John Ruan House

	John Ruan House
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
Location	4278–4280 Griscom St.,; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°0′36″N 75°5′28″W / 40.01000°N 75.09111°W
Built	1796
Architectural style	Georgian
NRHP reference No.	85003410
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 31, 1985
Designated PRHP	January 3, 1985

The John Ruan House is a historical mansion located in Frankford, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was built in 1796 for John Ruan, a Pennsylvanian physician and community leader.

History

In 1794, Dr. John Ruan, a Pennsylvanian physician, erected a small building in Frankford. After paying taxes to it, he built the John Ruan House, attaching it to the previous building, which may have been used as a kitchen and servants' quarters. After Ryan suffered financial losses in 1822, the house was sold to a merchant. It changed ownership several times before it was converted into a kindergarten in 1890.^[3]

In 1921, the Knights of Columbus acquired the building, using it for meetings and social events. It was acquired again in 1958 by the Philadelphia Camp Corporation, who converted it into a museum.^[3] In 1985, the building was added into the Philadelphia^[1] and federal^[4] registers for historic places. However, due to rising maintenance costs, in 2021, the museum closed down.^[5]^[6]

Composition

The house is 2½-stories high, the oldest of its size and stature still standing in Frankford.^[1]^[3] Some of the ornaments used in the home match others which were designed by the German architect Robert Wellford. However, due to the time when the house was constructed, it is unlikely that they were created by him.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Philadelphia Historical Commission | Homepage". City of Philadelphia. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
^ "NRHP Nomination Form" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
^ ^a ^b ^c "New Page 1". GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC CIVIL WAR MUSEUM. Archived from the original on 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
^ https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/CRGIS_Attachments/SiteResource/H079136_01H.pdf Archived 2016-12-20 at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL PDF]}
^ "Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum's New Location". Frankford Gazette. 2021-07-03. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
^ "(GAR) Grand Army of the Republic Looks to Relocate". Frankford Gazette. 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
^ Reinberger, Mark (2003). Utility and Beauty: Robert Wellford and Composition Ornament in America. University of Delaware Press. ISBN 978-0-87413-760-6.

[:2-1] "Philadelphia Historical Commission | Homepage". City of Philadelphia. Retrieved 2024-02-29.

[2] "NRHP Nomination Form" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-06.

[:0-3] "New Page 1". GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC CIVIL WAR MUSEUM. Archived from the original on 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2024-02-29.

[4] ttps://www.dot7.state.pa.us/CRGIS_Attachments/SiteResource/H079136_01H.pdf Archived 2016-12-20 at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL PDF]}

[5] "Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum's New Location". Frankford Gazette. 2021-07-03. Retrieved 2024-02-29.

[:1-6] "(GAR) Grand Army of the Republic Looks to Relocate". Frankford Gazette. 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2024-02-29.

[:32-7] Reinberger, Mark (2003). Utility and Beauty: Robert Wellford and Composition Ornament in America. University of Delaware Press. ISBN 978-0-87413-760-6.

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