Weathervane Wednesday at the Biltmore Mansion, Asheville, North Carolina

 These weathervanes were photographed at the Biltmore Mansion. 

We saw several weathervanes above the gigantic Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina. This grand estate is open to the public as a museum.  It was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895.  The house has 250 rooms, and 178,926 square feet of living space.  It is the largest privately owned house in the United States, and it is still owned by descendants of G. W. Vanderbilt.

The weathervanes over the main house have the intials CV, for Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794 - 1877), the original immigrant ancestor of the wealthy Vanderbilt family in the United States.  However, these are also the initials of G.W. Vanderbilt's only daughter, Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt (1900 - 1976), who was born here and inherited the entire estate.  Her son, George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil, and William A. V. Cecil came to live on this property in the 1950s and worked to make the estate profitable by managing the dairy business, and opening up the house to the public. Now the house has over 1.4 million visitors every year.  

This family tree was on exhibit at the Biltmore Estate

We spotted a second, smaller weathervane over the
roof of the mansion.  There may be more we
couldn't see behind the house or on other turrets

For the truly curious:

The Biltmore Estate website:  https://www.biltmore.com/    

The Biltmore Estate at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltmore_Estate  

Click here to see almost 550 other Weathervane Wednesday posts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday at the Biltmore Mansion, Asheville, North Carolina", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 16, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/10/weathervane-wednesday-at-biltmore.html: accessed [access date]). 

Benjamin Franklin's Burial Site, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 These tombstones were photographed at the Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

BENJAMIN 

                                  And                FRANKLIN

DEBORAH   

                     1790

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

SIGNER OF

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 17, 1787

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PRESENTED BY

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE SOCIETY

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

SEPTEMBER 17, 1987

The Body of

B. Franklin, Printer,

Like the Cover of an old Book,

Its Contents torn out,

And stript of its Lettering & Gilding,

Lies here, Food for Worms.

But the Work shall not be lost,

For it will as he believ'd

appear once more

In a new and more elegant Edition

Corrected and improved

By the Author.

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(This epitaph written by Franklin as a young

man, was not intended to be used.  His nearby

gravestone was prepared in exact accordance

with the instructions contained in his will.)

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This gravesite restored

by the Poor Richard Club

of Philadelphia

THE LAST RESTING PLACE OF

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 

1706 - 1790

< 0 >

"VENERATED FOR BENEVOLENCE,

ADMIRED FOR TALENTS,  ESTEEMED

FOR PATRIOTISM, BELOVED FOR

PHILANTHROPY."

                                           WASHINGTON

<  0 >

"THE SAGE WHOM TWO WORLDS

CLAIMED AS THEIR OWN"

                                        MIRABEAU

< 0 >

"HE TORE FROM THE SKIES THE

LIGHTNING AND FROM TYRANTS

THE SCEPTRE."

                                   TURGOT

< 0 >

I have written several previous blog posts about Benjamin Franklin, since he is my first cousin, 8 generations removed.  His mother, Abiah Folger (1667 - 1752) and my 7th great grandmother, Bethshua Folger (1650 - ?) were sisters.  When we were visiting Philadelphia recently, seeing Franklin's house and burial site were on the top of my list of things to do.

The Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia was established in 1719.  Five signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here. 

This burial ground is easy to find, since it is across the street from the Visitor Center and National Park Visitor Center in Philadelphia.  It is open to the public for a fee of $5 for adults. If it is closed, there is a wrought iron railing in an opening in the brick wall surrounding the cemetery, so you can see Franklin's grave.  It is a tradition to leave a penny on Franklin's grave.  The family plot was restored in 2017 (see the Christ Church webpage below for more information.  

Benjamin and Deborah Franklin are buried to the right of his daughter, Sarah and her husband Richard Bache.  Next to Benjamin's gravemarker is his son who died young,  and Francis F. Franklin (1732 - 1736).  There are nearby markers for Deborah's parents and other Bache family members. 

For the Truly Curious: 

The Christ Church webpage for the burial ground (including a map of the cemetery):  https://christchurchphila.org/burial-grounds/  

Christ Church Burial Ground, at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church_Burial_Ground  

My "Surname Saturday" post for my FOLGER lineage:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/11/surname-saturday-folger-of-watertown.html  

Other posts about Benjamin Franklin:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Franklin  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Benjamin Franklin's Burial Site, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 8, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/10/benjamin-franklins-burial-site.html, accessed [access date]).  

Inside the Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia, for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed at the Museum of the American Revolution. 

"Weathervane

Possibly made by Friedrich Marsteller
Trappe, Pennsylvania, 1743
Iron
On loan from Augustus Lutheran Church

This wroght Iron weathervane adorned the Augustus Lutheran Church of Trappe, Pennsylvania, which was founded in 1743. Reverend Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, considered the "patriarch" of American Lutheranism, served as the first ordained minister of the church from 1742 to 1787.  his son became an officer in the Revolutionary army." 

This is an unusual weathervane since it is so tall.  I imagine that the entire design rotated atop the church steeple.  The banner at the top has the numbers 1743, the year the church was founded, and there is an ornate wrought iron circle decorated with curlicues and flowers. 

