Sweetbriar is a Neoclassical mansion in the Federal style built in 1797[2] in West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.[1] The mansion was built by Samuel Breck and named for the roses that grew on the property.[3] The interior includes a double parlor and floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views of the Schuylkill River.[2] Period pieces include Chinese armorial porcelain, Hepplewhite and Sheraton style chairs, and Adam style furniture.[2] Wedgwood jasperware and fireplaces with delicate plaster decorations were influenced by discoveries in the ancient houses of Pompeii.[2] Bird prints by John James Audubon and paintings by William Birch decorate the walls.[2]
The house was operated by the Modern Club of Philadelphia from 1939 to 2014. It has been closed while undergoing renovations as the city looks for a new organization to maintain it.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b Fairmount Park Historic Sites - West Fairmount Park
- ^ a b c d e f g Fairmount Park Historic Sites - History Of Sweetbriar Mansion
- ^ Historical Society of Pennsylvania - Who built Sweetbriar Mansion in 1797?
- ^ Emily Babay (October 19, 2015). "The mansions of Fairmount Park: Historic houses have rich pasts and new uses". philly.com. Philadelphia Media Network (Digital), LLC. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
Bibliography
- Moss, Roger W.; Crane, Tom (1998), Historic Houses of Philadelphia: A Tour of the Region's Museum Homes, University of Pennsylvania Press
External links
- Official Fairmount Park website, History of Sweetbriar Mansion
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) documentation:
- HABS No. PA-1670, "Sweetbriar", 21 photos, 2 color transparencies, 6 data pages, 4 photo caption pages
- HABS No. PA-6184, "Schuylkill River Villas", 18 data pages of historical context
- Historic Photographs of Sweetbriar, PhillyHistory.org
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