  for  its  annual  horse  showr. 

At  40  m.  is  a  junction  with  Dorset  Road. 

Right,  on  Dorset  Road,  is  ST.  DAVID'S  PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH  (26)  1.8  m.,  erected  in  1715  by  Welsh  settlers.  It  is  a 
small,  ivy-clad,  native  gray  stone  structure,  with  white  painted  wood 
trim,  low  arched  door,  and  shuttered  windows.  St.  David's  first  con- 
gregation, dating  before  1700,  worshipped  in  a  log  building  on  the 
site  of  the  present  church.  There  was  no  rector  until  the  fall  of 
1714  .when,  on  petition  of  the  congregation,  Rev.  Mr.  Clubb  was  sent 
by  the  London  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts.  Clubb  has  recorded  that  at  a  meeting  held  on  Sept.  7,  1714, 
his  people  "agreed  to  build  a  handsome  stone  church."  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  on  May  9,  1715,  and  by  the  first  Sunday  in  September 
the  building  was  complete  except  for  the  stone  staircase  leading  to 
the  gallery  from  the  outside.  This  was  built  in  1771.  The  church 
has  been  well  preserved,  but  never  enlarged  or  materially  altered. 
The  building  was  used  as  a  hospital  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Hard  pressed  for  ammunition,  Washington's  army,  while  facing 
Howe's  well-equipped  troops,  used  the  lead  sashes  of  the  church  win- 
dows to  melt  into  bullets. 

In  the  vestry  room  are  a  number  of  interesting  relics,  including 
books  sent  out  in  1714  by  the  London  Society,  an  ancient  pewter 
communion  service  and  the  old  base  viol  used  in  the  choir  before 
the  days  of  organs. 

In  the  churchyard  is  the  TOMB  OF  GEN.  ANTHONY  WAYNE,  who  was  a 
vestryman.  A  monument  to  his  memory  was  erected  here  by  the 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati  in  1809.  It  bears  on  its  north  face  the  in- 
scription: "Major  General  Anthony  Wayne  was  born  at  Waynes- 
borough,  in  Chester  County,  State  of  Pennsylvania,  A.  D.  1745.  After 
a  life  of  honor  and  usefulness  he  died  in  December,  1796,  at  a  mili- 
tary post  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  commander-in-chief  of  the 
United  States  Army.  His  military  achievements  are  consecrated  in 
the  history  of  his  country  and  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen.  His 
remains  are  here  deposited." 

681 


Cabin  at  Valley  Forge 
"The  numerous  camp-fires  scattered  near   and  far" 

On  the  south  face  are  these  words:  "In  honor  of  the  distinguished 
military  services  of  Major  General  Anthony  Wayne  and  as  an  affec- 
tionate tribute  to  his  memory,  this  stone  was  erected  by  his  com- 
panions in  arms.  The  Pennsylvania  State  Society  of  the  Cincinnati, 
July  4,  1809,  A.  D.,  34th  anniversary  of  the  Independence  of  the 
United  States,  an  event  which  constitutes  the  most  appropriate  eulo- 
gium  of  an  American  soldier  and  patriot." 

In  the  churchyard  are  the  graves  of  "Mad"  Anthony's  ancestors.  The 
oldest  tombstone  bears  the  date  of  1715,  but  there  are  a  number  of 
unmarked  graves  said  to  be  older.  There  is  also  the  grave  of  the 
Dr.  Carter  who  was  surgeon  on  Lord  Nelson's  flagship  at  Trafalgar 
when  Nelson  was  killed. 

During  the  summer  of  1876  while  on  a  visit  to  the  Centennial  Exhi- 
bition in  Philadelphia,  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  went  to  St. 
David's  Church.  His  charming  poem  Old  St.  DavicTs  at  Radnor  re- 
veals the  impression  made  upon  him. 

October  of  each  year  sees  a  revival  of  a  century-old  legend  that  clings 
to  the  church  and  its  graveyard  as  tenaciously  as  the  climbing  ivy 
clings  to  the  church  walls.  According  to  this  legend,  General  Wayne 
rises  from  his  grave,  mounts  his  waiting  steed,  "Nancy,"  and  rides 
up  and  down  the  highway,  brandishing  his  sword  as  though  he  were 
still  leading  his  military  command  in  combat.  So  vividly  has  this 
legend  played  on  the  imagination  of  inhabitants  that  police  have  fre- 
quently been  called  to  guard  the  cemetery.  As  recently  as  1933. 
highway  police  spent  several  nights  on  duty  here. 


682 


VALLEY  FORGE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  4) 

WAYNE,  33.8  m.  (494  alt.  ;  3,000  pop.)  was  named  for  General 
Wayne. 

At  34.8  m.  is  the  RADNOR  OPEN  GOLF  COURSE  (27)  on  both 
sides  of  the  road.  This  was  formerly  the  St.  David's  Golf  Club,  the 
second  oldest  golf  course  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  and  the 
seventh  oldest  in  the  United  States.  When  it  opened  in  1894  each  of 
the  18  holes  had  a  name,  as  was  the  custom  in  Scotland.  In  1927, 
when  St.  Davids  Golf  Club  moved  to  a  new  course  at  Aronomink,  these 
links  were  converted  into  a  public  course. 

VILLANOVA,  36  m.  421  alt.  ;  1,000  pop.)  is  the  seate  of  VILLA- 
NOVA  COLLEGE  (28)  (L),  founded  in  1842  by  Augustinians  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  named  after  St.  Thomas  of  Villa- 
nova,  bishop  of  Valencia.  The  college  has  about  2,000  students.  A 
library  of  25,000  books  in  the  east  wing  of  Austin  Hall  contains  rare 
manuscripts  of  the  fourteenth,  fifteenth,  and  sixteenth  centuries,  on 
parchment  and  white  vellum,  illuminated  in  colors  and  gold  ;  and 
incunabula  or  "cradle  books,"  including  a  Bible  and  a  Latin  grammar 
printed  by  Anthony  Koburger,  in  1482. 

A  century  ago  a  taproom  stood  near  the  site  of  the  college.  At  11 
o'clock  each  night,  when  a  gong  sounded  behind  the  oaken  bar, 
service  ceased,  and  patrons  were  requested  to  leave  immediately  or 
join  the  host  and  hostess  in  prayer.  The  latter  were  ex-slaves,  Billy 
and  Mary  Moulton,  who  had  been  freed  by  the  widow  of  John 
Randolph.  After  the  arrival  of  the  Augustinians,  the  Moulton s  were 
converted  to  Catholicism. 

ROSEMONT  36.8  m.  (360  alt.  ;  2,600  pop.)  is  another  suburban 
development. 

Left  from  Rosemont  on  County  Line  Road,  R.  on  Airdale  Road 
under  the  railroad  tracks,  and  L.  on  Montgomery  Avenue.  ROSE- 
MONT  COLLEGE  for  women  (29)  (L)  was  founded  and  incorporated 
in  1922  by  the  nuns  of  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Child  Jesus.  The  40- 
acre  campus,  on  which  are  erected  the  six  gray  stone  buildings  of 
English  Gothic  design  which  comprise  the  college  group,  contains 
many  rare  trees  of  interest  to  arboriculturists.  Degrees  in  art,  science, 
and  letters  are  conferred  by  the  college. 

BRYN  MAWR  (Welsh,  great  hill)  37.9  m.  (420  alt.  ;  20,200  pop.) 
is  internationally  known  as  the  seat  of  Bryn  Mawr  College,  one  of 
America's  great  colleges  for  women. 

Left  at  traffic  light  on  Bryn  Mawr  Ave.,  R.  in  a  half  circle  under 
Pennsylvania  R.  R.  tracks  at  Bryn  Mawr  station  into  Morris  Ave. 

At  the  intersection  of  Morris  and  Montgomery  Avenues,  on  the  far 
right  corner,  set  back  on  spacious  grounds  behind  a  high  wrought- 
iron  fence,  stands  the  BALDWIN  SCHOOL  (30),  a  girls'  prepara- 
tory school,  founded  in  1888.  It  has  an  enrollment  of  300,  and  many 
of  its  graduates  enter  Bryn  Mawr  College.  It  was  among  the  first 

683 


PHILADELPHIA  GUIDE 

experimental  schools  chosen  by  the  Progressive  Education  Commis- 
sion on  the  Relation  of  School  and  College. 

Left  from  Morris  Ave.,  on  Yarrow  St.,  to  its  junction  with  Merion 
Ave.  Opposite  lies  the  52-acre  campus  of  BRYN  MAWR  COLLEGE 
(31),  its  dignified  gray  stone  buildings  of  Tudor  Gothic  architecture 
mellowed  by  vine-covered  walls,  old  shade  trees,  and  banks  and 
clumps  of  shrubbery.  The  college  was  founded  in  1880  by  Dr.  Joseph 
W.  Taylor,  of  Burlington,  N.  J.  It  was  originally  affiliated  with  the 
Society  of  Friends,  but  is  now  non-sectarian. 

The  library  (open  weekdays  8  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m.  ;  Sunday  9  a.  m. 
to  10  p.  m.)  contains  150,000  bound  volumes  and  10,000  pamphlets, 
and  was  built  in  1907  by  the  gifts  of  friends,  students,  and  alumni. 

It  includes  the  classical  library  of  the  late  Professor  Sauppe  of  Got- 
tingen,  the  Semitic  library  of  the  late  Professor  Amiaud  of  Paris, 
the  mathematical  library  of  the  late  Prof.  Charlotte  Angus  Scott,  the 
Germanic  library  of  the  late  Prof.  Earl  Detlev  lessen,  and  the 
geology  library  of  former  Prof.  Florence  Bascon.  More  than  600 
publications  and  reviews  in  many  languages  are  received. 

Each  spring  Elizabethan  plays  are  presented.  The  students'  Maypole 
fete  was  revived  at  Bryii  Mawr  about  20  years  ago  and  continues 
to  attract  considerable  interest. 

The  late  John  D.  Rockefeller,  Sr.,  donated  money  for  a  power  house, 
and  a  dormitory. 

At  Old  Buck  Lane  45.2  m.  R)  is  OLD  BUCK  INN  32).  The  inn 
is  now  used  as  an  apartment  house  and  is  partly  hidden  by  a  tall 
hedge.  Two  of  the  three  simple,  gable-roofed  units,  of  fieldstone 
plastered  over,  were  erected  in  1730.  After  the  defeat  at  Brandywine 
in  September  1777,  Washington  stopped  here  for  a  night,  and  his 
army  bivouacked  nearby. 

HAVERFORD,  47.3  m.  (410  alt.  ;  4,000  pop.),  a  Quaker  residential 
community,  is  the  seat  of  HAVERFORD  COLLEGE  (33)  (R.), 
founded  in  1833  by  the  Society  of  Friends.  The  college  consists  of 
several  buildings  of  Colonial  Georgian  inspiration  in  gray  stone  with 
white  trim.  Founder's  Hall  is  a  three-story  building  of  buff  plaster 
over  stone.  The  student  body  is  restricted  to  300.  The  original  campus, 
198  acres,  cost  $17,865.  This  and  an  additional  17  acres  are  now 
valued  at  $1,700,000.  The  income  from  a  $4,000,000  trust  fund  en- 
ables the  college  to  maintain  a  large  faculty  and  to  furnish  board 
and  lodging  to  students  at  less  than  cost. 

ARDMORE,  48 .1  m.  (376  alt.  ;  18,000  pop.)  is  naturally  beautiful 
locality,  with  close-cropped  slopes  studded  with  luxurious  estates  and 
a  small  business  section  through  which  the  tour  passes.  It  was  former- 
ly entirely  residential,  the  well-kept  countryside  resembling  Surrey 
in  England.  With  the  advent  of  the  automobile,  Ardmore  grudgingly 
accepted  a  small  amount  of  commercial  enterprise. 

684 


VALLEY  FORGE  (ENVIRONS  TOUR  4) 

Left  on  Ardmore  Avenue.  At  1  m.  R.  on  Montgomery  Avenue.  At 
4  m.  on  Montgomery  Avenue  (L)  is  the  OLD  MERION  MEETING- 
HOUSE (34),  built  in  1682.  It  is  a  two-storied  gabled  structure  of 
early  Colonial  type,  with  slate  roof  and  brick  chimneys  and  stands 
on  a  spacious  lot  among  old  shade  trees.  Its  absence  of  detail  befits 
the  austere  Quaker  faith.  It  is  one  of  two  buildings  still  standing 
wherein  William  Penn  preached,  and  Friends  still  assemble  for 
service.  In  the  house  is  the  peg  on  which  Penn  hung  his  broad- 
brimmed  hat.  One  of  the  founders  of  the  meetinghouse  was  Dr. 
Thomas  Wynne,  Penn's  intimate  friend  and  physician,  who  came 
over  with  him  on  the  Welcome.  Descendants  of  Wynne  still  preside 
at  meetings. 

Adjoining  the  Old  Merlon  Meetinghouse  is  the  historic  GENERAL 
WAYNE  INN  (35),  erected  in  1704.  The  hotel  was  a  meeting  place 
for  Washington,  Lafayette,  Wayne,  and  other  famous  men.  Edgar 
Allan  Poe,  when  a  resident  of  Philadelphia  in  the  1840's,  was  a  fre- 
quent patron.  It  is  a  low  structure  of  plastered  stone,  fronted  by 
open  galleries,  with  large  chimneys  at  the  ends  of  the  low  pitched 
roof. 

At  4.5  m.  bear  R.  on  Old  Lancaster  Road  at  its  intersection  with 
Montgomery  Avenue.  Turn  R.  on  City  Line  Avenue,  R.  on  Laps- 
ley  Road  to  the  ART  MUSEUM  OF  THE  BARNES*  FOUNDATION 
(36)  (Admission  by  invitation  only). 

In  1922,  Albert  Barnes,  of  Merion,  established  an  endowment  of 
$10,000,000  for  an  art  museum.  A  great  legal  battle  was  fought  in 
Philadelphia  courts  over  a  municipal  tax  of  $756  upon  a  small  office 
property  in  that  city  owned  by  the  foundation. 

Meanwhile,  the  foundation  had  constructed  the  Merion  museum— a 
one-story  building  in  Italian  Renaissance  style,  built  of  light  imported 
stone  with  tile  roof.  It  houses  Egyptian,  Greek,  and  Negro  sculp- 
ture; Persian,  Chinese,  Florentine,  and  Dutch  primitives;  canvases 
by  Giorgione,  Tintoretto,  El  Greco,  Claude  Lorrain,  Daumier,  Dela- 
croix. Courbet,  Corot,  Renoir,  Cezanne,  Manet,  Degas,  and  others. 
The  grounds  include  a  12-acre  park  and  arboretum. 

Angered  by  the  municipal  tax.  Barnes  built  a  wall  about  the  Merion 
estate,  threatened  to  remove  the  collection  to  New  York,  and  limited 
the  exhibition  to  students  personally  invited  to  view  it.  When  the 
lower  courts  denied  him  exemption  from  the  tax,  Barnes  threatened 
to  convert  the  property  into  a  national  center  for  Negro  education. 
On  January  31,  1934,  Barnes  won  his  case,  the  Supreme  Court  grant- 
ing tax  exemption  on  the  grounds  that  the  gift  was  a  public  charity. 

Left  on  Merion  Avenue  ;  R.  on  City  Line  Ave. 

At  City  Line  Avenue  and  Lancaster  Avenue  (R)  is  the  SEMINARY 
OF  ST.  CHARLES  BORROMEO  (37)    (See  City  Tour  8). 


685 


CHRONOLOGY 


1609     Henry    Hudson    discovers    Delaware    Bay. 

1634     Dutch   West    Indies   Company   secures  claim   to   all   land    on    both   sides   of 

Delaware  River. 

1642     Swedes  establish  school  at  Tinicum  Island. 
1644     William  Penn  born  in  London. 

1646     First  church  in  Pennsylvania  built  on  Tinicum  Island. 
1651     Francis  Daniel  Pastorius  born  at  Sommerhausen. 
1662     Father  punishes  Penn   for   Quaker  activities. 

