← All Pennsylvania markers

McAllister Family Ophthalmic Legacy

McAllister Family Ophthalmic Legacy is a Pennsylvania historical marker in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, dedicated 2022.

Philadelphia County · dedicated 2022 · 2nd & Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia

Get directions ↗Start a road trip Historical trails

Near this site in 1796, John McAllister Sr. opened America’s first optical shop and began a family tradition of innovation in optics and eye care. John Sr. was a pioneer of opticianry. His son John Jr. became the first American hospital opti-cian. Third generation William, working at Wills Eye Hospital, was the first to teach refraction to ophthalmologists, and his son Francis was a founder of the American Optometric Association in 1898.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library

Example

under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

From one family's 77-marker roster

Upload your family tree and TreeAlive finds the markers near where your own ancestors lived.

See your family's markers

Start with a tree file, a FamilySearch sign in, or a WikiTree ID.

Report a problem with this page

The marker isn't at this spotOur pin may be off. If you know where it stands, tell us.I couldn't find the markerWe record what the source recorded. We have not been to look.The sign reads differentlyThat would be an error, and we can pass it to the program.The historical map looks wrongThe period map behind the pin, not the marker itself.Something else

We may pass what you report to the state's marker program. Please don't include personal details.

Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

More markers nearby

London Coffee Houseunder 1 mi
Robert Aitken (1734-1802)under 1 mi
Philip Syng, Jr. (1703-1789)under 1 mi
Captain Thomas Holme 1624-1695 - PLAQUEunder 1 mi