Declaration House (Graff House)

Frommer's Review

Bricklayer Jacob Graff constructed a modest three-story home in the 1770s, intending to rent out the second floor for added income. The Second Continental Congress soon brought to the house a thin, red-haired tenant named Thomas Jefferson, in search of a quiet room away from city noise. He must have found it, because he drafted the Declaration of Independence here in less than 3 weeks in late spring 1776.

The 1975 reconstruction used the same Flemish Bond brick checkerboard pattern (only on visible walls), windows with paneled shutters, and knickknacks that would have been around the house in 1775. Compared to Society Hill homes, it's tiny and asymmetrical, with an off-center front door. You'll enter through a small garden and see a short film about Jefferson and a copy of Jefferson's draft (which would have forbidden slavery in the United States had that clause survived debate). The upstairs rooms are furnished as they would have been in Jefferson's time. Hours vary according to season. Call ahead to confirm.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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