Foto Friday: Vertical and horizontal lines

For years I’d look out the train window of my daily commute and wonder what that weathered grey barn was doing surviving in an urban neighborhood, surrounded by rowhouses that had seen better days and a huge factory crumbling on a triangular wedge of land near a major thoroughfare.

It turned out to be Stenton, a National Historic Landmark operated by the Colonial Dames.  Their old website touts the site as “one of the earliest, best-preserved and most believable historic houses in Philadelphia.”

“Most believable”?  That’s a curious claim to fame.

They explain:  “Its distinguished Georgian architecture, its outstanding collection, and its superb documentation combine to create one of the most authentic house museums in the region. As part of Philadelphia’s Historic Northwest, Stenton now sits on three acres of the original 500-acre plantation. The site includes an elegant c. 1730 mansion, a kitchen wing, privy, icehouse, barn, and Colonial Revival garden.”

They plan to debut a new website soon.  Check in for news about their award-winning educational programs and other events.