USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 26
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that as our limbs were bestowed before hacks were devised, they should be used and worn out first, before the others were encouraged.
CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS IN PUBLIC AND DOMESTIC COMFORTS AND CONVENIENCES.
AN attention to the following notices of the alterations and im- provements of our city in its streets, houses, &c., for the purpose of increasing public and individual conveniences and comforts, or for facilitating business and trade, will much aid our right conception of things as they once were, and of the means and times used to produce the alterations which we now witness.
Wells and Pumps .- The conveniences of pumps were rarely seen for many years in the primitive city. Even wells for the use of families were generally public and in the streets. Aged persons have told me of their recollections of such wells even in their time. They became the frequent subject of presentments of the Grand Juries. As early as the year 1723, they present " two old and very deep wells lying open at Centre Square," also a pump at Pewter- platter alley. They urge, too, that a pump at the great arch, (Arch street) standing out much into the street, ought to be removed. They recommend to fill up the well in the middle of the footpath in Second street, near Thomas Rutter's. The well in the common shore in High street is noticed as a nuisance "for want of a better covering." In 1741, they present an open well in Second street at William Fishbourne's, and another in Third street at Enoch Story's. In 1735, it is publicly stated in the Gazette, as manifest, that " some public pumps are wanting," and in 1744, the Union Fire Company show their care of them by advertising a reward of £5, " for apprehending the persons who stole the nozles from High street, and other streets." When Kalm was here in 1748, he says there was a well to every house, and several in the streets. The water he praised much, as very good and clear.
Watchmen, Lamps, and Constables .- Aged persons have told me that in their early days there were no watchmen : and that in lieu of them the constables went round every night, before going to rest, to see that all was well. Even the constables were originally citi- zens, serving for a period by necessity. In the year 1750, the Grand Jury represent the great need of watchmen and paved streets, saying of the former, they would "repress nightly insults," and of the latter, " frequent complaints are made by strangers and others of the
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extreme dirtiness of the streets for want of paving." The next year (1751) an act is passed for "a nightly watch and for enlightening the city."* As early as the year 1742, the Grand Jury had before presented the need of " a stated watch and watch house, and not to be conducted by the citizens as formerly." In 1749, the Grand Jury particularly notice the defect of the nightly watch, as very defective for so great a city, containing 2000 or 3000 houses and 15,000 inhabitants. Only five or six men (they say) are employed, who . go their rounds in company. I have seen by a MS. Journal of John Smith, Esq., that he notes on the 20th of 9 mo. 1749, that " he called at the tavern where the owners of lamps (in the streets) were met to consult on methods for better lighting them." There, says he, " we agreed with a man, each of us to pay him 3 shillings and 9 pence per month, to light them nightly." When the duties of watchmen and constables were imposed upon the citizens, some, to avoid the onerous service, fell under the vigilance of the Grand Juries. For instance, in 1704, " Gyles Green and William Morris, are presented as not serving their tour of duty as watchmen when nominated thereto." They were nominated in each ward by the constables. In 1706, several instances occur of citi- zens fined £5, each, " for neglect to serve as constables." Among the respectable citizens thus fined, I noticed the names of Joseph Shippen, Abram Carpenter, George Claypole, Henry Preston. The constables of that day, I perceive, were charged to notify to the Grand Juries the nuisances occurring in their several wards.
Pavements .- Our present excellent streets and foot-pavements, for which our city is distinguished, is a work mostly executed within the memory of some of the remaining ancients. They have told me the streets were once alternately miry or dusty. The foot-pave- ments were but partially done, having a narrow footwalk of bricks and the remainder filled in with gravel, or the whole with gravel only. In those times galoshes and pattens were necessary and re- sorted to by the ladies. The venerable Charles Thomson, Esq., told me that Second street from High to Chestnut street, used to be very muddy and was often a matter of complaint. At last an acci- dent determined that a pavement should be made there. One of the Whartons, being on horseback, was mired there, thrown from his horse and broke his leg. Thomson and others made a sub- scription forthwith and had that street paved,-it being, as I under- stood, the first regularly paved street in the city. This first enter- prise, being an affair of some moment in the moderate resources of the city, became first a subject of discussion in the Junto or Leathern Apron Club, and their wishes being favourable to the measure, it had their patronage, and was executed at an expense of only 4 shillings and 6 pence per cart load of pebbles delivered at the
* On the 3d of October, the same year, the Gazette announces that on Monday last the streets began to be illuminated with lamps according to the act.
