Logan had an absolutely fascinating life, and is perhaps not remembered today as well as he should be. He had such friends as William Penn and Benjamin Franklin; both of whom we’re all very familiar with. But when prompted about Logan and his family, many are left asking, “Who…?” Well, we will seek to remedy that! This blog, “The Stenton Scoop,” will give you the “scoop” on Mr. James Logan, his exploits, his family, and his home. As the entries progress, we will seek to create a more well rounded picture to familiarize all with the necessity of maintaining Stenton as a house museum. The physical artifacts of the Logan family, and the groundbreaking time through which they lived, must be preserved for future generations as a landmark to the intelligent and industrious man who helped found Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia owes a lot to the Logan family. Feel free to stop by Stenton House for a tour starting April 1^st when we reopen to the public; until then Stenton welcomes visitors by appointment.

Event is free, donations are greatly appreciated. Reservations are required as space is limited. All ages are welcome but egg hunts are appropriate for children under 10. Please call 215-329-7312 to reserve your space or email programs@stenton.org

Start Time: 1:00
Date: April 7, 2012
End Time: 3:00

More Information

This will be a three part program including an overview of using objects to do genealogical research, how to “read” objects and use what you learn in your family research, and how to properly care for your heirlooms at home. Guests are encouraged to bring their own heirlooms to the workshop to learn more about their specific objects. Refreshments will be provided. Cost is $15 Per Person, $10 for Friends of Stenton. Spaces are limited. Snow date will be January 21st. Please call 215-329-7312 or email programs@stenton.org to make a reservation or for more information.

For the event flyer, click here.

Map of archaeological excavation of eastern half of front yard. Date and origin unknown.

As you have read, the primary goal of this project is to locate historic landscape features, such as the purported “forecourt” or walled garden in front of the mansion.  During the background research phase, a map of the front yard showing an “excavated” area was located in the Stenton archives.

This was quite a find, since there was no administrative knowledge or documented record of an archaeological dig in that part of the property.   Though we scoured the archives for additional information, no other documentation was found.  But we were left with a map that clearly identified foundation remains in the eastern half of the front yard.  Unfortunately, the author of the map remained a mystery.

Despite our concerns about a seemingly undocumented archaeological investigation, the map provided a great starting point for the project.  If it was correct, we could take measurements from the map and apply them to our excavation. This is precisely the approach we took.  The map showed that the southwest corner of the foundation was located approximately 6’ east  and 44’  south of the southeast corner of the house.  We measured the area and laid out our first 5’ x 5’ excavation unit where the corner of the foundation should be.

Exposed stone and brick rubble

After removing the topsoil and a thin lens of fill, we started to come down on a dense concentration of brick, mortar and stone rubble.  Remnants of plastic sheeting on top of the rubble proved that this area had indeed been previously excavated.  Further excavation revealed that we had undoubtedly uncovered the corner of a large stone and mortar foundation that likely supported a brick structure, indicated by loose brick fragments found on and around the foundation.  The bricks were likely robbed for reuse in another structure at Stenton.

Interior wall of George Logan's 1787 barn showing brick infill.

Oral tradition suggests that George Logan used the bricks from the garden walls in the interior of the barn he built at Stenton in 1787, which still stands today. The building of the barn took place just one year after Susannah Dillwyn writes about the walls being taken down, so it is possible that this story is based in fact.

Our next move is to extend our excavation to the north to see if we can locate the northwest corner of the foundation.

Excavated corner of stone and mortar foundation. Note brick drain in upper left corner of unit.

]]> http://stenton.org/index.php/2011/11/another-brick-in-the-wall/feed/ 2 http://stenton.org/index.php/2011/11/let-the-digging-begin-3/ http://stenton.org/index.php/2011/11/let-the-digging-begin-3/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:23:15 +0000 admin http://stenton.org/?p=805

Excavating a STP at Stenton

We started our investigation of Stenton’s landscape by conducting a shovel test pit (STP) survey of the area in front of the house, just beyond the lawn where the twentieth century driveway was once located. Shovel test pits are small exploratory units that are dug with the goal of identifying architectural remains, changes in the soil and concentrations of artifacts. They are typically placed throughout the grid at ten to twenty foot intervals.  STP’s range in diameter and are dug to different depths depending on the goals of the project. We dug our STP’s to the depth of the subsoil, the undisturbed level of soil beneath the topsoil and any artificial fill that may have been added to the landscape.

