Graff House - Revision history

Gritty: Humanization pass: prose rewrite for readability

2026-04-23T18:57:23Z

Humanization pass: prose rewrite for readability

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:57, 23 April 2026
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	'''Graff House''' is a reconstructed 18th-century building at the southwest corner of 7th and Market Streets in Philadelphia where [https://biography.wiki/t/Thomas_Jefferson Thomas Jefferson] drafted the [[Declaration of Independence]] in June 1776. The original house, built by bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. in 1775, was demolished in 1883, but the National Park Service constructed a historically accurate replica on the site in 1975 as part of the American Bicentennial celebrations. Now known officially as the Declaration House, the building contains exhibits on Jefferson's three weeks of work that produced one of the most influential documents in human history. The second-floor rooms where Jefferson lodged have been restored to their 1776 appearance, allowing visitors to visualize the conditions under which he composed the stirring words that announced American independence. ~~The site is open to the public free of charge as part~~ of Independence National Historical Park.<ref name="nps">{{cite web \|url=https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-declarationhouse.htm \|title=Declaration House \|publisher=National Park Service \|access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>		'''Graff House''' is a reconstructed 18th-century building at the southwest corner of 7th and Market Streets in Philadelphia where [https://biography.wiki/t/Thomas_Jefferson Thomas Jefferson] drafted the [[Declaration of Independence]] in June 1776. The original house, built by bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. in 1775, was demolished in 1883, but the National Park Service constructed a historically accurate replica on the site in 1975 as part of the American Bicentennial celebrations. Now known officially as the Declaration House, the building contains exhibits on Jefferson's three weeks of work that produced one of the most influential documents in human history. The second-floor rooms where Jefferson lodged have been restored to their 1776 appearance, allowing visitors to visualize the conditions under which he composed the stirring words that announced American independence. Free admission. Part of Independence National Historical Park.<ref name="nps">{{cite web \|url=https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-declarationhouse.htm \|title=Declaration House \|publisher=National Park Service \|access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>

	== Jefferson's Lodgings ==		== Jefferson's Lodgings ==

	[https://biography.wiki/a/Thomas_Jefferson Thomas Jefferson] arrived in Philadelphia in May 1776 as a Virginia delegate to the [[Second Continental Congress]], ~~seeking lodgings~~ away from the noise and ~~bustle~~ of the city center. ~~He rented two rooms on~~ the second floor of the newly constructed Graff House, then on the outskirts ~~of town~~, ~~paying~~ 35 shillings per week ~~for~~ a parlor and bedroom. The young bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. and his wife lived on the first floor of the three-story brick house, which ~~featured~~ a kitchen in the cellar and additional rooms above. Jefferson ~~appreciated~~ the ~~relative~~ quiet and ~~the~~ fresh air, conditions ~~conducive to~~ the intense intellectual work ~~that lay~~ ahead.<ref name="malone">{{cite book \|last=Malone \|first=Dumas \|title=Jefferson the Virginian \|year=1948 \|publisher=Little, Brown \|location=Boston}}</ref>		[https://biography.wiki/a/Thomas_Jefferson Thomas Jefferson] arrived in Philadelphia in May 1776 as a Virginia delegate to the [[Second Continental Congress]]. He wanted somewhere quiet, away from the noise and chaos of the city center. On the second floor of the newly constructed Graff House, then on the town's outskirts, he found exactly that. Two rooms for 35 shillings per week: a parlor and a bedroom. The young bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. and his wife lived downstairs on the first floor of the three-story brick house, which had a kitchen in the cellar and additional rooms above. Jefferson valued the quiet and fresh air, conditions he'd need for the intense intellectual work ahead.<ref name="malone">{{cite book \|last=Malone \|first=Dumas \|title=Jefferson the Virginian \|year=1948 \|publisher=Little, Brown \|location=Boston}}</ref>

