Henry Howard Houston was a leading Philadelphia businessman and philanthropist. He was in charge of the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad (now SEPTA

SEPTA Regional Rail

The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...

's Chestnut Hill West Line

Chestnut Hill West Line

The Chestnut Hill West Line , is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system. The route serves the northwestern section of Philadelphia with service to Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill...

) which was built in the 1880s to link downtown Philadelphia with the wealthy and growing suburbs to the northwest.

Houston attended St. Peter's Church in Germantown, Pennsylvania

Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...

, and was a major property developer in the Chestnut Hill

Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Chestnut Hill is bounded as follows:...

 and Germantown sections of the city, notably as the builder of the original structure used by Chestnut Hill Academy

Chestnut Hill Academy

Chestnut Hill Academy, commonly referred to as CHA, is a Pre-K to 12 all-male independent college preparatory school located in northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

 and the Philadelphia Cricket Club

Philadelphia Cricket Club

The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, is the oldest country club in the United States. It has two locations: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and Flourtown, Pennsylvania.-History:...

. He also served as a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

.

Houston is the namesake of the Henry H. Houston Elementary School in Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mount Airy is a neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Mount Airy is bounded on the northwest by the Cresheim Valley, which is part of Fairmount Park. Beyond this lies Chestnut Hill. On the west side is the Wissahickon Gorge, which is also part of Fairmount...

.

Houston's Chestnut Hill mansion, Druim Moir (1886) still exists, having been converted to condominium

Condominium

A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...

 use. Springside School

Springside School

Springside School is a private, all-girls school in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, in the Northwest section of Philadelphia in the United States...

occupies part of the former estate's grounds.

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