Philip Marsteller
Philip Marsteller | |
---|---|
![]() Painting of Col. Marsteller by Jacob Frymire c. 1800 | |
Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia | |
In office 1791–1792 | |
Preceded by | William Hunter, Jr. |
Succeeded by | Jesse Taylor |
Personal details | |
Born | 1741 Pennsylvania British America |
Died | December 1803 (aged 61–62) Alexandria, Virginia, US |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch/service | ![]() |
Years of service | 1776–1783 |
Rank | Lt. Colonel |
Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War Forage War |
Col. Philip Marsteller (1741 – December 1803) was a Revolutionary War officer, businessman, and politician. A friend of George Washington, Marsteller served as mayor of Alexandria and as a pallbearer in Washington's funeral.[1]
Early life
[edit]Philip Balthasar Marsteller was born in 1742 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the son of German immigrants Frederick Ludwig Marsteller and his wife, Anna Barbara.[2] When he was 21, he purchased land in Millcreek Township where he lived for several years. In 1773, he was a founding member of the Cedar Fire Company in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.[3]
In 1766, he married Magdalena Reiss. In 1770, they had one son, Phillip Godhelps Marsteller.[4]
American Revolutionary War
[edit]During the Revolutionary War, Marsteller was highly involved in the cause of securing American independence from Great Britain.[2]
In 1776, Marsteller attended the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention and assisted in recruitment of troops.[5][6] During the war, he served as a lieutenant colonel in the 1st Battalion of the Lancaster County Militia and held other war-time posts including paymaster, purchasing agent, and as a militia leader during the Forage War.[4][7]
Political career
[edit]After the Revolutionary War, Marsteller and his family moved to Alexandria, Virginia. He and his son opened an auction and merchant business, and included George Washington among their clients.[8][9] He also rented Washington's Alexandria townhome and lived there in the 1790s.[10]
Marsteller was elected as Mayor of Alexandria, serving a term from 1791 to 1792.[11]
Friendship with George Washington
[edit]Marsteller and George Washington were close friends and conducted business together for many years.[12] Marsteller assisted Washington in acquiring services and goods for his Mount Vernon estate, including indentured servants and household supplies.[13][14]
After Washington's death in 1799, Marsteller served as one of the honorary pallbearers during his funeral.[1][15][16] He later purchased a set of pistols from Washington's estate, which are now on display at the West Point Museum.[11]
Death and legacy
[edit]Marsteller died in December 1803 at his Alexandria home and was interred at Christ Church Cemetery in Alexandria.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Pallbearers". George Washington's Mount Vernon. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ a b Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography: PMHB. University of Pennsylvania Press. 1880. p. 95.
- ^ Society, Lebanon County Historical (1906). Historical Papers and Addresses. p. 407.
- ^ a b "DAR Genealogical Research Databases". services.dar.org. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ a b "Philip Marsteller Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ Historical Papers and Addresses of the Lebanon County Historical Society. The Society. 1919. p. 40.
- ^ Congress, United States Continental (1907). Journals of the Continental Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 79.
- ^ "To George Washington from Philip Marsteller, 17 February 1787," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/04-05-02-0033 . [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, vol. 5, 1 February 1787 – 31 December 1787, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1997, p. 39.]
- ^ Revolution, Daughters of the American (1912). Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Daughters of the American Revolution. p. 343.
- ^ Knops, Frederick (2017-04-15). Historical Tours Alexandria, Virginia: Walk the Path of America's Founding Fathers. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-4930-2544-2.
- ^ a b "Philip Marsteller b. 4 Jan 1742 Philadelphia County, now Montgomery County, Pennsylvania d. Dec 1803 Alexandria, Virginia: Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties". www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ Humanities, National Endowment for the (1931-10-11). "Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854–1972, October 11, 1931, Image 15". pp. A. ISSN 2331-9968. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ "From George Washington to Philip Marsteller, 15 December 1786," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/04-04-02-0393 . [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, vol. 4, 2 April 1786 – 31 January 1787, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1995, pp. 453–455.]
- ^ "Founders Online: To George Washington from Philip Marsteller, 27 November 1786". founders.archives.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ Humanities, National Endowment for the (1899-12-15). "Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834–1974, December 15, 1899, Image 1". ISSN 1946-6153. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 23 April 1909. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1909-04-23/ed-1/seq-23/
- 1741 births
- 1803 deaths
- Burials at Old Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery (Alexandria, Virginia)
- 18th-century American politicians
- Mayors of Alexandria, Virginia
- Military personnel from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
- Politicians from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
- Continental Army officers from Pennsylvania