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A HOUSE IN A MOST SINGULAR STYLE JOHN PENN’S THE SOLITUDE b y Jude Collin Gleason A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Early American Culture Spring 2002 Copyright 2002 Jude Collin Gleason All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1408634 _ ® UMI UMI Microform 1408634 Copyright 2002 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. A HOUSE IN A MOST SINGULAR STYLE JOHN PENN’S THE SOLITUDE b y Jude Collin Gleason A pproved: Brock Jobe, M A Professor in charge of thesis on behalf of the Advisory C om m ittee £?. A pproved: 7 . Curtis, Ph.D. 'or of the W interthur Program in Early American Culture A p p ro v ed :. Mark W. Huddleston, Ph.D. Acting Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences A pproved: Conrado'TVfrGempesaw II, Ph.D. Vice-Provost for Academic Programs and Planning Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincere thanks to Brock Jobe, for his insights and encouragement. This work has benefited greatly from his thoughtful readings and constant interest. I would also like to thank, in particular, Margaretta Richardi, for so generously sharing with me her time, knowledge, and enthusiasm. I am much indebted to the many individuals who have kindly aided me in this project. Among them are Susan Buck, Ritchie Garrison, Bea Garvan, Martha Halpem, Amy Henderson, Ed Lawler, Alexandra Kirtley, Roger Moss, Cathryn Myers, Damie Stillman. Donna Thomas, Neville Thompson, and the staffs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I would also like to thank the following institutions for permission to reproduce illustrations: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS...................................................................................................vi ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................. xi THE CHAPTERS 1. THE DISINHERITED PROPRIETOR..............................................................................1 2. A HOUSE IN A MOST SINGULAR STYLE ...............................................................19 3. THE VANITY OF ENGLISH T A S T E ........................................................................... 56 4. THE PICTURESQUE AND THE POETIC ...................................................................78 5. THE IDEAL V IL L A .........................................................................................................96 CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................... 110 APPENDIX A: DRAFTS OF JOFIN PENN, 1784-1786 .................................................. 115 APPENDIX B: DRAFTS OF JOHN PENN, 1786-1787 ............................................... 130 APPENDIX C: OCCUPATIONS AND ADDRESSES OF SOME OF THE NAMES LISTED IN JOHN PENN’S DRAFTS................................................................................. 135 APPENDIX D: ACCOUNTS WITH EDMUND PHYSICK, 1788-1790 ...................... 138 APPENDIX E: CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION.................................................................141 APPENDIX F: JOHN PENN’S INVENTORY................................................................... 144 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX G: THE DIARY OF NICHOLAS PICKFORD...........................................148 ILLUSTRATIONS................................................................................................................150 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................. 207 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1 Portrait o f John Penn, Robert Edge Pine, c. 1787. Private collection. Photograph courtesy, Philadelphia Museum of Art .................................................151 2 Solitude, William Birch, c. 1808. Courtesy, Winterthur Museum .........................152 3 The Solitude, east fa 9ade overlooking the Schuylkill River. Photo by author. .153 4 The Solitude, west facade, facing site of carriage turnaround and kitchen structure. Photo by author ...........................................................................154 5 Plans and Elevations, The Solitude, ground and second level, drawn by John Penn, c. 1784, from John Penn’s Commonplace Book. Courtesy, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania ............................................................................................. 155 6 Plans and Elevations, The Solitude, attic level, drawn by John Penn, c. 1784, from John Penn’s Commonplace Book. Courtesy, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania ................................................................................................................156 7 The Solitude, drawing room, east wall, as installed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, photo by Eric Mitchell, 1985, Courtesy, Philadelphia Museum of Art. .157 8 The Solitude, drawing room, west wall, as installed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, photo by Eric Mitchell, 1985, Courtesy, Philadelphia Museum of Art. .158 9 The Solitude, drawing room, southwest comer, as installed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, photo by Eric Mitchell, 1985, Courtesy, Philadelphia Museum of Art .............................................................................................................................159 10 The Solitude, drawing room, northwest comer jib door, photo by author 160 11 The Solitude, entrance hall and staircase, as installed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, photo by Eric Mitchell, 1985, Courtesy, Philadelphia Museum of Art. .161 12 “Detail of Main Entrance, Solitude,” drawn by R. Millman, 1932. Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress ...................................................162 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 13 The Solitude, library, as installed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, June 1930. Courtesy, Philadelphia Museum of Art....................................................................163 14 The Solitude, library, as installed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, photo by Eric Mitchell, 1985, Courtesy, Philadelphia Museum of Art ................................ 164 15 “Book-Cases in Library,” The Solitude. Measured and drawn by M. Luther Miller, 1931. Wallace, Colonial Houses: Philadelphia Pre-Revolutionary> Period ...........................................................................................................................165 16 “Library Book-Case Details,” The Solitude. Measured and drawn by M. Luther Miller, 1931. Wallace, Colonial Houses: Philadelphia Pre-Revolutionary Period ...........................................................................................................................166 17 “Detail