lution. It was once so far a wild forest, that the grandmother of the present aged Col. A. J. Morris told him that when they used to go out from the city to the Centre Square Meeting, she had seen deer and wild turkies cross their path. At that time they had a resting seat under a fine shade at the corner of High and Sixth street, then far out of town, and called "the half-way rest."

These woods were long reserved as the property of Penn, he conceding, however, that "they should remain open as commons to the west of Broad street until he should be prepared to settle it." But as early as the year 1701, Penn complained much of "the great abuse done in his absence by destroying his timber and wood, and suffering it to overrun with brush, to the injury and discredit of the town," being, as he said, "his fourth part of the city, reserved by him for such as were not first purchasers, who might want to build in future time."

At the time the British possessed Philadelphia, in the winter of '77 and '78, the woods were so freely taken for the use of the army, that it was deemed most politic in the agent to cut them down and sell them. This was the business of one Adam Poth, a German of much self-consequence, well known to the city lads as a vigilant frustrater of many of their schemes to cut saplings, shinny clubs, &c. in his woody domains.

In 1726, the Grand Jury presented "two old wells, very deep, which lie open at the Centre Square." And about the same time and order of the City Council directs a well there to be filled up. Perhaps these may yet be discovered to the surprise of many.

When the writer was a lad the Centre Square was never named but in connection with military trainings, or as an object of universal terror to boys, as the gallows ground. Wo to the urchin then that should be found there after evening-fall among the spectres who then possessed that region. The woods were all gone; and a green commons occupied their place all the way out to Schuylkill. As late as the year 1790 the common road to Gray's ferry ran diagonally across those commons-so few then had fenced in their lots. On page 507 of my MS. Annals, in the Historical Society, is a long article containing facts on the lines and uses in the grants of the Centre Square, not expedient to insert here.

London Coffer House

THE LONDON COFFEE HOUSE, &c.

(ILLUSTRATED BY A PLATE.

WHAT was called the old London Coffee House before and after the Revolution, now the property of James Stokes, Esq. was originally built about the year 1702, by Charles Reed, who obtained his lot, in the year 1701, from Lætitia Penn-in the same year in which William Penn patented it with other grounds to his daughter, to wit-the 29th of 1st mo. 1701. The original lot to Charles Reed contained 25 feet upon Front street and 100 up High street. This his widow conveyed in 1739 to Israel Pemberton. In December, 1751, he willed it to his son John, and at his death his widow sold it at Orphans' sale to the Pleasant family, who, on the 20th of September, 1796, sold it with but 82 feet of depth of lot for the great sum of 8216£. 13s. 4d. to James Stokes.

This celebrated house, as a Coffee House, was first introduced to its new employment by William Bradford, the printer, in the year 1754, upon the occasion of the declining of the widow Roberts, who till then had kept a Coffee House in Front street below Blackhorse alley.*

The original petition of William Bradford to the Governor, for his license to keep the house, is somewhat strange to our modern conceptions of such a place, by showing that coffee was ordinarily drank as a refreshment then, even as spirituous liquors are now. It is dated July, 1754, and reads verbatim thus, to wit: "Having been advised to keep a Coffee House for the benefit of merchants and traders, and as some people may at times be desirous to be furnished with other liquors besides coffee, your petitioner apprehends it is necessary to have the Governor's license."

At this Coffee House, so begun, the Governor and other persons of note ordinarily went at set hours to sip their coffee from the hissing urn, and some of those stated visiters had their known stalls. It was long the focus which attracted all manner of genteel strangers; the general parade was outside of the house under a shed of but common construction extending from the house to the gutter-way, both on the Front street and High street sides. It was

* At the house now Dixon's-the same which became the store of Rhea and Wikoff, in 1755.

to this, as the most public place, they brought all vendues of horses, carriages, and groceries, &c. and above all, here Philadelphians once sold negro men, women and children as slaves!

When these premises were rented in 1780, to Gifford Dally, the written terms with John Pemberton, a Friend, the then proprietor, were so unusual and excmplary for a tavern as to deserve a record, to wit: On the 8th of 7 mo. 1780, the said Dally "covenants and agrees and promises that he will exert his endeavours as a christian to preserve decency and order in said house, and to discourage the profanation of the sacred name of God Almighty by cursing, swearing, &c. and that the house on the first day of the week shall always be kept closed from public use, that so regard and reverence may be manifested for retirement and the worship of God;" he further "covenants, that under a penalty of 100£. he will not allow or suffer any person or persons to use, play at, or divert themselves with cards, dice, back-gammon, or any other unlawful game." To secure the fulfilment of these purposes he limits his lease for trial to but one year, and next year he renews a like lease for two years-after this, to my knowledge, he solicited Mr. Stokes to occupy it as a dwelling and store, and finally to purchase it for private use-a thing which Mr. Pemberton said he much preferred.

Such religious scruples in regard to a public city tavern, would look strange enough to Europeans accustomed to the licensed gambling and licentiousness practised at the Orleans palace at Paris! The submission to such terms, in such a city as Philadelphia then was, strongly marked the moral feelings of the town.

It might be curious to connect with this article the little history we possess of any anterior Coffee Houses. The earliest mention we have seen of a Coffee House, was that built by Samuel Carpenter on some of his ground at or near to Walnut street. In 1705, he speaks of having sold such a building sometime before to Captain Finney, who was also Sheriff. I am much inclined to think it was on the east side of Water street, adjoining to Samuel Carpenter's own dwelling, being probably the same building which in the time of the colony was called Peg Mullen's celebrated beef-stake and oyster house, and stood then at or near the present Mariners' church. The water side was the first court end of the town, and in that neighbourhood Carpenter had erected a bakery, crane, public scales, &c. It is also possible it may have been on the north west corner of Front and Walnut street, where was once a frame building which had once been what was called the first Coffee

*The Common Council proceedings, of 1704, are dated at Herbert Carey's inn, and, at other times, at "the Coffee House."

I since perceive that Edward Bridges, in 1769, advertises his dry-goods store, "at the corner of Front and Walnut streets, commonly called the Scales," thus proving that Samuel Carpenter must have originally had his line on Walnut street, and of course including the lot afterwards James' Coffee House.