Details
Creator Wilkinson, Thomas H., 1847-1929, artist.
Contributor Castner, Samuel, Jr., 1843-1929, former owner.
PA. Philadelphia. 1890-1895.
Title [Thomas H. Wilkinson watercolor views of Philadelphia] [graphic].
Publisher [Philadelphia]
Date [ca. 1890-ca. 1895]
Physical Description 17 drawings : watercolor ; sheets 28 x 41 cm (11 x 16 in.) or smaller.
Description Series of watercolors by British-born, Canadian artist Thomas H. Wilkinson showing views of historic and prominent landmarks, sites, and residences in Philadelphia, including the Roxborough and Germantown neighborhoods. Many of the sites are historically significant in relation to the American Revolution. Includes “Arnold Mansion,” i.e., Mount Pleasant (built 1761) in East Fairmount Park where British General James Agnew died after being wounded in the Battle of Germantown (P.2017.8.2); Cannon Ball House (built ca. 1715) also known as Blakely House on Mud Island through which a cannonball went during the largest British bombardment of the Revolution in 1777; Dunkards Church (built 1770) also known as Church of the Brethren, 6613 Germantown Avenue; Gloria Dei (built 1698-1700) also known as Old Swedes Church, 929 South Water Street; Haines House, i.e., Wyck (originally built ca. 1690), the ancestral family home of the Wister-Haines families, 6026 Germantown Avenue; Johnson House (built 1765-8 and used as a stop on the Underground Railroad), 6306 Germantown Avenue (P.2017.8.7); The Jolly Post (built ca. 1680), a colonial inn on Main Street, Frankford where the American Army rested on its march to capture Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781; Market House at Second and Pine Streets, i.e the Newmarket or Head House Square Market (originally built 1745) from the Northwest; Mennonite Church, Germantown (built 1770), 6119 Germantown Avenue and used as a hospital during the American Revolution;
"Morris House" also known as the Deshler-Morris House (built 1772) and used as the summer residence of President George Washington 1793 and 1794; "Old Fort Mifflin" (built ca. 1772-98) on Mud Island; Penrose Ferry Hotel near the Penrose Ferry Bridge in Kingsessing; St. Peter’s Church at Third and Pine Streets (built 1758-61); Smith Mansion on Queen Lane, Germantown also known as Carlton built ca. 1780 and owned by Cornelius S. Smith ca. 1840-ca. 1880s; Wagner House also known as Mechlin-Wagner House (built 1747), 4840 Germantown Avenue and used as a hospital during the American Revolution; and "Wister House, Germantown" (built 1744) also known as Grumplethorpe, 5267 Germantown Avenue. Most of the views include the surrounding property and/or adjacent buildings and residences. Some of the views also show street and pedestrian traffic, including persons in conversation, market visitors, and a street car. Some of the church views show the church’s graveyard as well. Penrose Ferry Hotel view includes chickens in the side yard.
Mount Pleasant Mansion was built 1761-1765 for Captain John Macpherson after the designs of Thomas Nevil in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pa. Macpherson, a privateer during the Seven Years’ War, purchased the estate with profits from these operations. Free white and Black laborers, indentured servants, and at least four enslaved people of African descent, whose names are unknown, worked on the plantation. In 1779, General Benedict Arnold purchased Mount Pleasant for his wife Peggy Shippen, but they never occupied the house. In 1792, General Jonathan Williams purchased the mansion. The City of Philadelphia purchased the property from the Williams family in 1869. On behalf of the city, the Philadelphia Museum of Art restored the house in 1926.
The Johnson House was built 1765-1768 by master builder Jacob Knor at 6306 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. John Johnson resided in the house during the Battle of Germantown. The dwelling sustained damage including a hole in the parlor door caused by a cannon ball and a chipped corner. It served as a station on the Underground Railroad. The Johnson family owned the house until 1908. The Woman's Club of Germantown purchased the house in 1917, and in 1980, gifted the house and its contents to the Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust to operate as a house museum. In 2002, the deed of ownership was transferred to the Johnson House Historic Site, Inc.
Notes Title supplied by cataloger.
Watercolors signed by the artist in lower left or right corner: T.H. Wilkinson.
Small number of the drawings include a title in the lower left corner.
Accompanied by label: The Historical Collection of the late Samuel Castner, Jr. of Philadelphia.
Gift of David Doret and Linda G. Mitchell.
LCP also holds glass plate negatives in the Marriott C. Morris Collection showing a variant ca. 1893 watercolor view of the Morris-Deshler house by Thomas H. Wilkinson [*P.9895.6.3 and *P.9895.11.18].
New items acquired for and housed with collection after 2017.
See Lib. Company. Annual report, 2017, p. 62-64.
Description revised 2022.
Access points revised 2022.
Biographical / historical note Thomas H. Wilkinson (1847-1929) was a British-born artist who specialized in landscape views. Although he settled in Canada in the later 19th century, he traveled the United States through the 20th century to execute his art works. During the 1890s, he created several watercolor views of Philadelphia. He died while a well-known local artist and resident of Hamilton, Ontario.
Subject Johnson, John, -1805 -- Homes and haunts.
Smith, Cornelius S. -- Homes and haunts.
Wagner, George Mechlin, 1857- -- Homes and haunts.
Church of the Brethren.
Deshler-Morris House (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Gloria Dei Church (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Germantown Mennonite Church (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Penrose Ferry Hotel (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Wyck (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Cemeteries -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Churches -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Dwellings -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Estates -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Forts & fortifications -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Hotels -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Mansions -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Markets -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Plantations -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Slavery -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Taverns (Inns) -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Underground Railroad -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Enslavement -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Geographic subject Fairmount Park (Philadelphia, Pa.) -- East.
Fort Mifflin (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Germantown (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Germantown Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) -- 5267.
Germantown Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) -- 6306.
Germantown Avenue (Philadelphia, Pa.) -- 6119.
Kingsessing (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Mount Pleasant (Philadelphia, Pa. : Estate)
Mud Island (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Newmarket (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Roxborough (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Water Street (Philadelphia, Pa,) -- South -- 929.
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Historic sites.
Genre Watercolors -- 1890-1900.
Associated name PA. Philadelphia.
Provenance Castner, Samuel, Jr., 1843-1929, former owner.
Location Library Company of Philadelphia| Print Department| Doret and Mitchell Collection - Watercolors and Drawings - Wilkinson [P.2017.8.2-18]
Accession number P.2017.8.2-18