Philip Marsteller

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]

Philip Marsteller
Painting of Col. Marsteller by Jacob Frymire
c. 1800
Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia
In office
1791–1792
Preceded byWilliam Hunter, Jr.
Succeeded byJesse Taylor
Personal details
Born1741
Pennsylvania
British America
DiedDecember 1803
(aged 61–62)
Alexandria, Virginia, US
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service Continental Army
Years of service1776–1783
RankLt. Colonel
Battles/warsAmerican Revolutionary War
Forage War

Early life

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

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

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

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

Marsteller died in December 1803 at his Alexandria home and was interred at Christ Church Cemetery in Alexandria.[5]

References
  1. "Pallbearers". George Washington's Mount Vernon. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  2. Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography: PMHB. University of Pennsylvania Press. 1880. p. 95.
  3. Society, Lebanon County Historical (1906). Historical Papers and Addresses. p. 407.
  4. "DAR Genealogical Research Databases". services.dar.org. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  5. "Philip Marsteller Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  6. Historical Papers and Addresses of the Lebanon County Historical Society. The Society. 1919. p. 40.
  7. Congress, United States Continental (1907). Journals of the Continental Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 79.
  8. "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.]
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. "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.
  12. 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.
  13. "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.]
  14. "Founders Online: To George Washington from Philip Marsteller, 27 November 1786". founders.archives.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  15. 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.
  16. 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/
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