This STP located the edge of the slag fill. The dark soil is a concentration of gravel, slag and clinkers; the light soil is the subsoil.

One never knows what to expect when excavating a site, but we were quite pleased with the findings of our stp survey.  In a number of the STPs we found a layer containing dense concentrations of gravel, slag and clinkers. Slag and clinkers are byproducts of the iron manufacturing process.  James Logan may have secured these materials locally, but interestingly, also had access to such materials as a primary shareholder a Durham Furnace, one of the first iron ore smelting operations in Pennsylvania.  We’re still uncertain of the purpose of the slag/gravel layer, but it may have served as the paving for an historic driveway corresponding to early survey maps, or could have served to facilitate drainage.

Clinkers excavated from a Stenton STP.

A small sherd of “china glaze” pearlware was also excavated from one of the STP’s just above the layer of slag. China glaze was exceedingly popular from the mid-1780s to the late 1790s in America, and would have been used by the third generation owners, George and Debby Logan. This find is exciting, because the Logans would probably have owned some china glaze at Stenton in 1786, when Susanna Dillwyn wrote about the “taking down of the walls”.  This small sherd provides an additional clue that there was some kind of activity taking place in that area of the lawn in the 1780s.

China-glaze Saucer Rim

Stenton, c. 1870

The existence of a formal eighteenth century landscape at Stenton has been the focus of much inquiry since becoming a historic house museum in 1899. Family records provide some hint of landscaping and gardening activities at Stenton throughout its long history, yet to date, there has been no documentation located that specifically confirms that James Logan and/or his descendants had a garden complete with walls, paths, plantings, etc. in front of the house.  Family legends and anecdotes, including the story of a bear that jumped over the garden wall sometime in the eighteenth century, are the mainstays of Stenton’s garden history.

However, limited historical references do suggest that a walled garden containing pathways and equally distributed beds did indeed exist.  James Logan’s 1751 probate inventory mentions a stone roller used to maintain pathways. Both James and his son William Logan, who sometimes lived at Stenton between 1753 and 1776, ordered vast quantities of flower and vegetable seeds from London and exchanged equal amounts with local residents including John Bartram. Additionally, Dr. George Logan, the third generation owner and an ardent agriculturalist, developed Stenton as a model of self-sufficiency by producing his own food, fiber and timber. A passage from a letter written during George Logan’s tenure at Stenton has served as the primary historical evidence that Stenton had a walled garden.  This 1786 letter from his niece Susanna Dillwyn mentions the “taking down of the walls that thee may remember gave the house a rather gloomy appearance.”

Fairhill, the seat of Isaac Norris. Print taken from c.1777 drawing.

Despite the lack of documentation, landscape and gardening trends popular in the early eighteenth century also offer rather convincing evidence that Stenton did have a formal landscape. Philip Miller’s The Gardeners Dictionary, published in 1731,  recommended “central-axis gardens with matching squares on either side of a gravel walk leading out from a door at the center of the house.” This style of garden appears throughout the eighteenth century Chesapeake and shares similarities with period descriptions of early Philadelphia gardens. Issac Norris’s Fairhill is one such example in Philadelphia. A contemporary of James Logan, Norris had an extensive landscape including a partially walled and fenced garden in front of the house, flanking outbuildings on either side of the garden, and orchards along the main drive.  Logan also cultivated a  40′ x 20′ garden at his townhouse in Philadelphia, where he conducted experiments with maize, though not much else is know about it.

If Stenton did possess a well landscaped forecourt, it likely resembled that of Fairhill. We shall soon see!

Stenton Archaeology, September 2011.

Spooky Tours 2011

Stenton will be open from 1 – 4PM.
For more information call 215-329-7312
or email programs@stenton.org

Start Time: 1:00
Date: 2011-10-15
End Time: 4:00