James Pearson (41)

James Pearson (1 November 1735–21 August 1813) was a carpenter, early manufacturer, urban surveyor, and manager of public works and a member of the Young Junto, elected in 1759. Born into a Quaker family in Chester County, Pennsylvania, he was a member of the Silk Society, a founder of the Amicable Library Company (a feeder society for the Library Company of Philadelphia), and an active officeholder in the Carpenters’ Company. As a member of the Young Junto, he constructed a cabinet to house the society’s curiosities, recommended books for its collections, and evaluated others’ inventions. As an APS member, he constructed an observatory for the upcoming Transit of Venus. An enthusiastic champion of the American cause during the Revolution, Pearson served as a commissary of military stores and as captain of an artillery battalion, and he completed numerous manufacturing and construction projects for the Continental Army. Later, he performed extensive contract construction work on the Pennsylvania State House and other governmental buildings. His most significant appointment was as a regulator of Philadelphia—an office involving the oversight of public works and surveying in the growing post-war city—in 1782, alongside APS members David Rittenhouse, John Lukens, and Thomas Pryor. (PI)