February Twenty Third at Four in the Morning

"Dear Madam - On me devolves the Melancholy task to inform you of the Death of our beloved friend, Mrs. Fergusson..."

So begins the April 6 letter Betsy Stedman wrote to Deborah Senior, Elizabeth Graeme's cousin in Jamaica, informing her of her cousin's death on February 23, 1801 at four in the morning. In today's world of instant and constant news via Facebook, Twitter, texting, and the like, it is hard to imagine that people often didn't find out about the deaths of loved ones until months after the fact, but that was indeed the case, and not at all uncommon.

Elizabeth was traveling in Europe when her mother, Ann Diggs Graeme, passed away on May 29, 1765, and she did not learn the news until July 15, almost seven weeks later. Letters in that day would collect at the port for weeks until a ship was ready to sail, and they'd all arrive together weeks later in a packet. Elizabeth's nephew, John Young, who sided with the British during the Revolution, returned to England after the war. In early 1794, Elizabeth, trying to learn what happened to him, appealed to a friend in England to check with a relative in Scotland, to find out about him. In late summer she learned he'd died back in April. I'm not sure she ever learned whether her husband, Henry Hugh Fergusson, was alive or dead, last having heard from him in 1788 and about him in 1796.

Like her mother, Elizabeth planned out her own funeral. It was her desire that her "funeral expenses not exceed 15 pounds" and that she be buried in a "coffin of plain cherry boards, to be taken to town and laid at the feet of [her] Parents. [She felt she was] not worthy to lay at their side. The neighbors round are to be invited they appear to respect [her] and [she] respects them."

Betsy's letter ends "great is my loss in the deprivation of my friend's conversation and society, yet be assured I do not wish her back, no, every day convinces me her removal was at a time, the properest and best."

Elizabeth is buried at Christ Church in Philadelphia, next to her parents.

What Is It? Where Is It? (February): The Door Counterweight

We kicked off last weekend with the February edition of "What Is It? Where Is It?," our monthly guessing game where readers attempt to guess what is featured in the photo and where it is located at Graeme Park, by posting the above photo. One reader guessed a fence post with a bullet in it, which was a good guess, considering we did have Revolutionary soldiers encamped here back in the day. I almost  posted the below photo for the clue, but at the last minute decided to crop it, thinking the yellow rope made it too obvious to anyone who was a regular visitor here at the park. Would you have been able to guess it if I had?

It is the counterweight on the Visitors' Center door.

 

The rope attached to the weight runs through a pulley at the top of the door frame,

and is then attached at the far side of the door so that (in theory anyway) when the door is opened, the weight pulls it back closed. I say in theory because the latch tends to get caught up and prevents the door from fully closing and the weight is not heavy enough to pull the door closed if it is opened much more than half way, but still, a pretty neat little feat of engineering that generally catches the attention of our visitors.

We'll be back some time in March for another exciting edition of "What Is It? Where Is It?" To review January's edition on the marriage marks in the barn framing, see our post here.

Celebrate Pennsylvania's 332nd Birthday - Charter Day - March 10, 2013

The original Penn Charter, which established Pennsylvania, was issued by Charles II to William Penn in 1681, and is sometimes referred to as the state's "birth certificate." The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, will display Penn's personal copy of the Charter for one week beginning on Charter Day, Sunday, March 10.

“The charter is a tangible link to Pennsylvania’s founding,” James M. Vaughan, PHMC executive director said. “The fragile historical document is exhibited only once a year and for a very short time in special protective cases with low light and controlled temperature and humidity levels.”

Also on display will be a Civil War era note written by Governor Andrew Curtin on June 16, 1863, ordering the defense of Pennsylvania’s border from “the Rebel Invader." The document underscores the anxious days just before the Battle of Gettysburg, as General Lee’s Confederate army crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.

The Charter and Curtin document will be exhibited from March 10 to March 17 at the State Museum in Harrisburg.

In addition to The State Museum’s programming, many historic sites and museums along PHMC’s Pennsylvania Trails of History® will offer free admission on March 10.

Participating sites include:

• Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum

• Brandywine Battlefield Park

• Bushy Run Battlefield

• Conrad Weiser Homestead

• Cornwall Iron Furnace

• Daniel Boone Homestead

• Drake Well Museum

• Eckley Miners’ Village

• Ephrata Cloister

• Erie Maritime Museum

• Graeme Park

• Fort Pitt Museum

• Joseph Priestley House

• Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum

• Old Economy Village

• Pennsbury Manor

• Pennsylvania Military Museum

• Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

• Washington Crossing Historic Park

Graeme Park will be open from noon through about 3:30 (to give you time to see the house before we close at 4) for self-guided tours of the Keith House with docents in each room to answer questions and provide basic information on the history. For a complete tour, please visit us Fridays - Saturday, 10-3 or Sundays 12-3. For more information on Charter Day 2013, call 717-772-3257 or visit PHMC online at www.phmc.state.pa.us. For more information on Graeme Park, contact us directly at 215-343-0965 or www.graemepark.org.

