History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 78

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992

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The committee to prepare aud forward a petition to Congress praying a remission of the duties on Dr. Preston's legacy, reported, Nov. 1, 1804, that they had prepared and forwarded such a petition, that the same had been presented to the two Houses of Congress, and that a committee of the House of Representatives had reported against granting the prayer of said pe- tition, and their report had been adopted by both Houses.

At a meeting held March 6, 1806, Zachariah Poul- son, Jr., in resigning the office of librarian, which he had held more than twenty-one years, presented the following comparative statements :

STATE OF THE LIBRARY AND OF THE FUNDS WHICH SUP- PORT IT.

In February, 1785, the library contained:

In February, 1806, the library contained :

Works. Volumes.

Works.

Volumes.

339 (Folios) 586

945 (Folios). 1,495

412 (Quartos). 709

1397 (Quartos). 2,154

1282 (Octavos) 2660

3717 (Octavos). 7,201

731 (Duodecimos) 1532

1850 (Duodecimos) 3,368

2464

5487

7909 14,218

THE ANNUAL REVENUE OF THE COMPANY.

In February, 1785.

At this time there were 380 members, whose annnal payments averaged nearly $1.60, and yielded a tolal of

$607.33

The eunnal Amount of the hire of books und fiues collected by the librarian, abont

80.00

The interest of five bonds of £100 each.

80.00

Tbe rent of the old Union Library, formerly occupied by Robert Bell, bookseller £50

Deduct therefrom the ground-rent of. 13

Which leaves a balance of. £37

98.67

Two ground-rente of £3 each on lote in Pear Street 16,00

A ground-rent of £10 on the old Almshouse lot in Union Street. 26.67

A ground-reot of £15 on a lot in Spruce Street 40,00

A vacant lot of ground on the south side of Chestnut Street, above Eighth Street.

A lot of ground on the east side of Fifth Street, below Spruce Street

$948,67

In February, 1806.

There are now 676 members, whose ennnal payments will aver- ege ahont $2.30, and yield a total of.

$1554.80

The annual amount of the hire of books and fines collected by the librarian, about.

200.00

The legacy of £1000 left to the institution by John Bleakley, Esquire, deceased, late a director of the library, which has been invested in stock, nud yields, per annum.

200.00

The dividend on two shares of the stock of the Bank of the United States, bequeathed to the company by the late Rev. Samuel Preston, of Cbevening, in the county of Kent, Eng- land, say

72.00

The rent paid by the trustees of the Loganian Library, being the legal interest of the money expended by the Library Company of Philadelphia in erecting the additional build- ing which contains the Loganien Library.

213.33

The surplus of the reot of the cellars after paying the balance of ground-rent (amounting to $40) on the lol on which the librery stands.

130.00

$2370.13

Increase of the annual revenue of the company, $1421.46.

George Campbell was elected librarian April 10, 1806. On the 5th of August, 1824, it was resolved that the use of the library be offered to Gen. Lafay- ette during his residence in this city, and that he be presented with a copy of the catalogue ; and on Oct.

7. 1824, Dr. Parke reported that, together with Mr. Lewis (instead of Mr. Rawle who was prevented from attending), he had offered the use of the library to Gen. Lafayette during his residence in the city, and presented him with a copy of the catalogue and a copy of the resolution of the board, on receiving which he expressed great satisfaction.

Sept. 4, 1828. The committee on the bequest of William Mackenzie reported that they had, agree- ably to the will of Mr. Mackenzie, selected from the library of that gentleman five hundred volumes from his English books printed since the beginning of the eighteenth century for this institution and for the Loganian Library, all the books of Mr. Mackenzie printed before the beginning of the eighteenth cen- tury, and eight hundred volumes from his French and Latin books printed since the beginning of the eigh- teenth century, and that all the books thus selected had been received and were then in the library build- ing.

The books left by William Mackenzie to the Loga- nian Library include many incunabula or early printed books, some of them of great rarity and value; two of them-Caxton's "Golden Legend," and a vellum "Pliny," by the first printer at Venice-were put on exhibition under glass at the Ridgway Branch. Wil- liam Mackenzie, Esq., was born in Philadelphia July 23, 1758, received his education at the college and academy of Philadelphia, and then entered the count- ing-house of the late John Ross, Esq. Being easy in his circumstances, and fond of reading and retire- ment, he indulged himself in literary pursuits, and gradually accumulated the collection of rare and valuable books which he bequeathed to the Philadel- phia and Loganian Libraries. The Rev. Dr. James Abercrombie, who was one of his few intimate friends, in speaking of him, says he believes "he never had an enemy ; at least, from the purity of his principles and correctness of his conduct, I am sure he never deserved one."

