gov OVERVIEW: This nomination proposes to designate the properties at 6953 and 7001-09 Greenhill Road as historic and list them on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. Constructed between 1916 to 1919, the pair of buildings represent an “unusual paired residential complex” of two stone houses with a shared twin garage and reflect the environment in an era characterized by the Colonial Revival style with English stylistic overtones, satisfying Criterion C. Additionally, the houses represent a special example of a paired dwelling site that reflects local vernacular architectural of the eighteenth century and they embody the distinguishing characteristics of the Colonial Revival style through their textbook use of historically inspired forms, materials, and compositions, satisfying Criterion D. Additionally, the properties comprise a significant masterwork of the architectural firm of Mellor, Meigs, and Howe, a significant partnership that influenced the built environment of the Philadelphia region, satisfying Criterion E.
Finally, the buildings at 6953 and 7001-09 Greenhill Road satisfy Criterion J for their strong association with the early twentieth-century subdivision and development of Green Hill Farm, which was developed from the Morris Estate in West Philadelphia The reviews for both properties were initially scheduled to be performed at the 21 January 2026 meeting of the Committee on Historic Designation, but the owners on 6953 Greenhill Road were granted a continuance to the 22 July 2026 meeting. The Committee on Historic Designation reviewed the nomination for 7001-09 Greenhill Road at the 21 January meeting and voted to recommend that the nomination demonstrates that the property at 7001-09 Greenhill Road satisfies Criteria for Designation C, D and E. At the 13 February 2026 meeting of the Historical Commission, the Commission voted to continue the review of the nomination and remand it to the Committee on Historic Designation so that the nominations for both 6953 and 7001-09 Greenhill Road could be reviewed simultaneously to ensure that both property owners have an equal opportunity to participate in the deliberations about the historical significance of the properties. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: The staff recommends that the nominations demonstrate that the properties at 6953 and 7001-09 Greenhill Road satisfy Criteria for Designation C, D, E, and J.
Figure 1: Photograph of 6953 Greenhill Road property from the nomination.
Figure 2: Photograph of 7001-09 Greenhill Road property from the nomination. Figure 3: Historic photograph, c. 1918-19, of 6953 and 7001-09 Greenhill Road properties from the nomination.
Figure 4: The subject properties are located on Greenhill Road near City Avenue in the Overbrook neighborhood.
1. ADDRESS OF HISTORIC RESOURCE (must comply with an Office of Property Assessment address) Street address: 6953 Greenhill Road Postal code: 19151-2322 2. NAME OF HISTORIC RESOURCE Historic Name: 6953 Greenhill Road Current Name: Unknown 3. TYPE OF HISTORIC RESOURCE Building Structure Site Object 4. PROPERTY INFORMATION Condition: excellent good fair poor ruins Occupancy: occupied vacant under construction unknown Current use: Residential 5. BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Please attach a narrative description and site/plot plan of the resource’s boundaries. 6. DESCRIPTION Please attach a narrative description and photographs of the resource’s physical appearance, site, setting, and surroundings. 7. SIGNIFICANCE Please attach a narrative Statement of Significance citing the Criteria for Designation the resource satisfies. Period of Significance (from year to year): 1915 to 1943 Date(s) of construction: 1916 to 1919 Architects: Mellor, Meigs and Howe, Architects Builders: John J. Murphy & Co. Original owners: The Morris Estate Significant person: NA
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION: The historic resource satisfies the following criteria for designation (check all that apply): (a) Has significant character, interest or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the City, Commonwealth or Nation or is associated with the life of a person significant in the past; or, (b) Is associated with an event of importance to the history of the City, Commonwealth or Nation; or, (c) Reflects the environment in an era characterized by a distinctive architectural style; or, (d) Embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style or engineering specimen; or, (e) Is the work of a designer, architect, landscape architect or designer, or engineer whose work has significantly influenced the historical, architectural, economic, social, or cultural development of the City, Commonwealth or Nation; or, (f) Contains elements of design, detail, materials or craftsmanship which represent a significant innovation; or, (g) Is part of or related to a square, park or other distinctive area which should be preserved according to an historic, cultural or architectural motif; or, (h) Owing to its unique location or singular physical characteristic, represents an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood, community or City; or, (i) Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in pre-history or history; or (j) Exemplifies the cultural, political, economic, social or historical heritage of
the community. 8. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Please attach a bibliography. 9. ORG Nominator is is not the property owner. PHC USE ONLY Date of Receipt:_______________________________________________________________________ Correct-Complete Incorrect-Incomplete Date:__12/10/2025____________________ Date of Notice Issuance:__12/16/2025______________________________________________________ Property Owner at Time of Notice: Name:_________________________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ City:_______________________________________ State:__PA__ Postal Code:___19151___ Date(s) Reviewed by the Committee on Historic Designation:____________________________________ Date(s) Reviewed by the Historical Commission:______________________________________________ Date of Final Action:__________________________________________________________ Designated Rejected 12/7/18 11/25/2025 Chabad of Penn Wynne Inc 6953 Greenhill Rd Philadelphia
