Benjamin Loxley

Loxley Place court entrance from Arch Street

Loxley was free of his commitments to Watkins in 1742 when he was 22 years old. With a set of carpenter's tools and books on architecture, Loxley went about finding work in Philadelphia.[3] He soon found several well paying jobs and with this money bought parcels of land just outside the city limits. He rented out the land by the week for pasturing and sold hay.[4] Loxley built a home in the center of the city for his family in 1741–1744, which became known as Loxley's Place.[5] It was on Arch Street and he had a courtyard of houses that he constructed for investments. The group of houses ran north and went to Cherry Street.[6] An adjacent property, that had a street cut into it in 1751, came up for sale in 1753; he purchased the property and added to his courtyard of houses.[7][8][9]

Loxley owned almost the complete city block of land in an upper-class prestigious neighborhood near Front and Spruce streets. He had acquired the land in 1759 from George Clymer, who was a Founding Father of the United States and signatory of the Declaration of Independence.[10] Since he was a professional carpenter and architect, Loxley built houses there on speculation as a building contractor.[11] This second group of houses that he constructed for investment purposes was known as Loxley's Court.[5]

A depiction of Benjamin Loxley house in Philadelphia at 177 South Second Street.

One of the houses at Loxley Court was on 177 South Second Street (southeast corner at Little Dock) and known as the Benjamin Loxley house, even though he never lived there.[5][12][10] He built it as an investment and rented it out to Lydia Darragh, who saved Washington's army by crossing British lines during the British occupation of Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War, delivering information to George Washington and the Continental Army about an imminent British attack.[13][14][15] Near Loxley's court of houses was a natural spring where the city's first spa, Bathsheba's spring and bower was located.[16] The spa was used by prominent Philadelphia citizens like General John Cadwalader and Stephen Girard.[17]

Loxley then became a partner with carpenter William Henderson.[2] He was successful in his investments and became a wealthy man.[1][2] The court of brick houses he had in construction were advertised to be put up for public auction on March 17, 1767. The fifty foot (15 m) wide by one hundred and twenty foot (37 m) length property was sold about a month later on April 15 under a land contract of 16 Pennsylvania pound per year, and could be used for commercial purposes of tradesmen.[18]

Loxley was a leader and the largest stockholder of the Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia with architects Thomas Nevell and Robert Smith.[2] They purchased a lot on Chestnut Street for the Carpenters' Company and built the Carpenters' Hall there.[19] The lot was owned by George Emien and conveyed to these three members of the company on February 3, 1768. It was sold on a 20 year land contract of 176 Spanish milled dollars per year; the total amount to pay it off was 3,528 Spanish milled dollars. Loxley and the other two men eventually sold the lot for the same terms to the directors of the company on January 15, 1770. A building was constructed on the lot in 1771.[20]

Continental Army infantry, illustrated by Henry Alexander Ogden

Loxley was loyal to the Crown and King George of Great Britain before the cry for freedom by the Thirteen Colonies. He was the Keeper of the King's Stores in Philadelphia and had charge of city commercial property for the king.[1] In the 1750s, he was a lieutenant for the British officer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies General Edward Braddock.[5] After Braddock's defeat in 1755, he volunteered his services for the new American movement of independence, especially in building trades.[2] One of his first acts he did was to turn over the city stores he was in charge to the Patriots, who were then labeled "Rebels" by the British.[21]

Loxley formed the first artillery company of Philadelphia in 1775.[22] He taught the use of cannons and small arms to Patriots, and had traveling shops to produce brass mortars, howitzers and fireworks for the Continental Army.[23] He was a Captain in the Philadelphia Associators under Colonel Samuel Mifflin.[24]

In July 1776, Loxley took his company in boats down the Delaware River to an engagement with British gunboats at the Battle of Red Bank.[22] He also marched them to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on July 21, 1776, to prevent the British army from crossing from Staten Island.[1] He was promoted to the rank of Major in August 1776.[25] He then fought in the Battle of Brandywine under George Washington to protect Philadelphia on September 11, 1777.[21] He was subsequently caught and taken as a prisoner when the city was ultimately taken by the British on September 26, 1777.[26] He was transferred to New York City in 1778 and was later freed in a prisoner exchanged in January 1780.[26]