	On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of ~~Five—Jefferson~~, [https://biography.wiki/j/John_Adams John Adams], [[Benjamin Franklin]], Roger Sherman, and Robert R. ~~Livingston—to draft a formal declaration explaining~~ the ~~reasons for independence~~. ~~The committee assigned~~ the actual writing to Jefferson~~, whose~~ literary reputation ~~had been established by~~ his pamphlet "A Summary View of the Rights of British America" ~~(1774).~~ Over approximately seventeen days in his Graff House ~~lodgings~~, ~~Jefferson~~ composed the draft that, with revisions by the committee and Congress, became the Declaration of Independence. He worked at a portable writing desk of his own design, a piece of furniture he treasured for ~~the rest of his life~~ and that now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.<ref name="ellis">{{cite book \|last=Ellis \|first=Joseph J. \|title=American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson \|year=1997 \|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf \|location=New York}}</ref>		On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of Five to draft a formal declaration explaining why independence made sense. Jefferson, [https://biography.wiki/j/John_Adams John Adams], [[Benjamin Franklin]], Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston made up the group. They handed the actual writing to Jefferson. His literary reputation was already solid thanks to his 1774 pamphlet "A Summary View of the Rights of British America." Over approximately seventeen days in his Graff House rooms, he composed the draft that, with revisions from the committee and Congress, became the Declaration of Independence. He worked at a portable writing desk of his own design, a piece of furniture he treasured for decades and that now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.<ref name="ellis">{{cite book \|last=Ellis \|first=Joseph J. \|title=American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson \|year=1997 \|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf \|location=New York}}</ref>

	== Drafting Process ==		== Drafting Process ==

	Jefferson~~'s task was~~ to explain to the world why the American colonies were justified in breaking from Britain. He drew on ~~multiple intellectual traditions:~~ the natural rights philosophy of John Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers; the English constitutional tradition stretching back to the Magna Carta; colonial experience with self-government; and his own previous writings, ~~particularly~~ the preamble to the Virginia Constitution. The resulting draft ~~consisted of~~ three parts: a philosophical preamble establishing the principles of natural rights and popular sovereignty; a lengthy enumeration of grievances against King George III; and a formal declaration of independence.<ref name="maier">{{cite book \|last=Maier \|first=Pauline \|title=American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence \|year=1997 \|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf \|location=New York}}</ref>		Jefferson had to explain to the world why the American colonies were justified in breaking from Britain. His intellectual toolkit was broad. He drew on the natural rights philosophy of John Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers, the English constitutional tradition stretching back to the Magna Carta, colonial experience with self-government, and his own previous writings, especially the preamble to the Virginia Constitution. The resulting draft had three parts: a philosophical preamble establishing the principles of natural rights and popular sovereignty, a lengthy enumeration of grievances against King George III, and a formal declaration of independence.<ref name="maier">{{cite book \|last=Maier \|first=Pauline \|title=American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence \|year=1997 \|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf \|location=New York}}</ref>

	~~Jefferson~~ shared his draft with Adams and Franklin~~, who suggested~~ revisions before the document ~~was submitted~~ to Congress. Franklin~~, characteristically,~~ suggested changes to improve clarity and ~~flow—most~~ famously changing "We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable" to "We hold these truths to be self-evident." Adams made fewer changes but offered strong encouragement. ~~The~~ committee's draft ~~was presented to Congress~~ on June 28, 1776, and after further debate and ~~revision—including~~ the deletion of Jefferson's condemnation of the slave ~~trade—was~~ adopted on July 4. Jefferson later expressed frustration with Congress's editing but acknowledged the final document's power and importance.<ref name="wills">{{cite book \|last=Wills \|first=Garry \|title=Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence \|year=1978 \|publisher=Doubleday \|location=Garden City, NY}}</ref>		He shared his draft with Adams and Franklin. Both offered revisions before the document went to Congress. Franklin suggested changes to improve clarity and flow, most famously changing "We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable" to "We hold these truths to be self-evident." Adams made fewer changes but offered strong encouragement. Congress received the committee's draft on June 28, 1776, and after further debate and revision, including the deletion of Jefferson's condemnation of the slave trade, adopted it on July 4. Jefferson later expressed frustration with Congress's editing but acknowledged the final document's power and importance.<ref name="wills">{{cite book \|last=Wills \|first=Garry \|title=Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence \|year=1978 \|publisher=Doubleday \|location=Garden City, NY}}</ref>

