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Item Info

Item No: pdcc00044
Title: "Ye Coffee House," 1760
Additional Title: Walnut near Second
Media Type: Scrapbooks
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:

"The first public-house designated as a 'coffee house'  was built in Penn's time by Samuel Carpenter, on the east side of Front Street, probably above Walnut Street. That it was the first of its kind, the only one, in fact, for some years, seems to be established beyond doubt. It was always alluded to in old times as 'ye Coffee-House'. Samuel Carpenter owned also the Globe Inn, which was separated from the coffee house by a public stairway running down from Front Street to Water, and, it is supposed, to 'Carpenter's wharf'. The Coffee-House was a great place in those days; it was there the ship captains and merchants congregated to discuss the commercial and political news.."

Source:  History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Volume 2, page #982, by Scharf and Westcott.


Notes:

The probable date of construction is 1700. How long it endured is uncertain. The proprietor was one Henry Flower who was also postmaster of the province for a number of years, and it is believed that the coffee-house was used as the post-office as late as 1734.


Creation Year: ca. 1880
Call Number: A917.481 P536 v.1
Creator Name: Castner, Samuel, Jr., 1843-1929 - Compiler
Carpenter, Samuel, 1649-1714