National Historic Landmark

Mount Pleasant

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000685

About this property

Mount Pleasant is a historic mansion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, atop cliffs overlooking the Schuylkill River. It was built about 1761–62 in what was then the countryside outside the city by John Macpherson and his wife Margaret. Macpherson was a privateer, or perhaps a pirate, who had had "an arm twice shot off" according to John Adams. He named the house "Clunie" after the ancient seat of his family's clan in Scotland. The builder-architect was Thomas Nevell (1721—1797), an apprentice of Edmund Woolley, who built Independence Hall. The house is administered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Fairmount Park. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

Location

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.98451, -75.19865

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Nearby Historic Sites

Cliffs, The
Industrial
0.4 mi
Randolph House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Coltrane, John, House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Thirty-third Street Bridge in Philadelphia
Civil War
0.6 mi
Memorial Hall
Civil War
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
2.6 mi
Battle of Barren Hill
1778Revolutionary War
3.7 mi
Battle of Germantown (approach actions)
1777Revolutionary War
4.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Mount Pleasant listed on the National Register?

Mount Pleasant was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Mount Pleasant?

Mount Pleasant is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Mount Pleasant a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Mount Pleasant has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Mount Pleasant?

The period of significance for Mount Pleasant is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Mount Pleasant?

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