Fairmount Park in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
A Pirate's Plantation / Beer, Milk, Autos, Museum
Mount Pleasant
— Fairmount Park Historic Homes —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 26, 2024
1. A Pirate's Plantation side of the marker
Inscription.
A Pirate's Plantation, also, Beer, Milk, Autos, Museum. Mount Pleasant.
A Pirate's Plantation 1762. A colorful Scottish sea captain, John Macpherson established his 150-acre estate atop the cliffs overlooking the Schuylkill River between 1762 and 1765. Macpherson made his fortune by privateering, meaning he had government permission to capture enemy ships during wartime. He survived battle wounds nine times! Upon retiring Macpherson employed the builder-architect Thomas Nevell to make a bold statement with this country house along the Schuylkill. Macpherson announced his ambition to join the established Philadelphia society by commissioning a house to rival the grandest city homes. Nevell hoped to demonstrate his considerable craft and architectural knowledge. Together, they built what is recognized today as one of the nation's most important Georgian-style houses., By the mid-1770s, Macherson gave up farming and returned to Philadelphia city life, renting Mount Pleasant to a series of tenants. America's most infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold, bought the estate in 1779, though he never lived in the house. Mount Pleasant continued to pass through a series of owners in the tumultuous 1780s. Finally, in 1792 Jonathan Williams, the first superintendent of West Point and grand-nephew of Ben Franklin, purchased Mount Pleasant and lived there intermittently for two decades.,
"It is needless to mention the many genteel, regular and convenient buildings on [the estate], as they are so well known; they at least equal, if not surpass anything of the kind in North America." John Macpherson describing his Mount Pleasant estate in a sales advertisement, 1769
[Captions:] Macpherson tinkered as an inventor, gave astronomy lectures and published the first city directory in 1785., One of the most notable aspects of Mount Pleasant is that the outbuildings survived including the "necessities," plantation office, summer kitchen and barns., America's most famous traitor, Benedict Arnold, bought the estate in 1779, though he never lived in the house., Peggy Shippen (wife of Benedict Arnold) and her daughter Sophia lived in Mount Pleasant from 1779 until her husband committed treason against America in 1780., Baron Friedrich William von Steuben was a Prussian-born military officer who served as inspector general and Major General of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He leased Mount Pleasant for a short time after Benedict Arnold and wife Peggy Shippen., Jonathan Wiliams, the first superintendent of West Point and grand nephew of Ben Franklin, purchased Mount Pleasant and lived here intermittently for two decades., The account book of the carpenter Thomas Nevell (1721-1797) contains detailed charges to Captain John Macpherson for Nevell's and his crews work on the barns and pavilions of Mount Pleasant. Similarly detailed entries follow, coving the construction during the years 1762 to 1765 of the five remaining original buildings at the site.,
Beer, Milk, Autos, Museum 1868. Jonathan Williams' children sold the estate to Fairmount Park in 1868. The house then became a significant public gathering place in East Park. It hosted a beer garden, restaurant, and was known famously as the "Dairy," providing milk, pie and other refreshments to visitors. It also served as the headquarters for a women's automobile club known as La Moviganto Klubo. Fiske Kimball, first director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, lived here briefly before restoring the house and garden in 1926.,
"Beauty and historical interest are united here to a degree very rare in America." Renowned preservationist Fiske Kimball describing Mount Pleasant, 1926.
[Captions:] Mount Pleasant interior (above) during "The Dairy" tenure., Newspaper article (left) about La Moviganta Klubo, the women's auto club, restoring the mansion and opening it to the public., The rooms in this colonial masterpiece feature the craftsmanship of some of the leading Philadelphia artisans, such as Carver Martin Jugiez., Jacob Jones had a photography business at Mount Pleasant (known as the Dairy) for 16 years from 1883-1899 where he produced tintypes such as this one for his customers., Philadelphia illustrator Frank H. Taylor depicts Mount Pleasant around 1922 when it was a popular stopping place for summer driving parties coming out to the park.
