In the coming months my fellow conspirators will be helping me to unveil a series of happenings in Philadelphia to entertain, question and celebrate our community past and present. Inspired by the Junto and their weekly meetings which featured drinking and intellectual conversation for their "mutual improvement"
The Junto are elusive but through investigation I have found the following names as founding members, three of which were coworkers at Samuel Heimer's print shop in what is now known as Old City including Benjamin Franklin, Hugh Meridith, George Webb (apprentice to the printer), Stephen Potts (bookbinder), William Maugridge (shop joiner), Thomas Godfrey, William Coleman (a merchant, also said to be cool headed), Philip Syng and Robert Grace (said to be lively, witty and wealthy).
Reading about this group i'm reminded of some secret clubhouse of my youth - they met at Grace's grandmother's house (because she had extra rooms) which was "four doors down towards the river from Edgell House (near Pewter Platter Alley) on the portion fronting the alley.
Over time, the Junto put together a collection of books from their personal collections, gathered them together at a room at 120 Church Alley, next to the Bears Head Tavern. This collective material became the first project of a public nature for the group, as this collection of books became the Library Company of Philadelphia - the first public library by 1731.
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