Cedar Grove Mansion facts for kids
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Cedar Grove Mansion
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 Location in Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 Cedar Grove Drive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19131, U.S. |
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| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Fairmount Park Historic District |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001151 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Designated NRHP | February 7, 1972 |
Cedar Grove Mansion is a historic house located in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For five generations, it served as a summer home for a prominent Philadelphia family. It was a peaceful escape from busy city life.
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A Home Away From Home
The story of Cedar Grove Mansion began in 1746. A woman named Elizabeth Coates Paschall bought the land. She was a widow with three children and ran her late husband's dry goods business. Elizabeth wanted a quiet country retreat. Her father's farm was nearby in the Frankford area, which was then outside the main city of Philadelphia.
Construction of the gray stone house started in 1748 and finished in 1750. It was built on a 15-acre plot of land along Frankford Road.
Growing Over the Years
Over time, the house grew bigger. Elizabeth Paschall and the generations after her added new parts. For example, her granddaughter, Sarah, inherited the house. In 1795, Sarah married Isaac Wistar Morris. They made Cedar Grove twice as big by adding more rooms and even a third floor. Later, a porch was added that wrapped around the house. Inside, you can see different styles of architecture, like Federal, which was popular in early America.
Moving a Mansion
The last family member to own Cedar Grove was Lydia Thompson Morris. In 1926, she generously gave the house and all its original furniture to the city of Philadelphia.
But there was a big challenge: the house was still in Frankford. So, between 1926 and 1928, the entire house was carefully moved from its original spot to Fairmount Park. Today, the Philadelphia Museum of Art looks after Cedar Grove. They have kept it fully furnished with the original pieces passed down by the Morris family for generations. You can even take guided tours to see what life was like in this historic home!
Historic Recognition
Cedar Grove Mansion is an important historical site. It is listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. It is also part of the Fairmount Park Historic District, which is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
See also
