The Highlands (Pennsylvania)
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The Highlands is a historic building and property located at 7001 Sheaff Lane in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, approximately 17 miles north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Highlands was built in the years 1794-1796 by Philadelphia merchant and politician Anthony Morris (1766-1860), and was designed by Philadelphia architect Timothy Matlack (1730-1829). Morris was the speaker of the Pennsylvania senate, and had signed the bill authorizing troops to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion. He was also a director of the Bank of North America (1800-1806) and a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania (1806-1817). From 1810 to 1814, he was President James Madison's unofficial envoy to Spain.
Morris sold the property to Daniel Hittner (1765-1841) in 1808. In the five years that Hittner owned the estate, he accumulated 300+ additional acres. In 1813, it was sold to wine merchant George Sheaff (1779-1851). After Sheaff's death, the heirs sold off the majority of the estate, leaving a mere 59 acres remaining with Sheaff's grandson, John. In 1917, after the death of the last remaining Sheaff heir, it was sold to Miss Caroline Sinkler, and then subsequently sold to her niece Emily Sinkler Roosevelt in 1941. Roosevelt and her husband donated the property to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1957.
Today, The Highlands is a beautiful 44-acre site with a late 18th-century Georgian mansion and formal gardens. It is operated as a museum and historic site by The Highlands Historical Society, a non-profit educational organization.
Owners of The Highlands
- 1796 to 1808: Anthony Morris
- 1808 to 1813: Daniel Hittner
- 1813 to 1917: George Sheaff and heirs
- 1917 to 1941: Miss Caroline Sinkler
- 1941 to 1957: Emily Sinkler Roosevelt and her husband Nicholas
- 1957 to Present: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
External links
- Official site: [The Highlands Mansion and Gardens]
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