Find your home at PhilaLandmarks! 4 historic houses, each with a unique story to tell. "Like" us and discover something new!
Founded in 1931 the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks (PhilaLandmarks) has actively restored and preserved four of our cities greatest treasures: Powel House, Grumblethorpe, Physick House, and Historic Waynesborough. We believe that historic preservation illustrates the value of what endures in our society, and that this inspires people to learn about history and engage with t
heir community. We respect the uniqueness of each of our historic properties, and believe that their different programs, priorities, and places in their communities create great value. We invite you to visit our beautiful houses:
Powel House, 244 South Third Street (Society Hill)
Grumblethorpe, 5267 Germantown Ave (Germantown)
Physick House, 321 South Fourth Street (Society Hill)
Historic Waynesborough, 2049 Waynesborough Road (Paoli)
Operating as usual
Join us for a spooky night on Wednesday, October 12th at 7PM at the Powel House as Josh Hitchens reads from his new book “Haunted History of Philadelphia.” This collection of stories covers haunts from Old City, to Fairmount, and out to Chestnut Hill, and even features the Powel House! Books are available for purchase and signing. Act fast! Only limited number of books available!
Grumblethorpe Historic House & Garden will be at Cliveden and their site will be open during the festival! Grumblethorpe was the historic home of the Wister family. During the British occupation of Philadelphia, the Wisters – who were Quakers – left Philadelphia; Grumblethorpe was then used as British General Agnew’s headquarters during the Battle of Germantown.
At the Revolutionary Germantown Festival, visit Grumblethorpe’s table to learn about the Wisters, those who couldn’t leave Philadelphia, and what life was like during the occupation of Philadelphia. Grumblethorpe’s house and grounds will be open from 12pm to 4pm. Tour the house and gardens!
For the full festival schedule, visit https://cliveden.org/festival-schedule/.
PhilaLandmarks
Thank you to Heritage & Historic Preservation - NPS for awarding us $200,525.00 through the Save America's Treasures grant program for the Waynesborough Roof Restoration Project! We think that Historic Waynesborough is a national treasure, too. ♥️
This project will restore the cedar shake roof, stabilize the main block and porch roof, and repoint the chimney stonework of the roof line. The preservation work in this project is vital to maintaining the ancestral home of General Anthony Wayne (1745-1796), a leading general of Washington's army and cabinet.
WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services today announced $24.25 million in Save America’s Treasures grants to fund 80 projects in 32 states an...
Assessment day for Grumblethorpe with 💕 time to fix this old girl up. It doesn’t hurt that it is a beautiful day in Germantown, too.
Please join us in the Powel House ballroom next Thursday, September 1st! Get your tickets today 🎻
Join us in the Powel House ballroom for a classical music concert by Filament.
We're excited to host some of our favorites from Tiny Dynamite again this season at the Hill-Physick and Powel Houses! Tickets to their upcoming theatrical season are available on their website at tinydynamite.org 🎭
Tiny Dynamite's 2022-23 roster offers audiences the opportunity to experience theater with an accessible approach, featuring three special pop-up performances in collaboration with PhilaLandmarks along with a fully-produced production at the Drake Theatre.
This Sunday, August 21st from 11am-1pm, join on a photo walk through Historic Germantown, stopping at along the way! All are welcome — you do not have to be a photographer to join! RSVP through the link in our bio to attend the photo walk 📸
Don't miss Samantha Snyder's chapter in "Women in George Washington's World" about our very own Elizabeth Willing Powel.
Check out this stellar review from the Wall Street Journal below. We are so thrilled that Elizabeth's story is reaching a new audience.
Purchase the book here: https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5720
https://www.wsj.com/articles/women-in-george-washingtons-world-review-how-women-saw-washington-11658267170
A thoughtful, lively and scholarly collection of essays that look at the women who interacted with Washington or were influenced by his legacy.
Night Music is coming to ! Join us for the third concert in the PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series as presents “Summer Serenades” on Thursday, August 4th at 6PM. Bring a chair and picnic while you enjoy classical music on the lawn.
Link to tickets in the bio!
Night Music is coming to ! Join us for the third concert in the PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series as presents “Summer Serenades” on Thursday, August 4th at 6PM. Bring a chair and picnic while you enjoy classical music on the lawn.
