Note: this policy includes the above site plan as well as
floor plans for five buildings on the property, including
additions and alterations to the mansion house.
Two surveys were made, one in 1847 for Frederick Seckel, and one in 1856 for E. H. Butler.
"Two two story stone houses and one frame barn. Situate about 120 ft. above the Methodist Meetinghouse Lane (Haines Street), one fronting Main Street (Germantown Avenue) and large mansion about 140 ft. NE of Main Street, and frame barn about 65 ft. north of mansion house. And a two story stone house situate about 100 ft. north of said Meetinghouse Lane and fronting the same, and a two story frame house finished for two tenements on the SE side of Methodist Meetinghouse Lane. All in the borough of Germantown in the county of Philadelphia.
"No. 1 is the two story stone mansion house. Dimensions 45 ft 4
in. by 25 feet deep with a two story stone kitchen built against
the NW gable end 21 ft 10 in front by 20 ft deep. A piazza along
the front of mansion 13 ft 2 in wide, and 11 ft 4 in to ceiling,
yellow pine floor, 4 large turned posts on square marble blocks
to support the roof which is cedar shingles with trough shingled
in the roof and tin conductors and eaves finished with gothic
cornice. A front door into entry, white pine 2 panels, 7 ft by 4
ft and 2 in. thick, moulded on outside and bead and butt inside
door frame, finished with side lights and a large circular
transom over door very handsomely finished. Six 12 light windows
glass 11 by 18 first story front, 4 in main house and two in
kitchen. In second story front seven 12 light windows glass 11
by 10, five in main house and 2 in kitchen and 5 dormer windows
front, 12 lights each and glass 9 by 11, three on main house and
2 in kitchen.
"In second story 4 windows, one in recess with side lights and
two others in main house same as front, and one in
kitchen.....and two dormers on roof same as front. On NE gable
end a door from kitchen into yard.....and a plain pizza extending
along gable to privey. The windows on first and second story of
house and kitchen have double Venetian blind shutters, 1 3/4 in.
on the outside and hung with strap hinges and all well painted
green.....outside of door and window frames finished with Grecian
moulding. Windows in first story recessed. And inside 2 panel 1
in. shutters to all the windows, with moulding in the window
jambs all finished with panel work and inside of door and window
frames finished with pilasters, except the garret which is
Grecian moulding.....
"No. 2 is a two story stone house on the NE side of
Germantown Main Street and in front of mansion house. Dimensions
33 ft front by 22 1/2 feet deep. With all panel yellow pine
front door
opening into entry 7 ft 4 in by 3 ft 4 in and 2 in thick moulded
on outside and lined on inside.....three 12 light windows in
first story glass 8 by 13, with double 1 in. white pine 3 panel
shutters moulded on inside bead and butt outside and hung with
strap hinges. 4 windows in second story front.....and two plain
dormer windows in garret.....Entry running depth of building 5 ft
8 in wide to stairs.....Room No. 1 on right of entry 18 1/2 ft by
12 ft 7 in ( a door under stairs with common pine steps into
cellar) with windows cased and moulded, a fireplace with a dark
marble mantel, a closet with 4 doors paneled on left of fireplace
and 7 in. wash boards with bead, room papered. Room No. 2 on
left of entry 18 ft 7 in by 10 ft 8 in with fireplace and plain
black marble mantel with a closet on left and a closet in wall
with a double 3 panel door each and a door into kitchen.....one
window, washboards and room papered same as other room.
"No. 3 is a two story stone house 109 1/2 ft from
the NW side of Methodist Meetinghouse Lane and fronting the same
and 111 ft from mansion house. One half of first story is not
finished. The other half together with the second story and
garret is finished for a dwelling. Dimensions 38 ft front by 18
ft deep, a cellar 12 by 18 ft under finished part. Front of
house two ledged doors, one into finished part, and 4 12 light
windows with double 2 panel shutters with strap hinges in first
story and seven 12 light windows in second story front with
double 1 in. Venetian blinds painted green and two plain dormer
windows on roof, three 6 light windows in rear of building and
one 4 light in each gable end.....Room in first story with a door
and two windows front and two small windows in rear.....fireplace
and closet, a closed white pine winding stairs into garret and a
door with rough steps under stairs into cellar.....
