Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the eastern region of the state, is home to many historic buildings dating back to the 18th-century colonial period. The city also boasts Victorian-style homes built in the mid- to late-19th century during the reign of England's Queen Victoria. Most of Philadelphia's Victorian homes are in center city or in northern neighborhoods, including Germantown and Chestnut Hill. Some of these homes are open to the public.
Completed in 1875, Hockley House is right off Walnut Street in center city Philadelphia, within walking distance of Rittenhouse Square. Its owner, Thomas Hockley, was an attorney; the house's designer was Frank Furness. Hockley House incorporates French Empire designs in its exterior décor, such as projecting bay windows and a mansard roof (a four-sided roof with double slopes on all sides). The house's front entrance features compacted columns and images of flowers on its archway.
The Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion is in northeast Philadelphia's Germantown district. Completed in 1859, this was the residence of Ebenezer Maxwell, a prosperous clothing merchant, and his family. The Victorian-style house features gray stones for its exterior design, bay windows and a tower. The mansion's gardens also reflect the floral designs of the Victorian era. The house is now open to the public as a museum.
Built in 1889, The Gables is a Victorian-style mansion in Philadelphia's Cedar Park area, less than five minutes from the University of Pennsylvania. The mansion was designed by Willis Hale, a Philadelphia-based architect; its owners were the Egan family. In 1936, the Gables became a Catholic boarding house, remaining so until 1991. As of 2011, the completely refurbished house is used as a bed and breakfast. This three-level mansion has a brick facade and a tower with a wraparound porch at its base.
The Woodmere Mansion is in northern Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill region, a five-minute drive from Chestnut Hill College and Fairmount Park. The graystone-facade mansion was completed in the 1860s. Other features include an expansive front porch, five-story tower and a carriage house. As of 2011, the mansion houses the Woodmere Art Museum, a gallery with artwork from artists from Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley region.
