Misplaced Pages

Grange Estate: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 15:52, 13 July 2006 editLilyana (talk | contribs)36 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit Latest revision as of 19:38, 17 June 2024 edit undoInternetArchiveBot (talk | contribs)Bots, Pending changes reviewers5,387,628 edits Rescuing 1 sources and tagging 0 as dead.) #IABot (v2.0.9.5 
(103 intermediate revisions by 57 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States}}
The '''Grange Estate''' is a historic mansion in ]. Built in ], it has been alternately owned by the Lewis, Wilcox, Cruikshank, Ross, Brinton, Eyre, Ashhurst, Kelly, and Hoffman families. It was purchased by the Haverford township in ].
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = The Grange
| nrhp_type = nrhp
| image = GrangeEstate.png
| caption = The Grange Estate
| location = 143 Myrtle Avenue, ], U.S.
| coordinates = {{coord|39|58|32.88|N|75|17|4.87|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Pennsylvania#USA
| area = {{convert|9.9|acre}}
| built = 1750
| architecture = Gothic
| added = January 11, 1976
| refnum = 76001636<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2009a}}</ref>
| website = https://thegrangeestate.net/
| builder = Henry Lewis
}}
The '''Grange Estate''', also known as '''Maen-Coch''' and '''Clifton Hall''', is a historic mansion built by Henry Lewis Jr. (1671–1730) in ], near ]. Parts of the residence are incorporated in the carriage house.


== History ==
]
The original tract of land was sold to Lewis by ] in 1682. The land was purchased by Captain John Wilcox in 1750, and quickly sold to Charles Cruikshank in 1761. The main house, built in c. 1750 and expanded several times through the 1850s, was, for the most part, built in additions by Cruikshank and his family, who added the various terraces, gardens, and most of the residence facing ]. Cruikshank's son-in-law, John Ross, coined the name 'the Grange' for the property.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 May 1974 |title=Haverford Twp. estate to be sold at auction |language=en |pages=12 |work=] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/36700304 |url-access=subscription |access-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref> The building was added to the ] in 1976 as '''The Grange'''.


The mansion, an example of the ] style,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.visitpa.com/visitpa/fallDetails.pa?id=63188 |title=Fall in PA: Historic Grange Estate |access-date=2007-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010342/http://www.visitpa.com/visitpa/fallDetails.pa?id=63188 |archive-date=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> is presented in the state it was in at the turn of the 20th century. The grounds also feature ] gardens.<ref></ref><ref name="arch">{{cite web| url = https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp| title = National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania| publisher = CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System| format = Searchable database| access-date = 2012-01-06| archive-date = 2007-07-21| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070721014609/https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp| url-status = dead}} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web| url = {{NRHP-PA|H000719_01H.pdf}}| title = National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: The Grange| accessdate = 2012-01-06| author = Elizabeth Donaghy and Sally McMurry| format = PDF| date = July 1970}}</ref>
==Owners and History==
===Lewises, 1700-1750===
Henry Lewis, a Welsh Quaker, was one of the first three European settlers in Haverford Township. Arriving in 1682, he built his home on 500 acres and named it Maen Coch, meaning Red Stone, the name of his village in Wales. In 1700 Henry Lewis, Jr. built the first section of the mansion, which is presently the drawing room. In 1730 he added the library and stair hall.


The house was owned by patriot and Philadelphia merchant ] during the late 18th century, who named his country estate after the home of ]. Ross's house was frequented by several notable historic figures, including ] and Lafayette.<ref></ref>
===Wilcoxes, 1750-1761===
The property was sold in 1750 to Captain John Wilcox by Henry Lewis, III. Wilcox added to the house; made changes in the original structure to provide a large, more formal room for entertaining; and changed the name to Clifton Hall.