Link to tickets in the bio!
Thank you to everyone who came out to Historic Waynesborough on Sunday to celebrate Independence Day! We are so delighted that we were able to share Historic Waynesborough, and its history, with so many members of our community.
We could not have pulled off such a fun and successful event without the help of Jeffrey A. Miller Catering, the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution and their Color Guard, or our amazing House Committee members, volunteers, and staff.
Come visit us for free tours at Powel House from 11-3pm on July 1st
In the evening at 7pm, the The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will be performing a free concert in our garden! Bring a lawn chair and a picnic basket and enjoy ”Benjamin Franklin’s Playlist”.
Annual series of celebrations leading up to Independence Day, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
We’re celebrating by joining for the challenge!
PhilaLandmarks has a long history of celebrating Flag Day. Here are early PhilaLandmarks members celebrating at in 1932.
Happy 245th birthday to the Flag!
https://www.dailylocal.com/2022/06/02/chester-county-gets-funding-from-phmc/
We are thrilled to announce that PhilaLandmarks has been awarded a $100,000 PHMC Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grant for the Historic Waynesborough Restoration Project.
The Historic Waynesborough Restoration Project, with architectural plans from architect Daniel T. Campbell, AIA., includes replacing and restoring Waynesborough’s main block and addition roofs, porch roof, and bakehouse roof; restoring the soffits, cornices, cornice framing, structural stabilization on the main block and porch roof. In addition, adding modern structural support to the roof of the main block will ensure that the building is stabilized for many years to come.
We are super grateful to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for their support of this important project which will help PhilaLandmarks achieve the goal of replacing the roof to prevent moisture infiltration, to secure it against material decay and environmental threats and ultimately, protect and preserve the birthplace and home of General Anthony Wayne.
To make a donation to this project, please follow the link here: https://gardenia-bird-xw5a.squarespace.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=5eebe807f042b33208ee269d
Photo courtesy of Joe Pulcinella.
Thank you to the Society Hill Civic Association for their unwavering support of Hill-Physick House and Powel House. We appreciate your dedication to historic preservation!
The Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks Executive Director, Kayla Anthony (right),and site manager for the Hill-Physick House, Megan Thibodeaux (left), receive two SHCA grants checks: $5,000 for the Hill-Physick House historic window repair project and $5,000 for the Powel House underground stormwater system pipe replacement project. (photo credit: Martha Levine)
Opening this week!
Grumblethorpe Youth Farmstand opens this Saturday, June 4th 9:30am-1:30pm!
Make it your Saturday morning thing and support Germantown Farmers Markets. Eat Fresh, Eat Healthy, Eat Local!
Grumblethorpe Youth Farmstand is a nonprofit youth employment based urban farm and produce market with neighbors Philly Forests and Germantown Kitchen Garden Farm Stand and Plant Nursery. Support a local food system economy and nourish yourself this Summer at our local farmers markets.
Grumblethorpe is PhilaLandmarks Historic House in Historic Germantown with support for this season's operation, partnerships, and advertising made possible through an award from the American Public Gardens Association and U.S. Botanic Garden
So glad to see Grumblethorpe featured in this article!
From Wayne Junction to stately Cliveden, these are the best sites in Philadelphia’s Germantown, plus where to stop for coffee, jazz, and more.
Missed out on the Hill-Physick Plant Sale or want even more plants for your garden?? 🌼🌿
Well, you’re in luck! is having a plant sale this Friday, May 13th from 4-7pm and Saturday, May 14th from 10am-2pm!
Come buy some flowers, herbs, and vegetable starts for your own garden, while supporting Grumblethorpe
Historic House & Gardens and our youth programs!
Thank you to Philadelphia Cultural Fund for awarding us the 2022 Art & Culture Grant! This grant allows PhilaLandmarks to serve and nourish our community through art and culture — it especially allows us to continue our beloved Farmstand program, which connects Germantown youth with a summer job working on an urban farm to provide fresh food to their community. Mayor Jim Kenney PHLCouncil Councilmember Mark Squilla Cindy Bass Grumblethorpe
Last night, we celebrated our 91st Annual Meeting at the Rosenbach Museum & Library — our first in-person annual meeting since 2019! Our members and staff were treated to a lovely evening in The Rosenbach’s garden, as well as to a private tour and access to some of their rare collections items. Thank you again to the staff at The Rosenbach and to Power Events for helping us throw a remarkable event for our very deserving members.
