The Woodlands

View The Woodlands in a larger map

Visit our Tour Destination: Pennsylvania page to see the entire tour of the state’s Save America’s Treasures sites.

The Woodlands mansion, home of William Hamilton (1745-1813).
Photo courtesy of The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Woodlands

4000 Woodland Avenue

Philadelphia, PA

Website:  The Woodlands

The Treasure:  Once the centerpiece of a large 18th century Philadelphia estate, The Woodlands mansion is a classic example of early Federal architecture.

Accessibility:  The grounds of The Woodlands are open from dawn to dusk. Check the website for information on events and tours.

Historic photo of The Woodlands mansion, circa 1900.
Photo courtesy of The Woodlands Trust
for Historic Preservation.

Background:  The west side of the Schuylkill River still reflects some of the botanical glory of its heyday in the late 18th century. Pioneering botanists John and William Bartram lived and worked along the banks here. And just around the river bend north of the Bartram estate was The Woodlands, a magnificent property developed by William Hamilton (1745-1813) as a base for his botanical pursuits.

Hamiltonbased his property design on English picturesque landscapes. Among the admirers of Hamilton's work was Thomas Jefferson who claimed it was the only American landscape that could compete with the best of Europe: “(T)he only rival which I have known in Americato what may be seen in England.” In his greenhouses, Hamiltoncultivated both imported plants and American native plants, notably including some seeds brought from the Lewis and Clark expeditions.

Hamiltonwas equally ambitious with his architectural choices. When he inherited the land in his early 20s, he built a classical villa and ornamented it with what may have been the first monumental portico in Philadelphia. Twenty years later, Hamilton rebuilt the house in the new style of British architects Robert and James Adam—converting his Woodlands mansion into one of the first American examples of the newly emerging Federal style.

During restoration, the original 18th century
wooden posts were exposed for the first
time in more than two centuries.
Photo courtesy of the Woodlands Trust
for Historic Preservation.

You can stroll through The Woodlands today and feel the draw of the past. In truth the landscape of The Woodlands is now more reflective of the Victorian rural cemetery tradition (the Woodlands Cemetery Company has flourished here since 1840), but much of the spirit of Hamilton remains. The Woodlands mansion remains a stunning reminder of Philadelphia’s tradition of grand estates. Save America’s Treasures funding contributed to historical research and restoration focused upon the portico, preserving a record of its original configuration and subsequent modifications in 1786, 1789, and the early 19th century, as well as roof restoration on the historic main carriage house.

Notes from the Editor:  My friend and co-worker Edith Mulhern wrote an eloquent love letter to the Woodland Cemetery:

Dear Woodlands Cemetery:

I’m so glad I found you. I spent years wandering in less lovely spots, and you were just lurking behind those gates across from the trolley portal…

Enjoy the rest of her tribute at Philly Love Notes!

In addition to the work on the mansion's portico, Save America's Treasures
funding was used to replace the deteriorated roofing and downspouts on the
historic main carriage house.
Photo courtesy of The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation.

Historic print of the entrance to The Woodlands Cemetery.
Image courtesy of The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation.

Other Recommended Sites:  For more botanical glory along the Schuylkill River, visit nearby Historic Bartram’s Garden, the oldest surviving botanic garden in the country and the home of the Bartram family (father John and sons John Jr. and William), friends and neighbors of William Hamilton.

A view of The Woodlands Cemetery.
Photo courtesy of The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation.

Tour America's Treasures Itinerary

Taking a short sabbatical:  Will return for more Pennsylvania destinations in mid-April 2013.

© 2013 Lee Price