In 1815, the house was purchased by Manuel Eyre Jr.,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ashmead |first=Henry Graham |author-link=Henry Graham Ashmead |url=http://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655 |title=History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania |last2=Hungerford |first2=Austin N. |date=1884 |publisher=L. H. Everts |location=Philadelphia |pages=578 |language=en-US}}</ref> son of Washington aide ], 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.
===Cruikshanks,1761-1768 (sometimes recorded as 1761-1776)===
Of all the mansion's occupants, the Cruikshanks had one of the shortest tenure there and were arguably the most hated family to ever inhabit the place. After his daughter Clementia's marriage to a one John Ross of Philadelphia, Charles Cruikshank found himself in-laws with a man whom he came to regard as a vile traitor to Britain. Immediately following the American Revolution, Cruikshank, an ardent Loyalist, left the United States. Cruikshank's political views made him the target of great scorn throughout his community, and local citizens were exceedingly pleased to see John and Clementia Ross take full control of the mansion during the Revolution.


The last family to occupy the mansion did so from 1913 until 1974, when the estate was purchased by Haverford Township in 1974 under the Haverford Historical Society.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 Nov 1974 |title=Llanerch Women's Club |language=en |pages=13 |work=] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/36726376 |url-access=subscription |access-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref>
===Rosses, 1768 (sometimes 1776)-1800===
Under John and Clementia Ross, social life at the mansion did a dramatic about-face. While only the most stringent British patriots were allowed to frequent Grange Estate during Charles Cruikshank's time, the manor became one of the Revolution's social centers. During the American War of Independence, General George Washington routinely dined there with the Ross family, as did a number of his lieutenants. The Rosses are one of the more popular families to have lived in the mansion. John Ross died suddenly in 1800, and the mansion remained in legal limbo for some eleven years before finally being acquired by John Brinton in 1811.


The mansion is now maintained as a museum and community center. Regular tours are available from April to October and during the December holidays.
===Brintons, 1811-1816===
John Brinton and his family lived at the Grange for only five years before selling it to the Eyre family. They did not make any significant architectural changes to the estate during that time.


==References==
===Eyres, 1816-1846===
{{unsourced}} {{Reflist}}
The largest, wealthiest, and most rambunctious family to own the estate, the Eyres moved in in 1816. Manuel Eyre, II, great nephew of the Revolutionary patriot Jehu Eyre and grandson of Manuel Eyre, I (a member of the Committees of Correspondence) bought the building and made it thoroughly his own. The large bath house outside was converted into a school-house for his eight boisterous children. When Manuel's children were young, there was never a dull moment. They were constantly upending tables, pranking their tutors, luring servants onto balconies, and just generally causing as much disruption as possible.
Manuel, whose family had loaned substantial sums to the Continental Congress, valued the house for historic and patriotic reasons.
When Manuel died in 1846, his daughter Harriet Eyre, married to John Ashhurst, remained in residence. Control of the home, however, was now officially in the hands of the Ashhurst family.


==Further reading==
===Ashhursts, 1846-1848===
*H.D. Eberlein and H.M. Lippincott, ''The Colonial Homes of Philadelphia and Its Neighbourhood'', J.B. Lippincott Co., Phila. and London, 1912.
John and Hariet Ashhurst lived at the Grange only two years before selling it to Denis Kelly, a decision that they would later regret intensely.


==External links==
Nearby Ashurst Road (without one "h") is named for these previous owners.
*
* at ]
*: 8 photos, 4 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at ]


{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania}}
===Kellys, 1848-1850===
{{Authority control}}
Denis Kelly, owner of several textile mills in the local area, purchased the mansion from the Ashhursts in 1848. His family's tenure in the estate was shorter than that of any other. Just two years after he moved in, the Ashhursts approached him about buying the home back. Though initially reluctant to relinquish the estate, Kelly was eventually offered such an exorbitant sum for it from the Ashhursts that he could not refuse. He made no significant changes to the manor.


