The Bake House Project
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At the Delaware River Bank, just north of Linden Avenue in the City of Philadelphia, is the remnants of an old sixteenth century set of steps, believed to have been a bake house commandeered by General George Washington and his men. Legend has it, the original owners were Quakers, and against violence in any way, not even to fight for the new nation's freedom. History is written by the victors, elite, scholars and the educated. These stories of folk lore so far, is something that is not documented in any official way, but its stories and legends are consistent, and the finding of the steps make it worthy of investigation.
These steps are located on the north side of an old pier landing, located on private property in the Torresdale section of the city. The below photo shows the steps in a broader view.
Below is a copy from the 1947 Frankford Times, claiming this illustration is from an original painting of the Bake House, it's origins are unknown.
Part 1 Origins of the Property
According to a copy of the July 24th 1947 Frankford Times, the property was owned by Evan Thomas, believed to be a Quaker and proprietor of a Bakery, but as there is no author's bi-line. Nor is there any known archives of the tabloid in question.
Byberry Quaker Meeting House...6-10-10 spoke to member of the Byberry Quaker Meeting House hf. Was told 1st, within the Quakers there is no head figure, there are secrataries & clerks. 2nd, Evan Thomas does not come to mind, but was givin direction how to find out.
Confirmed Even Thomas and bake house through 4 sources bk01, bk02, land deed, Memoir of Wm Philip turn of the century
After the Revolution the property is acquired by George Morgan. The article claims a 56 acre buy. Morgan's estate is from State road to the Delaware River, then from 11 mile lane. to Convent Lane. 11 mile lane was actually a trail from about State road and Pearson Street to the Bake House. Called 11 mile lane because the trail began at a point on State Road, that was 11 miles to 2nd and Market Streets in Philadelphia. Keep in mind that the city's north boundary was Vine Street, 10 miles from the start of 11 mile Lane.
This 1792 map shows the property accociated with the names Paul's and Thompson's, at the time the area was called Lower Dublin. Notice the houses/dwellings on the south bank of the Poquessing Creek. The sunburst drawing on the north bank could indicate a place of importance. Above that is the Red Lion Inn Hotel Tavern. Map is from philageohistory.org
Project Assets
Photo left is 1925 right being today
Photo is 1925 looking north from high above Rhawn Street at the river
View from 500 ft over Bakers Bay looking south towards Delaire Landing
This above photo shows the Bake House property directly above
Photo left is the Victorian built bake house built in the 1800s, Photo right is it's modern day pheonix.
Steps on the south side of the Bake House, built during the same time as the Victorian Bake House
Wide view looking north, from the south side of the Bake House Pier
Maps of East Torresdale
1822
1843
1850
1853
1855
1855
1856
1860s
1930s
Received 6-8-2010
Samuel Willits in his History of Lower Dublin Academy (1885) goes into the Bake House property in considerable detail. The page numbers referenced below are from the 2009 transcription of the Willits’ manuscript printed by the Friends of Lower Dublin Academy.
Thomas Holme’s map of 1687 shows the land between Dublin (Pennypack) Creek and Potquessin (Poquessing) Creek along the Delaware held by Peter Rambo Jr and Lase Bore and Benjamin Acrod.
Willits page 152 shows possession of the land dating back to Nov 1679. “Whereas by an order of Upland Court held 25 Nov. 1679, directed to Richard Noble, Surveyor of Upland, there was laid out by him 10 Aug. 1680 for Lars Laerson and Olle Coeckoe, a tract of land called Pleasant Hill, situated on the West side of Delaware River, and between Pelle Rambo’s Son’s land called Rambo’s Dorp and Poetquessig Creek, containing 670 acres of fast land, swamp and marsh.”
Willits pg 154-56. Lars Laerson was also known as Lase Bore. Olle Coeckoe sold his portion to Benjamin Acrod in 1683. Acrod at his death in 1692 bequeathed his land to his nephew Richard White. White’s widow, Elizabeth, sold the 320 acres to John Vanborskird in 1730. In 1734 Vanborskird sold 160 acres to Evan Thomas, Byberry Miller. Evan Thomas also purchased 160 of the Lase Bore tract in 1734.
Evan Thomas in his will dated 1746 split the land between his sons Jonathan and Evan, 160 acres to each, although not on the original dividing line.
Willits pg 312 discussing Benjamin Crispin: “On October 19th 1816 he [B Crispin] married Maria daughter of Amos Foster of Collegeville. Her grandfather, William Foster, had come from New England and settled in this locality where he established a tan yard on the property now owned by Charles Williams. (See page 109). He died October 30th 1804 aged 71 years. Mrs. Crispin’s mother was Elenor, daughter of Evan Thomas, who heired from his father, Evan Thomas, the bake-house property. Evan Thomas Jr. died July 4th 1798 aged 76. His father immigrated from Wales and purchased the Swedes lands in 1734. He was a miller, and established a bake-house or ovens to bake ship bread and biscuit. The ovens, as before stated, were taken in the Revolutionary War to bake bread for the Army. The Thomases were friends, and leading members of the Byberry Meeting.”
Willits pg 211 has Evan Thomas as one of the overseers at Byberry Meeting before 1740.
Willits pg 158: “I stated on page 142 that no public road running parallel with the Delaware had been opened from the time of the earliest settlements between the river and the turnpike from the Pennepack to the Poquessink Creeks, until the opening of the State road, but this is not altogether
correct, for a short road along the river form the eleven-mile lane to the Bake-house – a distance a little short of 1000 feet – was authorized to be opened two perches wide, in 1787. Evan Thomas who owned the Bakehouse property and who I believe was one of the Commissioners for the county of Philadelphia at this time, petitioned for a pubic road to be laid out.”
This road is probably the one showing on the 1843 Ellet map, below, and today’s Milnor St likely follows a section of it. Willits was instrumental in getting the State Road laid out in 1870.
Below is an aerial view taken 5/31/10.