NOMINATION FOR THE PHILADELPHIA REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Figure 1. The Garage (southeast elevation), the Garden, and the House (southwest elevation) of 6953 Greenhill Road. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Two Houses of the Morris Estate – Part 1 – Built 1915-19 – 6953 Greenhill Road Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 4 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 2. The boundary for the subject property is delineated by the blue line. Source: Atlas, City of Philadelphia, 2025. 5. BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION The boundary for the designation of the subject property is as follows: ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or piece of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, SITUATE at 6953 Greenhill Road, beginning at a point located at the Northwest side of Greenhill Road (formerly Overbrook Avenue) (50 feet wide) at a distance of 685 Northeastward from the Northeast side of 71st Street. Containing in front or breadth on the said Greenhill Road 110 feet and extending of that width in length or depth Northwestward between parallel lines at right angles to the said Greenhill Road 135 feet. Map Registry No. 071N060036 OPA Account No. 344182800
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 5 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 3. Top: Looking northeast at the Two Residences of the Morris Estate at 7001-09 and 6953 Greenhill Road. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Figure 4. Bottom: Looking northeast at the subject property from Greenhill Road. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. 6. Physical Description The Two Houses of the Morris Estate, including the subject property at 6953 Greenhill Road and the companion property at 7001-09 Greenhill Road, comprise an unusual paired residential complex composed of two large, nearly identical stone houses set symmetrically on either side of a shared central axis. Rather than facing the street, both houses are situated inward, their main façades oriented toward the interior of their respective lots, creating a mirrored, estate-like composition. At the midpoint between them, marking the property line, stands a stone twin garage block with a central cupola. The garages serve as both a physical divider and an architectural connector. The primary buildings of both properties are connected by a Garden Wall and Pergola, which provide covered egress between the House and the Garage at both addresses.
The result is a balanced, picturesque grouping that reads as a unified country house complex while still clearly expressing two separate dwellings. 6953 Greenhill Road The property at 6953 Greenhill Road is a suburban residential dwelling site that includes the following historic resources: House, including the Main Block, the Enclosed Porch, and the Rear Wing; the Garage; the Garden Wall & Pergola; and the Garden. Facing the interior of the spacious
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 6 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania lot near the northeastern property line, the subject property contains several stone structures that reflect a sophisticated blend of Pennsylvania Colonial building traditions and early-twentieth- century Colonial Revival reinterpretation, expressed through massing, materials, and careful design details. All the structures are constructed of irregular stone laid in a roughly coursed pattern, giving the walls a mottled, historic character. The Main Block of the House rises two-and-a-half stories beneath a steeply pitched, side-gabled roof that is clad in wooden shingles and punctuated by regularly spaced gable-front dormers. Prominent brick end chimneys, set high on the gable walls, anchor the structure visually and emphasize its early-American stylistic lineage. A one-and- a-half-story frame addition extends from the southeast elevation of the Main Block, which will be referred to in this document as the Enclosed Porch. A one-and-one-half-story Rear Wing extends from the northwest elevation of the Main Block. At the northwest end of the Main Block, a Garden Wall & Pergola serves as a demarcation between the Garden and the rear driveway and service area.
The Garden Wall connects the Main Block to the Garage. Low stone walls run across the front of the property at Greenhill Road and in the middle of the two properties, extending from the party wall of the Garage. Figure 5. Left: The southwest and southeast elevations of the Main Block and the Enclosed Porch of the House from Greenhill Road. Figure 6. Right: The southeast and northeast elevation of the Enclosed Porch and the Main Block of the House from Greenhill Road. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Referring to the southeast elevation, the gable end of the Main Block facing the street presents the House’s most vertical presentation. It is a broad, two-and-one-half-story stone wall rising to a tall brick chimney stack. Projecting forward from this plane is a lower, one-and-a-half-story frame volume—the Enclosed Porch. At its center is an elaborate Palladian-influenced lunette, ornamented with a molded arch and cartouche, set above a group of multi-light windows. This composition softens the otherwise rustic stonework, introducing a refined Colonial Revival element to what was built to look like a vernacular stone dwelling. Originally, the fan light featured a mythical creature at the center of the lunette, which has since been removed.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 7 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 7. Top: The northeast elevation of the House, including the Enclosed Porch, the Main Block, and the Rear Wing, which included the driveway. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Figure 8. Bottom: The northeast elevation of the House, including the Enclosed Porch, the Main Block, and the Rear Wing as drawn by Louis Magaziner in 1945. Source: The Louis Magaziner Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia. The northeast elevation of the House reveals the elongated profile of the building, which includes the Enclosed Porch; the Main Block; and the Rear Wing. This elevation is built immediately upon the driveway, which extends from Greenhill Road. The northeast elevation of the Enclosed Porch is comprised of a three-bay fenestration defined by multi-light wooden doors flanked by Doric pilasters and vertical wooden panels. The slope of the roof rises above the first floor, featuring a central, gable-front dormer that is served by a six-light wooden casement sash.
