Escape to Glen Foerd, A Riverfront Summer Estate

Glen Foerd is a picturesque Gilded Age estate that sits atop a small cliff above the Delaware River.

The grounds boast 18 acres, and it is somewhat hidden, tucked away around the corner of a sleepy residential street.

Glen Foerd, Philadelphia, PA

A good friend and I visited this past weekend, bright and early on Saturday morning. Glen Foerd hosts weddings, and it’s easy to see why a couple would want to get married here – almost every angle of this place is stunning!

History

In early Philadelphia, many socially prominent families had two residences: their home in the city and a country estate along the banks of the Delaware River. They would retreat to the latter to escape the heat of the summer in the city. Glen Foerd was such a country estate. The land the mansion sits on passed through multiple owners, from the Lenape people through to the Foerderer family, purchased by a Robert and Caroline Foerderer. Their daughter, Florence Foerderer Tonner, was the last in the family to own it before the property eventually joined the Fairmount Park system.

The Main House

The mansion was built in 1850, has at least 3 floors, an art gallery, a beautiful organ, multiple fireplaces, and enormous, swoon-worthy windows.

My favorite place was the sunroom – so many glorious windows with delicious sunlight filtering through.

The mansion also has a few bedrooms, one of which was where bridal parties typically get ready.

Even the ceilings throughout this building are beautiful.

There were several mini art installations sprinkled throughout the mansion. Some of them had explanations, whereas others were open to interpretation.

“fractured reflections”

I thought this mirror installation, “Fractured Reflections” by Jennifer Johnson, was intriguing. I had never seen anything like it before. There were 96 small, square mirrors tilted at various angles, which made everything look a little bit “off.” In the attic, there was a miniature version of this mirror installation on display.

I took a video of the life-sized installation, below, so you can get a better look at it.

What 96 mirrors looks like :

^ press play ^

Join the list

Every time I visit a new garden, I’ll share swoonworthy pics of these horticultural treasures with you. Subscribe today.

I think the spookiest part of the house was the basement – it gave me dungeon vibes with the windowless brick walls, black paint, and red flooring. It had a few cool elements though – it boasted a German bar and an impressive stein collection.

The Grounds

After touring the mansion, we ambled outside. There was a gazebo with expansive views of the river. In a nearby (massive) tent, preparations were underway for the event later that evening. We saw quite a few speedboats zipping across the river. Apparently, Glen Foerd has open boating days.

We stumbled upon the tennis court area: a vast expanse of green, shaded by skyscraper-tall trees and framed with red brick pillars.

We also saw a very old tree. I wish I knew its name. If you know what kind of tree this is, could you comment below? The branches were sooo thick – about as wide as a trunk. I took a picture of my arm next to the branch for scale. I wonder how old this tree is.

Outside of events, the grounds are open to the public from dawn until dusk as Glen Foerd is a part of the Fairmont Park system, and admission is free. I believe the mansion is only open on the weekends (Fri-Sun). Check the website before you go.

Accessibility

In terms of accessibility, there are no sidewalks or official walking trails throughout the grounds, but the main house does have paved and pebbled walkways. There is an unpaved, dirt parking lot. The mansion is air-conditioned. I did not see any elevators, but apparently there is a wheelchair lift and ramp to enter the ground floor of the mansion. If you need a wheelchair or walker for mobility, I recommend calling ahead.

For all visitors, I recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes you don’t mind getting a little dirty. My uniform of choice whenever I visit a garden is a dress and my trusty sneakers. Cute, but make it comfy.

What do you like to wear while garden-hopping?

Glen Foerd wants to make improvements to their landscape, to remove vines, poison ivy, and weed trees. They are looking for volunteers to help in this effort, and more information is available on their website.