Logan, Maria Dickinson, 1857-1939
Biography as described by the Library Company of Philadelphia:
"Maria Dickinson Logan II (1857-1939) was an elite Philadelphian who led a rich social and artistic life. She belonged to numerous clubs and social groups and was an avid gardener, poet, and photographer[...] Maria kept careful records of her family history and dedicated years of her life to tracing her genealogy. Maria was deeply engaged in history and education and was a member of several organizations that supported these fields, such as the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. During her life, she donated to many hospitals and welfare organizations, including Germantown Hospital and the Salvation Army. Her generous gifts were especially needed and appreciated during the last decade of her life, when the Great Depression took hold of the country. She never married, instead living with her bachelor brother Albanus Charles (“Lo”) Logan II at their family estate in Germantown until his death in 1930. Lo was Maria’s last living sibling, which likely made his death all the more impactful.
After Lo’s death, Maria set to work cementing his legacy and ensuring that his memory would live on. She began by donating a collection of manuscripts to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in honor of her brother. She crafted a loving scrapbook of his life and contributed to an entry about him in the National Cyclopedia of American Biography. Finally, in her own will, Maria established a $20,000 trust for the Library Company in his memory. Her trust continues to fund the Library Company today. Far from a one-time act of generosity, the trust is the product of generations of philanthropy, planned giving, and a love of the Library Company passed down through the Dickinson and Logan families."