Want to attend our 92nd Annual Meeting? Become a member of PhilaLandmarks today!!
The Hill-Physick House is proud to be an integral part of Philadelphia’s rich medical history!
Philadelphia has a passion and appreciation for science and medicine because it is part of our history as home of the first hospital, medical school, women's medical school, children's hospital, medical society, medical library, college of pharmacy, first biomedical research institution and so much....
🌸The Annual Hill-Physick House Spring Plant Sale is returning to the garden on Friday, April 29th & Saturday, April 30th!🌸
Come join us and shop a variety of hanging baskets, annuals, perennials and herbs to create stunning window boxes and gardens.
If you simply cannot wait until April to shop, we will be open for pre-orders soon, so stay tuned!!🌷
“You will see from this list that places of interest and importance are to be found in every section of Philadelphia, but how long they will be found is another question. How many years will it take to educate the public to preserve landmarks?” - Frances Anne Wister
Today we recognize and celebrate the life and legacy of our founder, Frances Anne Wister, who died on this date in 1956. [Third from left]
We recently acquired this William Birch (1755-1834) engraving, “View in Third Street, from Spruce Street Philadelphia” c.1799, which depicts the Powel House in the background. This Birch engraving, along with four others, was generously donated by Graham Arader, III.
Come join us for a tour!!
Our two downtown historic house museums (Hill-Physick House & Powel House) will once again open their doors to public tours beginning tomorrow, Saturday, March 5th!
*Please note, both museums will only be conducting tours on Saturdays (from 11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.) and Sundays (from 12:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.) through the end of March. All tours begin promptly on the hour. Beginning in April, we will be open for tours Thursday-Sunday.
[Hill-Physick photo by ]
This yeasted Christmas cake recipe is part of collection. In a time before standard baking measurements and oven temperatures, ingredients were measured in pounds and you had to bake in a “smart oven,” which means something a little different now.
Have a happy and safe holiday from all of us at PhilaLandmarks!
Thank you to all who supported and attended the 2021 Powel Holiday Party! We are delighted to, once again, continue this tradition and ring in the Holiday Season alongside our friends and neighbors.
We owe a special thanks to the Powel House Committee for their hard work, which made Sunday evening possible, as well as to for their joyous caroling! 🎄🍾
Thanks for the shout out, The Daily Antiquarian!
"Waynesborough," erected in five steps between 1724 and 1902, is today a large stone gable-roofed house with a U-shaped plan. The oldest postion, now the west or left wing, was built by Anthony Wayne's grandfather in 1724. This wing is a two-story stone structure with gable roof that is about 20 feet wide and 18 feet deep. The center and main section of the existing house was built in 1735. About 40 feet wide and 33 feet deep, the stone center is two-and-one-half stories high and has a gabled and dormered roof with two interior chimneys. The first story of the east or right stone wing was added in 1792 and its second story in 1860. The wing, also covered with a gable roof, is about 17 feet wide and 32 feet deep. On the north, or rear, end of the east wing is the small final addition to the house, which dates from 1902. The east service wing contains the kitchen, breakfast room, laundry and storage rooms.
—National Register Nomination
• • •
Historic Waynesborough, Paoli, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Giving Tuesday is a worldwide celebration of generosity. We ask that you extend your generosity to PhilaLandmarks and help us continue to bring life to our historic buildings and communities. Your support helps PhilaLandmarks continue to preserve our four houses, educate visitors, and provide educational and cultural programming. We are grateful to our community and all you do to support our work!
Donate here: https://bit.ly/3EdcIn8
Photo by:
Giving Tuesday is a worldwide celebration of generosity. We ask that you extend your generosity to PhilaLandmarks to help us continue to bring life to our historic buildings and communities. Your support helps PhilaLandmarks continue to preserve our four houses, educate visitors, and provide educational and cultural programming. We are grateful to our community and all you do to support our work!
