John Jacob Gorgas

John Jacob Gorgas came to America with Wilhelm Rittenhouse, (his wife's grandfather). He is mentioned as being Psyche's cousin.

The Germantown Mennonite Church lists John Gorgas as a member in 1708 and was one of their ministers. Was naturalized by an Act of the Penna. Assembly on Sept. 29, 1709. Will dated June 1, 1741, probated June 22, 1741. leaves his estate to wife and children. The clerk (scrivener) who prepared John's will probably never heard of such a name as Psyche and simplified it by making it "Sophia". His occupation was paper making. The Gorgas family owned in part of entire at different times, more than six paper mills on the Wissahickon and its tributaries. He also built and operated a fulling mill, for the manufacture of heavy cloth and carpet.

Because of the indifference of the Mennonites to preserve records, information about the Germantown Mennonite Church in its early years is scant. However, a publication of the Penna. German Society contains a list of the members of the Germantown Mennonite Church in 1708 which includes the name of John Gorgas Sr.; and the most accurate account of the Mennonite activity, by John C. Wenger accepts the early tradition that John Gorgas was a minister of the Germantown congregation. Mennonites chose their ministers from among their membership and did not require theological training on their part. A log church for the Mennonites was built sometime between 1703 and 1708 on ground given for that purpose by Arnold van Vossen. John Gorgas is listed as a member of the Church. There was a conference of Mennonite ministers in 1725 attended by at least sixteen preachers, this having been the first such conference in America.. The preachers who signed for Germantown were John Gorgas, John Conerads and Nicholas Rittenhouse.

Adherents of the Church of the Brethern (Dunkers) first came to Germantown in 1719 and after they established a congregation, several members of the Gorgas families of that time held membership in this congregation. Some of them went to Ephrata, Lancaster County, in 1739 and became members of the Seventh-Day Monastic Community there, under Conrad Reissel. John Gorgas Sr., born in Holland, was one of a group of immigrants from non-British lands who were naturalized by an Act of the Penna. Assembly on September 29, 1709.

Francis Daniel Pastorius, the founder of Germantown, arranged through James Logan the passage of this Bill, which specified it was for the purpose of enabling Germans and others to own land. Among the Germantowners naturalized by this Act were Francis Daniel Pastorius, heading the list with the name of John Gorgas Sr. soon after. John Gorgas married Psyche Rittenhouse. There is apparently no record of his burial, either at the Upper Germantown Burying Ground, where he contributed to the cost of erecting the Wall in 1724, or at the Mennonite Church Yard. His will dated June 1, 1741, Probated June 22, 1741 leaves his estate to his wife and children.

John Gorgas Sr.'s occupation was paper making. His father-in-law, William Rittenhouse, in the year 1690 built and operated the first paper mill in America, located on the Wissahickon Creek near Lincoln Drive. William Dewees, brother-in-law of Nicholas Rittenhouse, built and operated the second paper mill established in the Colonies. This second mill was probably built about 1708 and in 1713 the mill was purchased from William Dewees by Nicholas Rittenhouse, John Gorgas Sr. and others. The property comprised 100 acres and was situated about 500 feet east of where the Wissahickon crosses City Line. The Gorgas family owned in part or entire at different times more than six mills on the Wissahickon and its tributaries. In 1728, John Gorgas Sr. started to manufacture a paper resembling asses shin, from a species of rotten-stone, probably an asbestos product. There was a great demand for this sort of heavy, tough paper for documents, book-binding, etc. He also built and operated a fulling mill on the southwest side of Cresheim Road, near where the McCallum Street Bridge now spans Cresheim Creek for the manufacture of heavy cloth and carpet. In 1725 P.C. Zimmerman sold 30 acres and a dwelling on Cresheim Creek to John Gorgas Sr., skin-dresser (tanner). An inventory of John Gorgas Sr.'s estate includes 37 dressed buck skins and several deer skins. It is estimated, by Deeds and Records, that the land owned by John Gorgas Sr. extended "from Hermitage Street to Gates Street and from Ridge Avenue to the Wissahickon Creek".

In 1729 William Dewees, by Public Petition, states "the inhabitants of German-Township hath by voluntary subscription built a bridge over Whssahickon Creek near unto the Dewees Mills for the convince and accommodation of travelers". Among the subscribers was John Gorgas Sr.

Will of John Gorgas Sr. John Gorgas, of Philadelphia County, skin dresser. Eldest son John, to have one-third of my land containing one half of the breadth of my land and fronting on the southwest side of the North Wales Road (now Germantown Avenue), and extending as far as Cresheim Road, also 5 acres at the back end of my land joining to Roxbrorugh Township line and extending the whole breadth of my land. Also one full and undivided moiety of half part of the fulling mill and the use and profits of the water courses and appurtenances and a half part of the land wheron said mill now stands, 15 perches long and the whole breadth of my land, in consideration of the payment of L50 to me by John. Residue of the lands to son Benjamin, Daughter Susannah, Sons Joseph and Jacob, the youngest to divide among themselves. Daughter Mary, now in the Monastery in Ephrata, L20, she to have L30 additional if she leaves the Monastery. Wife Sophia authorized to sell lands in Bristol Township. If Daughter Susannah builds a house she is to have L15 more. Executors: Wife Sophia, William Rittenhouse, and Son John. Witnesses: Gerhart Rittenhouse, John Frederick Haas, Christian Lehman.