1664     Dutch  and   Swedes   on  the  Delaware   surrender  to   Sir  Robert   Carr. 
1672     Penn  marries  Gulielma  Maria  Springett. 
1677     Lutherans  organize  congregation  at  Tinicum. 

1681  Charles  II  grants  land  in  America  to  Penn's  father. 

First  shipload  of  settlers  organized  by   Markham  arrives  at   Upland. 

1682  City  located  and  planned  by  Thomas  Holme,  Surveyor  General. 
Welcome    (Penn's  ship)    sails  from  England. 

The  Welcome  enters  the  Delaware  Bay. 
Penn   signs  treaty  with   Indians. 

1683  Population — 500   (estimated). 

Penn  takes  up  residence  in  Philadelphia. 

First   German    colonists    (Cref elders)    arrive    in   Philadelphia. 

1684  Population— 2,500   (estimated). 

1685  William   Bradford  publishes  first  book  in  middle   colonies. 
1688     First  public  protest  against  slavery  issued  by  Society  of  Friends. 

Baptists  organize  Old  Pennepek  Church. 
1690     William   Rittenhouse  builds    first   paper   mill    on    Wissahickon    Creek. 

1694  Kelpius,  the  German  mystic,  comes  to  America. 

1695  First  structure  of  Christ  Church  erected. 

Seat  of  Philadelphia   government  erected  at  2nd   and  Market  Sts. 
1699     John  Bartram,  botanist,  born. 

1701     City  charter  granted,  with  Edward   Shippen  as  first  Mayor. 
1703     First  musical  recital  in  Philadelphia,  by  Hermits   of  Wissahickon. 
1706     Benjamin  Franklin  born. 
1713     Quakers  establish  an  almshouse. 

1718  William  Penn  dies  in  England. 

1719  Andrew     Bradford     issues     American     Weekly     Mercury,     first     newspaper 
published   in  'Philadelphia. 

Francis  Daniel  Pastorius  dies. 

1724     Carpenters'    Company   of   Philadelphia    founded. 
1727     Benjamin    Franklin   founds   American   Philosophical    Society. 

1729  Father  Joseph   Greaton,  S.  J.,  arrives  in  Philadelphia. 

1730  Masons  organize  first  lodge  in  America. 
Site  for  State  House  purchased. 

1731  Library  Company  of  Philadelphia  founded. 

1732  Construction    of    State    House    (Independence    Hall)    begins. 
First  insurance  company   established. 

1733  Franklin  publishes  Poor  Richard's  Almanac. 

1736  Union  Fire  Company  organized  by  Franklin. 

1737  "Walking  Purchase." 

1739  Christopher  Sauer  issues  High  Dutch  Historiographer  at   Germantown. 

1740  University  of  Pennsylvania  founded. 

1741  The    first   magazine    in   America    published   by    Andrew    Bradford. 
Charles  Willson  Peale,  painter,  born. 

1744     Population — 9,750    (estimated). 

4iGrumblethorpe"  built  by  John  Wister. 
1747     Mikveh   Israel,  Hebrew   Congregation,   established. 

1749  First   theatrical   performance    in   Philadelphia. 

1750  Stephen  Girard  born. 

1751  Liberty  Bell  cast  by  Thomas  Lister  in  London. 

Building  erected  by  Drinker  family  ;   in   which  was  born  first  white  child 
in  Philadelphia. 

1752  First  patient  admitted  into  Pennsylvania  Hospital. 
Liberty   Bell  airives   in   Philadelphia. 

686 


1753  Liberty  Bell  rings  for  first  time  and  cracks. 

1754  First  Stock  Exchange  of  Philadelphia   founded. 

1755  Gilbert   Stuart,  distinguished   painter,  born. 

1756  Epidemic  of  small  pox  strikes  city. 

1760  Population — 18,756    (estimated). 

1761  Germantown  Academy  established. 

1762  Site  of  Fort  Mifflin  recognized  as  military  safeguard  by  British. 
First   night   school   in   America   opened   at    Germantown   Academy. 

1764  Germans  found  society  for  protection   of  redemptioners. 

1765  Powel  House  erected. 
Parliament  passes  Stamp  Act. 

Medical  School  of  College  of  Philadelphia  founded. 

1767  Mason  and   Dixon,  surveyors,  determine  the  state  line. 

James  White  makes  bequest  to  aid  Catholic  education  in  Philadelphia. 
Public  meeting  held  at  State  House  anent  tea  tax. 

1768  North  house  of  Pennsylvania  Hospital  completed. 

Medical  School  of  College  of  Philadelphia  confers  Bachelor  of  Physics  on 
graduates. 

1770  Erection  of  Carpenters'  Hall  begins. 

1771  John  Dunlap  issues  Pennsylvania  \Packet  as  tri-weekly. 

1772  First  movable  type  made  in  Germantown. 

1773  An  inoculation  hospital  is  opened. 

1774  Paul  Revere  arrives  from  Boston. 

First  Continental   Congress   convenes   in    Carpenter's   Hall. 
Twenty  eight  Philadelphians  organize  the  First  City  Troop. 

1775  Colony's  first  woven  carpets  loomed  in  Philadelphia. 
Debtor's  Prison  established  at  5th  and  Walnut   Streets. 
Second  Continental   Congress  meets  in   Independence  Hall. 
George  Washington  given  command  of  Continental  Army. 
Thomas  Paine's  Common  Sense  appears  for  the  first  time. 

1776  John   Hancock   and    Charles   Thompson    sign   Declaration   and    John    Nixon 
reads  document  to   crowd  in   State   House  yard. 

1777  Population— 30,000   (estimated). 
First  Fourth  of  July  celebrated. 
Washington  and  troops  enter  Philadelphia. 
Battle  of  Chadds  Ford. 

British  occupy  Philadelphia. 

Battle  of  Germantown. 

Washington  and  Continental  Army  encamp  at  Valley  Forge. 

British   officers   and   American  Tories   present  Meschianza  as  a   farewell   to 

Sir  William  Howe. 

1778  Howe  evacuates  Philadelphia  ;  Pennsylvania  Packet  returns  from  Lancaster. 
Congress  returns  to  Philadelphia  and  convenes  in  Independence  Hall. 
Articles  of  Confederation  ratified. 

1780     Population— 40,000    (estimated). 

1783  Thomas  Sully,  painter,  born. 

1784  Pennsylvania  Packet  becomes  a  daily. 

1785  Episcopal  Academy  for  Boys  established. 

1786  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  opens  first  medical  dispensary. 
John  Fitch,  Philadelphia!!,  builds  steamboat. 

1787  Regular    mail    and    stage    coach    services    established    with    Pittsburgh    and 
Reading. 

Constitutional   Convention   meets   in   Independence  Hall,  and   ratifies   U.   S. 
Constitution. 

1790  Population— 54,391    (estimated). 

Franklin  dies  in  Philadelphia  at  age  of  eighty-four. 

1791  Journeymen  Carpenters  go  on  strike. 

First  Bank  of  United  States  established  in  Carpenter's  Hall. 
First  United  States  Mint  established  here. 

1793  Yellow   fever  epidemic   strikes  city. 
Washington  inaugurated  President. 

1794  Chestnut  Street  Theatre  opens. 
1796     David  Rittenhouse  dies. 

1798     Robert  Morris  committed  to   Debtor's  Prison. 
Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  established. 

687 


1798     Joseph   Hopkinson   writes  Hail  Columbia  in   Philadelphia. 
1800     National  capital  removed  from  Philadelphia  to  Washington. 

First    commercial    mention    of    ice    cream    in    the    Aurora,    a    Philadelphia 

newspaper. 

1802     Anthracite  first  burned  in  city. 
1806     Robert  Morris  dies. 

Edwin  Forrest  born. 

1809  The  first  steamboat,  Phoenix,  arrives   in  Philadelphia. 

1810  Penn  Treaty  Elm  blown  down. 

1811  First  medical  textbooks  in  America,  A   System  of  Anathomy,  published  by 
Dr.  Caspar  Wistar. 

1812  Stephen  Girard  aids  in  financing  War  of  1812. 

1815  Seventy-four   gun   frigate   Franklin   launched    at   Navy  Yard. 

1816  Frankford   Arsenal  begun. 

1820  Thompson  Westcott,  'historian,  born. 

1821  First  issue  of  Saturday  Everting  Post  published. 

1822  Lafayette  visits  Philadelphia. 

1824  Historical   Society  of  Pennsylvania   formed. 

1825  Jefferson  Medical  College  founded. 

1827  Charles   Willson   Peale,  painter,  dies. 

1828  Gilbert  Stuart  dies. 

1830  John  Fanning  Watson  publishes  his  Annals. 

1831  Stephen  Girard  dies. 

1832  First  locomotive  made  at  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works. 

1834     Ten-hour    day    movement    started    in    Philadelphia    by    laborers    and    coal 

heavers. 
1836     Leary's  book  store  founded. 

Public  Ledger  established  by  Swain  &  Abell. 
1839     Philadelphia   Zoological   Institute  founded. 

1841  Bank  of  United  States  fails. 

1842  Edgar  Allan  Poe  occupies  530  N.  Seventh  St. 

1847  William  Wagner  founds  Wagner  Free  Institute   of   Science. 

1848  Girard  College  for  Orphan  Boys  opens. 

Whig   Party  delegates  meet   in   Philadelphia   and  nominate  Zachory   Taylor 
for  presidency. 
1850     Population— 121,376    (estimated). 

Female   Medical   College   of  Philadelphia  founded. 

1853  John  Drew   (the  younger)    born  in  Philadelphia. 

1854  Young  Men's    Christian    Association    organized    in    Philadelphia. 

1856  Gratz  College   (Jewish)    founded. 

1857  Academy  of  Music  opens. 

1858  Banks  suspend  in  financial  panic. 
Steam  fire  engine  introduced. 

1860  Population— 565,529    (estimated). 

Coleman   Sellers  makes  first  photographic  motion  pictures.. 

Baseball  makes  its  first  appearance  in  city. 

Bishop   Neumann   dies. 

German  Hospital    (Lankenau  Hospital)    founded. 

1861  Lincoln   appears  in   City  and   raises  flag   over  Independence  Hall. 
First  religious  services  held  in  Cathedral   of  S'S.   Peter  and   Paul. 

1863  Cornerstone  laid  for  Masonic  Temple. 

Edward  William  Bok,  philanthropist,  born  in  Holland. 

1864  City  purchases  League  Island. 

Swarthmore   established  by  The  Society   of  Friends. 
George  W.  Childs  buys  Public  Ledger. 

1865  John  B.  Stetson   Company,  hat  manufacturers,  established. 
Philadelphia  Inquirer  issues  a   bulletin  announcing   the  fall  of  Richmond. 

1866  Green's  Hotel  opens. 

1867  Hahnemann  Medical  Hospital  founded. 

Commission  of  Fairmount  Park  created  by  act  of  Assembly. 

1869  Jay  Cooke  and   Son   Company  fails. 

1870  Population— 673,726    (estimated). 
Philadelphia  Record  appears. 

Citizens   in   referendum,   choose  present   site   for   City   Hall. 

1871  Edwin    Forrest   makes   last   stage   appearance    at   Walnut    Street   Theatre. 

688 


1871  Isaiah   Chase   and   Prof.   Octavius   Catto,  two   prominent   Negroes,  are   slain. 

1872  Edwin  Forrest  dies. 

Federal    Building    erected    upon    former    site    of    Presidential    Mansion    at 
9th  and  Chestnut  Sts. 

1873  City  establishes  a  national  museum   in   Independence  Hall. 

1874  Philadelphia    Zoo    opens. 
Charley  Ross  kidnapped. 
Cornerstone  of  City  Hall  laid. 

1875  Successful   wireless   experiments   are   carried   on   by   Prof.   Elihu   Thompson 
and  Edwin  J.  Houston  of  Central  High  School. 

1876  John  Wanamaker  Store  and   Broad  Street  Theaire  opens. 
Centennial  Exhibition   opens   in  Fairmount  Park. 

1878     Lionel    Barrymore   born    in   Philadelphia. 

Thomas   E.   Cahill  bequeathes   $1,000,000   for   the   establishment   of   Catholic 

High  School  for  Boys. 
1880     Bryn  Mawr  College  founded. 

1883  First  Free  Law  Library  established. 
Haverford  College  founded. 

1884  Scharf   and   Westcott    publish    first    standard    history    of    Philadelphia. 

1888  Louisa  May  Alcott  dies. 

1889  Mask  and  Wig  Club  formed. 

Edward  Bok  becomes  editor  of  the  Ladies  Home  Journal. 

1891  Anthony  J.  Drexel  founds  Drexel  Institute. 
Temple  College  granted  rights  to  confer  degrees. 

1892  First  Electric  railways  used  in  Philadelphia. 

1894     Central  High  School  erected  on  southwest  corner  of  Broad  and  Green  Sts. 

1896  First  public   exhibition   of  motion  pictures   at   Keith's   Bijou   Theatre. 

1897  Commercial   Museum   officially  opened  by   President   McKinley. 

1899  First  motor  tar   in  city  appears. 

1900  Philadelphia    Orchestra    organized 
1903     The  great  textile  strike  occurs. 

1905  Passenger   service   begins   in   Market   Street   subway 

1906  Poor  Richard   Club   organized. 

University    of    Pennsylvania    confers    Doctor    of    Law    degree    upon    King 
Edward  VII   of  England. 

1907  Temple   College  becomes   Temple   University. 

1908  Shibe  Park  opens. 

1910  First  airplane  flight  from   New  York  to  Philadelphia. 

1911  Rudolph   Blankenburg   elected   Mayor   of  Philadelphia. 

1912  Horace  Howard   Furness,   Shakespearian   authority,  dies. 

1916  First  appearance  of  Japanese  beetle. 

1917  Navy  enlists  first  woman  as  "yeomanette". 

1918  First  airport  opens  in  city. 

First  ship  launched  at  Hog  Island. 

Roosevelt  Boulevard  dedicated. 

Edward   Bok   establishes  Philadelphia  Award   of  Merit. 

First  Bok  Award  given  to  Dr.  Russell  H.  Conwell. 

Hedgerow  Theatre   begun. 

Curtis   Institute   of  Music-  established. 

Sesqui-Centennial  Exhibition  begins. 

Delaware  River  Bridge  dedicated. 

Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art  opens. 

Rodin  Museum  dedicated. 

Population — 1,950,961. 

Edward  William  Bok  dies. 

Municipal   Convention  Hall  opened. 

250th   anniversary   of  landing   of  William   Penn. 

Agnes    Repplier    awarded    gold    metad    by    National    Institute    of    Arts    and 

Letters. 

Franklin  Institute  opens  for  public. 

Philadelphia    sees   first   Sunday   baseball    game. 

Philadelphia  sees  first  Sunday  movies. 

Democratic      National      Convention      at      Convention      Hall,      renominates 

President    Franklin    D.    Roosevelt,   who    delivers    acceptance    speech    before 

120,000  persons  on  Franklin   Field. 

689 


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Architecture 

Eberlein,  H.  D.  and  McClure,  Abbot.  Practical  Book  of  Early  American  Arts 
and  Crafts.  Philadelphia,  Lippincott,  1916. 

Drama 

Brown,  T.  Allston.  History  of  the  American  Stage.  New  York,  Dick  &  Fitz- 
gerald, 1870. 

Hornblow,  Arthur.  History  of  the  Theatre  in  America.  Philadelphia,  Lippincott, 
1919. 

Education 

Broome,  Edwin  C.  Public  School  System  of  Philadelphia.  Philadelphia,  Board 
of  Education,  1935. 

Wickersham,  James  P.  A  History  of  Education  in  Pennsylvania.  Lancaster, 
Inquirer  Publishing  Co.,  1886. 

Woody,  Thomas.  Early  Quaker  Education  in  Pennsylvania.  New  York,  Columbia 
University  Press,  1920. 

Ethnology 

Morais,  Henry  S.     Jews  of  Philadelphia.     Philadelphia,  Levytype  Co.,  1894. 

Sachse,  J.  F.  German  Pietists  of  Provincial  Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia,  P.  C. 
Stockhausen,  1895. 