]
===Ashhursts Return, 1850-1911===
]
{{unsourced}}
]
In 1850, John and Harriet Ashhurst became the first (and, as of 2005, only) owners of the Grange to leave and then return. Using the vast fortune that they had inherited from the Eyre legacy, they intiated the most extensive renovations of the mansion in its 300 year history. A porte cochere was added, as well as an entire new wing. A network of outbuildings was added to facilitate the many servants and guests who came to the estate. The construction was so all-encompassing that it lasted for thirteen years, ending in 1863. As a child, Leroy Heller (born 1877) would visit the Ashhursts (his fifth cousins) frequently. Leroy, descended from Manuel Eyre's great-uncle Jehu, would be the last of the Eyre line to carry the family fortune. Today, his daughter Elsa advises the Haverford Historical Society, drawing on extensive knowledge of the mansion from her father's boyhood days there.
]
The Ashhursts remained at the Grange until 1911. By tragic coincidence, all three of their sons died around this time, and the mansion was left vacant from 1911-1913.
]

⚫ ]
===Hoffmans, 1913-1974===
]
Benjamin Hoffman purchased the Grange in 1913. He and his wife Margaret, an avid horticulturalist, planted beautiful gardens that remain one of the mansion's most spectacular features. Margaret Hoffman's estate sold the mansion to the Haverford Township in 1974.
]

]
==Present day==
Since purchasing the mansion in 1974, the Haverford Township has opened it to public tours and has found it a useful source of revenue. In 2005, the Township began to informally consult Elsa Heller Peters, daughter of Leroy Heller, about the manor's history. Through stories told her by her father, Mrs. Peters was able to provide new information about the mansion's background and the family life of the Ashursts.
In the summer of 2005, the Peters family was given a private tour of the mansion. Since the Crash of 1929, however, Leroy Heller's descendants have not had access to the enormous wealth of their ancestors, and it seems unlikely that the Peters or any other family will purchase the mansion within the foreseeable future.

==Sources==
http://www.thegrangeestate.org/history.html
http://members.aol.com/Waltztyme/grangemansiono.gif

⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 19:38, 17 June 2024

Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States United States historic place
The Grange
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Grange Estate
Grange Estate is located in PennsylvaniaGrange EstateShow map of PennsylvaniaGrange Estate is located in the United StatesGrange EstateShow map of the United States
Location143 Myrtle Avenue, Havertown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates39°58′32.88″N 75°17′4.87″W / 39.9758000°N 75.2846861°W / 39.9758000; -75.2846861
Area9.9 acres (4.0 ha)
Built1750
Built byHenry Lewis
Architectural styleGothic
Websitehttps://thegrangeestate.net/
NRHP reference No.76001636
Added to NRHPJanuary 11, 1976

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. Parts of the residence are incorporated in the carriage house.

History

The original tract of land was sold to Lewis by William Penn in 1682. The land was purchased by Captain John Wilcox in 1750, and quickly sold to Charles Cruikshank in 1761. The main house, built in c. 1750 and expanded several times through the 1850s, was, for the most part, built in additions by Cruikshank and his family, who added the various terraces, gardens, and most of the residence facing Cobbs Creek. Cruikshank's son-in-law, John Ross, coined the name 'the Grange' for the property. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as The Grange.

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

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.

In 1815, the house was purchased by Manuel Eyre Jr., 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 the estate was purchased by Haverford Township in 1974 under 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. "Haverford Twp. estate to be sold at auction". Delaware County Daily Times. 21 May 1974. p. 12. Retrieved 6 Jun 2023.
  3. "Fall in PA: Historic Grange Estate". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  4. What are some Great Gardens to visit in PA?
  5. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania". CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2007-07-21. Retrieved 2012-01-06. 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.
  6. The Historic Grange Estate
  7. Ashmead, Henry Graham; Hungerford, Austin N. (1884). History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: L. H. Everts. p. 578.
  8. "Llanerch Women's Club". Delaware County Daily Times. 15 Nov 1974. p. 13. Retrieved 6 Jun 2023.

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.

External links

US National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Topics

Lists by county
Lists by city
Other lists
Categories: