Cedar Grove

Unlike the other historic houses of Fairmount Park, Cedar Grove originated in a different part of the city. In 1746, wealthy widow Elizabeth Coates Paschall acquired land in the Frankford section of the city, where she built a large house for herself and her three children.

Over subsequent generations, Cedar Grove grew with multiple additions and renovations, most notably when Elizabeth’s granddaughter Sarah and her husband, Isaac Wistar Morris, doubled its size around 1800. They added a formal parlor, a new kitchen, and a 3rd floor. The house was in Frankford until the 1920s, when it was moved brick by brick to Fairmount Park.

Today, tourists and history buffs can stroll through the mansion and take in the fine mix of federal, baroque, and rococo architectural styles, including notable features like the large kitchen with original utensils and a two-sided wall of closets on the 2nd floor.