Penn's Cottage, IN LAETITIA COURT. [ILLUSTRATED BY A PLATE.] IT is a matter of inquiry and doubt, at this day, (1828) which has been the house in Lætitia court, wherein William Penn, the founder, and colonel Markham, the Lieutenant Governor, dwelt. The popular opinion now is, that the inn at the head of the court, occupied as the Leopard Inn, and since Penn Hall. is the identical house alluded to. The cause of this modern confidence is ascribable (even if there were no better ground of assurance) to the fact, that this building, since they built the additional end to the westward, of about 18 to 20 feet, presents such an imposing front towards High street, and so entirely closes the court at that end, (formerly open as a cart passage) that from that cause alone, to those not well informed, it looks as the principal house, and may have therefore been regarded by transient passengers as Penn's house. The truth is, that for many years the great mass of the population had dropt or lost the tradition about Penn's house in the court; and it is only of later years, antiquities beginning to excite some attention, that the more intelligent citizens have revived some of their former hearings about the court. During all the earlier years of my life I never heard of Penn living there at all; but of later years I have. I have been, therefore, diligent to ask old men about it. Several said it never used to be spoken of in their youth. John Warder, an intelligent merchant, now above 73 years of age, was born at the corner house of the alley on High street, and has told me, he never was told of Penn's living there, when a boy. On the other hand, a few old men have told me, at every period of their life the tradition (though known to but few) was, that it was one of two houses, to wit-either Doyle's inn, or the old Rising Sun inn on the western side of the alley. Joseph Sansom, Esq. about 60, told me he heard and believed it was the house at the head of the court, and so also some few others; but more persons, of more weight in due knowledge of the subject, have told me they had been always satisfied it was the old Rising Sun inn on the western side of the court. Timothy Matlack, aged 92, who was very inquisitive, and knew it from 14 years of age, said it was then the chief house in that court as to character; it was a very popular inn for many years; (whereas Doyle's house was not an inn till many years afterwards) that it then had an alley on its northern side for a cart way, running out to Second street, and thus agreeing with "Penn's gate over against Friends' Meeting," &c. at which place his Council, 1685, required king James' proclamation to be read. If what is now Doyle's inn (Penn's Hall) had a south front and a "dead wall" towards High street, it seems very difficult to conceive how its great gate could be vis a vis Friends' great Meeting, on the south east corner of High and Second streets. But the Lætitia house, i. e. Old Rising Sun, would correspond besides, Penn, in his instructions to his commissioners, says, "Pitch my house in the middle of the towne, and facing the harbour," &c. Timothy Matlack also told me that he used to be told that on the southern side of that Rising Sun inn was Penn's stable, and that they used to say he could lay in his bed or on his settee and hear his horses in the next building munching their food. Colonel Anthony Morris, aged 84, told me expressly, he always understood the same house was Penn's residence; that it was so talked of, when a boy, and that it is only of later years that he ever heard a hint of the house at the head of the court as being the residence. Thomas Bradford, now 80 years of age, who was born close by there, and has always dwelt there, has told me he always heard the Rising Sun inn, western side, was "Lætitia's house," and that what is now Doyle's inn was never stated as Penn's till of modern times, and in its primitive state it presented a dead wall to High street, and had its only front upon Black-horse alley. This name, "Lætitia's house," I found was a name which even those who thought the house at the head of the court was Penn's, granted that Lætitia Penn dwelt in, even while the father may have occupied the other. In this they were certainly in some error; Lætitia, being an unmarried girl, could never have had a separate house; she was not with her father till his second visit, in 1700. It was in Penn's first visit only, in 1682, that he could have dwelt there. I infer from all the facts, that Penn had "his cottage" built there before his landing, by colonel Markham ;* that some of the finer work was imported for it with the first vessels; that he used it as often as not at his "palace" at Pennsbury. After him, it was used by colonel Markham, his Deputy Governor; and afterwards for public offices. That in 1700, when he used the "Slatehouse," corner of Second street and Norris' alley, having a mind to confer something upon his daughter, then with him, he gave her a deed, 1 mo. 29th, 1701, for all that half square laying on High street, and including said house. Several years after this event, *Gabriel Thomas, who said "he went out in the first ship," said he then saw “ the first cellar digging for the use of our Governor." the people, as was their custom, when the court began to be built up on each side of a "36 feet alley," having no name for it, they, in reference to the last conspicuous owner, called it Lætitia court, in reference to the then most conspicuous house; the same house so given by Penn to his daughter. A letter, which I have, from William Penn, dated 1687,* says, "Your improvements (in Philadelphia) now require some conveniency above what my cottage has afforded you in times past.” He means this for the offices of State." In 1684-5, his letter to James Harrison, which I have seen and copied, allows "his cousin, Markham, to live in his house in Philadelphia, and that Thomas Lloyd, the Deputy Governor, should have the use of his periwigs, and any wines and beer he may have there left, for the use of strangers." 66 It may possibly be deemed over-fanciful in me to express a wish to have this primitive house purchased by our Penn Association, and consecrated to future renown. I hope indeed the idea will yet generate in the breasts of some of my fellow members the real poetry of the subject. It is all intellectual; and has had its warrant (if required) in numerous precedents abroad. We may now see written upon Melancthon's house in Wirtenburg, Here lived and died Melancthon!" In the same city are still preserved "Luther's room," his chair, table and stove; and at Eisleben is seen a small house, bought and preserved by the king of Prussia. inscribed, "This is the house in which Luther was born."* Petrarch's house is not suffered to be altered. Such things, in every country, every intelligent traveller seeks out with avidity. Why, therefore, should we not retain for public exhibition the primitive house of Penn? Yea, whose foundation constituted "the first cellar dug in Philadelphia!" To proper minds, the going into the alley and narrow court to find the hallowed spot (now so humble) should constitute its chiefest interest. It would be the actual contrast between the beginning and the progress of our city. Its exterior walls I would preserve with inviolate faithfulness; and within those walls (wherein space is ample, if partitions were removed) might be an appropriate and highly characteristic place of meeting for the ordinary business of the Penn Association and the Historical Society, and also for the exhibition of such paintings and relics as could now be obtained,-such as Penn's clock, his escritoir, writing table, &c. besides several articles to be had of some families, of curiously constructed furniture of the primitive days. The hint is thus given-will any now support the idea? If we would contemplate this Lætitia house in its first relations we should consider it as having an open area to the river the whole width of the half square, with here and there retained an ornaSee the original in my MS. Annals in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. This house, so kept to the memory of Luther, has its rooms hung with pictures, ancient and grotesque, and the rooms contain chairs, tables and other relics of their former posAn Album is there, in which the visiter inscribes his name from Luther's inkstand. Vide Dwight's travels. sessor. |