Ward,  Christopher.  Dutch  and  Swedes  on  the  Delaware.  Philadelphia,  University 
of  Pennsylvania  Press,  1930. 

Finance 

Holdsworth,  John  T.  Financing  an  Empire. — A  History  of  Banking  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. Philadelphia,  S.  J.  Clarke  Publishing  Co.,  1928. 

Flora  and  Fauna 
Harshberger,    John   W.      Botanists    of   Philadelphia.      Philadelphia,    T.    C.    Davis 

&  Sons,  1899. 
Keller,  I.  A.  and  Brown,  S.    Handbook  of  the  Flora  of  Philadelphia  and  Vicinity. 

Philadelphia,  Philadelphia  Botany  Club,  1905. 
Stone,  Witmer.      Birds   of  Eastern   Pennsylvania   and  New  Jersey.      Philadelphia, 

Delaware  County  Ornithological  Club,  1894. 

Folkways 

Gummere,  Amelia  M.  Witchcraft  and  Quakerism;  a  Study  in  Social  History.  Phila- 
delphia, Biddle  Press,  1908. 

Government 

Philadelphia's  Government,  1932.  Philadelphia,  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research, 
1932. 

Highways 
Faris,  John  T.     Old  Roads  Out  of  Philadelphia.     Philadelphia,  Lippincott,  1917. 

History 

Barton,  George.  Little  Journeys  Around  Old  Philadelphia.  Philadelphia,  Peter 
Reilly  Co.,  1925. 

Hazard,  Samuel.  Annals  of  Pennsylvania,  from  the  Discovery  of  the  Delaware 
River,  1609—1682.  Philadelphia,  Hazard,  1850. 

Lippincott,  Horace  Mather.     Philadelphia.     Philadelphia,  Macrae-Smith,   1926. 

Oberholtzer,  E.  P.  Philadelphia:  A  History  of  the  City  and  Its  People.  Phila- 
delphia, S.  J.  Clarke  Publishing  Co.,  1912. 

Repplier,  Agnes.  Philadelphia:  The  Place  and  the  People.  New  York,  Mac- 
millan,  1925. 

690 


Scharf  and  Westcott.     History  of  Philadelphia.     Philadelphia,  L.  H.  Everts   Co., 

1884.    3  vols. 
Shackleton,  Robert.     Book   of  Philadelphia.    Philadelphia,  Penn  Publishing    Co., 

1918. 
Watson,  John  Fanning.     Annals  of  Philadelphia  and  Pennsylvania.     Philadelphia, 

Edwin  S.  Stuart,  1898. 

Indians 
Sipe,  C.  Hale.    Indian  Chiefs  of  Pennsylvania.    Butler,  Ziegler  Printing  Co.,  1927. 

Industry 

Freedley,  Edwin  T.  Philadelphia  and  Its  Manufactures.  Philadelphia,  Edward 
Young  &  Co.,  1858. 

Matos,  W.  W.,  compiler.  Philadelphia:  Its  Founding  and  Development.  Philadel- 
phia, Philadelphia  Executive  Committee,  1908. 

Legal 

Martin,  John  H.     History  of  the  Bench  and  Bar.     Philadelphia,  Welsh,  1883. 

Libraries 

Gray,  Austin.  The  First  American  Library;  A  Short  Account  of  the  Library 
Company  of  Philadelphia,  1,731 — 1931.  Library  Company,  1936. 

Literature 

Gibbs,  George.     Old  Philadelphia.     New  York,  Appleton,  1931. 
Lippard,  George.     Quaker  City.     Philadelphia,  G.  Lippard,  1846. 
Mitchell,  S.  Weir.     Hugh  Wynne.     New  York,  Century  Co.,  1896. 
Mitchell,  S.  Weir.    Red  City.    New  York,  Century  Co.,  1908. 
Taylor,  Bayard.     Story  of  Kennett.    New  York,  Putnam's,  1894. 

Medical 
Anders,  James  M.     History  of  the  Outstanding  Achievements  of  Philadelphia  as 

a  Medical  Center.    Philadelphia,  World's  Medical  Center. 

Keen,  W.  W.  History  of  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Anatomy.  Philadelphia, 
Lippincott,  1875. 

Military 

Clarke,  Maj.  William  P.  Official  History  of  the  Militia  and  the  National  Guard 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia,  C.  J.  Hendler,  1909.  3  vols. 

Music 

Lytle,  Clyde  F.  Pennsylvania  in  Song  and  Story.  Minneapolis,  Burgess  Pub- 
lishing Co.,  1932. 

Wister,  F.  A.  Twenty-Five  Years  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra.  Philadelphia, 
Women's  Committee  for  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra,  1925. 

Natural  Resources 
Gordon,    Samuel    G.      Mineralogy    of    Pennsylvania.      Philadelphia,    Academy    of 

Natural  Sciences,  1922. 

Iddings,  Joseph  P.  Igneous  Rocks.  Philadelphia,  American  Philosophical 
Society,  1911. 

Negro  Progress 

Turner,   E.   R.    Negro   in    Pennsylvania.    Washington,   American    Historical    Asso- 
ciation, 1911. 
Wright,  R.  R.  Negro  in  Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia,  A.  M.  E.  Book  Concern,  1912. 

Points  of  Interest 

Morley,  Christopher.  Travels  in  Philadelphia.  Philadelphia,  David  McKay  Co., 
1920. 

Social  Service 

Cloud,  Esther.  Social  Service  Directory  of  Philadelphia,  1935.  Philadelphia, 
Council  of  Social  Service  Agencies,  Welfare  Federation  of  Philadelphia,  1935. 

691 


INDEX 


Abbey,  Edwin  Austin,  251 

Abbott  Dairies,  506 

Aberle,    H.    C.,    &    Co.,    520 

Abington,  658 

Abington    Library,    658 

Abington  Memorial  Hospital,   658 

Abington    Presbyterian    Church,    658 

Academy   of   Fine  Arts,   82 

Academy  of  Music,  64,  234,  235,  348 

Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  60,  289. 
583 

Accommodations,   XXIII 

Acorn   Club,    435 

Act  of  Consolidation,  63,  64,  109 

Actors,   213 

Adams,  John,  48,  328,  411;  Samuel,  48; 
Weyman,  426 

Adelphia   Hotel,    399 

African  Methodist  Episcopal  Book  Con- 
cern, 107 

African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,   107 

Agnew,  D.  Hayes,   199;  James,  479 

Agriculture,  124 

Alcott,  Louisa  M.,  192 

Alden  Park  Players,  227 

Alexander,   Dr.  Virginia  M.,   299 

Allen,  Richard,  200,  201;  Rev.  Thomas  G., 
305 

Allibone,   S.  Austin,   198 

All   Saints   Spiritual  Church,   170 

A'mhouses,  304,  305 

Alpha  Baptist  Church,   163 

American  Baptist  Publication  Society, 
432 

American  Entomological   Society,   292,   585 

American  Federation  of  Hosiery  Workers, 
468,  526 

American  Federation  of  Labor,   157 

American    Fiction    Guild,    201 

American  Institute  of  Architects,  277 

American  Magazine  and  Monthly  Chron- 
icle for  the  British  Colonies,  188 

American    Medical    Association,    62 

American  Museum  Magazine,   190,   191 

American  Penal  Labor  Association.  308 

American  Philosophical  Society,  283,  288. 
334 

American  Red   Cross,    310,    438 

American  Swedish  Historical  Museum, 
449,  450 

American  Theatre    Society,    224 

American  Weekly  Mercury,  202,  203,  214 

Amusements  &  Sports,  90,  91 

Anderson,   Marian,    242 

Andre,  Major,  479.  487 

Andrews,   Jedediah,   161 

Andros,    Sir   Edmund,    645 

Annals  of  Philadelphia,   (Watson),  192 

Annenberg,  M.  L.,  208 

Annual  Celebrations,   91 

Annual   Events,    XXVIII,    XXIX 

Anshutz,  Thomas,  426 

Anti-Catholic  Riots,   62,   63,   408 

Anvil  Tavern,   641 

Aquarium,   78,   580 

Aquetong,    667 

Arch  Street  Friends  Meeting  House,  392, 
393 

Arch  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
169 

Architecture,  256;  Colonial,  256;  Greek  re- 
vival, 265;  Gothic,  268;  Victorian,  270; 
French  Renaissance,  270;  Romanesque, 
270,  271;  Modern,  271,  272;  Clubs,  277 

Ardmore,   684 

Area   of    Philadelphia,    11 

Argall,   Capt.  Samuel,  25 

Arliss,    George,    416 

Arm-in-Arm  Convention,   72 

Armistice,  the,   81 


Armory,    103rd    Cavalry,    508;    108th    Field 

Artillery,  467 

Armstrong  Association,   108 
Armstrong,   General  John,   604 
Army  and  Navy   Pylons,   578 
Arnold,  Benedict,  56,  204,  403,  552 
Art,   243 

Art  Alliance,  82,  436 
Art   Club   of  Philadelphia,   444 
Art  Museums,   360,   362,   363,   365 
Arthur  House,   547 
Arthur,    Timothy    Shay,    547 
Articles  of  Association,   48 
Articles  of  Confederation,   58,   321 
Artists  Union,   426 
Asbury,    Bishop   Francis,    389,    390 
Ashurst  Collection,   352 
Ashurst,   John,   310,   352 
Assembly,  89 
Association    of   Philadelphia    Settlements, 

310 

Automotive  Industry,   115 
Awbury   Arboretum   and   Park,    485 

Bache,  Dr.  Franklin,  297 

Bachelors  Barge  Club,  559 

Baederwood   Golf   Course,   658 

Bailly,   Joseph  A.,   250 

Bainbridge,  William,   392 

Ba'a-Cynwyd,    674 

Baldwin   Locomotive  Works,   73,   117,   459, 
646 

Baldwin,   Matthias,   117,   287 

Baldwin    School,    683 

Ball  bearings,  manufacture  of,   521 

Baltimore   and    Ohio   Railroad,    146;    Sta- 
tion, 439,  440 

Baltimore,   Lord,   37 

Bancroft,   George,   233 

Banking,  125 

Banks,  125 

North  America,  57,  128,  129,  404;  Penn- 
sylvania, 57,  64,  127,  128;  United  States, 
129,  132,  133,  40S;  Central  Penn  Na- 
tional, 431;  Fidelity  Philadelphia  Trust 
Co.,  443:  First  National  of  Philadel- 
phia, 404;  Girard  National,  406;  Girard 
Trust  Co.,  443,  382;  National  Bank  of 
Germantown,  480;  Pennsylvania  Com- 
pany for  Insurance  on  Lives  and 
Granting  of  Annuities,  60,  126,  133; 
Philadelphia  Saving  Fund  Society,  61, 
126,  132,  256,  385;  Second  Bank  of  the 
United  States,  132,  133 

Baptist   Home,    471 

Barfrelin,    Father   Felix   Joseph,    407 

Bardley,    John,    488 

Barnes,   Albert,    199,   254,   685 

Barnes  Foundation,  685 

Barralett,  John  James,  246,  247 

Barry,   Com.  John,  254,  320,  411,  447 

Barrymore,     Ethel,    221,    416;    John,     221; 
Lionel,    221;    Maurice,    221 

Bartol,   Henry  W.,  290,   632 

Barton,    Dr.    Benjamin    Smith,    236,    289, 
295;   William   P.   C.,   295 

Bartram,   John,   12,  190,  284,  495 

Bartram's   Gardens,   495 

"Battle  of  the  Kegs,"   (Hopkins),   55 

Beaux,    Cecilia,    250 

Bell's  Mill  Road  Bridge,  615 

Bell  Telephone  Company,  141 

Bel'evue-Stratford  Hotel,  444 

Belmont:  Filtration  Plant  and  Reservoir, 
509;  Mansion,  572 

Rembridge,    Henry,   244 

Benezet,   Anthony,   179,   190 

Benjamin   Franklin,   Hotel  403;   Parkway, 
81,  574 

Benjamin  West  House,  632 


692 


Benson,  Dr.  Francis  Colgate,  Jr.,  299 

Bergdoll,   Grover   C.,   81 

Berkowitz,  Henry,   168 

Beth  Israel,   168 

Betsy  Ross  House,  342,  393 

Better     Homes     in     America    Association, 

308 

Beury,   Dr.   Charles  E.,   466 
Biddle,    Edward,    48;    Francis,    197;    Capt. 

James,  502,  503;  Com.  Nicholas,  133,  285, 

396;  Capt.  Thomas,  61 
Bigler,    Governor,    64 
Billikopf,    Jacob,    156 
Billmeyer   House,   488 
Binney,   Constance,  232;  Horace,   69,  292 
Birch     Thomas,    ?46;    William,    246;    Wil- 
liam  Young,    513 
Birds,  14 

Birmingham   Meetinghouse,    640 
Bishop,    Richard,    426 
Bispham,   David,   241 
Black  Horse   Tavern,   637 
Blai,  Boris,   254 
Blankenburg,  Mrs.  Lucretia,  79;  Rudolph, 

78 

Bloch,  Julius,  254 
Blockey  Almshouse,  305 
Blue  Anchor  Inn,   22 
Blue  Bell  Tavern,   500 
Blue  Laws,   4,   85 
Board   of   Education,    230,    310;    Building, 

583;  Board  of  Public  Education,   177 
Boardman,  Eleanor,  233 
Boathouse  Row,  558 
Boat   Clubs,    558,    561 
Bok  Award,  82,  197 
Bok,     Edward     William,     196,     197;     Mrs. 

Edward    W.,    240;    Mary    Louise    Curtis, 

238,   432,  545 

Boker,    George   Henry,    69,    195,    222 
Bonaparte   House,   416 
Bonaparte,    Joseph,    416 
Bond,     Dr.     Phineas,     418;     Dr.     Thomas, 

295,   418 

Booth,  Edwin,  416;  Junius  Brutus,  416 
Borie,  Adolphe,   253 
Boston:  Port  Bill,  46;  Tea  Party,  46 
Botanical    Society,    289 
Boulevard    Airport,    471 
Boundaries,  11 

Bowman's    Hill    Observation    Tower,     670 
Boxall,  Joseph,   142 
Boy  Scouts  of  America,  583 
Boyle,    John  J.,    250 
Brarkenridge,  Hugh  H.,   190 
Bradford,      Andrew,      202,     203;     William, 

126,    202,    203,    204 
Brandywine  Bantist   Church,    638 
Brandywine,  Battle  of,   329 
Breckenridge,   Hugh,   251 
Breda,    Treaty   of,    29 
Brethren,    163,    164 
Brethren,  First  Church  of  the,   489 
Breyer  Ice  Cream  Company,  494,  495 
Brill    Manufacturing    Company,    115,    498, 

500 

Broad    Street:   Baptist   Church,    446;   Hos- 
pital,   445;    Station,    383;     Subway,    84, 

145;   Theatre,   444 
Broadwood    Hotel,    458 
Brooks  High  License  Law,  72 
Brooks,  Phillips,  199 
Bromley  and   Sons,   518,   520 
Brown,    Charles   Brockden,    190,    191;   Maj. 

