Joshua Pusey
Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
In 1892, inventor Pusey received a U.S. patent for the paper matchbook. Three years later he sold his patent to the Diamond Match Company, and soon millions of matchbooks were being produced each year. A Civil War veteran and longtime Philadelphia attorney, Pusey was awarded nearly 40 patents during his life. Descendant of an old Quaker family, he lived here at "Maple Linden" after 1889.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
A Civil War veteran and Philadelphia attorney, Joshua Pusey turned an inventor's mind to an everyday problem and in 1892 patented the paper matchbook. He sold the patent to the Diamond Match Company three years later, and soon millions of the little folders were rolling out each year to light stoves, lamps, and cigarettes across the country. One of nearly forty patents in his lifetime, it was the work of a man from an old Quaker family who lived here at his home "Maple Linden."
Why it matters
The humble matchbook became a ubiquitous fixture of American daily life and a favorite advertising medium, a small invention with an outsized place in everyday culture.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Attractions
- American Bandstand12.4 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo13.6 mi away
- Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge13.7 mi away
- Discovery Center at East Park Reservoir13.9 mi away
- Commandant's Quarters14.2 mi away
- Rocky Steps14.2 mi away
Places to stay
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City14.9 mi away · 237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cambria Hotel Philadelphia Downtown - Center City14.9 mi away · 219 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
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Related people
- · Joshua Pusey
Themes & tags
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