The Friedrich Marsteller referred to in the museum information was born in 1702 in Pfungstadt, Germany, the son of a blacksmith. He came to Pennsylvania in 1729 and became a farmer and blacksmith, like his father. He was an original member of the congregation that founded the Augustus Lutheran Church. He died in 1753 and is buried in the churchyard.  [ see FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/memories/memory/108533533 ]  

For the Truly Curious:

Museum of the American Revolution Facebook story, from February 2, 2023:   https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=205902455301500&id=100076452412452&paipv=0&eav=AfZDntF9tZJ7GPp4ivmxHo4fL4v84gs1Vo3SE2zB5hHaBkUBwG3uoqneSlyoTmnK-4Q&_rdr   

Click here to see almost 550 more Weathervane Wednesday posts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday  

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Inside the Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia, for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 2, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/10/inside-museum-of-american-revolution.html: accessed [access date]). 

Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia, for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A view of Carpenters Court, in front
of Carpenters' Hall

Carpenters' Hall is a historic landmark in Philadelphia, about a block away from Independence Hall.  It was the site of the First Continental Congress in 1774, and also it was where Franklin installed his Library Company. It is open to the public and FREE since 1857 when it was the first private US building open as a historic monument.  Carpenters' Hall was built in 1770 by a Scots architect, Robert Smith, with advice from Benjamin Franklin on fireproofing the building, which would become a library. 

The Continental Congress of the Thirteen Colonies used Carpenters Hall as their first meeting house in 1774.  The hall served as a hospital for British and American soldiers during the Revolutionary War.  Many organizations have used this building including Franklin's Library Company, the American Philosophical Society, and the First and Second Banks of the United States. 

This building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970. 

The weathervane is a simple gilded banner style vane, with a Masonic symbol as a finial on top of a cupola. The Carpenters Company was made up of many master craftsmen members who were part of the Masonic fraternity, as well as many members of the Continental Congress. It is possible that the Masons met inside this hall, too, at some point in history. 

According to the official website of the Carpenters Company, the building was originally very plain, with unfinished brickwork, but the cupola, ball and weathervane were original to 1774.  The brickwork was not finished until 17 years later, after the war.  [ https://www.carpentershall.org/architectural-history ]

For the Truly Curious:

Carpenters Hall Company:    https://www.carpentershall.org/  

Carpenters Hall at Wikipedia:    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenters%27_Hall#:~:text=The%20First%20Continental%20Congress%20of,moderate%20Provincial%20Assembly%20of%20Pennsylvania  

Click here to see almost 550 more Weathervane Wednesday posts:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday    

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia, for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 25, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/09/carpenters-hall-philadelphia-for.html: [accessed] access date.) 

The Merchant Exchange Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed from our hotel room window in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This was our view from our hotel window, the Marriott Renaissance, located between Independence Hall and the Museum of the American Revolution.  It was a beautiful, gilded weathervane, and it took a long time on Google Maps and the internet to figure out which historic building had this weathervane.  Finally we discovered it was atop the Merchant Exchange Building.  

Merchants' Exchange Building - photo from NPS 

This impressive building was built in 1834 in the Greek Revival style.  It looks like a temple with the round walls and columns.  This building was used as a stock exchange, post office, and housed insurance companies over the years.  Now it is the National Park headquarters, and there is a small exhibit on the first floor entrance open 8:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday. It is located at 143 South 3rd Street in Philadelphia. 

The Merchants' Exchange was remodeled and restored in 2014.  The copper cupola was restored, and weathervane was cleaned and gilded "in-situ". [ Kreilick Conservation, LLC, "Merchants' Exchange Building 2014", https://www.kreilickconservation.com/merchants-exchange-building-2014  accessed September 17, 2024]  The bright golden weathervane caught our eye from our hotel room.  It was not visible at street level.  

For the truly curious:

Merchants' Exchange Building, Philadelphia, at Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchants%27_Exchange_Building_(Philadelphia)  

Click here to see almost 550 other Weathervane Wednesday posts!

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Merchant Exchange Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 18, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-merchant-exchange-building.html: accessed [access date]). 

A Fire Engine in New London, New Hampshire for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed at the Ice House Museum in New London, New Hampshire. 

The Ice House Museum in New London, New Hampshire specializes in transportation and has amazing collections of Model Ts, automobiles, bicycles, and fire engines.  Over the building housing the fire engines is this very detailed, three dimensional weathervane of an old fire engine - possibly an old Amoskeag steamer built in Manchester, New Hampshire.

This weathervane contains lots of great small details, including the reins on the horses, spokes on the wheels, and the helmets on the firefighters' heads.  You can appreciate the details without using binoculars or the zoom function on your phone or camera because it is on a very low building.  Getting up close is more fun when you spot a great weather vane! 

For the truly curious:

Ice House Museum, New London, New Hampshire:  https://www.wfkicehouse.org/  

Facebook page for the Ice House Museum:    https://www.facebook.com/theicehousemuseum/  

Last month I wrote a Weathervane Wednesday post about another weather vane from this museum.  Click here to read all about this Model T automobile weather vane!   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/08/a-modified-model-t-weathervane-new.html  

Click here to see over 500 Weathervane Wednesday posts from this blog!   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday    

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To cite/link: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Fire Engine in New London, New Hampshire for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 11, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/09/a-fire-engine-in-new-london-new.html: accessed [access date]). 

