Introduction

Welcome to the home of Samuel and Elizabeth Powel.

Samuel Powel was born October 28, 1738. By the time

he was eighteen years old, Powel had inherited a large

fortune from his father and grandfather. As a young man

Powel underwent the best education he could receive at

the time. He graduated from the College of Philadelphia

(University of Pennsylvania) in 1759, then spent seven

years abroad. Powel returned to the colonies as a bright

and wealthy young Philadelphian. In 1769, Samuel Pow-

el married Elizabeth Willing, and they purchased this

home. Elizabeth Willing Powel was born in Philadelphia

in 1743. The marriage was a good one as Elizabeth was

as smart as Samuel and helped him with his businesses to

a large extent. In fact Elizabeth Powel was exceptional at

running a business and after Samuel Powel died, Eliza-

beth was willed the entire Powel fortune. That was atypical

for the time as usually men did not leave their fortune to

their wives, but to male heirs, relatives, or friends. The

house was built in 1765 and renovated by Robert Smith in

1769. Robert Smith was a member of the Carpenters’

Company of Philadelphia, and designed many buildings in

Philadelphia including the home of Benjamin Franklin,

Carpenters’ Hall, and St. Peters Church. St. Peters Church

and Carpenters’ Hall still stand today. Although Powel was

politically active during the American Revolution, he did

not formally take a stance until the French aligned with

America in 1778. At that point an American victory

seemed likely because France allied with the colonies.

Powel realized it was risky to take a stance as a patriot or

loyalist, especially in Philadelphia, where neither faction

considerably outnumbered the other. Many Philadelphians,

such as Powel or Elizabeth’s brother Thomas Willing,

were faced with intense pressure to support independence.

The majority of Pennsylvania elites were separated from

the violence in Boston and believed that reconciliation with

the crown was optimal due to the economic and practical

reasons. Many believed that the British army would defeat

the rag-tag Continental army, which would result in a

worse situation for the colonies. Historians conclude that

Pennsylvania was the last colony to favor independence. In

fact, Samuel Powels friend John Dickinson, and Thomas

Willing originally voted against independence in 1776.

Regardless of the pressures to commit as a patriot or loyal-

The Office

Welcome to the office of Samuel Powel. This room

was where Powel conducted his public and private

business. Here, tenants as well as concerned citizens

would meet with and pay rent to Powel. During the

18th century, the average Philadelphian rented prop-

erty. In fact ninety percent of the land in Philadelphia

was owned by ten percent of the people. However,

Samuel Powel was not an average Philadelphian. A

tax assessment from 1774, showed that Powel

amassed more than double the amount of real-estate

than the next wealthiest Philadelphian. Similar to

today, people used vehicles as a social symbol and a

way to flaunt wealth. Out of 20,000 people living in

Philadelphia in 1772 only eighty-four had carriages.

Powel was appointed to the Common Council of

Philadelphia in 1770, mayor twice: first in Octo-

ber 1775 immediately before the war started, and

again after the war in 1789. The common council

was a non-elected council made up of prominent

Philadelphians appointed by current councilmen.

The council, mayor, and alderman were known as

the Philadelphia Corporation. Powel would have

dealt with council affairs at a desk similar to the

one in the corner. Neither the position of mayor

nor city council are comparable to the positions

today. One of Powel’s main duties as mayor was

to mandate prices and the mayor had little politi-

cal power compared to the Governor. For exam-

ple, Powel would not have had the power as a

mayor to prohibit the Continental Congress from

meeting in Philadelphia in 1775. In fact, when

some individuals were appointed mayor they fled

The Dining Room

Welcome to the Powels’ dining room. Although the dining

room may look small, it was among the largest in Philadel-

phia during the 18th century. Samuel and Elizabeth Powel

used their house to flaunt their wealth and express civility

when elite citizens of Colonial America, such as George

Washington or John Adams came to visit the city. The Pow-

els were famous for their lavish dinner parties. John Adams

wrote,

Dined at Mr. Powel's with... many others-- a most

Sinful Feast again! Everything which could delight the Eye

or allure the Taste. Curds and Creams. Jellies. Sweet meats

of various Sorts. 20 sorts of Tarts, fools, Trifles, floating

islands. Whipp'd Sillabubs &c. &c.-- Parmesan Cheese.

Pictured above Elfreth’s Alley– more common housing for

the time.

Note that John Adams was in Philadelphia for the First Con-

tinental Congress. Congressmen were meeting in defiance to

the British Crown, something Adams and Powel were well

aware of. Powel was one of the first Americans to designate

a specific room for eating. He was influenced by this inno-

vative practice while abroad in Europe. It is notable that the

Powels, unlike most Philadelphians, had enough money to

afford multiple rooms designed for a single purpose.