World War II Weekend - 2013

While the promise of spring may still seem to be in the distant future, our committee has been hard at work for months now planning the World War II Weekend to be held on the grounds of Graeme Park and the Penrose-Strawbridge House on April 20-21 (raindate April 27-28). In addition to organizing the various vendors, non-profits, WWII veterans, and reenactment groups, some of whom will be traveling from neighboring states to spend the weekend camping on the grounds and sharing their history and displays with our visitors, we've finalized our preliminary schedule and have an action packed weekend planned. Please note that times are approximate and subject to change but this should give you a general idea of what we're offering and when.

WWII Schedule - Saturday, April 20

Flag Raising Ceremony & National Anthem - 10:00 am - Join us at the flag pole for the raising of the American flag and singing of the National Anthem, led by a professional singer.

Displays Open - 10:00 am – 4:00 pm - Visitors can tour American and German camps staffed by reenactors, see period military and non-military vehicle displays, see a WWII pigeon trailer and learn about the role pigeons played during wartime, step inside the Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Museum's airplane simulation cockpit, meet author John Alosi, Jr. who will be signing his book War Birds, meet and talk to WWII veterans, including a member of the Tuskegee Airman, shop with various vendors selling WWII era military equipment, t-shirts, and reproduction PX items, and learn about various non-profit veterans organizations, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and Honor Flight, and the services they offer.

Tours of the Keith House and Summer Kitchen - 10:30, 11:00 am, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00 pm - The Keith House, the 18th-century mansion at the core of Graeme Park, is a National Historic Landmark and the reason we do what we do. The Keith House was built c. 1722 for Sir William Keith, Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania and showcases well preserved, and largely untouched, architectural features and an interesting cast of former inhabitants. Brief tours will take visitors through the first two floors and touch on the lives of Keith, Dr. and Mrs. Graeme, and their daughter, the writer Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson. Elizabeth occupied Graeme Park during a different war, the Revolution, and its impact greatly altered the course of her life.

Weapons Demonstration - 11:30 am - 12:00 noon - Members of the reenactment groups will demonstrate how their WWII weapons work and fire off a few blanks.

Flag Folding Demonstration - 12:00 noon - Learn about how and why the flag is folded for ceremonial and presentation purposes and what each fold means.

Battle Reenactment - 12:30 - 1:30 pm - The first half hour or so of the battle is warm-up and staging for the reenactors and while visitors may be able to hear the gunfire, viewing will not be optimal until about 1:00 pm - a great time to grab a quick lunch, use the facilities and make your way up to the Penrose-Strawbridge House (our "French village" for the day) for when the real battle action begins at 1:00.

Luminaries & Gun Salute - 1:45 pm - State RepresentativesTom Murt and Todd Stephens will speak briefly and honor the veterans for whom luminaries have been purchased by reading their names. Following the dedication and lighting of the luminaries, a gun salute will honor our veterans.

Swing Dance Lesson and Demonstration - 2:00 - 2:45 pm - Get out your dance shoes and get ready to swing. Vince Masciarelli, a professional dance instructor from Glenside, Pennsylvania, will be teaching some basic dance moves to the audience and demonstrating some fancier footsteps with his partner.

USO Dance/Swing Band Concert - 3:00 - 4:45 pm - Now that you know how to swing, put your feet in motion to the Society Music Makers as they play hits from the 1940s through today, including favorites from Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and more.

WWII Schedule – Sunday, April 21

Flag Raising Ceremony & National Anthem - 10:00 am - Join us at the flag pole for the raising of the American flag and singing of the National Anthem, led by a professional singer.

Displays Open - 10:00 am – 3:00 pm - Visitors can tour American and German camps staffed by reenactors, see period military and non-military vehicle displays, see a WWII pigeon trailer and learn about the role pigeons played during wartime, step inside the Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Museum's airplane simulation cockpit, meet author John Alosi, Jr. who will be signing his book War Birds, meet and talk to WWII veterans, including a member of the Tuskegee Airman, shop with various vendors selling WWII era military equipment, t-shirts, and reproduction PX items, and learn about various non-profit veterans organizations, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and Honor Flight, and the services they offer.

Weapons Demonstration - 11:00 - 11:30 am - Members of the reenactment groups will demonstrate how their WWII weapons work and fire off a few blanks.      

Tours of the Keith House and Summer Kitchen - 11:00, 11:30 am, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30 pm - The Keith House, the 18th-century mansion at the core of Graeme Park, is a National Historic Landmark and the reason we do what we do. The Keith House was built c. 1722 for Sir William Keith, Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania and showcases well preserved, and largely untouched, architectural features and an interesting cast of former inhabitants. Brief tours will take visitors through the first two floors and touch on the lives of Keith, Dr. and Mrs. Graeme, and their daughter, the writer Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson. Elizabeth occupied Graeme Park during a different war, the Revolution, and its impact greatly altered the course of her life.

Flag Folding Demonstration - 12:00 noon - Learn about how and why the flag is folded for ceremonial and presentation purposes and what each fold means. .

