The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1907-07-05
ABODE OF TRAITOR
BENEDICT ARNoLD's MANSION IN
PHILADELPHIA.
House lie one Of the Few Specimens
Of Colonial Architecture Left len
the country-Now belongs
TO the City.

" NNN wy
Mount Pleasant, IN the East Park.
uear Columbia avenue entrance. which
Is almost equally we'll known to park
visitors as Aruolds mansion. Is to be
the headquarters OF La Morlganta
Klambo. the newly formed organlza.
ton OF fashionable women motorists.
says the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
Few buildings Ia the park equal
dount Pleasant IN interest. and none
Ia older. II ~ one of the few well orc.
served country mansions built In this
country In Colonial times As speci.
men of architecture modelled upon the
style made popular by sir Christopher
Wren, II Is one Of the half dozen
or less which remain In this country.
The house. which John Adams
who dinod there In i77i-doclared was
the most elegant IN Pennsylvania, was
built for Capt John Mcpherson In
1862 In 1919 MACPHERSON grew tired
Of the place aud sold II to Gen. Bene.
dict Arnold. who had married Peggy
Shipper. In its time the mansion has
borne three names Macpherson
called IL The Hills and also Ciunie.
and subsequently Il was known as
Mount Pleasant
Capt MacPhorson was one Of the
most original men In the province. II
he had not been immensely wealthy
he probably would not have been toll.
Grated. but as "a priyatcoraman In
Englands wars with France and
Spain before the revolution he was
lucky and came home with a genuine
gold galloon he had two sons one
was an officer In the British uStny.
but resigned his commission on the
breaking out OF the revolution and be.
came a major In the Continental army,
The other son was with the colonlsts
from the beginning of the struggle
and was killed at the attempt 10 take
Quebec being the lrst Philadelphia
NJ importance to give mp his life for
the cause.
old Capt Macphorson made himself
llreaome TO congress, begging for com.
mand OF ship. but aid not gain hia
desire. lie published the first dlroc.
tory Of Philadelphia IN 1856. This book
~ really one Of the curlositlos of liter.
aturc. for the captain canvassod the
city himself and printed the replies
he received at each door In answer
To his request for names lie died In
1892 and lies In ST. paul's ohurchyard.
When Arnold married Peggy Ship
pen. daughter of Edward shippon, sub.
soquently chief justice Of Ponnsylya.
mia. he bought Mount Pleasant and
settled II on himself for lifo with
the remainder Of his wife and chill.
dren. At the time Arnold was mill.
tary governor OF Philadelphia. and
Judge Peters. who occupied belmont.
the seat across the schuylkill from
Mount Pleasant. accused the general
OF having converted 100000 To his own
use and OF having used this toward
the purchase OF Mount Pleasant.
Arnold did not long remain al
Mount Pleasant After his treason he
OF course had TO leave tho country
and the state Of Pennsylvania copna
Gated his life interest In the beautiful
estate. Baron de steuben became the
next tenant Of the place and Arnold's
life Interest was sold 10 Colonel Rich.
ard Hampton for $3.50
In the Shipper correspondence. pub
liahod n few years ago. there are sew.
oral references 10 Mount Pleasant In
1885 In a letter from Mrs. Arnold 10
her father II appears that Arnold had
an idea OF privately getting title to the
property for his family. lie changed
his mind. however. and suggested that
the place be sold al public sale for as
much as II would bring In 1896
Mount Pleasant was sold. but for
barely enough TO satisfy tho mort.
cages upon II.
Gen. jonathan Williams. a revolu-
tionary patriot aud commercial agent
f.. ne United States In France from
l1,i to 1856. bought the country seat
and lived there for years The
property remained In his family for
many years and was purchased by
the park commission by virtue Of tho
act Of 1867 which permitted the &C.
QUESTION OF what are pow park prop.
critics