National Historic Landmark

Lesley, J. Peter, House

Phialdelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
October 11, 1994
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
94001646

About this property

The J. Peter Lesley House is a historic row house at 1008 Clinton Street in the Washington Square neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. A National Historic Landmark, it was for 27 years the home of John Peter Lesley (1819–1903), one of the leading geologists of the second half of the 19th century. The house is a private residence, and is not open to the public. The J. Peter Lesley House is located in Philadelphia's Washington Square West neighborhood, on the south side of Clinton Street between South 10th and 11th Streets. It is a 3+1⁄2-story brick building, with a gabled roof pierced in front by a gabled dormer, and flanked on the side walls by chimneys. It is three bays wide, with the entrance in the rightmost bay, topped by a Federal style half-round transom window. The interior of the house largely retains features of the later 19th century, despite conversion to multiunit residences and back to single-family use. J. Peter Lesley rented this building from 1869 to 1897, using it as his home and office. Lesley served for many years as the State Geologist of Pennsylvania, and was a leading authority on geology related to coal and iron ore, especially in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. His pioneering work A Manual of Coal, published in 1856, demonstrated the relationship between topography and geological structure. He supervised the publication of more than 120 state reports produced by its Geological Survey department, which he also directed for many years. The Lesleys made this address their year-round home until 1885, when Mrs. Lesley was given a house in Milton, Massachusetts. He continued to spend most of his days here until ill health compelled his retirement in 1896, after which he also moved permanently to Massachusetts. List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia

Location

1008 Clinton St.
Phialdelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.94512, -75.15867

Categories

SCIENCE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Clinton Street Historic District
Early Republic
0 mi
Stewart, John, Houses
Industrial
0.1 mi
Eyre, Wilson, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Ramsey, J. Sylvester, School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Portico Row
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
3.3 mi
Battle of Gloucester (NJ) 1777
1777Revolutionary War
4.2 mi
Fort Mercer siege Oct-Nov 1777
1777Revolutionary War
4.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lesley, J. Peter, House listed on the National Register?

Lesley, J. Peter, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 11, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Lesley, J. Peter, House?

Lesley, J. Peter, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Lesley, J. Peter, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Lesley, J. Peter, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Lesley, J. Peter, House?

The period of significance for Lesley, J. Peter, House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Lesley, J. Peter, House?

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