The northeast elevation of the Main Block is served by a fenestration of three generous bays, centered on a primary entrance with a wooden six-panel door set within an aperture delineated by a surround of flat pilasters, an entablature, and a cornice. Rising above the front door is a similar aperture on the second floor, delineated by integral stone quoins. The opening features slender, multi-light wooden French doors that open onto an iron balustrade that rests atop the cornice of the door surround. These doorways are flanked by windows on each floor that create a symmetrical fenestration. Each opening features a six-over-six wooden sash window. All four openings are served by operational wooden louvered shutters that are painted green. Rising from the slope of the roof above, three gable-front dormers feature six-over-six wooden sash windows, aligning with the fenestration below. The northeast elevation of the Rear Wing is two bays wide, featuring two apertures with six-over-six light wooden sash windows. The southeasterly window retains its louvered shutters.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 8 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A single, gable-front dormer with a six-light wooden casement window rises from the slope of the roof. At the rear, the northwest elevation of the House exhibits characteristics influenced by early vernacular masonry: low eaves, small casement-like sash, and heavily weathered stone surfaces that suggest prolonged age and use. The gable end of the Main Block is modestly composed, with irregular window placement, emulating early domestic building practices. The Rear Wing’s one- and-one-half-story stone massing is compact, and the roof pitch is steep, lending the rear portion of the dwelling a distinct eighteenth-century farmhouse appearance, contrasting with the more formal street-facing elevation. Figure 9. The southwest elevation of the House, the Enclosed Porch, the Main Block, and a portion of the Rear Wing. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. The southwest elevation also reveals the elongated profile of the House, which includes the Enclosed Porch, the Main Block, and the Rear Wing. Most of this elevation faces onto the Garden.
The northwest elevation of the Enclosed Porch is comprised of a three-bay fenestration defined by multi-light wooden doors or windows that are flanked by Doric pilasters and vertical wooden panels. The slope of the roof rises above the first floor, featuring a central, gable-front dormer that is served by a six-light wooden casement sash. The northeast elevation of the Main Block features a fenestration of three generous bays that are centered on a primary entrance with a multi-light and paneled wooden door. The first and second floors are delineated by a pent eve that extends from the northwest end of the Main Block to the Enclosed Porch, where it joins the roof of that structure. The first floor of the southwest elevation features a tripartite mullion window in the southeasterly opening, which is served by multi-light wooden sash units. At the northwest end, there is a modest bay window that stands within space beneath the pent roof, featuring three leaded glass wooden casement windows. Beyond the bay window are double wooden doors that serve the Garden Wall and [the] Pergola, which extends from the Main Block to the Garage. The upper floor of the southwest elevation features multi-light wooden casement windows in each opening.
Symmetrically placed with the apertures below, three gable-front dormers with six-light casement sash rise from the slope of the roof, also facing the garden.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 9 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The southwest elevation of the Rear Wing is on the northwesterly side of the Garden Wall & Pergola, featuring a central wooden door flanked by single window openings. There appears to be a covered walkway between the kitchen door of the Rear Wing and the entrance to the Garage. Figure 10. Looking north, the Garden of the subject property with the Garage and the House in the background. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. The Garden The Garden is an intimate, courtyard-style space that feels deeply rooted in an 18th-century ideal. Framed by the stone walls of the Main Block, the Garden Wall & Pergola, and the Garage, the garden is enclosed and inward-facing, creating the sense of a protected, almost cloister-like retreat. Mature trees with heavy, textured trunks are within the Garden, creating a natural canopy. Boxwood hedges define an organized, but timeworn geometric layout, forming low, clipped walls that guide movement and create small garden rooms. At the center of the space is a circular stone planting bed or fountain. Figure 11. Left: Looking northeast at the Pergola. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Figure 12. 1918-19.
Source: Mellor, Meigs and Howe Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Figure 13. Right: Looking northwest at the Garden Wall and Pergola. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 10 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Garden Wall & Pergola In the background of the Garden is the Garden Wall & Pergola, which is defined by a stone garden wall, a weathered pergola, and a rustic stone fountain. The stone construction of the Garden Wall & Pergola is like that of the Main Block and Rear Wing. The beams that form the top of the Pergola extend from the Garden Wall to rounded stone columns. The Garden Wall & Pergola feature a round arch opening to the driveway and service area, which is served by an original wooden door with strapped iron hinges. Near the center of the Garden Wall & Pergola, a stone fountain is built into the wall with a stone trough, which is served by a spigot above that is set within the face of a mythical creature appearing to be a Grotesque. Figure 14. Top: The southeast elevation of the Garage of the subject property. Figure 15. Bottom: The southeast elevation of the twin Garage structure on both properties. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Garage Set back from Greenhill Road in alignment with the Rear Wing of the House, the Garage is a one- and-a-half-story stone structure with a side-gable roof.
