The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-01

Office which no thought afforded
xpIsPUTABLE PROOFS
mat the house. still standing, at the southwest cor
ner or seventh and Market Streets" could not have
peen the one in which the Declaration was written
we nave since carefully tested Mr.. Richards proofs
thoroughly examining the ocal records and critically
anayzing the several deeds record In connection
with the corner house and lot and the adjoining house
and lot on Market street. and have hesitation in en-
phaficaly asserting that the Declaration OF lndepen
corner OF Seventh and Market streets that the said
house was not erected until time alter the oath Of
July 777, and after the property had been sold by Mr.
We are free 10 acknowledge that had hitherto
cepted the corner house theory partly in difference to
the acknowledged judgment and intelligence Of its ad
vocates, but chiefly because better theory
10 advance which 50 nearly correspondent with the
peculiar phraseoogy OF Mr. JeEersonslcter quoted
by Nicholas Biddle and from him by Miss McAllster,
though we have never been quite convinced-indecd,
we have felt that the ediGce could not have been
corner house. and this feeling has arisen mainly from
the plain significance Of some clauses in the letter
alluded to- But now We are happy TO be able positively
20 nacate house also stu STANDING which WAS
unqucstonaby entitled 10 regard and veneraton as
the house halowed by the writing therein OF the GER
titcale OF our nations birth-the only house which
lully and In every particular corresponds with Mt.
Jeherson's description.
JgypEgsoSs LETTER.
Before citing the records let glance briefly at tho
letter aud consider the probabilities the light OF that
letter recoectng Mr. Jeierson's characteristic habits
and mental peculiartes:-
MONTICELLO, September ls. 1926
DEAR SIR. l. not for me TO estimate the Importance q
concerning
he s to the
tho genuine eusion the soul d country at that time
norsh our devotion to Ills holy BOND our unon and
keep longer alive and wa in our affections This enee.
tue time q writing that instrument lodged in the house
which rented the second oor consisting Of paror and
bedroom ready FURNISHED In that psror wrote aAbsu-
Solar state from written proofs in my possession The
S IL @a s's e
his cs.o on the he. south side Of Market
house that Of the street there few
but no other Ieeolss,ons throwing any light the
- Til. JEFFERSON.
Obscrve--'I think that his house was
The south side OF Market street, probably between
Seventh and Eighth streets have some
idea that 1t was corner house, but other rccoec-
communication"
Mr.. Jefferson habitualy an carly riser bonstng
that the sun had not caught him In bed for half
century. Had tho two rented and occupied by him
been in the corner house, With windows to the and
the sun pouring In each morning at It's rising, bright
ening them and cheering him with his early beams,
would he have described the house probably be.
tween Seventh and Eighth Streets and would he have
merely had "some idea that 1t was q corner house ~
Besdcs, II the main door was at the side Seventh
street. as ntima,ed in the paper before referred
[Nonttiy vol w., p. 224l at which he wont to
pass in and out repeatedly every day, would not tho
fact that the house the west side Of Seventh
than that was the south side Of Market street?
Thus We HAD doubted before we knew thought OF
the official records, which, we have said Mr.. G. s.
S. Richards discovered and brought to notice and
which completely destroy all supposed claims of the
n oy On ,sa at irc
more than year subsequent to the writing Of tho
| Declaration.
| CONFIRMATION STRONG
We need not cite the records Of earlier date than
Juno LIST. 1775 when edmund Physick Of the City OF
Philadelphia In the Province OF Pennsylvania Esquire
and Abigail his wie'' ..Granted Bargained Sold Re.
