quondam @ archinect/79/7910z.htm
Versailles, sigh
Rita Novel 2005.03.06 17:56
Well guess what?!? Since you've lived right off Germantown Ave. you can tell everyone that you likewise lived right off a street President George Washington once lived on. The Dreshler House at 54xx Germantown Ave. briefly served as the 'Executive Mansion' during Philadelphia's yellow fever epidemic 1973-4(?) and the government (Philadelphia was US Capital 1790-1800) saught safety in Germantown.
The Dreshler House is still there, but the King of Prussia Tavern a block up, where Jefferson stayed and Washington often ate, is gone. It's the Risque Beauty Parlor and DollarLand now. Stotesbury also lived in Germantown (on Tulpehocken sp?) when he was a widower with two daughter's.
Today there are some very nice sculptures from Whitemarsh Hall at the Philadelphia Museum of Art--given by Eva in memory of Ned. The sculpture that was in the Stairhall, before that, belonged to Frederick the Great. Imagine that, real live King of Prussia marble.
[And, speaking of industrialists, how about Martha Stewart's coincidental Versailles sigh of relief? I can't wait to read her guide to CREATIVE HOUSE ARREST.]
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