Gen.  Jacob,  61 

Brown  Preparatory  School,   182 
Brown's   Raid,   65 
Brush   Electric    Company,    140 
Bryn  Athyn,  671;   Cathedral,  653,  671 
Bryn  Mawr  College,  684 
Buckingham,   666;  Meeting  House,   666 
Bucks  County  Historical  Society  Museum, 

665 

Budd  Manufacturing  Company,  115 
Bulletin  Building,   383 


Bullitt   Act,    75 

Bureaus:    for    Colored    Children,    314;    of 

Legal  Aid,   315;   of  Municipal  Research, 

307;    of   Recreation,    307 
Bustleton  Avenue  Bridge,   621 
Butler,   Pierce,    473;    Gen.    Smedley   D.,    81 
Butler  Place,  473 
Buttercup  Cottage,   609 
Buttonwood    Inn,    666 

Cadwalader,  Gen.  George,  62,  63,  68; 
John,  64;  Dr.  Thomas,  293;  Gen. 
Thomas  61 

Cadwa'ader,    Grays,    68 

Cahill,   Thomas  E.,   180 

Calder,  Alexander  Milne,  250,  379;  Alex- 
ander Stirling,  250 

Caledonian   Club,   461 

Calvary  Methodist  Episcopal   Chinch,    109 

Calvary    Presbyterian    Church,    412 

Camac    Street,    424,    425,    426 

Camac,   Turner,   425 

Canadians,    103 

Cardington,    625 

Carey,  Matthew,   190,  297 

Carl   Mackley    Houses,    274,    525-527 

Carpenter,   Edward  Child,  223 

Carpenters'  Company,  149,  262,  341,  342; 
Hall,  48,  262,  339;  Society  of,  339 

Carriage   building   trade,    115 

Cassatt,  Mary,  249,  250 

Catalpa    Inn,    666 

Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  69 

Catholic  Apostolic  Church,  172 

Catholic   Children's  Bureau,   313 

Catholic    Y.   M.   A.,    311 

Catto,   Octavius  V.,   73 

Cedar   Grove   Mansion,   568 

Centennial,    The,   74,   75,   568-570,    571,   572 

Center  Square,  279,  379 

Central   High   School,    77,    176,    177,   459 

Central   Labor   Union,    157 

Central-Penn    National    Bank,    431 

Chadds  Ford,  638,  639;  battle  of,  638-640; 
Inn,  638 

Chadds   House,   640 

Chamber  of  Commerce,   60 

Chambers-Wylie  Memorial  Presbyterian 
Church,  444 

Chamounix  Drive,   573;   Lake,   573 

Chapman,  Nathaniel,  297 

Charlotte   Cushman   Club,   219 

Chase,   Isaiah,   73 

Chemicals,   manufacture   of,   118 

Chester,   646 

Chestnut  Hill  Players,  227 

Chestnut    Street    Baptist    Church,    163 

Chestnut     Street    Bridge,     73 

Cheves,  Langdon,   133 

Chew,   Benjamin,   52,   486 

Chew   Mansion,    486,    487 

Childs,  Cephas  Gier,  247;  George  W.,  208, 
501 

Chinatown.     387 

Chinese,    98 

Chinese  Burial  Ground,  674 

"Chinese   Wall",    6,    282,    505 

Christ    Church,    161,    394 

Churches: 

Baptist:    Alpha,    163;    Brandywine,    638; 

Broad    Street,    446;    Chestnut    Street, 

163;    First,    431,    432;    Grace,    162,    175. 

467;  Old  Pennepek,  162,  621;  Second,  163 

Christian    Science:    First    Church,    170; 

Second  Church,  170 

Friends:    Arch    St.,    392,    393;    Bucking- 
ham,   666;    Germantown    480;    Horsham 
661;    Race    Street,    74 
Lutheran:  St.  Michael's,  159,  489;  Zion, 

387,    388 

Methodist      Episcopal:      Calvary,      169; 
First      of      Germantown,       169;       St. 
George's,    169,    188;    African,    107,    Arch 
St.,   169 


693 


Presbyterian:  Calvary,  412;  Chambers- 
Wylie  Memorial,  444;  Clinton  Street, 
424;  First,  412;  Northern  Liberties 
162;  Market  Square,  480,  481;  Over- 
brook,  512;  Second,  162,  305;  Third, 
162;  Abington,  658;  of  Neshaminy,  64; 
Old  Newtown,  671 

Protestant  Episcopal:  Christ  Church, 
161,  394;  Gloria  Dei  (Old  Swedes' 
Church),  159,  161,  234,  257,  542,  543; 
St.  Mark's,  435;  St.  Paul's,  408;  St. 
Peter's,  395,  406;  Holy  Trinity,  439;  St. 
David's,  681 
Reformed:  Evangelical  and  Reformed, 

162;  First,  164 

Roman  Catholic:  Holy  Child,  471;  Holy 
Trinity,  166,  412;  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes, 
512;   Our  Lady  of  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment   (Negro),    461;    St.    Augustine's, 
62,  166,  390;   St.  Joseph's,  166,   179,   St. 
Mary's,    179,    180,    411;    SS.    Peter   and 
Paul,  576;  St.  Philip  de  Neri,  62 
Spiritualist:   All    Saints,   170;   First   As- 
sociation of,  170;  St.  John's  Spiritual 
Alliance,     170;     Third,     170;      Universal 

Brotherhood,   170 

Hebrew:  Keneseth  Israel,  168,  464; 
Mikveh  Israel,  100,  167,  168,  417,  468; 
Rodeph  Shalom,  168,  459;  Beth  Ismel, 
168 

Unitarian:     First,      169;      Germantown, 
169,    491;   United   Brethren   in   Christ, 
170 
Universal:    Church    of   the   Messiah,    169, 

464;   First,   169 

Miscellaneous:    First      Church      of      the 
Brethren.  489;  Church  of  God  in  North 
America,     172;     Church     of      the     New 
Jerusalem,     172;     Church     of    the    Re- 
deemer,    172;     Conservative    Dunkards, 
163;      Progressive    Dunkards,     163;      St. 
George's     Greek     Catholic,     417;      Bryn 
Athyn     Cathedral,     653,     671;      Catholic 
Apostolic     172;     Seamen's     Church     In- 
stitute,    170,     312;     Germantown     Men- 
nonite,    483;    Mennonite,    163 
Church   of   the   Redeemer,    172 
Cigar,    manufacture   of,    114 
Cinema,   232,   349;   Stars,  232 
City  Hall,  73,   256,   279,   379;  Annex,   381 
City  Planning,  279 
City  Tavern,   126 

Civic   Improvements   of  Early   1800,   60 
Civil    Works    Administration,    85 
Clarke,   E.   W..   and   Co.,    73 
Clarkson,  Matthew,  333 
Clarkson  Park,  471 
Clay,  John  Curtis,  543 
Claypoole,    James,    31,    244 
Claypoole's    Daily    Advertiser,    205,    206 
Clifton  Heights,  629 
Cl'mate    a"d    Clothing,    XXJV    XXV 
Clinton      Street,      422-424;      Presbyterian 

Church,  424 
Clothier,   Isaac,   79 
Clothier   Memorial,    631 
Coates    Collection,    251 
Cobbett,    William,    189,    190 
Cobbs  Creeks  Falls,   627;   Golf  Club,  627: 
Guard      House      (New),      625;      Guard 
House  (Old),   625;  Park,   625 
Coins,    manufacture   of,    375 
Coleman,    William,    135,    554 
Coles    House,    424 
Colleges: 

Bryn  Mawr,  683,  684;  Drevel  Institute 
of  Art,  Science,  and  Industry,  183,  500; 
Dropsie,  180,  468;  Girard,  62,  132,  182, 
313,  370,  374;  Gratz,  180,  468;  Hahne- 
mann  Medical,  183,  303;  Haverford,  684; 
Jefferson  Medical,  61,  183,  294,  302,  400; 
La  Salle,  182;  Philadelphia  College  of 
Osteopathy,  183;  Philadelphia  School 
of  Occupational  Therapy,  303,  439; 
Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  and 

694 


Science,    61,    183,    494;    Physicians    and 
Surgeons,      303;      Rosemont,      683;      St 
Joseph's,    182,    183,    510;    Villanova,    683; 
Log    College,    664;    Swarthmore,    631 
Pennsylvania,    589-593;    Temple,    464-467 

Collin,  Nicholas,  543 

Columbus,   Christopher,  570 

Combs   Conservatory  of  Music,  445 

Commercial  Museum,  76,  493,  494 

Committee    for    Industrial    Organization, 
158 

Compton,  Bishop  Henry,  395 

Concordville,   637,   638 

Concord     Meeting     House,     638;     School 
House,   486 

Congoleum-Nairn,    645,   646 

Congress  Hall,  79,  327,  337,  338 

Consolidation  of  the  City,  63 

Constitution   (Ship),   447 

Constitutional  Convention,  58,  59 

Continental    Congress,    First,    48,    49,    339, 
341;    Second,    49,    51 

Convention  Hall,  493,  494 

Conwell,    Dr.    Russell    H.,     162,    163,     175, 
464 

Cooke,   Jay,    69,   134.    657;   and   Company, 
69,  73,  134 

Co-operative  Center,  475 

Cope,  Edward  D.,  199 

Cornell,  Dr.  Walter  S.,  299 

Corporation  for  Relief  of  Distressed  Pres- 
byterian Ministers,  136 

Corssen,  Arent,  26 

Costello,  Paul,  559 

Council    Fair    of    the    Sanitary    Commis- 
sions,  71 

Council  at  Upland,   36 

Cournos,  John,   198 

Cowboy,   The,   (Remington),   550 

Cram  &  Ferguson,   272 

Cramp,    William,    531 

Cramp's    Shipbuilding   Company,   73,    117, 
531,  532 

Crawford,  Earl  Stetson,  250;  Gen.  Samuel 
Wylie,  71 

Crescent  Boat   Club   559 

Cresheim   Creek,    608;   Drive,    607;   Valley, 
607 

Cret,    Paul   Philippe,    82,    277,    280,    402 
578 

Crime  Prevention  Association,  308 

Crooked     Billet,     538;     Monument,     663; 
Tavern,  663 

Crosby,  Joshua,  418 

Cummings,   Alexander,  206,   208 

Cuneo  Eastern  Press,  523 

Curtin,    Governor,   70 

Curtis,  Cyrus  H.  K.,  79,  208,  392,  590 

Curtis    Institute   of    Music,    82,    234,    238, 
241,    432 

Curtis   Publishing    Company,    414,    415 

Custom  House,  404,  405 

Customs  and  Folklore,  88,  89 

Czecho-Slavs,  105 

DaCosta,  Dr.  Jacob  M..   199,  298 

Dahlgren,   Admiral,   John   A.   71 

Daily  News,  210 

Dale,  Richard,   392 

Daly,  Thomas  A.,  196 

Danes,  104 

Darrah,  Lydia,   392 

Darley,  Felix,  247 

D'Ascenzo,    Nicola,    254,    426,    440;    Glass 

Works,  440 

Davenport    Family,    220 
Davis,   Dunlap  and  Barney,   431 
Davis,  Grove,  661 

Davis,   Richard   Harding,   194,   210,   224 
Dawson,   George   Walter,   251 
Deaver,    Dr.    John   B.,    298 
rte    Casseres,    Benjamin.    198 
Declaration  of  Independence  ,49,   321,   394 
Declaratory   Act,   45 


Deeter,    Jasper,    226,    636 

De   Forrest,    William,    118 

Delancey    Street,    438 

Delaware  Avenue,  535 

Delaware  County:   Court  House,   636,  637; 

War  Memorial  Bridge,   634 
Delaware    River,    12;    Bridge,    7,    81,    145, 

Delaware     Valley      Ornithological      Club, 

585 

Delawares,  The,  16 

Democratic    National    Convention,    87 
Dennie,  Joseph,  190,  191 
Denny,  Governor,  215,  216 
Deschamps,   Edward,   142 
de  Sehweinitz,   Dr.   George  Edmund,   298 
de    Toussard,    Col.    Louis,    649 
Devil's   Pool,    612 
Devon,    681 

De  Vries,  David  Pieterszen,  26 
Diagnostic  Hospital,  302 
Dickens,     Charles,     201,     403,     424;     Rev. 

John,  390 

Dickens  Fellowship,  201 
Dickinson,  John,  48,  189 
Disston  and  Sons,  Inc.,  528 
Disston,   Henry,   528,   529 
Dock,  Christopher,  186 
Dock   Street,   405,   540 
Donnelly,   Ignatius,   198 
Doolittle,  Helen,  198 
Dougherty,   Dennis   Cardinal,   167 
Douglas  Hospital,  302,  303 
Doylestown,   664,   665 
Dress,   early  habits   of,   88 
Drew,    John,    220;    John    (the   younger), 

220;    Mrs.    John,    216,    220,    425 
Drexel  and  Company,  134 
Drexel,  Anthony,  79,  134,  170,  183;  Francis, 

79 

Drexel  Institute   of   Technology,    183,    500 
Drinker  Family,  the,  405 
Dropsie   College,   180,   468 
Dropsie,   Moses   A.,   468 
Duche,    Rev.    Jacob,    186,    190,    191 
Duffield,   Rev.   George,  D.   D.,   410,   411 
Duhring,  Dr.  Louis  A.,  298 
Durham,  Israel,  75 
Dutch  West  India  Company,  25,  26 

Eagles,  Fraternal  Order  of,  461 

Eakins,  Thomas,  248,  249 

Early  Settlement,  31 

Eastern     Baptist    Theological     Seminary, 

181,  436 

Eastern  Penitentiary,   474 
East  Laurel  Hill   Cemetery,   557 
East  Park  Reservoir,  551 
Economic  Philadelphia,  89,  112 
Eddy,  Nelson,  241 
Eddystone  Catastrophe,  The,  80 
Education,   173 
Edwin  Forrest  Home  for  Actors,  219,  315, 

509 

Electricity,   75,   139,   140 
Elfreth's  Alley,  262,   393,   394;  Association, 

394 

Elfreth  family,   394 
Elkins  Park,  651 
Elkins,    William   L.,    79,   471; 

Masonic  Orphanage  For  Girls,  471 
Elkins  Collection   (Pennsylvania  Museum 

of  Art),  254 
Ellmaker,  Lee,  210 
Elm  Treaty   of   Shackamaxon,   38 
Elverson  Building,  458 
Elverson,  James,  208 
English,    103;   Village,    439 
Epidemics,  68,  297 
Episcopal  Academy  For  Boys,  510 
Ericsson,  Capt.  John,  450,  580 
Ericsson  Fountain,  580 
Espy,  James  Pollard,  286 
Ethical  Culture  Society,  172 


Evangelical  and  Reformed  Church,   164 
Evangelical  Home  for  the  Aged,  471 
Evans,   Oliver,   286 
Evelyn,  Robert,  29 
Evening  Bulletin,  208,  383 
Evening  Public  Ledger,  208,  404 
Eyre,  Mrs.  Alice  MacFadden,  435 

Fabritius,  Rev.  Jacobus,  542 

Fairmount    Rowing    Club,    558 

Farley,   R.  Blossom,  426 

Farmer's  Letters  (by  John  Dickinson),  45 

Faulkner,  Daniel,  186;  Justus,  543 

Fauna,   14,   15 

Fauset,    Arthur   Huff,    201;    Jessie,   201 

Febiger,   Admiral  John  C.,   71 

Federal:  Art  Project  (W.  P.  A.)  255; 
Building,  386,  402;  Reserve  Bank  of 
Philadelphia,  401,  402;  Social  Security 
Board,  313 

Federal  Society  of  Journeymen  Cord- 
wainers,  149 

Fels  Planetarium,  290,  359,  360 

Female  Improvement   Society,   151 

Fidelity  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company, 
580 

Fidelity-Philadelphia  Trust  Company,  443 

Fields,  W.  C.,  222 

Fifth  Ward   Election   Murder,   80 

Finance,  125 

Fincher's  Trades'  Review,   153 

Fire  Companies,  92,  93 

Fire  Customs,  early,  92,  93 

First:  Almshouse,  304;  Association  of 
Spiritualists,  170;  Bank  of  United 
States,  129,  132,  133;  Building  and 
Loan  Association  in  the  United  States, 
527;  City  Troop,  68,  440;  Continental 
Congress,  48,  49,  339,  341;  Inhabitants, 
16;  Mummer's  Parade,  77,  91;  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Philadelphia,  404;  Pub- 
lic Demonstration  of  Telephone,  140, 
Trade  Association,  149;  United  States 
Mint,  136,  375,  376,  474 