The southwest side of the Garage is a party wall that also serves the twin building at 7001-09 Greenhill Road. A cupola rises above the roofline—an unusual and picturesque feature that contributes to the estate-like character of the two properties. The cupola is a small, temple-like structure rising from the center of the roof, distinguished by its octagonal form, arched openings, and a domed roof. Its structure is essentially a round-arched arcade of slender classical posts, giving the upper stage an open, airy lantern effect. The arches are framed by projecting moldings and small keystones, adding a refined, Georgian design element to the otherwise unadorned vernacular structure. A weathervane once extended from the top of the cupola, likely made by Samuel Yellin, but it is no longer present.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 11 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The southeast elevation of the Garage is a stone wall with two small windows, each of which features a nine-light wooden casement sash. The openings are served by stone sills. The upper level is the slope of the roof, which is served by a central, gable-front dormer with a six-light wooden casement sash. The northeast elevation is a continuation of the stone volume, featuring a pedestrian door just below the east corner. The round arch opening features an original wooden door with strapped iron hinges. That same elevation is divided just beyond the pedestrian entrance of the Garden Wall & Pergola. The upper level of northeast elevation is a gable end clad in wood clapboards with a pedestrian door at the center that is accessed by a wooden staircase that descends to the rear of the property. The northwest elevation is the Garage opening. The upper level is the slope of the roof, which is served by a shed dormer that features a three-part mullion window with six-light wooden casement sashes. The roof is clad in wooden shingles. A service court is formed by the Garage, the Garden Wall & Pergola, and the Rear Wing of the House, evoking a traditional arrangement among suburban properties of the era.
Figure 16. The southeast elevations of the twin Garages of the subject property, on the right, and the House at 7001- 09 Greenhill Road. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Figure 17. The northwest elevations of the Garages at 6953 and 7001-09 Greenhill Road. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 12 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 18. Looking northeast from the House at 7001-09 Greenhill Road toward the House at 6953 Greenhill Road around the time the houses were finished between 1917 and 1919. Source: Mellor, Meigs and Howe Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia. 7. Statement of Significance The subject property at 6953 Greenhill Road in the Green Hill Farm neighborhood of Philadelphia is a significant historic resource that merits designation by the Philadelphia Historical Commission and inclusion on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The subject property satisfies the following Criteria for Designation as enumerated in Section 14-1004 of the Philadelphia Code: c) Reflects the environment in an era characterized by a distinctive architectural style; d) Embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style or engineering specimen; e) Is the work of a designer, architect, landscape architect or designer, or engineer whose work has significantly influenced the historical, architectural, economic, social, or cultural development of the City, Commonwealth, and Nation; and J) Exemplifies the cultural, political, economic, social, or historical heritage of the community. The period of significance begins in ca.1915-16 and extends through the residency of the first occupant in 1943.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 13 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 19. 1918-19. Taken from across Greenhill Road, it is easy to see that the houses are in a newly developed area, despite the traditional appearance of the complex. Source: Mellor, Meigs and Howe Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Criterion J The subject property at 6953 Greenhill Road, including the House, the Garage, the Garden Wall and Pergola, and the Garden, satisfies Criterion J for its strong association with the early twentieth- century subdivision and development of Green Hill Farm, which was owned and developed by the Morris Estate in West Philadelphia. The subject property is the earliest project known to be completed of the Morris Estate’s residential development and thus reflects the formative period in which this section of the city, near Overbrook, transitioned from the semi-rural landscape of an inherited estate into a planned, architect-designed suburban neighborhood.
The land on which 6953 Greenhill Road stands formed part of the historic Green Hill Farm, a property that passed through prominent families from the late seventeenth through nineteenth centuries—including the Hughes, Hollingsworth, Wistar, and Morris families—before entering the stewardship of Wistar Morris and, after his death in 1891, the Girard Trust Company as estate trustees. Though Wistar Morris’ anticipated eventual subdivision of the Philadelphia portion of his holdings, development proceeded slowly for two decades after his death as the estate balanced traditional landholding practices with emerging suburban pressures. By the 1910s, however, with Overbrook Farms expanding westward and transportation linkages improving, the Morris Estate began to implement the first projects of a planned residential subdivision. The subject property—along with its companion at 7001–09 Greenhill Road—was among the very first residential projects that the Morris Estate both commissioned and completed, making it a keystone development in the transformation of Green Hill Farm.
Designed in 1915-16 and built between 1916 and 1919, the paired houses by Mellor, Meigs and Howe, architects, embody the Morris Estate’s vision for controlled, high-quality suburban growth: architect-designed houses on large, landscaped lots, approached by curving drives rather than the rigid gridiron Wistar Morris had detested in his Will. These houses not only marked one of the Morris Estate’s first executed domestic projects but also set the stylistic and planning precedent for subsequent commissions— detached and twin residences designed by notable architects.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 14 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Additionally, the first occupant of the subject house, Charles Huhn Bean, owner of Chas. H. , a prominent stockbrokerage house in Philadelphia, represents the type of person the Morris Estate hoped to attract to their development. At the time of purchase, Bean was easing out of his position as President of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, while operating one of the most important financial firms in the city. Bean and his family were socially engaged and wealthy, representing another aspect of the early history of the community. This family exhibited their socioeconomic status through the purchase of the subject property and the employment of three house servants and a chauffeur by 1930. The Beans occupied the subject property from 1920 to 1943, which speaks to the early period of occupancy. The subject property satisfies Criterion J, representing the economic, social, and historical heritage of the community in the 1920s and 1930s, as Green Hill Farm became its own neighborhood of Philadelphia. Figure 20. Top: The Wistar Morris Estate in 1910 with the subject property pinpointed, when it was part of the larger property that would soon be developed into the Green Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. W.
