Collection of 182 lantern slides photographed 1870-1916 by Philadelphia photographer and Photo-Secessionist John C. Bullock (1854-1939) predominately depicting views of colonial-era residences and landmarks on Germantown Avenue. The Germantown Avenue views, most created 1910-1915, illustrate the third edition of Charles F. Jenkins’ local history book The Guide Book to Historic Germantown. Collection also includes images of historic sites in Center City and rural landscape.

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Christ Church burying ground. 5th & Arch Sts. Phila.
Depicts the opening in the brick wall of Christ Church cemetery that exposes the grave of Benjamin Franklin near the southeast corner of 5th and Arch Streets. The scene is viewed from the northwest corner of the intersection. Several pedestrians are visible in the foreground, one of whom is looking at Franklin's grave., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Christopher Ludwig house, Haines Street.
Depicts the stone dwelling of Christopher Ludwig sitting very close to the dirt road. Ludwig was appointed Baker General to the American Army in 1777., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
Clock tower of Independence Hall, Philada.
Depicts the bell tower of Independence Hall looking west. Constructed from 1750 to 1753, about ten years after Andrew Hamilton and Edmund Woolley built the original portion of the building. Bell tower reconstructed by William Strickland in 1828. The mansard roof of the original Public Ledger building is visible in the background., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
Concord School House. Built 1775.
Shows the side of the one-room school house completed in 1775 near the Upper Burying Ground at 6309 Germantown Avenue. View includes a tree adorned with a plaque identifying the school in the foreground. The school, built from subscription funds to educate the citizens of the upper end of Germantown, was altered to include a second floor in 1818 to accommodate town meetings., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date from manuscript note on mount., Printed on mount: Plate Hammer; Developer Ortol.
Conyngham-Hacker House, 5214 Main St.
Exterior view of front facade of house built circa 1755 and known successively as the Conyngham, Wister and Hacker House. Also served as the headquarters of the Germantown Historical Society., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount., Also known as the Old Fisher House.
Cope House, Main abv. Johnson St. [sic]
Exterior view of dwelling north of Upsal Street on the west side of Germantown Avenue. Built circa 1730, purchased by Michael Billmeyer in 1793, inherited by his son Daniel Billmeyer in 1831 and descended through the Billmeyer family until 1913., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Incorrectly identified as the Cope House on Germantown Avenue, north of Johnson Street.
Court of Honor, Peace Jubilee. Oct. 25-28, 1898. Looking north from Locust St. Shows Dundas House cor. Broad & Walnut.
Depicts the Triumphal Arch (i.e. Athenean Arch) and Court of Honor along South Broad Street, showing a large group of pedestrians walking north toward City Hall. Erected after designs by Joseph M. Huston for the Peace Jubilee, a celebration of the end of the Spanish American War in 1898. Included a military parade that passed through the Court of Honor, along with other festivities that lasted several days in October. Also depicts a partial view of the Dundas-Lippincott House at the northeast corner of Broad and Walnut Streets, built 1840-41 after designs by Thomas Ustick Walter., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Cypress planted by John Bartram. In 1830 it was 91 years old, 112 ft. high, 25 ft. in circumference.
Depicts a man standing next to a cypress tree planted by John Bartram on his estate circa 1740. The man is barely visible next to the gigantic tree., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Dwelling built 1730-1731 and altered in 1770 by botanist John Bartram.
Doorway, N. E. Walnut Lane & Main St.
Exterior detail of front doorway. An ornate iron fence is visible in the foreground. Residence built by the Reverend Samuel Blair for his son Samuel Blair, Jr. in 1806. John Button, manufacturer of hosiery and owner of the Germantown Hosiery Mills, owned the property from 1835 until his death in 1882. His grandson Priestly owned the house until 1912, when Dr. Richard Deaver purchased it. Demolished in 1935., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Also known as the Blair-Button-Deaver House.
Doorway of 6347 Main St. Keyser-Rodney House.
Exterior detail of front doorway of house built by John Keyser before the Revolution. Reverend John Rodney, rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in the middle of the 19th century, later occupied the house., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Doorway of Chew House, 1882.
Exterior detail view of the front doorway of the colonial residence built 1763-1767 by master carpenter Jacob Knor for Philadelphia attorney Benjamin Chew at 6401 Germantown Avenue. Shows the pediment over the front door, which is flanked by shuttered windows. Chew House, also known as Cliveden, was the site of the turning point in the Battle of Germantown in 1777. The Chew family enslaved people of African descent in the city of Philadelphia and in Germantown during the 18th and 19th centuries. The estate was the Chew family residence until 1972 when it was acquired by the National Trust for Historic Preservation., Slide number 93., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Accessioned 1999., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Doorway of Livezey House, 3 p.m.
Exterior detail of the first floor, entrance doorway and the second floor doorway that opens onto the balcony. Dwelling built for Thomas Shoemaker 1733-1739. Thomas Livezey bought the property, including a grist mill, from Shoemaker in 1747 and named it Glen Fern. In 1909 became the Valley Green Canoe Club., Slide number 129., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Doorway of Stenton.