Donate here: https://bit.ly/3EdcIn8
Prize #4:
-$250 DiBruno's Gourmet Gift Basket, including a bottle of wine
-$250 gift card for Williams Sonoma
-One bottle of wine from Italy
What a discovery! 😮
‘Pristine’ 16th-century work found beneath plaster in bedroom at Landmark Trust’s Calverley Old Hall
Prize #3:
-Selection of six (6) bottles of the finest Pinot Noir wines from around the world: Burgundy, France; Chile; Sonoma, California; Oregon; and, Germany.
The Drawing for Prize #4 will be on: Monday, November 15th at approx. 3:00 P.M
Spread cheer this holiday season by decorating with festive plants! 🎄✨
The Hill-Physick House Poinsettia Sale is accepting orders now through Friday, Nov. 19th. Pre-order on our website, link in bio 👆🏻
Decorate AND do good by supporting the Hill-Physick House and purchase your plants this holiday season from PhilaLandmarks!
Pre-Orders will be available for pickup on Dec. 3rd, 10am-3pm at the Hill-Physick House.
Prize #2:
-A $300 voucher for tickets to any performance at the Kimmel Center venues: Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater (excluding the Philadelphia Orchestra).
-A $200 gift card to any Jose Garces Restaurant (including Volvér
The Drawing for Prize #3 will be on: Monday, November 8th at approx. 3:00 P.M
Happy Halloween from all of us at PhilaLandmarks!
Prize #1:
-$150 gift card for the Starr Restaurant Group
-$150 gift card for Schulson Collective
-Plus, 4 bottles of fine wines: 2 red & 2 white
The Drawing for Prize #2 will be on: Monday, November 1st at approx. 3:00 P.M.
Just a note for everyone who has participated in the Hill-Physick Wine & Dine Raffle - - we have moved the Facebook live drawings for each prize to the Monday following the date on the Raffle Sheet. Thus, our first drawing will be this Monday, October 25th at approximately 3:00 PM.
Thank you and Good luck!
Spooky stories and seasonal treats? Yes, please! Come out to next Sunday October 24 to hear ghost stories in the house. Seasonal snacks and crafts are available after the family-friendly tour. Tickets can be found on our website.
Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 90th Anniversary of the founding of PhilaLandmarks! We could not have made it to this milestone without our founder, Frances Anne Wister, or without our many generous donors and sponsors.
Thank you to everyone who has helped make the last 90 years possible - - your generous donations over the years have made the 2016 Hill-Physick Roof project and the 2020 Powel House Restoration project possible! Your support of PhilaLandmarks allows us to continue our mission with capital campaign projects, like the upcoming restoration projects on Grumblethorpe and Historic Waynesborough.
Lastly, we owe a huge thank you to our staff, Board, House Committees, and Sponsors, as well as, DiBruno Brothers, Ocean Tents & Party Rentals, Jeffrey A. Miller Catering, Love 'n Fresh Flowers, PAPERTINI, John Milner Architects, Inc., The Franklin Quartet, and Denise Fike Designs, for helping us throw a fabulous party.
Cheers to many more years! 🥂
Come and join us at Grumblethorpe today for the Revolutionary Germantown Festival! We are open for house and garden tours from 12-4 to share with you some lesser known stories of the Revolution.
On September 29, 1793, Samuel Powel died of Yellow Fever. As Speaker of the Pennsylvania Senate, Powel saw himself as an essential worker and necessary to the city’s functioning. Despite urging from George Washington and Powel’s wife Elizabeth, Powel stayed in Philadelphia to serve the city in a time of crisis. 10% of Philadelphia’s inhabitants died and 40% fled the city in a span of only four months. Washington Square Park was the mass grave of the epidemic’s victims. Baltimore and New York refused Philadelphia refugees and placed a quarantine on all incoming goods. Philadelphia suffered outbreaks of the epidemic again in 1797, 1798, and 1799; Baltimore in 1794; and New York in 1791, 1795, and 1798. In 1881, Carlos Finlay, a Cuban doctor, discovered that mosquitos were the cause of Yellow Fever, inspired by Dr. Benjamin Rush’s notes from the 1793 epidemic.
