The Speaker's House facts for kids
The Speaker's House is a special museum in Trappe, Pennsylvania. It helps us remember the home of Frederick Muhlenberg. He was the very first and third Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. The house was built in 1763. Muhlenberg bought it in 1781, and his family lived there until 1791.
Contents
The History of The Speaker's House
Early Days in Trappe (1717–1781)
The first people to settle in Trappe were German immigrants. John Jacob Schrack and his wife Eva Rosina Lang Schrack arrived in 1717. John Jacob Schrack Sr. was an important person in the community. He ran a tavern called "the Trap," which is how the town got its name.
In 1742, a Lutheran pastor named Henry Melchior Muhlenberg came to Trappe. John, the Schracks' oldest son, took over the tavern after his father died. In 1763, John and his wife Silence built the house we now call The Speaker's House. After John died, his wife Silence sold the house in 1772.
The house had a few different owners over the next few years. One owner was Michael Connor, a merchant. He and his wife lived there, and Henry Muhlenberg called them his neighbors. Another owner was John Patton, a colonel in the Continental Army. Finally, in December 1781, the house was sold to Frederick Muhlenberg.
Frederick Muhlenberg's Home (1781–1791)
Frederick Muhlenberg was born in Trappe in 1750. He was one of eleven children of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, a leader of the German Lutheran Church. Frederick studied in Germany and became a minister. In 1771, he married Catharine Schaeffer, and they had seven children.
As the American Revolution began, Frederick and his family moved back to Pennsylvania. In 1779, he decided to enter politics. He became a member of the Continental Congress. The next year, he was elected Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly.
On December 19, 1781, Frederick bought the stone house in Trappe for £800. It was right next to his parents' house. This home helped support his family while he was away for his new political career. Frederick's career continued to grow. In 1784, he became the first Register of Wills for Montgomery County. His Trappe home was used as both his family home and a government office, since there was no official courthouse yet. Frederick also ran a general store from his property, selling things like sugar, tea, and fabric.
In 1787, Frederick was the president of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention. The next year, he was elected to the First United States Congress. When Congress met in 1789, he was chosen as the very first Speaker of the House. This important job meant he earned a good salary. As Speaker, Frederick Muhlenberg was the first person to sign the Bill of Rights.
The federal government moved from New York to Philadelphia in 1790. Frederick then sold his Trappe home and moved to Philadelphia. He continued to serve as Speaker during the Third Congress. During the Fourth Congress, he made a tough decision about a treaty with Great Britain. This decision ended his political career. In 1799, he was appointed Receiver General of Pennsylvania Land Office. He moved to Lancaster, which was the state capital then. Frederick Muhlenberg died there in 1801.
After Frederick Muhlenberg (1791-Present)
Frederick Muhlenberg sold the house in 1791 to his sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Francis Swaine. The Swaines may have lived in the house before buying it. They also ran a store and Francis was a local judge.
In 1803, the Swaines sold the house to Charles Albrecht, who made pianos. He lived in the house for a few years. Then, in 1808, Abraham Gotwals bought it. His family lived there until 1811.
Sarah Bartleson bought the house in 1811. She was married to Dr. William Johnson. They lived there with their children. A neighbor remembered a small store attached to the house where someone sold watermelons. After Dr. Johnson and Sarah died, the property was divided and sold.
Over the 19th century, the house had several more owners. In 1867, Dr. Lewis Royer bought it. He made some changes, like removing the old store and adding a new section. He owned the house until he died in 1908.
In 1908, Andrew Heyser Detwiler bought the property. In 1924, it was sold to Ursinus College. The college renamed it "Highland Hall" and used it as a dorm for male students. They added bathrooms, closets, and a heating system. Later, it became the home of the college's athletic director and his family. By 1942, Ursinus College used the house as a women's dorm. In 1944, the college sold the house to Andrew and Myrtle Rihl. The Rihls later sold it to Henry L. Haas and his wife. By the 1960s, the Haases had turned the upper floors into apartments.
Founding The Speaker's House Museum
In 1999, a company wanted to buy the property and tear down the house to build a drugstore. Local people wanted to save the house. So, in 2001, they started a non-profit group called Save the Speaker's House, Inc.
This group bought the property in 2004. In 2005, they received a grant to study the house. They used a method called dendrochronology, which looks at tree rings, to find out the house was built in 1763. They also started archaeological digs in 2006. They found the foundation of Frederick Muhlenberg's general store!
In 2006, the organization paid off its mortgage. The property was then protected forever as open space. To celebrate, the group changed its name to The Speaker's House. In 2008, a special marker was placed on the property to honor Frederick Muhlenberg.
The goal of The Speaker's House is to teach people about leadership and how to be involved in their community. They do this by showing Frederick Muhlenberg's home and sharing his story.
Portraits of the Muhlenbergs
The job of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives was created by the U.S. Constitution. Frederick Muhlenberg was part of the very first U.S. Congress. He was elected the first Speaker on April 1, 1789. New York City was the first capital of the United States. Later, Philadelphia became the capital for ten years.
Muhlenberg asked an artist named Joseph Wright to paint his portrait. The painting shows Muhlenberg sitting in the Speaker's chair. He is at Federal Hall in New York City. He is holding a quill pen and signing a bill. This portrait is the only known picture of Frederick Muhlenberg from his lifetime. It is also the only known picture of the inside of Federal Hall.
Muhlenberg also asked Wright to paint a portrait of his wife, Catharine Schaeffer Muhlenberg. These two portraits were passed down through the Muhlenberg family. The portrait of Frederick Muhlenberg is now at the National Portrait Gallery.
For a long time, people thought the portrait of Catharine Muhlenberg was lost. But in 2016, her descendants found it in an attic! Now, this portrait is on long-term loan to The Speaker's House.
The Speaker's House also owns a copy of Frederick Muhlenberg's portrait. It was painted in the 1800s and was given to the museum by a Muhlenberg family member.
