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Strawberry Mansion.

Item Info

Item No: pdcc00351
Title: Strawberry Mansion.
Additional Title: Where once was the country home of the Secretary of Congress.
Media Type: Scrapbooks
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:

http://www.historicstrawberrymansion.org/


Notes:

Reproduction of photograph showing side view of Strawberry Mansion, the largest historic house in Fairmount Park. The site on which it stands was once the country seat of Charles Thomson who for fourteen years held the position of Secretary of Congress. The house, which he named "Summerville", was attacked and burned by the British. In 1789 Judge William Lewis, a prominent lawyer, bought the land and rebuilt Summerville in the Federal style. In the 1820s the house was expanded and wings were added. Eventually it was abandoned as a summer residence and became more of a resort for picknickers. During this period it became known as Strawberry Mansion. The Fairmount Park Commission bought the building in 1867. The Committee of 1926 began to restore the house to its former glory and to preserve its heritage, as they do to this day.


Call Number: A917.481 P536 v.5
Creator Name: Thomson, Charles, 1729-1824
Lewis, William, 1752-1819
Castner, Samuel, Jr., 1843-1929 - Compiler