It looks like several of his children began to follow a different religion, for which he tried to pursuade his daughter to leave the Cloister in Ephrata and didn't even mention his son Menno, who may have been a minister around there.

The History of Gorgas Park

Gorgas Park is located on the west side of Ridge Avenue, between Fountain and Hermitage Streets in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. Roxborough, lying between the Schuylkill River and the Wissahickon Creek, is a part of William Penn's original 1681 land grant.

Gorgas Park is named for the Gorgas Family who settled in the area toward the end of the 17th Century. In 1759 Joseph Gorgas bought a half interest in land on the banks of the Wissahickon from his brother John, on which he built mills and a stone house replacing a log cabin monastery then on the site. In 1853, The Fairmount Park Commission bought the property, tore down the mills which were built and run by the family, but retained the homestead and the barn, which existed on the property.

Fifth generation Gorgas descendant, Samuel, named his brother Matthias as trustee of a fund set up to benefit their mother and sisters Margaret and Susan. These family members lived in the family home on Ridge Avenue between Gates and Hermitage Streets. The home was built in 1780 and was added on to in 1810 and again in 1892. Samuel later left money to his sister Susan and his niece Susan, the daughter of another brother John. The sixth generation Susan Gorgas, who lived in West Chester, inherited the family homestead and 80 acres of land from her aunt and uncle and grandfather in 1882. She gave 5 acres of land on the west side of Ridge Avenue, north of Hermitage Street, to the City of Philadelphia for a public park for the free use of the people of Philadelphia. Gorgas Park was dedicated in 1895 and was in active use for half a century. During this era it is known to have housed a circular fountain and a gazebo. In the later half of the 20th Century, its maintenance and constructive use fell into decline.

In the early 1990's Central Roxborough Civic Association adopted Gorgas Park. Cleanups and plantings were begun. The Roxborough Anti-Graffiti Group removed graffiti from the Park House. Flea markets became annual events. In May of 1993, local landscape artist and neighbor Cricket O'Brien developed the Gorgas Park Improvement Plan which proposed general site improvements, and upgraded entry plaza, a renewed tot lot and an amphitheater. The estimated $1.3 million required to implement the plan was not found; however, the plan would later form the basis for several subsequent applications and presentations. Philadelphia government earmarked $50,000 in Capital funds to begin improvements and repairs.

Tired of waiting for the City to act, a few local men took matters into their own hands in the Spring of 1996 and pruned many of the park's overhanging trees and removed damaged ones within a six-month period of time. The park is home to over 250 trees. Site lines into the park were re-established. More importantly, this impressive effort by these few men inspired the creation of The Friends of Gorgas Park. Most of the $50,000 set aside for capital work was spent in chipping the downed trees and limbs and walkway repairs. Gorgas Park was being transformed and community interest and active use of the park increased.

Friends of Gorgas Park applied to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Parks Revitalization Initiative in March of 1997 seeking to restore the Park's former glory and establish environmental education and perennial gardens. They were selected for the three-year program. Selection also entitled the group to $30,000 in funding from the William Penn Foundation.

The Friends of Gorgas Park immediately began an active period of planning, advocacy and action. They sought private and public funds to support rehabilitation of Park structures, organized events and developed ideas to update the Park to meet current and future needs. Improvements began thanks to volunteer labor, City funds, Recreation Department maintenance help and the support of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Parks Program. The Recreation Department lent significant support with major repairs and renovations to the Park House, giving the Friends a base from which to maintain, improve and run programs. In October of 1999, the Friends of Gorgas Park's partnership with PHS was extended through 2002-2003. Selection also entitled the group to $80,000 in funding from the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund.

Brief History of Monastery Stables

The Monastery that stands today was built in about 1747 by Joseph Gorgas and is on the same site where the Brethren Church was started in America...

back to the history of the Monastery, after Gumre moved away he sold the land with the cabin to his son who in turn sold it to Benjamin Shoemaker in 1742. Four or 5 years later Shoemaker sold it to John Gorgas Jr. Gorgas senior had moved from Germany in 1688 supposedly on the same ship as William Rittenhouse who started Rittenhousetown. In 1706 he was naturalized as a English citizen so that he could own land in the colony. Gorgas married Psyche (or Seikie) Rittenhouse and they had quite a few kids (in his will, his wife is named Sophia). When he died in 1741 he left his land to his older sons and his wife and younger kids moved to a 7th day Baptist community in Ephrata. His two oldest sons John and Joseph Gorgas came back to live on the land. John Jr. (the eldest son), bought the section right on the river from Shoemaker and gave it to Joseph. Joseph then built a three story mansion, a barn and a paper mill on it. Because of his connection with the Baptists in Ephrata Joseph Gorgas allowed the brothers and sisters from Ephrata to stay with him. This is probably why it's referred to as a monastery. Joseph Gorgas married a woman named Juliana but never had any children. When they got to be older, Joseph and Juliana moved to Ephrata to live out the rest of their lives. He died in 1766 and she in 1805. When they left, Joseph's brother John was given the land. In 1761, he sold it to Edward Milner

Immegrated to the US with Wilhelm Rittenhouse in 1688, from Holland.