Philip Marsteller

Born Philippus Balthasar Marsteller 1742-1803

Edited by George Masteller

B & W Copy of a painting of Philip Marsteller made in July 1800 by the noted early American painter Jacob Frymire. The oldest known image of a Pfungstadt Marsteller.

Philip [christened Philippus] grew up in Philadelphia County, now Montgomery County, PA. He received a good German and English education and attended the Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Church in Trappe, PA. His father, Frederick Ludwig Marsteller, died when he was 12 and his mother, Anna Barbara Stark, finished raising him on the family homestead. Both parents immigrated to America from Pfungstadt, Hesse, Germany in 1729, joining Frederick’s brother, Johann Georg Marsteller.

When he reached his majority (21) he received his portion of his father’s estate (his Patrimony) which he used to purchase a tract of land in what is now Mill Creek Township, Lebanon County, PA where he remained several years.

At the outset of the American Revolution he became one of the earliest "associators" and he was very active in raising troops for George Washington's army in 1775-1776. A Battalion of Associators was formed within Lebanon County in the autumn of 1775. It was commanded by Col. Philip Lorentz Greenwaltz, and Philip Marsteller was the Lieutenant Colonel (second in command) of this Battalion.

In 1776, Philip Marsteller was a member of the Associators Second Battalion, Lancaster County. Colonel Curtis Grubb commanded this Battalion.

Philip was a member of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1776 (which adopted the first state Constitution), and during that and the following year was chosen to the Assembly. In 1777, he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Battalion Lancaster County Associators. He was appointed Paymaster of the militia on August 20, 1777, and, on 7/13/1779, was appointed agent to superintend the purchase of flour for the French fleet. He was appointed Assistant Forage-Master on April 5, 1780, for which he received a personal letter of commendation from George Washington thanking him for faithful and prompt performance of his duties. This letter was addressed to Major Philip Marsteller; it is in the Library of Congress. He was later named Assistant Deputy Quartermaster General.

Philip became a close friend to General Washington and he eventually served as a pallbearer at George Washington’s funeral. (click link for 1999 re-enactment)  He was the only non-mason that served as a pallbearer. In addition two of his descendant's, Philip Jr., and grandson, Samuel A. Marsteller also served in the Funeral Cortege. Several letters exist in the George Washington section of the Manuscript division in the Library of Congress from President Washington to Philip.

Philip settled in the Alexandria, VA area after the war (approximately 1783). With his son, Philip Gotthelp, he engaged in the commission business. He was the auctioneer of Alexandria, and accumulated much valuable furniture, silverware, china, fowling pieces, saddles, pistols, a rare print of Washington, and similar items.

Of the pistols, one pair of matched flintlock pistols had once belonged to George Washington and was bought from the estate of Bartholomew Dandridge, former Private Secretary to George Washington. They were 14 inches long, with brass barrel, full-length walnut stock and seven solid silver inlays, including a grotesque mask on the butt; a rolled edge and engraved trigger guard; a panoply of arms on the cut-out side plates which show cannon, flags, drums, pole arms, a lion, and a unicorn.

Richard Wilson and John Hawkins, London, gun makers made the pistols in 1748. Thomas Turner, whose grandfather had known Washington as a youth, gave the pistols to Washington in 1778. The pistols remained in Washington's possession during much of the Revolutionary War. Before he died, Washington gave the pistols to Bartholomew Dandridge, his wife's nephew and his secretary for six years. Dandridge survived only a few years after Washington's death, and, after his death, Philip purchased the pistols.

In 1902 the pistols were sold to an antique arms dealer, Francis Bannerman at an estate auction near Warrenton, VA. In 1914 the pistols were sold to collector Edward Litchfield. In 1951 the Litchfield collection was sold to Clendennin Ryan. In 1953, he presented them to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where they currently reside in the West Point Museum. In 1978, the U.S. Historical Society with headquarters in Richmond Virginia commissioned a limited edition of 975 pairs of commemorative replicas of the pistols, which were offered to the public for $2,600.

Colonel Marsteller was Mayor of Alexandria, VA from 1790-1792. He was also a member of the Sun Fire Company. In 1793, he advertised as "to let" the property known in 1790 as 130 Prince Street in Alexandria, Virginia. He lived in a house that was reportedly still standing in 1928 at the southeast corner of Washington and Wolfe streets. The Alexandria Academy stood next to this house built by Col. Marsteller shortly after his arrival in Alexandria. In 1882, the Board of Trustees of the Academy bought the adjoining Marsteller property and used it for the Primary Grades up to, at least, 1928.

Colonel Philip Marsteller long enjoyed the friendship of George Washington. Washington's last birthday was celebrated at a gathering at Wise's tavern (northeast corner of Fairfax and Cameron Streets) on 2/22/1799. Both George and Martha attended the observance. Col. Marsteller participated in the arrangements, while ladies listed as attending this "Birth Night Ball" included Mrs. Marsteller and a "Miss" Marsteller, one of Philip's daughters.

Col. Marsteller is particularly known as one of six honorary pallbearers of George Washington at his funeral at Mount Vernon on the afternoon of 12/19/1799. Two Masonic lodges of Alexandria and Washington D.C. officiated at the funeral. Mrs. Washington specifically requested Col. Marsteller, who was not a Mason. The honorary pallbearer's included six Colonels, including Philip, who had served under General Washington during the Revolutionary War.

Philip also served as a Lieutenant in a Military Company of Elders in Alexandria called the "Silver Grey's" and composed of older veteran's of the Revolution. This organization appeared in full uniform with arms for the first Washington's Birthday Parade through the streets of Old Alexandria on February 22, 1800.

Col. Marsteller attended Christ Church, where he occupied pew number 38 (old numbering). He died at his home in Alexandria, and was buried in Christ Church yard under a large sycamore tree near the west line of the fence. Col. Marsteller, one of two of Washington's pallbearers buried there, had a handsome table stone monument. The monument was carried off during the civil war and disappeared.

Included with this article are copies of five letters written from/about Philip by President Washington.

The copies of paintings noted in this article were included in a painting exhibition in Washington D.C. in 1975-6. These are the oldest known images of members of the Marsteller family from Pfungstadt. It is of interest to study the features of Philip since both his parents were from Pfungstadt.

The artist for Philip, Magdalena’s and Samuel Arell’s paintings is Jacob Frymire, a well-known early American "Folk Artist" painter. Less than 30 of his paintings are known to have survived and these are three of them.

This is a painting of Charlotte Marsteller, a granddaughter of Philip, made in the early 1800’s.

Editor's note:

The painting of Charlotte is now in the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. A descendant of Philip privately owns the other three paintings. These images were all copied from a book called "Jacob Frymire, American Limner" by Linda Crocker Simmons.

This article has been written with the liberal use of material contributed by Betty Marsteller, Charles Marsteller, Dr. Bruce Keith and Helen Harrison. I give them my sincere thanks for their generous contributions to enrich our understanding and knowledge of the history of the Marsteller family.