19th and 20th Centuries
The unique survival of the Keith House to the present day is in large part due to the careful stewardship of the Penrose family in the 19th century and the Strawbridge family in the 20th century.
Both families were very much aware of the historic significance of the House. The Penroses considered it "a sacred relic of antiquity worthy of being preserved and handed down to posterity" (according to papers published in 1909). Several members of the Penrose family wrote articles for publication about the site.
The Penrose family purchased 204 acres, including the Keith House, from Dr. William Smith (Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson's nephew by marriage) in April of 1801. Through 4 generations, from 1801 to 1920, the Penroses farmed the land, built their own farmhouses, maintained the Keith House and conducted tours for the occasional visitors. (for further information of the Penroses at Graeme Park see other notes in this guide manual, as well as Nancy Gentile's PENROSE FAMILY AT GRAEME PARK 1801-1920)
The Penroses sold 191 acres to Mr. Welsh Strawbridge on March 20, 1920. Mr. Strawbridge was an investment broker with the firm J&W Strawbridge. He was a prominent member of Philadelphia Society, serving as Master of the Hounds for the Whitemarsh Hunt Club. In 1922, Welsh Strawbridge married Miss Margaret Eli Marshall. They lived in the 1810 Penrose farmhouse and continued the Penrose practice of maintaining the Keith House and sharing its history with interested visitors.
In order to insure the preservation of this unique historic artifact; the Strawbridges donated the Keith House and the surrounding acreage to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in 1958.