W. Birch & Son
The House Intended for the President of the United States in Ninth Street Philadelphia

Public Domain

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Artist W. Birch & Son (American, active c. 1798–1800)American, active c. 1798–1800

Artist William Russell Birch (American, born England, 1755–1834)American, born England, 1755–1834

Artist Thomas Birch (American, born England, 1779–1851)American, born England, 1779–1851

Artist Samuel Seymour (American, born England, active 1777–1823)American, born England, active 1777–1823

Publisher R. Campbell & Co. (Philadelphia)Philadelphia

CultureAmerican

Titles

The House Intended for the President of the United States in Ninth Street Philadelphia
from the portfolio The City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania North America: As It Appeared in the Year 1800

Date1799

Place depictedPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Printed inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

MediumEtching and engraving with watercolor on laid paper, first edition

DimensionsPlate: 11 3/8 × 13 in. (28.9 × 33 cm)
Sheet: 13 1/8 x 14 1/2 in. (33.3 x 36.8 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by John B. Brent, S. Reed Morian, and Gene M. Woodfin in honor of Meredith J. Long at "One Great Night in November, 1992"

Object numberB.92.15

Not on view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

PRINTS

DescriptionBuilt between 1792 and 1797 in Philadelphia, this handsome structure never was home to an American president. The house was completed after the end of George Washington’s term as president, and John Adams declined to live in it. Washington and Adams both occupied a rented house at Sixth and Market Streets. The University of Pennsylvania later owned the building and demolished it in 1829 in preparation for the erection of two new university buildings on the same site.
Provenance[Philadelphia Print Shop, Philadelphia]; purchased by MFAH, 1992.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Inscribed below image, left: Drawn & Engraved by W. Birch & Son
Inscribed below image, right: Published by R. Campbell & Co.[o superscript with period [.] underneath] No..[o superscript, underlined, with two periods [..] underneath] 50. Chesnut Street Philda.[a superscript with period [.] underneath] 1799.
[Snyder 1975b, p. 234, fig. 149]
Inscribed below image center: THE HOUSE intended for the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES, / in Ninth Street PHILADELPHIA

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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