The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-05-24
A HISTORIC HOUSE.
MOUNT PLEASANT, ONCE THE HOME
or BENEDICT ARNOLD.


Who Was Himself an Interesting Man.
A Little of the Domestic story OF Arnold.
The House Nav Belongs 20 Philadelphia.
Mount Pleasant, the home at one time
Of Benedict Arnold, is one Of the few his
snric mansions in Fairmount park, Phil
sdclphia, and through some strange fatu-
.;y it has not been allowed either to fail
Into hopeless decay or to have such radical
modern improvements made to 1t ~ cffcc.
tually to oblitcrate its old time quantncsS
and simplicity Of architecture.
John Mcpherson Of tho McPhcrsons oi
Clunic was the builder IT Mount Pleas
ant This fearless Scotchman was II
mighty fighter In his day. lie commanded
the privatccr ship Britannia in 1850 when
war was raging with France, and, al.
though cut all to pieces in terrific en-
gagcmcnt with 36 gun French cruiser
In 1I5S, 30 Of his crew being killed or
wounded, and 270 shot imhcdded in the
larhonrd side Of his vessel he managed to
bring her into Jamaica and 30 buck 10
philadelphia, where she was repaired ana
renamed.
This seems to have been the first and
Inst OF his rrvcrscs, for during the follow
ing years of 1859 and 1860 and the FIRST
part of 1861 he played havoc with the
French commercial marine and secured
prizes worth SlGu. 600. The scenes of his
operations were the West Indies near Mar
Unique, and from there down to Laguayra.
On the strength Of this prize money the
rlansman retired from sea life. In ltBl he
bought from benjamin Nlnlin 81 arrcs on
the east side Of the Schuylkill river op-
positc Belmont lie aitcrward added IL
ucrps more and built thereon n substan-
.ial stone house. The detached buildings
on each side Of the main house were used
for kitchens, etc. Mcpherson called the
spot Cluniu." John Adams, who visited
him and took dinner at the house in 100,
said that ''he had the most elegant coun-
try scat in Pennsylvania, II clever wife
and two pretty daughters.
John Mcpherson made various efforts
to secure command in the continental
| army, but without success. His son, John
| Mcpherson. entered the service early IN
the Revolution and fell under General
| Montgomery in the assault upon Quebec.
+ The other son, William, held commits
sion under Sir Henry Clinton, but sur
rendered it as soon IA hostilitics were de
clared and became brigadier general of
the PENNSYLVANIA militia, Mcpherson S
| Blues"
AFTER the u'hth o' ms sun '"iii ui'c Wv,
gentleman illhuc UP nus MINI " p"i. Wv. WV.
tluhlc. inc properly; M,l'cl NV oeo C oon
slSted Oh iEo acre, any, W iii'l Us o'ooV
was oncr'u ior Ftu",ou"' ,iloi"uinR 9 'l'"
mineral rights N"V hHuihg an! mint
ulate plrchaSer' INV Hl''iislo,. Ma1 iu'.,.
uhtil l'o TO Don Juan uo ,, - wy
spanish ehlDasSauor =" ,hc ohi,'u '.n''e
In IL" beheuict ArIolu po"Hnt .hu Prup
erty ana mnue u over as WS , pr.s
ent 10 ms WIG, MISS IVss! 'hipp'"' or
huld at tnls tiihe hrlu no Pup'io oiiiO.
ms plrth hau pceii opscurc' anu ms ,, o''rI
education very Gelcc.Nc. Mr. r,"pr'
Shippen, inc la.her, noNer iaiI.tu az ~,
noiu' accorulils 10 suiile "''iiu NUN, , "a
though MS letters are neutral put .i
daughter seems 10 nave luiiy lc,u iri, ~, ,ar
holu love She was tne p,"u'il"i -h''
garet ShlPpen, one OF inc l'ulcs VI Wv
: Mis- chianza, IN whose hohof 'he brl'
; ish officers OF the Phlladeiphla army "
occupation tilted. Among the partit'
pants In one OF these carli\ AIS was zap
tam John Andre.
From letter written by EDWARD onii
pen to his father at TINS Time ''o-l
seems that tine iashiohanio requirement
of his daughter We're running MS year,
expenses up to SUI
On feb y, l'''' the charges 10 tne CON
tincntal congress against Arhoiu Wcr
lnaue pubilc' ruectllig ON ms character
an ollcer ana geht'ciiiah' puV ohc pre-!
arations for his marriage Went on
4 spite oil inns cohtre'ciill's' III M"roH' 81
nc borrower money lroih iiicii.pV, vi "a
trench hoDlll'y anu purChlscu thc vi,
fhcrsoh estate anu se''ieu IL oh ,'liiiSc,
Tor lie, WIN rcNerSion aiter uUn1h 10 ~
WIG ana chllurcn' ~ Ioohc" Inv rio
DOVER but thcre hau peen Ncr! i"rec 81
ouilnrahce piaccu upon ,hc pIoPcr'! y
= It's first owner, ana thls when IL was sol
OUT lhter DS INC shcriil' cuu .nr'' Nriu'
OH without penny; Ar,olu anu hi'
shipper were married. on April Oh tI
same year She was Arhoiu 'ccohu wiz
50 thht Peggy 0hlPpeh pcCHino " S'ei
h'o'ncr TO- suiIlu RroM"up oii'iuron, 49,.
aioer MS IiI''rri's', cAocPT WIN 'U.o i,'
:. i"2 the court ihnr'iai, Arlolu iINcu man
ior a. IIoli'hs Nv us o7.',V' tuo''i 4
= leusaiV' nv M"s "'s' pIl' VI ."' ~ !,
sis Ihliaieip iir" MUS, ~ "u''i 49, :,
sel' ior "osg io.h', w. " ''1T - a.
~ hau h''uc uPrllc''' , ~. Va
uihe ms ch',1' Lu"nIu oIipp'h rin .l'
was porn Mc'n'r anu en'i' po,i i,' WV
WIN hin, w - - 49, -. ~ 81 H..
communal. uoherai Arhoiu nov iuii , ri''
srea. hiiahSi"i oti"ivo ''''., ~ dii|t,
non 10 .ie rreiion NIB t,i,o fs a' ,a'
,aiier uo Lu1or''e, os,.n 20 'oa i Th
puo actua.iy ior gram VI n'o'.s, ~
was III Low NJ Wv N'.,uoi, v''' l,
.ary u i4u1u.no' p'1.,i - ~,
unaV 'nc e'rNi0v i'lueaIIu ",'o " ' u
cnnraotIr az " VI, i"..' 'i''''' ''''' "''' y"
chneu 'he uesiivu van ,,,,
raillhs III .n's p,9i, -n, 'i.p ~, 81 -
treaSoi'nnio heso.ine'ois WIN ,iv IN. ~,
oil the BRUSH army MnJuI Ahoro W.
one Oh ArloiH t 'Virus si1 w - ia,
wri.ers acc,lso Iirs znlnoiu VI
~ 'i,o r. -.
1919 ,,'ro,o oycutn,ting his w,ifo Mr.
.'t' .,,usi,,, e., hor Eft, IN ph,