‘Sacred and Inviolable’: Sally Wister and Deborah Norris Logan, the Roots of Salon Culture
Deborah Norris Logan (from 'Sally Wister's Journal')
On Thursday March 1st at 12:30 p.m., Stenton will host Sacred and Inviolable’ Sally Wister and Deborah Norris Logan: Female Friendship and the Roots of Salon Culture, a lecture exploring friendship between Quaker women. This program will be presented by Rebecca Rosen, a doctoral student at Princeton University.
In a culture in which religious ties were also social and educational, relationships between women and girls combined expressions of friendship with literary exchange. Sally Wister and Deborah Norris Logan exemplified this typical 18th century female friendship amongst Pennsylvania Quakers.
This event is free. Feel free to bring a bag lunch. Please RSVP by calling 215.329.7312.
John Trower: How to Succeed in Business
John Trower, from NAACP's 'The Crisis, May 1911
Building a successful business from the ground up is no small feat. For an African American man born in 1849, it’s rather remarkable.
Born in Virginia, John Trower worked on a farm alongside his family until age 21 when he had accumulated enough money to settle the mortgage. He then moved to Baltimore where he worked as an oyster-opener. By 1870 Trower was working in Philadelphia in his own restaurant near the railroad.
It wasn’t long before his business grew and Trower bought the vacant Germantown Savings Fund building, located at 5706 Germantown Avenue, and converted it into a first-class catering establishment. Aside from the wealthy families of Germantown, Trower’s catering company also provided banquets and luncheons for the Cramps Ship Building Company during the trial runs of new vessels. When John Wanamaker was serving as Postmaster General, Trower prepared a lavish banquet for him in U.S. capital.
Not only was Trower a business success, but he was also a philanthropist. Trower financed the building an African American church in Ocean City and Zion Baptist Church in Germantown, as well as organizing a building and loan association for African Americans. Trower’s great success made him one of the wealthiest African Americans in Philadelphia and a pilar of his community.
Johnson House: Annual Freedom Essay Contest
The Johnson House, circa 1867
What is the difference between protest yesterday and today? What impact does protest have on society? What was the impact of the Civil Rights Movement? Students addressed these questions in the Annual Freedom Essay Contest sponsored by the Johnson House. This year’s contest commemorates the 324thAnniversary of the Protest Against Slavery, the first formal protest which was composed by a group of Quaker men in Germantown in 1688.
Prizes will be presented to first place winners and runners-up on February 26th, 3-5 p.m. at the Johnson House.
Coach Jim Ellis, a renowned swim coach, will be honored at this event for his commitment to the education and social development of children.
This event is free. Call 215.438.1768. or e-mail aneal@johnsonhouse.org with questions.
W.E.B. Du Bois in Germantown
W.E.B Du Bois (courtesy of www.biography.com)
Since 1976, the federal government has officially dedicated the month of February to remembering the achievements and contributions of African Americans, a concept introduced by Carter Woodson in 1926 as Negro History Week. In 1928, Germantown held its own celebration of Negro Achievement Week.
The week-long program included presentations from speakers, artists, musicians, writers, and community leaders. Notable contributors included Alain Locke, James Weldon Johnson, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Amongst the published works of Du Bois is The Philadelphia Negro, an unprecedented study of African American urban life.
(click for enlarged image)
According to the archived program for the week, Du Bois spoke on “Contributions by the Negro to American Life.” This speech reflected the contemporary method of promoting the status of African Americans by highlighting their cultural and historical contributions.
Du Bois published many essays concerning the advancement of African Americans and was also the founding editor of the NAACP magazine, The Crisis. In his writings, Du Bois gave much attention to the right to vote, recognizing its power to bring about social reform and racial equality. In a 1905 essay entitled “The Black Vote of Philadelphia,” Du Bois analyzed the politics of Philadelphia, condemning corrupt government’s influence over the inexperienced and uneducated black voters.
Although he grew up with more opportunity than many of his fellow African Americans, Du Bois recognized the limitations imposed upon him and others of his race. Attending Fisk University in Nashville, he was exposed to the cruelty and corruption of Southern whites. W.E.B. Du Bois, guided by his experience and education, was one of the most passionate and eloquent advocates for social justice in America.
Richard Allen: Founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Mother Bethel A.M.E. (courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia)
Richard Allen was born enslaved on a plantation owned by Benjamin Chew in February 1760. He and his family were sold to Stokely Sturgis, a plantation owner in Delaware. Allen began attending meetings at the local Methodist Society and due to a spiritual experience converted at age 17. Allen worked to hire himself out and ultimately earned enough to purchase his own freedom from Stokely Sturgis.
Having taught himself to read, Allen became a preacher at St. George’s, America’s oldest Methodist church located in Philadelphia. As the congregation’s black membership increased, the segregation dismayed Allen. He and his friend Absalom Jones led their fellow black worshipers out of the church in protest.
Richard Allen (courtesy of www.christianitytoday.com)
Because he wanted to remain a Methodist, Allen founded Mother Bethel and became the minister. He preached throughout the region in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Multiple congregations combined with Mother Bethel to form the new denomination, the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Richard Allen was elected the first bishop of the A.M.E. Church and what started as a regional phenomenon has become a worldwide faith community.
Allen’s impact extends well beyond religious institutions. He founded benevolence societies and his tireless demands for equality and equal treatment helped pave the long road for civil rights for African Americans.
