Year: <span class="single" data-blrl-single="1814">1814</span> - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

John Meredith Read papers, 1818-1873 (bulk) 1746-1917 (bulk 1818-1873) (inclusive)

Extent:: 11.0 linear feet (; 28 boxes)
Abstract:: John Meredith Read (1794-1874) was a Philadelphia lawyer, jurist, and politician. He served on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and was a founding member of both the Free Soil and Republican parties. This collection of John Meredith Read's papers deals mostly with his legal career and covers his political career to a lesser extent. The collection spans Read life and includes some papers from his ancestors as well as his children. There is both business and personal correspondence, legal papers, financial records, estate papers, papers on the Masons, miscellaneous ephemera and printed matter, and volumes.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Museum records, 1937-1941 (bulk) 1797-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.66 cubic feet
Abstract:: This collection contains information on the activities of the Drexel Museum and Picture Gallery as well as past and present collections. The records, which include photographs and facsimiles of museum objects, date from 1797 until 1984; the bulk are from 1937 until 1941, Dorothy Grafly’s tenure as curator. The collection has been arranged into three series: I. Curator correspondence and notes, II. Catalogues, inventories and reproductions, and III. Collection reports and publications. The first series provides an in-depth look of the responsibilities and activities of the curator. The catalogues, inventories, and reproductions series is predominantly focused on the objects that the Museum has formerly and presently houses.

Held at: Drexel University: Archives and Special Collections [Contact Us]

John Bartram Association collection on the Bartram family, 1768-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:: 19.0 linear feet
Abstract:: John Bartram (1699-1777), the "Father of American Botany," created a botanic garden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is widely considered the first true botanic collection in North America. In 1891 the City of Philadelphia purchased his estate as a historic site, and the John Bartram Association--primarily constituted of his descendants--was established in 1893 to help with the administration and interpretation of the property. The John Bartram Association collection on the Bartram family, 1768-2012, includes various materials created by or on the subject of John Bartram (1699-1777) and his descendants. It includes some original and many copies of Bartram family documents, photographs, book research, genealogical research, and plant information.

Held at: John Bowman Bartram Special Collections Library [Contact Us]

Seal family papers, 1752-1943 (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.0 linear feet
Abstract:: William Heyburn Seal (1822-1910) settled in Birmingham Township (now Chadds Ford), Delaware County, Pennsylvania before 1850. He and his wife Deborah Twaddell, had six children. The Seal family papers, 1752-1943, include ledgers, teacher's lists, deeds, school workbooks, marriage certificates, a scrapbook, correspondence, a tax record, and many other materials from the Seal, Twaddell, and related families. Mary Emma Seal (1865-1941) and William Heyburn Seal (1822-1910) are especially well documented.

Held at: Chadds Ford Historical Society [Contact Us]

James J. Reis Deed Collection, 1717-1881 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.25 linear feet
Abstract:: James J. Reis, a commercial real estate broker in Ambler, Pennsylvania, began collecting old deeds around 1987. The James J. Reis Deed Collection, 1717-1881, consists of 125 deeds for properties in the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Roxborough, Germantown, Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy, as well as Whitemarsh and Springfield townships in Montgomery County.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Chestnut Hill Historical Society local history collection, 1900-2011 (bulk) 1755-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:: 18.8 linear feet
Abstract:: Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, was a village of farmers and millers during the Colonial period. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill became a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy and it soon boasted magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. The Chestnut Hill Historical Society local history collection, 1755-2011 (bulk 1900-2011) consists primarily of newspaper clippings and other printed materials, such as pamphlets, publications, and ephemera, relating to the Chestnut Hill neighborhood. There are some original records of local organizations, such as minute books and ledgers, as well as some family papers.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Craven Hall Historical Society local history collection, 1774-1973 (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Warminster Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania was established 1711. It was home to religious leader William Tennent, steamboat inventor John Fitch, and the world's largest human centrifuge. The Craven Hall Historical Society local history collection, 1774-1973, contains ciphering books, account books, photographs, tax ledgers, deeds, scrapbooks, and other documents from local people, families, and organizations.

Held at: Craven Hall Historical Society [Contact Us]

Howell family papers, 1830-1880 (bulk) 1798-1929 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The Howell family were members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) who resided in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The Howell family papers, 1798-1929 (bulk 1830-1880), consist substantially of routine personal correspondence between several generations of the Howell family, particularly Sally R. Howell, Israel Howell, Mary Mott Howell, Joshua R. Howell, and Elizabeth Howell. The collection also includes a sizeable amount of school records, about 17 manuscript volumes from the early to mid-1800s, and drafts of poems and other writings.

