The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-11
HOUSE GONE.
| Tn Which Declaration of Independenee Waa Written.

| | Aside from Independence Hall. no place in Philadelphia arcuses the inter- l est of the visitor or the historically l inclined citizen more than the spot where Thomas Jefferson wrote the | Declaration of Independence, says Tho Philadelphia Record. Since 1883. when | the Declaration House was torn down to make way for the bank building which now stands at the southwest cor ner of Seventh and Market Streets. rec gret has often found voice to lament that the exigencies of business should
 have caused the demolition of the statd old brick structure in which the fa-
 nous virginian wrote the inspired doc-
 muent with which his name Is insepa- rably linked.
 On June !. 177e, the Resolution for In- dependence, offered by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. That these United colonies are, and of a right ought to bas free and independent States. and that all political connection between us and the State of Great Britain Is. and ought to be, totally dissolved was referred
 to committee composed of Thomas Jefferson. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin. Roger sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson was chairman Of the committee. He took the Lee reso-
 lution to his living rooms. in the house
 then standing on the southwest corner of Seventh and Market Streets. and there with slippered feet comfortably poised on the andirons of the vacant | fireplace, composed the Declaration of Independence Some changes were made in the original document by sug- | sestion of Franklin and Adams but 1t was presented to Congress practically l as penned.
 Events moved rapidly in those days l and few persons paid attention to the places where things were done, being content with the doing of things. so | pr. James Mease of this city. was un- able to locate the house in which tho | Declaration was written. He, there-
 fore, wrote. to Jefferson and from him | Monticello, Sept. 1s. 1sas. Dear Slr-It is not for me to estimate the importance of the circumstances
 first makes inquiry They prove, even | in their minuteness. the sacred attach
 ments of our fellow citizens to the event
 of which the paper of July 1. l75s. was fusion of the soul of our country at that time. Small things may, perhaps. like the relics of saints. help to nour- our Union and keep 1t longer alive and warm in our affections. This effort may give importance to circumstances | however small. At the time of writing of a MT. Graaf, @ new brick house, l three stories high. of which rented
 the second floor. consisting of a parlor
 and bedroom ready furnished. In that parlor I wrote habitually, and in it | wrote this paper particularly.
 So far state from written proofs in my possession. The proprietor, Graae. | was a young man. son of a German. and then newly married. I think he was q bricklayer, and that his house
 was on the south side of Market Street | probably between Seventh and Eighth | Streets: and if not the only house on | that part of the street, am sure thers were few others near 1t. I have some | idea that 1t was a corner house. but no other recollections throwing any light on the question or worth communiea- l ton. I will. therefore. only add as- | surance of my great respect and esteem. Tn. Jefferson. Dr. James Mease. Philadelphia.