Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The story of the Naomi Wood Collection and Woodford Mansion in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park by June Severely decomposed body found behind Woodford Mansion in Fairmount Park, police say. PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police say a severely decomposed body was found behind the Woodford Mansion in Fairmount Park. A Woodford Mansion caretaker discovered the body on Thursday around 3:30 p.m. According to police, the person’s race of gender is unable to be determined. The investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. For the latest local news, sports and weather, download the FOX 29 News app. Caretaker finds body behind Fairmount Park’s Woodford Mansion. A caretaker of the historic Woodford Mansion in Fairmount Park discovered a body behind the building Thursday afternoon, according to police. The body — authorities weren’t immediately able to determine the person’s race or gender — was found at 3:17 p.m. on the 3400 block of Woodford Drive, at the rear of the mansion, police said. An apparent cause of death was not immediately available. Woodford Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, was built by Philadelphia merchant William Coleman between 1756 and 1758. Coleman, a close friend of Benjamin Franklin, was a Pennsylvania Supreme Court associate justice and a founder of the American Philosophical Society. Now a museum, the mansion is owned by the city and operated by the Naomi Wood Trust. The mansion was closed this spring amid COVID-19 stay-at-home orders but reopened for tours on July 8, according to its website. The story of the Naomi Wood Collection and Woodford Mansion in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park by June Avery Snyder. Just after lunch on a summer day in July 2003, the attic of Historic Woodford Mansion in Fairmount Park caught on fire, spreading throughout the house. The fire reached the second and third floor, and it took about an hour to get it under control. Immediately after the fire was put out, the Fire Department members and park employees worked tirelessly to carry out priceless artifacts including furniture, paintings, and loyalist newspapers from the Revolutionary War era that had been housed at the Woodford Mansion. Could these items be restored? Or were they damaged and lost to the fire forever? Woodford Mansion was built in 1756 as a summer country home near the Schuylkill River. It was the first of six Georgian style country houses to be built in this area by wealthy families during the 17- and 1800s. These country homes were built by members of the rising merchant class as a refuge from the summer heat and various epidemics experienced in the center of Philadelphia and to display social status and wealth. Summer homes also provided a place for leisure activities, such as gardening, reading, and sporting. Its owner, William Coleman was a wealthy merchant and justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, as well as a friend to Benjamin Franklin. Coleman died in 1769, and before the property was sold to Alexander Barclay, it was advertised in the Pennsylvania Gazette as having a thriving orchard featuring an apple tree. Barclay died in 1771, and the house was bought by his brother-in-law, David Franks. Franks was a loyalist during the American Revolutionary War, and often entertained many British officers, including General Howe. In 1778, Franks was arrested for treason by the infamous Benedict Arnold and forced to leave Philadelphia. He eventually moved to England, where his family experienced great poverty, but not before transferring Woodford Mansion to Thomas Paschall to settle a debt. Thomas Paschall never lived in Woodford Mansion, but instead rented out the property. In 1793, Paschall sold the mansion to Isaac Wharton, who used Woodford Mansion as his family’s summer home for nearly 75 years. Just after the Civil War in 1869, the Wharton family sold Woodford Mansion to the City of Philadelphia. The mansion was used by the city in a variety of different ways; for example, it was the Fairmount Parks Guard headquarters and traffic court in 1912. Naomi Wood was born in the summer of 1871 into Philadelphia’s elite society. The family prosperity supported her hobby of collecting antiques. After Wood’s death in 1926, her close friend and a fellow antique collector, Daniel Huntoon, became the first Trustee of the Naomi Wood Trust. In 1927, Woodford Mansion was selected by Daniel Huntoon as a suitable home to house her collection of colonial household gear. The Trust entered into a long term lease with the City of Philadelphia and restored the mansion. In1930, the Woodford Mansion opened to the public as a house museum, which it remains to this day. By 1967, the Woodford Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The July 2003 fire was caused by an electric heat gun that was being used to remove paint. While little of the collection was lost, Woodford Mansion had to be closed for two years. One million dollars later, the Woodford Mansion re-opened to the public, completely restored. An orchard was added to ensure the historical accuracy of the property. Historic Woodford Mansion is now considered one of the charms of Fairmount Park and is opening for touring Tuesday through Saturday. Woodford Mansion Uses Old Village Paint. In 1756 a successful Philadelphian merchant named William Coleman built a summer home along the Schuylkill River. It was a red brick, one and a half story, Georgian