Graeme Park is an historic site and

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

at 859 County Line Road in

Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

, Montgomery County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. It is owned by the

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage. The commission cares fo ...

and operated by the non-profit group, The Friends of Graeme Park. It is the only surviving residence of a colonial-era Pennsylvania

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. Graeme Park was constructed in 1722 by Sir William Keith as a summer residence and alternative to his governor's mansion at Shippen House on Second and Spruce Streets in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

. The house, originally known as Fountain Low, has been largely unchanged since its construction except for a restoration by Dr. Thomas Graeme in the mid 18th century and a minor restoration by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in the 1960s.

Timeline

HOTCHKIN(1892) p264 Graeme Park (copied, 1854)

1721

''Construction of the malthouse begins''. A malthouse is a building in which brewers create malt by starting the

germination Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, fe ...

process of

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...

or other grains. The

malt Malt is germinated cereal grain that has been dried in a process known as " malting". The grain is made to germinate by soaking in water and is then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air. Malted grain is used to make beer, w ...

is then used as a key ingredient in the making of

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

ale Ale is a type of beer brewed using a warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typically has a bittering agent to bala ...

and

malt liquor Malt liquor is a type of mass market beer with high alcohol content, most closely associated with North America. Legally, it often includes any alcoholic beverage with 5% or more alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common usage, i ...

. This malthouse was one of several attempted commercial ventures undertaken by Sir William Keith during his term as governor of Colonial Pennsylvania. His other businesses included a

copper mine Copper extraction refers to the methods used to obtain copper from its ores. The conversion of copper consists of a series of physical and electrochemical processes. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source, loca ...

located west of the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

in disputed territory and a

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

on the Christiana River near New Castle,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

. The malthouse was constructed during a time of financial complications between

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

and her American colonies. Trade was slowed tremendously and supplies of grain were rotting on the idled ships in the colonial ports in cities like Philadelphia. Keith took advantage of the need to have the grain processed and malting the grain was a good way to preserve it for a time.

1722 or 1723

''Construction on the

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

at Graeme Park begins''. Graeme Park was originally called "Fountain Low" by Sir Keith. It is also known as the "Keith House" in honor of Sir William Keith its builder and first resident. Fountain Low was built on of land that Keith acquired as governor. He received the land for little or no cost as a debt payment given to the Provincial government of Pennsylvania by the estate of Samuel Carpenter who had died with a considerable debt owed to colony. Over 90 workmen worked to complete Fountain Low and its surrounding buildings. Sir Keith even got the Provincial government to extend two roads to his property in Horsham. Evidence points to the assumption that Keith rarely occupied Fountain Low. The interior of the mansion was not painted until Dr. Thomas Graeme took ownership in 1739. Governor Keith instead spent the majority of his time at the governor's mansion in Philadelphia.

1739

''Dr. Thomas Graeme acquired the property at Fountain Low and renamed it "Graeme Park"''. Dr. Graeme was the husband of Ann Diggs who was the stepdaughter of Sir William Keith. Graeme had arrived with Keith from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

in 1717 and married Ann in 1719. During his years in Pennsylvania Graeme attained a significant social status in Philadelphia. He served as the Port Physician, was a consulting physician at the

Pennsylvania Hospital Pennsylvania Hospital is a private, non-profit, 515-bed teaching hospital located in Center City Philadelphia and is part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Founded on May 11, 1751, by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond, Pennsyl ...

, was appointed as a naval officer by Governor Keith in 1719, as a Register General and Master of Chancery in 1724. Graeme also served on the Provincial Council and the

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme Ju ...

. Governor Keith had left Pennsylvania in 1728 and left trusteeship of his properties to his wife Lady Anne Keith and family. Dr. Thomas Graeme was one of the

trustees Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

. The estate was sold in 1738 to Joseph Turner, who then sold Fountain Low to Dr. Graeme in 1739. Graeme originally used the newly named Graeme Park as a summer residence and kept his primary residence in Carpenter's Mansion in Society Hill, Philadelphia.

1755

''Dr. Graeme begins interior renovations at Graeme Park''. He installed decorative devices that were common during the

Georgian era The Georgian era was a period in British history from 1714 to , named after the Hanoverian Kings George I, George II, George III and George IV. The definition of the Georgian era is often extended to include the relatively short reign of Will ...

, including paneling and refinished several of the interior doors. These changes remain today at Graeme Park. Dr. Graeme also commissioned the construction of an outdoor kitchen, laid out a formal garden and began a "Deer Park" to make it "a piece of Beauty and Ornament to a dwelling (that any English noble would be proud to have ... by his house." (Letter to

Thomas Penn Thomas Penn (8 March 1702 – 21 March 1775) was an English landowner and mercer who was the chief proprietor of Pennsylvania from 1746 to 1775. Penn is best known for his involvement in negotiating the Walking Purchase, a contested land cessi ...

, 1755)

1765

''Dr. Thomas Graeme retires from medical practice due to deteriorating health and the death of his wife Ann''. Following his retirement, Dr. Graeme began to spend a majority of his time at Graeme Park. Graeme's daughter Elizabeth assumes the role of hostess for the doctor's household. Although Graeme retired from medical work he did not retire from the Philadelphia social scene. Together with Elizabeth they hosted salons or gatherings of Philadelphia's most influential statesmen, writers and musicians. Elizabeth, herself, became a

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

of some renown. Dr. Graeme also served as the President of St. Andrew's Society an organization of

gentlemen A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the r ...

Scottish immigrants in Philadelphia. He was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

and the American Medical Society. Dr. Graeme died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

while walking the grounds of Graeme Park on September 4, 1772. Ownership of the land was transferred to his daughter Elizabeth and her husband Henry Hugh Fergusson.