	== Original Building ==		== Original Building ==

	The original Graff House stood for over a century after its brush with history~~, though few~~ Philadelphians ~~were aware of its significance~~. Jefferson himself returned to the house in 1783 and was distressed to find it much altered, with a shop occupying the first floor. The building's historical importance ~~was not~~ widely recognized until later in the 19th century, and by then commercial development had transformed the surrounding neighborhood. In 1883, the Penn National Bank demolished the Graff House to expand its operations~~, an~~ act of destruction ~~that~~ provoked outrage from those who valued the site's historical associations. The bank placed a commemorative plaque on its building, but the original structure was lost forever.<ref name="mires">{{cite book \|last=Mires \|first=Charlene \|title=Independence Hall in American Memory \|year=2002 \|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press \|location=Philadelphia}}</ref>		The original Graff House stood for over a century after its brush with history. Few Philadelphians even knew what happened there. Jefferson himself returned to the house in 1783 and was distressed to find it much altered, with a shop occupying the first floor. The building's historical importance wasn't widely recognized until later in the 19th century, and by then commercial development had transformed the surrounding neighborhood entirely. In 1883, the Penn National Bank demolished the Graff House to expand its operations. This act of destruction provoked outrage from those who valued the site's historical associations. The bank placed a commemorative plaque on its building, but the original structure was lost forever.<ref name="mires">{{cite book \|last=Mires \|first=Charlene \|title=Independence Hall in American Memory \|year=2002 \|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press \|location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

	~~Efforts~~ to commemorate the site continued ~~throughout the 20th century~~. In 1926, the Daughters of the American Revolution installed a bronze statue of Jefferson on the sidewalk where the house had stood. As Independence National Historical Park took shape in the 1950s and 1960s, proposals emerged to reconstruct the Graff House as part of the park's interpretation of Revolutionary-era Philadelphia. The project gained momentum as the Bicentennial approached~~, and the~~ National Park Service undertook a careful reconstruction based on historical research, archaeological investigation, and period building practices. The reconstructed house opened in 1975, returning Jefferson's lodgings to their approximate original location.<ref name="nps"/>		Throughout the 20th century, efforts to commemorate the site continued. In 1926, the Daughters of the American Revolution installed a bronze statue of Jefferson on the sidewalk where the house had stood. As Independence National Historical Park took shape in the 1950s and 1960s, proposals emerged to reconstruct the Graff House as part of the park's interpretation of Revolutionary-era Philadelphia. The project gained momentum as the Bicentennial approached. The National Park Service undertook a careful reconstruction based on historical research, archaeological investigation, and period building practices. The reconstructed house opened in 1975, returning Jefferson's lodgings to their approximate original location.<ref name="nps"/>

	== Current Site ==		== Current Site ==

	The reconstructed Graff House stands slightly north of the original location, on a site cleared of later commercial development to create the Independence Mall. ~~The exterior replicates the appearance of~~ a 1770s Philadelphia townhouse~~, with~~ red brick walls, white-painted wooden trim, and a gambrel roof. ~~The interior has~~ been restored to reflect ~~the building's~~ condition during Jefferson's residence, with reproduction furnishings based on historical research. The second-floor rooms include the parlor where Jefferson likely wrote much of the Declaration and the bedroom where he slept. The furnishings are spare, reflecting the temporary nature of ~~Jefferson's~~ lodgings and the building's status as a rental property.<ref name="nps"/>		The reconstructed Graff House stands slightly north of the original location, on a site cleared of later commercial development to create the Independence Mall. It looks like a 1770s Philadelphia townhouse should look: red brick walls, white-painted wooden trim, and a gambrel roof. Inside, the building's been restored to reflect its condition during Jefferson's residence, with reproduction furnishings based on historical research. The second-floor rooms include the parlor where Jefferson likely wrote much of the Declaration and the bedroom where he slept. The furnishings are spare, reflecting the temporary nature of his lodgings and the building's status as a rental property.<ref name="nps"/>