Fitch,   John,   286,   663,   664 

Fitzgerald,  Thomas,  210,  224 

Flag  House,   342,   393 

Fleisher,  Samuel  S.,  255,  546 

Fleisher  School,  181 

Flora,  13 

Flower,  Enoch,   173 

Foerderer,  Robert  H.,  114 

Fonthill   (Doylestown),   666 

Foods,  95 

Forrest,  Edwin,  216,  217,  222,  408,  415 

Fort  Mifflin,  263,  648 

Fort  Washington  Redoubt,  679 

Forten,  James,   107 

Fountain  Hotel  (Willow  Grove),  660 

Fountain  House  (Doylestown),   665,   666 

Fox,  Daniel,  72;  Joseph,  135 

Fraley,  Frederick,  531 

Frankford:  513;  Arsenal,  530,  531;  His- 
torical Society,  528 

Frankford  Southwark  Philadelphia  City 
Passenger  Railroad  Co.,  143 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  41,  51,  135,  210,  353, 
393;  arrival,  41;  delegate  to  Congress, 
49;  University  of  Pennsylvania,  173, 
598;  literary  works,  184,  186,  188;  Poor 
Richard's  Almanac,  184,  210,  592;  prin- 
ter, 202;  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  202; 
Scientific  achievements,  285,  286; 
American  Philosophical  Society,  334; 
statue  of,  (Boyle),  386;  experiments 
with  lightning,  387;  grave  of,  390,  392; 
Christ  Church,  394;  Pennsylvania  Hos- 
pital, 418;  Library  Company,  428;  rela- 
tions with  John  Bartram,  497,  498 

Franklin  Field  Stadium,  594 

Franklin  Inn  Club,  201,  426 

Franklin  Institute,  61,  289,  353,  403,  583; 
description  of,  353;  Fels  Planetarium, 
359;  Locomotive  Room,  358;  Medicine, 


695 


Surgery  and  Dentistry  exhibits,  358; 
Paper  making  and  Graphic  Arts  ex- 
hibit, 357 

Halls:  Aviation,  358;  Astronomy,   359; 
Electrical       Communication,       356; 
Electrical  engineering  and  illumin- 
ation,  357;  Mechanism,  356;  Pepper 
Hall,   359;   Prime  movers,   356 
Franklin  Medical  College,  294 
Franklin    Square,    387 

Free  Library  of  Philadelphia,  82,  84,  310, 
341,  350,  516;  books  for  blind,  350; 
Widener  Memorial  branch,  353 

Collections:     Ashhurst,     352;     Carson, 
351;    Carvalho,    351;    Edmunds,    351; 
Fleisher,  351;  Lewis,  351;  Norris,  352; 
Rawle,  351;  Rosenwald,  352 
Departments:      children's,      351;      ex- 
tension, 352;  periodical,   352;  public 
documents,   351 
Free  Society  of  Traders,  31 
Friedlander,   Julius  R.,   513 
Friends— Hicksites  and  Orthodox,   34,   160 
Friends'  Central  School,   160,  513 
Friends'  Hospital  for  Mental  and  Nervous 

diseases,   469 
Friends'  Meeting  House  (Fourth   Street), 

390 
Friends'    Meeting    House    (Race    Street), 

74 
Friends'  Public  School,   173,  177,  181,  386, 

491 

Friends'   Select   School,   575,   673 
Fulton,  Robert,  246 
Furness,    Dr.    Horace    Howard,     198,    426; 

Horace  Howard,  Jr.,   198 
Furniture-Making,  243 


Girls':  Friendly  Society,  312;  High  School, 

177;  Normal  School,  177 
Glen    Riddle,    637;    Farm,    637 
Gloria  Dei  Church,   159,  161,  234,  257,  542, 

543 

Goddard,   William,   205 
Godey's   Lady's   Book,   192 
Godfrey,   Thomas,   Jr.,   222 
Goodson,    John,    293 
Goodyear,    Charles,    118 
Gorgas,   Joseph,   606;   Capt.  Josiah,   531 
Gould,   Dr.   George   Mi'lbry,    199 
Government,    109;   Bureaus,   113 
Grace  Baptist   Temple,    162,    175,    467 
Graeme   Park,   661-663 
Graham's  Magazine,   193,   194,   247 
Grand  Fountain,  552 
Grant,    U.    S.,    74,    75,    550 
Grant's    Cabin,    549 
Graphic   Sketch   Club,   255,   546,   547 
Gratz:  College,  180,  468;  Hyman,  180,  468; 

Rebecca,  167,  417,  418;  Simon,  100 
Gray's   Ferry   Bridge,   77 
Greaton,  Father  Joseph,  166,  407 
Greber,    Jacques,   82,   277,   576 
Greeks,    99,    106,    441 
Green,   Thomas,   403 
Green   Tree   Inn,   483 
Green's  Hotel,   403 
Greenwood,   Charlotte,  222 
Griffith,  Dr.  John  P.  Crozer,  299 
Griffiths,  William,   135 
Gross,   Dr.   S.  D.  199,  295 
Grumblethorpe,   (Wister  Big  House),  479, 

481 

Gulph   Mills,    676 
Gustine  Lake,  557 


Galloway,   Joseph,   48,   551 

Garber,  Daniel,  253 

Garfield  Memorial,  557 

Gas    Works,    138 

Gaynor,   Janet,  232 

Geary,    John   W.,   72 

General  Greene  Inn  (Buckingham),  666 

General  Steel  Castings  Co.,  646 

General  Wayne  Inn,   685 

George,  Henry,   194;  Nancy,  215 

Gerhard,  Benjamin,  69;  William  Wood, 
297 

Germans,   101,   102 

Germantown,  34,  35,  475;  Academy,  175 
181,  481,  483;  battle  of,  475,  479,  481, 
485;  486,  604;  branch  of  the  Y.  W.  C. 
A.,  482;  Friends  Library,  480;  Friends 
Meeting  House,  480;  High  School,  483; 
Historical  Society,  478,  479;  Mennonite 
Church,  483;  Union  School,  483;  Uni- 
tarian Church,  169,  491;  Town  Hall, 
482,  483 

Gettysburg,   Battle  of,  70 

Giannini,   Dusolina,   241 

Gibbs.  George,  426 

Gibbons,  Charles,  69 

Gibson  Collection,  (Pennsylvania  Acad- 
emy of  Fine  Arts),  251 

Gilbert    Stuart   House,    478 

Gilbert's  Alley,  394 

Gilliams,  Dr.  Jacob,  289 

GiJmore,  W.  E.  Garrett,  559 

Gimbel  Brothers  Store,  77.  403 

Girard   College,   63,   132,    182,   313,    370,   474 

Girard  House,  68.  77 

Girard  National  Bank,  406 

Girard,  Stephen,  60,  121,  126,  265,  373, 
374  538;  begins  career  as  m^-cba^t.  131 : 
marriage  of,  131;  banker,  131;  death  of, 
132;  will  of,  132;  College,  132;  wills 
money  for  city  improvement,  2.80,  281; 
wills  money  for  college,  370;  statue  of, 
(Gevelot).  371;  lodges  in  Elfreth's  Alley, 
393:  purchases  original  Bank  of  U.  S. 
building,  406;  grave  of,  412 

Girard  Trust  Company  Building,  382,  443 

696 


Hahnemann  Hospital,  458;  Medical  Col- 
lege, 183,  303,  458 

Hale,  Sarah  Josepha  Buell,  192 

Hall,   David,   203;   John   Caskell,   19 

Hallam,   Lewis,  215 

Hallowell,  Mrs.  S.  C.,  400 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  136;  Col.  Andrew, 
40.  256,  336;  Charles  K.,  78;  James,  126, 
247 

Hammerstein,    Oscar,    235,    236,    461 

Hancock,    John,    49,    323 

Hannah   Penn   House,   435 

Hanson,  John,  449 

Harding,   Father,   166;   Jesper,   207 

Hare,  Judge  J.  Clark,  69;  Dr.  Robert,  286 

Harrison,  Birge,  253;  John,  118;  Thomas 
Alexander,  253 

Hatboro,  663;  Union  Library,  663 

Hathaway   Shakespeare  Club,  201 

Hat   Manufacturing,    113,    114,   517,    518 

Haupt,   Herman,  287,  288 

Haverford  College,   684 

Haviland,    John,    265,    404,    412,    415,    417 

Hayes,  Dr.  Isaac,  289 

Haynes,  Dr.   Israel,   200 

Health  Legislation,   305 

Hedgerow  Theatre,  226,  634 

Helton,   Roy  Addison,   197 

Henry  Avenue  Bridge,  602,  604 

Henri-Louis,   Jean  Pierre,  244 

Henry,  Mayor  Alexander,   65,   70 

Herbert,   Victor,   239,   240 

Hermit   Lane  Bridge,   602;   Nursery,    603 

Hermitage  Estate,  602 

Hesselius,   Gustavus,   234 

Hewes,   Joseph,   392 

Heyl,    Henry   R.,    232 

Hill  Meeting  House,   410 

Hilton,  Dr.   George  R.,   299 

Hillegas.  Michael,   392 

Hirsch.  Dr.  Samuel,  168,  305 

Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  61,  78. 
427,  428;  Tower  Collection,  427;  Cassel 
Collection,  427;  Gratz  Collection,  427; 
Gilpin  Library,  historical  items  in,  427, 
428 


Hodge,  Dr.  Hugh  L.,  295 

Hofmann,    Josef,   241,   433 

Hog  Island,   80,   146 

Holicong,   666 

Holland,  John  Joseph,  246 

Hollows  Athletic  Field,   625 

Holmes    Avenue   Bridge,    623 

Holmes,  Capt.  George,  29;  Capt.  Thomas, 
21,  31,  279,  282 

Holy  Child  R.  Catholic  Church,  471 

Holy  Trinity  R.  Catholic  Church,  166, 
412 

Holy    Trinity    Protestant    Episcopal,    439 

Home  for  Aged  Widows  and  Wives  of 
Free  Masons,  471 

"Hominy   Man,"    95 

Homeopathic  Medical  College  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, 294,  303 

Hood's   Cemetery,   477,   478 

Hood,  William,  478 

Hope  Fire  Engine  Company,  408 

Hoover,   Walter,   559 

Hopkinson,   Francis,    55,    189,   392 

Horsham,  661;  Friends  Meeting  House, 
661 

Horstmann,   William,   287 

Horter,  Earl,  254 

Horticultural  Hall,   571,   572 

Hosiery,   manufacture   of,   520 

Howe  and  Lescaze,  132,  385;  Sir  William, 
52,  479,  629 

Howe's    Campaign,    54 

Hudson,  Henry,   25 

Humboldt   Monument    (Drake),   549 

HuniDhries,  Charles,  48 

Huneker,  James  Gibbons,  196,  210,  242 

Hungarians,    106 

Hunting    Park,    469 

Hurrie,   William,   411 

Ice  Cream,  97,  495 

Imports  and  Exports,  119 

Independence  Hall,  256,  321,  336,  337;  art 
items  in,  325;  architecture  of,  336; 
events  taking  place  in,  321;  historical 
items  in,  325,  326;  Resolution,  49,  321, 
394;  Day  Celebration,  53;  Square  Group, 
319;  Square,  319,  320;  Congress  Hall, 
327;  Old  City  Hall,  331 

Independent,   108 

Independent    Grays,    68 

Indian  Medicine  Man,   551;  Names,   16 

Indian    Rock,    617 

Indians,  16 

Industry,    112 

Information,  General,  xxi-xxvii 

Ingersoll,    Jared,   52 

Ingham,   Samuel  D.,   667 

Ingles,  Annie  G.,  509 

Irish,    62,    63,    102,    103,    441 

Irish-American   Club,    464 

Iron,  manufacture  of,  117,  118 

Irvin,    James   H.,    107 

Italians,  100,  101 

Ives,  Frederick  Eugene,  288 

Jackson,   Dr.   Chevalier,   298;   Joseph,   200, 

342 

Jamison,   664 

Japanese  Gardens  and  Pagoda,  570,  571 
Jarvis,  John  Wesley,  244 
Jastrow,    Marcus,    168 
Jeanne   D'Arc    (Fremiet),    549 
Jefferson    Medical   Hospital,    400;    Medical 

College,   61,   183,   294,    302,   400 
Jefferson,    Joseph,    217,    220;    Thomas,    49, 

51,  136,  169,  323,  329,  479 
Jehovah's  Witnesses,   172,   464 
Jenkins,   C.  Francis,  232;   Stephen,  658 
Jenkintown,   658 
Jennings,   Samuel,  246 
Jewish  Charities,  Federation  of.   306,  307; 

Foster  Home,  418;  Hospital  Association, 

303;  Hospital,  473 


Jews,   99,   100,    167,    168,   441 

John  Brown's  Raid,  65 

Johnson:    Daniel    Claypoole,    247;    Henry 

N.,   488;   John   G.,   363;   House,   485 
Jones,    Absalom,    108,    200,   201;   Henry   B., 

201;   John   Paul,   329 
Journalism,    202 

Junior   Employment   Service,   310.    311 
Junker,  Jules,  76 
Junto  Club,  428 

Kahal  Kadosh  Mikveh  Israel,  167 
Kane,  Elisha  Kent,  200,   289,  297 
Kearsley,   Dr.  John,  259,   395,   396 
Keach,   Rev.  Elias,   162 
Keating,   Dr.  William  Hypolitus,   289,   290, 

353 

"Keely  Motor  Hoax",  119 
Keen,   Dr.   William  W.,   298 
Keimer,    Samuel,   185,   202 
Keith,     George,    173;    Governor    William, 

661;   House,   661 
Kelly,  George,  223;  John  B.  559;  Wallace, 

254 

Kelpius,   Johann,   186,    602 
Kendrick,  W.   Freeland,   81,   83 
Keneseth   Israel   Reformed    Congregation, 

168,   464 

Kenilworth  Apartments,  557 
Kennett  Meetinghouse,   641 
Kennett   Square,   644;   Township.   641 
Kenrick,    Bishop   Francis   P.,    166 
Kensington,  513 
Kent,    A.    Atwater,    344 
Keyser,  Dirck,  485;  House,  485 
Keystone   Quartet,    240;   Telephone   Com- 


pany,  141 
King  of 


ing  of  Prussia,   676;  Inn,   676 
Kirkbride,  Dr.  Thomas  S.,   420,  508,   509 
"Kirkbride's",    300,    420,    508 
Kitchen's  Lane  Bridge,   605 
Knight,  Daniel  Ridgway,  250 
Knights  of  Columbus,  464;  of  Labor,  154 
Know-Nothing:   Movement,    62 
Knox,    General:    Headquarters    of,    681 
Kolmer,  Dr.  John  A.,  298 
Koster,  Heinrich  Bernard,  186 
Krauskopf,   Joseph,   168,  464 
Krider  Gun   Shop,   405 
Krimmel,  John  Lewis,  247 
Krisheimers,  34 
Kugler,  Dr.  Charles,  287 
Kunders  House,  478 

Labor,   147 

Labor  Institute  Dramatic  Guild,  229 

Lacey,    General   John,    663 

Ladies   Home   Journal,    196 

Laessle,  Albert,  253 

Lafayette  Cemetery,   640 

Lafayette,    Marquis    de,    61,    328,    388,    420, 

483,    664,   676 

La    France    Art    Institute,    527 
Lahaska,   666 
Lake    Surprise,    609 
Lambdin,   James  R.,   248 
Lancaster,  Joseph,   176 
Lane,    David,    75;    Jonathan,    135;   Louisa, 

415;   Peter,   75 
Lankenau   Hospital,   474 
Lansdowne,    629 
Lantern   Lane,   440 
La  Salle  College,   182 
Latham  Park,  657 

Latrobe,   Benjamin   H.,    137,   265,   266,    404 
Latter  Day   Saints,   172 
Lawrence,  Mayor  John,  551 
Lazaretto,   646 

Lea,  Henry  Charles,  199,  200 
League  Island  Park,   447 
Leary's  Book  Store,  402 
Leather  Industry,   114 
Le  Brun,  Napoleon,  270,  349 
Le  Coin  D'Or,  425 


697 


Lee,   Gen.   Charles,   396;   Gen.  Harry,   388; 

Richard  Henry,  48,   321 
Leeds,   William  R.,   75 
Legal  Aid  Society,   315 
Legends   and    Superstition/5,    93 
Leidy,   Joseph,    199,  254,  2s9,  298,   585 
Leighton,  David,  294 
Leland,   Charles   Godfrey,   195 
Lemon  Hill,   64,   549;   Concerts,   238,   549 
L'Enfant,    Maj.    Pierre    Charles,    129,    263, 