The committee further reported that they deemed it expedient to purchase the whole of that part of Mr. Mackenzie's library which had not been be- queathed. The board approved of the views of the committee, and authorized them to make the pur- chase.

The portrait of the late William Mackenzie was presented by the Rev. Dr. Abercrombie, to whom the secretary was instructed to return the thanks of the board for his present.

On April 30, 1829, George Campbell resigned his post of librarian, which he had held for twenty-three years, and was succeeded by John Jay Smith.

Jolin Jay Smith, of Ivy Lodge, Germantown, presi- dent of the board of trustees of Laurel Hill Ceme- tery, librarian of the Philadelphia Library, and one of the hereditary trustees of the Loganian Library, was by birth a Jerseyman, his Quaker ancestors hav- ing settled in Burlington County in 1678. In the

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HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA.

" Conceptions of West Jersey" (1676) the signature of Richard Smith (of Bramham, in Yorkshire) ap- pears as one of the proprietaries of the province, along with that of William Penn and numerous others. The descendants of Richard Smith continued to reside, as they still do, near Burlington, one of them having been the author of the well-known " History of New Jersey" (1675), and another a mem- ber of the Continental Congress.

John Jay Smith was born June 27, 1798, at Green Hill, Burlington Co., N. J., whence he removed at an early age to Philadelphia, and entered into business as a druggist. His fondness for literature soon led him to the use of the pen, and he was editor, succes- sively, of Walsh's National Gazette, Waldie's Select Circulating Library, Smith's Weekly Volume, Down- ing's Horticulturist, and several other periodicals. In 1829 he was appointed librarian of the Philadelphia Library, a post which he held until 1851, when he was succeeded by his son, the present librarian. In the time of the former the library was open only in the afternoon, and Mr. Smith's mornings were devoted for more than forty years to the planting and snper- intendence of the celebrated cemeteries, Laurel Hill and West Laurel Hill, of both of which he was the founder. It was in these labors that he acquired that extensive knowledge of trees and landscape-gardening which he afterward employed in editing Michaux's " North American Sylva" and McMahon's " American Gardener's Calendar." " His knowledge of trees and plants," says the Gardener's Monthly, "of garden art and rural taste, was singularly acute, and many of the most beautiful grounds, not only about Philadelphia, but in many distant parts of the country, were made more lovely by the suggestions freely thrown out by his fertile mind. The ground around his beautiful residence in Germantown was a remarkable piece of successful landscape gardening." The Germantown Horticultural Society, which " grew out of his active brain and generous energy," was not the only associa- tion founded by one who seemed to realize that the highest motive is the public good. In early life he was secretary of the company which started the famous line of daily Conestoga wagons from l'hila- delphia to Pittsburgh, and also one of the earliest members of the Academy of Natural Sciences. He called the meeting which resulted in forming the Girard Life Insurance Company, and was one of the originators as well as the treasurer of the Atbenian Institute, an association of men of letters for the de- livery of annual courses of lectures in Philadelphia. His first visit to Europe was naturally a great relief from his confining duties at the library, and resulted in the publication, in two volumes, of " A Summer's Jaunt Across the Water" | Philadelphia, 1846). His literary activity, no less than his turn for family his- tory, are further shown by the production of his " American, Historical, and Literary Curiosities" (Philadelphia, 1847); his "Letter to Horace Bin-

ney, Esq., respecting John Smith, the founder of the Philadelphia Contributionship" (Philadelphia, 1852) ; "The Hill Family" (privately printed, Philadelphia, 1854); "A Brief Memoir of one of New Jersey's Respected Sons" (Philadelphia, 1860) ; and "The Penn Family" ( Philadelphia, 1870). The same taste made him gather autographs, and his important col- lection of papers relating to the history of Pennsyl- vania and New Jersey are now happily preserved in the manuscript department of the Philadelphia Li- brary. He was a steady miscellaneous reader. His wide range of information and brilliant conversational powers will long be remembered by Philadelphians, few of whom were aware that he passed at least forty years of his life in physical pain and suffering. Al- though, on one occasion, his life was only saved by a surgical operation of a heroic sort, yet his later years were passed in comparative ease, and his mental activity continued unimpaired down to the close of his long and useful life. He died Sept. 25, 1881. Requiescat a laboribus suis : opera enim ejus seguuntur illum.