Battle Reenactment - 12:00 - 1:00 pm - The first half hour or so of the battle is warm-up and staging for the reenactors and while visitors may be able to hear the gunfire, viewing will not be optimal until about 12:30 pm - a great time to enjoy the flag folding demonstration, grab a quick lunch, use the facilities and make your way up to the Penrose-Strawbridge House (our "French village" for the day) for when the real battle action begins at 12:30.

Dedication of Monument by the Honor Guard and Gun Salute - 1:15 pm - We'll be placing a new monument out by the flag pole dedicated to our military vets past and present with a presentation by the honor guard and a gun salute.

US Army Band - 1:30 - 2:30 pm - Join us in the event tent for a spirited concert by the US Army Band, featuring patriotic tunes and favorites from the 1940s. Break out your dance shoes if you wish, or just tap your toe and hum along.

The general admission cost is $10/day ($15/both days); $5/seniors 65+; free/veterans & kids 12 and under. A special household admission price for two adults and accompanying children is also available for $25/day or $40/weekend.

What Is It? Where Is It? (February)

Can you believe we're half way through February already, and if Phil was right, that means only four more weeks of winter left! Hopefully we'll get out of the snow every other day pattern soon. We're ready for our February installment of "What Is It? Where Is It?" - our monthly guessing game where you try to identify what is featured in the photograph and where it is located at Graeme Park. In January we featured the marriage marks on one of the door frames here in the Visitors' Center. Can you guess what February's picture is and where it was taken?

Please post your guesses as a comment here or on the Facebook link. We'll be back in about a week with the answer.

Orrie the Ambassador

If you've been out to visit us here at Graeme Park recently, you may have been greeted by a black and white tuxedo cat. That's Oreo. Or Orrie as we've come to call him. We also call him the Ambassador because he seems to have a special talent for getting along with all types, human and feline. I'm pretty sure Orrie was born here at the park, I first saw him when he was 3 or 4 months old darting around behind the barn, dashing in through a small break at the bottom of the shed door. He was wild then, but with age and maturity and wisdom (he's all of about 3 now) he's gotten pretty friendly with those who bring his dinner. Like most domestic cats, he doesn't quite get that the food would get in the bowl faster if he wasn't winding around the legs of the food bringer, trying to trip them up.



He's also been remarkably friendly with the other cats here at the park, including the newcomers. One of the basic tenets of TNR (trap-neuter-release) is that by stabilizing the population of the resident colony by neutering them, they will defend the territory and keep the colony from growing by driving off additional ferals. Not Orrie. When Graeme showed up with his four lady friends, Orrie welcomed them to share his food and his shelters. He snuggles with them, rubs up on them, and is worshipped by a certain little lady cat named Fergie, who follows him around faithfully. He brings them dead mousies to share and may even be trying to teach them to hunt, a skill they seemed to be lacking in, if their condition when they arrived was any indication.



Even our resident cat-hater has declared "I like that cat."

Historical News and Notes: Colonial Houses of Philadelphia

The following appeared in the Literary Notes section of the New York Tribune, on February 4, 1912

Colonial Houses of Philadelphia

The J.B. Lippincott Company, of Philadelphia, purposes to publish, in a limited edition, a work on "The Colonial Homes of Philadelphia and Its Neighborhood" by Harold Donaldson Eberlein and Horace Mather Lippincott. Among the various town houses to be treated will be the Morris, Powell, Wharton, Sergeant, Caspar Wistar, Bishop White, General Moylan, Blackwell and Bingham houses. Among the country seats, besides the more famous places like Cliveden, Laurel Hill, Stenton and The Woodlands, a number of the lesser known seats will be included, such as Wyck, Wakefield, Carlton, Spring Bank and Loudoun in the Germantown district; Hope Lodge and Highlands, in Whitemarsh; Whitby Hall, in West Philadelphia; Bolton Farm, Andalusia, Pen Rhyn and Graeme Park, in Bucks; The Grange, Pencoyd, Fatland, Mill Grove, Harriton and Moore Hall, in Montgomery, and Cedar Grove, Port Royal House and Chalkley Hall, in Frankford. Sufficient genealogical notes will be given to make clear the connection between the places and the several families through whose possession they have successively passed. While aiming primarily to picture historic houses and the social life of the period in which they were built, due emphasis will be laid on their association with local events of national import.

Despite their plans for a limited edition, the book has been reprinted and is still available for purchase.

The Library of Congress has made historic newspapers, dating from 1836-1922, available in their Chronicling America Series. Papers are easily searchable by keywords and location.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Historical News and Notes: Grame Park for Sale

The following appeared in the February 2, 1920 Evening Public Ledger:


PENNSYLVANIA FARMS FOR SALE
GRAEME PARK FARM of 191 ares, 18 miles from Phila., in Horsham township, Montgomery county. For particulars address M.B. Penrose, Hatboro, R.F.D., Pa.

The Library of Congress has made historic newspapers, dating from 1836-1922, available in their Chronicling America Series. Papers are easily searchable by keywords and location.