Yellow Fever is a highly communicable virus spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The virus is spread through the bite of the mosquito from infected humans or primates to other hosts. Symptoms of Yellow Fever include fever, chills, headaches, vomiting, and fatigue. Severe symptoms include high fever, yellowed skin, bleeding, shock, and organ failure. There is not a cure for Yellow Fever, so prevention is the only way to avoid the disease. Insect repellant, long clothes, and a single dose of the Yellow Fever vaccine developed 80 years ago is the reason Yellow Fever is a very rare disease for US travelers today.
Join us TOMORROW September 16th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Hill Physick House for "Northern Lights" with Franklin Quartet!
Please bring your own picnic blankets, or other seating. Guests are encouraged to BYOB, although wine and beer will be available.
We will make a decision about a possible rain date by noon tomorrow.
Tickets and info here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/philalandmarks-early-music-series-presents-franklin-quartet-tickets-161993313361/e/philalandmarks-early-music-series-presents-franklin-quartet-tickets-161993313361
PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series
Happy to see our Grumblethorpe youth programs featured in the Chestnut Hill Local! We are SO proud of our incredible Grumblethorpe Youth Volunteers and Staff.
Congrats to another wonderful year of farm stand!
If you know any teens looking for an awesome after school program, please reach out to our GYV Mentor, Margaret at [email protected] !
Grumblethorpe offers opportunities for young people to get involved with programs that local schools can participate in.
Join us THIS SATURDAY at Grumblethorpe! Tour the house and gardens between noon and 4pm and don't forget to stop by the Grumblethorpe Farmstand and Chef Gail's cooking demonstration!
More info here: https://www.philalandmarks.org/grumblethorpe
321 S 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19106
Each house has it's own FB page too! Powel House, Hill-Physick House, Grumblethorpe, and Historic Waynesborough. Check them out for more information
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when PhilaLandmarks posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Prize #4: -$250 DiBruno's Gourmet Gift Basket, including a bottle of wine -$250 gift card for Williams Sonoma -One bottle of wine from Italy
Prize #3: -Selection of six (6) bottles of the finest Pinot Noir wines from around the world: Burgundy, France; Chile; Sonoma, California; Oregon; and, Germany. The Drawing for Prize #4 will be on: Monday, November 15th at approx. 3:00 P.M
Prize #2: -A $300 voucher for tickets to any performance at the Kimmel Center venues: Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater (excluding the Philadelphia Orchestra). -A $200 gift card to any Jose Garces Restaurant (including Volvér The Drawing for Prize #3 will be on: Monday, November 8th at approx. 3:00 P.M
Prize #1: -$150 gift card for the Starr Restaurant Group -$150 gift card for Schulson Collective -Plus, 4 bottles of fine wines: 2 red & 2 white The Drawing for Prize #2 will be on: Monday, November 1st at approx. 3:00 P.M.
🎶Tickets are going fast for the last Early Music Concert of the Season!🎶 Get your tickets now for Filament’s concert next week in the Powel House Garden!! Here’s a 👀 and a 👂🏻of Filament rehearsing 🎼🎻 Info and tickets in bio. #earlymusic #gardenconcert #oldcityphilly #visitphilly #historichousemuseum
Our second Early Music concert is underway!
Our first Early Music concert is on! If you couldn’t make it, join us for our next program on September 3rd!
POSTPONED! Tonight’s PLEMS concert featuring Night Music has been postponed to this Sunday, August 9th. 🎶Tickets are still available! 🎶https://www.philalandmarks.org/philalandmarks-early-music-series On the bright side, at least it wasn’t COVID-19 that postponed this event.
