The Sweetheart of Graeme Park

Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson led a life of wealth and privilege, romance and intrigue, heartbreak, poverty and sorrow. She was the youngest child of the prominent and wealthy Dr. Thomas Graeme and his wife, Ann Diggs Graeme, and the step-granddaughter of Sir William Keith, Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania. She spent her summers at idyllic Graeme Park and her winters enjoying the social scene in Philadelphia. She was well educated and spent time travelling abroad, writing, and in the company of Philadelphia’s political, social, and literary elite.

After early heartbreak at the hands of William Franklin, Elizabeth finally met and married a man she would describe in one of her poems as tall, handsome, brown-haired, blue-eyed, charming, and a little untrustworthy and careless with the feelings of others. Henry Hugh Fergusson would side with the British during the Revolution and as a result of his loyalties, Elizabeth would find herself after the war fighting to keep her ancestral home and a scant few of her possessions.

Henry returned to England and the couple would never again be together. Rumors swirled through Philadelphia of his infidelity and an illegitimate child and Elizabeth began an unrelenting quest to learn the truth on this matter, which alienated all but her closest of friends. She spent the years after the Revolution at Graeme Park with her friend Betsy Stedman as her companion, struggling to pay debts left by her father and to regain title to her home. Her last years were spent as a boarder and then a guest in the home of a friend. She died on February 23 with Betsy Stedman and her grandniece, Anna Smith, at her side.

Guests at the Colonial Valentine’s Day tour will see Elizabeth’s story reenacted in vignettes throughout the house. Tours are $12/person and will run approximately every 30 minutes from 12 noon to 3 pm on Sunday, February 12. Light refreshments are included in the tour price. No reservations.

We’re running these tours during daylight hours this year, since the weather in February can be a little dicey. We hope those of you who have been hesitant to join us on a cold, dark night will make it out for a truly terrific program and great way to learn the history of Graeme Park.

A Colonial Valentine at Graeme Park

Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson led a life of romance and tragedy. One of the most highly regarded women of her time, she was well educated, the daughter of a prominent Philadelphia physician and the granddaughter of the former Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania. A successful writer and socialite, she hosted famed literary gatherings and counted luminaries of Philadelphia society amongst her closest friends and confidents.

On the surface, she seemed to have it all: engaged at a young age to William Franklin, money, prestige, family connections, and success. So how did it all go so wrong for her? Left broken-hearted when Franklin married another, the untimely deaths of her parents, an ill-fated marriage to Loyalist Henry Hugh Fergusson, and the subsequent Revolutionary War were to drastically alter the course of Elizabeth’s life. Her husband’s loyalties led to most of her worldly possessions being auctioned off and she was left fighting to retain her ancestral home. Her last years were spent in virtual seclusion. She alienated all but her closest friends. Her husband returned to England, branded a traitor, rumors of his infidelity swirling throughout the city. Financial woes forced Elizabeth out of her beautiful estate at Graeme Park to take up rooms as a boarder in someone else’s home.

Learn about Elizabeth’s loves and losses on Graeme Park’s annual Colonial Valentine tours, featuring costumed actors portraying scenes from Elizabeth’s life in candlelit vignettes throughout the historic Keith House. Tours are being held on February 13 at 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, and 8:30 p.m. and are $12/person which includes light refreshments. Tours are limited in number and must be reserved in advance and held with a credit card. Call 215-343-0965 for more information or to reserve, or mail your check made payable to the Friends of Graeme Park to 859 County Line Road, Horsham, PA 19044 along with your name, phone number and preferred tour time. Directions are available on our website at www.ushistory.org/graeme.

A Colonial Valentine

Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson led a life of romance and tragedy. One of the most highly regarded women of her time, she was well educated, the daughter of a prominent Philadelphia physician and the granddaughter of the former Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania. A successful writer and socialite, she hosted famed literary gatherings and counted luminaries of Philadelphia society amongst her closest friends and confidents.

So how did it all go so wrong for her? Disappointed early in love by William Franklin, she went on to marry a penniless Scotsman, whose involvement with the British during the Revolutionary War would cause her not only heartbreak, but lead to the sale of most of her worldly possessions and leave her fighting to retain her ancestral home.

During our Colonial Valentine tours costumed actors tell Elizabeth’s story in candlelit vignettes throughout the historic Keith House. The tours are scheduled for 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, and 8:30 p.m. on February 13. The cost is $12/person, which includes light refreshments and sweets. Reservations and a credit card number are required to hold your space. Call 215-343-0965 for more information.