Historic Strawberry Mansion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Strawberry Mansion
Strawberry Mansion in 2014
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Built	c. 1783–1789
Architectural style(s)	Federal with Greek Revival wings
Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
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Historic Strawberry Mansion is a beautiful old summer home located in East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was built a long time ago, between 1783 and 1789, by a person named Judge William Lewis. When it was first built, it was called Summerville.

The Mansion's Early Days

Judge William Lewis bought the land where Strawberry Mansion now stands. He built the mansion sometime between 1783 and 1789. He lived there until he passed away in 1819 when he was 68 years old.

In 1821, Joseph Hemphill bought Strawberry Mansion. His family made some changes to the house around 1828. They added new sections, called wings, in a style known as Greek Revival. This style was added to the original Federal style of the house.

Later, in 1867, the mansion was sold to the city of Philadelphia. The city bought the mansion and a lot of the land around it. They did this to help protect the city's drinking water, which came from the Schuylkill River. This area became known as East Fairmount Park.

Making the Mansion New Again

In 1926, a big celebration called the Sesquicentennial Exposition was held in South Philadelphia. It honored the 150th birthday of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. After the event, several women's clubs wanted to keep their antique furniture collections together.

So, with help from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Fairmount Park Commission, a group called the Committee of 1926 decided to fix up Strawberry Mansion. They wanted to use it as a museum and a welcoming place for visitors. Joseph Horn, who owned the famous Horn and Hardart's automat restaurants, donated money for the repairs. He had grown up in Philadelphia and played in the park as a child.

Women's groups from all over the city helped fill the rooms with amazing old furniture from that time period. The house officially opened again in 1931. Today, the Committee of 1926 still works to take care of this historic house museum.

The mansion was also renovated again more recently, in the early 2000s.

How it Got its Name

Between 1846 and 1867, Summerville got its new name: Strawberry Mansion. People believe that farmers who lived in the mansion at that time used to serve delicious strawberries and cream to visitors. That's how the sweet name came to be!

Visiting Strawberry Mansion

You can visit Strawberry Mansion for tours almost all year!

• In February, tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. You need to make an appointment to visit during this month.
• In March, the mansion is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. On Sundays, you can visit by appointment only.
• From mid-April through December, the house is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Make sure to arrive before 3 pm, as the last tour starts promptly then.

See also

• List of houses in Fairmount Park
• Nannie Lee House aka Strawberry Mansion in Florida
• Strawberry Mansion (disambiguation)
• Strawberry Mansion Bridge
• Strawberry Mansion High School
• Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia