Woodford | |
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    | |
| Location | Ford Road & Greenland Drive EastFairmount Park Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°59′35″N75°11′16″W / 39.99306°N 75.18778°W /39.99306; -75.18778 |
| Area | Less than 1-acre (4,000 m2) |
| Built | c. 1756 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Fairmount Park Historic District (ID72001151) |
| NRHP reference No. | 67000021[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 24, 1967[2] |
| Designated NHL | December 24, 1967 |
| Designated CP | February 7, 1972 |
Woodford is a historic mansion at Ford Road and Greenland Drive inFairmount Park,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. Builtc. 1756, it is the first of Philadelphia's great colonial Georgian mansion houses to be built, and exemplifies the opulence of such houses.[3] ANational Historic Landmark, it now ahistoric 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 byWilliam Coleman, a wealthy merchant and justice of thePennsylvania Supreme Court.[4]
Upon Coleman's death in 1769, the house was sold to Alexander Barclay, aQuaker 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 staunchloyalist, was arrested and ordered to leave. He took his family toNew York City, and transferred the property toThomas Paschall in settlement of a debt. Paschall is believed never to have lived at the house, but rented it out. He sold it toIsaac Wharton in 1793.
In 1869, the city bought Woodford from Wharton's heirs to add toFairmount 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 theNaomi Wood Trust, the Naomi Wood collection of antique household goods, including Colonial furniture, unusual clocks, and English delftware.
Woodford was designated aNational Historic Landmark in 1967. It is acontributing property of theFairmount Park Historic District.
Media related toWoodford Mansion, Philadelphia at Wikimedia Commons
