Historic Quaker Houses of Philadelphia
The Bartram House
Home of John Bartram
The Father of American Botany
Above: The Oldest Surviving Botanical Garden in the U.S. Bartram’s House and Garden. Image source: Lee J. Stoltzfus.
Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia is the oldest surviving botanical garden in the United States. The garden was shaped by multiple generations of the Bartram family, whose work profoundly influenced American botany and horticulture. Quaker farmer John Bartram founded the garden in 1728, with the help of his second wife, Ann Mendenhall Bartram. The garden became a center for plant exploration and international exchange.
John and Ann’s son William Bartram expanded the family’s botanical legacy through his renowned explorations and artistic documentation. Bartram descendants, including John Bartram Jr. and Ann Bartram Carr, further developed the nursery and introduced countless new plant species to American and European gardens.
Ann Bartram Carr was instrumental in modernizing the nursery. She expanded the gardens and opened the site to the public.
Above: West side of the Bartram House with the Ann Bartram Carr Garden. Image source: Lee J. Stoltzfus.
The Bartram House
In an 1849 Illustration:
Above: Image source: Memorials of John Bartram and Humphrey Marshall, by William Darling, 1849, Internet Archive
John Bartram began constructing this stone house soon after purchasing the land in 1728. He worked on it in phases over the next 40 years. Bartram drew inspiration from classical Italian villas. He incorporated architectural details such as carved Ionic columns and Baroque-style window surrounds.
The house was built of local Wissahickon Schist, a type of bedrock that Bartram and his family hand-quarried themselves.
An 1880 Article about John Bartram
In Harper’s New Monthly Magazine:
Above: “The Botanist” illustration by Howard Pyle in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, February 1880, HathiTrust
Botanist John Bartram
An Artist in Stone:
John Bartram was a self-taught botanist and a self-taught builder. His house and greenhouse reveal his skill and artistry as a stonemason. His unique, handcrafted buildings are in a style of their own.
In a 1757 letter to Jared Eliot he wrote, “I have split rocks 17 foot long & built five houses of hewn stones split out of ye rock with my own hands & very easy pleasant work it is…”
Earlier, in 1737, Quaker botanist Peter Collinson wrote to Bartram, “I have heard of thy House & thy great art & Industry in building it… it makes me long to see it & the builder.”
Above: Bartram created unusual plantlike designs in stone to form a frieze for the greenhouse he built ca. 1760. These personal, handmade ornaments are like his autograph in stone.
Above: In Bartram’s 1757 letter to Jared Eliot, Bartram wrote that he "had been used to split rocks to make steps, dore-sills & large windo cases.”
Above: Bartram inscribed his statement of spirituality for the front facade of his house. “IT IS GOD ALONE ALMYTY LORD THE HOLY ONE BY ME ADORD JOHN BARTRAM 1770”
John Bartram was an independent thinker in both building and religion. In 1758, Darby Monthly Meeting of Friends disowned him for refusing to profess a belief in the divinity of Christ. Despite being disowned, Bartram continued to attend meeting for worship at Darby.
Above: Bartram created a running-scroll design above a door into the house. The design suggests classical vine-scroll ornament.
Bartram’s house is one of a kind. It does not simply follow accepted architectural patterns, but reflects the imagination of his self-taught craft. The house’s innovative details, and bold handcrafted forms reveal Bartram’s artistry.
Bartram used distinctive stonework techniques to build his ca. 1760 greenouse. The character of this stonework reveals the creativity and confidence of his craftsmanship.
Historic American Landscape Survey:
Above: The 1731 datestone records the names of John Bartram and his wife Ann (Mendenhall) Bartram. The date marks an initial construction phase of the building.
Image source: Historic American Landscape Survey, 2000, Joseph E. B. Elliott photographer, Library of Congress.
1783: John Bartram’s Catalogue…
The Earliest Surviving American Plant Catalog
From America’s First Botanical Garden:
Above: John Bartram’s Catalogue of American Trees, Shrubs and Herbaceous Plants, 1783. It is the earliest surviving American-printed plant catalog. Two years later, in Chester County, Bartram’s first cousin Humphry Marshall published the first American plant book, Arbustum Americanum: The American Grove. Image source: JohnBartramArboretum.org
Floor Plan of the Bartram House in 1940
Historic American Buildings Survey:
Above: Floor plan of the Bartram House drawn by Gabriel B. Rothkugel in 1940. Image source: Library of Congress
Bartram’s Garden, Created in 1728
The Oldest Surviving Botanic Garden in North America:
A Drawing of the Bartram House and Garden in 1758:
Bartram’s Garden is often described as the first botanical garden in North America. Image source: National Gallery of Art
1888: A Hike in Bartram’s Garden
Two Quaker Sisters-in-Law Precariously Perched
By Photographer Marriott Canby Morris:
Image source: Library Company of Philadelphia
Two Quaker sisters-in-law from Philadelphia perch precariously on a rail fence at Bartram’s Garden in this 1888 photo by Marriott Canby Morris.
The women are Mary (Minnie) Dawson Tyson Shoemaker (1865 - 1926) and Maria (Minnie) Brinton Shoemaker Kimber (1860 - 1931). The photographer did not identify which woman was which.
In the background are the photographer’s Quaker parents, Elliston P. Morris and Martha Canby Morris.
John Bartram’s Son, William Bartram
America’s First Native-Born Artist - Naturalist:
Above: Row 1: Franklinia alatamaha, Cornus florida, Rhododendron punctatum, Weasel. Row 2: Bartsia coccinea, Oenothera grandiflora, Dionaea muscipula, Alligator. Images source: American Philosophical Society Library
William Bartram was a pioneering American naturalist and botanical artist whose explorations in the late 18th century left an indelible mark on the study of North American flora and fauna. He was born at Bartram’s Garden in 1739. From 1773 to 1777, Bartram traveled deep into the southeastern wilderness. He documented and illustrated over 200 native plant species, many of which were previously unknown to Western science.
In addition to William Bartram’s explorations and artistic achievements, he played a crucial role in the continued success of his family's botanical legacy at Bartram’s Garden. After the death of his father, John Bartram, in 1777, William and his brother John Jr. took over the management of the garden and its renowned plant nursery.
The Bartram brothers expanded the garden’s plant collections and maintained its status as the most varied assemblage of North American plants in the world. William’s reputation as a naturalist attracted prominent visitors, including President George Washington, who toured the gardens during Philadelphia’s time as the nation’s capital.
William Bartram’s Travels (1791)
A Landmark in Early American Natural History:
Above: William Bartram donated this copy of his Travels to the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia in 1792, the year after the book’s publication date. Image source: American Philosophical Society
William Bartram’s Travels, published in 1791, offers an engaging account of his explorations throughout the American South during the 1770s. The book blends Bartram’s keen scientific observations with vivid descriptions of landscapes, plants, animals, and Native American communities.
Bartram illustrated the book with his own drawings. Travels stands out for its combination of careful documentation and expressive narrative. The book captures both the diversity of the region’s natural history and the author’s deep appreciation for its beauty. Widely recognized as a classic of early American literature and natural science, Bartram’s work has influenced generations of naturalists and writers.
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