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shallops. It was on that occasion of paving that a Mr. Purdon became distinguished and useful as a pavier. The first workmen employed were awkward, and Purdon, who was then a British soldier on duty in the city, smiling to see their incapacity from inexperience, interfered to show them a better example. His skill was so mani- fest he was sought after, and, at the interest of the city officers, was released from the army by a substitute. He was a relative of John Purdon, a respectable storekeeper in Front street, and who used to advertise in verse.
I perceive, as early as the year 1719, from a letter of Jonathan Dickinson to his brother, that some foot-pavements and crossing places in the mid streets were about making, to wit : " As to bricks, we have been upon regulating the pavements of our streets,-the footway with bricks, and the cartway with stone, which has made our bricks dear." The Minutes of the City Council about the same time state, that as several of the inhabitants have voluntarily paved from the kennel (gutter) to the middle of the street with pebbles, and others are levelling and following their example, they recom- mend an ordinance to restrain the weights of loaded carriages passing over them. In 1750 the Grand Jury represent the great need of paved streets, so as to remedy "the extreme dirtiness and miry state of the streets." Very little of a general effort to pave the mid streets was attempted before the year 1761-2. And even then, the first endeavours were limited to the means produced by lotteries-so Second street, north of High street to Race street, was effected; and then every good citizen did what he could to help the sale of the tickets for the general good. In 1762 the act was passed " regula- ting, pitching, paving and cleansing the highways, streets, lanes and alleys, &c., within the settled parts of Philadelphia." In the regu- lations which ensued from this act, the streets extending westward, lying south of High street, were thrown from three to five feet more south than before, and occasioned some strange looking encroach- ments of some houses on the south sides of the streets, and some less obvious recession of others on the northern sides of the same streets. Thus an old brick house, on the southwest corner of Fifth and Walnut streets, so projected into the street as to leave no footwalk. An old inn and other buildings, once on the southwest corner of Chestnut and Fourth streets, were also left so far in the street as to leave but about two feet of footwalk there; while the old houses generally, on the northern side, were thrown back behind the general line of the foot-pavement. Norris' house, built in 1755 on the site of the late Bank of the United States, originally placed three feet back from the line of the pavement, came, in time, (probably in 1766,) to be considered six to eight inches on the footwalk.
The late aged Mr. Pearson, who served a long life as City Sur- veyor, had great influence in effecting his own views as a City Regulator, and withal, a perverse taste in the opinion of many, in
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bringing the whole area of the city to a dull level. Present ob- servers can have little idea of the original graceful inequalities and diversities of undulations which once variegated the city. By the act of 1782, James Pearson and four others were made Regulators. By this act Mr. Pearson, who had influence enough as adviser before, became in effect sole ruler, whereby he so far accomplished his favourite scheme of a general level, that we have been since compelled to excavate the earth in numerous streets to produce sub terrane water channels to save the citizens from inundation. Pe street hill, Union street hill, and " the hill" near the present Custom house, originally presented beautiful natural acclivities for hanging gardens, which will be noticed elsewhere. Our present State house, now so dead a level, was originally three to four feet higher than now.
The rise and progress of the street pavings may be generally noticed as follows, to wit: In 1761 a lottery of 12,500 tickets, at four dollars, making 50,000 dollars, is made for raising 7,500 dollars, to be used in paving the streets in such places as the managers may deem most useful. North Second street, called then "the north end," was paved in that year out of the avails of that lottery. First a pavement was effected to Race street ; afterwards it was extended to Vine street. The first curb-stones were set in Water street, from High street to Arch street, about the year 1786-8. There criminals were first used as scavengers : they were chained to a bomb-shell, and were attended by Reynolds the jailer.
