List of houses in Fairmount Park


This list contains all of the extant historic houses located in Fairmount Park, 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 and 1810, 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 listing date of February 7, 1972 is entered for all sites with no individual designation record; ~ is entered for Style and Architect when unknown.
ImageNameYears
Park
district		LocationAdjacent
neighborhood		NRHPStyleArchitectNotesRefs
Belmont Mansion1742–45*west park, central2000 Belmont Mansion Dr
Wynnefield1972-02-07PalladianWilliam Peters museum; events
Boelson Cottage1678–84west park, central2110 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr
Wynnefield1972-02-07Dutch, Swedish~offices
Cedar Grove Mansion1748–50west park, south1 Cedar Grove Dr
Parkside1972-02-07Federal~tours
Chamounix Mansion1802, 1853*west park, north3250 Chamounix Dr
Wynnefield Heights1972-04-26Federal~youth hostel
1753east park, south3400 Reservoir Dr
Brewerytown1972-03-16Georgian~ruins
Hatfield House1760*, 1838*, 1850*east park, south3201 W Girard Ave
Brewerytown1972-03-16Colonial Revival, Greek Revival~access unknown
Laurel Hill Mansion1767*, 1800*, 1846east park, north7201 Edgeley Dr
Strawberry Mansion1972-03-24Georgian, Federal~tours; events
Lemon Hill Mansion1800*east park, south1 Lemon Hill Dr
Fairmount1972-02-07FederalHenry Pratt tours
Letitia Street House1713*west park, south3401 Girard Ave
Parkside1972-02-07Georgian~access unknown
The Lilacs House1711*, 1832west park, north3600 Greenland Dr
Wynnefield Heights1972-02-07~~access unknown
Mount Pleasant Mansion1761–65*east park, central3800 Mount Pleasant Dr
Strawberry Mansion1966-10-15GeorgianThomas Nevell, apprentice of Edmund WoolleyNHL; tours
Ohio House1876west park, central1700 Belmont Ave
Wynnefield1972-02-07Gothic Revival~cafe
Ormiston Mansion1798east park, central2000 Reservoir Dr
Strawberry Mansion1972-02-07GeorgianEdward Burd occasional tours/events
Ridgeland Mansion1752–62*west park, north4100 Chamounix Dr
Wynnefield Heights1972-02-07Federal~events
Rockland Mansion1810*east park, central3810 Mount Pleasant Dr
Strawberry Mansion1972-02-07Federal~offices
Sedgeley Porter's House1799–1802east park, south3250 Sedgeley Dr
Fairmount1972-02-07Gothic RevivalBenjamin Henry LatrobeOutward Bound
Shofuso Japanese House1953west park, south4301 Lansdowne Dr
Parkside1972-02-07Shoin-zukuriJunzō Yoshimuratours
Smith Memorial Playhouse1897–99east park, central3500 Reservoir Dr
Strawberry Mansion~~James H. Windrimindoor play area
The Solitude Mansion1784–85west park, south3400 W Girard Ave
Parkside1972-02-07FederalJohn Penn in the zoo
Strawberry Mansion1783–89*, 1828*east park, north2450 Strawberry Mansion Dr
Strawberry Mansion1972-02-07Federal, Greek Revival~tours; events
Sweetbriar Mansion1797west park, south3801 Lansdowne Dr
Parkside1972-02-07Federal~closed
Woodford Mansion1756–58, 1771–72*, 1790*east park, north3400 Woodford Dr
Strawberry Mansion1967-12-24Georgian, Palladian~NHL; tours