Stenton

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Stenton A 1730s historic house museum in Philadelphia administered by The NSCDA/PA.

Tea TableMahogany Philadelphiac.1770Courtesy of the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel; Bequest of Maria Dickinson Logan ...
10/09/2026

Tea Table
Mahogany
Philadelphia
c.1770
Courtesy of the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel; Bequest of Maria Dickinson Logan to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in memory of her brother Albanus Charles Logan

Possibly originally owned by John Dickinson, this scalloped top tea table is an unusual form in Philadelphia furniture. We look forward to studying it more closely in coming months.

At last week’s Logan Awards Dinner, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America- Pennsylvania honored three ou...
10/04/2026

At last week’s Logan Awards Dinner, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America- Pennsylvania honored three outstanding individuals who have made a lasting impact in the Philadelphia region and Pennsylvania: the legacy of Esther Ann McFarland, Councilmember Kendra Brooks, and Karin Wulf, PhD. Proceeds from the Dinner provide critical support for the preservation of Stenton and for History Hunters, the museum’s award-winning educational program for Philadelphia schoolchildren. We’re especially grateful to our Presenting Sponsors, Fiduciary Trust and the George C. and Esther Ann McFarland Foundation. We can never say thank you enough to everyone who joined us at this beautiful celebration to support our work at Stenton. We can’t do it without you! Visit https://www.stenton.org/supporters for a complete list of sponsors.

Photos by: Rashiid Marcell Photography

Looking or Pier GlassMirrored (tin-mercury amalgam) glass, secondary wood, and later, possibly restored gildingEngland17...
10/03/2026

Looking or Pier Glass
Mirrored (tin-mercury amalgam) glass, secondary wood, and later, possibly restored gilding
England
1700-1730
Courtesy of the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel; Bequest of Maria Dickinson Logan to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in memory of Albanus Charles Logan, 1939.

According to the 1752 James Logan probate inventory, there was a large looking glass valued at £8 in the Stenton parlour. The James Logan Account Book page included here tells us that Logan imported a large looking glass for £6 for his own use in 1712. Could this looking glass be one of these two?

This 67” high by 26” wide pier glass fits comfortably inside the field of the raised panels in the Stenton parlor which measure 69” by 30.” If indeed the glass hung at Stenton, the wall opposite the doors to the room is a natural position where looking into the mirror visually expanded the depth of the house. Almost every ground-floor and second-floor room at Stenton included a looking glass. They lent visual interest to interiors and were often hung on the piers between windows. Functionally, they served as lighting devices, doubling the effect of candlelight by reflecting it around a room at night. Until the late 18th century, large looking glasses could only technically be achieved with at least two pieces of glass.

Visit Stenton this October for lectures, a dec arts workshop, a chocolate making demo, and of course, our Halloween Harv...
09/30/2026

Visit Stenton this October for lectures, a dec arts workshop, a chocolate making demo, and of course, our Halloween Harvest Festival! For more details and to RSVP, visit www.stenton.org/programs

October 10th, 10:00 AM -2:00 PM - A Stenton Symposium - Coffee, Camelia and Cacao: Caffeinated Beverages in the Atlantic World - $20 tickets includes lectures, lunch, and workshop!

October 10th, 2:00-3:00 PM - Second Saturday Chocolate Making Demonstration with Mary Crathorne - FREE program plus FREE house tours beginning at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00pm. ​

October 24th, 1:00-3:00 PM - Stenton's Halloween Harvest Festival with special guests - The Philly Goat Project!

Sometimes it’s the little things….SpoonsPewterUnknown place of manufactureUnknown craftspersonCourtesy of the Loudoun Co...
09/25/2026

Sometimes it’s the little things….

Spoons
Pewter
Unknown place of manufacture
Unknown craftsperson
Courtesy of the Loudoun Collection, Fairmount Park

On the James Logan 1752 probate inventory, the Logan family Pewter Press was then worth one pound. At the time, the press contained: “ 2Doz[en] & 3 Dishes,” “5 doz[en] Plates,” and “3 Old Water Plates & 1 Bason.” No mention of spoons. The Pewter Press that descended to Robert Restalrig Logan (1874-1956), on loan to Stenton from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, has six spoon slots. These four pewter spoons descended to Maria Dicksinson Logan (1857-1939) of Loudoun. Bringing objects with Logan family histories into conversation with each other at Stenton offers a sense of satisfaction in restoration. In this instance, installing the spoons into the slots in the Press offers a most satisfying moment, like a key fitting into a lock, opening a connection to everyday life nearly three hundred years ago.

As the season quickly changes, we are looking back on the last few weeks of summer, when Stenton’s greenspace supported ...
09/22/2026

As the season quickly changes, we are looking back on the last few weeks of summer, when Stenton’s greenspace supported the truly magical life cycle of monarchs. From eggs and caterpillars on milkweed to chrysalises and newly hatched butterflies safely tucked under a piece of wood, it’s amazing what the right habitat can bring!

TODAY is the day!📣👏🏾 Stand up for Science and History with a gift to Historic Germantown's Science Sleuths. Your gift th...
09/22/2026

TODAY is the day!📣👏🏾 Stand up for Science and History with a gift to Historic Germantown's Science Sleuths. Your gift this Day of Giving will help provide:

👩🏿‍🔬Hands-on STEM based curriculum delivered at historic sites
📝100 field studies experiences for youth this school year
🎓300+ hours of on-site history and science immersion for our kids

Thanks to a $2,000 matching challenge from an anonymous donor, all donations will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the impact of your giving!

Make Your Gift Today!

How far can your gift to Science Sleuths Day of Giving go? For Philadelphia students, it goes a long way. Did you know ...
09/22/2026

How far can your gift to Science Sleuths Day of Giving go? For Philadelphia students, it goes a long way.

Did you know that only 40% of Philadelphia public middle schoolers meet the benchmark for science? Your gift will support:

🔬300+ hours of on-site history & science immersion programs
👩🏻‍🔬100 field studies experiences
📚exposure to a wide range of science, history & public health principles & concepts

Make your gift TODAY! Link in our bio

Tureen or Soup DishChinese-export porcelain with underglaze blue decorationJingdezhenc.1740-1750Courtesy of the Loudoun ...
09/18/2026

Tureen or Soup Dish
Chinese-export porcelain with underglaze blue decoration
Jingdezhen
c.1740-1750
Courtesy of the Loudoun Collection, Fairmount Park

This mended, round soup tureen survived above ground with Logan descendants who cared enough about it as a family heirloom to repair it with both staples and cement. Sarah Logan’s 1754 probate inventory tells us the Logans had a “large enamelled Soup Dish.” As this blue and white one does not have overglaze or enameled decoration, like reds, greens, or gilding, this one is not the one listed among Sarah’s possessions at her death. Stenton is delighted and grateful, nevertheless, to include it among the family objects on loan from the Loudoun collection on display in the Parlour buffet.

You can see more of the Stenton ceramics, both excavated and inherited family objects, by going to our CatalogIT database, which is linked to our website: https://www.stenton.org/collections-database

Address

4601 N 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19140

Opening Hours

Tuesday 1pm - 4pm
Wednesday 1pm - 4pm
Thursday 1pm - 4pm
Friday 1pm - 4pm
Saturday 1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+12153297312

Website

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