In 1765 Robert Erwin is made " a scavenger for seeing the streets cleansed once a week." In 1767 the drays of Philadelphia, which before had narrow felloes like carts, were required to be constructed of four inches width for the sake of the pavements. Before those pavements it was not unusual, in wet streets, to see two horses to a dray, drawing only one puncheon of rum. In 1768 another lottery is instituted to raise £5250, for further paving the streets, and for buying a landing in the Northern Liberties. The manner of pebble- paving was formerly different from the present. They did not buttress the arch with large stones, by keeping the largest to the sides of the streets, but they topped the arch with the biggest, and so gave the roughest riding where most needed to be easy. Several of the streets, too, where the passage of water was great, as in Race and Vine streets below Second street, had their channel or gutter in the middle. When the streets were elevated, and the gutters on each side, they were defended by posts. The use of curb-stones is modern.
As a sequel to the foregoing facts on street pavements, it may interest the reader to see some of the facts with which the good citizens were annoyed before they could accomplish a general pave- ment. They stand exposed by Grand Juries much as follows to wit : In 1705 they present as bad places in the streets-" In Second
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street, by John Parson's, going to Budd's bridge."-Drawbridge ; " a dirty place in Second street, over against the great Meeting house," __ Friend's Meeting ; " a dirty place in Chestnut street, against John Bedle's House, and Thomas Wharton's;" "a very bad place at Ephraim Johnson's, going up from King street (Water street) to Front street ;" "a low dirty place in High street, over against the free pumps, near Doctor Hodgson's house." In 1708 they present Walnut street, from Front to Second street as being considerably diminished of its due breadth of 50 feet; that David Powell has wholly inclosed the breadth of Sixth street on the south side of Chestnut street ; that the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth streets are in great part fenced or taken into the several adjoining lots on both sides ; that there is a low place, with a great quantity of standing water, not safe and scarcely passable for either horse or cart, in Chestnut street, where Fifth street crosses the same; that there is a deficiency in the arch bridge in Chestnut street, adjoining the lot of the Widow Townsend ; that there is a deep, dirty place, where the public water gathers and stops for want of a passage, in the crossing of Third street and High street, to the great damage of the neighbourhood; the owners, too, of the unimproved lots in King street (Water street) above Chestnut street, have not improved the street in front of them.
In 1711 they present the necessity of changing the watercourse in High street, near William Harris' tavern, of the sign of the Three Hats ; also, several who do not pave watercourses fronting their lots ; also, two fences which stopped the south end of Strawberry alley; a miry place at Second and Chestnut streets, and another at Chestnut and Fifth streets, for want of watercourses.
In 1720 they present an invasion of water "on the common shore," made into King street, and a gully in the street, scarcely passable, near the Hatchet and Shereman's; also an impassable breach made near Pennypot House. They also present several kennels (gutters) as unpaved. The west side of Second street, against Joseph Shippen's brew-house, (between James Logan's and Samuel Powell's,) is presented as wanting filling up and a kennel there,-this means the site of the present Bank of Pennsylvania. In 1726 they present " a pond or puddle in Mulberry street, between the Front and Second streets where several children have narrowly escaped being drowned, as we are credibly informed."
In 1750 they present " the gutter of the north-west corner of Market and Fourth streets, as rendered dangerous for the want of a grate at the common sewer, the passage being large enough for the body of a grown person to fall in ; further, that Fourth street, from Market street to the south-west corner of Friends' burying ground, wants regulating, and is now impassable for carriages."
They also present, that " the pavement in Chestnut street, near Fleeson's shop, (corner of Fourth and Chestnut streets,) is exceedingly dangerous, occasioned by the arch (meaning the bridge over Dock
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creek, by present Hudson's alley,) being fallen down and no care taken to repair it."
Such are some of the tokens still remaining to us of the busy surveillance of former Grand Juries, found now among the lumber of office. Some of them may appear too trivial for notice now ; but who can foresee what future discoveries may be made in digging into some former " fillings up,"-as, for instance, the late discovery of subterrane logs in Chestnut street, the primitive foundation of the bridge above referred to, and which no living persons could explain from memory! Such unexpected developments may call for notices as I have occasionally set down.