1778

Graeme Park is confiscated by the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

due to Henry Fergusson's loyalist sympathies during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

''. Elizabeth Graeme married Henry Fergusson on April 21, 1772, without her father's consent. This caused quite a problem for the newlyweds. Henry and Elizabeth had been introduced to each other by Dr.

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social reformer, humanitarian, educa ...

, a founding father of Pennsylvania, on December 7, 1771, at one of the salons hosted by Elizabeth and Dr. Graeme. Fergusson was a recent and penniless Scottish Immigrant and he was eleven years younger than Elizabeth. Both of these qualities made him a less than ideal suitor for Elizabeth's hand in marriage and Dr. Graeme forbade that they marry. Four months after they met, Henry and Elizabeth married secretly in Old Swede's Church. Only their close friends attended, including Benjamin Rush, Provost William Smith and his wife. Despite her father's disapproval, Elizabeth had vowed to let her marriage be known. Ironically, the day on which she decided to tell him the news was the day that he suffered his fatal heart attack, with Elizabeth watching him approach Graeme Park through a window of the mansion. Elizabeth was never able to tell of her marriage. She was Dr. Graeme's only living heir, she inherited Graeme Park and by right of marriage Henry Fergusson gained title to the property. With his sudden new fortune Henry Fergusson was able to quickly ascend the Philadelphia society ladder. He traveled to England twice, became director of a prominent Philadelphia

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

and was awarded the title

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

in Philadelphia. He was the last magistrate of Philadelphia under British colonial rule. He sailed once more for England in late 1775 just as the American Revolution was beginning to gather steam. He returned to Philadelphia by way of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

as a

loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British C ...

with Sir William Howe commander of the British forces in American. With Howe, Fergusson witnessed the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe on September& ...

and the occupation of Philadelphia during the

Philadelphia campaign The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British effort in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress. British General William Howe, after failing to dra ...

. Fergusson involved his wife in his activities by sending her as a messenger to General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

to ask for his surrender and to present a

bribe Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corru ...

to a major in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

. Both of these incidents caused the Patriots of Philadelphia to doubt her loyalty. There was no doubt about where Henry Fergusson's loyalties lay. He was found a

traitor Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

by the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania and Graeme Park was seized under the Confiscation Act of 1778.

1781–1795

''Graeme Park is returned to Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson and she lives there in peace until 1795''. Elizabeth Fergusson may have delivered some letters, for her husband's sake, that called her loyalty into question, but she remained a patriot throughout the Revolution. She was able regain Graeme Park in 1781 thanks to the support of several close and influential friends. Among these were Dr. William Smith,* first president of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

, Robert Morris known as the financier of the Revolution, and Benjamin Rush, a signer of the

United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ( ...

and the man who introduced her to Henry Fergusson. Elizabeth was able to live the rest of her life in peace and quiet. She sold Graeme Park to a

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

from

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 1 ...

named William Smith. Elizabeth lived with her friends in Horsham until her death in 1801.

1801–1920

''The Penroses care for Graeme Park'' William Smith sold of Graeme Park to Samuel Penrose of Richland Township including the original house, Keith Mansion, in April 1801. Samuel and his wife Sarah were members of Horsham Friends Meeting, the local

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

congregation. They were the parents of 10 children, seven of which survived to adulthood. Their son William was married to Ann Larrett in 1810 and the Penrose built a second

farmhouse FarmHouse (FH) is a social fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a national organization in 1921. Today FarmHouse has 33 active chapters and four associate chapters (formerly colonies) in the United State ...

at Graeme Park for the newlyweds. Samuel bought all of Graeme Park from his father in 1820 and with Sarah began the tradition of keeping Graeme Park in its original state while at the same time having a productive and profitable farm. When Samuel died in 1863 ownership was transferred to his third son, Abel Penrose. Abel and his wife, Sarah Beisel, continued to preserve Graeme Park for future generations. They even began to invite visitors to take tours of the former Governor's mansion. Morris Penrose was the fourth and final generation of the Penrose family at Graeme Park, beginning in 1893. He continued the tradition of hosting tours for school groups and historical societies. It was noted that 400 visitors walked to Graeme Park from the trolley stop on Easton Road in Horsham.

1920–1958

''The Strawbridges care for Graeme Park'' Morris Penrose sold to Welsh Strawbridge on March 20, 1920. Strawbridge was an investment broker with the firm J&W Strawbridge. He was a prominent member of Philadelphia society, serving as Master of the Hounds for the Whitemarsh Hunt Club. Strawbridge married Miss Margaret Ely Marshall in 1922. They lived in the 1810 Penrose farmhouse and continued the Penrose tradition of preserving the Keith House and sharing its history with visitors. In order to ensure the preservation of this historic mansion, the Strawbridges donated the Keith House and the surrounding area to the

in 1958.

1958–present

''Graeme Park as a Pennsylvania Historical Site'' The PHMC did some minor restorative repairs to Graeme Park in the 1960s. The buildings and the grounds of Graeme Park appear in much the same state today as they did in colonial times. The original floor boards, paneling and paint from Dr. Graeme's restoration remain. They provide a glimpse into the world of Georgian architecture.

Haunting legends

Since Elizabeth's death in 1801 it has been rumored by the citizens of Horsham, Pennsylvania that the Keith House and Graeme Park are haunted by her ghost. These local legends have been embraced by The Friends of Graeme Park, who perform annual lantern tours of the Keith House.

References

* * *

External links

Friends of Graeme ParkGraeme Park
at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) (Library of Congress) {{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Historic American Buildings Survey in Pennsylvania Museums in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Houses completed in the 18th century National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Historic house museums in Pennsylvania Houses in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania state historical marker significations National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania