From The Archives:One of Our Founders

DVOC January 2014

George Spencer Morris

January 22, 1890� Seven young men met in the living

room of 1624 Arch Street to form the DVOC

One of them was 23 year oldGeorge Spencer

Morris

1867Nebraska is admitted as the 37th U.S. state.

Alaska is purchased for $7.2 million, about 2 cent/acre. The news media call this "Seward's Folly."

Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States

Yellow fever kills 3,093 in New Orleans.

Jesse James and others rob bank in Richmond Missouri (2 die, $4,000 taken)

George Spencer Morris

Born July 11, 1867 in Olney, PA (now part of Philadelphia)

Father – Samuel MorrisMother – Lydia SpencerSecond of three children

His aunt, Buelah Morris Rhoads, a lover of nature, was a major influence in his life. She was the stepmother of Samuel Nickolson Rhoads, another DVOC Founder.

On his mother's side he was connected with Edward Harris of Morrestown, NJ, friend and patron of J.J. Audubon.

Attended school at the Haddonfield Academy, Haddonfield, NJ.

Attended Westtown Boarding School, West Chester, PA

Studied architecture and drawing at Drexel Institute and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 1886-1904

Married 1895 in the Gwynnd Meeting to Lydia Ellicott

Son - Samuel Morris born 6/12/1896

Daughter - Lydia Spencer Morris

born 11/29/1900

Daughter - Nancy born 4/3 1898

Daughter - Edith Ellicott, 8/12/ 1899

Daughter - Anna Perot. 5/14/1906 Lydia Ellicott Morris June 1923

• Applied for a passport May 27, 1885. • Stature: 5' 6 3/4"

• Forehead: Medium

• Eyes: Blue-gray

• Nose: Straight

• Mouth: Medium

• Chin: Round

• Hair: Brown

• Complexion: Light

• Face: Oval

February 3, 1890

• The Delaware Valley Ornithological Club came into being at the 1624 Arch Street residence of William L. Baily's family

• William L. Baily

• George S. Morris • J. Harris Reed

• Samuel N. Rhoads

• Spencer Trotter

• Witmer Stone (invited by Trotter)

• Charles Voelker (invited by Reed)

• All between the ages of 23 and 30

DVOC member until his death in 1922

Secretary 1891-1893President 1893-1894

Written on the back in Rhoads's handwriting

"Morris, Reed, Voelker & Wife, and S. N. Rhoads on Voelker's Porch - Alden"

• Visited England in 1895

• Visited Beach Haven New Jersey with Samuel Nickolson Rhoads

• Regular visitor to Cape Charles, VA and Eaglesmere, PA

• Visited Tampa Bay, Florida in 1889

• Visited Washington and British Columbia with Rhoads and J. W. Evans

With other DVOC members established a “naturalists’ camp” at Catoxin on a branch of the Rancocas, near Medford, NJ in 1898.

• Boy Scouts of Philadelphia, Director

• Philadelphia Sketch Club, Vice-President 1907-1901, 1913, 1921, Board of Directors 1902-1906, 1910-1912

• American Ornithologists' Union, Member

• Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Council member, Curator, Vice Director of the Ornithological Section

• Pennsylvania Audubon Society, Director

• Friends Hospital, member Board of Managers

• Christiansburg Industrial Institute, Virginia, member Board of Managers

• Active member of the Society of Friends

Member of the

Philadelphia Sketch

Club

Vice-President 1907-1901, 1913, 1921, Board of Directors 1902-1906, 1910-1912

Known for coastal landscape painting

• Apprenticed at several architectural firms including Addison Hutton, Cope & Stewardson and Walter Smedley

• Morris and William S. Vaux, Jr worked together as partners in an architectural firm until 1905 after which they worked independently

• Morris and Richard Erskine founded Morris and Erskine about 1909. Erskine worked for the firm of Morris & Vaux before becoming Morris's partner. This firm existed until Morris's death in 1922

• Designed the building that would house the Moore School. When Morris & Erskine designed the building, however, it was intended as a factory for musical instruments. Later altered for use as the Moore School.

• Morris & Erskine carried out many residential projects in New Jersey as well as a number of institutional projects, including Friends Hospital on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia.

• In 1870 US Census, age 3, living in Olney, Philadelphia with his parents, a brother and a sister. Father's occupation "Farmer"

• In 1880 US Census, age 12, living in Philadelphia with his parents and a sister. He is listed as "at school". Father's occupation "Gentleman". Included in the household 2 servants and a boarder.

• In 1900 US census, age 32, living in Philadelphia with his wife, a son and two daughters. The household included three servants

• In 1910 US Census, age 43, living in Philadelphia with his wife, a son and three daughters. The household included three servants

• In 1920 US census, age 53, living in Cresentville, Philadelphia with his wife, a son and four daughters

• The Morris family estate was along Tookany Creek in Cresentville, Philadelphia, PA

• His father's house was named "Olney“

• William Spencer Morris built a house on his father's property and named it "Birdfield"

Residences1895

1910

1910

He was 14 years old!

Died in 1922Buried in section C of the Germantown Friends Meeting Cemetery in Germantown, PA.