Highlands Mansion and Gardens

7001 Sheaff La., Fort Washington, 215/641-2687
www.highlandshistorical.org [1]

HOURS: Mon.–Fri. tours at 1:30 and 3 p.m., and by appt.

COST: $5 adult, $4 senior, $3 student, free under 6

About 17 miles north of Philadelphia [2] in Fort Washington, the Highlands Mansion and Gardens is the 44-acre historic site of a late 18th-century Georgian mansion and formal gardens. Construction of the Highlands was completed by 1796 for Anthony Morris (1766–1860), a wealthy politician and merchant seeking an escape from yellow fever epidemics in the city.

It was acquired by Philadelphia wine merchant George Sheaff in 1813. There are nine outbuildings and the walled gardens offer a beautiful example of early 20th-century gardens. It has had a series of owners and parts have deteriorated, but in 1975, the Highlands Historical Society was formed to preserve, restore, and interpret the site.

Many improvements have been made since, and tours tell the history of the property and the people who lived there for more than 200 years.