Bromley. Figure 21. Bottom: The Green Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, showing the subject house in 1927. W. Bromley. The Development of Green Hill Farm, The Wister Morris Estate Green Hill Farm, also known as Green Hill or Greenhill, was historically associated with land owned by David Price, a yeoman of Merion, who assembled a large property near the present-day juncture of City Avenue and 69th Street, in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Since the property was in both Philadelphia and Lower Merion, it is important to note that Price’s
2 John Hughes (1711-1772), a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, eventually purchased the property, leaving it to his son, John Hughes, Jr. 3 The younger Hughes was married to Margaret Paschall (1748-1771), a descendant of Dr. 4 The couple had one daughter: Martha Hughes (1771-1796); however, with the death of her mother in 1771, and her father in 1773, she was orphaned at Green Hill Farm in the care of her cousin Mary Hollingsworth (1776-1820). 7 After the early death of Mary Hollingsworth Morris, her husband and children inherited Green Hill Farm. ” Wistar Morris founded Morris, Tasker & Company in Philadelphia. 8 In 1863, Wistar Morris married Mary Harris (1836-1924), a union which led to one daughter, Mary Hollingsworth “Holly” Morris (1864-1891). ”9 He would later enlarge the house, as inspired by a castle in Scotland, on designs by Mantle Fielding, the eminent Philadelphia architect. This house still stands on the grounds of Friends Central School. Mary Morris, Wistar Morris’ only daughter, eventually wed Rev. Charles Wood, with whom she had two children: Margaret Paschall Morris and Charles Wistar Morris. 10 1 The background information for this historic context was guided by a summary of “Green Hill” published online as part of “The First 300” written by Dick Jones and Hugh L. org). 2 Bulletin of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
(Norristown: Historical Society of Mongomery County, Spring 1958), Vol. XI, No. 2, p. 135. 3 Historical Society of Pennsylvania Biographical Index. com. com. 6 Evening Courier and Republic, 19 August 1870. 7 Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775, 363. MC 1191) Quaker and Special Collections Haverford College, Haverford, PA. edu/repositories /5/resources/544 Accessed 19 November 2025. 9 Morris family papers (Collection 2000B) Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/findingaide 19 November 2025. com.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 16 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 22. Mary Morris, Holly Morris, and Wistar Morris, ca. 1870-75. Source: Lower Merion Historical Society. In 1890, Wistar Morris penned his Last Will & Testament, which outlined a trust for his heirs and specified provisions regarding the development of Green Hill Farm, particularly the section of the property adjacent to his home in Philadelphia, now the site of the subject property and others developed by the Morris Estate. Wistar Morris hoped that his heirs would continue to occupy his mansion and the “Old Homestead” on the Lower Merion side of the property. Perhaps this is why he preferred that the Morris Estate manage any development of the Philadelphia property, and that if land was to be sold, it should be restricted to “one to three acres” with the preclusion of certain building types deemed injurious to surrounding properties. He even thought to incentivize his nieces and nephews to buy land at a 33 percent discount in any future development, with the contingency that they improve the property with an owner-occupied residence.
Morris also directed his trustees to attempt to persuade the City of Philadelphia to alter the standard gridiron street plan to accommodate the natural contours of the local landscape. com.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 17 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 23. 1940s. Figure 24. 1900. Source: Lower Merion Historical Society. Interestingly, the death of Wistar Morris in 1891 did not lead to the immediate development of the Philadelphia portion of Green Hill Farm. The Girard Trust Company managed the Morris Estate. For the first two decades after Morris’ death, any advancements in the direction of real estate development were slow, even though Overbrook Farms was rapidly underway to the east of the Morris Estate’s holdings. In 1895, the City of Philadelphia began the work of opening 64th and 66th Streets through the Morris Estate, which no doubt meant that some negotiations had occurred. The Morris Estate would eventually bequeath the acreage that would become known as Morris Park, just west of 66th Street, to the City of Philadelphia, which included land on both sides of Indian Creek. Wistar Morris stipulated that the bequest was for the purpose of preserving Indian Creek and that no sewage was to be dumped in its waters. Despite Morris’s hope that his oldest granddaughter might one day own and occupy his birthplace, the “Old Homestead” was leased to William S. Belding, of the firm of Belding Bros.
12 As the suburban development of Overbrook Farms creeped towards Green Hill Farm, the Morris Estate began some movements towards development in the 1910s. One of the first sales was to an outside party, which occurred in 1912 when Ernest T. Tustin purchased a lot adjacent to his own property with 100 feet front on the southeast side of Church Street, northeast of 64th Street. 13 In 1911, the Morris Estate proceeded with one of its first residential projects under the care of Wendell and Treat, agents of Wayne, Pennsylvania. ”14 It is unknown whether this project was ever executed. Later that year, in November, the Morris Estate announced a similar project, which included the design of “Residences (2)” by John I. Bright, architect. This project, too, was described as located at Overbrook. 15 12 “Lease Morris Estate Property, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 March 1910, 13. 13 The Philadelphia Inquirer, 7 January 1912, 40. 14 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 17 May 1911, 315. 15 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 22 November 1911, 807.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 18 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 25. An advertisement for houses built by the Morris Estate in Green Hill Farm with Morris Wood as the agent in 1920. Source: Evening Public Ledger, 6 July 1920, 5. The development of the subject property, as well as 7001-09 Greenhill Road, appears to have been the first residential development project of the Morris Estate that is known to have been fully completed. The process began in 1915, but the properties were not sold until 1919. This extended period of construction was most likely a consequence of the First World War. A detailed discussion of the subject property and its development is forthcoming in the next section of this nomination. The progress of the subject property was essentially the launching point of the Green Hill Farm subdivision. 16 In April 1916, another two-and-one-half-story stone dwelling was commissioned. 17 In August 1916, the Morris Estate commissioned a two-and-one-half-story “Residence and Garage” on designs by John I. 20 16 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 9 February 1916, 111. 17 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 5 April 1916, 243. 18 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 9 August 1916, 531.
