Preserving History: Reconstruction of the James Oronoco Dexter House
by Matthew Mlodzienski
Mentor, Dr. Glen Muschio
Reconstruction
Dexter House
Second Story
Research
Who was James Dexter?
Stairs
Kitchen - First Floor
James Oronoco Dexter was a manumitted slave who lived in a residence
on 5th street, two doors past Cherry Alley. He was an active participant
in Philadelphia’s emerging community of freed African Americans. His
house, which is the focus of my project, hosted meetings regarding the
founding of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas headed by
Absalom Jones in 1792.
Room 1
Room 2
Working in 3D
Chimney
Stairs as seen from the second floor. A steep staircase extends into the garret.
The garret itself was likely used as sleeping space, since tax records show the
house was occupied by James Oronoco Dexter and eight others.
Previous Drexel students created the exterior and first floor interior of
the Dexter House. This summer, work was done on recreating the second
floor of the house. Using Autodesk Maya, a 3D modeling program.
Several different versions of the second floor were created and examined.
By using digital techniques, it is possible to rapidly explore possibilities
before settling on a final version, or even several versions.
Church Historian Arthur Sudler of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas wears the Oculus Rift
to test the prototype interactive Dexter House while PAF members Dr. Patrice Jeppson and Anita
McKelvey, as well as STAR Scholar Matthew Mlodzienski look on. Photo by Dr. Glen Muschio.
Digging for Information
The rafters of the garret were built using a style typical of
the New World. The large stands of virgin trees allowed much
simpler rafter design using fewer, but larger, pieces of timber.
European designs were far more complex, as the timbers available
for construction were far smaller due to the younger trees.
View of the main staircase from the first floor. The style, known as “Dog-leg’d or Plain Open Newel
Stairs” was typical of simple homes that needed to save space. Staircases of the period were far steeper
than modern staircases. The pattern of the staircase repeats down into the basement of the house.
While there is no mention of a basement in the insurance records, houses built in the style of Dexter’s
house typically had one.
The Dexter House was demolished in the early 19th century. The remains
of the foundations were uncovered as part of an archaeological excavation
prior to the construction of the National Constitution Center at
Independence National Park. The foundations of the house only provide
so much information, especially in regards to the second floor. An
invaluable source was a period insurance record, shown on the right, which
describes Dexter’s house as a plain two story house.
Also consulted were archaeologists Jed Levin and Doug Mooney, both of
whom worked on the excavation of the Dexter House. Their knowledge of
the archaeological record helped narrow down the numerous possibilities for
the design of the house. Early findings for my portion of the project were
presented to them at a meeting of the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum
where I received feedback on my changes to the house.
Preservation
Former STAR scholar Mark Petrovich, now a digital designer with URS, a cultural resource management firm,
demonstrating an interactive exhibit to current STAR scholar Matthew Mlodzienski at the “Before and Below
I-95 in 2014” exhibition. Photo by Dr. Glen Muschio
Philadelphia has a rich archaeological history. People have lived in
the area for thousands of years. If the city continuously builds
over its past, we run the risk of losing it. Work is being done by
organizations to preserve the city’s cultural history. During
construction of the new I-95 interchange, archaelogical digs were
conducted to better understand and interpret the past. Artifacts
recovered were presented to the public at the Before and Below
exhibition at the First Presbyterian Church in Kensington. The
event was well attended, and outreach continues with the
www.diggingi95.com website.
The end goal of our 3D project is to create an interactive game
experience that allows the player to explore the Dexter House and
interact with avatars of the people who occupied it. It will serve as
an educational experience for topics on race, slavery, class, and
religion. The game will also serve as a means of educating
players about the importance of preserving our cultural history.
The work completed this summer builds on past efforts and
will be continued by future STAR scholars.
Insurance record for the Dexter house.
“Surveyed a house and kitchen belonging to Ebenezer Robinson situate on the west side of Fifth Street
two doors above Cherry Alley. The house is 20 feet front and 15 feet deep two floors high one room
below and two in second story a plain brest surface & skirting in the lower room and entry in the second
story front of closets surbace and skirting. Garret all in one and plastered. Common winding stairs &
________ plaistered. Kitchen 10 feet by 17 feet 6. Finished very plain. One story high 9 inch party
walls and plaistered.”
References
Insurance Survey 02468. (n.d.). Retrieved August 19, 2014, from
www.philadelphiabuildings.org
Lanier, G., & Herman, B. (1997). Everyday architecture of the
Mid-Atlantic: Looking at buildings and landscapes. Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins University Press.
Peterson, C. (1971). The rules of work of the Carpenters' Company of
the City and County of Philadelphia, 1786, (Revised/Expanded ed.).
Princeton: Pyne Press.
Smith, B. (1990). The "lower sort": Philadelphia's laboring people,
1750-1800. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.
Artifacts from the I-95 excavation laid out at the Before and Below exhibition. Common artifacts include fragments
of china and other earthenware pieces. Discarded in pits or disused privies, they are later excavated by archaeologists.
Photo by Dr. Glen Muschio
United States. National Park Service. (2014, August 6). Independence
National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service). Retrieved August
19, 2014, from www.nps.gov/inde/