INDEPENDENCE
Franklin's House
Historic Stuctures Report
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ILLUSTRATIONS
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Illustration No. 1.
JOHN READ PLAN OF FRANKLIN COURT, 1765. The house itself is centered in
the courtyard behind wall and entranceway at the left edge of the
drawing. In the upper corner are the properties along Market Street.
This Market Street locale had been a part of Franklin's life since the
day of his arrival in Philadelphia during 1723. He lived and worked in
the small houses at first and later managed them as rental units. Two
plots and L-shaped alleyway shown at bottom depict developed
properties fronting Chestnut Street. This is one of two drawings found
in the Franklin Papers at the American Philosophical Society Library
(69, 106). The other, an unruled, draft sketch of properties and
alleyways, gives dimensions of the lots along Market Street, but
contains no representation of the house. Courtesy of American
Philosophical Society.
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Illustration No. 2.
PORTRAIT OF DEBORAH FRANKLIN, painted by Benjamin Wilson in 1758-59,
shows the determined-looking wife who superintended completion of the
house as she appeared a few years before. A companion to the portrait of
Franklin by the same artist, it graced the dining parlor's walls too.
Courtesy of American Philosophical Society.
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Illustration No. 3.
"IRON RAIL FROM CHIMNEY TO CHIMNEY," on house at 115 North Water Street
is shown in this photograph taken a few years before its demolition.
Note such other characteristics of building's period as molded brick
above second story windows. Independence National Historical Park
photographic file.
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Illustration No. 4.
DINING ROOM, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HOUSE, 1763-66. Starting with
insurance survey's tersely worded description, much can be done to
re-create house's fine room by reference to surviving examples of
work done by same craftsmen who built Franklin's house. Documented
perspective study offers alternative treatments of various features from
suitable contemporary work.
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Illustration No. 5.
WILLIAM LOGAN'S HOUSE ON SECOND STREET, when built enjoyed a residential
location. By time William Birch's engraving appeared at century's end,
City Tavern, to the left, and Bank of Pennsylvania, at center, had made
locale one of Philadelphia's busiest. Note elaborate brackets supporting
cockle-shell hood over Logan's doorway.
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Illustration No. 6.
DETAIL FROM KRIMMEL ENGRAVING "ELECTION 1815," OF
INDEPENDENCE HALL CLOCK CASE. Fullness of detail bears eloquently on
subject of the "Large painthouse" of Gunning Bedford's insurance survey
for James Logan's house and the two "Large painthouses" on Franklin's.
Independence National Historical Park photographic file.
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Illustration No. 7.
ICE HOUSE from engraving in eighteenth century encyclopedia printed in
Philadelphia shows essential features of such contemporaneous
facilities. No indication of a drain was found with Franklin House ice
pit. In other respects Franklin's may have been similar.
Independence National Historical Park photographic file.
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Illustration No. 8.
SECOND FLOOR PLAN OF HOUSE, drawn sometime after May 17, 1764, date of
receipt on other side, is earliest known representation of structure
while still being built. This more critical photocopy, made after
removal of binding slip from left margin, replaces earlier versions
presented as Figure 5, opposite page 19 in Edward M. Riley's
Preliminary Historical Report Franklin Court of March 1950 and
Illustration No 1, Chapter II, Section 1 in Historic Structures
Report, Part I on Franklin's House of December 1961. Franklin
Papers, American Philosophical Society Library (66, 124). Courtesy of
American Philosophical Society.
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Illustration No. 9.
FIRST FLOOR PLAN OF HOUSE, from Franklin Papers, American Philosophical
Society Library (44, pt. 1, 110). Courtesy of American Philosophical
Society.
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Illustration No. 10.
PORTRAIT OF SARAH FRANKLIN BACHE, painted by John
Hoppner in London during the Baches' trip abroad in 1792. Described by
Manasseh Cutler a few years before as a "very gross and rather homely
lady," she had impressed the Marquis de Chastellux in 1780 as "simple in
her manners" and "benevolent" and "typical of Philadelphia's charming
women; her taste as delicate as her health. . . . " Niemcewicz found
that "her natural wit and her conversation does not belie the origin
from which she descends." Sally was 48 years old when Hoppner painted
this portrait and had lived all but a few months of the previous 27
years in the Franklin house. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wolfe Fund,
1901.
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inde/hsr1/illustrations.htm
Last Updated: 30-Jun-2008
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