Keith House
The estate, originally known as Fountain Low, served as the grounds for this historic house. The Keith House sure has seen its fair share of history.
This stone mason house is built in 1722 for Sir William Keith (1669-1749), Provincial Governor of Pennsylvania. The following year, Keith meets a 17-year-old runaway from Boston. Although the adolescent seems young, Keith says he “appear'd a young man of promising parts” and therefore encourages a young Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) to set up in Philadelphia as a printer. In 1726, Governor Keith is removed from office after a dispute with the Penn family.
Keith’s stepdaughter, Anne Diggs (1700-1765), and her husband Dr. Thomas Graeme (1688-1772) purchase the property in 1739. It has since been known as Graeme Park. Dr. Graeme is not only a respected doctor, but also serves as Port Physician for the city of Philadelphia and Judge of the Supreme Court. He wants a summer residence where he can entertain in a place that reflects his social status. Although he can not modify the stone exterior, Dr. Graeme is determined to remodel the interior to the popular English style of the day. Marble and ceramic tiles line the fireplaces while detailed paneling is installed in many of the rooms.
At the time of Graeme’s death in 1722, Keith House is willed to his only surviving daughter, Elizabeth Graeme (1737-1801). Extremely well educated, Elizabeth Graeme hosts the first literary gatherings. Following a miserable courtship with William Franklin (1730-1813) (son of Benjamin), she marries Henry Hugh Fergusson (1748-1819), a British soldier during the occupation of Philadelphia. After the British leave Philadelphia, Fergusson never saw his wife again and returned to England.
Being that Elizabeth is the wife of a traitor, the property is confiscated by the Colonial government. High-profile friends help her regain the estate in 1781. Growing debts and declining health force her to sell the estate to her nephew, Dr. William Smith (1746-1822). In 1801, when Elizabeth passes away, a Quaker family by the name of Penrose buys the grounds. They live in the house until 1821, when a new home and barn on the property are completed. The Penrose family protect the Keith House and become the first to give tours of the house.
About 100 years later, in 1920, the land is bought by Welsh Strawbridge (1878-1969), and he moves his family into the Penrose family house. Using the grounds wisely, they raise thoroughbred horses and farm. Strawbridge and his family maintain the mansion, only using it for family parties. Strawbridge gives the property to The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in 1958, securing its continued preservation.
Today the Keith House, along with the other historic buildings in Graeme Park, stands tall and is open to the public for tours. For more information on Graeme Park, please visit their website at:
www.graemepark.org
~~~~~~~~~~
Photographer's Guide (EXIF):
Camera: Canon Rebel T-6
Aperture: F4.5
Shutter Speed: 0.8sec
ISO: 100
Exposure Bias: 0
Focal Length: 18mm
Mode: Aperture Priority
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
All content by Keith J. Fisher
©2021 Grazie Santangelo.
All Rights Reserved.