	~~The first~~ floor ~~contains~~ exhibits on the Declaration of Independence and its drafting~~, including reproductions~~ of Jefferson's rough draft with his handwritten revisions and Congress's changes. A short film presents the context and significance of the document. The exhibits emphasize the process of composition and revision, countering the romantic notion that the Declaration sprang fully formed from Jefferson's pen. The building attracts visitors seeking to understand how the Declaration came into being, offering an intimate complement to the grander spaces of [[Independence Hall]] where the document was debated and adopted. The Graff House is open daily except for major holidays and can be visited free of charge.<ref name="nps"/>		First-floor exhibits focus on the Declaration of Independence and its drafting. Reproductions of Jefferson's rough draft with his handwritten revisions and Congress's changes are on display. A short film presents the context and significance of the document. The exhibits emphasize the process of composition and revision, countering the romantic notion that the Declaration sprang fully formed from Jefferson's pen. It didn't. The building attracts visitors seeking to understand how the Declaration came into being, offering an intimate complement to the grander spaces of [[Independence Hall]] where the document was debated and adopted. The Graff House is open daily except for major holidays and can be visited free of charge.<ref name="nps"/>

	== See Also ==		== See Also ==

Gritty: Add biography.wiki cross-references

2026-03-25T15:55:32Z

Add biography.wiki cross-references

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:55, 25 March 2026
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	== Jefferson's Lodgings ==		== Jefferson's Lodgings ==

	Thomas Jefferson arrived in Philadelphia in May 1776 as a Virginia delegate to the [[Second Continental Congress]], seeking lodgings away from the noise and bustle of the city center. He rented two rooms on the second floor of the newly constructed Graff House, then on the outskirts of town, paying 35 shillings per week for a parlor and bedroom. The young bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. and his wife lived on the first floor of the three-story brick house, which featured a kitchen in the cellar and additional rooms above. Jefferson appreciated the relative quiet and the fresh air, conditions conducive to the intense intellectual work that lay ahead.<ref name="malone">{{cite book \|last=Malone \|first=Dumas \|title=Jefferson the Virginian \|year=1948 \|publisher=Little, Brown \|location=Boston}}</ref>		[https://biography.wiki/a/Thomas_Jefferson Thomas Jefferson] arrived in Philadelphia in May 1776 as a Virginia delegate to the [[Second Continental Congress]], seeking lodgings away from the noise and bustle of the city center. He rented two rooms on the second floor of the newly constructed Graff House, then on the outskirts of town, paying 35 shillings per week for a parlor and bedroom. The young bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. and his wife lived on the first floor of the three-story brick house, which featured a kitchen in the cellar and additional rooms above. Jefferson appreciated the relative quiet and the fresh air, conditions conducive to the intense intellectual work that lay ahead.<ref name="malone">{{cite book \|last=Malone \|first=Dumas \|title=Jefferson the Virginian \|year=1948 \|publisher=Little, Brown \|location=Boston}}</ref>

	On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of Five—Jefferson, [https://biography.wiki/j/John_Adams John Adams], [[Benjamin Franklin]], Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston—to draft a formal declaration explaining the reasons for independence. The committee assigned the actual writing to Jefferson, whose literary reputation had been established by his pamphlet "A Summary View of the Rights of British America" (1774). Over approximately seventeen days in his Graff House lodgings, Jefferson composed the draft that, with revisions by the committee and Congress, became the Declaration of Independence. He worked at a portable writing desk of his own design, a piece of furniture he treasured for the rest of his life and that now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.<ref name="ellis">{{cite book \|last=Ellis \|first=Joseph J. \|title=American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson \|year=1997 \|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf \|location=New York}}</ref>		On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of Five—Jefferson, [https://biography.wiki/j/John_Adams John Adams], [[Benjamin Franklin]], Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston—to draft a formal declaration explaining the reasons for independence. The committee assigned the actual writing to Jefferson, whose literary reputation had been established by his pamphlet "A Summary View of the Rights of British America" (1774). Over approximately seventeen days in his Graff House lodgings, Jefferson composed the draft that, with revisions by the committee and Congress, became the Declaration of Independence. He worked at a portable writing desk of his own design, a piece of furniture he treasured for the rest of his life and that now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.<ref name="ellis">{{cite book \|last=Ellis \|first=Joseph J. \|title=American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson \|year=1997 \|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf \|location=New York}}</ref>