Be transported back in time tomorrow night! Join us and Franklin Quartet at the Hill-Physick House for the first concert of the season of the PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series! More info available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/philalandmarks-early-music-series-the-goethe-connection-by-the-franklin-quartet-tickets-90789266139
Help PhilaLandmarks support the 43rd Regiment of Foot's encampment at Grumblethorpe during the 2019 Revolutionary Germantown Festival & Oktoberfest! The British 43rd Regiment of Foot is taking over the grounds of Grumblethorpe and camping out on Friday & Saturday nights. They need hay to keep their 18th Century-style bedding warm & dry and firewood for the campfire during the chilly night. On Saturday morning October 5th @ 8:30am, our resident occupiers will be joined by even more reenactors as they muster in front of Grumblethorpe for the march up Germantown Avenue to Cliveden to partake in The Battle! Join the 43rd after the battle back at Grumblethorpe's Oktoberfest for celebrations and revelry. #revgtown, #grumblethorpe, #RGFOktoberfest
It’s time! The incredibly talented The Franklin Quartet is back performing tonight at the Powel House as a trio with special guest artist Eve Friedman! . . . #philalandmarksearlymusicseries #historichousemuseum #classicalmusic #earlymusic #strings #18thcenturysalon #powelhouse #franklinquartet #jamcatering #violin #cello #viola #periodinstruments #traverso #mozart #foundingfatherswerehere
The Musick Art is rehearsing for our first concert of the season this THURSDAY at Hill-Physick House ! The concert is pay-what-you-wish with interspersed educational commentary and a complimentary wine and cheese reception with the musicians. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/philalandmarks-early-music-series-the-players-fancy-by-the-musick-art-tickets-53657775852 ! #philalandmarksearlymusicseries #classicalmusic #strings #historichousemuseum #17thcentury #purcell #jenkins #gibbons #locke #18thcenturysalon
Our Early Music Series opens NEXT week! Catch a video of the Musick Art rehearsing for our opening concert below! Come along on a journey across the pond, back east to England and back in time to the 17th-century. It was a time of brilliant musical fantasy, a time when violins, viols, and their plucked keyboard companions merged and mingled and gave life to music of incredible, even outrageous, beauty and expressive power. Join The Musick Art for an evening of these poignant, colorful, sometimes bittersweet tunes sure to engage the mind, tease the ear, and spark the imagination in the historic Hill-Physick House! Feb 7th | 7:30-9:30PM Hill-Physick House, 321 S. 4th Street Pay what you wish! $25 suggested donation! Chamber music concert, interspersed educational commentary by the artists and wine and cheese reception by Jeffrey Miller Catering. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/philalandmarks-early-music-series-the-players-fancy-by-the-musick-art-tickets-53657775852
The beautiful Hill-Physick House garden. Springtime in Philadelphia sure is picturesque. Philadelphia -- visitphilly.com #HistoricPhilly
Don’t miss the last concert of the PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series featuring @franklinquartet tomorrow night! April 12th at 7:30pm at the Powel House! Tickets available here: PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series | "By, George" by Franklin Quartet 🎼 #stringquartet #classicalmusic #18thcenturymusic #historicphilly #powelhouse #bygeorges #kinggeorgesofengland
SNEAK PEAK! Don't miss the last PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series concert of the season! The Franklin Quartet will be taking us back in time in the Powel House ballroom THIS Thursday, April 12th at 7:30pm! Snag your tickets here: https://landmarks.ticketleap.com/philalandmarks-early-music-concert-series/dates/Apr-12-2018_at_0730PM
Ever wondered what music of the 18th and 19th centuries *actually* sounded like? Find out this Thursday at the historic Hill-Physick House in Society Hill for an intimate salon style concert with Kleine Kammermusik. Tickets are still available here: https://landmarks.ticketleap.com/philalandmarks-early-music-concert-series/dates/Mar-08-2018_at_0730PM
Take a look at the Hill-Physick House's BEAUTIFUL new roof! This restoration was a long time coming and we couldn't be happier with the results! Special thanks to John Milner Architects, Inc., John D Reynolds Carpentry, the William Dietrich Foundation, and the Hill-Physick House Committee for making this project possible!
Sea Dogs arriving!
General Agnew has died!
There is nothing wrong with your smart phone. Do not attempt to adjust your screen. We are controlling transmission. This is a INSTAGRAM TAKEOVER. @hiddencityphila #battlebash2017
Listen to our Grumblethorpe Youth Volunteer president, Michaela Benjamin, discuss the Equality Day event at Grumblethorpe on G-town Radio this morning. Her vision is for all, no matter your background, to feel like equals at Grumblethorpe.