649 

Lenni-Lenapes,   16,   21 
Lester,    Elliot,    223 
Letitia  Street  House,  564 
Leutze,   Emmanuel,  248 
Levering  Mill  Lane,  617 
Lewis,  Judge  William,  554 
Levy,  Rabbi  Nathan,  417 
"Liberties",  280 
Liberty  Bell,   324 

Library    Company    of    Philadelphia,    428: 
Library,    Free,   82,   84,    310,   341.   350,   353 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  63,  66,  71,  443;  Monu- 
ment, 549 

Lincoln-Liberty   Building,    382 
Lincoln  Theatre,  225,  445 
Lind,  Jenny,  416,  424,  449,   450 
Linnard,  Col.  William,  411 
Lioness    Carrying    a    Wild    Boar    to    her 

Young,  549 

Lippard,   George,   192,  604 
Lister,  Thomas,  324 
Lit  Brothers  Store,  77 
Literary    Clubs,    184,    201 
Literature,    184-201 
"Little  Italy",  7,  441 
Little,  Nathaniel,  426 

Little  Theatres,  226;  Alden  Park  Players, 
227;  Chestnut  Hill  Players,  227;  German- 
town  Theatre  Guild,  227;  Hedgerow 
Theatre,  226,  634:  Labor  Institute  Dra- 
matic Guild,  229;  Mask  and  Wig  Club, 
228;  Neighborhood  Center  Players,  228; 
New  Theatre,  229,  440,  441;  Players 
Club  of  Swarthmore,  227;  Plays  and 
Players,  227;  Quince  Street  Players,  227; 
Show  Crafters,  227;  Stagecrafters,  226; 
Theatre  Crafts,  229;  Theatre  League, 
227;  Vanguard  Group,  228;  WorkSers 
Theatre  Alliance,  228 
Livezey  House,  259,  612;  Mill,  612;  Thomas, 

HI,  612 

Lloyd  Committee,  314 
Lloyd,   David,   392;   wife  of,    392;   Horatio 

Gates,  314;  Thomas,  35,  293 
Locke,  Alain  Leroy,  201 
Locust    Street    Theatre,    225 
Log   College,   664 
Logan,  James,  40,  185,  284,  392 
London    Coffee    House,    125,    126,    204,    389 
Long,  Dr.  Crawford  Williamson,  298;  John 

Luther,  223 

Longacre,  James  Barton,  247 
Longwood   Gardens,   641;   Meeting   House, 

644 

Lorimer,  George  Horace,  195 
Loudoun  Mansion,   477 
Lovelace,   Col.  Francis,   30 
Lover's  Leap,   604 
Lovett  Memorial  Library,  489 
Lower  Burial  Ground,  477 
Lubin,   Sigmund,   232 
Lucy,  Ernest,  223 
Lu  Lu  Temple,  461 
Lutheran    Hospice,    311;    Orphanage,    489; 

Theological    Seminary,   489 
Lutherans,    159 
Lyle,   Col.  Peter,  72 

McArthur,  John,  379,  400 

McCall,    Archibald,    125;    Gen.    George   A., 

70 
McClellan,    Gen.   George  Brinton,   70 


McClure,    Alexander,    75 

MacDonald,   Harl,   241;   Jeanette,   232 

McDougald,  Dr.  J.  Q.,  299 

Mclntyre,  John  T.,   197,  223 

Mack,  Connie,  557 

McKean,   William,   71 

MacKenzie,   Dr.  George  W.,   299;   R.  Tait, 

253,  426 

Mackey,  Harry  A.,   493 
McKim,    Mead   &   White,   272 
McLean,  William  L.,  208 
McMaster,  John  Bach,  199,  200 
McMichael,   Morton,   69,   207,   549 
McMullin's  Independent  Rangers,  68 
MacPherson's  Directory,  343 
McPherson,  John,  552 
Maennerchor  Society,  240 
Magazine   Printing,    118,    523 
Magdalen   Society.    305 
Majestic  Hotel,  463 
Malbone,  Edward  Green,  246 
Malta   Boat   Club,    559 
"Manor    of   Frank,"    31 
Manufacturers  and  Bankers  Club,  444 
Marcus   Hook,    645 
Market  Square,  481;  Presbyterian  Church, 

Market  Street  Bridge,  60;  National  Bank 
Building,  381;  Subway-elevated,  77,  81, 
144 

Markham,   Capt.  William,  21,  36,   37 

Marriage  Council,    306 

Marshall,    Charles,    118;    Christopher,    118 

Martin,  John   C.,   208 

Mask  and  Wig  Club,  228 

Mason,  David  H.,  117;  Jeremiah,  133; 
William,  247 

Mason-Dixon  Line,  37,  66 

Masonic  Home  for  the  Aged,  489;  Temple, 
73,  383,  452,  453 

Massey,   Henry  V.,   592 

Mastbaum,  Jules  E.,  84,  578;  Vocational 
School,  180 

Maternal  Health  Centers,   306 

Matthews,   James,   481 

Mayfair  House,  557 

Meade,  Gen.  George  Gordon,  70,  71,  73 

Mechanics  Union  of  Trade  Associations, 
150 

Media,  636 

Medical  School  of  the  College  of  Phila- 
delphia, 293 

Megargee   Paper   Mill,    617 

Medicine,  293;  early  doctors,  293,  294; 
colonial  medical  practice,  294;  medicine 
in  19th  century,  297;  contemporary 
physician,  299;  legislation  and  hygiene, 
300;  hospitals,  300 

Medico-Chirurgical  College,   302 

Meigs   House,   428 

Melrose  Academy,  657 

Memorial  Hall,   254,   568 

Memorial  Hall  (G.  A.  R.),  459 

Monuments  and  Memorials,  250,  251,  568, 
572 

Mendelssohn  Club,  240 

Meng,   John,  244 

Mennonite  Church.   163 

Mennonites,   163 

Mercantile    Library,    400 

Mercer,    Henry,    665;    Gen.    Hugh,    396 

Merchants'  Coffee  House,  126.  401:  Ex- 
change Building,  127,  256;  264 

Mercy   Hospital,    303,    495 

Meridian  Club,  426 

Merrick,  Samuel  Vaughan,  289,   353 

Meschianza,    56,    89,    479 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  168,  390; 
Episcopal  Home  for  the  Aged,  572; 
Episcopal  Hospital,  446;  Episcopal 
Orphanage,  572 

Metropolitan    Opera    House,    240,    461 

Mey,    Capt.   Cornelius  Jacobson,   26 

Meyers,  Kenneth,  559 


698 


Mifflin,  Governor,  649;  John,  135;  Thomas, 
48 

Mikveh  Israel  Congregation,  100,  167,  168 
417,  418,  468 

Mineral  Springs  Hotel  (Willow  Grove),  660 

Ministerium  of  Pennsylvania,   159,  160 

Minstrels,  230,  231 

Mint,    136,   375,   474 

Minton,  Dr.  Henry  ML,  299 

Minuit,  Peter,  28 

Mitchell,  Langdon  Elwyn,  223;  Dr.  John 
K.,  297;  Dr.  Silas  Weir,  199,  223,  298, 
426,  510;  Thomas,  494 

Mitten  Bank  Building,  383;  ThomasyE.,  79 

Model  Farm,   648 

Modjeski,  Ralph,   277,   530,  537,   604 

Molarsky,    Morris,    253 

Molyneaux,  Father,   166 

Mom  Rinker's  Rock,   606 

Monastery,   The,   606 

Montressor,  Capt.  John,  649 

Memorials  and  Monuments,  250,  251,  253, 
254,  568,  572 

Moore,  Charles  Leonard,  195;  J.  Hamp- 
ton, 82,  83;  Nicholas,  31 

Moore  Institute  of  Art,  Science  &  In- 
dustry, 255,  464 

Moose  Hall,  483,  464 

Morais,  Rabbi  Sabato,  168 

Moran  Brothe-s,  248 

Moravians,   167 

Mordell,  Albert,  198 

Morgan,  Dr.  John,   294,   295,   588 

Morley,  Christopher,  196,  210 

Morris,  Arboretum,  292,  490,  491;  House, 
259,  415,  480;  I.  P.  Iron  Co.,  532;  John 
and  Lyda,  292,  490,  568;  Mansion,  128, 
129,  490,  491 

Morris,  Robert,  57,  125,  328,  331,  412;  birth 
of,  125;  founds  America's  first  banks, 
125;  aids  financing  of  Revolution,  127, 
128;  death  of,  129;  aids  establishing 
first  mint,  136;  statue  of,  259,  404;  por- 
trait of,  (Hesselius),  244;  family  vault 
of,  396;  president  of  Bank  of  North 
America,  404 

Morton,  John,  Memorial  Museum,  449, 
450 

Morton,  Dr.  Samuel  George,  297 

Mossel,  Dr.  Nathan  F.,  299 

Mothers'  Assistance  Fund,  313 

Motion  Pictures  in  Philadelphia,  232,  233. 
349 

Mott,  Lucretia,  657 

Mount  Joy,  676;  Observatory,  677,  679; 
Society  for  Recovery  of  Stolen  Horses 
and  Detection  of  Thieves,  (T6 

Mount  Pleasant,  259,  552;  Mansion,  552 

Mud  Fort,   648 

Muhlenberg,  Frederick  Augustus  Conrad, 
186;  Peter  575;  Rev.  Henry  Melchior, 
159,  186,  387,  489 

Mummers'  Parade,  The,  91 

Municipal  Stadium,  447 

Murdoch,   James  Edward,  220 

Murray,    Samuel,   253,    320 

Murry,  Rev.  John,  169 

Music,  234;  early,  234;  Academy  of,  64, 
234,  235,  348;  Hermit's  Concert,  234; 
Philadelphia  Orchestra,  236,  237;  Curtis 
Institute  of,  238;  musical  groups,  238; 
celebrities,  240,  242;  youth  movement, 
237 

Musical  Fund  Hall,   64,   416,   417 

Mustin:  Airfield,  448;  Capt.  Henry  C.,  448 

Myers,   Albert  Cook,  200,   342 

Nasmith,  David,  305 

National:     Bank     of     Germantown      480- 

Guards,     68,    467;    Industrial    Recovery 

Act,  155;  Trades  Union,  152 


Native-American     ("Know-Nothing") 
Movement,  62 

Naval  Home,  502,  Hospital,  446 

Navigation  Act,  42 

Navy  Yard,   60,   66,   67,   447 

Neagle,  John,  246 

Negroes,  7,  73,  106,  441,  443;  first  public 
school  opened  for,  61;  educatiin  of,  178 
179;  newspapers,  108,  214;  doctors,  299 

Neighborhood  Center  Players,  228 

Nelson,  Mrs.  Mary,  411 

Neumann,    John   Nepomucene,    167 

New  Century  Club,  399 

New  Hope,  667;  residence  of  the  literati 
in,  668;  old  Canal  of,  667 

Newspapers;  early,  202;  foreign  language, 
210 

New  Theatre,   229,   440 

Newton,   A.  Edward,    198,199 

Newtown,  671 

Nicolls,   Col.,  Richard,   30 

Nixon,    John,    51,    319 

Norris,    Joseph,    135 

North  American,  Bank  of,  57,  128,  129, 
404 

North  American,   206 

North  Philadelphia  Station  (Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad),  468 

North  Philadelphia  Station  (Reading 
Railroad),  84,  468 

Northern  Liberties  Gas  Company,   138 

Northern  Liberties  Presbyterian  Church, 
162 

Notman,   John,   268 

Nuttall,   Thomas,  286 

Oakland  Cemetery,  469 

Oakley,    Violet,    251,    435 

Oberholtzer,  Ellis  P.,  199,  200,  342 

Octagonal   Schoolhouse,    640,    641 

Odets,    Clifford,    224,    229 

Olcott,   Chauncey,   416 

Old;  Buck  Inn,  684;  City  Hall,  331,  338; 
Colony  House,  (Wanamaker  Store),  382; 
Covered  Bridge,  615;  Custom  House,  404; 
Forge  Inn,  660;  Green  Tree  Inn,  483; 
"Old  Ironsides",  61,  117,  142,  287;  Lon- 
don Coffee  House,  125,  126,  204,  399; 
Merion  Meeting  House,  685;  Newtown 
Presbyterian  Church,  671;  Pennepek 
Baptist  Church,  162,  621;  Pine  Street 
Church,  410,  411;  St.  David's  at  Radnor, 
(Longfellow),  682;  St.  George's  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  169,  388;  "Old 
Solitude",  564;  Stone  Fountain,  607; 
Swedes'  Church,  159,  161,  234,  257,  542, 
543;  York  Road  Country  Club,  658 

Origin  of  Name  of  Philadelphia,   36 

Ormiston  Mansion,   551 

Orphans  Guardian,  305 

Orphans'   Society  of  Philadelphia,   305 

Orpheus  Club,   240 

Orthodox   Friends'    Meeting   House,    528 

Orthopedic   School,    181 

Otis,  Bass,  246 

Ottey,  Mrs.  D.  W.,  393 

Our  Lady  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
Church,  461 

Our  Lady   of  Lourdes   Church,    512 

Overbrook  Presbyterian  Church,   512 

Overhanging   Rock,   676 

Owen,   Griffith,   293 

Oxford  Provident  Beneficial  Association, 
136;  Provident  Building  Association,  527 

Paine,  Thomas,  49,  184,  188,  210 
Painting  and  Sculpture,  243,  early  paint- 
ers, 243,  244-  post-Revolutionary  paint- 
ers, 244;  painters  of  early  1800's,  245, 
impressionism,  248,  249;  painters  in 
early  1900's,  251;  contemporary  painters, 

253,  254;    art    schools,    255;    art    clubs, 

254,  255 

Pancoast,  Dr.  Joseph,   298 


699 


Paper,  production  of,   118 
Paper  Mill  Run.   617 

Parkway,  The  Benjamin  Franklin,  81,  574 
Parlin,   Olavius,   542 
Parochial   School   System,    179,    180 
Parrish,  Ann,   305;  Maxfield,  251,  414 
Pastorius,     Francis    Daniel,     34,     35,     102, 
258;    birth,    34,    480;    trip    to    new    land 
35;   literary  works,   185;   grave  of,  480 
Patriotic    Order    Sons    of    America,    464 
Patterson,   Gen.  Robert,   63,   67,   68 
Paxton    Boys,    The,    42,    481;    Massacre,    42 
Peale,   Charles  Wilison,   229,   2*4.   245,   286, 
453,    457,    478;    James,   245;    Titian   Ram- 
sey, 585 

Pemberton,   Isaac.  Jr.,   135 
Pendergrast,    Garret,    71 
Penn:     Athletic     Club,     432;     Club,     201; 
Mutual    Life    insurance    Company,    412; 
Treaty  Park,   16 
Penn,   John,   19,  42,   52,   394,   564;   Thomas, 

19,    41 

Penn,  William,  4,  16,  21,  23,  605;  statue 
atop  City  Hall,  3;  description  of  Indians, 
17,  18;  marriage,  24;  "Frame  of  Govern- 
ment," 24,  25;  policy  of  good  will,  35; 
treaty  troubles,  37,  39;  sails  for  Europe, 
39;  second  marriage,  39;  returns  to 
Pennsylvania,  39;  returns  to  England, 
40;  death,  40;  literary  works  of,  184; 
Penn's  City  Plan,  279,  387;  statue  of, 
420 

Pennell,   Joseph,  251,   426 
Pennington,  Miles,   389 
Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts, 
60,  251,  253,  255,  453;  history  of,  453,  454; 
description   of,   455;   Temple  Collection , 
455;   Lambert  Collection,   455,   456;   Gib- 
son  Collection,    456;    Contes   Collection, 
456;    Gilpin    Gallery,    456;    Fields    Col- 
lection,   456 

