John owned farmland in both Germantown and in Lancaster.Īfter his first wife died, John married Anna Catherina Rubincam and built this house in Germantown in 1744 as a family country home. He and his family spent most of the year in their house on Market Street in Philadelphia, and then spent their summers in Germantown. John Wister owned multiple properties in and around Philadelphia. We now distinguish between John Wister and Casper Wistar, but the eventual Anglicizing of their names were interchangeable by the brothers and their families. Casper quickly became established as a glass manufacturer and accumulated land in the colonial city. His brother, Casper Wistar had come to Philadelphia in 1717. Growing up, PhilaLandmarks founder Frances Anne Wister made many visits to Grumblethorpe and to other Wister family homes including Belfield, the home of her paternal grandparents, Wakefield, Stenton, and Vernon.Īt age 19, John Wister (1708 - 1789) emigrated from the village of Hilsbach outside of Heidelberg, Germany to Philadelphia in 1727. Coming up in the later half of 20, we will be embarking on further restoration projects at this unique historic propertyįor almost 200 years, Grumblethorpe was the home of the Wister family. Since acquiring the building in 1941, PhilaLandmarks has restored and furnished the house and cultivated the gardens to reflect the interests and tastes of various generations of Wisters. who gave the house its new name: Grumblethorpe. He modified the front and back facades to Federal era architectural trends, created additions, and even had an observatory built. In the early 19th century, Charles Jones Wister Sr., John’s grandson, an astronomer, horticulturalist and inventor, made this Germantown house the permanent family home. This house was also taken over by the British and used as one of its headquarters during the Battle of Germantown in October 1777, as John Wister was staying in his Market Street home in Philadelphia and John’s son Daniel and his family had fled to a relative’s house in what is now Lower Gwynedd. Intended as a summer retreat, the house provided a refuge for the family from the humid Philadelphia summers, and in 1793, the family stayed in Germantown to avoid the yellow fever epidemic. Known through-out the 18th century as John Wister’s Big House, Grumblethorpe was just one of John’s many properties in Philadelphia and Lancaster. Set on 7.5-acres, the property included a farm, gardens, and orchards with fruit trees to supplement John’s wine importing business. Notable features include the stone coursing of the facade, front and rear balconies and the double front entrances. Constructed of local Wissahickon schist and oak timbers hewn from Wister’s woods, the house is a prime example of Germantown architecture of the period. Store employees will perform enhanced and frequent cleaning and disinfecting, and store hours will be modified to ensure appropriate time for cleaning and restocking.Īll sales are final, and no returns will be accepted until further notice.German immigrant John Wister (Johannes Wüster, 1705-1789) built this house in 1744 as a family country home outside of Philadelphia. Signage will also direct customers to follow one-way patterns to avoid cross-traffic and encourage them to refrain from touching products unless they intend to buy them. Voluntary compliance from all customers is encouraged in the interest of protecting the health and safety of our most vulnerable community members.Ĭustomers and employees will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing, guided by signage throughout the stores. The first hour each store is open each day will be reserved for customers at high risk for COVID-19, including those 65 years of age and older. Stores will limit the number of customers in a store at any time, allowing no more than 25 people (employees and customers) in any location and further restricting numbers of customers in smaller stores. The following mitigation efforts will be in place as stores resume limited in-store public access: Stores open and their hours are identified on the store locator page of With those five stores opening, 554 total stores across Pennsylvania are allowing limited in-store public access
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