A Pirate's Plantation
1762
A colorful Scottish sea captain, John Macpherson established his 150-acre estate atop the cliffs overlooking the Schuylkill River between 1762 and 1765. Macpherson made his fortune by privateering, meaning he had government permission to capture enemy ships during wartime. He survived battle wounds nine times! Upon retiring Macpherson employed the builder-architect Thomas Nevell to make a bold statement with this country house along the Schuylkill. Macpherson announced his ambition to join the established Philadelphia society by commissioning a house to rival the grandest city homes. Nevell hoped to demonstrate his considerable craft and architectural knowledge. Together, they built what is recognized today as one of the nation's most important Georgian-style houses.
By the mid-1770s, Macherson gave up farming and returned to Philadelphia city life, renting Mount Pleasant to a series of tenants. America's most infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold, bought the estate in 1779, though he never lived in the house. Mount Pleasant continued to pass through a series of owners in the tumultuous 1780s. Finally, in 1792 Jonathan Williams, the first superintendent of West Point and grand-nephew of Ben Franklin, purchased Mount Pleasant and lived there intermittently for
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two decades.
"It is needless to mention the many genteel, regular and convenient buildings on [the estate], as they are so well known; they at least equal, if not surpass anything of the kind in North America."
John Macpherson describing his Mount Pleasant estate in a sales advertisement, 1769
[Captions:]
Macpherson tinkered as an inventor, gave astronomy lectures and published the first city directory in 1785.
One of the most notable aspects of Mount Pleasant is that the outbuildings survived including the "necessities," plantation office, summer kitchen and barns.
America's most famous traitor, Benedict Arnold, bought the estate in 1779, though he never lived in the house.
Peggy Shippen (wife of Benedict Arnold) and her daughter Sophia lived in Mount Pleasant from 1779 until her husband committed treason against America in 1780.
Baron Friedrich William von Steuben was a Prussian-born military officer who served as inspector general and Major General of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He leased Mount Pleasant for a short time after Benedict Arnold and wife Peggy Shippen.
Jonathan Wiliams, the first superintendent of West Point and grand nephew of Ben Franklin, purchased Mount Pleasant and lived here intermittently
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 26, 2024
2. Beer, Milk, Autos, Museum side of the marker
for two decades.
The account book of the carpenter Thomas Nevell (1721-1797) contains detailed charges to Captain John Macpherson for Nevell's and his crews work on the barns and pavilions of Mount Pleasant. Similarly detailed entries follow, coving the construction during the years 1762 to 1765 of the five remaining original buildings at the site.
Beer, Milk, Autos, Museum
1868
Jonathan Williams' children sold the estate to Fairmount Park in 1868. The house then became a significant public gathering place in East Park. It hosted a beer garden, restaurant, and was known famously as the "Dairy," providing milk, pie and other refreshments to visitors. It also served as the headquarters for a women's automobile club known as La Moviganto Klubo. Fiske Kimball, first director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, lived here briefly before restoring the house and garden in 1926.
"Beauty and historical interest are united here to a degree very rare in America."
Renowned preservationist Fiske Kimball describing Mount Pleasant, 1926.
[Captions:]
Mount Pleasant interior (above) during "The Dairy" tenure.
Newspaper article (left) about La Moviganta Klubo, the women's auto club, restoring the mansion and opening it to the
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 26, 2024
3. Mount Pleasant with the marker visible in the foreground on the right
public.
The rooms in this colonial masterpiece feature the craftsmanship of some of the leading Philadelphia artisans, such as Carver Martin Jugiez.
Jacob Jones had a photography business at Mount Pleasant (known as the Dairy) for 16 years from 1883-1899 where he produced tintypes such as this one for his customers.
Philadelphia illustrator Frank H. Taylor depicts Mount Pleasant around 1922 when it was a popular stopping place for summer driving parties coming out to the park.
Location. 39° 59.019′ N, 75° 11.986′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Fairmount Park. Marker is on Mt. Pleasant Drive west of Fountain Green Drive, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3800 Mt Pleasant Drive, Philadelphia PA 19121, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 31, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 42 times since then. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 31, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
