Friendly Spaces: Garden Fun

New Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

Lemon Hill Mansion is a federal-style architectural design built between 1799 and 1800 by Henry Pratt, a wealthy Philadelphia merchant. For $14,654 he purchased the 43 acres of land, with a large and elegant greenhouse, hot houses and pleasure gardens. Pratt named his showplace after the median lemon, a variety of citrus grown in the greenhouse. Through the years, Lemon Hill became part of new Fairmount Park, was a beer garden, a restaurant, and home to Fiske Kimball, the first director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, from 1926-1955 during which he and his wife had the mansion restored.

Pratt’s gardening achievements of Lemon Hill between 1799 and 1836 made it attractive for events. His elaborate system of paths, with arboretum-type planting, classical statues, and numerous fishponds and grottoes, contained approximately 3,000 plants. As a beer garden under the City of Philadelphia, it hosted the First National Sangerfest in 1850 and then the Seventh National Sangerfest. This four day festival included a parade, concert, and a joyful march from center city to Lemon Hill for the "great Jubilee picnic" which included singing, instrumental music, athletic games, dancing, eating and much flowing lager. Some 8,000-10,000 people attended the Sangerfest festivals.