In describing Mother Bethel, W.E.B. DuBois the founder of the NAACP once noted that it was ”By long odds the vastest and most remarkable product of American Negro civilization.”
‘Freedom Bound’ at Stenton
Germantown’s history is rich with the inspiring stories of African American women who struggled for their freedom. Come hear these stories and tour Stenton, with special emphasis on the service spaces.
On Saturday, February 18th at 1 p.m., Stenton will be hosting Freedom Bound: African American Women in 18th and 19th Century Philadelphia, a lecture and discussion examining the rocky road to emancipation experienced by the majority of African American women in the 18th and 19th century urban North.
This program is free. Please call 215.329.7312 or e-mail programs@stenton.org to RSVP.
Dinah: Savior of Stenton
Stenton, the 18th century mansion of James Logan, has stood for nearly 300 years as a relic of the colonial era, but perhaps it would no longer be with us if not for the quick-thinking of Dinah, a servant of the estate.
Dinah was an enslaved servant of William (James’s son) and Hannah Logan, but around 1776, she asked for and was granted her freedom, though she remained a hired servant of the household.
Dinah is remembered on a plaque at the still-standing Stenton house, and visitors are told the story of her cleverness. During the occupation of Philadelphia, Dinah had been minding the estate when she spotted two British soldiers scheming to burn the mansion. As the soldiers were in the barn gathering straw, Dinah saw an officer riding along the main street in search of deserters. Dinah caught his attention and told him that she had seen two men who appeared to be deserting enter the barn. The soldiers were quickly apprehended, their plans of arson foiled.Charity Castle: Germantown’s Unsolved Mystery
Cliveden, circa 1910 (courtesy of ExplorePAHistory.com)
In 1814, a series of events led Charity Castle to become one of the best remembered cases under the Gradual Abolition Act.
Charity Castle accompanied her mistress Harriet Chew to her parents’ home at Cliveden. Amidst marital troubles, Harriet decided to extend her stay in Germantown. Charles Carroll Jr., Harriet’s husband, demanded that Charity be returned. She pleaded to not be sent back, claiming abuse on the part of Carroll. A few days short of her planned return to Maryland, Charity was severely injured while retrieving fire wood, delaying her departure.
For months, letters were exchanged amongst the families, doctors, and lawyers, regarding the incident, all documented in the extensive Chew Family Papers. There was much disagreement regarding Charity’s fate. Finally Carroll conceded to sell Charity to her husband for $300.
Despite the lengthy letters, the mystery remains unsolved as to whether Charity Castle gained her freedom or was sent back to Maryland.
“Accident made her a Slave, accident made her free, and it seems right that she should avail herself of it.” – William Lewis, a lawyer arguing in favor of Charity’s freedom
Oney Judge’s Flight to Freedom
An advertisement announcing the escape of Oney Judge; courtesy of www.ushistory.org
In 1794, Oney Judge was one of four slaves to serve President Washington and his family at the Deschler-Morris House. Germantown, along with the nation, remembers her for her daring escape to freedom.
Oney Judge was born into slavery in 1773. At the age of 10 she began her life as a servant of the President’s household eventually becoming Martha Washington’s personal attendant. With Philadelphia as the seat of the federal government, Oney spent a great deal of time in Pennsylvania, but careful planning barred her from taking advantage of the Gradual Abolition Act, which would grant a slave his or her freedom after six months of residency.
After being promised as a wedding gift, Oney fled, seizing the freedom that she was tactfully denied. She settled in New Hampshire and started a family. Although attempts at capture were made, Oney Judge never returned to the Washingtons, remaining a fugitive until her death. Abolitionist papers spread Oney’s story of bravery and have allowed us to remember her to this day.
Jeffrey Lock Discusses Surveying Instruments at Lunch & Learn
Mr. Lock shows attendees the fine details of antique surveying instruments.
Yesterday afternoon, the Germantown Historical Society welcomed back Jeffrey Lock to lead a Lunch & Learn to discuss his restoration of the Rittenhouse Compass over the past year. Last May, after its restoration was complete, the compass made its journey back to the Germantown Historical Society. “Do I need to give this some Dramamine?” Lock questioned with a smile, as he prepared the 18th century compass for its first ever plane flight.
The David Rittenhouse Compass has been in the collections of the Germantown Historical Society since 1910. After seeing that the compass had undergone a poor polishing job in the early 20th century, Mr. Lock offered to restore the compass and protect it with a conservation wax that would allow it to age gently.
Antique manuscript, compasses, and surveying chain
In a presentation, Mr. Lock shared his awe and appreciation for the fine engraving and craftsmanship of the David Rittenhouse Compass as well as related antique surveying instruments. According to Mr. Lock, a complete compass would take a regular maker a minimum of three weeks and would sell for about seven pounds. These instruments, however, were not simply made for show. They were heavily used as America surveyed its expanding borders. The instruments have stood the test of time as they still prove to be accurate in readings of magnetic North.
Read more about Mr. Lock’s work including his conservation of the Rittenhouse Compass here.
There are, according to Mr. Lock, only about a dozen known Rittenhouse compasses. The Germantown Historical Society is very fortunate to have one of these beautiful instruments from one of the finest colonial compass-makers.
Keep your eye out for future Lunch & Learn opportunities.
