Caspar Wistar House

What is it?

The former home of Caspar Wistar (1761-1818), an American physician and anatomist.

Where is it?

It is located at 4th and Locust in Old City Philadelphia.

Does it cost to tour?

Unfortunately, you cannot tour the home, but there is a plaque outside of it which explains the significance of Wistar and his contributions to science.

What's on display?

There is a sign with information and the house's colonial facade.

What's the historic and scientific significance of Caspar Wistar?

Wistar was a prominent Philadelphia doctor and taught at both the College of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania. He developed new methods of creating anatomical models and published works on anatomy. He promoted vaccination, in part due to the fact that he contracted Yellow Fever during the 1793 outbreak. He was very involved with different organizations throughout the Philadelphia area, including The American Philosophical Society, the American College of Physicians, and the Society for the Abolition of Slavery. Meriweather Lewis (of Lewis and Clark) consulted with Wistar before his trip out west about fossils and anatomy. Wistar would regularly have open houses at his home where students, citizen, scientists, and more would meet to talk about their interests. They were called Wistar parties and continued after his death in 1818.