3-D Colonial Philadelphia is an ongoing collaborative project of the Digital Media Program, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. It provides opportunities for students and faculty interested in researching, developing and using interactive 3D educational environments for studying and teaching American history. The goal of the project is to become a major research/production center and repository for virtual historical objects and interactive environments.

Projects in development:

The Dexter House (view image, JPG) Prior to the building of the National Constitution Center, 2000-01, the National Park Service conducted site excavations that have become known as the richest colonial site yet discovered in North America. The excavations led by archaeologists Jed Levin and Doug Mooney recovered over one million artifacts dating from the 17th to 19th centuries. The archaeological evidence revealed a culturally rich neighborhood occupied by Europeans, freed African slaves and Native American Indians. This rear view (view image, JPG) of a house with its extended cookhouse was built in the late 18th century. It was the home of James Oronoco Dexter and his family in the 1790s (view image, JPG). James Dexter was once a slave, as a free man, he actively participated in establishing a community of freed Africans living in Philadelphia. The Dexter House (view image, JPG) was built in a middle-class neighborhood shared by a doctor, craftsmen, and merchants. The 3D model is based on archaeological evidence, historical photographs of like-house types, and studies of surviving Old City 18th century brick homes with similar "foot prints." The model is also based on informed speculation offered by archaeologists and architectural historians. We may never know the exact positioning, or number of doors, or windows (view image, JPG) in the Dexter House. However, the use of digital 3D models will allow us to visually speculate about many historically accurate possibilities.

The Mill at Anselma (watch video) Situated on the Pickering Creek in Chester Springs, Pa., the mill was constructed in 1747 and remained in operation, with its original wooden gear train, through the mid 20^th century. The mill, a National Historic Landmark, was recently restored. This animation, commissioned by the Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust is based on blueprints prepared for the restoration.

The Whitall House (view image, JPG) was built in 1748 by the Quaker couple James and Ann Whitall. The colonial era plantation is located on the banks of the Delaware River opposite Philadelphia in what is now known as Red Bank Battlefield National Park, Gloucester County, New Jersey. The Whitall's were entrepreneurs. They maintained apple orchards, a cider press, lumber mill, fishery and ran a ferry service to Philadelphia. The front of their home faced the Delaware River. The first floor (watch video), front rooms are believed to have served as an office and storeroom. The family lived in the back of the first floor and on the second floor of the house.

The large family room was known as the Grand Room (view QuickTime VR, 1.21MB -- click and drag on the image with your mouse; watch video). From the rear of the house (view image of rear view, JPG), the two first floor windows to the extreme right mark Ann's parlor. (Tour "Ann's Parlor", QuickTime VR, 1.23MB -- click and drag on the image with your mouse)

The Whitall House and Fort Mercer material shown here are being developed with a Drexel University Synergy Grant and will be included in a digital study guide for teaching local history in a New Jersey 4^th grade class. The first edition of the guide will be tested this spring.

In 1777, Colonial American forces commandeered the Whitall plantation and constructed Fort Mercer as part of a three-fort defensive system to prevent British and Hessian ships from advancing up the Delaware River. Today, remnants (view image 1, JPG; view image 2, JPG; view image 3, JPG) of the earthen fort are still visible.

On October 22, 1777 Hessian soldiers (watch video) attacked Fort Mercer by land and Colonial forces scored a decisive victory. Following the battle, Whitall House was used as a hospital to care for all the wounded soldiers. It is believed that surgery to remove musket balls from the wounded was performed in this parlor room of the house (view QuickTime VR, 1.29MB -- click and drag on the image with your mouse).

A model of the British warship the Augusta (watch video) is being produced to be included in the 4^th grade study guide. On the day following the Fort Mercer battle, the 64 gun Augusta (watch video) ran aground and was destroyed in the vicinity of the Whitall House and Fort Mercer. Conflicting accounts report that the ship was intentionally burned by the British (watch video) to prevent Colonial forces from ceasing guns and ammunitions. Another account has the ship accidentally being set on fire. Colonial papers report the ship was destroyed by Fort Mercer cannon fire.