Cedar Grove Mansion, Philadelphia

Cedar Grove Mansion, situated in the western part of Fairmount Park, served as the summer residence for five generations of families from Philadelphia. Originally, it was constructed as a rural getaway from the bustling city life, and it was located in what is now known as the Frankford neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, approximately 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) beyond the city's colonial-era boundaries. In 1746, widow Elizabeth Coates Paschall, inheriting her husband's business, purchased the land where the current house stands. She wanted a quiet getaway near her father's farm in Frankford. Construction of the stone house on 15 acres along Frankford Road began in 1748, finishing in 1750.

Over the years, Paschall and her descendants made several additions to the house. Sarah, a granddaughter of Elizabeth, inherited the property, married Isaac Wistar Morris in 1795, and expanded Cedar Grove by adding more rooms and a third floor. Later on, a wraparound porch was also incorporated into the design. The interior of the house reflects various architectural styles, including Baroque, Rococo, and Federal.

In 1926, Lydia Thompson Morris, the last family member to own Cedar Grove, donated the house and its original furniture to the city of Philadelphia. Subsequently, the house was relocated from the Frankford neighborhood to Fairmount Park between 1926 and 1928. The Philadelphia Museum of Art now oversees the property and has maintained it with period-appropriate furniture that has been passed down through generations of the Morris family. Guided tours of Cedar Grove are available through the Art Museum.

Cedar Grove is officially listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places and is recognized as an inventoried structure within the Fairmount Park Historic District, which is included in the National Register of Historic Places.