style home that he planned to use as a place of retreat and relaxation. Coleman was a patriot who eventually served as a justice of the Pennslyvania Supreme Court. He was also a close friend of Benjamin Franklin. The next owner was George Clymer, a nephew of William Coleman. Mr. Clymer was also a patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence! Over the years other owners took possession of the home, and eventually it was sold to the city of Philadelphia. Today it is a National Historic Landmark in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. The home has been carefully restored with historically accurate fabrics, floors and paint. We are proud to announce that Old Village Paint has been used at Woodford Mansion! Here’s what Martha Moffatt, Woodford Mansion site manager had to say about our paint. “We have used simulated Old Village Simulated Whitewash throughout Woodford . . . We love your paint and remain a loyal customer.” www.woodfordmansion.org. Woodford is unique not only because of it’s beauty and previous owners, but also because it houses a large collection of colonial furniture and dishware collected by Naomi Wood. If you have a chance, go visit this small piece of American history. Woodford Mansion: Colonial Philadelphia Preserved in Fairmount Park. Within the immense acreage of Fairmount Park, there lies an astute residence on 3400 West Dauphin Street: The Woodford Mansion. This home is a prime example of architecture representing America's heritage of becoming an independent country. Woodford Mansion was built between the years 1756 – 1758 by William Coleman, a merchant by trade, and who was also a great friend of one of America’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. It was at this house where Coleman resided in the summer months, along with his wife, Hannah, and their nephew, George Clymer, who was an orphan. (George Clymer would eventually sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776 on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, along with Ben Franklin.) One unique trait of the Woodford Mansion is that the property was owned at different times by both American patriots and British loyalists during the Revolutionary period. The years subsequent to the war, and into the late 1800s, the mansion served as a summer residence for the famous Philadelphia Wharton family, and then the mansion served other different roles, including as the headquarters for the Fairmount Park House Guard, as well as hosting the Naomi Wood art collection. Charms of Fairmount Park describes the architectural design of the mansion as follows: “…one-story brick home laid in Flemish bond in the Georgian style, the later addition of a second story and rear wing allowed Federal influences to be seen as well. Like many country mansions of this time, Woodford presents a balanced elegance, which was highly valued [at the time]. The home features a three-part Venetian window, a hipped roof, pediment entrance, and dentiled cornice. Soapstone steps lead to faux mahogany grained double doors and a pair of Tuscan columns. There is a handsome formal center entry hall, distinguished by a Doric order frieze, wainscoting and an unusual coved ceiling.” Also, this summer Woodford will be restoring its back porch (the Piazza Project) to its original 18th century appearance, replacing a 20th century porch built at the time the mansion first became a museum. Jeff Duncan, a Woodford representative, describes the project: “Following the Naomi Wood Trust’s 1927 agreement with the City to move the collection into the Woodford Mansion, a new rear porch was built to link the front and stair halls to the exterior of the house. However, this porch did not replicate the original 18th century piazza. For many years, the Naomi Wood Trust has wanted to construct a new rear porch (piazza) which would faithfully replicate the 18th-century porch. The project is appealing, not only from a historical perspective, but also because it would enhance the Trust’s public programming and also provide the opportunity to eventually install an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant mechanical lift for use by visitors with mobility challenges. Preliminary studies, architectural drawings, and cost estimating for the project have been completed. Archaeological work done at the site has positively identified the location of the foundations for the brick piers that upheld the piazza, so we know its’ dimensions. The Trust has been promised grant funding to enable construction of the porch, and work is scheduled to begin in July 2019 and completed by the fall. In the upcoming months, the Woodford Mansion has special event tours, including the following: June 19th – June 23rd: The Founding Fathers Tour will be highlighting Woodford's founding fathers and the impact they had on the founding of our nation. July 17th – July 21st: The Colonial Politics, Patriot & Loyalist Tour will discuss that Woodford was the home of both Patriots and Loyalists. Woodford will also be participating — along with the other Park Houses — in the Fairmount Park’s annual Cider Fest. This event features local hard cider producers, food, and tours of the mansion. Cider Fest takes place on September 21st. For more information on the mansion and to check out upcoming events at the mansion, follow the lniks below: Article written by Kyle Purchase on behalf of the Global Philadelphia Association. Photo credit: Mark B. Thompson Associates LLC; Woodford – Restoration of the 1770s Era Piazza.