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List of houses in Fairmount Park facts for kids

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Lemon Hill Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, aerial view looking north HABS PA,51-PHILA,234-32
Aerial view of Lemon Hill Mansion

This list contains all of the extant historic houses located in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Most of the houses are referred to as mansions due to their size and use as the summer country estates of Philadelphia's affluent citizens in the 18th and 19th centuries. During that period, the city's only developed areas were located several miles away to the southeast along the Delaware River, making the current park areas along the Schuylkill River an ideal refuge from epidemics during the summer months. The mansions were built between 1742 (Belmont Mansion) and 1810 (Rockland), in various architectural styles including Colonial Revival, Federal, Georgian, Gothic Revival, Greek Revival, and Palladian, with some in combinations of those styles.

There are 19 extant historic houses of which 16 were constructed within the current boundaries of Fairmount Park, while three of the houses were moved to the park from elsewhere in the city—Cedar Grove Mansion from Frankford, Hatfield House from Nicetown, and Letitia Street House from Old City. All of the 19 houses were designed and used as private residences. The Cliffs Mansion, located in east park, has been left in ruins since a 1986 fire caused by arson. Other historic houses were demolished due to extensive deterioration, vandalism, fire damage or insufficient funds for restoration. Demolished houses are not included in this list.

Three additional historic park buildings were designed like residential houses though they were never intended to be used as private residences: the Ohio House—built by the Ohio delegation for the Centennial Exposition; the Shofuso Japanese House—built in Japan as a museum exhibit for display at MoMA, then relocated to Fairmount Park; and the Smith Memorial Playhouse—designed, and still used, as an indoor play area for children.

This list does not include the historic boathouses on Boathouse Row which were designed as sporting clubhouses rather than residential homes. The historic houses within the adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park are also not included though that park was previously within the Fairmount Park system. Since 2010, all park areas and facilities are administered separately after the merger of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Department of Recreation into the new Philadelphia Parks & Recreation department.

The Fairmount Park Conservancy's Historic Preservation Trust, in collaboration with the city of Philadelphia, offers long-term leasing of some historic houses to civic organizations and businesses. The lessees must commit to rehabilitate and maintain the buildings, without altering their historic architectural features, while allowing public access. The trust offers assistance to prospective lessees in assessing feasibility, identifying financial incentives, and managing rehabilitation and maintenance work.

Note: the general Fairmount Park National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listing date of February 7, 1972, is entered for all sites with no individual designation record; ~ is entered for Style and Architect when unknown.