19 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 23 August 1916, 559. 20 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 8 November 1916, 736.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 19 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania As a result of the First World War, the development of Green Hill Farm seems to have slowed, with no projects in 1917. 21 This would become the Green Hill Farms Hotel, a famous high- end hostelry of the era. Smaller residential commissions also resumed. 22 By July 1920, Morris Wood, a descendant of Wistar Morris, appears to have become the primary agent for the Morris Estate’s Green Hill Farm properties. His listings show photographs and renderings of the houses being sold by the Morris Estate. These advertisements continued into the early 1920s. Figure 26. Left: An advertisement for Green Hill Farms by Morris Wood. Source: Evening Public Ledger, 2 November 1920, 12. Figure 27. Right: An advertisement for Green Hill Farms by Morris Wood. Source: Evening Public Ledger, 9 February 1921, 24. The eighteen-acre portion of Green Hill Farm that included Wistar Morris’ mansion was sold by the Morris Estate in 1925 to Friends Central School, which still owns the property in 2025. 21 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 19 March 1918, 147. 22 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 2 April 1918, 186.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 20 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 28. An early photograph of the House at 7001-09 Greenhill Road. Source: Mellor, Meigs and Howe Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia. The Development of Two Residences by the Morris Estate 6953 and 7001-09 Greenhill Road Between November 1911 and November 1916, no other “Morris Estate” developments were announced in The Philadelphia Inquirer or The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide. By then, late in 1916, Henry P. Wright was the manager of the Morris Estate, and it was he who would oversee its early development operations on behalf of the Girard Trust Company. One of the first projects undertaken and known to have been completed was the commission of two Residences and two Garages on a site that was approximately one acre at 6953 and 7001-09 Greenhill Road. The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide announced the project on November 10, 1915, at which time the location was cited as Overbrook, Pennsylvania. ” By November 17, the construction contract was awarded to John J. Murphy & Co. 24 Aptly named, the nomenclature of the subject street clearly memorialized the origin story that was Green Hill Farm.
It appears that construction took some time, as the properties were not sold until the latter part of 1919. 23 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 10 November 1915, 735. 24 The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide, 17 November 1915, 735.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 21 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 29. Left: Charles H. Bean as shown in the Philadelphia Book. Source: Philadelphia and Notable Philadelphians (New York: Moses King, 1902), 38. Figure 30. Middle: A birthday announcement for Charles H. Bean in 1918. Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 November 1918, 2. Figure 31. Right: Charles H. Bean as shown in the Book. Source: Who’s Who in Philadelphia In Wartime (Philadelphia: Stafford’s National News Service, 1920). In December 1919, Charles Huhn Bean (1863-1945) purchased the subject property from the Morris Estate via the Girard Trust Company. This was just the type of buyer that the Morris Estate had in mind. 25 Shortly after purchasing the property, he declined reelection as President. For many years, Charles H. Bean and his wife, Harriet, owned a farm called “Gothwold” at Moylan, Pennsylvania. 26 In October 1919, just before the Beans bought the subject house, The Philadelphia Inquirer announced that their daughter’s husband, Maxwell R. 27 Later, in October 1919, it was announced that the subject property was being “prepared” for Charles H. 29 The son of George R. R. Bean and Sarah Hood Bean, Charles H.
Bean was a native of Philadelphia, where he attended and graduated from Philadelphia High School. He entered the banking and stock brokerage business by joining William H. Tevis & Co. in 1879. , which eventually became Huhn & Glendinning. ; however, this union only lasted a few years. In 1898, he established Chas. H. , at which time he became a member of both the 25 “Change Nominees, Charles H. Bean Will Again Head Local Stock Board,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 30 January 1919, 6. 26 The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 January 1920, 36. ; and Evening Public Ledger, 13 March 1920, 10. 28 Evening Public Ledger, 20 October 1920, 9. 29 “Events, Large and Little, Touching Various Persons,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 21 November 1920, 41.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 22 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia and New York Stock Exchanges. His firm would become one of the most prominent stock brokerage houses in the city, occupying a primary section of the Mariner and Merchant Building at Third and Chestnut Streets in the old financial district. In time, he became “a member of the governing committee” of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. And by the late 1910s, he was elected President, while, of course, still leading his own firm. In 1930, he and Harriet were still in residence at the subject property, then valued at $70,000, with a Swiss butler, Adolph Ritter; an American cook named Lillian Deuschle; and a German chambermaid, Irmgard Ruppe. His chauffeur, Martin O’Neill, an Irishman, lived in an apartment in the rear of the property with his wife, Beatrice, and their son John. The presence of the servants in 1930 indicates that his firm, or at least Bean himself, had somehow survived the Crash of 1929, at which time at least two members of his company had committed suicide. He would continue as a banker and stockbroker throughout the rest of his life. The Bean family retained the property until 1943. Figure 32. Left: Mrs. Charles H. Bean, Maxwell Martson, and Mrs. Maxwell Martson.
