Bishop White House at Independence National Historical Park
SITE OVERVIEW
Bishop William White was the chaplain for the Continental Congress and the United States Senate until the nation’s capital moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D. C., in 1800. He lived in the house on Walnut Street from 1787 to 1836. The house was brand new when he bought it. Outside of his government affiliations, he was rector of Christ Church and St. Peter’s Church.
LOCATION
309 Walnut Street
OPERATING HOURS
- July 1 through Labor Day by tour only
- Get tickets at Independence Visitor Center
- Closed all other days of the year
Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to check the National Park Service’s Visiting the Bishop White House web page for the latest schedule.
TICKETS AND FEES
Entrance into the Bishop White House at Independence National Historical Park is by Ranger-guided tour only, and a free ticket is required to attend. These are given out on the day of the tour on a first come, first served basis starting at 8:30 AM at Independence Visitor Center. Each tour is limited to ten people, so arrive early. While nowhere near as popular as Independence Hall, the very limited number of spaces can result in all tours “selling out” each day.
Unfortunately, tour times are not posted on the National Park Service’s web page, so the only way to find out when tours are being held is to show up in the morning. You can’t get tickets in advance anyway, so even if you know the schedule, you still have to arrive first thing to have a chance of getting the time slot you want. Just be sure to have a flexible schedule for the day. When I attended there were four tours a day. I remember that two of the times were 11 AM and 12:30 PM, but I can’t remember the other times, though they were later in the day.
In addition to the Bishop White House, the tour includes the Dolley Todd House. The two houses are on opposite ends of the block on Walnut Street. When you get your ticket you will be instructed as to which house to meet at.
WHAT TO DO
A tour of the Bishop White House covers three floors, though most time is spent on the first two. Travel between floors is via stairs, so those in wheelchairs and those who cannot climb stairs can only see the first floor. Keep in mind that no part of the Dolley Todd House is accessible to those with mobility problems, so there’s not much point in taking the tour if you can’t walk.
The Bishop White House only had two owners up until the National Park Service acquired it in 1956. The Whites owned it until shortly after the Bishop’s death in 1836, then sold it to a furniture company that used it as an office. Very little was altered inside the house. The furniture and furnishings remained in the family, and many items were donated back to the park for display in the house (though not everything is original).
Bishop White was a popular character and very influential in Philadelphia. He did a lot of entertaining, and many famous people came to visit him. George Washington had dinner at the house shortly after he retired as president. The Marquis de Lafayette was also a guest. His house was wonderfully decorated and much more lavish than the Todd House. In fact, one point of the tour is to show the differences between the upper and middle classes of Philadelphia in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Sitting room in the Bishop White House at Independence National Historical Park
Dining room of the Bishop White House at Independence National Historical Park
Bishop White did not have slaves, but he did have paid and indentured house servants. Indentured servants agreed to work for a specific time period in exchange for transportation to America. Those paying the fees didn’t always need laborers, so they hired them out to those who did. The Bishop did not personally bring anyone over from Europe, but instead paid a fee to those holding the indentured servants’ contracts.
Kitchen of the Bishop White House at Independence National Historical Park
Bishop White House’s kitchen fireplace where the food was cooked, Independence National Historical Park
The library on the second floor is of particular interest because the arrangement of furniture and furnishings is known without dispute. When the Bishop died in 1836 at the age of 89, his family not only left the room as it was, but they also commissioned an artist to make a painting of it.
Library of the Bishop White House at Independence National Historical Park
Bishop White died in his bedroom on July 17, 1836. He is buried inside Christ Church, which is an affiliate site of Independence National Historical Park. Look for his grave marker on the floor of the chancel.
Bishop White’s bed, Bishop White House at Independence National Historical Park
Furniture in Bishop White’s bedroom, Independence National Historical Park
The tour continues on the third floor where several of the Bishop’s grandchildren lived when his two daughters became widows. The daughters lived on the second floor.
Children’s room in the Bishop White House at Independence National Historical Park
SCHEDULING YOUR TIME
The tour of the Bishop White and Dolley Todd houses takes approximately one hour, with the time split equally between the two.
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on March 23, 2025
