Thank you for the marvelous tour, I enjoyed it. It was one of the best ways to learn about history. My favorite part was learning about Dinah and how she tricked the British man. Also, I loved when we had to put hay in the pillows. I had to put the water in the bucket. It taught me that it wasn’t easy for them just because they were nice—they still had to do chores. I learned to appreciate what I have.
Jason Brown
“James Logan’s Stenton”
Thank you for the trip to Stenton House. The part that I liked in the house was the bed colors and the pictures. Also, I learned that James Logan was a judge and secretary to William Penn. He liked to read and learn about things. I also learned how the slaves had to walk down the stairs and how they pulled the curtains around the bed to keep them warm. It was nasty how they used bowls to go to the bathroom.
Michale
“Stenton”
Thank you for letting Morrison come to the Stenton house. It was fun. I liked when we went to upstairs and saw the big yellow bed and where the kids’ sleep. My favorite part was when we were outside doing the chores. I liked what the kids had to do. And I liked how big the barn was. It was a barn with saws and other dangerous things. And it was funny that the door did not have a doorknob. So to open the door you had to push or kick the door open to get to the waiting room. I like the windows because they look expensive. So I hope you invite Morrison again to the Stenton house.
Darrien
“Fun Things at Stenton”
Thanks for the good trip. I liked when we went into the barn. I hope that I can go on trips again, I learned that in the old days they didn’t have doorknobs and I learned about toys they had in the old days. They had a really big pot kind of game.
Tiana Ennis
“A Fun Day at Stenton”
Thank you for giving us a tour around the Stenton house. I remember when we saw the bedroom and touched the yellow cloth. I really liked the walking purchase game. I also liked when we went into the barn and answered questions about the farming equipment. I liked the part about Dinah. Dinah was a smart girl for doing that. I loved the part when we did the chores. The chores were the best part to me. I would love to go back to the Stenton house. I had an awesome time.
Unique Jeter
“Quakers and Indians”
Thank you for the tour of James Logan’s house. The house was huge. I learned that there was no door knob on the front door because they didn’t want just any people walking in. I love the Stenton House experience because you are going to learn a lot about Quakers. Kids had to get permission to talk and to sit down. I like to all the chores that the kids did. The chores that I had to do was rake the leaves. I liked when we did the walking purchase. I liked when we were talking about Dinah and how she saved the house. I liked making the wampum. They use the wampum when making a treaty. All of us loved the tour in the Stenton house.
Vanessa Herrera
“James Logan’s House and Family”
Thank you for letting us see and enter James Logan’s house. The part I loved the most about the trip is when Dinah was left alone with the house and she kept the house from burning. Another part of the trip I loved was when we did the wampum (beads). I kind of liked when we did the chores the kids had to do because I really wanted to experience what they did every day. I really loved when we saw the rooms that Dinah slept in and where James Logan died. When we went inside the house I learned that the kids could not even enter a room without permission from their parents. The kids could not even talk or play with your feet and your fingers. You also could not let your parents hear you sneeze or cough because the kids would get punished. I also learned the house was bigger than a normal house. And that the door does not have a doorknob because they had to knock on a door before they can come in the house. I also learned that when you give someone a wampum bead that means friendship from my house to your house. I also remember when we went to the barn. I saw a really big saw that two men had to use together. I also learned that their bathroom is their trash can too and one day they found a bowl and they put it back together and it had a picture in the bottom of it. I also learned that in one of the rooms it had a bed that had really expensive sheets.