Gritty: Add biography.wiki cross-reference links

2026-03-25T15:30:18Z

Add biography.wiki cross-reference links

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:30, 25 March 2026
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	'''Graff House''' is a reconstructed 18th-century building at the southwest corner of 7th and Market Streets in Philadelphia where Thomas Jefferson drafted the [[Declaration of Independence]] in June 1776. The original house, built by bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. in 1775, was demolished in 1883, but the National Park Service constructed a historically accurate replica on the site in 1975 as part of the American Bicentennial celebrations. Now known officially as the Declaration House, the building contains exhibits on Jefferson's three weeks of work that produced one of the most influential documents in human history. The second-floor rooms where Jefferson lodged have been restored to their 1776 appearance, allowing visitors to visualize the conditions under which he composed the stirring words that announced American independence. The site is open to the public free of charge as part of Independence National Historical Park.<ref name="nps">{{cite web \|url=https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-declarationhouse.htm \|title=Declaration House \|publisher=National Park Service \|access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>		'''Graff House''' is a reconstructed 18th-century building at the southwest corner of 7th and Market Streets in Philadelphia where [https://biography.wiki/t/Thomas_Jefferson Thomas Jefferson] drafted the [[Declaration of Independence]] in June 1776. The original house, built by bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. in 1775, was demolished in 1883, but the National Park Service constructed a historically accurate replica on the site in 1975 as part of the American Bicentennial celebrations. Now known officially as the Declaration House, the building contains exhibits on Jefferson's three weeks of work that produced one of the most influential documents in human history. The second-floor rooms where Jefferson lodged have been restored to their 1776 appearance, allowing visitors to visualize the conditions under which he composed the stirring words that announced American independence. The site is open to the public free of charge as part of Independence National Historical Park.<ref name="nps">{{cite web \|url=https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-declarationhouse.htm \|title=Declaration House \|publisher=National Park Service \|access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>

	== Jefferson's Lodgings ==		== Jefferson's Lodgings ==
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	Thomas Jefferson arrived in Philadelphia in May 1776 as a Virginia delegate to the [[Second Continental Congress]], seeking lodgings away from the noise and bustle of the city center. He rented two rooms on the second floor of the newly constructed Graff House, then on the outskirts of town, paying 35 shillings per week for a parlor and bedroom. The young bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. and his wife lived on the first floor of the three-story brick house, which featured a kitchen in the cellar and additional rooms above. Jefferson appreciated the relative quiet and the fresh air, conditions conducive to the intense intellectual work that lay ahead.<ref name="malone">{{cite book \|last=Malone \|first=Dumas \|title=Jefferson the Virginian \|year=1948 \|publisher=Little, Brown \|location=Boston}}</ref>		Thomas Jefferson arrived in Philadelphia in May 1776 as a Virginia delegate to the [[Second Continental Congress]], seeking lodgings away from the noise and bustle of the city center. He rented two rooms on the second floor of the newly constructed Graff House, then on the outskirts of town, paying 35 shillings per week for a parlor and bedroom. The young bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. and his wife lived on the first floor of the three-story brick house, which featured a kitchen in the cellar and additional rooms above. Jefferson appreciated the relative quiet and the fresh air, conditions conducive to the intense intellectual work that lay ahead.<ref name="malone">{{cite book \|last=Malone \|first=Dumas \|title=Jefferson the Virginian \|year=1948 \|publisher=Little, Brown \|location=Boston}}</ref>

