{"nrhp_refnum":"72001156","name":"Grumblethorpe Tenant House","other_names":["Tenant House of Wister`s Big House","See Also:Colonial Germant"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"5269 Germantown Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":40.032120070000076,"lon":-75.16863962699995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-06-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small stone tenant dwelling at Grumblethorpe in Germantown, Philadelphia, built as a dependency of the adjoining John Wister house around 1744. It was later enlarged to two and one-half stories.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is significant for its relationship to the larger Wister house and for its original architectural features. Its eastern, earliest section resembles Philadelphia houses planned for year-round occupancy, and the building is presented as an excellent example of a small Colonial-era dwelling. The property is also located within the Germantown Avenue National Historic Landmark area.","narrative":"Built of local pointed stone around 1744 as a dependency of John Wister's summer home, Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Philadelphia, this small dwelling was first a single story with a cellar kitchen and a large central chimney serving corner fireplaces in the front and back rooms. Its eastern section, measuring 19 by 28 feet, is similar to Philadelphia houses planned for year-round occupancy, with a door and passage set against one gable wall. Later in the 1800s, it was raised to two and one-half stories and two rooms were added to the west, giving it a center door and passage. The house is regarded as an excellent example of a small Colonial-era dwelling and is valued for its association with the Wister estate. Its plastered walls and much of the original wood trim remain intact, and the property lies within the Germantown Avenue National Historic Landmark area.","period_of_significance":"c. 1744-1800","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Original site; the form rates its condition as good and notes it was altered.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.120354-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/72001156.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72001156/202f29edc9-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72001156/202f29edc9-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grumblethorpe_Tennant.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grumblethorpe_Tennant.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"66000678","name":"Colonial Germantown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/colonial-germantown-historic-district-66000678/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997034","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumblethorpe_Tenant_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5612046"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/grumblethorpe-tenant-house-72001156/"}