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Community Corner

Viewfinder: Harriton House

Have a look at one of Bryn Mawr's historic treasures.

This Viewfinder is a gallery of photos taken at Harriton House in Bryn Mawr.  They depict the exterior and interior of six rooms of the house as it stood until an addition was added in the 1900s.  The photos give a brief glimpse into the living quarters of a statesman during the earliest days of the nation.  It seems primitive when compared to today's homes, but it was grand during its time.

Harriton House was built in 1704 by Rowland Ellis, a Welsh Quaker, on 700-acre estate received form William Penn in 1680.  Ellis named his estate "Bryn Mawr," which means "high hill" in Welsh.  Ellis sold the property in 1719, when the name was changed to Harriton by Richard Harrison, a tobacco farmer. In 1774, Harriton was acquired by Charles Thomson in 1774 by marriage to Richard Harrison's daughter.  He resided there until his death in 1824. Thomson was Secretary of the Continental Congresses, designed the Great Seal of the United States, and he informed George Washington that he had been elected the first President of the United States.  

Harriton House was restored to the period of Charles Thomson's occupancy between 1789 and 1824. It is furnished with a collection of 18th-century American decorative arts, including objects owned and used by Charles Thomson.  More information about Harrtion House, visitations, and programs offered can be obtained at its website

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