Emlen Physick Estate facts for kids
The Emlen Physick Estate is a cool old house in Cape May, New Jersey. It's built in the Victorian style and is now a museum! You can find it at 1048 Washington Street.
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History of the Physick Mansion
This big 18-room house was built in 1879. It was designed by a famous American architect named Frank Furness. The house was made for Dr. Emlen Physick Jr. and his family. Dr. Physick came from a well-known family in Philadelphia. He lived here with his widowed mother, Mrs. Ralston, and his aunt, Emilie.
Cool Architecture of the House
The Physick Mansion is a great example of "Stick style" architecture. This style uses lots of wooden "sticks" or boards on the outside of the house to create patterns. Architect Frank Furness added his own special touches. Look for the huge, upside-down chimneys and the cool "jerkin-head" dormers (these are windows that stick out from the roof). You'll also see big, stick-like decorations on the porch. Inside the house, many of the original furniture pieces are still there for you to see!
Visiting the Museum
A group called the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) saved the Physick Estate from being torn down in 1970. The city of Cape May bought the estate, and MAC now takes care of it. They have brought the house back to its original Victorian look.
Today, MAC runs the estate as a historic house museum. You can take guided tours all year round to learn about the house and the family who lived there. The estate is four acres big! It also has a Carriage House where you can find a ticket office, the Carroll Gallery with exhibits, a gift shop, and a cafe. There are also other buildings like Hill House, which has more offices.
The Physick Estate in Movies and TV
The Physick Estate has even been on screen! It was used as a filming location for a movie called The Prowler in 1981.
The mansion was also shown on a TV show called Haunted Towns. On the show, a team of paranormal investigators looked into stories that the house might be haunted. Some people believe that Dr. Emlen Physick and his family, including his aunts Emilie and Isabella, and his mother, Frances Ralston, might still be there!
Gallery
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The beautiful Parlor inside the house.
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A view of the house from the southwest side.
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The Physick Estate back in 1961.
See also
Sources
- Learn more at the Emlen Physick Estate official site: http://www.capemaymac.org/attractions/emlenphysickestate.html
- See old photographs and drawings from the Historic American Buildings Survey
