Ok -- this is a going to be tough. I've been posting a bunch of pictures from southeastern Pennsylvania, which is where I grew up. I've posted on Paul Robeson's house and Horace Pippin's house, for instance. Now I have a trivia question related to the home of a nineteenth century literary figure, a poet, travel writer, and Quaker (which may be key to solving this question). The home was built just before the Civil War and -- I am told and I suspect it's true -- that Ralph Waldo Emerson visited this place (and commented on a sequoia tree on its grounds -- not sure if that tree's still standing. Most of the surrounding property is now a suburban housing development. But it sure would be cool if that tree's still there.). Did I mention this is about the toughest trivia question I can imagine, not the least of which because I'd never heard of the home's owner before and I grew up in the county where it's located. But it turns out he was a major literary figure at the time -- Longfellow wrote a memorial poem for him, apparently at the instigation of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Now, here's why I'm interested in this man in particular -- I'm pretty sure that one of my civil rights heroes is named for the owner/architect of this house.
The question is, who built (and then lived in) this house?
And with that I'll say, good luck!
It's Cedarcroft, built by Bayard Taylor.
Posted by: cpm | July 12, 2015 at 04:58 AM
Holy cow your good! That's exactly correct and fast. And Bayard Rustin is named after him.
Posted by: Al Brophy | July 12, 2015 at 06:19 AM