CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS

IN PUBLIC AND DOMESTIC COMFORTS AND CONVENIENCES.

AN attention to the following notices of the alterations and improvements of our city in its streets, houses, &c. for the purpose of increasing public and individual conveniences and comforts, or for facilitating business and trade, will much aid our right conception of things as they once were, and of the means and times used to produce the alterations which we now witness.

Wells and Pumps.

The conveniences of pumps were rarely seen for many years in the primitive city. Even wells for the use of families were generally public and in the streets. Aged persons have told me of their recollections of such wells even in their time. They became the frequent subject of presentments of the Grand Juries. As early as the year 1724, they present "two old and very deep wells laying open at Centre Square," also a pump at Pewter-platter alley. They urge too that a pump at the great arch, (Arch street) standing out much into the street, ought to be removed.. They recommend to fill up the well in the middle of the foot-path in Second street, near Thomas Rutter's. The well in the common shore in the High street is noticed as a nuisance "for want of a better covering." In 1741, they present an open well in Second street at William Fishbourne's, and another in Third street at Enoch Story's. In 1735, it is publicly stated in the Gazette as manifest that "some public pumps are wanting," and in 1744, the Union Fire Company show their care of them by advertising a reward of 5£. "for apprehending the persons who stole the nozles from High street, and other streets." When Kalm was here in 1748, he says there was a well in every house, and several in the streets. The water he praised much, as very good and clear.

Watchmen, Lamps, and Constables.

Aged persons have told me that in their early days there were no watchmen; and that in lieu of them the constables went round every night, before going to rest, to see that all was well. Even the constables were originally citizens, serving for a period by necessity. In the year 1750, the Grand Jury represent the great

need of watchmen and paved streets, saying of the former, they would "repress nightly insults," and of the latter, "frequent complaints are made by strangers and others of the extreme dirtiness of the streets for want of paving." The next year (1751) an act is passed for "a nightly watch and for enlightening the city."* As early as the year 1742, the Grand Jury had before presented the need of a stated watch and a watch house, and not to be conducted by the citizens as formerly." In 1749, the Grand Jury particularly notice the defect of the nightly watch, as very defective for so great a city, containing 2 or 3000 houses and 15,000 inhabitants. Only five or six men (they say) are employed, who go their rounds in company. I have seen by a MS. Journal of John Smith, Esq. that he notes on the 20th of 9 mo. 1749, that ❝he called at the tavern where the owners of lamps (in the streets) were met to consult on methods for better lighting them." There, says he, "we agreed with a man, each of us to pay him three shillings and nine pence per month, to light them nightly." When the duties of watchmen and constables were imposed upon the citizens, some, to avoid the onerous service, fell under the vigilance of the Grand Juries. For instance, in 1704, "Gyles Green and William Morris are presented as not serving their tour of duty as watchmen when summoned thereto." They were nominated in each ward by the constables. In 1706, several instances occur of citizens fined 5£. each "for neglect to serve as constables." Among the respectable citizens thus fined, I noticed the names of Joseph Shippen, Abram Carpenter, George Claypole, Henry Preston. The constables of that day, I perceive, were charged to notify to the Grand Juries the nuisances occurring in their several wards.

Pavements.

Our present excellent streets and foot pavements, for which our city is distinguished, is a work mostly executed within the memory of some of the remaining ancients. They have told me the streets were once alternately miry or dusty. The foot pavements were but partially done, having a narrow foot walk of brick and the remainder filled in with gravel, or the whole with gravel only. In those times galo shoes and pattens were necessary and resorted to by the ladies. The venerable Charles Thomson, Esq. told me that Second street, from High to Chesnut street, used to be very muddy and was often a matter of complaint. At last an accident determined that a pavement should be made there. One of the Whartons, being on horseback, was mired there, thrown from his horse and broke his leg. Thomson and others måde a subscription forthwith and had that street paved,-it being, as I understood, the first regularly paved street in the city. This first enterprise, being an affair of some moment in the moderate resources of the city, *On the 3d of October, the same year, the Gazette announces that on Monday last the streets began to be illuminated with lamps, according to the act.

became first a subject of discussion in the Junto or Leathern Apron Club, and their wishes being favourable to the measure, it had their patronage, and was executed at an expense of only four shillings and six-pence per cart load of pebbles delivered at the shallops. It was on that occasion of paving that John Purdon became distinguished and useful as a pavier. The first workmen employed were awkward, and Purdon, who was then a British soldier on duty in the city, smiling to see their incapacity from inexperience, interfered to show them a better example. His skill was so manifest he was sought after, and at the interest of the city officers was released from the army by a substitute. He was afterwards, for many years, the chief city pavier, and lived to raise a respectable family.

I perceive, as early as the year 1719, from a letter of Jonathan Dickinson to his brother, that some foot pavements and crossing places in the mid streets were about making, to wit: "As to bricks, we have been upon regulating the pavement of our streets.-the footway with bricks, and the cart-way with stone,,which has made our bricks dear." The minutes of the City Council about the same time state, that as several of the inhabitants have voluntarily paved from the kennel (gutter) to the middle of the street with pebbles, and others are levelling and following their example, they recommend an ordinance to restrain the weights of loaded carriages passing over them. In 1750, the Grand Jury represent the great need of paved streets, so as to remedy "the extreme dirtiness and miry state of the streets." Very little of a general effort to pave the mid streets was attempted before the year 1761-2. And even then, the first endeavours were limited to the means produced by lotteries-so Second street, north of High street to Race street, was effected; and then every good citizen did what he could to help the sale of the tickets for the general good. In 1762, the act was passed "for regulating, pitching, paving, and cleansing the highways, streets, lanes and alleys, &c. within the settled parts of Philadelphia." In the regulations which ensued from this act, the streets extending westward, laying south of High street, were thrown from three to five feet more south than before, and occasioned some strange looking encroachments of some houses on the south sides of the streets and some less obvious recessions of others on the northern sides of the same streets. Thus an old brick house, on the south west corner of Fifth and Walnut streets, so projected into the street as to leave no foot-walk. An old inn and other buildings, once on the south west corner of Chesnut and Fourth streets, were also left so far in the street as to leave but about two feet of foot-walk there; whilst the old houses generally, on the northern side, were thrown back behind the general line of the foot pavement. Norris' house, built in 1755 on the site of the present Bank of the United States, originally placed three feet

