Ironmaster Samuel P. Richards Original 1826 Sign from Atsion Mansion

[Ben Ruset]

Glafman, the sign you bought could very well bear the name of Jesse Richards' son Samuel. You might not want to accept this possibility, but who really knows? I hope it turns out that it is indeed the sign of Samuel Richards of Atsion fame.

It seems that Samuel Patrick was really popular name in the Richards family. Even one of Atsion Samuel's children had the name.

I also don't know if I'd be in a rush to donate anything to the state with the way that they treat artifacts. How much stuff in the state's stewardship has gone missing over the years? I'd *loan* the sign to them, not donate it.

 

[Don Catts]

Glafman,

I hope you are not reading us wrong. I think everyone on this forum would love for this to be the original sign from the Atsion Mansion. No one more so than I. The sign would set off the recently restored mansion beautifully. But, the state may want more proof.



In his book Pierce says Samuel was named after his uncle Samuel Patrick, and I am sure that is right. However, I am named after my uncle Donald Lucas but my middle name is not Lucas, small point I know. However, nowhere in this book or any book is he referred to as Samuel P. Richards. So, maybe we need more info on the middle P. It's been many year now, but I have read several original papers on Atsion and I can not remember ever seeing the initial P in his name. Either in correspondence to him or from him. I think if you could find an original document from Atsion with Samuel P. Richards on it or even better signed Samuel P. Richards it would be a lock. One question is, would he have a sign made up with a middle initial on it if he did not use one? Burlington County Historical Society has papers on Atsion and of course the State Archives in Trenton has a large collection. Or maybe the state historian would look in to it.



It's funny, nothing comes easy. In the story on ebay they mention that Josh Lippincott was the heir of Joseph Wharton. After looking in to it Lippincott would be one of the heirs. Joshua Lippincott married Wharton's oldest daughter Joanna Wharton. However, Samuel P. Richards, son of Jesse Richards also married Sarah Lippincott. So we have Lippincotts in both Atsion and Batsto. I like the Lipincott's of Atsion because there were three generation of Joshua Lipincotts and they mention Josh Lippincott in the store on ebay. They also mention the names Brown and Bozarth, again these names were in Batsto and Atsion.



In any event you have a true treasure there and it belongs hanging in it's proper place, whether it be, Atsion or Batsto.



Also, Ben is right. Any dealings with the state should be in writing. On loan with the stipulation it is to be displayed is always better than a donation. Than if they want to store it somewhere you could always get it back before they store it. Once they store it, it may never be seem again.



I think you have a great idea, Good Luck, Don

 

[Teegate]

Glafman,

Don is correct about the state. If you do donate it to them make sure you are certain they will use it properly and not store it away. I was involved with helping someone get an item into the museum at Batsto and this person wanted assurances it would actually go there before they donated the item to the state. The Superintendent of Wharton was extremely helpful and true to his word and the item is now there. However, someday if he is not there the next person who comes along may feel differently and the item may go to storage no matter what the agreement was.

Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

I remember hearing that the "Fruitland" sign in the Atsion ranger station was hidden away when the people from the state museum came by for fear that they'd take it and it'd never see the light of day again.

I love New Jersey. I love the majority of the people who work for the state. But I don't trust the state to be good at being a long-term steward of its own history. How many people in Trenton today would love to scrap the Pinelands CMP? Loan it for sure but make sure you get it in writing that it is yours and it's not to leave the Atsion mansion without your express permission.

 

[turtle]

I remember hearing that the "Fruitland" sign in the Atsion ranger station was hidden away when the people from the state museum came by for fear that they'd take it and it'd never see the light of day again.

Ben....
About 10 years ago the "Fruitland" railroad sign was discovered while cleaning the Atsion office attic: under sheets of plywood, under the eaves, covered in heavy dust. To alleviate the fear of it being "misplaced", it was lightly wiped with a damp cloth and hung in the Atsion Office the same day that it was found. The hardware hooks were still in place and the two employees who found it, were the ones who hung it. A picture was immediately taken of it hanging and a handful of persons (both State and non-state employees) were notified so that there was solid documentation that it existed. The Batsto Citizens Committee topped that off with posting an article about it in their newsletter. To this day, it still hangs there and no one has taken it down (yay). I don't think that will happen, but stranger things have been known to occur.... At least no one can deny it's existence.

Terry

 

[Teegate]

I didn't know turtles cleaned attics, let alone hang signs.

 

[jokerman]

Very cool stuff. That sign looks like it would have likely hung at the entrance to the person's office or shop.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Ben....
About 10 years ago the "Fruitland" railroad sign was discovered while cleaning the Atsion office attic: under sheets of plywood, under the eaves, covered in heavy dust. To alleviate the fear of it being "misplaced", it was lightly wiped with a damp cloth and hung in the Atsion Office the same day that it was found. The hardware hooks were still in place and the two employees who found it, were the ones who hung it. A picture was immediately taken of it hanging and a handful of persons (both State and non-state employees) were notified so that there was solid documentation that it existed. The Batsto Citizens Committee topped that off with posting an article about it in their newsletter. To this day, it still hangs there and no one has taken it down (yay). I don't think that will happen, but stranger things have been known to occur.... At least no one can deny it's existence.