Malils Gibson
“Everything about Stenton”
Thank you for showing me the Stenton House. I liked when we acted out the walking purchase. I also liked when we went to see the barn. I learned that yoke was used to harness two oxen or two goats. I also learned that a long saw was called a two man cross cut saw. I learned that the goat yoke is much smaller than the ox yoke. The blacksmith made all of the horseshoes. The wagon was used to carry fur that they sold and other heavy objects. I also learned about the house. The first thing I learned is that none of the doors had a doorknob. Because when you came to see James Logan you would not have a key because you were not as important as him and one of his servants or slaves comes to open the door for you and it had a different type of lock. It had a big key on a string hanging from the door and it also had a stick as a lock. When we acted out the walking purchase I learned that James Logan and the colonists cheated because they were supposed to walk but they ran. And the Indians were mad because James Logan got twice as much land as them. The next thing I learned was that to get their beds warm they used a metal thing and put it over the fire place and rubbed it over their sheets before they went to bed. I learned that you could rent the rooms for parties and the yellow room was the second best room in the house. And the blue lodging room was the third best room in the house and that’s where James Logan keeps his books and James Logan has over 3,300 books in his house. The first best room in the house is the blue room. It holds a lot of valuable china. James Logan’s room was on the first floor because he broke his hip and he could not walk back and forth up the steps and he had to walk with crutches. In James Logan’s office there were a couple of hour glasses that represented different amounts of time and when the time runs out you had to leave and if you were to miss your appointment it would be hard to make another one and when you walk in you have to wait in the waiting room just like everyone else even some of the inventors stood there and some of the Presidents stood there. If you had to go to the bathroom you would have to go to the outhouse and if it was very cold out you would go in a bucket under the bed and the slave or servant would empty it for you.
Jakim
“The Barn and House at Stenton”
I liked the trip because it was funny and I like the walking purchase game. From the game I learned that it was not fair because the colonists cheated the Indians. It was funny studying at Stenton House because I know they used a lot of slaves. It was interesting to see the house because the house is nice but the cups were nice and the slaves had to watch the baby and if the baby woke up the slaves had to watch the baby and if they wake up. I like the two-man cross-cut saw inside the barn and the snowshoes are nice to go out and play in the snow. The barn had horses, cows, and chickens. The barn was big, but the windows were small so the animals will not get in the barn. I like Stenton House because of the bell, the blacksmith, and the snowshoes. I like the weapons the slaves used in the barn like yokes, saw, and the two-man cross-cut saw. I liked when we played as the salves because we had to move the wood and put it on the fireplace and we had to pick up the leaves and put them in the bag. It was funny and we had to play as the Indians in the walking purchase when the colonists cheated the Indians. The room was nice and the bed was nice. The yellow room was the best because the sheets were a lot of money because the sheet material was really expensive. I liked Stenton house because back in 1945 it was really small and it had a lot of slaves working around the house and helping the people with the baby. The barn was the most important place at Stenton house because it had tools to work with and cut wood and the two-man cross-cut saw that was the easy thing to cut with because it is two people cutting at the same time. The house was big and we went up to the second floor and the third floor was not open so we did not go to the third floor. I liked it too because all the rooms were nice and the bedroom was big and all of the colors and I like James’s bedroom because it is the biggest room.
Jayline Blass
“Thank You for Letting Us See Stenton”
Thank you for everything that you showed. I liked when you showed everybody the barn. It was so nice of you to show us the house where James Logan’s office was and where he slept. The thing I like the most from the trip was when you showed us the barn, house, and nice activities. When James Logan and his family did a lot of hard work carrying the water and some wood and raking the leaves they can never stop working. I think James Logan’s house had, like, four rooms and we counted the fireplaces and there are 12 fireplaces in the house. We only saw 8 fireplaces. Servants helped the James Logan family so the house wouldn’t be on fire. They did the nice thing for them and got the baby. They don’t have a bathroom inside the house. They use the bathroom outside. They don’t have a bathroom like ours. Thank you for showing us the nice things. When we were in the barn I kept taking note of all the cool stuff in James Logan’s barn. He kept the animals inside the barn. When his family was hungry they kill the animals to eat. If they didn’t have any food they would be starving; if they did not have a pot they couldn’t do food at all. It was nice that you showed us the wagon. Thank you for everything and for supporting us.