We are SO excited to be partnering with @homebrewedevents to present the "Paris in Summertime" garden party at the Hill-Physick House! Hope to see you there on 7/13! (Remember: PhilaLandmarks members get 20% off of this event! Keep an eye out in your email for more details coming soon!) https://www.facebook.com/events/143285359565315??ti=ia . . . #hillphysickhouse #philalandmarks #homebrewedevents #summertimeinparis #summertimeinphilly #craftbeer #craftcocktails
Founded in 1931 the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks (PhilaLandmarks) has actively restored and preserved four of our cities greatest treasures: Powel House, Grumblethorpe, Physick House, and Historic Waynesborough. We believe that historic preservation illustrates the value of what endures in our society, and that this inspires people to learn about history and engage with their community. We respect the uniqueness of each of our historic properties, and believe that their different programs, priorities, and places in their communities create great value.
For over eighty-seven years, The Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks (PhilaLandmarks) has played a significant role in the historic preservation movement in Philadelphia by restoring, furnishing and presenting to the public its distinguished house museums.
The founding of PhilaLandmarks is an interesting story. In 1930, the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects undertook a Survey of "Old Philadelphia" to document details of all the important historic buildings. Within the first few months of the survey process architect H.L. Duhring alerted Frances Anne Wister of the fact that the historic Powel House might be headed for demolition to make way for a taxi cab parking lot. The long-time owner of the Powel House, Wolf Klebansky, was infirm. His nephew, acting as Klebansky's agent, invited people to tour the house prior to its being razed. In December of 1930 they toured the house and found most of the woodwork gone, the plaster cracked and falling, and the rear of the house open to the elements.
Frances A. Wister wrote:
"The plight of the mansion, far from deterring us, aroused a determination to save it...rooms of noble proportions, and the last house in the "Old City" where Washington was a frequent guest. It would have been a crime to destroy this historic mansion where the feet of so many patriots trod; a place which was the center for all the important people of the time in national and local history."
And so on February 27, 1931, Frances Anne Wister called the first meeting of The Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks at the house of the Colonial Dames on Latimer Street. Her purpose was to rouse a group of strong supporters to save the Powel House. In attendance were members of many old Philadelphia families including well-known names such as Biddle, Barnes, Curtis and Lippincott. The group quickly raised the money to purchase the house as well as the property next door for $30,000 in May of 1931. They also persuaded private owners to return original parts of the house, including interior woodwork in storage at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
In 1940, PhilaLandmarks took title of France's ancestral home, Grumblethorpe in Germantown, which had been owned by an independent group of 35 Wister heirs. It underwent a major restoration from 1956 to 1967, to become a museum focused on 18th-C Germantown history. Towards the end of the Grumblethorpe restoration period, PhilaLandmarks was approached by Ambassador and Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg about a house located a few blocks from Powel House in the now revitalized "Society Hill" neighborhood. Once owned by Frances' younger cousin Elsie Wister Keith, it was the sole-surviving freestanding Federal townhouse in the area. With support from the Annebergs, several Physick descendents, and prominent neighbors, the property was completely restored to the American Neoclassical style of resident Dr. Physick. It opened as a museum in in 1965.
In 1980 Easttown Township in Chester County purchased the farm estate of General Anthony Wayne with help from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. PhilaLandmarks became a partner as the administrators of a newly opened house museum in 1981, along with the Anthony Wayne Foundation and (later) the Friends of Historic Waynesborough.
We invite you to visit our beautiful houses: Powel House, 244 South Third Street (Society Hill) Grumblethorpe, 5267 Germantown Ave (Germantown) Physick House, 321 South Fourth Street (Society Hill) Historic Waynesborough, 2049 Waynesborough Road (Paoli)
American Catholic Historical Society
S 4th StreetPolish American Cultural Center Museum
Walnut StreetAmerican Philosophical Society
South Fifth StreetMuseum of the American Revolution
S. 3rd StreetNational Museum of American Jewish History
S Independence Mall EFaith and Liberty Discovery Center
N Independence Mall EastAfrican American Museum in Philadelphia
Arch StreetPA Commandery Military Order of the Loyal Leg
South Broad Street
National Museum of American Jewish History
S Independence Mall E
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Arch Street
Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum
Norwitch Drive
First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry
S 23rd Street
American Philosophical Society
South Fifth Street
Museum of the New York & Philadelphia Distric
W Ontario Street