Melmar's Original Owners 1910-1940
Joshua Bertram Lippincott & Sarah Lippincott Wharton Biddle
Joshua Bertram Lippincott was the only son of Joshua and Josephine Lippincott. He was born in Huntington Valley, Pa, and there attended the Episcopal Academy. He entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1878 but withdrew his freshman year to study the publishing business in London, England. Upon his return to Philadelphia, he joined J.B. Lippincott and Company, the family publishing business, in which he was made a full partner by 1884. Upon J. Ballinger’s death on January 5, 1886, J. Bertram assumed the presidency of the company and served in this capacity until his retirement in 1926, at which point he became chairman of the board. J. Bertram Lippincott married Joanna Wharton on April 22, 1885, and together they had four children including the second owner of Melmar, Sarah Wharton Lippincott Biddle.
The Lippincott's used Melmar as a Spring and Fall residence, with their primary residence at 1712 Spruce St in Philadelphia, and their summer estate "Meeresblick" in Jamestown, Newport, RI. They had four children who inherited the Melmar estate upon Bertram's death in 1940. Their daughter Sarah and her husband Nicholas Biddle inherited the Melmar Mansion and surrounding 47 acres. Sons Joe and Bert inherited land which they sold to developers Kravitz Brothers and Dratch & Company. Daughter Mariana also inherited land, 26 acres of which she sold to Montgomery County to expand the adjacent Lorimer Park. The Lippincott's Spruce St residence was sold to the infamous playboy Harry K. Thaw, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of the famous architect Stanford White in what was dubbed "the Trial of the Century".
(1857- 1940) m.1885
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b August 24, 1857, Montgomeryville, Pa
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d January 19, 1940, Philadelphia, Pa
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Father: Joshua Ballinger Lippincott (1857–1940), founder of J.B. Lippincott Company, a Philadelphia publishing house
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Mother: Josephine Craige Lippincott​​
(1858-1938) m.1885
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b December 16, 1858, Philadelphia, Pa
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d May 16, 1938, Huntingdon Valley, Pa
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Father: Joseph Wharton, founder of the Wharton School of Business and co-founder of Bethlehem Steel and Swarthmore College
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​​Mother: Anna Corbet Lovering Wharton​​​​
Lippincott Provenance at "Melmar"
Joshua Bertram Lippincott's initials, "J.B.L" are inscribed in a Keystone on the East peak of the roof , along with the year Melmar was built, "1910"
The Lippincott family coat of arms is inlaid in the large stained-glass windows in the grand stairway at Melmar
Inscribed in Latin: Secundis Dubiisque Rectus - translated in English as: "Upright both in Prosperous and Doubtful"
Lippincott Prior Residence "Oak Hill"
"Oak Hill” mansion, was given to the Lippincott's as a wedding gift by Joanna Wharton Lippincott's father Joseph Wharton, the founder of the Wharton School of Business and Bethlehem Steel. Oak Hill was previously owned by other prominent Philadelphian’s Seth Craige and Joseph S. Lovering. The entry featured four magnificent 3 story fluted Greek ionic columns that were relocated in 1910 to the Lippincott's new estate in Huntingdon Valley, Pa, "Melmar"
J.B. Lippincott Publishing Company