Pennsylvania:  Bank  of,  57,  64,  127,  128; 
Barge  Club,  559;  Birth  Control  Federa- 
tion, 306;  Chronicle,  45,  205;  Company 
for  Insurances  on  Lives  and  Granting 
Annuities,  60,  126,  133;  Evening  Post 
206;  Gazette,  202,  203;  Horticultural 
Society,  292;  Hospital,  293,  300,  419; 
Hospital  for  Mental  and  Nervous 
Diseases,  302,  420,  508;  Instructon  of  the 
Deaf,  444;  Medical  College,  294 
Pennsylvania:  Museum  of  Art,  254,  360, 
580;  Elkins  Collection,  254;  Johnson 
Collection,  363;  Williams  Collection, 
366;  Museum  of  the  School  of  Indus- 
trial Arts,  181; 

Pennsylvania:  Prison  Society,  305;  Rail- 
road, 146;  Railroad  Station  (Thirtieth 
Street),  505,  Railroad  (Suburban  Sta- 
tion), 585;  Reserves,  70;  School  for  the 
Instruction  of  the  Blind,  182;  Society 
for  the  Abolition  of  Slavery,  62;  Society 
for  the  Encouragement  of  Manufactures 
and  Useful  Arts,  57;  Sugar  Company, 
532;  School  for  the  Deaf,  490;  Women, 
State  Federation  of,  400;  Working  Home 
for  Blind  Men,  508 
Penn  Valley,  676 

Pennypack    Bridge,    624;    Park,    471,    620 
Penrose,    Boies,    75.    78;    Dr.    Charles    B., 

562;  Research  Laboratory,  292,   562 
Pepper  Pot,   96 
Pepper,  William,  199,  298 
Pet  Animal   Cemetery,   676 
Peters   Island,   573 
Peterson,   Jan,   293 

Philadelphia:  Almshouse,  293,  304;  Ameri- 
can League  Baseball  Park,  78,  473;  Area 
of,  11;  and  Delaware  Railroad  Company, 
142,  and  Germantown  Railroad  Com- 
pany, 142,  146;  and  Reading  Railroad 
Company,  146;  and  West  Chester  Rail- 
road, 146;  Art  Club  of,  444;  Board  of 
Brokers,  127,  Bourse,  404;  Brigade,  70; 


Bureau  of  Fire,  457;  City  Planning  Com- 
mission,   282;    Clearing   House   Associa- 
tion,   133,    134;    College   of   Dental    Sur- 
gery, 294;  of  Medicine,  293;  of  Osteopa- 
thy, 183;  of  Pharmacy  and  Science,  61, 
183,  394;  Physicians  and  Surgeons,   303; 
Conference   on   Social   Work,   307;    Con- 
tributionship  for  Insuring  Houses  from 
Loss   by   Fire,    126,    135,    412;    Council   of 
Older  Boys'  Clubs,  308;  County  Medical 
Society,    63;    Relief    Board,    314;    Dental 
College,     294;     Department      of      Public 
Health,     310;     During    Civil     War,      66; 
Revolutionary  War,  52;  World  War,  79; 
Electric    Company,    139;    First   National 
Bank  of,  404;  Gas  Works  Company,  138; 
General    Hospital,     302,     418,    494;    Post 
Office,    507;    Gold    Challenge    Cup,    561; 
Grand  Opera  Company,  239;  Grays,  68; 
High    School    for    Girls,    474;    Home    for 
Incurables,  509,  510;  Hospital  for  Men- 
tal Diseases,    471;   Housing   Association, 
308;     Inquirer,     207,     208;     League     for 
the  Hard  of  Hearing,  310;  Mineralogical 
Society,    585;    Mint,    136,    375,    376,    474; 
National    League    Baseball    Park,     468; 
Normal   School  and  School  of  Practice, 
461;    Opera    House,    78;    Orchestra,    82, 
234,  236,  237,  555;  Orphans'  Society,  418; 
Polyclinic  and  College  for  Graduates  in 
Medicine,     294;    Port    of,      119;      Public 
School  System,  173;  Rapid  Transit  Com- 
pany,   77,    78,    145,    146;    Record,    73,    219, 
458;    Saving  Fund   Society,   61,   126,   132, 
256,    385,    386;    School   of   Anatomy,    294; 
of  Design  for  Women,   181,  464;   School 
of   Occupational  Therapy,   303,   439;  the 
Theatre   and    Playhouse,    232;    Shipping 
Business,    119;    Society    for    Organizing 
Charity     and     Repressing    Mendicancy, 
305;  the  Preservation  of  Landmarks,  346, 
393;  Stock  Exchange,  431;  Textile  School 
and   School  of  Industrial  Art,  444,  445; 
Traction     Company,     144;     Trades'    As- 
sembly,  153;  Zoning  Commission,   308 

Philco  Radio  and  Television  Corporation. 
520,   521 

Physick,   Dr.   Philip    Syng,   295,   551 

Pieterson,  Evert,   173 

Pilmoor,    Dr.    Joseph,    168 

Pine    Road    Loop,    621 

Pine,    Robert,    244 

Pitcairn    Autogiro    Company,    661 

Pitcairn,    John,    653;    Raymond,    653 

Plants,  12 

Players    Club    of    Swarthmore,    227 

Plays  and  Players  Club,  227;  Theatre,  439 

Plumstead   Estate,    572,    573 

Poe,    Edgar   Allan,    184,    185,    192,    388,    685, 
House,  193,  388 

Poinsett,    George  McKenzie,   471 

Points  of  Special  Interest,  xxx 

Pohlig,   Carl,  236 

Polish,    103 

Polly,    The   (ship),    46,    481 

Poor    Richard    Club,     78,     425;     Richard's 
Almanac,   184,   210,   592 

Porter,   Admiral  David   D.,   71 

Port   Richmond,    62 

Post   Office   (new),   506 

Postels,   Wilbert  D.,   299 

Potter,   Dr.  James,   299;   Rev.   Alonzo,   172 

Pound.  Ezra,   198 

Powel  House,   345,   346,   408;   Samuel,  346 

Pratt,   Matthew,   244 

Presbyterian    Church,    161,    162;    of   Nesh- 
aminy,    664 

Presidential  Mansion,    588 

Price,   Eli  Kirk.   199 

Press,    The,    202 

Priestley,   Dr.   Joseph,    169,   286 

Princeton   Club,   426 

Print  Club,   435,   436 

Printing  Industry,   118,   523 


700 


Printz,   Capt.   John,   28 

Provincial   Assembly.    48.    339 

Protestant   Episcopal   Church,    160,    161 

°"^''C   Health,   Department   of,   306 

Public  Ledger,  73,  208 

Public    Utilities,    137 

Puppet    Shows    and    Marionettes,    229 

230 

Puritan,    The    (Statue),    561 
Puritans,   The,   29 
Purvis,    Robert.    107 
Pyle,    Howard,    251 

Quaker   City  Barge   Club,   558 
Quay,   Matthew   S.,   75,   76 
Queen  Lane   Pumpine   Station,    557 
Quince   St.   Players,   227 

Racial  Groups,   98 
Radio,   211,    212 
Raditz,   Lazar,   253 

Radnor   Open    Golf    Course,    683 

Rafinesque,      Constantine      Samuel,      286 

Raguet,    Col.   Condy,    132 
Railroad   Strike   of   1877,   75 

Railroads,  145 

Railroads,    B.    &    O.,    146 

Randolnh,  Edmund,  480;  Peyton,  48,  49, 
396;  Mansion,  551 

Raul,   Dr.   Charles   Sigmund,   299 

Read,  George  Campbell,  71;  Thomas 
Buchanan.  195,  403 

Reading    Terminal,    386 

Redman.   John,   440 

Reed,  Admiral,  72 

Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States, 
164 

Relief  Acts.  314 

Religions,  159;  Baptist,  162;  Brethren,  163; 
Christian  Science,  170;  Evangelical  and 
Reformed,  164;  Friends— Hicksites  and 
Orthodox,  34.  160;  Judaism,  167;  Luth- 
eran, 159;  Mennonites,  163;  Methodist 
Episcopal,  168;  Moravians,  167;  Pres- 
byterian, 161;  Protestant  Episcopal,  160; 
Quakers,  160;  Roman  Catholic,  164; 
Spiritualists,  170;  United  Brethren  in 
Christ,  170;  Universalists,  169;  Miscel- 
laneous, 172 

Repplier,  Agnes,  195 

Revolutionary  Period,   45,   46 

Rex    Avenue   Bridge,    617 

Reyburn  Plaza,   574 

Rhawn   Street  Bridge.   624 

Rhoads,   Samuel,  48,  135,  421 

Ricciardi,   Cesare.   253 

Richards,   Wi'Mam   Trost,   248 

Richardson    Henry  Hobson,   271 

Richboro     671 

Riddle  Mills,  637 

Ridd'e.    Samuel,    637 

Ridgway   Library,    445 

Rittenhonse,  David.  284,  285,  605;  Wi'- 
liam,  284,  285;  Home,  605;  Square,  432 

Ritz-Carlton   Hotel,   444 

Robbins  House   (Hartsville),   664 

Roberts.  G.  Brook.  Estate,  674;  Howard 
250;  Hugh.  34  135:  Robert  R..  390 

Robin   Hood   Dell.    239,    555 

Rockland  Mansion,   551 

Rodeph  Shalom,  168,  459 

Rodin,  Augusta,  578;  Museum,  84,  254,  578 

Rodney,    Caesar.    323 

Roman  CathoMc  Centennial  fountain, 
570;  High  School  for  Boys,  180,  458 

Rooseve't   B^ule^ard.    4«Q 

Roosevelt,   Franklin   Delano,   85,   493 

Root    Mai.  Stanley  W..  157 

Rosemont,    College.    683 

Rosenbach  Galleries,  428,   429 

Rosenthal.   A^ert.  ?53;  Max,   253 

Ross,   Betsy,    342,    543;    George,   48,   392, 

Rothermel,  Peter  F.,   248 

"Rowbottoms",    597 

Rudman,   Rev.   Andrew.   542,   543 


Rugs,  manufacture  of,  518 

Rumanians,  104,  105 

Rush,  Benjamin,  247.  295,  3S2;  Col.  Lewis, 

61;   James.  445:  William,  252 
Rush   Hospital,    508 
Russians,    104 
Rydal  Country  Club,  671 

St.  Augustine,  Church  of,  62,  166,  390; 
hermits  of,  390 

St.    Charles   Borromeo   Seminary,    166,    512 

St.  David's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church, 
681,  682 

St.    George's    Greek    Catholic    Church,    417 

St.  George's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
169,  388 

St.    James    Church,    395,    500 

St.  John's  Spiritual  Alliance  Church,   170 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  166,  179,  406;  Col- 
lege, 182,  510;  Society  for  the  Education 
of  Poor  Orphan  Children,  180 

St.  Mark's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church, 
435 

St.   Mary's    Church,    179,    180,    411 

St.    Michael's    Lutheran    Church,    159,    489 

St.  Paul's  Memorial  Church,   512 

St.  Paul's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church, 
408 

St.  Peter's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church, 
395,  408 

St.  Philip  de  Neri,   Church  of,  62 

St.  Theresa's  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
445 

SS.  Peter  and  Paul,   Cathedral  of,  576 

Saloons,  rise  of.  72 

Salvation   Army,   311,   461 

Samaroff,  Mme.  Olga.  241 

Sartain,    John,    193,    247 

Sartain's   Magazine,    193 

Saturday  Evening  Post,  193,  195,  196, 
203.  207,  414 

Sauer,  Christopher,  163,  489;  Bible  163, 
489 

Saul   Medical    Service.    316 

Savoy  Opera  Company,   239 

Saw  Manufacture,  528 

Say,  Thomas,  286,  289 

Scheel,   Fritz,   236 

School  of  Design  for  Women,  63,  181, 
464 

Schofield,  W.  Elmer,  253 

Schumann-Heink,   Mme.,   416 

SchuyJer    Philip,    329 

Schuylkill  Arsenal,  60,  504;  Canal,  61; 
Navy,  64,  558;  River,  12 

Schwenkfelders,  540 

Science,  284;  pioneers,  284;  industrial, 
286;  scientific  institutions,  288 

Science,  Academy  of,  Natural,  60,  289,  583 

Scots,   103 

Scott,  Bishop  Levi,  390;  Sir  Walter,  417 

Scottish  Rite  Temple,  456 

Scrapple,   96 

Sculpturing,   243 

Seabury,   Bishop   Samuel,    190 

Seaman.  Eben  C..   97 

Seamen's  Air  Society,  312;  Church  Insti- 
tute, 170,  312 

Sears,   Roebuck,   Company,   469 

Seaweed   Fountain,    549 

Sea  Horse  Fountain,  580 

Second:  Bank  of  the  United  States,  132; 
Baptist  Church,  163;  Church  of  Christ, 
Scientist,  170;  Continental  Congress,  49, 
51;  Presbyterian  Church,  365;  Street 
Market,  408 

Segal,    Vivienne,   232 

Seixas,  David,  490;  Rabbi  Gershon  Man- 
des  Israel,  167 

Seldes,   Gilbert,   198 

Sellers,   Coleman,   64,  287,   288 

Seminaries;    Eastern    Baptist    Theological 

701 


181;  Lutheran  Theological,  181;  Protest- 
ant Episcopal  Church  Divinity  School, 
181;  Reformed  Episcopal  Church  Theo- 
logical, 181;  St.  Charles  Borromeo,  181; 
St.  Vincent's  Theological,  181;  West- 
minster Theological,  181 

Sesqui-Centennial    Exposition,    82 

Settlement  Music  School,  240,  545 

Shakespeare  Memorial  576;  Society,  63 

Shallcross   School  for  Truants,   181 

Sharpies,   James,  246 

Sharswood,    George,   199 

Shenton,  Edward,  197 

Shibe  Park,   78,   473 

Shipbuilding,   117 

"Ship   Graveyard",  543 

Shippen,  Edward,  403,  408;  Peggy,  403; 
Residence,  411;  Dr.  William,  Jr.,  294. 
295,  411 

Shipping,   121 

Shoemaker,  Samuel,  551 

Shopping   Information,    xxiv 

Showcrafters,    227 

Shriner's  Home  for  Crippled  Children, 
469 

Shubert   Theatre,    229,    444 

Shut-In   Society,   310 

Sidebotham,    Thomas,    527 

Sidney,    Algernon,    32 

Silenus   and   the  Infant  Bacchus,   547 

Simes,   Snyder  Binn,  543 

Sketch  Club,  425 

SKF   Plant,    521 

Skinner,   Mrs.   Otis,   439 

Sloane-B^abon   Corporation,    523 

Slums,  56,  87,  273,  443 

Smith  Memorial  Arch,   568 

Smith,  Gen.  Persifor,  63;  Robert,  263,  408; 
Thomas  B.,  80;  Dr.  William,  588 

Snellenburg   Store,   386 

Sobei.  Alfred.  228 

Social  Service  304;  early  Almshouse,  304; 
charitable  Church  organizations  305; 
charity  groups,  306;  municipal  health 
aid,  307;  penal  organizations,  308;  bet- 
ter housing  associations,  308;  recrea- 
tional services,  308;  settlement  houses, 
310;  relief  acts,  314;  Boys'  Clubs,  308; 
residences  for  women  and  girls,  312; 
seamen's  homes,  312 

Society  Hill  Theatre,  215,  216 

Society  of  Carpenters,  339;  of  Friends, 
304,  305;  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  315 

Solebury  Baptist  Church,  667 

Solebury  Copper  Mine,  669 

Solis-Cohen,   Dr.   So'omon,  298 

Solomon,  Haym,  100 

Southampton   Baptst   Meetinghouse,    671 

South  Philadelphia  High  Sckool,  446; 
Street  Ferry,  60 

Sparrowjack's  House,   488 

Speakman,  John,  289,  583,  584 

Spiritualists,  170 

Sports,  90,  91 

Springfield    Avenue    Bridge.    619 

Spring  Garden  Institute,  180,  459 

Spruance.  Benton,   254 

Stage  and  Screen,  213 

Stagecrafters,  226 

Stage  Personalities,   219 

Stamo   Act.  42.  43 

Stanford,  Dr.  Thomas,  Jr.,  299 

State:  Fencibles,  68,  440;  House,  258; 
Houseyard,  319 

Steele,  Gen.  John,   411 

Stern.   J.  David,   209 

Stetson,  John  B.,  515;  Plant  515 

Stevens,    Thaddeus,    176 

Stevenson,   Christine  Wetherill,   437 

Stewardson,    Edmund    Austin,    251 

Stewart,   Commodore  Charles,   67,   71 

Still,   William,   107,   201 

Stock  Exchange  Building,    Old   406 

Stockton,  Frank  R.,  194 

Stokeley,  William,  74 

702 


Stokowski,    Leopold,    82,    234,    236 

Stone  Age  in  America,  567 

Stone  Plaza,   557 

Stotesbury,  E.  T.,  79,  134 

Stoves,   manufacture   of,    115 

Strawberry  Mansion,   554 

Strawbridge,   Justin,   79 

Strawbridge  &  Clothier  Company  Chorus, 

239 

Street   Numbering,    xxiii,    xxxiv 
Strettel,  Amos,  135 
Strickland,    William,    265,    290,    336,    406, 