Image Name Years
(*circa)
Park
district
Location Adjacent
neighborhood
NRHP Style Architect Notes Refs
A563, Belmont Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Belmont Mansion 1742–45* west park, central 2000 Belmont Mansion Dr
39°59′27″N 75°12′47″W / 39.9909°N 75.2131°W / 39.9909; -75.2131 (Belmont Mansion)
Wynnefield February 7, 1972 Palladian William Peters (owner) museum; events
A598, Boelson Cottage, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2018.jpg
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Boelson Cottage 1678–84 west park, central 2110 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr
39°59′23″N 75°12′11″W / 39.9896°N 75.2030°W / 39.9896; -75.2030 (Boelson Cottage)
Wynnefield February 7, 1972 Dutch, Swedish ~ offices
A566, Cedar Grove Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Cedar Grove Mansion 1748–50 west park, south 1 Cedar Grove Dr
39°58′45″N 75°12′16″W / 39.9792°N 75.2044°W / 39.9792; -75.2044 (Cedar Grove Mansion)
Parkside February 7, 1972 Federal ~ tours
A567, Chamounix Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Chamounix Mansion 1802, 1853* west park, north 3250 Chamounix Dr
40°00′14″N 75°11′47″W / 40.0038°N 75.1963°W / 40.0038; -75.1963 (Chamounix Mansion)
Wynnefield Heights April 26, 1972 Federal ~ youth hostel
A564, The Cliffs Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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The Cliffs Mansion 1753 east park, south 3400 Reservoir Dr
39°58′46″N 75°11′39″W / 39.9794°N 75.1941°W / 39.9794; -75.1941 (The Cliffs Mansion)
Brewerytown March 16, 1972 Georgian ~ ruins
A585, Hatfield House, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Hatfield House 1760*, 1838*, 1850* east park, south 3201 W Girard Ave
39°58′33″N 75°11′18″W / 39.9759°N 75.18833°W / 39.9759; -75.18833 (Hatfield House)
Brewerytown March 16, 1972 Colonial Revival, Greek Revival ~ access unknown
A569, Laurel Hill Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Laurel Hill Mansion 1767*, 1800*, 1846 east park, north 7201 Edgeley Dr
39°59′29″N 75°11′42″W / 39.9914°N 75.19497°W / 39.9914; -75.19497 (Laurel Hill Mansion)
Strawberry Mansion March 24, 1972 Georgian, Federal ~ tours; events
A586, Lemon Hill Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Lemon Hill Mansion 1800* east park, south 1 Lemon Hill Dr
39°58′15″N 75°11′14″W / 39.9707°N 75.1872°W / 39.9707; -75.1872 (Lemon Hill Mansion)
Fairmount February 7, 1972 Federal Henry Pratt (owner) tours
A601, Letitia Street House, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2018.jpg
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Letitia Street House 1713* west park, south 3401 Girard Ave
39°58′31″N 75°11′49″W / 39.9754°N 75.196946°W / 39.9754; -75.196946 (Letitia Street House)
Parkside February 7, 1972 Georgian ~ access unknown
A599, The Lilacs House, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2018.jpg
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The Lilacs House 1711*, 1832 west park, north 3600 Greenland Dr
39°59′55″N 75°11′47″W / 39.9987°N 75.1965°W / 39.9987; -75.1965 (Lilacs House)
Wynnefield Heights February 7, 1972 ~ ~ access unknown
A572, Mount Pleasant Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Mount Pleasant Mansion 1761–65* east park, central 3800 Mount Pleasant Dr
39°59′00″N 75°11′59″W / 39.9834°N 75.1998°W / 39.9834; -75.1998 (Mount Pleasant Mansion)
Strawberry Mansion October 15, 1966 Georgian Thomas Nevell, apprentice of Edmund Woolley NHL; tours
A573, Ohio House, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Ohio House 1876 west park, central 1700 Belmont Ave
39°59′06″N 75°12′58″W / 39.9850°N 75.2162°W / 39.9850; -75.2162 (Ohio House)
Wynnefield February 7, 1972 Gothic Revival ~ café
A587, Ormiston Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Ormiston Mansion 1798 east park, central 2000 Reservoir Dr
39°59′19″N 75°11′47″W / 39.9887°N 75.1963°W / 39.9887; -75.1963 (Ormiston Mansion)
Strawberry Mansion February 7, 1972 Georgian Edward Burd (owner) occasional tours/events
A576, Ridgeland Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Ridgeland Mansion 1752–62* west park, north 4100 Chamounix Dr
39°59′33″N 75°12′37″W / 39.9926°N 75.2102°W / 39.9926; -75.2102 (Ridgeland Mansion)
Wynnefield Heights February 7, 1972 Federal ~ events
A577, Rockland Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Rockland Mansion 1810* east park, central 3810 Mount Pleasant Dr
39°59′09″N 75°11′59″W / 39.9858°N 75.1998°W / 39.9858; -75.1998 (Rockland Mansion)
Strawberry Mansion February 7, 1972 Federal ~ offices
A588, Porters House, Sedgeley Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Sedgeley Porter's House 1799–1802 east park, south 3250 Sedgeley Dr
39°58′28″N 75°11′20″W / 39.9745°N 75.1889°W / 39.9745; -75.1889 (Sedgeley Porter's House)
Fairmount February 7, 1972 Gothic Revival Benjamin Henry Latrobe Outward Bound
A579, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Shofuso Japanese House 1953 west park, south 4301 Lansdowne Dr
39°58′53″N 75°12′46″W / 39.9814°N 75.2129°W / 39.9814; -75.2129 (Shofuso Japanese House)
Parkside February 7, 1972 Shoin-zukuri Junzō Yoshimura tours
A589, Smith Memorial Playhouse, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Smith Memorial Playhouse 1897–99 east park, central 3500 Reservoir Dr
39°58′54″N 75°11′44″W / 39.9817°N 75.1956°W / 39.9817; -75.1956 (Smith Memorial Playhouse)
Strawberry Mansion ~ ~ James H. Windrim indoor play area
THE SOLITUDE, PHILADELPHIA, PA.jpg
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The Solitude Mansion 1784–85 west park, south 3400 W Girard Ave
39°58′21″N 75°11′44″W / 39.9726°N 75.1955°W / 39.9726; -75.1955 (The Solitude Mansion)
Parkside February 7, 1972 Federal John Penn (owner) in the zoo
A581, Strawberry Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Strawberry Mansion 1783–89*, 1828* east park, north 2450 Strawberry Mansion Dr
39°59′39″N 75°11′26″W / 39.9943°N 75.1906°W / 39.9943; -75.1906 (Strawberry Mansion)
Strawberry Mansion February 7, 1972 Federal, Greek Revival ~ tours; events
A582, Sweetbriar Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Sweetbriar Mansion 1797 west park, south 3801 Lansdowne Dr
39°58′37″N 75°12′03″W / 39.9770°N 75.2009°W / 39.9770; -75.2009 (Sweetbriar Mansion)
Parkside February 7, 1972 Federal ~ closed
A583, Woodford Mansion, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2017.jpg
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Woodford Mansion 1756–58, 1771–72*, 1790* east park, north 3400 Woodford Dr
39°59′36″N 75°11′16″W / 39.9932°N 75.1877°W / 39.9932; -75.1877 (Woodford Mansion)
Strawberry Mansion December 24, 1967 Georgian, Palladian ~ NHL; tours

See also

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