	On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of Five—Jefferson, John Adams, [[Benjamin Franklin]], Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston—to draft a formal declaration explaining the reasons for independence. The committee assigned the actual writing to Jefferson, whose literary reputation had been established by his pamphlet "A Summary View of the Rights of British America" (1774). Over approximately seventeen days in his Graff House lodgings, Jefferson composed the draft that, with revisions by the committee and Congress, became the Declaration of Independence. He worked at a portable writing desk of his own design, a piece of furniture he treasured for the rest of his life and that now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.<ref name="ellis">{{cite book \|last=Ellis \|first=Joseph J. \|title=American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson \|year=1997 \|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf \|location=New York}}</ref>		On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of Five—Jefferson, [https://biography.wiki/j/John_Adams John Adams], [[Benjamin Franklin]], Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston—to draft a formal declaration explaining the reasons for independence. The committee assigned the actual writing to Jefferson, whose literary reputation had been established by his pamphlet "A Summary View of the Rights of British America" (1774). Over approximately seventeen days in his Graff House lodgings, Jefferson composed the draft that, with revisions by the committee and Congress, became the Declaration of Independence. He worked at a portable writing desk of his own design, a piece of furniture he treasured for the rest of his life and that now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.<ref name="ellis">{{cite book \|last=Ellis \|first=Joseph J. \|title=American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson \|year=1997 \|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf \|location=New York}}</ref>

	== Drafting Process ==		== Drafting Process ==

Gritty: Automated upload via Philadelphia.Wiki content pipeline

2025-12-29T22:37:12Z

Automated upload via Philadelphia.Wiki content pipeline

New page

'''Graff House''' is a reconstructed 18th-century building at the southwest corner of 7th and Market Streets in Philadelphia where Thomas Jefferson drafted the [[Declaration of Independence]] in June 1776. The original house, built by bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. in 1775, was demolished in 1883, but the National Park Service constructed a historically accurate replica on the site in 1975 as part of the American Bicentennial celebrations. Now known officially as the Declaration House, the building contains exhibits on Jefferson's three weeks of work that produced one of the most influential documents in human history. The second-floor rooms where Jefferson lodged have been restored to their 1776 appearance, allowing visitors to visualize the conditions under which he composed the stirring words that announced American independence. The site is open to the public free of charge as part of Independence National Historical Park.<ref name="nps">{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-declarationhouse.htm |title=Declaration House |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>

== Jefferson's Lodgings ==

Thomas Jefferson arrived in Philadelphia in May 1776 as a Virginia delegate to the [[Second Continental Congress]], seeking lodgings away from the noise and bustle of the city center. He rented two rooms on the second floor of the newly constructed Graff House, then on the outskirts of town, paying 35 shillings per week for a parlor and bedroom. The young bricklayer Jacob Graff Jr. and his wife lived on the first floor of the three-story brick house, which featured a kitchen in the cellar and additional rooms above. Jefferson appreciated the relative quiet and the fresh air, conditions conducive to the intense intellectual work that lay ahead.<ref name="malone">{{cite book |last=Malone |first=Dumas |title=Jefferson the Virginian |year=1948 |publisher=Little, Brown |location=Boston}}</ref>

On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of Five—Jefferson, John Adams, [[Benjamin Franklin]], Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston—to draft a formal declaration explaining the reasons for independence. The committee assigned the actual writing to Jefferson, whose literary reputation had been established by his pamphlet "A Summary View of the Rights of British America" (1774). Over approximately seventeen days in his Graff House lodgings, Jefferson composed the draft that, with revisions by the committee and Congress, became the Declaration of Independence. He worked at a portable writing desk of his own design, a piece of furniture he treasured for the rest of his life and that now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.<ref name="ellis">{{cite book |last=Ellis |first=Joseph J. |title=American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson |year=1997 |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |location=New York}}</ref>

== Drafting Process ==

Jefferson's task was to explain to the world why the American colonies were justified in breaking from Britain. He drew on multiple intellectual traditions: the natural rights philosophy of John Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers; the English constitutional tradition stretching back to the Magna Carta; colonial experience with self-government; and his own previous writings, particularly the preamble to the Virginia Constitution. The resulting draft consisted of three parts: a philosophical preamble establishing the principles of natural rights and popular sovereignty; a lengthy enumeration of grievances against King George III; and a formal declaration of independence.<ref name="maier">{{cite book |last=Maier |first=Pauline |title=American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence |year=1997 |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |location=New York}}</ref>