Letters to Johnson House
Dear Johnson House Teacher,
Thank you for teaching me about the Johnson Family and what they did for the slaves. They let the slaves spend the night there and eat. They had 12 kids. They were known as Quakers, which means they were against slavery and violence. Slaves would travel north to freedom. In the north part of the state there was no slavery. Many slaves tried to escape and some slaves made it and some got caught. The ones who got caught got beat up. I never know that when slaves escaped they came to Philly. I know Philly is a big part of history. Slaves had to go through a lot of stuff and now I am glad there is no more slavery.
Sincerely, Sashanna Yates
Dear Ms. Loree,
Thank you for letting my class come to the Johnson House. The Johnson House was very fun. I like most of it some of it I did not get. Like how did they make ice to get the ice box to work. And how did they make fire to cook in the fireplace. The things I did get is why they had a secret door in the attic that lead it to the roof. One thing I really didn’t get is why don’t ever go up on the third floor. And how can a man fit inside a box that is as big as a newborn baby for 1 to 1 ½ days and not die or break a bone at all. I also found I learned a lot of new things like the Johnsons had 12-13 kids and one-two had died and the Johnson House was use to help slaves. Thank you for showing me such a wonderful house.
Sincerely, Malik Gibson
Dear Ms. Laura,
Thank you for inviting my class and I, it was lovely. I’ve learned a lot of things and touched a lot of things of the Johnson House. I learned about how the Johnson Family worked together on the Underground Railroad. They helped slaves to the road to freedom. Also my class and I learned that three years ago the workers found steps in the attic that led to the roof. Also I learned that the Johnson family were Quakers. Through the entire trip I’ve learned more and more as we went on. This was a good experience and I’ll never forget it. Thank You.
Sincerely, Quierra
Dear Ms. Laura,
Thank you for letting us go to the Johnson House. That was a privilege. I appreciate that I had a chance to go there. I learned that William Still wrote a book about all the slaves. So the family will be together again. I think it was the Johnsons that took pictures of the slaves that had scars on their body. I didn’t know that Harriet Tubman took a gun to kill the people that wanted to go back to slavery. That was a big ordeal. The trip was fun. I would love to go again.. Thanks again.
Sincerely, Sabrina Fuentes
Dear Ms. Laura and other Johnson house staff,
I just want to tell you I really enjoy the Johnson House. I think it is really unique. It was a privilege to be accompanied by such nice people. I never knew it was so much history in the Johnson House. I road past that house like a 100 times in I never knew runaway slaves was there. I learn a lot at the Johnson House. Some of the things I learn was that the man who build the house build it for his wife for their anniversary. And the other people who lived was Quakers and they help slaves escape and we learned a great new game.
Sincerely, Qwizir Brown
Dear Johnson House Teacher,
I learned new things about the Underground Railroad. I knew a lot before I went on the tour but it’s nice to learn new things like the runaway slaves use quilt for maps and code for them. And I learn that some Underground Railroad stations are still undiscovered to this day. We learned much about the Johnsons House. Thank you for the tour, the class enjoyed it.
Sincerely, Noy
Dear Ms. Laura,
Thank you for letting me see the Johnson House. I learned so much about the Johnson Family and the other slaves. They had 13 kids, she killed one. And that Henry was in a small box. They had to lay on the roof until the men leave. They let people stay in the attic. They cooked over a fireplace and my favorite part was we had to see where the slaves were on the map. Thank you for giving me a privilege to see the Johnson House and give me more info about the Johnson Family.
Sincerely,
Shaena Clark
Dear Ms. Laura,
Thank you for letting me see the Johnson House. I learned so much about the Johnson Family and the other slaves. They had 13 kids, she killed one. And that Henry was in a small box. They had to lay on the roof until the men leave. They let people stay in the attic. They cooked over a fireplace and my favorite part was we had to see where the slaves were on the map. Thank you for giving me a privilege to see the Johnson House and give me more info about the Johnson Family.
