Graff family papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0395

Staff Only

Scope and Content Note

The Graff family papers primarily depict the business lives of three generations of merchants and tradesmen in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Philadelphia. The majority of the receipts, letters, and contracts with dates spanning 1750–1856 represent the business affairs of Jacob Graff, his son Jacob, and his grandsons Frederick and Charles Graff. Records from Frederick Shinkel and Sam Pleasants are also included in the collection. Records of Pleasants and Graff, a mercantile business, date from 1821–1829.

The collection is arranged in eight series. Series I consists of the records of Jacob Graff and his son Jacob. Both father and son are written in records as Jacob Graff until the elder’s death in 1780. After that date, the father was referred to as Jacob Graff Sr. As a result, their records are arranged chronologically and no attempt was made to separate the records of father and son. Series I also includes receipts that were pasted to other receipts. Separation of these joined items threatens the physical integrity of the items and they are left in tact.

Frederick and Charles Graff are represented in Series II and III. Frederick Graff’s papers represent his involvement in the family concern as landlords of several Philadelphian properties. The papers of Charles Graff concern some landlord business and his service as Guardian of the Poor in 1818 (F8). An additional series is devoted to the Pleasants and Graff business, primarily receipts. The remaining series concern records for miscellaneous or unattributed Graff family members. The records include contracts for renting or leasing Philadelphia properties and other business receipts.

Dates

Creation: 1750–1856
Creation: Majority of material found within 1756–1829

Creator

Graff family (Family)

Language of Materials

Materials in English and German.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Terms Governing Use andReproduction

Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/

Biographical Note

Jacob Graff (1727–1780), a German immigrant, was a bricklayer, builder, and landowner in eighteenth-century Philadelphia. Jacob Graff married Catherine Able and together they had ten children, six of whom survived. The known names of the survivors include Henry, John, and Jacob (1751–1793). Jacob Graff and his son Jacob were merchants also, but it is difficult to distinguish the two in the papers because both were referred to as Jacob Graff.

The Graff family was a prosperous one. They made large purchases and paid wages for multiple day laborers. The National Park Service confirmed Jacob Graff as the landlord of the house where Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.

The grandsons of Jacob Graff, through his son Jacob, were Frederick (1774–1847) and Charles (b. 1779). Frederick Graff was an engineer and architect in Philadelphia, where he was instrumental in planning and building the municipal waterworks at Fairmount. It is likely that Charles Graff was the partner in the Pleasants and Graff business. It is unclear if this business is a direct successor of his father’s mercantile business.

Two other businessmen, Sam Pleasants and Frederick Shinkel, are represented in this collection. Sam Pleasants was also a merchant whose records show him as a contemporary of Charles Graff and the Pleasants and Graff business. Frederick Shinkel was a builder and contemporary of the elder Jacob Graff.

Donaldson, Thomas. The House in which Thomas Jefferson Wrote the Declaration of Independence. Philadelphia: Avil Printing Company, 1898. Graff Family Papers, 1760–1788. The Winterthur Library. Winterthur, Del. Frederick Graff Papers, 1798–1829. The Winterthur Library. Winterthur, Del. Simpson, Henry. The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, Now Deceased. Philadelphia: William Brotherhead, 1859. Biographical information is also derived from documents and correspondence in the collection.

Extent

.6 linear foot

Additional Description

Abstract

Source

Gift of Moyerman Family, 1972.

Shelving Summary

Boxes 1-2: Shelved in SPEC MSS manuscript boxes

Processing

Processed by Teresa Morris, April 2000. Encoded by Natalie Baur, March 2010. Further encoding by Lauren Connolly, April 2016, and Tiffany Saulter, May 2016.