Individual Details

George Savitz

(15 Mar 1753 - 15 Sep 1825)

George SAVITZ, 1753-1826, was the first postmaster of Allentown serving from 1803 to 1808. Prior to establishing this first post office, the inhabitants of Allentown had to obtain their mail at Bethlehem; a distance of over ten miles on rough roads. From 1810-1818 he was the proprietor of the Square and Compass, an inn located on the northeast corner of Seventh and Hamilton, Allentown, PA, and the progenitor of the later Allen House and Hotel Allen. (Lehigh County Historical Society)

By 1811, Allentown had grown sufficiently to be granted borough status. On 6 May, at George SAVITZ's public house, the inhabitants elected their first borough officers, including a number of men who had been active during the Revolutionary War and in the years following.

Events

Birth15 Mar 1753Allentown, Lehigh, PA
MarriageAbt 1775Allentown, Lehigh, PA - Anna Maria Catherine "Mary" Frederick
MilitaryFrom 1777 to 17821777 Pvt. 1st Class, 5th Co., 1st Batt.; 1780 Private 3rd Class; 1782 Private 3rd Class 34th Co., 3rd Batt. - Allentown, Lehigh, PA
Census1786Septennial Census, 1779-1863, Richland, Bucks, PA
Census1800Lower Saucon Twp., Northampton, PA
Biographical Sketch1807Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Death15 Sep 1825Allentown, Lehigh, PA
Probate1 May 1827Borough of Northampton, Lehigh, PA
BurialBlue Church Cemetery, Allentown, Lehigh, PA
DAR Ancestor Number

Families

SpouseAnna Maria Catherine "Mary" Frederick (1759 - 1835)
ChildCharlotte Savitz (1777 - )
ChildJacob Savitz (1779 - 1822)
ChildAbraham Savitz (1783 - 1786)
ChildAnna Maria "Polly" Savitz (1785 - 1847)
ChildJane Savitz (1788 - 1863)
ChildThomas Savitz (1798 - )
FatherJacob Zavitz (1728 - 1800)
MotherMagdalene (1730 - 1768)
SiblingHenry Zavitz (1748 - 1810)
SiblingChristian Zavitz (1750 - 1826)
SiblingSarah Catherine Zavitz (1751 - )
SiblingJacob Zavitz Jr. (1752 - 1815)
SiblingElizabeth Zavitz (1756 - )
SiblingSusanna Zavitz (1757 - )
SiblingBarbara Zavitz (1765 - 1849)
SiblingLiving
SiblingMary Zavitz (1768 - 1844)

Notes

Military

George SAVITZ died in Allentown and is buried in the single grave section, row 6, grave 26. This information was extracted from the Veterans Graves Registrations. The actual gravestone has become unrecognizable.

Service description: Served under Captains Roberts, Gregory and Wagner and Col. George Huebner of the Northampton county Military.

Date of Service: 18 June 1777: Private 1st Class, 5th Company, 1st Battalion, Captain John Roberts, Northampton County Militia

Date of Service: 25 September 1780: Private 3rd Class, Captain John Gregory, Northampton County Militia

Date of Service: 1782: Private 3rd Class, 34th Company, 3rd Battalion, Northampton County Militia

Biographical Sketch

George SAVITZ represented Northampton and Wayne counties in the 1807 Pennsylvania Legislature.

Burial

Apparently, the Blue Church Cemetery is now known as the Old Allentown Cemetery. George Sevitz is buried in row 6, grave 26, however his grave stone is unreadable. We found his wife's grave, which is in row 7--not next to him. Her grave stone is readable.

The inscription on his headstone read:

In
Memory
of
George Savitz
Born March 15
1753
Died September 15
1825
Aged 72 years
6 months

DAR Ancestor Number

DAR Ancestor #: A100694

Endnotes

1. Zavitz, Savitz,Sevits, Sevitz, Zewitz, Augustine, Stoner, Sherk, Fretz, David A. Zavitz online [http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=dzavitz&id=I06217], accessed 10 Jul 2006 [dzavitz@yahoo.com].

2. Linda M. Klosek, compiler, Old Allentown Cemetery (Allentown, Lehigh, PA: Lehigh County Historical Society, Sep 2003).

3. "Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission" (Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-1990, n.d., Bureau of Archives and History, Harrisburg, PA), .

4. Henry W. Shoemaker, State Archivist, compiler, Historical List of the General Assembly: 1790-1890 (Philadelphia, PA: Pennsylvania State Archives, no date).

5. Zavitz, Savitz,Sevits, Sevitz, Zewitz, Augustine, Stoner, Sherk, Fretz, David A. Zavitz online [http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=dzavitz&id=I06217], accessed 10 Jul 2006 [dzavitz@yahoo.com].

6. George SAVITZ , Lehigh County Probate file 756, Lehigh County Historical Society, Allentown, Lehigh, PA.

7. Zavitz, Savitz,Sevits, Sevitz, Zewitz, Augustine, Stoner, Sherk, Fretz, David A. Zavitz online [http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=dzavitz&id=I06217], accessed 10 Jul 2006 [dzavitz@yahoo.com].

8. Linda M. Klosek, compiler, Old Allentown Cemetery (Allentown, Lehigh, PA: Lehigh County Historical Society, Sep 2003).