Governed by the Fairmount Park Commission
Administered by the Women for Greater Philadelphia

Sometime between the years 1764 and 1767, a young and recently widowed mother of three small children named Rebecca Rawle built a small country house along the east bank of the Schuylkill River, which she called Laurel Hill. Shortly afterwards, Rebecca was married to Samuel Shoemaker, a local merchant of German descent. Shoemaker served a term as Mayor of the city of Philadelphia just before the Revolution. During this time Rebecca and Samuel spent their summers at Laurel Hill.

Laurel Hill originally consisted of a two-story Georgian brick center structure with a symmetrically placed main entry and a gallery of windows on the first and second floors. It remained in this form until the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, when the small single-story wing was added to the south side. Soon thereafter, a two-story octagonal wing was added to the north side of the house, completing the structure as it is seen today. Laurel Hill's prominent location, on a high bluff overlooking the river, makes it one of the most visible houses along the banks of the Schuylkill. In 1813, Rebecca Shoemaker’s granddaughter, Hannah Wharton, described the house as “a beautiful place. Nature has given many advantages to it situated almost immediately above the river. The view from the Piazzi is extremely fine.”

Rebecca died in 1819 and the house was inherited by her oldest son, William Rawle. William practiced law in Philadelphia and was the founder of the Philadelphia Bar Association. He was also involved in many of the city’s civic and cultural organizations, and for some time William and his family spent their summers at Laurel Hill. William sold the house and property in 1828, and in 1869, Laurel Hill was purchased by the city of Philadelphia as part of the formation of Fairmount Park. Laurel Hill then served as a residence for park employees and later as a headquarters for the Park Guards.

Since 1976, Laurel Hill has been administered by the Women for Greater Philadelphia, a volunteer organization which conducts a variety of special projects and programs dedicated to its maintenance. Today, the main floor of Laurel Hill is open to the public and is furnished in the style of the period.

Hours

For information on programs and activities at Laurel Hill, click here >>

For more information, please contact Park House Guides by phone at (215) 684-7926.