Bridges .- It might justly surprise a modern Philadelphian, or a stranger visiting our present levelled city, to learn it was once crowded with bridges, having at least one dozen of them-the sub- jects of frequent mention and care! I shall herein chiefly notice such as have been disused ; as many as six of them traversed Dock Creek alone! The following occasional notices of them, on the records, will prove their existence, to wit:
In 1704 the Grand Jury present the bridge, going over the dock, at the south end of the town, as insufficient, and endangers man and beast. It is also called "the bridge and causeway next to Thomas Budd's long row."
In 1706, the Grand Jury having viewed the place where the bridge going towards the Society Hill lately was, (but then broken down and carried away by a storm !) do present as a thing needful to be rebuilt.
In 1712 they present the passage down under the arch, (meaning at the corner of Front and Arch streets,) as not passable ; and again, they present that the same, to wit: " the arch in Front street is very dangerous for children in the day time, and strangers in the night ; neither is it passable underneath for carriages."
In 1713 they present the bridge at the Dock mouth, and the causeway between that and Society Hill, want repairs ; so also, the bridge over Dock and Second streets; also, the bridge in Third street, where the dock is.
In 1717 they present the bridge over the dock in Walnut street, the breach of the arch whereof appears dangerous, and tending to ruin, which a timely repair may prevent. It was just built, too, by Samuel Powell.
In 1718 they present the great arch in Front street, the arch in Second street and the arch in Walnut street, as insufficient for man and beast to pass over. They recommend the removal of the great arch at Mulberry street, as desirable for affording a handsome pros- pect of the Front street. The Second street bridge was built of stone in 1720, by Edward Collins, for £125.
In 1719 they present the arch in Chestnut street, between the house of Grace Townsend and the house of Edward Pleadwell, as part broken down. This refers to a bridge over Dock creek, a'
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Hudson's alley. At the same time the three bridges over the dock in Front, Second and Walnut streets are all declared " unfinished and unsafe." The same year the inhabitants near the Chestnut street bridge petition the Mayor's court for repairs to that bridge, to keep it from falling.
In 1740 they present the " common shore," at Second street and Walnut street bridges as much broken. "Common shore" sounds strange in the midst of our present dry city ! It is also found named on the same Dock creek as high as Fourth and High streets. In 1750 they present the Chestnut street bridge as fallen down and extremely dangerous.
Some other facts concerning bridges will be found connected with other subjects, such as those over Pegg's run, the Cohocksink, &c. There was even a small bridge once at the corner of Tenth and High streets.
Balconies .- In the early days of the city almost all the houses of good condition were provided with balconies, now so rare to be seen, save a few still remaining in Water street. Several old houses, which I still see, show, on close inspection, the marks where from that cause they formerly had doors to them in the second stories- such a one is C. P. Wayne's, at the southwest corner of High and Fourth streets, at William Gerhard's, at the corner of Front and Combes' alley, and at the corner of Front and Norris' alley, &c.
As early as 1685 Robert Turner's letter to William Penn says, " We build most houses with balconies." A lady, describing the reception of Governor Thomas Penn on his public entry from Chester in 1732, says, " when he reached here in the afternoon the windows and balconies were filled with ladies, and the streets with the mob, to see him pass." In fact these balconies, or their places supplied by the penthouses, were a part of the social system of our forefathers, where every family expected to sit in the street porch, and these shelters over head were needed from sun and rain.
Window Glass .- The early buildings in Philadelphia had all their window glass set in leaden frames, and none of theni to hoist up, but to open inwards as doors. Gerhard's house at Combe's alley, and the house at the southwest corner of Norris' alley and Front street, still retain a specimen of them. When clumsy wooden frames were substituted, panes of six by eight and eight by ten formed the largest dimensions seen among us. It became, therefore, matter of novelty and surprise when Governor John Penn first set the example among us of larger panes,-such as now adorn the house, once his residence, in South Third street near the Mansion House, and num- bered 110. They are still but small panes in comparison with some others. The fact of his rare glass gave occasion to the following epigram by his sister-in-law, to wit :
Happy the man, in such a treasure, Whose greatest panes afford him pleasure ;
VOL I .- 2 C 19
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Stoics (who need not fear the devil) Maintain that pain is not an evil; They boast a negative at best, But he with panes is really blest.
