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INTRODUCTION: ARCHEOLOGICAL MONITORING
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In February 1997, the existing heat service to the Graff House within Independence National
Historical Park failed. To streamline maintenance and provide uniform heat utilities, the park
proposed installing new steam service beneath the existing sidewalk to the western portion of the
Graff House from the existing steam line at the southwest corner of Seventh and Market Streets
(Figure 1). Review of the proposal indicated little likelihood that significant archeological
resources would be encountered during the project because of prior disturbance from the
demolition of the Graff House, construction and demolition of the Penn National Bank,
construction of the underground portion of the Market-Frankfort El, an existing parallel steam
line, and utility hookups to the existing Graff House facility. However, the historical use of the
project location as a public sidewalk suggested some possibility for preservation of a small
segment of intact archeological deposits. Because the project area lay beneath a brick sidewalk
underlain by reinforced concrete, and the low probability of archeological remains, archeological
monitoring was recommended by the author as the most reasonable method to ensure that any
archeological resources encountered by the proposed excavation would be evaluated for National
Register significance.
Background
The Graff House is located at the southwest corner of Seventh and Market Streets. The lot was
substantially undeveloped until June, 1775 when Jacob Graff, a bricklayer and dry goods
merchant, purchased the lot from Edmund Physick, Keeper of the Great Seal and Receiver-General of Pennsylvania, and occupant of the opposing southeast corner of Market and Seventh
Streets, and began construction of his residence. When completed, the Graff House was three
stories with a 36-38 foot frontage on Market Street, extending some 45 feet on Seventh Street
(Platt 1972:7) (Figure 2). Thomas Jefferson rented two rooms on the second floorthrough September 3, 1776, writing the Declaration of Independence.
The Graffs sold the house on July 28, 1777 to Jacob Hiltzheimer, a livestock merchant who
established the Continental Stables and later become a street commissioner for Philadelphia (Platt
1972: 14). He rented the Graff House during his ownership which remained a residence until its
sale to the firm of Simon and Hyman Gratz in 1801 (Platt 1972: 16). After 1808, thebuilding
served exclusively as a business until its demolition in 1883 (Platt 1972: 20).
The adjacent property to the west remained undeveloped until 1796 when Hiltzheimer
constructed a similar structure. This property then was purchased by the Gratz's along with the
Graff House. The Penn National Bank was constructed on the site in 1883 (Figure 3), and later
the "Tom Thumb" restaurant which was demolished in 1974 for reconstruction of the Graff
House and a visitor contact facility.
Previous Archeological Investigations
Archeological investigations at the Graff House were conducted in 1974-75 by Carl W. Gatter
who conducted limited excavations along the perimeter of the Graff House, beneath the Market
and Seventh Street sidewalks (Gatter 1975). Gatter identified a bulkhead at the western edge of
the house which he suggested was an original feature enlarged to the east during the Gratz's
occupation. Gatter is silent on the surrounding stratigraphy, although he does observe that the
elevation of the 1975 sidewalk was some five inches higher than that in the 1850's.
In 1974, John Cotter investigated the demolished cellar of 704 Market Street, identifying a ovoid
refuse pit containing Lead-glazed slipware (combed yellow) dating from c1670-1795, and a
stoneware bottle. The pit intruded into the sterile yellow sand, beginning at 7.7' below the
sidewalk, and continuing for a depth of twelve inches. Dr. Cotter inferred that the pit site was
open at the time the Graff House was occupied (Cotter1975).
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