"No. 4 is the barn which is 3 parts frame and one part stone.
Situate about 50 ft from mansion house. Dimension 57 ft front by
19 ft deep and 15 ft up to square 16 1/2 ft of the front is only
one story being 8 1/2 ft up to square. Large part of barn
divided into a coach house, a horse stable and feed entry. In
one story part a feed room front and cow stable back. On front
of building a double door to coach house.....Hayloft.....Roof
pitching two ways, with hemlock rafters, oak lath and white pine
shingles, with troughs shingled in room and tin conductor. Roof
on one story part pitching one way and same as main roof. A neat
cupola on barn roof with spire and letters toward the 4 points of
the compass....."
"No. 5 is a two story frame house finished for two tenements.
Situate on the SE side of Methodist Meetinghouse Lane (Haines
St.) and about 75 yards from Main Street (Germantown Avenue) in
the borough of Germantown.
"Survey of additions and alterations made October
30, 1856 for E. H. Butler.
"Of building No. 1: The two story stone mansion house described
in the original survey.....A two story bay window in rear of No.
1, sash, 8 lights.....Rooms No. 1 & 2 and hall of 1st story the
ceiling finished with plaster cornice and centre pieces. The
partition between the dining room & kitchen, and also the private
stairs from 1st to 2nd story as marked on the original plans have
been removed. And a new two story stone stairway built in the
rear, dimensions 11 by 12 ft, a yellow pine floor in each story.
The first story 2 out doors, one with a 3 light transom also a
doorway communicating with dining room.....a closed stair of
yellow pine boards to 2nd story with a flight of steps under to
cellar, also a closet under stairs.....
Addendum:
"June 8th, 1859. Survey of a one story brick kitchen adjoining
building No. 1 and communicating with said building. Yellow pine
floor, a doorway to stairs, jambs and head cased plain door 2
panels.....and a doorway to other kitchen, door with a 9 light
sash, glass 9 x 15 in., two out doorways, at one door jambs and
head cased plain and at other solid frame, marble
sill.....outside white pine panel'd shutters, iron strap
hinges.....Gas over upright boiler, iron sink, pipes for hot and
cold water, brass spigots.....A 2nd story of private stair part
partitioned off for a water closet and finished in the usual
manner....."
"in the rear of mansion house, in the centre is a recess 4 ft 10
in. deep by 17 ft wide, which extends the entry and makes
sufficient room for stairs with a piazza along the rear of recess
11 ft 6 in wide and 7 ft 8 in to ceiling with two turned posts
and finished same as front piazza. A back entry door.....a door
in rear of kitchen.....
"First story divided into a large hall running through the centre
the depth of building and recess. Two parlors one on each side
of hall, and a entry running from hall in rear of room No. 2 to
the kitchen part. Hall running the depth of building 9 ft. wide
with an open newel stairs into garret.....turned pine newel posts
and bannisters and mahogony hand rail.....Room No. 1 on the right
of entry 15 ft 9 in by 21 ft 7 in with a fireplace, a neat white
marble mantel and fire grate, 3 windows and wash boards, a very
neat cornice around ceiling same as entry. Room No. 2 on left of
entry or hall 15 ft 9 in by 17 ft with an Egyptian marble mantel
and cast iron jambs to fireplace, two windows and a
door.....Ceiling in first story 11 ft.
"Kitchen with a cellar under and an outside front cellar door
double and marble cheeks.....kitchen part finished in same manner
as main house. first story divided into a small entry 5 ft wide
running along the rear and joining rear entry of large house.
Entry with a door 7 ft by 3 ft into each room, a door opening
into yard, a closed yellow pine winding stairs into garret with a
small closet at bottom of stairs. Room No. 1 next to main house
6 ft 8 in by 11 ft, one window e closets and shelves in room,
this room appears to be a store room. Room No. 2 which is the
kitchen 11 ft by 12 ft, one window, a fireplace with large
kitchen range and dresser, an outside door, a door with a passage
under stairs and pine steps into cellar. The kitchen has all the
required fixtures to convey water to the bathroom.