A Penny Farthing Bicycle in New London, New Hampshire for Weathervane Wednesday

This weathervane was photographed at the Ice House museum in New London, New Hampshire

 Last month I posted a Weathervane Wednesday post about a Model T automobile weather vane from the Ice House museum.  Today I'm posting about this "Penny Farthing" weathervane I photographed also at the Ice House museum in New London.  I almost missed this one, and saw it as I was leaving the museum! 

The Ice House museum displays lots of old automobiles, fire engines, bicycles and riding toys from history.  This three dimensional weathervane of a "Penny Farthing" is very appropriate!  This type of bicycle was popular in the 1870s and 1880s.  It was also known as a high wheel or high wheeler. It became obsolete when chain-driven gears were used in bicycles. 

The funny name for this type of bicycle came from the British coins known as "penny" (one cent) and "farthing" (one quarter of a cent). Farthings were worth less, but were much bigger than pennies. They were very dangerous due to falls and the lack of shock absorption.  The new chain driven bicycles were known as "safety bicycles". 

For the truly curious:

Ice House Museum, New London, New Hampshire:  https://www.wfkicehouse.org/  

Facebook page for the Ice House Museum:    https://www.facebook.com/theicehousemuseum/  

Last month I wrote a Weathervane Wednesday post about another weather vane from this museum.  Click here to read all about this Model T automobile weather vane!   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/08/a-modified-model-t-weathervane-new.html  

Click here to see over 500 Weathervane Wednesday posts from this blog!   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday    

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Penny Farthing Bicycle in New London, New Hampshire for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 4, 2024, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/09/a-penny-farthing-bicycle-in-new-london.html

The Russell Colbath House in Albany, New Hampshire

 

  

The Russell Colbath Homestead in located inside the White Mountains National Forest, right on the Kancamagus Scenic Highway in Albany, New Hampshire. It is operated by the USDA Forest Service and volunteers. The day we visited this historic site, a National Park Ranger was inside to answer questions.

For many years we had driven by this historic homestead, but it had always been closed to the public.  You have to watch for the "OPEN" flag in front of the house before you miss the entrance.  Previously we had explored the small burial ground beside the house.  You can see some photos of this cemetery at this link:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/09/tombstone-tuesday-passaconaway-cemetery.html  We were very happy to finally see the flag and be able to see inside this house.

The house was built in 1832 by Thomas Russell with his son, Amzi Russell.  At the time about 1,000 people lived in this part of New Hampshire, farming and logging.  Passaconaway was a thriving community.  The White Mountain National Forest was organized in 1918 and now has over 750,000 acres or 1,225 square miles of forest.  This house and the land around it became part of the National Forest in 1961.  It is a museum to educate visitors on the life of the people who lived in this region that eventually became a National Park. It is the only house from the 19th century still standing in the Swift River Valley. 

This site includes the house, a timber frame barn built in 2003, the cemetery, hiking trails, parking and a rest area with toilets (the only flush toilets on the Kancamagus Highway!).  It is operated by the Forest Service and is located next to the Jigger Johnson Campground. 

Thomas Russell moved his family to this area of New Hampshire, once the town of Passaconaway, around 1820, and operated a sawmill.  The house stayed in the family, being passed on to descendants until 1930 when it became a summer cabin.  It stood empty until it was purchased in 1961 by the Forest Service. Passaconaway was a busy community at one time, but now it is all forest. His son, Amzi Russell, helped build the house.  His daughter Ruth and her husband, Thomas Colbath, inherited the house.  Ruth ran a post office for the town of Passaconawy in the front room of her house until 1907. 

Ruth's husband, Thomas Colbath lef the farm one day in 1891 and told his wife he was off to run some errands.  After dark Ruth put a candle in a window for Thomas, but he never returned. The town searched for Thomas, but he was never found.  She left the light in the window for 39 years but he never returned until three years after she died in 1930. By then the house had been sold and Ruth was buried in the cemetery next door. 

If you would like to visit the Russell-Colbath house, you can take your chances of finding it open as you drive on the scenic Kancamagus Highway, or you can call the Saco District Ranger Station for hours of operation at 603-447-5448.  Visits are free to the public. 

Passaconaway Cemetery

For the truly curious:

A previous blog post (2018) about the Passaconaway Cemetery next to the Russell-Colbath House:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/09/tombstone-tuesday-passaconaway-cemetery.html  

"A Light in the Window", a YouTube video by Rick Davidson and Bill Thompson about the Russell-Colbath House:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W27ajDwwjU   

From New Hampshire Magazine, "I'll be back in a little while",  https://www.nhmagazine.com/be-back-in-a-little-while/  

Wikipedia article on the White Mountains National Forest:      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Mountain_National_Forest   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Russell Colbath House in Albany, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 26, 2024, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-russell-colbath-house-in-albany-new.html: accessed [access date]).