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Price family papers
This collection contains papers created by various members of the Price family, relating to their professional and personal lives. The majority of the collection is divided into series by individual, following patrilineal descent and arranged in chronological order of birth. Less well-presented memb...
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| Collection Number: | 4163 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
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| Item Description: |
Processing Information: The Price family papers have been extensively cleaned for mold. Researchers should exercise caution in handling materials from this collection. Many brittle clippings and pages from the North American, Philadelphia Evening Telegraph, Public Ledger, Philadelphia Press, Philadelphia Bulletin, Philadelphia Record, and Philadelphia Inquirer (1908 – circa 1918) were separated from the collection. Most related to the construction of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. These newspapers are available on microfilm. |
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| Physical Description: |
20.15 Linear feet ; 36 boxes, 37 volumes, 67 flat files |
| Access: |
The collection is open for research; however, researchers with sensitivities to mold should use the collection with caution. See Processing Note for further information. |
| Summary: |
This collection contains papers created by various members of the Price family, relating to their professional and personal lives. The majority of the collection is divided into series by individual, following patrilineal descent and arranged in chronological order of birth. Less well-presented members of the family and members of related families are collected in other series.
Series 1, Eli Kirk Price (1779 – 1936), consists of Eli K. Price’s papers which document his life professionally and personally. The professional papers are dominated by correspondence. His letters are grouped by correspondent and then arranged chronologically. There is a significant section of third party correspondence. Additionally, there are a few estate documents and miscellaneous papers. The personal papers consist largely of correspondence and manuscripts. The series concludes with papers relating to the estate of Eli K. Price.
Series 2, John Sergeant Price (1839 – 1968), contains the papers of John Sergeant Price. Professional correspondence and estate records represent his law practice outside of real estate. The largest part of this series consists of records pertaining to the Preston Retreat. The small section of personal papers includes correspondence and miscellaneous papers arranged chronologically.
Series 3, Eli Kirk Price II (1839 – 1936), reveals the professional and civic life of Eli K. Price II. While professional correspondence is limited, several account journals document the workings of his legal practice. Other legal papers include estate documents and American Philosophical Society bank statements. The majority of the subseries is devoted to records of the Preston Retreat, which are arranged chronologically. Personal records are sparse, but include a letter from George Washington to James Tilghman, given to him by his namesake.
Series 4, Philip Price (1876 – 1971), is a small series highlighting some aspects of the professional life of Philip Price. The professional papers are limited to an account journal, some correspondence, and some estate documents. Only a few items relate to the Preston Retreat. His personal papers are limited to two folders.
Series 5, Other Price family members (1729 – 1964), consists of the papers of all Price family members not represented in other series. These include earlier Price generations and descendants of Eli K. Price as well as others not in the direct line of Eli K. Price.
Series 6, Related families (1782 – 1937), is comprised of the papers of families and individuals connected to the Price family by marriage. The Embree and Baker families contributed the largest share, followed by the Taylor-Meigs-Rodgers family group, which is connected by marriage through Eli K. Price II. Most of the documents are letters, genealogical records, and estate papers.
Series 7, Real estate (1744 – 1964), consists of extensive real estate documents and deeds, through which can be traced the development of two sections of Philadelphia west of the Schuylkill River. The estate of Eli K. Price held a large tract sometimes called the Rose estate in West Philadelphia. The Preston Retreat owned a tract in the Kingsessing section of Philadelphia as well as land in other Pennsylvania counties, particularly Clinton County. The papers document real estate transactions including sales, mortgages, ground rent, and coal leases.
Series 8, Graphics and printed material (1850 – 1971), is comprised of all the graphic materials in the collection including blueprints, maps, photographs, images, and albums. The printed matter is also in this series. There are many blueprints and maps, mostly related to real estate transactions, but they include a set of blueprints by the landscape architect J. Greber for the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1918. The photographs of the earlier Price generations are sparse, but the Price-Taylor family is well-represented. Printed matter includes pamphlets, speeches, briefs of title, reports, and newspaper pages and clippings.
Series 9, Artifacts and miscellaneous (1789 – 1937), consists of a small number of artifacts and miscellaneous papers. The notable artifacts are a lock of George Washington’s hair and a cuff from the coat of Commodore John Rodgers. This collection contains the papers of various members of the Price family, mainly Eli Kirk Price (1797 – 1884), John Sergeant Price (1831 – 1897), Eli Kirk Price II (1860 - 1933), Philip Price (1898 - 1989), Eli Kirk Price III (1904 - 1976), and Philip Price Jr. (1934 - ). Most of the men of the family were lawyers, and the professional documents pertain almost exclusively to real estate and estate law. Correspondence decreases by generation, but real estate documents increase in equal measure. The entire family was very involved in Philadelphia civic, cultural, and charitable organizations, and these interests are represented in both the professional and personal papers. Additionally, the family was connected to the Preston Retreat, a maternity hospital, from its beginning to its absorption by the Pennsylvania Hospital, and the collection contains a substantial number of related papers. The collection also contains a large number of documents and deeds which reflect the transformation of a section of West Philadelphia known as the Rose Estate from a rural township to a developed part of the city. The graphic materials include blueprints by the landscape architect J. Greber for the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1918. Two notable artifacts are part of the collection: a small cutting of George Washington’s hair and a cuff from Commodore John Rodger’s coat. |