Source: Evening Public Ledger, 9 July 1918, 13. Figure 33. Right: Mrs. Maxwell Martson and her son of Green Hill Farm, the descendants of Charles H. Bean. Source: Evening Public Ledger, 23 April 1921, 9.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 23 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 34. 1918- 19. Source: Mellor, Meigs and Howe Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Criteria C and D The subject property at 6953 Greenhill Road, including the House, the Garage, the Garden Wall & Pergola, and the Garden, is part of the larger development of Two Residences by the Morris Estate, that are significant under Criteria C and D. Under Criterion C, the subject property reflects the environment in an era characterized by the Colonial Revival style with English stylistic overtones. The subject property shares its styling with other nearby suburban dwellings in Green Hill Farm, as well as in Overbrook Farms. Additionally, the subject property is a special example of a paired dwelling site that represents local vernacular architecture of the eighteenth century, as adapted to a design concept popularized in England and produced in numerous examples in Philadelphia. Under Criterion D, the subject property is a distinctive example of the Colonial Revival style with English stylistic architectural details.
The said resources, including the House, the Garage, the Garden Wall & Pergola, and the Garden, are particularly fine specimens of the Colonial Revival style as interpreted and rendered by the architectural firm of Mellor, Meigs and Howe.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 24 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 35. 1918-19. Source: Mellor, Meigs and Howe Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Criterion C The subject property at 6953 Greenhill Road, including the House, the Garage, the Garden Wall & Pergola, and the Garden, represents the Colonial Revival style at a time when it was a popular aesthetic choice throughout the suburbs of Philadelphia. While the more urban parts of the city more commonly employed red brick buildings in the Colonial Revival style, the use of stone for houses and other building types was common in suburban neighborhoods. The most ubiquitous suburban building form was the two-and-one-half-story stone dwelling with a side-gable roof and a symmetrical fenestration with multi-light wooden sash windows. The subject house and its mate at 7001-09 Greenhill Road adhere to this popular model. Other common features include paneled wooden doors, occasionally with a multi-light section; a Georgian-inspired cornice; louvered shutters; multi-light wooden windows and doors; gable-front dormers; and red brick chimney stacks rising from larger stone structures.
The subject house features a prominent pent eave, a once common feature on stone houses of the eighteenth century in Germantown and other parts of the Philadelphia region. Additionally, Colonial Revival design often includes beautiful ironwork, including balustrades, decorative door and shutter hinges, and weathervanes. The subject property originally featured an iron weathervane, which is no longer present. However, the iron balustrade and strapped hinges are present.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 25 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 36. Left: The Thompson McClintock House at 6912 City Avenue. Source: Google Street View, August 2024. Figure 37. Middle: The Dr. Edward LeRoy Bortz House at 6936 Greenhill Road. Source: Google Street View. Figure 38. Right: A Colonial Revival house at 6946 Greenhill Road. Source: Google Maps, August 2024. The Green Hill Farm neighborhood has numerous houses designed in the Colonial Revival style, many of which share similar features with the subject property. The closest geographically and stylistically is the Thompson McClintock House, a suburban residence that stands at 6912 City Avenue, which is adjacent to the subject property at its northern corner. This dwelling is a textbook example of the Colonial Revival style with its two-and-one-half-story stone structure; a symmetrical fenestration served by multi-light sash windows; the employment of three dormers in the primary elevation; and a pent eave along the primary and side elevations, featuring a wide-set, gable-front entrance hood within the larger pent eave.
Also nearby, across the street, the Edward LeRoy Bortz House at 6936 Greenhill Road is another example of the Colonial Revival style with a roughcast finish, featuring a symmetrical fenestration with multi-light windows; three gable- front dormers; and a pent eave with a gable-front entrance hood at the center. Opposite the subject property, the two-and-one-half-story pointed stone house with a side-gable roof at 6946 Greenhill Road is an attractive example of the Colonial Revival style, facing the interior of its lot. The primary elevation features a symmetrical, five-bay fenestration with six-over-six wooden sash windows, as well as paneled shutters on the ground floor and louvered shutters on the second floor. A pair of two-and-one-half-story stone houses facing the interior of their respective lots in 1840 and 1850 N. 71st Street are also designed in the Colonial Revival style. These are just a few examples in the immediate vicinity of the subject property, exhibiting that the subject building represents a style that was commonly employed in its immediate context, satisfying Criterion C.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 26 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 39. An expansive Victorian-era twin on Wakefield Street in Germantown. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2020. Another aspect of the subject property, including the House, the Garage, the Garden Wall & Pergola, and the Garden, is the distinctive design that embodies its physical layout, organization, and pairing with 7001-09 Greenhill Road. One doesn’t expect a dwelling of this size and type to be part of a twin development; however, it was created within a larger movement that produced densely built suburban dwelling sites that were interspersed with gardens and open space in an idyllic setting. Perhaps the best example of a planned suburb with these characteristics was the Hampstead Garden Suburb, a 234-acre residential development in London, England, which commenced in 1906. Among many of its attributes, Hampstead included a distinctive low-rise density of house types, most of which were attached or semi-detached. Eminent architects like Sir Edward L. Lutyens (1869-1944) designed twin or paired houses and other clusters of attached dwellings that were in the same category as the subject property. On this side of the Atlantic, similar developments occurred in Philadelphia.