Terry

Well, I was sort of close with my story.

 

[Don Catts]

Turtle,



About 38 years ago that Fruitland sign was given to me by the then superintendent of Atsion. He was a good friend of mine and one Sunday he said, come around tomorrow and we will go up into the attic and get the sign and see what else is up there that you can use. So, next morning I went to the ranger's station and asked for Clyde. The lady said he wasn't in. So, I said, when will he be back, to which she replied, I don't think he is coming back. Well, come to find out he was called in that morning and given the choose of taken early retirement or being fired for something else, unrelated, that he had done. And that's how close I came to owning the Fruitland Sign. I had forgotten all about it until I saw it hanging in the ranger's station several years ago. I said, "hey, that's my sign".



As it turned out the sign is better off where it is today. I probably would have given it back eventually anyway.



Don

 

[turtle]

Don,
The funny thing about history is that those of us who love it want to "save" it. Save it to share with others, save it for generations after us, save it for research and justification, save it for the glory of solving century old questions and putting the pieces of the puzzle together. And in that effort to save it, some people lose sight of the importance of the sharing part. They become more carried away with the saving part. Boxes of documents and items tucked away in a well meaning attic or garage benefit only the mind of the saver because they "know they have it". But unfortunately no one else does. It helps no one.
In the example of your friend at Atsion; if every person who worked at a historic felt the same way as he, there would be nothing left to share. That's why I am so damn grateful to Ben and Guy, Jerseyman & Gabe, and all the others on this site who share their information and knowledge and provide this site as a distribution point for all that brain candy. I copy any historic documents that pass my way, photograph any interesting items. It is pure joy to have the opportunity to occasionally provide a piece of the puzzle....fun too.
Keep up the good work, Don!
See you soon
Terry

 

[Don Catts]

Terry,
one more almost story. The same friend from the ranger's station also had the original iron water pipe columns that were removed from the Richards Mansion when the state removed the west porch during the first restoration back in 1960, or there abouts. He had long since passed away, but the pipe remain on the back of his property. When I heard they were going to restore the Richard's Mansion, a friend who knew where they were, and I went back there to look for them, but we could not find them. My idea was to have them incorporated back into the west porch when the state restored the mansion and once again added the west porch. However, when we could not find them I sadly had to dropped the idea.

More history lost forever, Don

 

[Ben Ruset]

I had always wondered why the columns didn't have the "P" marking that Beck noted. Figures that they're fake.

 

[Don Catts]

Ben, I have been around that mansion since the 1970's when I first read about the "P" marked on the pipes. I think I have been inside more than Samuel Richards himself. I haven't found a "P" or any other letter on those pipes. I've heard everything from a "P" for Philadelphia to an "A" for Atsion to a "W" for Weymouth, but I see nothing.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Well, if the pipes had been removed that would make sense. Or was it just the ones on the side that were taken down?

 

[Don Catts]

I'm sorry, it was just the 6 on the west porch that were removed. The columns on the front porch are original and they are iron water pipes, they just don't have any letter on them and I would say never did.

 

[Don Catts]

Let me back up a little. The columns on the front porch are original and iron. I don't know that they are water pipe for sure. They may be iron columns made just for the mansion.

 

[Glafman]

HI .Guys Im hitting a dead end on this sign I have .need to visit graveyard where Richards is buried and see if his tomestone is marked with a P Next up should I restore this sign What do you guys think ? Thanks RJ

 

[Don Catts]

RJ

Where have you checked so far? I would not restore or even clean the sign at this point. Maybe at some point later the frame may need to be repaired and the sign cleaned but nothing right now. Samuel Richards of Atsion is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Phila. PA 08 May 1769 - 04 Jan 1842 Age 72
Don

 

[Glafman]

Well again deadends I cannot find online Richards info in laurel hill maybe he is not there ill keep looking RJ

 

[janwor]

Well again deadends I cannot find online Richards info in laurel hill maybe he is not there ill keep looking RJ

For what it's worth .........
Atsion's Samuel Richards is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. A photograph of his monument taken about 20 years ago shows the name as Samuel Richards. A 1967 listing of those persons interred in his family plot (Sec. E, Lot 64-67) contains about 25 family members. There is no Samuel P Richards in the list. I agree that when Arthur Pierce said Samuel was named after his uncle Samuel Patrick, he was most likely speaking of his first name only.

On page 136 in the Batsto chapter of Iron in the Pines, Pierce tells of Samuel Patrick Richards sailing to Europe on 7/19/1843. This is Jesse's son. Definitely, not Samuel of Atsion!

I believe that Jesse's son, Samuel Patrick Richards, lived his life in the Batsto area. Lower Bank comes to mind. I have nothing to back this statement. More research is needed.

Janet