Germantown Historical Society

Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement, because the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States.

Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society deed collection, 1688-1952, (Germantown Historical Society)

Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement, because the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States.

Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society scrapbook and photograph album collection, circa 1880-1989, (Germantown Historical Society)

"The members of [the Wister] family were descendants of Johannes Caspar Wister and his wife, Anna Katherine Wüster, of Hillspach (near Heidelburg), Germany. Two of their sons came to America: John (1708-1789) and Caspar (1696-1752), the owner of a glasshouse in New Jersey. John became a merchant and real estate investor in Philadelphia, Pa. John's son, William (1746-1800), became one of the most eminent and wealthy merchants of the city. William's nephew, Charles Jones Wister (1782-1865), was also a merchant and was interested in such scientific pursuits as botany and mineralogy."

Bibliography:

Quoted material from finding aid for Wistar family papers, 1739-[ca.1854]. Winterthur Library, Col. 94. Accessed March 14, 2012. http://findingaid.winterthur.org/html/HTML_Finding_Aids/COL0094.htm.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society collection on the Wister family, 1814-1966, (Germantown Historical Society)

Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement, because the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States.

Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society small collections, 1764-1989, (Germantown Historical Society)

Germantown and Mount Airy are neighborhoods in the northwest section of Philadelphia which underwent dramatic demographic change, from nearly all Caucasian to significantly African-American, over the course of the 20th century. During the early 1990s, the Germantown Historical Society, in conjunction with other groups, conducted three oral history projects on Integration in West Mount Airy, African-Americans in Germantown between the World Wars, and Awbury Arboretum.

The Pelham Centennial Oral History Project, was sponsored by West Mt. Airy Neighbors and the Germantown Historical Society, and was funded in part by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. This project recorded approximately 30 oral history interviews with past and present residents of Pelham/West Mt. Airy. The focus of the project was to record the recollections of the people of the neighborhood regarding racial integration during the 1950s. The focus of the interview questions was on people's experiences, the changes of institutions and businesses, and what conditions allowed the community to achieve a peaceful and stable integration.

In 1991, the Germantown Historical Society initiated an oral history project in conjunction with the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta and with assistance from the William Penn Foundation and the Samuel Fels Foundation. The project collected remembrances of the older African-American Germantown residents through taped interviews. The most common themes discussed in these interviews were education and recreation activities during the time between the World Wars.

The Germantown Historical Society conducted an oral history project focusing on the Awbury Arboretum, a 55-acre public park and historic house. During this project the society interviewed Awbury Arboretum staff and neighbors regarding the property's history.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society oral history projects, circa 1992-1993, (Germantown Historical Society)

Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement, because the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States.

Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society photograph collection, 1858-circa 1990, (Germantown Historical Society)

"Founded in 1900 as the Site and Relic Society of Germantown, the Germantown Historical Society is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the rich and diverse history of the historic German Township (now Germantown, Mt. Airy, and Chestnut Hill) in northwest Philadelphia. The Society currently serves as the home of Historic Germantown, a partnership between fourteen Germantown organizations joined by a common mission to provide knowledge and resources to help preserve Germantown's historic sites, interpret them to the public, and incorporate them into the life of the local community."

Bibliography:

Germantown Historical Society. "About Us." Accessed March 13, 2012. http://www.germantownhistory.org/about.htm.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society records, 1900-1987, (Germantown Historical Society)

Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement, because the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States.

Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society family files, 1864-2012, (Germantown Historical Society)

Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement, because the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States.

Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854.

From the guide to the Germantown Historical Society pamphlet boxes, circa 1875-2012, (Germantown Historical Society)