Jan. 7, 1831, on motion of Benjamin R. Morgan, the following statement was directed to be published, attested by the secretary, viz. :

" The directors of the Library Company of Philadelphia are happy in announcing to their fellow-citizens, that although sobie valuable books have been destroyed, and others injured by the fire ou the 6th iust., in the apartment of the Loganian Library, the loss sustained by the public in their valuable institutions under their care, proves much less than was at first apprehended.

" The destruction of ao original portrait of James Logan, the distin- guished donor of the library bearing his name, and a bust of the vener- able founder of Pennsylvania, is, however, a subject of great regret to them.

" To the prompt and energetic exertions of the fire and hose companies, particularly the Pennsylvania and Fame, whose location enabled them to bring their powerful apparatus into almost immediate action, the preservation of the library is chiefly attributable.

"The fire originated in the breastwork of the chimney, from a grate recently fixed in the Loganian Library, with a view to the greater security afforded hy a coal fire.

" The presence of the directors at one of their stated meetings in an upper room of the Philadelphia Library, fortunately prevented any delay in the introduction of water, aud enables them to exonerate their librarian, and those employed by lum, from any imputation of negli- gence.

" WILLIAM RAWLE, JR., Secretary."

A committee to whom was referred a communica- tion from James Coxe, relative to the purchase of his library, reported at a meeting held April 15, 1832, that they had purchased the same from Mr. Coxe for an annuity of four hundred dollars to be paid to him during his natural life. The books amounted to about six thousand volumes, more or less.

At a general meeting, beld April 28, 1832, the yearly payment was raised to four dollars.

Sept. 6, 1832, it was resolved that the library should hereafter be kept open every day (Sundays excepted) from the 1st day of October to the 1st day of April from one o'clock P.M. until sunset, and from the 1st day of April to the 1st day of October from two o'clock p.M. until sunset.

the gay Smith

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LIBRARIES AND HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES.

On Nov. 2, 1837, it was " Resolved, That the free use of the books in the library be tendered to the mem- bers of the convention to alter the constitution of this State, which is to meet in this city on the 23d Novem- ber, in as full and ample manuer as if they were members of the company."

The following resolution was adopted Dec. 7, 1848 : " Resolved, That on and after the 1st day of January next, the library shall be opened daily (except on the usual Holy days) from ten o'clock A.M. until sunset, and that the librarian shall be authorized to employ an assistant, to be nominated by him and approved by the board, for whom the librarian shall be respon-

In 1857 the directors set on foot the establishing of a fund to erect a fire-proof building, to which seven of them subscribed five hundred dollars each. For several years subscriptions were neither numerous nor very large, and no immediate steps were taken looking toward the institution of building operations. In 1864, however, the building fund received a very unexpected, as well as a very liberal contribution. Joseph Fisher bequeathed five thousand dollars in cash and one-half of his residuary estate, the total of which bequest amounted to $54,488.12. Joseph Fisher was by birth a German, who made and sold mathe- matical and optical instruments. His store on Chest-

sible in all cases, and that thereatter the sum of five hundred dollars per annum be added to the salary of the librarian from the 1st of January next."

The librarian nominated his son, Lloyd P. Smith, as his assistant, who was approved by the board. This was at the meeting of Dec. 7, 1848.

On the 6th of February, 1851, John Jay Smith re- signed his post as librarian, and his son, Lloyd P. Smith, was appointed in his place. Volume iii. of the Catalogue was published in 1856, an index being added by the new librarian. It was compiled-as were vols. i. and ii., published in 1835-by George Campbell, Esq., who died June 11, 1855, after serving the library faithfully as librarian, and as secretary for forty-three years.

INTERIOR OF PHILADELPHIA LIBRARY.

nut Street, above Second, still remembered by many Philadelphians, was the place where, by economy and strict attention to business, he accumulated a compe- tency, on which he retired. The latter part of his life was mainly devoted to reading and study, and he mixed but little with the world. When he called upon the late William E. Whitman, secretary of the Library Company, to draw up his will, after leaving certain legacies to relatives-he was himself a bach- elor-he directed Mr. Whitman to make the Pennsyl- vania Hospital his residuary legatee. The latter re- marked that the library wanted money for a fire-proof building. "Well," said the old gentleman, who was a member of the company, "suppose we divide it." And so it was, the hospital and the library each got over fifty thousand dollars, and to both institutions the amount was of great importance. "A word spoken in season how good is it !" Mr. Fisher's por- trait, hy Drexel, hangs in the Locust Street building, more than half of whose cost was defrayed by his opportune bequest. The huilding fund of the Library

1186

HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA.

