Harriton House, originally known as Bryn Mawr, is an historic house which is located on the

Philadelphia Main Line The Philadelphia Main Line, known simply as the Main Line, is an informally delineated historical and social region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lying along the former Pennsylvania Railroad's once prestigious Main Line, it runs no ...

, and was most famously the residence of

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

Charles Thomson Charles Thomson (November 29, 1729 – August 16, 1824) was an Irish-born Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) throughout its existence. As secretary, Thomson ...

, the secretary of 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. ...

. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1973.

History and architectural features

Originally built in 1704 by

Rowland Ellis Rowland Ellis (1650 – September 1731) was a Welsh Quaker leader. He was the owner of the farm of Bryn Mawr near Dolgellau. He became a Quaker, along with a number of other inhabitants of Dolgellau, after a visit to the town by George Fox i ...

, a Welsh

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

, it was called Bryn Mawr, meaning high hill. The modern town of Bryn Mawr is named after the house, and the National Register of Historic Places has it listed under the original name. It was originally designed as a T-shaped, two-story

fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...

dwelling with a gable roof. The original front section is approximately thirty-seven feet wide and twenty-two feet deep and the rear extension is approximately eighteen feet wide and twenty-three feet deep. A one-story brick kitchen was added to the end of the rear extension. The house was renovated in 1911 and major additions were made in 1926. ''Note:'' This includes It was added to the

in 1973.

Harriton Association

The Harriton Association was started in 1962 by a group of people who were concerned that the house and its surrounding grounds, which were privately owned at the time, would be subdivided and developed. The association removed the 1926 additions and restored the house to look as it did when Charles Thomson lived there. Those renovations were completed in time for the 1976

United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

. The association operates Harriton House as a museum and cultural resource. Tours are given from Wednesday through Saturday, and special events are held at the house throughout the year.

References

External links

Harriton House official site
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1704 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Museums in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Historic house museums in Pennsylvania Houses in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania 1704 establishments in Pennsylvania Homes of United States Founding Fathers