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Mount Pleasant (mansion)
Encyclopedia
Mount Pleasant is a mansion
located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, and was built in what was then the countryside outside of the city by the privateer
John Mcpherson. It is administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art
in Fairmount Park
.
At Mount Pleasant, Mcpherson had a residence constructed equipped with an entrance topped by a pediment
supported by Doric columns
.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1974.
It is located on Mount Pleasant Drive (road), between East River Drive and Columbia Avenue.
Mount Pleasant was also home to Benedict Arnold
and his wife Peggy Shippen
. Arnold purchased Mount Pleasant on March 22 1779 for his new bride, and specifically made the property over to her ownership and that of their future children. The couple occupied the property as their country estate in 1779 and 1780; Arnold's defection to the British in September 1780 ended their use of the estate.
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and was built in what was then the countryside outside of the city by the privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
John Mcpherson. It is administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
in Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of 63 parks, with , all overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, successor to the Fairmount Park Commission in 2010.-Fairmount Park proper:...
.
At Mount Pleasant, Mcpherson had a residence constructed equipped with an entrance topped by a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
supported by Doric columns
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1974.
It is located on Mount Pleasant Drive (road), between East River Drive and Columbia Avenue.
Mount Pleasant was also home to Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
and his wife Peggy Shippen
Peggy Shippen
Peggy Shippen, or Margaret Shippen , was the second wife of General Benedict Arnold...
. Arnold purchased Mount Pleasant on March 22 1779 for his new bride, and specifically made the property over to her ownership and that of their future children. The couple occupied the property as their country estate in 1779 and 1780; Arnold's defection to the British in September 1780 ended their use of the estate.
External links
- Philadelphia Museum of Art: Fairmount Park Houses
- Fairmount Park: Mount Pleasant - includes visiting house
- http://www.ushistory.org/districts/fairmountpark/mount.htm
- http://www.aia.org/nwsltr_hrc.cfm?pagename=hrc_a_20061222_mtpleasant
- Historic Photographs of Mount Pleasant, PhillyHistory.org