back from the line of the pavement, came, in time, (probably in 1766) to be considered six to eight inches on the foot-walk.

The late aged Mr. Pearson, who served a long life as City Surveyor, had great influence in effecting his own views as a City Regulator, and withal a perverse taste in the opinion of many in bringing the whole area of the city to a dull level. Present observers can have little idea of the original graceful inequalities and diversities of undulations which once variegated the city. By. the act of 1782, James Pearson and four others were made Regulators. By this act, Mr. Pearson, who had influence enough as adviser before, became in effect sole ruler, whereby he so far accomplished his favourite scheme of a general level, that we have been since compelled to excavate the earth in numerous streets to produce sub-terrene water channels to save the citizens from inundations. Pear street hill, Union street hill, and "the hill" near the present Custom house, originally presented beautiful natural acclivities for hanging gardens, which will be noticed elsewhere. Our present State house, now so dead a level, was originally three to four feet higher than now.

The rise and progress of the street pavings may be generally noticed as follows, to wit: In 1761, a lottery of 12,500 tickets, at four dollars, making 50,000 dollars, is made for raising 7,500 dollars, to be used in paving the streets in such places as the managers may deem most useful. North Second street, called then the north end," was paved in that year out of the avails of that lottery. First, a pavement was effected to Race street; afterwards it was extended to Vine street.

In 1765, Robert Erwin is made a scavenger for seeing the streets cleansed once a week." In 1767, the drays of Philadelphia, which before had narrow fellies like carts, were required to be constructed of four inches width for the sake of the pavements. Before those pavements it was not unusual, in wet streets, to see two horses to a dray drawing only one puncheon of rum. In 1768, another lottery is instituted to raise 5250£. for further paving the streets, and for buying a landing in the Northern Liberties. The manner of pebble-paving was formerly different from the present. They did not buttress the arch with large stones, by keeping the largest to the sides of the streets, but they topt the arch with the biggest, and so gave the roughest riding where most needed to be easy. Several of the streets too, where the passage of water was great, as in Race and Vine streets below Second street, had their channel or gutter in the middle. When the streets were elevated, and the gutters on each side, they were defended by posts. The use of curb stones is modern.

As a sequel to the foregoing facts on street pavements, it may interest the reader to see some of the facts with which the good citizens were annoyed before they could accomplish a general pavement. They stand exposed by Grand Juries much as follows, to

wit: In 1705, they present as bad places in the streets:-"In 2d street, by John Parsons, going to Budd's bridge,”—Drawbridge ; "a dirty place in 2d street, over against the great Meeting house," -Friend's Meeting; "a dirty place in Chesnut street, against John Bedle's house, and Thomas Wharton's;" "a very bad place at Ephraim Johnson's, going up from King street (Water street) to Front street;" "a low dirty place in High street, over against the free pumps, near Doctor Hodgson's house." In 1708, they present Walnut street, from Front to Second street, as being considerably diminished of its due breadth of 50 feet; that David Powel has wholly inclosed the breadth of Sixth street, on the south side of Chesnut street; that the 4th, 5th and 6th streets are in great part fenced or taken into the several adjoining lots on both sides; that there is a low place, with a great quantity of standing water. not safe and scarce passable for either horse or cart, in Chesnut street, where the 5th street crosses the same; that there is a deficiency in the arch bridge in Chesnut street, adjoining the lot of the widow Townsend; that there is a deep dirty place, where the public water gathers and stops for want of a passage, in the crossing of the 3d street and High street, to the great damage of the neighbourhood; the owners, too, of the unimproved lots in King street, (Water street) above Chesnut street, have not improved the street in front of them.

In 1711, they present the necessity of changing the water-course in High street, near William Harris' tavern, of the sign of the Three Hats; also, several who do not pave water-courses fronting their lots; also, two fences which stopped the south end of Strawberry alley; a miry place at Second and Chesnut street, and another at Chesnut and Fifth street, for want of water-courses.

In 1720, they present an invasion of water "on the common shore," made into King street, and a gully in the street, scarcely passable, near the Hatchet and Shereman's; also, an impassable breach made near Penny-pot house. They also present several kennels (gutters) as unpaved. The west side of Second street, against Joseph Shippen's brew house, (between James Logan's and Samuel Powell's) is presented as wanting filling up and a kennel there, this means the site of the present Bank of Pennsylvania. In 1726, they present "a pond or puddle in Mulberry street, between the Front and Second street, where several children have narrowly escaped being drowned, as we are credibly informed."

In 1750, they present "the gutter of the north west corner of Market and Fourth street, as rendered dangerous for want of a grate at the common sewer, the passage being large enough for the body of a grown person to fall in; further, that Fourth street, from Market street to the south west corner of Friend's burying ground, wants regulating, and is now impassable for carriages.'

They also present, that "the pavement in Chesnut street, near Fleeson's shop, (corner of Fourth and Chesnut street,) is exceeding