The Slate Roof House

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The Slate Roof House stood at the site of Philadelphia’s Welcome Park and represented both the first era of Philadelphia buildings constructed during William Penn’s lifetime and the only known residence of Penn within the city limits.

Built 1699-1701 for Barbadian Quaker merchant Samuel Carpenter, the house was in the Jacobean style and featured two projecting wings flanking a recessed central entrance. Notable for its large size, it was also distinguished by its slate roof which was a distinctive feature at the time of its construction.

Located on Second Street below Chestnut the house was near the colonial population and political center of Philadelphia and it occupied a small hill giving it a view of the nearby Delaware River. Penn rented the house while maintaining his regular residence at Pennsbury Manor north of the city.

In the 19th century the house was altered for commercial use and, despite protests from historians, it was demolished in 1867. It was replaced by a commercial building that stood until 1976. In 1982, Welcome Park was built on the site featuring Penn’s plan of the city laid out in slate tiles and a bronze model of the house near the rear of the park.