Jefferson shared his draft with Adams and Franklin, who suggested revisions before the document was submitted to Congress. Franklin, characteristically, suggested changes to improve clarity and flow—most famously changing "We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable" to "We hold these truths to be self-evident." Adams made fewer changes but offered strong encouragement. The committee's draft was presented to Congress on June 28, 1776, and after further debate and revision—including the deletion of Jefferson's condemnation of the slave trade—was adopted on July 4. Jefferson later expressed frustration with Congress's editing but acknowledged the final document's power and importance.<ref name="wills">{{cite book |last=Wills |first=Garry |title=Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence |year=1978 |publisher=Doubleday |location=Garden City, NY}}</ref>

== Original Building ==

The original Graff House stood for over a century after its brush with history, though few Philadelphians were aware of its significance. Jefferson himself returned to the house in 1783 and was distressed to find it much altered, with a shop occupying the first floor. The building's historical importance was not widely recognized until later in the 19th century, and by then commercial development had transformed the surrounding neighborhood. In 1883, the Penn National Bank demolished the Graff House to expand its operations, an act of destruction that provoked outrage from those who valued the site's historical associations. The bank placed a commemorative plaque on its building, but the original structure was lost forever.<ref name="mires">{{cite book |last=Mires |first=Charlene |title=Independence Hall in American Memory |year=2002 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

Efforts to commemorate the site continued throughout the 20th century. In 1926, the Daughters of the American Revolution installed a bronze statue of Jefferson on the sidewalk where the house had stood. As Independence National Historical Park took shape in the 1950s and 1960s, proposals emerged to reconstruct the Graff House as part of the park's interpretation of Revolutionary-era Philadelphia. The project gained momentum as the Bicentennial approached, and the National Park Service undertook a careful reconstruction based on historical research, archaeological investigation, and period building practices. The reconstructed house opened in 1975, returning Jefferson's lodgings to their approximate original location.<ref name="nps"/>

== Current Site ==

The reconstructed Graff House stands slightly north of the original location, on a site cleared of later commercial development to create the Independence Mall. The exterior replicates the appearance of a 1770s Philadelphia townhouse, with red brick walls, white-painted wooden trim, and a gambrel roof. The interior has been restored to reflect the building's condition during Jefferson's residence, with reproduction furnishings based on historical research. The second-floor rooms include the parlor where Jefferson likely wrote much of the Declaration and the bedroom where he slept. The furnishings are spare, reflecting the temporary nature of Jefferson's lodgings and the building's status as a rental property.<ref name="nps"/>

The first floor contains exhibits on the Declaration of Independence and its drafting, including reproductions of Jefferson's rough draft with his handwritten revisions and Congress's changes. A short film presents the context and significance of the document. The exhibits emphasize the process of composition and revision, countering the romantic notion that the Declaration sprang fully formed from Jefferson's pen. The building attracts visitors seeking to understand how the Declaration came into being, offering an intimate complement to the grander spaces of [[Independence Hall]] where the document was debated and adopted. The Graff House is open daily except for major holidays and can be visited free of charge.<ref name="nps"/>

== See Also ==
* [[Declaration of Independence]]
* [[Independence Hall]]
* [[Benjamin Franklin]]
* [[Second Continental Congress]]
* [[Old City]]

== References ==
<references />

{{#seo:
|title=Graff House - Where Jefferson Wrote the Declaration of Independence
|description=The Graff House (Declaration House) in Philadelphia is where Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Visit this free reconstructed historic site.
|keywords=Graff House Philadelphia, Declaration House, Thomas Jefferson Declaration, Jefferson lodgings Philadelphia, Declaration of Independence drafting, Independence National Historical Park
|type=Article
}}

[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Revolutionary Era]]
[[Category:Landmarks]]
[[Category:Old City]]