Background:

In 1796 the younger Daniel Francis Pastorius (a tanner and great grandson of Germantown founding father Francis Daniel Pastorius), constructed this house on Germantown Avenue below the Pastorius homestead and the Pastorius' Green Tree Tavern. This two and a half story stone dwelling originally stood on the bed of High Street just above the Morris-Littell house, but in 1851 was moved a short distance to the north to make way for the opening of High Street.

John Howard Frick and Dr. William R. Dunton later lived in the house. After Dunton purchased the house in the late 1860s, he used materials from the demolished Pastorius homestead in his additions and alterations to the house at 6001 Germantown Avenue. When the First Methodist Church was built on this site in 1898, Dunton's house was moved a second time, to 25 High Street. At least one other Pastorius dwelling, a farm house, still stood behind the Pastorius-Dunton house even after it was moved to make way for the church.

Additional Sources:

• GHS: Germanopolis. "Residence of Alvah M. Davis, M.D. High Street, Germantown" (photograph of Dunton House).

• GHS: Jellett, Edwin C. "Germantown Historical Miscellany," pp. 282, 289-304 (images and text).

• GHS: Johnson, George Clarence, compiler. Pictorial Germantown Road & the Vicinity & Some of its Inhabitants, vol. 1, p. 99: rendering of the three Pastorius Houses (image, pre-1860).

• GHS: Photo Box 1, envelope 1: Dunton House, c. 1870 (photograph, rear view).

• GHS: Photo Box 2, envelope 1: Dunton House, rear, c. 1890 (photographs showing house and extensive gardens).

• GHS: Photo Box 8, envelope 11 (sepia photo by J. Mitchell Elliott, much damaged on the surface).

• GHS: Photo Box 10, envelope 9 (prints).

• GHS: Photo Box 14, envelope 12 (postcard).

• GHS: Photo Box 21, envelope 4, packet 1, a collection of photographs presented through Germantown Academy IV-1990, by Bill Bullis; taken by his grandfather, Clarence E. McClung.

• GHS: Photo Box A (outsize) Many Faces Exhibit E: sequence of 4 photographs of house being moved from Germantown Avenue to 25 High Street-first 3 from Dr. Dunton's album and 4th from Photo Scrapbook 1:94 (copied by Claire Kofsky).

• GHS: Photo Scrapbook 1:27, 94, 95 and 2(1): 100 (images).

• GHS: Photo Scrapbook 5:11 (image).

• GHS: Picture Case 1, Drawer 2, folder 1 (photograph by Urbert Pullinger).

• GHS: Shoemaker #14 (photographs of Pastorius-Dunton house on Germantown Avenue and as Dr. Dunton's house, trees and horse carriage, with description on the back).

• GHS: Ref L-1/9: Mr. Dunton's 25 High St. (photocopy, p. 282).

• GHS: Sanborn Glass negatives #35 (front view) and #36 (doorway).

• HSP: Campbell Collection, vol. 33, pp. 179-84: Pastorius-Dunton house on Germantown Avenue and on High Street, old house in the rear, Pastorius homestead, and Green Tree Tavern (clippings and engravings, and photographs).

• HSP: Mutual Insurance Policy 2000 (1799 survey for Daniel Pastorius, listed for 25 High St.).

• HSP: Perkins Collection, vol. 61D, pp. 56, 60: Pastorius-Dunton house on Germantown Avenue and on High Street (manuscript text, newsclipping, photo, and illustration from old photo--see also Campbell, vol. 33, p. 181 in HSP).

• HSP: Shoemaker Collection, folios 12, 14, 17 and 18: Pastorius-Dunton house on Germantown Avenue and on High Street, old house in the rear, and Green Tree Tavern (manuscript text, newsclipping and photographs).