National Historic Landmark

Woodford

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
December 24, 1967
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
67000021

About this property

Woodford is a historic mansion at Ford Road and Greenland Drive in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built c. 1756, it is the first of Philadelphia's great colonial Georgian mansion houses to be built, and exemplifies the opulence of such houses. A National Historic Landmark, it now a historic house museum open to the public. Woodford is the first of the great, opulent, late-Georgian mansions to be erected in the Philadelphia area. Woodford was built on 12 acres (49,000 m2) of land as a 1½-story summer residence by William Coleman, a wealthy merchant and justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Upon Coleman's death in 1769, the house was sold to Alexander Barclay, a Quaker who served as His Majesty's Customs Comptroller for the port of Philadelphia. Upon Barclay's death in 1771, the house was bought by his brother-in-law, David Franks, who in 1772 added a second story and a kitchen wing, enlarging the house to almost its present size. In 1778, Franks, a staunch loyalist, was arrested and ordered to leave. He took his family to New York City, and transferred the property to Thomas Paschall in settlement of a debt. Paschall is believed never to have lived at the house, but rented it out. He sold it to Isaac Wharton in 1793. In 1869, the city bought Woodford from Wharton's heirs to add to Fairmount Park. The house served as the home of the Park's Chief Engineer and Supervisor, and later, in 1912, as the Park Guard headquarters and traffic court. The building was restored, commencing in 1927, and in 1930, it was opened to the public as a house museum, which it remains today. It houses, under the direction of the Naomi Wood Trust, the Naomi Wood collection of antique household goods, including Colonial furniture, unusual clocks, and English delftware. Woodford was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967. It is a contributing property of the Fairmount Park Historic District. List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia National Register of Historic Places listings in North Philadelphia Media related to Woodford Mansion, Philadelphia at Wikimedia Commons HABS No. PA-1307, "Woodford", 31 photos, supplemental material HABS No. PA-6184, "Schuylkill River Villas", 18 data pages of historical context Historic Photographs of Woodford, PhillyHistory.org

Location

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.99258, -75.18748

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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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

West Diamond Street Townhouse Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Randolph House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Houses at 1907-1951 N. 32nd St.
Civil War
0.4 mi
Tanner, Henry O., House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Most Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church, Rectory and Parochial School
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
3.4 mi
Battle of Germantown (approach actions)
1777Revolutionary War
3.5 mi
Battle of Germantown
1777Revolutionary War
3.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Woodford listed on the National Register?

Woodford was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 24, 1967.

What type of historic resource is Woodford?

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

Is Woodford a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Woodford 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 Woodford?

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

Can I research the history near Woodford?

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