408 

Strikes,  149,  406 
Stringart  Quartet,  239 
Stuart,    George   H.,    71;    Gilbert,    244,    478, 

676 

Sugar,  refining  of,  114,  532 
Sully,  Thomas,  244,  246 
Superstitions,  93 
Susan,   Robert,   253 
Swarthmore,    631;    College,    631 
Swedes,  21,  26,  28,  29,  35,  103 
Swedenborgians,   653 
Swedish  West  India  Company,  26 
Sweetbriar   Mansion   566 
Syng,  Philip,   135 

Tacony-Palmyra  Bridge,  84,  530 

Talleyrand,  393 

Tarn  O'  Shanter  Group  (James  Thorn), 
561 

Tanner,    Henry   Ossawa,   250 

Taylor,  Bayard,  194,  644;  Christopher, 
173;  Frederick  Winslow,  287,  288;  Dr. 
Joseph  W.,  684;  Zachary,  63 

Tea  Tax  disturbances,   46 

Teeth,   artificial,    Manufacture  of,   119 

Telephone  Companies,  140 

Temple  University,  19,  84,  162,  163,  175, 
464;  Dental  School,  466;  Medical  Col- 
lege, 183,  467,  469;  Stella  Elkins  Tyler 
School  of  Fine  Arts,  255;  Theological 
School,  466;  Hospital.  466,  467,  469; 
Conwell  Hall,  466,  467;  Carnell  Hall, 
467;  Mitten  Memorial  Hall,  467;  Thomas 
D.  Sullivan  Memorial  Library,  467; 
Professional  Schools,  467 

Tennent.  Gilbert,  162,  186;  Rev.  Wil- 
liam, 186,  664 

Terminal   Commerce  Building,    459 

Textile   Industry,    115,    120,    155,    515 

Thackeray,   William   Makepeace,   416 

Thayer,  Mary  Dixon,  197 

Theatre  Crafts,  226 

Theatre  League,  227 

Theatres,  213.  444;  history  of,  214;  per- 
sonalities of,  219;  playwrights,  222;  exist- 
ing theatres,  224;  little  theatres,  226; 
workers'  theatre,  228,  229;  puppet  shows 
and  marionettes,  229,  230;  minstrels,  230, 
231;  cinema,  232,  233;  actors  playing  at 
Walnut,  415,  416;  Arch  Street  Theatre, 
217;  Bijou  Theatre,  225;  Broad  St. 
Theatre,  225;  Chestnut  Street  Theatre, 
78.  216,  217;  Chestnut  St.  Opera  House 
224;  Erlanger  Theatre,  225;  Forrest 
Theatre,  224;  Garrick  Theatre,  217; 
Keith's  Theatre,  224,  225;  Lincoln 
Theatre,  Locust  Street  Theatre,  225; 
Shubert  Theatre,  229,  444;  Society  Hill 
Theatre,  215,  216;  Trocadero  Theatre, 
226;  Walnut  Street  Theatre,  216,  225. 
415 

Third  Presbyterian   Church,   162 

Third  Spiritualist  Church,  170 

Thomas,   Gabriel,    186;   Walter,   555 

Thompson-Neely   House,    669 

Thomson,    Charles,    48,    51 

Thorp's   Lane,   617 

Tiffany,  Louis  C.,  414 

Tily,  Dr.  Herbert  J.,  239 

Tobacco  Trade,  114 

Toogood,   Granville,   197 


Topography,  11 

Town  Hall,  258 

Towne,  Benjamin,  204 

Townsend  Acts,   45 

Trade,  119;  Union  Movement,  149,  406 

Transportation,  142 

Transportation   Facilities   xxi 

Traubel,   Horace,   194 

Trees,  12 

Triassic   Lowland,    11,    12 

Tribune,  108 

Trocadero   Theatre,   226 

Troost,  Gerard,  286 

Trott,  Benjamin,   246 

Truxtun,    Thomas,    392;   William,   71 

Tun   Tavern,   540 

Turner,   Dr.   John   P.,    299;   Robert,    34 

Tyson,   Dr.  James,   298 

Unami,   16,   21 

Underground   Railroad,    62,    201 

Undine  Barge  Club,  559 

Union:  Benevolent  Association,  305,  Co- 
operative Association,  153;  Fire  Com- 
pany, 286,  League,  8,  69,  70,  443; 
Library,  663;  Paper  Mills,  669 

Unitarians,  169 

United:  Brethren  in  Christ,  170;  Campaign, 
305,  306;  Gas  Improvement  Company, 
139,  140;  Service  Club,  424 

United  States:  Marine  Corps,  540;  Build- 
ing 445;  Mint,  136,  375,  474 

United  States,  Bank  of,  129,  132,  133,  466 

United   States,    Second  Bank   of,   132,   133 

Universal  Spiritualist  Brotherhood 
Church,  170 

Universalist  Church  of  the  Messiah,   169, 

Universalist  Church  of  Philadelphia,   169 

University  of  Pennsylvania,  9,  82,  173,  175, 
587;  Bennett  Hall,  592;  Botanic  Gar- 
dens, 292;  Botanical  Gardens,  597;  Col- 
lege Hall,  589;  early  history  of,  588;  En- 
gineering Building,  593;  Fine  Arts 
Building,  593;  Graduate  Hospital,  302; 
Graduate  School  of  Medicine,  589;  Hous- 
ton Hall,  590;  Hutchinson  Gymnasium, 
594;  Hygiene  Laboratory,  593;  Irvine 
Auditorium,  590;  John  Harrison  Labora- 
tory of  Chemistry.  593;  Law  School,  599; 
Library,  590;  Logan  Hall,  590;  Mask  and 
Wig  Club,  228;  Medical  School,  183,  302, 
589;  Men's  Dormitories,  596;  Moore 
School  of  Electrical  Engineering,  594; 
Morris  Arboretum,  292;  Museum,  290; 
594;  Randal  Morgan  Laboratory  of 
Physics,  593;  Robert  Hare  Chemical  La- 
boratory, 590;  School  of  Fine  Arts,  255; 
School  of  Music,  239;  Thomas  W.  Evans 
Institute,  599;  University  Hospital,  596; 
Vivarium,  599;  Wharton  School  of  Fi- 
nance and  Commerce,  589;  Wistar  In- 
stitute of  Anatomy  and  Biology,  596 

Upland  Settlement,  The,  21 

Upper  Burial   Ground,   486 

Upsala  House,   487,   488 

Valley    Creek    Canoe   Club,    612 

Valley   Green,    619 

Valley  Forge,  677;  Dogwood  Grove, 
679;  Grand  Parade,  678;  Memorial  Arch, 
679;  Museum  of  American  History,  678; 
Old  Camp  School  House  678,  679;  Park, 
673,  677;  Pennsylvania  Columns,  679 

Vanguard  Group,  228 

Van  Lennep,   Dr.  William  B.,   298 

Vare  Brothers.   78;  William,   7,   78,   84,   210 

Vaux,   Richard,    64 

Verree  Road,  621 

Vernon   Park,   481 

Victoria    Plush    Mills    (Swarthmore),    634 

Viking,   557 

Villanova  College,  683 

Viscose   Company,   645 

Vivarium,  The,  599 

Voluntary  Defender  Association,   315,   316 


Von  Steuben,  Baron,  678,  679 
Vonnoh,  Robert  W.,  253 

Wade,  Robert,   21 

Wagner    Free   Institute    of    Science,    290- 

473,  474 

Wagner   House,   The,   477 
Wagner,   William,   473 
"Walking   Purchase",    18,    19 
Wain,   Robert,    401 
Walnut  Lane  Bridge,   605 
Walnut    Street    (1616,)    431;    Theatre,    216, 

225    415 

Walter,  Thomas  U.,  265,   371,  379,   396,  412 
Walton  Hotel,   444 

Wanamaker,   John,   71,   76,   79;   Store,,   381 
Warminster,  663,   664 
Warwick  Hotel,  435 
Washington     Crossing:     Inn,     670;     State 

Park    670 
Washington,  George,  327,  331,  386,  457,  479, 

480,  486,  670,  676;  approves  act  for  U.  S. 

Mint,    138;    at    Valley    Forge,    678,    680; 

battle  of  Brandy  wine,  629;  Chadds  Ford, 

638;  Germantown,  486;  delegate  to  First 

Continental    Congress    48,    49;    funeral 

services  for,  388;  given  title  of  "Father 

of  His  Country,"  407;  mementos  of,  328; 

monument  of,  (Siemering,)  580;  pew  in 

Christ    Church,    394;    portraits    of,    245, 

478;  statue  of  (Siemering),  254 
Washington  Grays,   68 
Washington:  Inn,   679;  Memorial  Chapel, 
678;     Memorial    National     Carillon,     678; 

Square,     414;     Headquarters    at    Valley 

Forge,  680 
Water  Works,  137 
Water  Front,  533 
Water  Street,  535 
Watkins,    Franklin    C.,    254,    578;    Shirley, 

197 

Watson's   Annals  of  Philadelphia,   192 
Watson,   John   Fanning,   192,   480;   House, 

479 

Wayne,   Gen.   Anthony,   679,   681 
Wayne,  683 
Wayside   Shrine,   619 
Weaver,   Dr.   Rufus  B.,   298 
Webb,   Capt.  Thomas,   168,  389 
Welcome,   20,   21,   25 
Welfare  Federation,   305,   306 
Welsh,  33,  34,  103 
Welsh  Avenue  Bridge,  625 
Welsh   Barony,    33,   94 
Welsh     John,     570;    Memorial    Fountain, 

570 

Wertmuller,  Adolph  Ulric,  247 
West,    Benjamin,    38,    244,    407,    421 
West  Laurel  Hill   Cemetery,  673 
Wetherill,     Elisha     Kent,     250;      Samuel 

Price,    118,   437;    Samuel,    Jr.,    118 
Wharton,     George    M.,     64;     Joseph,     408; 

Thomas  I.,   427 
Whatcoat,   Richard,   390 
White     Dr.    A.    E.,    299;    Samuel    S.,    119; 

Bishop  William,  129,  161,  305,   395,   399 

399 

Whitefield,    George,    162,    186,    253,    410 
Whitman,  Walt,  184,  192,  194 
Whittier  Center,   308 

Widener  Home  for  Crippled  Children,   79 
Widener,  H.  Josephine,  Memorial  Library, 

463 

WJdener,  Peter  A.  B..  79 
Wilbank,  John,   324,  325 
William    Penn    Charter    School,    173,    177, 

181,   386,   491 
Williams,  William,  244 
Willing     Charles,    125,    346;    Thomas,    48, 

125,   129 

Willow  Grove,  660;  Park,  660 
Wills  Hospital,   474 
Wilson.   Alexander,  286,   543;   Francis,   221, 

222;  James,  396,  589;  S.  Davis,  87 
Wilstach  Collection  of  Paintings,  254,  570 

703 


"Windows  of  Old  Philadelphia,"  424  Wrestlers,    The,    549 

Windrim,  James  H.,  452;  John  T.,  355  Wright,   Joseph,   244 

Wisconsin  House,  673,   674  Writers,    184;    Colonial,    185;    clubs,    201; 

Wissahickon    Hall,    602;    Hermits    of    the,  historical,   199,   200;  legal,   199;  medical, 

602;  Valley,  557  199;    Post-Revolutionary,     188;    present 

Wistar,     Dr.     Caspar,     295,     411;     General  day,  201 

Isaac,    596;    Charles   J.,    479;    John,    479,  "Wyck,"  483 

481;   Sally,   479;   Owen,    195,   426,   473  Wynn,   Ed,   222 

Wistar    Institute    of    Anatomy    and    Bi-  Wynnestay  Mansion,    510 

ology,   596  Wynne,   Dr.   Thomas,   293,    510,   685 

Wistar   Museum,    60,    295  Yachtsmen's  Club,  425 
Witchcraft,    95 

Witt,   Dr.   Christopher,   186,   603  Yeadon,   629 

Women's    Medical     College     of    Pennsyl-  Yellin,    Samuel,    254 

vania  294  Yellow  Fever  Epidemic,   297,   300 

Wood,  Dr.  George  Bacon,   302;  George  B.,  Y.M.C.A.,    71,   78,    311,    475 

199,  297  Y.M.H.A.    and    Y.W.H.A.    Building,    445 

Woodford    Mansion,    554  Y    W    C    A    316    482 

Woodlands  Cemetery,  494  Young,  Thomas,  29 

Woodside  Park,  572  Yugoslavs,    105 
Woodward   Estate,    610 
Woollcott,    Alexander,    198 

Woolman,   John,   186  Zachary,  Lloyd,  Dr.,  418 

Workers',   Theatre,   228,   229;   Alliance,   228  Zinzendorf,    Count,    167 

Working   Men's   Party.    150,    151  £lon   Lutheran    Church,    387,    388 

Works    Progress    Administration,    85,    255  Zoological    Gardens,    561;    Society,    64 

315,    369,    550 


704 


AMERICAN    GUIDE    SERIES 

PHILADELPHIA 

A   Guide  to   the  City   of  Penn^ 

THIS  official  guide  of  the  Quaker  City  is- 
considerably  more  than  a  guidebook.  It 
not  only  tells  you  where  to  go  and  what . 
to  see,  but  also  presents  a  detailed  pic- 
ture of  the  city's  early  history,  chronicles, 
its  development  from  a  pioneer  village 
into  one  of  America's  largest  cities,  and: 
portrays  that  city  in  its  present-day  as-! 
pects.  It  is  a  veritable  encyclopedia  of; 
information,  treating,  as  it  does,  every  • 
phase  of  activity  and  every  facet  of  thei 
contemporary  scene. 

Along  with  general  history  of  the  cityj 
is  given  the  story  of  its  growth  in  indus- 
try, commerce,  transportation;  its  de- 
velopment in  the  arts  and  sciences;  its 
progress  in  labor,  social  welfare,  and 
education.  Philadelphia  helped  lead  the 
march  of  civilization  across  the  North 
American  Continent.  It  played  a  con- 
siderable role  in  the  drama  which  pre- 
ceded and  attended  the  birth  of  a  new 
nation.  The  record  of  its  achievements 
is  contained  herein. 

The  United  States  Government, 
through  the  Federal  Writers'  Project  of 
the  Works  Progress  Administration, 
made  this  guidebook  possible.  It  required 
the  time  and  effort  of  many  persons,  in- 
cluding not  only  writers,  editors,  and 
typists,  but  also  reporters  and  research 
workers,  who  for  months  delved  into 
original  sources  for  material  and  then 
checked  and  rechecked  their  findings  to 
assure  accuracy. 

Despite  the  great  amount  of  work  and 
energy  entailed.  Government  cooperation 
has  made  it  possible  to  sell  this  book 
at  about  rnlf  the  usual  price  for  a  work 
of  this  kind. 

The  Story  of  Philadelphia  in  Word 
and  Picture 

William  Penn  Association 

of  Philadelphia,   Inc. 

130  S.   Fifteenth  Street 

Philadelphia 

Penna. 


. 


The 


Perns    lowne 


Attractively  illustrated,  this  book  furnishes  a  wealth  of  infor- 
mation that  will  be  of  real  value,  not  merely  to  those  who  visit 
the  Nation's  first  capital,  but  to  Philadelphians  themselves.