Company was allowed to remain untouched for a number of years, meanwhile drawing interest, and receiving fresh accessions. In 1868 the fund was estimated at eighty thousand dollars.

In 1869 the Library Company received a most ex- traordinary contribution. Dr. James Rush left his estate, amounting to about one million dollars, to the company. Within a year or two thereafter the executor of Dr. Rush's will began making prepara- tions with a view to erecting a structure on the square of ground bounded by Christian, Carpenter, Broad, and Thirteenth Streets for library purposes, in aceord- anee with the testator's will. In 1871, however, the Directors of the Library Company filed a bill in equity to restrain the executor from proceeding with

the Loganian Library and a portion of the Philadel- phia Library were removed thereto. The building erected, a massive, imposing granite structure, is of the Dorie order, and with its grounds eovers, as indi- cated above, an entire square or bloek. It is calcu- lated to contain four hundred thousand volumes, or three times as many as the library at present has. The exterior walls are of granite, with a frontage of two hundred and twenty feet and a depth of one hundred and five feet, and three porticoes, one in the centre and one at each end.

Dr. James Rush, who made the magnificent dona- tion to the Philadelphia Library, was the son of Dr. Benjamin Rush, the distinguished physician of this city. He was born March 1, 1786, and graduated at

DR. JAMES RUSH.

MRS. JAMES RUSH.

the work. The principal reason for this litigation was that the site at Broad and Christian Streets was distant from the residences of a large number of the members of the company, and therefore in an un- suitable place. The litigation thus inaugurated cov- ered a period of two years. In 1873, however, the bill in equity was dismissed hy the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and building operations were vig- orously prosecuted. In 1878 the Library Company having accepted, by a majority vote, the bequest of Dr. Rush, bis executor, Henry J. Williams, conveyed to the company the new building, to which was given the name of the Ridgway Branch, in memory of Dr. Rush's wife, together with the residuary estate of the generous testator. May 6, 1878, the Library Com- pany took possession of the Ridgway Branch, and

the New Jersey College in 1805. He achieved a high reputation as a physician, but later in life secluded himself among his books. He was the author of " The Philosophy of the Humau Voice," which, it is said, " contains more minute and satisfactory analysis of the subject than is to be found in any work." He also wrote "Hamlet, a Dramatic Prelude," 1834; " Analysis of the Human Intelleet," two volumes, 8vo, 1865; "Rhymes of Contrast on Wisdom and Folly," 8vo, 1869. He left about one million dollars to the Philadelphia Library Company to establish the Ridgway Branch of the Philadelphia Library, pro- vided the shareholders would accept the gift subject to the restrictions named in his will. In case the bequest was refused Dr. Rush directed that the insti- tution should be opened as a free library, under the

LIBRARIES AND HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES.

1187

name of the Ridgway Library. The name " Ridgway" was adopted by Dr. Rush from Phoebe Ann, the maiden name of his wife, a daughter of Jacob Ridg- way, from whom he inherited the most of his wealth.

Jacob Ridgway, the son of John and Phoebe Ridg- way, of Little Egg Harbor, N. J., was born on the 18th of April, 1768, and was the youngest of five children. His parents were consistent members of the Society of Friends, his father being an elder in the meeting. His father died when he was six years old, and upon the death of his mother came to Philadelphia to live with his eldest sister, whose husband he had chosen as his guardian. His property was more than sufficient for his maintenance and education, and afforded capi- tal sufficient for commencing business. He began his mercantile career in the wholesale dry-goods house of Thomas Shaw, and suc- ceeded him in it as part- ner with his son, Thomas Shaw. In a few years he withdrew from the con- cern, and went into part- nership with his brother- in-law, James Smith, in a grocery on Water Street. He continued here for some time, and then sold out to Joseph Pryor, and began the shipping busi- ness. Smith & Ridgway continued as shipping merchants with great prosperity until the dif- ficulties commenced be- tween France and Eng- land. Their ships were seized, and it became ne- cessary for one of the firm to reside abroad to protect their property. Mr. Ridg- way then removed with his family to London, where he conducted the business of the firm, and also that of a number of other merchants. He spent much time in traveling, but finally settled a Antwerp as consul for the United States. He there became a partner in the firm of Mestoris & Ridgway, still continuing in the firm of Smith & Ridgway, of this city. During this time he constantly sent large sums of money to be invested in real estate in Philadelphia. On his return, after sev- eral years' absence, he retired from business, finding sufficient employment in the care of his property. He died in the seventy-sixth year of his age, in May, 1843, leaving a large estate.

