From PhillyVoice · · 2m
Three Fairmount Park mansions throw a Revolutionary party
Blacksmiths, privateers, hard cider and baby goats fill three 18th-century houses for one October Saturday.
In brief
Blacksmiths, privateers, hard cider and baby goats fill three 18th-century houses for one October Saturday. One $15 ticket gets you all three mansions on Oct. 10, with a free shuttle looping between them. Originally reported by PhillyVoice.
Three mansions, one festival
Laurel Hill, Ormiston and Woodford in East Fairmount Park join up on Saturday, Oct. 10 for a festival built around Philadelphia's Revolutionary-era history.
The basics
It runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adults pay $15, students with ID pay $8, and kids 12 and under get in free.
Laurel Hill goes hands-on
A blacksmith and a beekeeper work on site, alongside children's crafts and other colonial demonstrations.
Ormiston spins thread
The house leans into textiles, with 18th-century weaving demonstrations and other cloth crafts.
Woodford brings characters
Reenactors play Rebecca Franks and colonial seamstress Ann King, joined by privateers and a Continental soldier, plus games and crafts.
Tea, cider and goats
Ormiston pours British tea, Woodford serves hard cider, and English Country Morris dancers and baby goats round out the day. Colonial costumes encouraged.
Woodford's Franklin connection
William Coleman, a close friend of Benjamin Franklin, built Woodford. He and his wife raised their orphaned nephew George Clymer, who signed the Declaration and the Constitution.
Laurel Hill's traitor
Rebecca Rawle ordered the house built in 1767, the same year she married Samuel Shoemaker. He became colonial mayor of Philadelphia and was later declared a traitor.
Ormiston's prisoner of war
Edward Burd built Ormiston in 1798. He fought in the Revolutionary War and was captured by the British at the Battle of Long Island.
Getting there
A free shuttle loops continuously between all three houses and parking near Mt. Pleasant Mansion at 3800 Mt. Pleasant Drive. Transit riders should start at Woodford.
Rain or shine, terrain and all
The festival happens in any weather. The grounds are not wheelchair accessible due to terrain and preservation limits; email Ava.Locks@phila.gov about mobility assistance.
The takeaway
One $15 ticket gets you all three mansions on Oct. 10, with a free shuttle looping between them.