On the contrary, the average Philadelphian would

live in a house with only two rooms, usually one

for business and eating, and another as the bed-

room. Also, the common Philadelphia could only

afford soup, maybe a meat and one vegetable for

dinner. The wealth of Samuel Powel was one of the

reasons he was appointed mayor twice. It was not

until 1760 that the mayor received a salary, yet he

was required to host the Corporation for a dinner at

the end of each year. The dinner was a costly ven-

ture as it was expected to be extravagant, therefore

the mayor could keep his reputation as an elite and

cultured gentleman intact. By the time Powel was

mayor many chose to donate money into the Corpo-

ration coffer instead of a dinner. However, as

mayor Powel may have hosted a Corporation dinner

in this room with upwards of thirty people. For

larger dinner parties the less prominent individuals

may have dined in the drawing room upstairs. The

quantity and cost of the silverware, porcelain and

food required for a party of that size and elegance

was extravagant. Porcelain and silverware were

expensive and often imported from China or

France. Silverware and porcelain were often used to

denote the amount of wealth in a particular house-

hold. The Powels thought about the smallest details

for a successful party, even the green wall color

was fashionable for the time and reputed to pro-

mote smooth digestion. Look through the windows

and out into the garden. When Samuel and Eliza-

beth Powel lived in the house, the garden stretched

an additional sixty feet south, and all the way west

to Fourth Street. Feel free to walk out into the gar-

den, try and find the Franklin Tree which is now

extinct in the wild, but don’t forget to check out the

rooms upstairs first.

Note the portrait on the wall directly before the

main staircase. It is Samuel Powel!

*To get to the Ballroom go up the main staircase,

turn left and up a small staircase, then go straight

ahead into the large Ballroom*

The Ballroom

As you make your way up to the ballroom do not be

This is the same bannister that George and Martha

Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin,

and Sarah Franklin Bache grasped as they retreat-

ed to the ballroom to dance. George and Martha

Washinton silhouettes pictured below, can you

find Georges’ in the Powel House?

Samuel and Elizabeth Powel were famous for

their parties, and the elegant Rococo ballroom

shows why. Although Samuel Powel was born a

Quaker, he converted to Anglican while in Lon-

don. Powel had a desire for a luxurious lifestyle

and knew that as a Quaker he would not be able

to own lavish items in good faith. Many Quakers

of the time did not share the same sentiments

and would continue to practice as a Quaker,

even though they violated some of the ideolo-

gies. In this room the Powels danced and en-

joyed music, such as a harp or piano, with guests

such as the Marquise de Lafayette or the daugh-

ter of Benjamin Franklin, Sarah Franklin Bache.

Check out the letter that Sarah Franklin Bache

wrote to her father as well as the piano and harp

in the room. Visitors to the Powel House en-

joyed the experience and often became dear

friends of the Powels.

The Washingtons were so charmed that

they developed an intimate friendship with the

Samuel and Elizabeth Powel that continued for

the rest of their lives. Letters between George

and Martha Washington and the Powels show

Letters between George and Martha Washington and the Powels

show that they revered Elizabeth’s judgement and Samuel’s knack

for business and agriculture. In fact, after the war Washington cheer-

fully agreed to be placed on the Philadelphia Society for Promoting

Agriculture where Samuel Powel was the president. George Wash-

ington wished to go back to his farm after his first term as president.

If it wasn’t for Elizabeth Powel, Washington may have retired four

years earlier. Elizabeth Powel astutely realized that the infant Colo-

nies were in a fragile state and that Washington’s leadership was

needed for another four years. In a letter to Washington she subtly

hinted that he needed to run again. It was risky for Elizabeth Powel

to express political influence on the president because at that time

women were not allowed to actively participate in politics. However,

she astutely realized she was a cherished friend of George Washing-

ton, and was therefore in a unique position to influence him. Soon

afterwards Washington decided to run for president again.

*Feel free to pass through the Drawing room on your way back down

the small stairs and straight into the Servants room. In the Drawing

room, try and locate the lock of hair that belonged to George Wash-

ington. Also note the portrait of Elizabeth Powel on top of the fire-

place, painted by Matthew Pratt after the death of the Powels infant

children. *

Head Servant’s Bedroom

Unfortunately, due to modern fire codes the third floor (where the

Powels’ original bedroom was located) is off-limits to the public,

thus this room has been designed to display what the Powels’ bed-

room may have looked like. However, it was used as the Head Serv-

ant’s Bedroom while the Powels lived in the house. Before you enter

note the low ceiling and the petite staircase off to the right. In addi-

tion to servants, Elizabeth and Samuel Powel owned slaves. The

slaves and servants were required to take the back-staircase so they

did not interrupt parties. During the occupation of Philadelphia in

1778 the British Minister the Earl of Carlisle took over the Powel

House. The Earl forced the Powels to temporarily move into the head

servant’s bedroom. After his stay in the Powel House the Earl re-

marked,

I make him and his wife a visit every day [he wrote], talking

politics with them, and we are the best friends in the world.

