Stenton was named for Logan's father's Scottish birthplace, and was built between 1723 and 1730 on 511 acres (2.07 km2) as the country seat of James Logan, who was recognized in his lifetime as "a universal man in the Renaissance tradition."
Logan arrived in Philadelphia in 1699 as William Penn's secretary. He went on to occupy pivotal roles in the governance of colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania for five decades, including as the first mayor of Philadelphia, chief justice of the province's Supreme Court, and acting governor of the province. He assembled one of the best libraries in colonial America, discovered the vital role of pollen in the fertilization of corn (an achievement that caused Linnaeus to consider him "among the demigods of science"), and amassed a fortune in the fur trade.[3]
The building is of red brick, with dark headers. The roof atop its 21⁄2 stories is hipped.
After Logan's death in 1751, Stenton was inherited by his son, William Logan (1717–1776), who chose to live in Philadelphia for most of the year and used it predominantly a summer residence. William Logan also built the kitchen and added many fine furnishings.
After William's death in 1776,[4] Stenton was inherited by his son, George Logan (1753–1821), a physician and later U.S. senator.
The mansion remained in the hands of the Logan family until 1910, when it was acquired by the City of Philadelphia.[3]
Museum
Stenton is now open as a historic house museum and is part of the Germantown Historic District.[6] The house is considered one of the nation's best still-standing examples of 18th century American Georgian architecture.[7]
In January 1965, in recognition of the house's historical value and notability, Stenton was designated a National Historic Landmark. The mansion lends its name to nearby Stenton Park and Stenton Avenue. The village of Stanton, New Jersey in Readington Township, New Jersey also borrows its name from the mansion.
^Albert Cook Myers, ed., Introduction, Sally Wister's Journal: A True Narrative: Being a Quaker Maiden's Account of Her Experiences with Officers of the Continental Army, 1777–1779, Ferris & Leach, Philadelphia, 1902.