Editing Thomas Holme (section)

== Later Years and Death ==

Holme settled on his Pennsylvania lands in what is now Montgomery County, establishing a farm that he called "Green Spring." He married twice and had several children, building a life as a substantial landholder in the colony he had helped to survey. In addition to his surveying duties, Holme served in various civic capacities, including as a member of the Provincial Council and as a justice of the peace. He remained an active Quaker, participating in the religious meetings that formed the center of Quaker community life. His position as Surveyor General made him one of the most important officials in the colony, though it also made him a target for criticism when land distribution decisions went awry.<ref name="bronner"/>

Thomas Holme died in 1695 at his Green Spring estate. He was buried in an unmarked grave, as was the Quaker custom, and the exact location of his burial is unknown. His legacy, however, is inscribed indelibly in the landscape of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Every street in Center City follows a line that Holme surveyed, every lot occupies a parcel that his team measured and recorded. The grid plan that he translated from Penn's vision into physical reality has endured for more than three centuries, surviving fires, growth, and transformation while remaining the organizing framework of the city. Though less famous than Penn, Thomas Holme deserves recognition as one of Philadelphia's most important founders—the man who gave physical form to Penn's "greene countrie towne."<ref name="weigley"/>