"Second story main house and divided into an entry and 4
rooms.....Story of kitchen part divided into a small entry at
head of stairs, a bathroom and two rooms.....
"Garret of main house lathed plastered and finished and divided
into an entry and 3 rooms.....Roof of house and kitchen pitching
two ways.....Kitchen and piazza finished with Gothic cornice.
The roof of recess pitching two ways with a d. window in peak and
eaves finished same as house.
"Second story white pine floor planed, ploughed and groved, and
divided into a small entry at head of stairs and 3 windows, a
window at half pace on stairs.....(details on windows, mantels,
etc. in each room)
"A one story stone kitchen adjoining house, 16 ft by 12 ft and
ceiling 6 ft 11 in with a yellow pine floor, a door into room No.
2.....fireplace and closet and a flat cedar shingle roof pitching
one way with wooden troughs, a plain piazza at back part of
house, 7 ft 9 in wide with two yellow pine posts to support the
roof which has cedar rafters.....Hip roof to house which is
rather old. Tin trough shingled in roof in front and a neat
plain cornice, one tin conductor, plain eaves in rear with wooden
trough and conductor, a chimney in each gable end."
"Second story.....divided into a small entry at head of stairs
and 3 rooms. Entry with a continuation of stairs into garret,
and a door into room No. 1 & 2. Room No. 1: 12 ft 34 in by 12 ft
4 in with 3 windows and closet. Room No. 2: 11 ft 6 in by 15 ft
6 in, two windows and a door into room No. 3. Room No. 3: 10 ft
by 10 ft 6 in with 2 windows and one corner trimmed for a
stairs.....
"Garrett.....divided into 2 rooms of equal size. Roof pitching
two ways....."
Another survey of this building no. 3 is found in a different 1846 policy.
"Dimensions 26 ft 4 in front on side lane by 19 ft deep with a
two story frame kitchen attached in rear, 11 1/2 ft deep
extending along rear of building with a cellar. Front house and
kitchen part divided equal into two dwelling and finished the
same. With a door opening into each room front.....and two 15
light 8 by 10 glass windows, with double three panel 1 in.
shutters hung with strap hinges in first story and 4-12 light in
second story with double Venetian shutters front. A ledged door
and 4-12 lights and one 4 light in each gable end, 2 windows in
first story, 2 in second and the 4 light in loft, and 4-12 light
windows in rear, 2 in each story. The first story sides and rear
windows with single ledged shutters. The weatherboards running
lengthwise in front, the boards narrow, rabbeted and painted
sides and rear, the boards rough wide and rabbeted.....A rough
piazza along the rear of kitchen.....a door in floor into
cellar.....Front room in each dwelling first story a front door,
two windows, a fireplace with plain wooden mantel, a closed white
pine stairs into second story and a door into kitchen.....Ceiling
7 ft 6 in. Kitchens with a ledged door each into yard, two
windows, a fireplace with shelf, mantel, a closet with ledged
door and wash boards, ceiling 6 ft 10 in.
"Second story a small entry at head of stairs with a door into
each room. Front room 3 windows, fireplace with shelf mantel, a
closet with ledged door and wash board beaded 5 in. Ceiling 7
1/2 ft with trap door into loft. Room over kitchen 2 windows, a
closet with ledged door and washboards. Ceiling 6 ft. 11 in.
Roof pitching two ways with cedar shingles, boxed eaves on back
part of roof a plain cornice in front with wooden troughs and
conductor, and two trap doors on roof. Knob locks to front
doors, bolts to shutters and back doors, and thumb latches to
other doors....."
"The 2nd story a door way communicating with private entry over
the dining room.....
"A one story stone kitchen adjoining and communicating with
dining room, with a pantry and small entry off, at entry an out
door.....a fireplace with cooking range, copper boiler, pipes for
hot and cold water, iron sink, a large kitchen closet, washboards
beaded.....Story 8 1/2 ft, a single pitch tin roof, gutter,
cornice, tin conductors. Cellar under all the house, furnace in
the cellar to heat the house, gas pipes, a register in hall, each
parlor and dining room."
See original surveys for more details regarding materials, woodwork, windows, shutters, eaves and cornices, etc.