Sincerely, Shaena Clark
Dear Ms. Laura,
Thank you for letting me see the Johnson House. I learned so much about the Johnson Family and the other slaves. They had 13 kids, she killed one. And that Henry was in a small box. They had to lay on the roof until the men leave. They let people stay in the attic. They cooked over a fireplace and my favorite part was we had to see where the slaves were on the map. Thank you for giving me a privilege to see the Johnson House and give me more info about the Johnson Family.
Sincerely, Shaena Clark
Dear Johnson House Teacher,
The trip was nice. I like everything about the house because I like how they took us around the house. My favorite part was when we saw similar box to Henry “Box” Brown got into. I notice all the antiquated furniture. The part I didn’t like is when we had to sit on the hard floor. What I learn was that the runaway slave would come and hide in the attic where they slept. Plus, I learn Mrs. Johnson had so many kids. The trip was elegant and nice, thank you.
Sincerely, Jameel Ricketts
Dear Johnson House Teachers,
Thank you for letting me come and see your museum. It was a privilege for me to see where people use to live and helped slaves. Knowing that slaves use to come in and out and sleep and eat there is nice. Most of the stuff is antiquated. What I learned that the family were Quakers and that they didn’t believe in slavery they helped them get freedom. What I thought was amazing was they still have all the furniture. Thank you very much!
Sincerely, Tianna N. Street
Dear Ms. Laura,
Thank you for inviting us to the Johnson House. I’ve learned a lot about slavery and that the Johnson family were Quakers. The story of Henry “Box” Brown was crazy. I can’t believe he squeezed in that box for 26 hours! During the trip, I’ve seen there were a variety of antiquated items, and a couple of things you’ve refurbished. In the last room we went to, I liked it because we got to observe things and listen to music. At the end it was a very nice privilege to have, and I still can’t believe they had 13 children! But once again, thanks very much!
Sincerely, Raven Dickerson
Dear Ms. Laura,
It was a privilege for my class to accompany you to the Johnson House. I understand that it was a big ordeal for the slaves. The thing that I remember most was when you said that Harriet Tubman said “I’d rather kill one and save millions.” The Johnson family thought that they should intercede and help Harriet Tubman and more, when their family could have turned all of the slaves in and got some money. I also remember that they had 13 children. Thank you for teaching my class something new.
Nyima B.
Letters to Wyck
Jeffrey Jermaine Baldwin II “Thank you Wyck House teachers”
Thank you for allowing us to go on the trip to Wyck House. It was a good tour. I appreciate it. Thank you for doing this for us and showing us the history of the house. I like how the lady bolted the clock to the wall and how they showed us the stick that Ruben Haines used. I also liked how he thought that he was related to someone that was not and he was a scientist. He even brought the first coal heater to Philly and sold coal to people in Germantown. That was a nice trip. And thank you for letter it be free. Thank you.
Bryan Rivera “Your magnificent house”
Thank you for letting us go to your magnificent house. I hope you invite us next year to the trip. I couldn’t believe that an egg that big could be an ostrich’s egg. I would be scared to go against it. I loved the way the flowers smelled. My mom surely wouldn’t let me build a snow fort by the window. I liked the Haines family because they were pretty interesting.
Anthony Rodriguez “…so many flowers in the garden”
I loved how you had the rose bushes and I loved how you took care of the chickens. Also thanks for the trip and the home made tea. I loved the ha-ha wall. Ha-ha that is so funny. Also I liked the old wheel chair and the Ben Franklin chair. I would be honored to go back to the Wyck House again. There were so many flowers in the garden. I hope the new chicken cage comes out ok. And also I hope they have eggs.
Paul R. “125 year old rose garden flowers”
Thank you for the tour and showing me the house. The house had beautiful pictures and the house was cool because of the windows, thick walls and the shades and the Wyck family let all the little kids do what they wanted in the house. But the thing that I did not know about was rose garden flowers. They was 125 years old. But the funny part about it was the Ha Ha wall. And thank you for showing how to make a tea bag.
Michael M. “Ben Franklin’s chair”
Thank you for letting Morrison School go on a trip to the Wyck House. It was the last trip of the year. It still looked in shape. The best part I liked is when we made the air freshener – well the tea bags. It was fun. Another part I liked about the trip was when we saw the chair that Ben Franklin sat inside of. We had got to play in the water and that was fun.
