HOMES OF HEROES
—November 7, 2009—

From Doylestown:                           From New Hope:
Departure Time: 7:00 A.M.                           Departure Time: 7:20 A.M.
Return Time: Approx. 6:15 P.M.                           Return Time: Approx. 5:45 P.M.

Cost: $89.00 due at time of reservation

Reservation deadline is October 21, 2009

 

Tour four of the most famous historic houses-and homes of heroes-in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.

You will first visit the Moland House.  This circa 1750 stone farmhouse was built by John Moland, a prominent Philadelphia lawyer who used it as his vacation home.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was a working farm for more than 250 years.  The building’s greatest significance came in August 1777 when, although the Molands were thoroughly royalists—one of Moland’s sons served as a military officer for the British and two of his daughters married British officers—General George Washington chose “the substantial stone dwelling” as his headquarters.  At the time, the home was occupied by Moland’s widow, Catherine, and one of their daughters.  Accompanying Washington were eleven thousand Continental and militia soldiers including some of the most famous revolutionaries of the time: Nathanael Greene, Alexander Hamiliton, James Monroe, John Muhlenberg, Henry Knox, and “Lighthorse Harry Lee”.  It was also here that nineteen-year-old French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette, whom Congress had commissioned a major general in the Continental Army, arrived to present his papers to General Washington and attend his first council of war as a member of Washington’s staff.  The fortuitous meeting forged a lifetime friendship between the two men.  After thirteen sweltering days, Washington and his troops decamped at 2:04 AM on August 23 to fight the British at the Battle of Brandywine.

You will then visit Graeme Park, the only surviving residence of a colonial Pennsylvania governor.  This imposing and dignified brownstone that conjures up an image of medieval architecture was part of a plantation established in 1721-26 as a country retreat by Governor Sir William Keith.  Because of the many natural springs nearby, the property was originally called “Fountain Low” and covered over 1,200 acres.  When he eventually fell out of favor with William Penn who had appointed him provincial governor, Keith sailed for England, incurred financial difficulties, and was sentenced to debtor’s prison.  In 1739 the house was sold to Thomas Graeme, husband of Ann Diggs Keith, the governor’s stepdaughter.  As judge of the Supreme Court and Port Physician for the city of Philadelphia, Graeme most wanted a residence that would mirror his prominent station in life.  Therefore, between 1740 and 1760 Graeme ordered extensive renovations to the house, but maintained its rustic charm and genteel refinement that reflected the family’s Scottish heritage.  Upon his death in 1772, the property passed on to his only surviving daughter, Elizabeth, who has been called “the most learned woman in America.”  Elizabeth was well educated, well traveled, a noted poet and credited with hosting America’s first literary salons.  At the age of 19, she became engaged to Benjamin Franklin’s son, William, but after his interest waned, Elizabeth married Scottish immigrant, Henry Fergusson.  During the American Revolution, Fergusson declared his loyalty to the Crown and served with the British during their occupation of Philadelphia.  Consequently, in 1778, Graeme Park was declared the property of a traitor and seized by the colonial government.  Most of the house’s contents were sold at public auction.  Elizabeth died in 1801, literally penniless.  After passing through several owners, in 1920 the land was acquired by the Strawbridge family who, in 1958, deeded it to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

After lunch, you will travel to Craven Hall.  Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house sits on land that was part of a 551-acre land grant deeded in 1681 by William Penn to William Bingley.  The land was subsequently acquired by members of the Craven family, and, in 1798, was bought by prominent citizen and well-to-do farmer Harman Vansant.   Vansant proceeded to build the present house notable for its Georgian-style of architecture and distinctive Greek Revival-style detailing.  The House of Craven is mentioned in local accounts of the Battle of Crooked Billet, the only significant Revolutionary War battle fought in Bucks County, when the wounded were carried across the Jones farm and into the house on May 1, 1778.  While at Craven Hall you will hear the story of Warminster’s native son, John Fitch, who invented the steamboat in 1785 and enjoy a colonial cooking demonstration.

Your day concludes at Summerseat.  Often referred to as “The House of Patriots,” few buildings in the nation rival the historical significance of this residence.  It is believed to be the only dwelling in America that was home to two signers of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.  Summerseat was part of a 220-acre farm built circa 1766 by Adam Hoops as a summer escape from the heat of Philadelphia.  Hoops was a self-made businessman and one of the wealthiest men in the colonies.  In 1773 the building and surrounding land were transferred to Hoops’ son-in-law Thomas Barclay, a Philadelphia merchant.  It was while Barclay owned the house that from December 8 to December 14, 1776, General George Washington used the house as his headquarters prior to his crossing the Delaware River to attack the Hessians in Trenton.  In 1791, Robert Morris, the key financier of the American Revolution and signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution purchased the property.  However, after years of financial difficulty, Morris was forced to sell.  In 1806, he sold the two-story brick and stone Georgian mansion to George Clymer, a friend and fellow signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.  After Clymer died at Summerseat on January 24, 1813, the house went through a series of owners and eventually fell into disrepair.  In 1976 the Historic Morrisville Society purchased the National Historic Landmark and began restoring the building to its original grandeur.

 

The tour includes motorcoach transportation, admissions, lunch, and all taxes
and gratuities per itinerary.

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