The Cliffs, Historic residence in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, United States.
The Cliffs is a historic residence in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, built in the Georgian style with rubble stone walls and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each floor was originally divided into two rooms connected by a central staircase, giving the house a compact and orderly layout.
Joshua Fisher had the house built in 1753 as a summer retreat for wealthy Philadelphians looking to escape the heat and disease that swept through the city each season. A fire in 1986 destroyed the interior, leaving only the stone outer walls standing.
Sarah Franklin Bache, daughter of Benjamin Franklin, lived here during the Revolutionary War and used the house as a base to organize support for Continental Army soldiers. Visiting the building today means standing in a place directly tied to the private life of one of the most recognized families in early American history.
The building sits inside Fairmount Park and can be viewed from the outside during regular park hours. Since the 1986 fire left the interior heavily damaged, it is worth checking in advance whether any interior access is available before visiting.
Joseph Wharton, the founder of Bethlehem Steel and the person behind the name of the Wharton School of Business, had a family connection to this house through his grandmother Deborah Fisher Wharton, who once lived here. This modest stone building is therefore linked to one of the largest American steel companies and one of the country's most recognized business schools.
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