Lemon Hill Mansion

1876 view of Boat House Row and the Fairmount Water Works. The filter ponds and reservoir atop Fairmount Hill would be replaced years later by the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Henry Pratt's country estate, Lemon Hill, was renowned for its geometric-style gardens, picturesque grounds, and extensive greenhouse and hothouse complex. This profile published by the National Gallery of Art includes historic descriptions by visitors as well as prints of the famous landscape.

Steps and fountain still there....

"... it may be pronounced unrivalled in the Union." These words were written in 1830 about the beautiful gardens of Lemon Hill, once home to rare horticultural ...specimens. By 1855, the City of Philadelphia declared the Lemon Hill property to be a public park, the first land in what would eventually become today’s Fairmount Park. View a digital guide to Lemon Hill and beyond here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com//442b34182e2c4394b5afe0d8c72b See more

c.1875, Approach to Lemon Hill Mansion - View showing marble stairs ascending from tree-lined paths in Fairmount Park east of the Lemon Hill estate. Men and boys stand around a stone fountain at the base of the stairs. (@LibraryCompany)

Lemon Hill mansion park 1868, photographed by R. Newell - "View of the south elevation, divided into five bays, showing the oval pavilion of the mansion built 1799-1800 for businessman Henry Pratt in East Fairmount Park. In 1844, several years after Pratt's death, Lemon Hill became the first mansion acquired by the city of Philadelphia to establish a public park, i.e., Fairmount Park. The residence was used as a lager beer garden following the establishment of the park in 1855." Persistent link: https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/digitool%3A99122

1873, Iron spring fountain - "Elevated, hillside view showing the canopy or gazebo housing the iron fountain, installed in 1871, on the Lemon Hill estate in East Fairmount Park." Persistent link: https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/digitool%3A99545

After Lemon Hill was purchased by the City it quickly became a favorite recreation spot. By 1870, the mansion was heavily renovated and its grounds landscaped to incorporate new features, like this water fountain gazebo. Nearby, a 5000-person outdoor amphitheater was also constructed. None of these features exist today.

1870, View showing a couple seated in the foreground on a landscaped, tree-lined path on the grounds of Lemon Hill estate. / James Cremer, publisher and photographer (@LibraryCompany)

Today for #TBT - an early look at Lemon Hill. From Fairmount Water Works by Thomas Birch (1779-1851) 1821, Oil on canvas. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art...s ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ London born and Bucks County bred, Birch produced a set of topographical engravings called "Views of Philadelphia" (1798-1800), which led to his interest in landscape painting. Like many of us these days distancing and sharing shots on social media, he wandered along the banks of the Schuylkill River looking for picturesque views to paint. We love this view because it encapsulates the then new engineering marvel of the Water Works and Henry Pratt’s elegant mansion on the hill (and greenhouse to the right). This painting is in the @pafamuseum collection and was shown in their recent exhibition: From the Schuylkill to the Hudson: Landscapes of the Early American Republic @ Fairmount Water Works See more

Young Thomas McKean Jr., featured in this portrait, would marry Sarah Clementina Pratt in 1809. Sarah was a daughter of Henry Pratt, who built Lemon Hill Mansion in Fairmount Park in 1800. Henry had over a dozen children by three wives, but few lived to adulthood. Daughter Sarah was born in 1791 to Pratt's second wife, Elizabeth Dundas.

New York City hosts Grant's Tomb, but Philly once had Grant's Cabin, located just north of Lemon Hill Mansion.

City view from Lemon Hill Mansion. Boat House Row below along the river.

Since you have to be socially distant from our doors, we invite you to get close to our collections Today Lemon Hill’s Leda and the Swan and the mythical mant...el #GetClosetoOurCollections ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dining room mantlepiece c. mid-late 18th century. Italian marble ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Although Lemon Hill Mansion has a limited antique collection, its stunning interior architecture makes it well worth a visit! A great example is the beautiful carved mantlepiece in the first floor dining room that reflects Federal architecture’s return to classical motifs. Carved from Carrera marble imported from Tuscany, it’s believed that the mantle originally belonged to Robert Morris (financier of the Revolution), who bought the Lemon hill land and then Henry Pratt, the builder of the mansion, purchased it from the sheriffs auction of Morris’ property. The decoration depicts Greek mythology, including Medusa and Leda & the Swan. The latter inspired a poem by W.B. Yeats : : #myphillypark #FairmountPark #lemonhill #lemonhillmansion #parkcharms #parkcharmsphilly #mantle #Marblemantel #Mantlepiece #Carreramarble #Tuscanymarble #RobertMorris #medusa #marblemedusa #LedaandtheSwan #greekmythology #wbyeats #fireplace #phillyhistory #colonialhistory #historic #historichomes #historichouse #oldhouselove #philly #visitphilly #discoverphl #phillygram #phillyhistory #phillytours See more

The historic mansion is closed to visitors, but it still stands grandly above the river, just as it did 220 years ago.