The Library Company, not being content with the prospect of a new library building through the mu- nificence of Dr. Rush, and having already in hand a very gratifying building fund, determined, in 1870, to

inaugurate some active measures looking toward the erection of a suitable structure. In that year was purchased a lot of ground at the northwest corner of Locust and Juniper Streets, east of Broad. Further effort remained in abeyance, however, pending con- troversies relating to the acceptance of Dr. Rush's bequest, until 1879, when the corner-stone of the new building was laid on the Locust Street lot of ground. In February of the following year (1880) "the library, or so much of it as had not been removed in 1878 to the Ridgway Brauch, was transferred to the building at Locust and Juniper Streets. This new structure, which is chiefly built of brick, is a pleasing one to the eye. Although bearing no very strong resem- blance, so far as the superficial observer can detect, to the old building at Fifth and Library Streets, yet the new edifice is in the interior substantially an architectural copy of the former.

JACOB RIDGWAY.

The old library build- ing, which was originally open only a short time in the afternoon, was in 1869 ordered to be open from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. On removing to the new building at Locust and Juniper Streets, in 1880, however, the period was extended from 8.30 A.M. to 6 P.M. Moreover, in November, 1882, the li- brary was ordered to be open on Sunday after- noons, but for readers only.

The collection of incu- nabula and of various rare manuscripts belonging to the Library Company of Philadelphia is hardly ex- celled in America. The company owns some fine specimens of illuminated manuscripts, exemplars of Caxton, Fust, and Schaef- fer, the inventors, or at least sharers, in the invention of printing; of Pynson, Wynkyn de Worde, Sweyn- heym, and Pannartz; a work of Jenson, believed to be unique; of Koberger, and other works irreplace- able if lost.

The oldest printed book with a date found at the library is one by the eminent scholastic Eusebius, namely, " Præparatio Evangelica," printed in 1470. As is well known, the book is a very rare one. An- other rare book is one written by Nicholai Delyra, " A Commentary on the Psalms," also printed in 1470, on vellum. Another fine old book is a copy of the Bible, printed in 1471, by Sweyuheym and Pannartz, the first printers at Rome. Another old volume is a

1188

HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA.

work on " Natural History," by Pliny, printed in 1476 by Jenson, the second printer in Venice. A hand- somely illuminated work by that prolific writer, Duns Scotus, printed at Venice in 1477, is also found here. " The Golden Legend," printed by Caxton in 1486, is the oldest volume in the collection printed in Eng- land. The book is a rare one, as is also a copy of "The Imitation of Christ," by Thomas a Kempis, printed the same year (1486) at Venice. "Gothic Hours," printed on vellum, by Verard, an early French printer, in 1487, is a handsome volume. There are also two interesting works which were printed in 1491, namely, an early copy of Dante's Poems, in Italian, printed at Venice, and a religious volume, " The Book of the Treasure Holder," in Ger- man, printed in Nuremberg by Antony Koberger, the first printer at that place. Another volume of con- siderable rarity found here is " A Book of Prayers," published in 1496 by Verard, the French printer. In addition to the volumes enumerated, the library con- tains many more old books printed before 1500. Besides its incunabula, the library contains many volumes of much rarity. Among such may be men- tioned an "Elliott Indian Bible," printed at Cam- bridge, Mass., in 1663. Two other objects of valne are the first volume of the earliest newspaper in Penn- sylvania, Bradford's American Mercury, for 1719, and the first volume of Benjamin Franklin's newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, for 1728.

MISERIS

DISCO

SUC

RRERE

BOOK-PLATE OF DR. BENJAMIN RUSII.

Among the library's valuable collections are the unique drawings and paintings of old honses aud buildings in Philadelphia which formerly belonged to John F. Watson, the annalist, and to Charles A. Poulson, son of Zachariah, the librarian, who was a diligent collector of matters pertaining to local his- tory.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 78

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 992

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992