June 11, 2017
Philadelphia, PA

Betsy Ross House
Franklin Museum

There is no record of Betsy having a love of cats. This was added after the house was restored. It is kinda cool though, a cat fountain.

From: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagpics.html
The "Grand Union" shown here is also called The "Cambridge Flag." It was flown over Prospect Hill, overlooking Boston, January 1, 1776. In the canton (the square in the corner) are the crosses of Saint Andrew and Saint George, borrowed from the British flag

Was This Her House?

There is almost no doubt that as of 1785, Betsy Ross and her third husband, John Claypoole, lived on the north side of Arch Street, between Second and Third Streets, which is the present location of the Betsy Ross House. Although it cannot be definitively established, the evidence points strongly to the conclusion that Betsy Ross lived either in the house which is now 239 Arch Street or at 241 Arch Street, now the garden of the Betsy Ross House.

There's a lot more proof at:
http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/prove239.html

Stairs to the cellar were very steep with bulkhead doors to the outside.

Still she Persisted. Sewed flags, made musket balls and cartridges for the Continental Army.

OK, chocolate lover's, here's your excuse, I mean reason, to eat more chocolate. It was believed that chocolate treated illnesses like smallpox and gout.

A replica of the "Betsy Ross Flag"
From: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagpics.html
The "Betsy Ross" flag. The Flag Resolution did not specify the arrangement of the stars nor the specific proportions of the flag. So many 13-star flags were used.

Betsy Ross was buried three different places

Betsy Griscom Ross Ashbourn Claypoole's grave. She was originally buried at a Quaker cemetery at 5th and South Locust streets in Philadelphia. Her second gravesite was at Mount Moriah, about 10 miles south of here. It was decided to move her grave here after the house was restored. She is buried with her third husband, John Claypoole.

There are some who say that the story of Betsy Ross was just a nice story to tell and that she did not make the first flag, but the folks at ushistory.org have done some awesome research and have pretty good proof that, yes, the tales are true and can be documented.
Check it out.

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/

Benjamin Franklin Museum

This is the exterior of the Post Office. Those round columns are actually windows with shutters, interesting

The passageway leads to Franklin's courtyard.

The door just to the right of the passageway is to post office. It's still open on some days and you can get a special postmark there. We chose the wrong day to visit.

The Benjamin Franklin Museum entrance.

In the courtyard

Excavation has revealed some parts of the original buildings. Franklin's house was torn down in 1812, this is part of the original foundation.

The kitchen floor

The Privy

Those arched features protect the excavations in the courtyard.

This man's accomplishments are so prolific that I couldn't possibly cover it all, but what follows are a few of my favorite things in the museum.

The Benjamin Franklin Museum... I enjoy his quotes.

A Glass Armonica, one of Franklin's inventions

Ben wrote using many pseudonyms.

Can't reach that book, invent something to make it easier.

See fires, start a fire department.

And found a fire insurance company

Like to read? Start a Library.

He invented this soup bowl for eating soup on a ship without it spilling. The little separate bowls would catch the soup before it could spill into your lap.