Trip to Azilum

On Saturday August 9 we went on a trip via the back roads to the site of Azilum. Bob had already left for Kalamazoo, MI for the World Disc Golf Tournament. This photo shows the Cottage from across the Susquehanna River. The field in the left center of the photo is the field below the Cottage which is in the upper left corner. The Susquehanna makes a big gooseneck curve from upper right across the center of the photo.

Azilum was the site of French loyalists in 1793. They fled the French Revolution and an enterprising group of Pennsylvanians who were sympathetic to them developed a site on a bend in the Susquehanna (why they located the town so far from Philadelphia, for people who were of the noble class is unclear). They assumed that the refugees would be coming with significant money and possessions. They didn't because their assets were seized by the French, so ultimately the site failed and the developers went bankrupt. However, they did lay out a 300 acre site for a town and about 30 houses were built, including a grand house (rumored to be the future home for Marie Antoinnette). The houses, though log cabins, had glass windows and there are a lot of artifacts in the area. The settlement lasted only about 10 years before most of the immigrants went back to New Orleans or Santo Domingo. In addition, Napoleon granted them amnesty, so some returned to France. There is nothing left of the site, though archaeological excavations are on-going. During its existence, it was visited by Louis Phillipe, the future king of France, Talleyrand and various others.

This house, owned by US Congressman John LaPorte (born in Azilum in 1898), built in 1836, has only had three owners. As a result it is in remarkable shape. The ceilings are painted, there is a lot of original furniture of the LaPorte's or from other people who lived in the area at the same time. The Azilum site, on a good weekend, sees 12 visitors. We happened to hit it during Descendant's Day when there is a reunion of descendants of the original inhabitants. I highly recommend this site, though the signage lacks a little clarity.

The Cottage from below the field (which is seen in the top photo) from our gravel road. We own down to the cut portion of the field (which is really about 2/5ths of the field). You can see the slight rise which is the dam for our pond.