Lemon Hill Mansion, Philadelphia

Lemon Hill is a mansion in Fairmount Park, constructed in the Federal architectural style during the years 1799 to 1800. It was built by a Philadelphia businessman named Henry Pratt, who was known for cultivating citrus fruits on the property during the early 19th century, hence the name "Lemon Hill."

This mansion is located on a piece of land that was once part of a larger estate owned by Robert Morris, spanning 300 acres. In 1799, Henry Pratt acquired 43 acres of this estate, along with its associated structures, through a sheriff's sale for $14,654. Pratt was responsible for designing the mansion and overseeing its construction. However, it's worth noting that Lemon Hill was not his year-round residence; he primarily lived in a townhouse on Front Street.

Lemon Hill became a part of the newly established Fairmount Park in 1855, making it the first property to be incorporated into the park. During the latter half of the 19th century, the mansion underwent significant alterations to its exterior, including the addition of a Victorian cast-iron porch, when it was used as a restaurant.

From 1926 to 1955, the house served as the residence of Fiske Kimball, the first director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and his wife Marie Goebel Kimball, both of whom were architectural historians. They undertook a restoration project to return Lemon Hill to its original 1800 appearance.

On February 7, 1972, Lemon Hill Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places as an inventoried contributing structure within Fairmount Park.

Since 1957, the Colonial Dames of America and the Friends of Lemon Hill have operated Lemon Hill Mansion as a house museum. In 2007, a restoration project was undertaken to recreate the original views of, and from, the mansion, which had been obscured by dense trees on the hill. The Fairmount Park Conservancy has been responsible for managing the house since 2016.