Call Number:

02

Repository:

Highlands Historical Society

Extent:

2.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1797-1904 (inclusive)

Creator:

Sheaff family

Abstract:

George Sheaff (1779-1851), a wine merchant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, purchased the Highlands Mansion in 1813. Sheaff was interested in "progressive" agriculture and scientific farming, and the grounds blossomed under his hand. His family was the first to reside at The Highlands year-round, and members of the Sheaff family occupied the mansion for 102 years. The Sheaff family papers, 1797-1904, consist primarily of daily journals of the Sheaff family, which were kept from 1838 to 1904. The collection also contains property plans, wills and estate records, and newspaper advertisements for the property.

The Highlands was originally built for Anthony Morris (1766-1860), a lawyer and politician who served as speaker of the Pennsylvania Senate from 1793-1794. The home was built by Morris to escape the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 in Philadelphia. The estate served as a farm and summer house for Morris and his family until it was sold to the Sheaff family in 1813.

George Sheaff (1779-1851) was a wine merchant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Sheaff family, which included George's wife Ann Catherine Sheaff and their nine children, were the first family to reside at The Highlands year-round. Members of the Sheaff family occupied the mansion for 102 years. Sheaff was interested in "progressive" agriculture and scientific farming, and the grounds blossomed under his hand. The most notable change that Sheaff made to the property was the addition of the two-acre garden which remains today. Some land was sold after the death of George Sheaff, but fifty-nine acres, including the mansion, were kept by the family. John Sheaff (1821-1915), his wife Fanny Platt (1833-1902), and two of his sisters Kate (1809-1880) and Ellen (1813-1909), continued to reside at The Highlands. Shortly after the death of the last Sheaff heir in 1915, the mansion was sold to Miss Caroline Sinkler (1860-1949).

Bibliography:

Signs displayed at The Highlands, November 14, 2011.

The Sheaff family resided at The Highlands for 102 years, during which time family members faithfully maintained daily journals. These primary documents shed light on both the day-to-day activities of the Sheaffs and 19th century life in general. In its archives, The Highlands Historical Society has twenty-four original journals, dating from 1838 to 1904.

The Sheaff family papers also include property plans and surveys, wills and estate records, construction agreements, and newspaper advertisements for the sale of the property. There are several framed original deeds and indentures from the 19th century. A highlight of the collection is a ledger kept by George Sheaff, 1813-1816.