Harriton House
Encyclopedia
Harriton House is an historic house on Pennsylvania
's Main Line
, most famously the residence of Charles Thomson
, the secretary of the Continental Congress
. It was originally built in 1704 by Rowland Ellis
, a Welsh Quaker, and was called Bryn Mawr, meaning "high hill." The modern town of Bryn Mawr
is named after the house, and the National Register listing is under the original name.
The Association operates Harriton House as an historic house museum and cultural resource. Tours are given from Wednesday through Saturday, and special events are held at the house through the year.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
's Main Line
Pennsylvania Main Line
The Main Line is an unofficial historical and socio-cultural region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising a collection of affluent towns built along the old Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad which ran northwest from downtown Philadelphia parallel to Lancaster Avenue , a road...
, most famously the residence of Charles Thomson
Charles Thomson
Charles Thomson was a Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress throughout its existence.-Biography:...
, the secretary of the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
. It was originally built in 1704 by Rowland Ellis
Rowland Ellis
Rowland Ellis was a Welsh Quaker leader.Ellis was the owner of the farm of Bryn Mawr near Dolgellau. He became a Quaker, along with a number of other inhabitants of Dolgellau, after a visit to the town by George Fox in 1657. As a result of religious persecution, he and others emigrated to...
, a Welsh Quaker, and was called Bryn Mawr, meaning "high hill." The modern town of Bryn Mawr
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr from Welsh for "big hill") is a census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue and the border with Delaware County...
is named after the house, and the National Register listing is under the original name.
Harriton Association
The Harriton Association was started by a group of people who were concerned that the house and its surrounding grounds, which were privately owned at the time, would be subdivided and developed. The Association restored the house to look as it did when Charles Thomson lived in it in time for the 1976 Bicentennial of the United States.The Association operates Harriton House as an historic house museum and cultural resource. Tours are given from Wednesday through Saturday, and special events are held at the house through the year.