Dials on Houses .- It was once a convenience to have sun-dials affixed to the walls of the houses. To appreciate this thing, we must remember there was a time when only men in easy circum- stances carried a watch, and there were no clocks, as now, set over the watchmakers' doors, to regulate the time of street passengers. Such a large dial, therefore, still exists against the house (once of Anthony Morris) on the north side of Pine street, opposite Friends' meeting house-it was a timepiece consulted by the congregation visiting there. Another old dial was affixed to the wall, and seen in the rear of one of the first built houses on South Second street, say No. 43. Another could be seen on a house on the north side of High street, four or five doors west of Second street. That was once the great convenience of the market people, of the people at the court house, and at Friends' meeting.
Plate Stoves .- We moderns can have little idea of what cold, comfortless places the public churches and places of assemblage were in the winter seasons in former days, before the invention of "ten- plate stoves" and the like. The more prudent or feeble women supplied the defect by carrying with them to church " foot-stoves," on which to place their feet and keep them warm. They were a small square box of wood or tin, perforated with holes, in which was placed a small vessel containing coals. The first idea of those ten- plate stoves was given by C. Sower, the printer, of Germantown, who had every house in that place supplied with his invention of "jamb-stoves," roughly cast at or near Lancaster. They were like the other, only having no baking chamber. Tenplate stoves, when first introduced, though very costly, and but rudely cast, were much used for kitchens and common sitting rooms. But, afterwards, when Dr. Franklin invented his open or Franklin stove, they found a place in every parlour. It was for a long while deemed so perfect, they neither needed nor even expected a change! In 1752 first came out the cannon stoves, made at Lancaster and at Colebrookdale, Pa., and were used in churches, court rooms and legislative halls. They were upright cylinders, looking like cannon. Christ church and Friends' meeting used them. Several other churches were without any fires, and the aisles were brick paved. Our forefathers were a hardy race.
Public Stages and Packets .- In 1751 the Burlington and Bor- dentown line of boats was first established, for transportation through to New York, by Borden, Richards, Wright and others.
The New York stage. via Perth Amboy and Trenton, is first in- stituted in November, 1756, by John Butler, at the sign of the Death of the Fox, in Strawberry alley, to arrive at New York in three
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days. This Butler was thus set up by the old Hunting Club, to whom Butler had been huntsman and kennel keeper.
The same year " British pacquet boats" are first announced be- tween New York and Falmouth. The postage of each single letter to be four pennyweight of silver. In 1765 a second line of stages is set up for New York, to start twice a week, using three days in going through, at 2 pence a mile. It was a covered Jersey wagon, without springs, and had four owners concerned.
The same year the first line of stage vessels and wagons is set up from Philadelphia to Baltimore, via Christiana and Frenchtown, on Elk river ; to go once a week from Philadelphia.
In 1766, a third line of new stages for New York, modestly called " the Flying Machine," and of course to beat the two former ones, is set up and to go through in two days; to start from Elm street, near Vine street, under the ownership of John Barnhill. They were to be " good stage wagons, and the seats set on springs." Fare 3 pence per mile, or 20 shillings for the whole route. In the winter season, however, the " Flying Machine" was to cleave to the rough roads for three days as in former times.
In 1773, as perfection advances, Messrs. C. Bessonett & Co., of Bristol, start ." stage coaches," being the first of that character; to run from Philadelphia to New York in two days, for the fare of $4. At the same time "outside passengers" were to pay 20 shillings each.
In 1785, the Legislature of New York passed an act of exclu- sive privilege for ten years, to Isaac Vanwick and others, to run a four horse stage from New York to Albany at 4 pence a mile. This to encourage the experiment.
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