The Watch Box

58 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION she approached the problems that were often more difficult to solve when there was less mutual understanding between the "branches" of Friends than there happily is now. One of the unifying elements in Philadelphia meetings has been the realization , so fully understood at present, that all must cordially work together to understand the early history of our common origin. We are appreciative of the fact that her work for our society was only one of the many activities, both within and outside of the Society of Friends, in which our late President was earnestly engaged. The cause of Temperance was always near to her heart, and she took a leading part in the early work of the Foreign Missionary Society of Arch Street Yearly Meeting. We, who today miss her cordial greetings and her wise counsel, feel that to her we owe an inspiration that will help us in overcoming the difficulties of the present and in striving for greater success in the future. THE WATCH BOX By Walter F. Price RECENTLY there has been placed in the yard of Arch Street Meeting, Philadelphia, near the southeast corner of the Meeting House, an interesting historic relic. When I first saw it, there was a painted sign attached to the door, bearing these words: "Ancient Watch Box, Used in Colonial Philadelphia. Presented to the Friends' Historical Society by Albanus L. Smith." Albanus Smith was a descendant of James Logan, Penn's secretary and friend. The watch box, like a sentry box, is a small building about four feet six inches in diameter, generally hexagonal in plan, though sometimes square or round. Starting at the base, the walls, of two-inch plank, slant slightly inwards as they rise from the base to the cornice, making a delicate taper, which gives a subtle charm to the design. The roof, now tinned, was probably covered with shingles. This has a pitch of about forty-five degrees, and is surmounted with a hexagonal lantern, the sides of which are glass, with a roof ending in a point of a similar pitch, to the main roof. The alternate sides are pierced with cir- THE WATCH BOX59 cular holes, about five feet six inches from the floor. These are six inches across and are filled with plain glass, making peep holes for the watchman. The whole building, as it stands, rises to a height of twelve feet six inches above the ground. This includes a new brick base, twenty inches high, which will preveit further decay. For in measuring the box, to make a scale drawing , I found the door, which has its original hinges, was only five feet two inches high. Moreover, as you examine it, you will find that several planks forming the walls have been sawed off diagonally and that a new board twelve inches wide has been put around the box, to replace wood that has rotted away. The "Committee of Six" have thoroughly painted the building as well as repaired it and have placed it on the grounds, so that it can be seen from the north and from the west. They have also run a wire to the lantern controlled by a switch, so that the light can be turned on at will. During last Yearly Meeting at Arch Street, a new sign was made and attached to the watch box at the expense of the Friends' Historical Association, worded as follows—"WATCH BOX of Old Philadelphia at 8th and Walnut Streets until 1852. Then Preserved by John Jay Smith in his Germantown Garden— Presented by Albanus L. Smith in 1909." This was worded by Albert Cook Myers, who showed me three books touching the police and night watchmen of old Philadelphia on the shelves of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. Before referring to these, permit me to say that recently a member of Arch Street Meeting told me he came in 1880 from a distant village in Pennsylvania to live in Philadelphia, and he then noticed on the Arch Street Meeting grounds a watch box of the same design as the subject of this account. It stood not far from the northeast angle of the...