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Powel House Review
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Powel House
- Address: 244 S. 3rd St., Society Hill, Philadelphia, PA | Map It
- Phone: 215/627-0364
- www.philalandmarks.org
- Category: Houses/Mansions
- Location: Society Hill
Fodor's Review:
The 1765 brick Georgian house purchased by Samuel Powel in 1769 remains one of the most elegant homes in Philadelphia. Powel -- the "Patriot Mayor" -- was the last mayor of Philadelphia under the Crown and the first in the new republic. The lavish home, a former wreck saved from demolition in 1930, is furnished with important pieces of 18th-century Philadelphia furniture. A mahogany staircase from Santo Domingo embellishes the front hall, and there is a signed Gilbert Stuart portrait in the parlor. In the second-floor ballroom, Mrs. Powel -- the city's hostess-with-the-mostest -- served floating islands and whipped syllabubs to distinguished guests (including Adams, Franklin, and Lafayette) on Nanking china that was a gift from George and Martha Washington. Today the ballroom can be rented for parties and special events.
- Cost: $5
- Open: Thurs.-Sat. noon-5, Sun. 1-5; guided tours on hr, last tour at 4
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