Exterior detail of front doorway of Stenton. Built 1728-1734 by James Logan. The house remained in the Logan family until the early 20th century when the city acquired the property in 1910., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Also known as the Logan House.
Doorway of Wister House, Vernon Park.
Exterior detail of doorway of dwelling constructed for James Matthews in two stages between ca. 1741 and 1805. The Wister Family purchased the property in 1812 and John Wister, president of Duncannon Iron Co., lived in the house until shortly before his death in 1900. Housed Germantown Branch of the Free Library 1898- 1907 and the Site and Relic Society (i.e. Germantown Historical Society) 1907-1927., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Doorway to Blair House, formerly in Bensel House.
Exterior detail of front door, formerly part of the Bensel House, which was demolished for the construction of the Germantown Saving Fund. Blair House, built circa 1750, was purchased by Dr. William Shippen as a summer residence in 1775. Dr. Samuel Blair, Shippen's son-in-law and president of Princeton University , also lived here., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Also identified as the Shippen-Blair House and The Laurens.
Doorway to Johnson House, Main & Washington Ln.
Exterior detail of the front doorway of the former residence of John Johnson built 1765-1768 by master builder Jacob Knor at 6306 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. Shows the front door with “6306” at the top and flanked by shuttered windows. A shingled awning covers the entrance. 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., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Accessioned 1999., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Dr. Bensel's old barn, School Lane, rear of Saving Fund.
Exterior view of stone barn in the rear of the property at the southwest corner of Germantown Avenue and School House Lane. Dr. George Bensell erected a residence on the site of Jacob Tellner's dwelling in 1795. Although this residence was torn down in 1880, Bensell's barn survived in the rear of the property. Germantown Saving Fund occupied the building at the front of the property at the time of this photograph., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
Dr. Dunton's house, 25 E. High St. A Pastorius house. Formerly stood on Main St.
Exterior view of southeast front and west side of house originally constructed by Daniel Francis Pastorius in 1696. The house was moved in 1851 to make way for the construction of High Street. Dr. William R. Dunton later occupied the house in the 1860s and the property was moved again, this time to 25 High Street for the construction of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Germantown., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Dunkard Meeting House, Germantown. Main St. abv. Sharpnack, N.E. side, 1770, mother church of Dunkards or German Baptists.
Exterior view of west front of stone church, showing roundel window above the entrance door, flanked by a shallow portico. Known as the Church of the Brethren, founded by Alexander Mack in 1708 near Crefeldt in North Prussia. Persecution drove the congregation to Philadelphia in 1719 and in 1723 the first Dunkard or German Baptist Brethren Church was organized in Germantown. The congregation originally worshipped in a building erected by Christopher Sauer (4653 Main Street) and then in a house secured by Peter Pettikoffer, who begged for the money to erect the building. Called Beggar's Town or Bettel Hausen., Slide number 102., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
E. Park Drive where Wissahickon Drive enters.
Depicts a guard standing near a guard-house (left), next to Wissahickon Drive, a wide dirt road shaded by large trees. The stone arches of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad bridge is visible in the background., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Edgar H. Butler's House, Main below High St. G'tn.
Exterior view of west front of the Butler Mansion, purchased by publisher Edgar H. Butler in 1856 and enlarged to include the portico and conservatory. The property was originally owned by Peter Rose, but the old homestead was torn down and the new one (depicted in the image) was constructed by Frederick Seckel ca. 1840. Demolished in 1914 for the construction of Germantown High School., Slide number 52., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
Emlem Homestead. Washington's headquarters previous to Battle of Germantown, Whitemarsh, Pa.
Exterior view of dwelling of George Emlen built circa 1745 and occupied by George Washington during the Whitemarsh Encampment in 1777. View of house obstructed by trees and overgrowth surrounding the house., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Engle House, Germantown. Built 1758.
Exterior view of east front of house looking south. Built in 1758 by Benjamin Engle. The Engle family operated a tannery in the rear of the property along Honey Run. Demolished in 1955., Slide number 51., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
Engle House, Main St. abv. Town Hall. Built 1758 by Benj. Engle. Stone in N. Gable B. E. 1758.
Exterior view of east front of house looking north. Built in 1758 by Benjamin Engle. The Engle family operated a tannery in the rear of the property along Honey Run. Demolished in 1955., Slide number 50., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Entrance to Jewish Hospital. Columns formerly in front of U. S. Mint, Juniper & Chestnut.
Depicts the front entrance columns preceding the entrance drive to the Jewish Hospital, facing Tabor Road. The columns were taken from the old United States Mint building at the northwest corner of Chestnut and Juniper Streets before it was demolished in 1902. The Chapel of the Jewish Hospital, built after designs by Magaziner & Potter circa 1912, can be seen in the background., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Fairmount Waterworks.
Depicts the Fairmount Water Works from the south. Built between 1812 and 1822 after the designs of Philadelphia engineer Frederick Graff. Frederick Graff, Jr., later altered and expanded the waterworks with the help of Philadelphia engineer, Henry P.M. Birkinbine., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
General Wayne Hotel, S.W. Main & Manheim Sts.
