Ormiston House, Reservoir Drive, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Significance: Erected by Edward Burd in 1798, Ormiston is a well-preserved part of the villa group that developed along Edgeley Point Lane in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Early documentation fo the orchard and formal garden that once graced Burd's Arcadian retreat placed Ormiston more clearly within the context of its original landscape than is possible with any of the surrounding villas. Along with similar properties, Burd's estate was purchased by the City of Philadelphia during the mid-nineteenth-century formation of Fairmount Park. The benefits of a landscape that had once attracted exclusive private development were thus extended to the public at large.

Survey number: HABS PA-187

Building/structure dates: 1798 Initial Construction

National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 72001151

houses ormiston house ormiston house reservoir drive reservoir drive philadelphia philadelphia county pennsylvania edward burd historic american buildings survey virginia barrett price photo library of congress national register of historic places

1933 - 1970

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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