Glen Foerd
5001 Grant Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19114
(215) 632-5330
www.glenfoerd.org

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Glen Foerd was built around 1853 by Charles Macalaster, a financier and advisor to eight United States Presidents from Andrew Jackson through Ulysses S. Grant. Macalaster, founder of the village of Torresdale, built this beautiful Italianate structure on the Delaware as his summer home and called the estate Glengarry after an ancestral seat in Scotland.

Robert Foerdere, a congressman and tanning industry magnate, bought the estate in 1893 and changed its name to Glen Foerd. He then enlarged the house, transforming it into an Edwardian country house. The grounds were expanded to eighteen acres and landscaped in the English park tradition, including a formal rose garden.

The entire estate consists of the mansion, a carriage house, gate house, cottage, garden house, water tower, and a tennis court. The landscape is accented by a lily pond, river wall and steps. The remains of a boathouse are integrated into the river wall.

The interior represents the material culture of two generations of residents from 1893 to 1971. The collection includes paintings, prints, oriental rugs, antique furniture, rare books, and objects d'art. Special features of the house include a Haskel player pipe organ, a stained glass Tiffany style dome, parquet floors, ornamental plaster ceilings, and a rathskeller (a certain style of restaurant). The house also features an outstanding art gallery displaying paintings and other works by artists such as Rembrandt, Constable, Monet, and others.

Individuals and families can enjoy a Guided Tour of the Mansion. A Self-Guided Tour of the rest of the estate, including the formal garden, is aided by an interpretive map. Glen Foerd is also the site of concerts, auto shows, murder mysteries, and other activities during the year. Call for a current calendar.

Note: Individuals and families, as well as groups, should call in advance for a guided tour.

Groups (10 or more people) are welcome and can choose from a variety of tour options, from a simple Guided Tour to a complete 2½-hour package including a gourmet breakfast or lunch.

There are no formal programs for School Groups here. Older students, however, may find that a tour will enhance a study in art, design, landscaping, horticulture, or even social studies.