Sedgeley

Sedgeley is a porter's lodge standing near Girard Avenue in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, built in the mid-1800s. The structure shows architectural details typical of that era, with solid stone construction and simple, practical design suited to its role as a gatehouse.

The lodge was completed in 1857 to serve as a gatehouse controlling access to the expanding park grounds. It functioned in this way for over a century until its use ended in 1973.

This porter's lodge shows how the 1800s viewed parks as spaces meant for ordinary people to use and enjoy. The building itself represents the infrastructure needed to manage and welcome visitors to one of Philadelphia's important green spaces.

The lodge sits along Sedgeley Drive and is easily accessible from within the park system. Visitors should plan to view it from the outside as the interior is not open to the public.

The lodge occupies land where Sedgeley Mansion once stood, the first Gothic Revival residence built in the entire United States, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Today only this modest structure remains, making it a quiet reminder of an earlier landmark that has disappeared.