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Philadelphia in the late 18th century was a powerful and busy center of commerce, and many wealthy citizens sought elegant country retreats to escape the city. The six historic houses in Fairmount Park, along the Schuylkill River, offer a glimpse into the intriguing public and private lives of prominent Philadelphians during an important time in history, just prior to and after the American Revolution. The houses reflect a range of architectural styles and changes in domestic tastes, from the symmetry of Palladian style to the lightness of the federal, with a love of neoclassicism that continued into the 19th century. Collectively known as the “Charms” of Fairmount Park, three of the houses open their doors to a special holiday-season guided tour for Smithsonian Associates.
They include Laurel Hill, a graceful 1767 Georgian-style house on a high bluff that offers stunning views of the Schuylkill; the impressive Strawberry Mansion, built around 1789, which incorporates both Federal and Greek Revival styles, and whose grounds include a charming secret garden; and Cedar Grove, a mid-18th century country house whose interior includes an extensive collection of furniture and decorative arts, with many objects from the Quaker family who built it and owned it for generations.
Get more insights into the era’s domestic life by touring Classical Splendor: Painted Furniture for a Grand Philadelphia House. The exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art showcases a suite of furniture designed in 1808 by Benjamin Henry Latrobe for the house of merchant William Waln and his wife, Mary. Inspired by the classical art of ancient Greece and Rome, the painted and gilded furniture is one of the greatest artistic triumphs of the early national period. Free time at the museum follows.
Fringe stop at about 8:10 a.m.
Lunch at Chima’s Brazilian Steakhouse is included; a boxed dinner and refreshments are served on the return trip.
