Castner Scrapbook v.18, Chestnut Street – Residences 1, page 15

Historical Images of Philadelphia Castner Scrapbook Collection
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Castner Scrapbook v.18, Chestnut Street – Residences 1, page 15

Item Info

Item No: pdcc03100
Title: Castner Scrapbook v.18, Chestnut Street – Residences 1, page 15
Historic Street Address: 17th & Callowhill Streets (estimated)
Historic Street Address: 260 S. 9th Street (9th & Bonaparte Ct., NW corner)
Historic Street Address: 5th Street & Champlost Avenue (estimated)
Media Type: Scrapbooks
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:

Item 1, top left:  Caption reads, "Historic Old Potter Mansion at 260 South Ninth Street.  This house was built in 1813 and was at one time occupied by Joseph Bonaparte.  There are many reminders of Bonaparte throughout the house.  Mrs. Walter M.James, who was Miss Potter, is giving a tea there this afternoon."  Bonaparte, the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, left France upon the surrender of his brother, and lived at this residence from 1815-1816.  While here, Joseph hosted other Bonaparte refugees and French nationals, before moving to another mansion in Point Breeze.  By the 1870s, the Center City property was owned by Harriet Potter.  The "Miss Potter" mentioned in the caption is Henrietta Potter James (wife of homeopathic physician Walter M. James), who was the occupant at the time of this article.  Reproduction of a photograph for an unknown publication, 11.5 x 15.5 cm, undated. 

Item 2, right:  Caption reads, "Candid Shots, Bush Hill's Face Lifted Since Vice President's Wife Lived There."  1949 Philadelphia Bulletin article detailing the early history of the Bush Hill estate, built in 1737, for Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Hamilton, and occupying Vine Street to Fairmont Avenue, between 12th and 19th Streets.  The manor house was originally a three-story brick building, located in the vicinity of today's 17th & Callowhill Streets.  As detailed in the article, the residence was rented for the year 1770 to Vice President John Adams and his wife Abigail, when the US capital was moved to Philadelphia.  After that, the property began to decline, being used as a hospital, then a tavern, then a factory.  It was demolished in 1875, to make way for re-development.  The article ran in the "Candid Shots" column of the Philadelphia Bulletin, with a 2.5 x 3 cm inset photograph of its writer Paul J. Jones, text and photo measures 10.5 x 25 cm, 1/26/1949.

Item 3, bottom left:  1907 Philadelphia Record article, caption reads, "Champlost Mansion at Present Day."  The Jospeh Fox family took ownership in 1737 of a very large property in today's Olney neighborhood.  The original mansion that Fox built in 1770 was destroyed in 1777.  The property was inherited by his three sons in 1779. Soon after, the eldest son Joseph built the mansion seen in this photograph; and when the third son, George Fox, inherited the estate in 1808, he named the mansion Champlost, after an estate he had visited in France.  The location of the residence was in the vicinity of today's 5th Street & Champlost Avenue.  The Fox families lived in this area until 1895.  At some point, the estate was purchased by Joseph Wharton, who bequeathed the estate to the City of Philadelphia, to build today's Fisher Park.  Reproduction of a photograph for a Philadelphia Record article, 11.5 x 9 cm, April 1907. 


Creation Year: 1845
Geocode Latitude: Geocode Longitude:-75.129167
Geocode Latitude:40.042566

Call Number: A917.481 P536 v.18
Creator Name: Castner, Samuel, Jr., 1843-1929 - Compiler
Paul Jones - Author

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