They are very agreeable, sensible people, and you would

Unlike many of his patriot contemporaries, Powel remained

in Philadelphia during the occupation. By staying in Phila-

delphia, the Samuel and Elizabeth Powel risked imprison-

ment and maltreatment by the British as American sympa-

thizers, or were likely to face the same as a loyalist by the

patriots when they retook the city. However, because Samuel

Powel was not active in the military and was influential

among both patriots and loyalists, the British did not impris-

on him. During the occupation, Elizabeth Powel wrote to her

sister that “[your home has been] torn down and the Town-

side has undergone that same Fate. Mr. Powel bears it like a

Philosopher.” In Colonial America Greek and Roman philos-

ophers were widely-read and quite fashionable, therefore

comparison to one would be a sincere compliment. Acting as

a philosopher implied that he did not let his emotions cloud

his judgement. Powel often acted as a philosopher, therefore

he would not have committed to being a loyalist or patriot if

it was against the best interest of his city, family, and his

business interests. Perhaps Powel used his neutral status to

try and win favor with the occupying General William Howe

to secure more food and medical supplies for the needy.

While the country worried about the fate of the Continental

Army and America, the Powels, waiting for the war to end,

focused on poor relief, education, and religion to relieve the

distresses throughout Philadelphia. The French officer

Francois Jean Chastellux agreed that Elizabeth “only waits

for the termination of this little revolution, to effect a still

greater one in the manners of her country.” Later that year

when France joined the war as an American ally, Powel took

his oath of allegiance to the patriot cause and donated 5,000

pounds. Powel waited till the last minute to declare a faction.

A year had gone by since the Pennsylvania Assembly passed

an order that all citizens declare allegiance to the independ-

ent colonies or face imprisonment for treason. The donation

of 5,000 pounds by Powel was perhaps the largest sum do-

nated, other than a 10,000 pound donation from the friend of

Samuel Powel, Robert Morris, who is known as the financer

of the revolution. Powel was able to maintain friendly rela-

tions with the British, loyalist, and patriots because he was

wealthy, lived in a moderate colony, waited to choose a fac-

tion, and only publicly advocated the role of moderate politi-

cians. Such as John Dickinson (pictured to the right)

Outside the Powel House/ Conclusion

During his time in the city government, Powel participated in the less extravagant processes that were necessary

to govern a city. During the 18th century, Philadelphia was one of the largest English speaking cities in the world.

Within Philadelphia, Third Street was perhaps the most fashionable neighborhood because many prominent citi-

zens resided on it. Nearby, Thomas Paine printed the pamphlet Common Sense, Governor John Penn conducted

state affairs, and Peggy Shippen (cousin of Elizabeth Powel) waited to court and marry the loyalist celebrity and

turn-cloak Benedict Arnold. A few of the most frequented locations of the city were right around the corner from

Third Street and were influenced in some sense by the Powels.

North of the Powel House on High Street (Market Street) was the city market, south was St. Peters Church

(where Powel and Elizabeth got married), and northwest was Old City Hall. When Powel was elected into the

common council of Philadelphia he helped Philadelphia along the transition from a colonial town into a thriving

city. One of the biggest problems that the Philadelphia Corporation faced was a lack of funding. However, Powel

was not deterred in his effort to undertake public works and even fronted his own money. During his tenure in the

Corporation Powel served on committees designed to pave streets and plan for the construction of Old City Hall

(which still stands today next to Independence Hall). In hopes of saving money and lessening a criminal’s time in

jail, Powel minimized the holding time at the Walnut Street Jail prior to a criminal’s trial. A key role of the Phila-

delphia Corporation was to listen and attempt to solve problems that citizens voiced at common council meet-

ings. After citizens complained that city fairs congested and damaged streets and buildings while leaving litter in

their wake, Powel served on a committee to ban fairs from the city. After farmers from Maryland complained that

they received different volumes of goods from Philadelphia, Powel regulated the size of bushels (pictured below)

for transportation and storage of various goods. When citizens complained that another public scale was needed

to weigh hay, Powel funded and organized the placement of an additional scale. Powel also hired carpenters who

repaired damaged city market stalls and erected additional stalls when needed. Samuel Powel skillfully avoided

declaring a faction in the midst of an atmosphere that demanded one to identify as a patriot or loyalist, instead he

focused on making sure that his city continued to operate as smoothly as possible. Samuel Powel was neither the

“Patriot Mayor” nor was he a loyalist sym-

pathizer, he was the mayor of Philadelphia

committed to governing his city while the

rest of the nation fell into the chaos of the

Picture Sources-

Spanish Coin- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Philip_V_Coin.jpg

Elfreth’s Alley- http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/elfreths-alley/

George and Martha silhouettes-

http://natedsanders.com/rare_1796_miniature_portraits_of_president_george_-lot13625.aspx

John Dickinson-

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/John_Dickinson_portrait.jpg

Bushel-

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Queensland_Government_Imperial_Bushel_AD1875.jpg