Saturday, November 10, 2012

trinity house

We just returned from a visit with our son and his fiancé in Philadelphia. They live about ½ mile from Old City (Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross’ House, etc) so we were able to do a lot of walking and exploring. They have recently moved to a Trinity House which has an interesting historical story.



Snippets from the internet . . .

What is a Trinity house?
A Trinity house is a three-story house with each floor containing one room. The Trinity house is believed to have originated in Philadelphia as early as the year 1720, and nearly 300 years later, Trinity houses are still found across the city of Philadelphia. Trinity houses are typically quite small.

bonus courtyard


street level kitchen




In the 18th century, the Trinity houses in Philadelphia contained an exterior door, no running water, community toilet, and treacherous winding staircases. In the centuries since the birth of the Trinity house, many improvements have been made to make living in cramped quarters much more pleasant.

second floor living room and bathroom




The modern Trinity
Trinity houses are still in use today, just with many modern updates. One of the most notable changes to the Trinity is the addition of running water and indoor facilities. The Trinity house still typically has one room on each floor, winding staircases, and one exterior door. Trinity houses can be found in many of Philadelphia's neighborhoods, including Center City and Society Hill. In today's society when houses are getting bigger and bigger, the Trinity house is a good alternative for “city seeking” couples or roommates.

third floor bedroom




basement leisure room, laundry and storage


Their trinity house was originally 3 homes.
One was torn down hence the courtyard.
The remaining two trinity houses were combined into one.

I am telling you those stairs between floors would keep you in shape!


{I will tell you the happy reason for our visit in the next post}



13 comments:

Pondside said...

I love Philadelphia but haven't been there for years. I'll be back to learn the reason for your trip!

Kris said...

How interesting about the Trinity House! Cute place!!!
xo Kris

Crickit said...

Interesting history on the house..it is quite charming!

Beth said...

Wow! Very cool! I love that they didn't just end up in a boring old townhouse like I did when I was single!

Pokey said...

How nice that you are getting to visit your kids, wherever God has them at this time. The small spaces are amazing. I do not think I would like those steep steps, but the place is charming!
:-}pokey

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

I recognize this place as I was born in Philadelphia and still live just 25 minutes from the city. I am sure you had a great visit!

dee dee said...

I've always heard that Philly is a great place to visit! thank you for all the great info on a Trinity House, I've never heard of it before!
dee dee

Linda said...

They look very comfy in their house...will be waiting to hear your news!!
Love older homes...

Cheers!
Linda :o)

Betsy Brock said...

Very cool! That area is just steeped in history, isn't it? Love the Trinity House, too!

Just a little something from Judy said...

Every time I visit Philadelphia, I learn new facts about our history. I never heard of Trinity Houses, but I think they look cozy. Thanks for sharing them.

Megan Rye said...

Thanks for sharing Trinity pics! We have also loved our Philadelphia Trinity, which we've lovingly restored to the original random-width pine floors and original fireplaces on each floor! Alas we've outgrown it and hoping that someone similarly interested in maintaining the historic integrity will be interested in purchasing our little Queen Village gem: http://goo.gl/rLPvR

NH said...

Been researching Trinity Houses for an architecture project and it's fun to actually see the inside of one! Kudos to your son & his fiancee.

killabstingz said...

Nathaniel - interesting bit about that one was it was originally 3 trinities converted at some point into one. The houses were accessed from a side alley off the street. The front house was taken down and turned into a patio, with the remaining two fused into a single. There were a lot of features that shed light on the original construction that otherwise would leave you scratching your head.