|
 |
|
Lemon Hill
Founding father Robert Morris’ hilltop estate
|
The Lemon Hill House in the East Fairmount Park area of Philadelphia
Photo by Eric Vath, Fairmount Park Conservancy
|
Outsider Tip
Great spot to catch the July 4th fireworks, with a clear view of the Center City skyline
Robert Morris, merchant, entrepreneur and signer of the Declaration of Independence, first owned this property and built upon it in 1770, naming his house “The Hills”. But Morris, a financier of the Revolution and close friend of George Washington, overextended his empire and was sent to debtors' prison in 1798, after which Pratt, a Philadelphia merchant, bought the property at a sheriff’s sale.
When construction on Lemon Hill was finished in 1800, the fashionable set vied for invitations to the neoclassical mansion. Today, with its museum-quality collections, it is still a showcase.
Pratt died in 1838, and the city purchased the house and 45 acres in 1844, the first such acquisition for the formation of Fairmount Park.
Fairmount Park was officially founded in 1855 when the Lemon Hill estate was dedicated as a public park. Support came from 2,400 citizens who signed a petition urging the purchase of Lemon Hill. During the 1840s and 1850s, the City rented the house to various tenants, including a concessionaire who operated a beer garden.
The park was created to protect the city's water supply from the growing industry along the river. In addition to clean water, park supporters were interested in establishing public park grounds because they believed it was vital to both the physical and psychological health of Philadelphians.
|