Henry Charles Pratt (1761-1838)

He was born in Philadelphia to society portrait painter, Matthew Pratt. He started his business career dealing in china and crockery before entering into groceries which led to him becoming a shipping merchant. He successfully invested in property so that by the time he died he was worth $1.5 million and owned three city blocks in Philadelphia and 284-properties. He lived between "an old-fashioned double house" on the west side of Front Street above Race Street in Philadelphia and his country estate, Lemon Hill, in Fairmount Park which is now open to the public and remains an outstanding example of Federal-architecture. He was married three times and had fourteen children, but all three wives predeceased him and only two of his children (James Dundas Pratt and his sister, Sarah, Mrs Thomas McKean) survived him.