Benjamin Loxley house

The Benjamin Loxley house was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania house owned by a major of that name who served in the Continental Army. The house is noted in history as the place where Lydia Darragh, a Quaker patriot, overheard secret British plans and passed them on the next day to General George Washington. Her efforts are believed to have saved the Continental Army from a surprise attack on December 4, 1777 from British General William Howe, who was occupying Philadelphia.

Benjamin Loxley constructed the wood frame house about 1760 and used it as a private residence. His descendants continued to live there until 1851. It was at Second and Little Dock streets in old Philadelphia about two blocks west of the Delaware River. The house was a two-story structure with a balcony across the entire front on the second story that projected out over the low first story. The first story had two large windows with small panes of glass. The inverted "V" peaked roof projected out over the balcony, partly protecting it against the weather. The roof was supported by protruding bulky carved ornamental cantilever supports. The balcony represented prestige and wealth. It was one of the favorite places from where English evangelist George Whitefield preached to large crowds during his tours of the colonies in the Great Awakening.

Loxley also owned the property behind this house, which consisted of a row of houses he built of red-and-black glazed brick. He imported this brick from England. These houses front on Spruce Street; the group is now known as Loxley Court. Loxley's children and their descendants lived in these houses until 1851. These houses had a group of fruit trees and grape vines that surrounded them. The property with the houses was fully landscaped. The yard's landscaping was destroyed by the British when they occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

Loxley's property was in an area known as Society Hill. On this hill stood the city's main flagpole. It was the point from where guns of salute were fired in honor of distinguished visitors that arrived in ships on the Delaware River. This hill is where George Washington made camp with his Virginia troops on the retreat from Braddock's defeat in 1755.Bathsheba Bowers had a spa nearby that was well known for its excellent water called Bathsheba's spring and bower.

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