Exterior view of front facade of hotel built between 1780 and 1785. Building enlarged and gambrel roof installed in 1866. John B. Maxwell proprietor of hotel when this photograph was taken., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
Germantown Academy, built 1760.
Exterior view of Germantown Academy, built in 1760 by Jacob Knor on land purchased from John and George Bringhurst. Known as the Union School House when it opened in 1761. Instruction was in both English and German. The building was used as a hospital after the Battle of Germantown in 1777 and again in 1798 during the Yellow Fever epidemic., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
Germantown High School
Shows several students departing from Germantown High School built 1915 after the designs Henry Decourcey Richards at 5901 Germantown Avenue. The 3 1/2 story brick building contained 65 classrooms, an auditorium, gymnasium, infirmary, and library., Photographer's imprint stamped on mount., Title and date inscribed on mount., Slide number: 55., Decourcey, a school architect, was chief draftsman for the Board of Public education circa 1906-1919.
Girard College.
Exterior view of Founder's Hall, also identified as the main building, built 1833-1847 after designs by Thomas Ustick Walter. Endowed by philanthropist Stephen Girard to educate boys without fathers. Girard ran away from home in France at the age of fourteen, worked his way up to ship captain and landed in the states in 1776. He became one of the wealthiest men in America before his death seventeen years before the opening of Girard College in 1848., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Gowen House, S.E. cor. Main St. & Gowen Ave.
Exterior view of south flank and west front of dwelling built in 1792 by Joseph Miller. His daughter married James Gowen and the house descended through several generations of Gowens, including their son Franklin B. Gowen, Franklin E. Gowen and then his brother James E. Gowen. Later acquired by the Lutheran Theological Seminary., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
A Guernsey herd.
A Guernsey herd.
Depicts Guernsey cows in a field in the Berkshires., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Harmer House. East bank of Schuylkill below Grays Ferry. Torn down for the B & O R.R.
Exterior view of front facade of dwelling built circa 1764 for Samuel Rhoads and torn down to make way for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad tracks. Located near Reed Street between Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Streets. Occupied by the Harmar family before it was demolished., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Also known as Rhoads' Place and Harmar's Retreat.
Henry House, 1760. 4908 Main St. In 1828 bought by John S. Henry father of Alex Henry thrice mayor of Phila.
Exterior view of front facade and south side set behind a short stone wall. Built in 1760., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Also known as the Wachsmuth-Henry House.
Hicksite Friends' Meeting House, N.E. 9th & Spruce. Since demolished.
Depicts a large, red brick meeting house sitting behind a red brick wall at the northeast corner of 9th and Spruce Streets. A "for sale" sign is posted above the street signs on the brick wall. Two teenage girls in hats, shirtwaists and skirts walk along with a younger (or shorter) girl in similar dress. A man in a bowler, carrying a valise, has passed them., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Reproduced in The Print and Photograph Department of the Library Company of Philadelphia's Center City Philadelphia in the 19th century (Portsmouth, N.H.: Arcadia Publishing, 2006), p. 34., Arcadia caption text: In 1827, the schism of the Society of Friends into the Orthodox and Hicksite Quakers occurred following a theological division provoked by minister Elias Hicks over the role of scripture within the faith. The Hicksites, who believed that the “inner light” of God was a higher authority than the Bible, formed their own meeting houses such as this one, built in 1833, at the northeast corner of Ninth and Spruce streets. In 1900, a year after this photograph was taken, the vacant meeting house was razed because most of the Quaker community then lived outside of the city.
Hokey Pokey Man.
Depicts a street vendor, with a wagon drawn by a donkey and protected by a striped awning, dispensing his wares to two young boys. Includes horse drawn carts in the background. The awning of The James Bell Co. is also visible in the background., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Slide number 41.
Home of Anthony Gilbert, "the Strong Blacksmith."
Exterior view of front facade of dwelling occupied by Anthony Gilbert in 1809, a blacksmith who was known for his great physical strength. Original portion of house built circa 1745 as Wister's Tenant House, next to Wister's Big House., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount., Identified as 5267 Main St. by some sources.
Home of Christopher Ludwig, Baker General to Continental Army. So. side Haines St. abv. Chew.
Depicts the north front of the stone dwelling of Christopher Ludwig sitting very close to the edge of the road. Ludwig was appointed Baker General to the American army in 1777 and received a certificate of good conduct from George Washington in 1785., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title given in manuscript on mount.
Home of Col. Thos. Forrest, artillery officer Battle Germantown. Stenton Ave, east side, north of Haines St.
Exterior view of front and flank of slightly rundown dwelling on Stenton Avenue north of Haines Street, once occupied by Col. Thomas Forrest. Laundry hangs from a line on the side porch. A man poses for the camera nearby., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.
Home of Thos. Godfrey, inventor of the quadrant. Died 1749. N. E. Church Lane & Dunton [sic] St. near Old York Road.
Distant view of the Spencer farm, the birthplace of Thomas Godfrey, inventor of the quadrant. The house, barn and other outbuildings sit on a hill overlooking Church Lane and Dutton Street., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Title and date given in manuscript on mount.

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