Lemon Hill facts for kids
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Fairmount Park, Lemon Hill
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Rear elevation with oval wall
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 Location in Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | c. 1800 |
| Architect | Henry Pratt |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001151 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Designated CP | February 7, 1972 |
Lemon Hill is a beautiful old house, called a mansion, located in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. It was built a long time ago, between 1799 and 1800, by a businessman named Henry Pratt. The house got its name because Henry Pratt grew lemon and other citrus fruits on the land around it. It's built in a style called Federal style, which was popular back then.
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The History of Lemon Hill Mansion
How Lemon Hill Was Built
The land where Lemon Hill stands was once part of a much larger property called "The Hills." This big estate belonged to a man named Robert Morris. In 1799, Henry Pratt bought about 43 acres of this land. He bought it at a special sale because Robert Morris had financial problems and couldn't pay his debts.
Henry Pratt himself designed the mansion and watched over its construction. Even though he built Lemon Hill, it wasn't his main home. He lived mostly in a townhouse on Front Street in the city.
Special Features of the Mansion
Lemon Hill is built on a hill that looks out over the Schuylkill River and a famous spot called Boathouse Row. The house has some really cool parts. For example, it has three oval-shaped rooms, one on top of the other. These rooms even have curved fireplaces and doors! Henry Pratt also designed the gardens around the house in a style called English landscape garden. He made a greenhouse bigger that Robert Morris had started. He even let the public visit the grounds for a small fee.
Becoming Part of Fairmount Park
The City of Philadelphia started buying land along the Schuylkill River to protect its water supply. Lemon Hill was the very first property the city bought for this reason in 1844. In 1855, the Lemon Hill estate became the first part of the new Fairmount Park.
For a while in the late 1800s, the mansion was used as a restaurant. During this time, some changes were made to the outside of the house, like adding a fancy cast-iron porch.
Restoring the Mansion's Look
From 1926 to 1955, the house was a home for Fiske Kimball and his wife, Marie Goebel Kimball. Fiske Kimball was the first director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Both he and his wife were experts in architecture history. They worked hard to make Lemon Hill look just like it did in 1800.
For a long time, people thought Robert Morris had built the mansion. But in 2005, some old letters written by Henry Pratt were found. These letters showed that Pratt was actually the one who designed and built the house. Tax records also proved that the mansion didn't exist when Pratt bought the land.
Lemon Hill Today
Lemon Hill was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 7, 1972. This means it's recognized as an important historical place.
Since 1957, Lemon Hill Mansion has been open as a house museum. It is managed by the Colonial Dames of America and the Friends of Lemon Hill. In 2007, work was done to clear away dense trees. This helped bring back the amazing views of the mansion and the views from the mansion, just like they were when it was first built. The Fairmount Park Conservancy has been in charge of the house since 2016.
See also