leased and Connrmcd' unto Jacob Graf junr of the
said City Bricklayer," 'his heirs and assigns Ger
tain Lot piece OF Ground situate lying and being
the South Side Of High Street and the West Side of
the seventh street from delaware tho city OF Phila
delpha Aforesaid Containing in breadth on High Street
aforesaid thirtytwo foot and In length depth tho
West Side OF Seventh Street aforesaid Ono hundred
and twenty -four foot Bounded the East by seventh
| street aforesaid the South by Certain ton foot
| Alley extending hundred and four feet depth
from Seventh Street aforesaid tho West by Ground
| OF Hannah Flower and on the North by High Street
aforesaid" Tho consideration was ''thc payment Of
tho performance OF the Covenants and agree
ments herein after mentioned and reserved and the
Deed provides for the collection OF the ground-rent by
'd,strein,' II not paid according to agreement
ON the an .. July LIT, MT. Gran sold the entire
ton in this deed OF the "Lot or piece OF ground" and
its boundaries Is identical with that in the previous
deed, with the following addition :-"And Whereas the
said Jacob Gran hath erected Brick Messuage Tome
ment the said described Lot piece OF Ground. -
The consideration this time was the payment OF "0nc
thousand seven hundred and Seventy nvo Pounds
lawful Money OF Pennsylvania," beside the assump-
ton OF the round REM. Mr.. HfltZheimer converted
the first floor OF this "Brick Mcssuage Tenement
into store, and herein he skept store" until his
DEATH in 1901. HIS success 10 attested by numerous
deeds showing the subsequent purchase Of property in
localities and by the TACT that he built tho
corner Brick Messuagc or Tenement to match his
"Mcssuagc Store" on June IA, 1884, he bought OF
Samuel Flowers the adjoining lots on the SOUTH add
ing hrtyour fcot TO the depth OF his entire property
! aud erected other houses
Al his death Jacob Hiltzheimcr left two sons and
three daughters to inherit large estate but lett
no WILL and IN docket No. 10 ofthc Orphans Court
quote much relates to tho property under con-
sideration -'Ono other equal 1fth part thereof In
vnuG 20 wiz M ,1ac omres Of n.orc
| In the plan hereto annexed No. 2 situate tho
south side of High Street, at the distance Of sixteen
feet eight inches Westward from Delaware Seventh
Street. IN the said city containing In breadth East
aud West fifteen feet and four inches and in length
or depth North and South ninety feet bounded East
| ward by the Messuagc Ground herein after al
lotted to Mary Rodrers, Southwark partly by four
fee, wide Asy and partly BY ground herein after
share allotted 10 Thomas w. Kitchener. 1t will DO
observed that the original depth Of ia feet
| thus separated from the Seventh street front Mr..
HilzheIncr had built the two story house which still
in value 70 wi. all that three story Messpare or Ten
cment and Lot or piece OF ground thereto belonging
marked In tho aforesaid plan No. situate on the
south side OF High street and West side OF Delaware
Seventh street the said City, containing in Breadth
east 4 west 10 feet 4 inches, and In length or
depth North and South % feet Bounded westward by
the Store and Lot marked No. hsrcinbeforc as
signed TO Thomas ". Hiitzhsfrier," &c This Is part
/ oil the share allotted TO Mary Rodgers
TAcrS Fx0x OLD pxxDS
Now see that the Brick NeSsuage Tenement"
erected and occupied BY jacob Graf and sold by him
to Jacob Hltzhenier. and By the latter converted
q Tenement Store, which he successfully car
rcd business for nearly quarter Of a century.
allotted, Mt hts death, 10 Thomas w. Hltz.
\ hcimcr Jacobs second son, while the corner
lot Of 10 feet inches front, with .
.'threc story Messuagc or Tenement" erected
/ by Jacob Hlltzhcimer when his in
tho adjoining had made feasible was
allotted 10 Mary Rodgers his second daughter Thomas
W. Hltahcsmer evidently lacked his fathers business
qualities Tor scarcely had he been possession tho
store eight months when we find him bank rupt and
his property described "a Certain Three story Mos
suagc or Stcrc and lot piece OF ground Situate
tho South side Of High Street. in the City OF Philadc
pha Containing in breadth hitccn feet four inches and
In length or depth Ninety feet Bounded Eastward by
Mcseuzgc and Lot OF Ground belonging TO tho said
Simon Gratz" Ia the hands of assignecs Robert Erwin
and Hugh Roberts, by whom, March 20 1902, Il
sold To Simon Gratx, who had already acquired by
marriage the corner Lot and ..mcsslaee y .LiiL.