From the rear is shown an interesting adaptation of the gambrel roof 
to a house that is narrow in proportion to its length 
Between the two rows of narrow windows are courses of shaped stones 
that offer a pleasing variety in the design 
Old Philadelphia Houses, 
RAEME Park, in Horsham Town¬ 
ship, near the Doylestown and Wil¬ 
low Grove Turnpike, is one of the famous 
old houses of the Philadelphia neighbor¬ 
hood. It was begun in 1721 by Sir Will¬ 
iam Keith, one of the Colonial governors 
of Pennsylvania, and finished the follow¬ 
ing year. Here Sir William lived in great 
state, maintaining a retinue of servants 
and driving to the city whenever he had 
occasion to go thither, with his coach and 
four with outriders in truly regal fashion. 
The house was in keeping with the 
manorial mode of life maintained by the 
baronet. Besides the main building shown 
in the illustration, there were detached 
wings on each side, in which were the 
quarters for the servants, the kitchens 
and the various domestic offices. These 
side buildings disappeared many years 
ago, and the whole place, unoccupied for 
a long period, has fallen into decay though 
Even in the photograph the color and fabric 
effect of the field stones are apparent 
II. Graeme Park, Horsham 
this is not by any means irreparable. 
The front of the house is over sixty 
feet long, and it has a depth of twenty-five 
feet. The walls of rich brown field stone, 
carefully laid and fitted, are more than two 
feet thick, and over the doors and win¬ 
dows, tall and narrow in proportion, as 
was the style at the time of erection, se¬ 
lected stones are laid in flattened arches 
of the same type as those at Stenton. The 
comparison is interesting between Sten¬ 
ton, the brick house, and Graeme Park, 
the stone house, of almost the same date. 
The great hall or parlor at the north 
end of the building is twenty-one feet 
square. Its walls are paneled and wains¬ 
coted from floor to ceiling, a height of 
fourteen feet. In the hall the fireplace is 
faced with marble fetched overseas; in the 
other rooms Dutch tiles are used for fac¬ 
ing. There are three rooms on each floor, 
(Continued on page 133) 
Fine Colonial detail is evident in the rooms, especially about the great 
fireplace and mantel and in the wainscoted walls 
Although these doors are not symmetrically placed relative to the fire¬ 
place, yet their design gives a sense of balance 
(115) 