Held at: Delaware County Historical Society [Contact Us]

Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:: 20.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Delaware County was the first section of Pennsylvania to be settled by Europeans, specifically Swedes in 1643. The Borough of Media, located about 12 miles outside of Philadelphia, has been the county seat of Delaware County since 1850. A largely rural area prior to that point, the town grew rapidly in the second half of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century. The Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014, consists of a variety of local history materials including organizational records, business records, personal papers, photographs, scrapbooks, blueprints, subject files, maps and atlases, and other materials. Most of the materials relate to Delaware County (Pennsylvania), but some items pertain to other locations in Pennsylvania and other states. Although the 19th century is the best represented among the materials, there is a significant amount of materials from the 18th century and a few items from the 17th century.

Held at: Delaware County Institute of Science [Contact Us]

Darby Library Company records, 1743-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:: 11.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Darby Free Library is one of the oldest public libraries in the United States, and the first cultural institution in Darby, now part of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1743 as a subscription library, it became free to the public in 1898 and part of the Delaware County Library System in 1981. The Darby Free Library is still operational as of 2014. The Darby Library Company records, 1743-2012, include Board of Directors and stockholders' minute books, book acquisition and circulation records, financial records, other administrative papers, and various other materials from the Darby Free Library and the Darby Library Company, as well as other organizations that merged with the Darby Library Company, including the Delaware County Society for the Detection of Horse Thieves and the Recovery of Stolen Horses, and the Darby Home Protection Society.

Held at: Darby Free Library [Contact Us]

First Baptist Church of Philadelphia records, 1690-1906, 1690-1906 (inclusive)

Extent:: 8 boxes
Abstract:: Notable for its early leadership in Baptist organization and evangelism, the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia was prominent both in its region and city and in the transatlantic community of Baptists. Records include annual reports, membership records, bulletins, scrapbooks, and biographies as well as records specific to the Board of Deacons, Board of Trustees, Treasurer, Pew Committee, Bible School, Board of Christian Education, and various women's and missionary groups.

Held at: American Baptist Historical Society [Contact Us]

The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Frankliniana collection, 1718-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Frankliniana collection, 1718-2006, consists of prints, drawings, photographs, and a variety of ephemera and secondary-source materials relating to Benjamin Franklin and his activities. There is a small amount of 18th century materials signed or printed by Franklin.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute collection of oversized papers, 1790-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute collection of oversized papers, 1790-1984, consists of oversized materials such as technical drawings of machinery (some used for patents), posters, illustrations, prints, drawings, engravings, maps, photographs, certificates, blueprints, and newspaper pages.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

Fairmount Park Maps, Plans and Drawings collection, 1684-2010

Extent:: 98.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Items in this collection relate to East and West Fairmount Park, the original components of what has become the vast Fairmount Park system. Unique in its composition, these areas not only contain naturalist landscapes, but they are also home to a truly diverse set of historic and functional structures. In addition to a vast trail system and traditional recreational facilities (such as swimming pools and baseball diamonds), these parks are also home to an array of 18th and 19th century historic houses, the nation's first zoo, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the imposing Fairmount Water Works, and Philadelphia's iconic Boathouse Row.

Held at: Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives [Contact Us]

Goschenhoppen Historians deeds collection, 1720-1923 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.5 linear feet
Abstract:: Goschenhoppen, one of the oldest continuously existing Pennsylvania German communities in America, is a geographic region in Montgomery County. The Goschenhoppen Historians deeds collection, 1720-1923, is primarily comprised of deeds, although there are also a few bonds, releases, wills, and other legal documents. The geographic region covered includes parts of Montgomery, Berks, and Philadelphia counties.

Held at: Goschenhoppen Historians, Inc. [Contact Us]

Germantown Historical Society small manuscripts collection, 1701-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:: 8.0 linear feet (one filing cabinet ("box 1"), two boxes ("box 2" and "box 3"))
Abstract:: Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement; the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States. Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854. The Germantown Historical Society small manuscript...(see more)

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

Headley family papers, circa 1788-1981

Extent:: 3.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The Headley family was a prominent and socially-active family from Fallsington, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The Headley family papers, circa 1788- 1981, document several generations of the Headley family and related family members, particularly the family of Charles Moon Headley (b. 1865) and Elizabeth Schurz Headley (b. 1871), including their daughters Alice Headley Woodruff (1894-1989) and Eleanor Christina Headley (b. 1897). The collection is largely made up of photographs that document the family and the village of Fallsington, circa 1850-1950, and bound volumes including account books, minute books, and diaries. The collection also contains legal papers, personal papers, correspondence, genealogy research, and papers relating to Historic Fallsington, Inc.

Held at: Historic Fallsington, Inc. [Contact Us]