Grange Estate

The Grange Estate, also known as Maen-Coch and Clifton Hall, is a historic mansion built by Henry Lewis Jr. (1671–1730) in Havertown, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Parts of a c. 1700 residence may be incorporated in the carriage house. The main house, built in c. 1750 and expanded several times through the 1850s, was purchased by Haverford Township in 1974. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as The Grange.

The Grange
The Grange Estate
Location143 Myrtle Avenue, Havertown, Pennsylvania
Coordinates39°58′32.88″N 75°17′4.87″W
Area9.9 acres (4.0 ha)
Built1750
Architectural styleGothic
NRHP reference No.76001636[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 11, 1976

The mansion, an example of the Gothic Revival style,[2] is presented in the state it was in at the turn of the 20th century. The grounds also feature Victorian gardens.[3][4]

The house was owned by patriot and Philadelphia merchant John Ross during the late 18th century, who named his country estate after the home of Lafayette. Ross's house was frequented by several notable historic figures, including George Washington and Lafayette.[5]

In 1815, the house was purchased by Manuel Eyre, Jr.,[6] son of Washington aide Manuel Eyre, who served with Washington during the Revolution. The Eyre family held the estate longer than any other, first from 1815 to 1846, and then, through their Ashhurst cousins, from 1848 to 1911.

The last family to occupy the mansion did so from 1913 until 1974, when it was sold to the Haverford Historical Society.

The mansion is now maintained as a museum and community center. Regular tours are available from April to October and during the December holidays.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Fall in PA: Historic Grange Estate". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  3. What are some Great Gardens to visit in PA?
  4. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Elizabeth Donaghy and Sally McMurry (July 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: The Grange" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-01-06.
  5. The Historic Grange Estate
  6. H.G. Ashmead, History of Delaware County, p. 578, 1884.

Further reading
  • H.D. Eberlein and H.M. Lippincott, The Colonial Homes of Philadelphia and Its Neighbourhood, J.B. Lippincott Co., Phila. and London, 1912.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.