Danielle Perez “Ruben Haines the scientist”
Thanks for the amazing trip! We had a lot of fun. The trip was both educational, but fun. I liked it when we made the tea bags. Also when we saw the portraits of some of the family members. It was very interesting hearing about how the were ‘Quakers’. And how they used to treat their children. It was also interesting when we learned that Ruben Haines was a scientist. I really didn’t know how much he loved science and everything that had to do with it. It was amazing to hear that some of the roses in the garden were about 125 years old! I would definitely love to go back and visit!
Kaleem Mitchell Davis “…still living after a long time”
Thanks for showing us around the house. I thought it was a pretty cool house to live in because it’s huge like the 1st floor very long and huge. When I went inside the house and saw a chair that Ben Franklin sat on and I was near it I never been near something that a famous person had touched or sat on before. Now I know that they’re Quakers they feel like children should be apart of the family and that made me very comfortable in the house. I liked the rose gardens. They’re very beautiful and they were old like 125 years old and they’re still living after a long time. I saw the pictures and paintings of the people who lived there and saw their faces.
Tovolia Sledge “…my favorite was making the tea and tea bags”
Thanks for inviting us to the Wyck House, we really appreciate it. I like looking at the different pictures and paintings on the wall. The house stayed very cool even without air conditioning because the walls were thick. Also I liked looking at the rose garden. It was very beautiful and it smelled very good like fresh flowers. I also liked looking at the chickens and smelling the rose perfume. I liked the ha ha wall. I thought that was very funny. Finally, my favorite was making tea and tea bags. I thought that was very interesting. I still haven’t made mines yet, I think I might save it forever.
Sheakeale Legare “…the history of the Wyck House”
I want to thank you for showing us the history of Wyck House. That house brought back good memories from last year. When we were in the Wyck house I saw painting of generations that died in the house. I liked the toys the kids played with back in the day. I also liked the living room and dining room because I like how the architect remade that house into a dream house. I liked the little activities that they did with us students. I didn’t open the tea bag because I didn’t want to drink it. I just like the smell of it.
Courtni Brock “…it was all just beautiful and nice”
I want to thank-you for your time and for volunteering to give my class and I the tour of the Wyck house and for having my class and I make the tea bags and going to the garden and in the house it was all just beautiful and nice. It was very nice seeing you and I hope we meet again in the future.
Tiana Ennis “…the medicine in the rose gardens”
Thank you for letting us come to your beautiful house and learn about the history of their plants and gardens. I liked how Ms. Hurwitz took us around and told us about the medicines that is in the rose gardens. The thing that I like most was then we saw the chickens. I also liked the history and the pictures we found in the house. I hope I can come back to the Wyck house.
Trevonna L. Scott “…the first house to have 9 generations”
Thank you for taking us on a tour around the Wyck House. I learned a lot of things like in the Wyck House kids are allowed in the living room and they have little toys like baby toys and they also showed us someone in the house likes kids since the kids are allowed to go up the main steps. It was also the first house to have 9 generations to live in there.
Naja S. White “The click and ding of the grandfather clock”
Hello my name is Najah S. White and I went to the trip of the Wyck House. It was really glamorous, old, and dusty to me. The stairs were really creepy and lagging to me. What I learned was that house is old. What I didn’t like was the medicine and how people would die because doctors didn’t know what they were doing. Another thing I liked about the Wyck House was the grandfather clock why because I like the noises like click and ding.
Vannara Soth “…it felt like I was in the past”
I am writing this letter to say thank you for the tour of the Wyck House. Inside the house looked like somebody still lives there. The house was beautiful. When I took a step in the house, it felt like I was in the past. I can imagine what and who they were back then. So once again I would like to say thank you very much. The chairs were like a little different than the chairs we have today. The chairs were so old and the chairs are antiques. The things that were in the house were unique in the past and are different than today.