In fact, the “twin” house is a ubiquitous building type commonly known in the City of Homes, it being defined as a pair of single-family dwellings, built side-by-side, generally sharing a single party wall, designed to look like one cohesive structure. In the mid-nineteenth century, twin houses were employed in emerging suburbs throughout the region, evolving in different ways to the present time. Attached, multi-house developments also increased in popularity even in lush suburban enclaves. Figure 40. Left: Willow Court at 42-52 W. Willow Grove Avenue. Figure 41. Right: Linden Court at 103-13 W. Willow Grove Avenue. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 27 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 42. Top: A twin residence in Cotswold Village in the 8000 block of Navajo Street. Figure 43. Bottom: Half Moon Houses at 7921-23 Lincoln Drive. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. In Chestnut Hill, George and Gertrude (Houston) Woodward commissioned numerous residential projects that included paired dwellings, as well as other multi-house complexes that were akin to the subject property. These were not rows of houses in the same way that terraces were usually constructed in Philadelphia. The Woodward developments, like the subject property of the Morris Estate, were placemaking projects that were achieved through thoughtful planning that went beyond architectural style. 30 Examples of relevant Woodward projects include the following: Cotswold Court (1915), designed by Robert R. McGoodwin, at 8000 Lincoln Drive, 135 W. Willow Grove Avenue, and 8001 Navajo Street. Cotswold Row (1921), designed by Edwin B. Gilchrist, at 8008, 8010, and 8012 Crefeld Street, a row of vernacular two-and-one-half-story stone houses built immediately upon Crefeld Street that are connected by one-story hyphens. Cotswold Village (1915), designed by Edwin B.
Gilchrist, at 8001-15 Navajo Street, a block of unusual English-inspired two-and-one-half-story stone twins. Double Residence (1914), designed by Edmund B. Gilchrist, at 116-18 W. Abington Avenue, being constructed of stone with a stucco finish in an interesting twin design. Half Moon Houses (1927), designed by Duhring, Okie & Zeigler, at 7919-25 Lincoln Drive, a curved row of two-and-one-half-story stone houses set off from Lincoln Drive by a park. 30 History of the George Woodward Company. > Accessed on 23 November 2025.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 28 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Linden Court (1915), designed by Edmund B. Gilchrist, 103-13 W. Willow Grove Avenue, is a red brick, Colonial Revival style U-shaped cluster of six structures that form a multi- house property. Roanoke Court (1931-33), designed by H. Louis Duhring, at 8014-28 Roanoke Street, is a cluster of three large stone structures planned around a central courtyard and behind a stone wall. Two Detached Houses “Sulgrave Manor,” (1926), designed by Ritter & Shay, at 200 W. Willow Grove Avenue, is a two-story stone Tudor-style country house. Detached House (1916), designed by Robert Rodes McGoodwin, at 224 W. Willow Grove Avenue, a two-story stone country house. Willow Court (1915), designed by Duhring, Okie & Zeigler, at 42-52 W. Willow Grove Avenue, a court of two-and-one-half-story red brick houses around a central garden. 31 Figure 44. Left: Cotswold Row at 8008, 8010, and 8012 Crefeld Street in Chestnut Hill. Figure 45. Right: Roanoke Court at 8014-28 Roanoke Street in Chestnut Hill. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025.
These examples demonstrate that the subject property, along with its companion at 7001-09 Greenhill Road, forms a residential complex that is part of a larger movement in the design of suburban houses and dwelling sites, satisfying Criterion C. 31 This list of projects completed by the George Woodward was found in the Philadelphia Architects and Builders Database of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 29 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 46. Looking northwest at the subject property from Greenhill Road. Source: Keeping Society of Philadelphia, 2025. Criterion D Under Criterion D, the subject property, including the House, the Garage, the Garden Wall and Pergola, and the Garden, is a distinctive example of the Colonial Revival style through its textbook use of historically inspired forms, materials, and compositions. The two-and-one-half-story stone house exhibits hallmark Colonial Revival features, including a steeply pitched, side-gabled roof with prominent redbrick chimneys at each end, symmetrically placed dormers, multi-light double- hung sash windows, and operable shutters that reinforce an idealized eighteenth-century aesthetic. Its finely laid stone masonry echoes early regional building traditions, while the refined entrance bay and orderly façade composition demonstrate the Colonial Revival’s characteristic blend of romantic historicism and modern craftsmanship. The one-and-one-half-story garage, designed as a complementary dependency, incorporates similar stonework, gabled roof forms, and multi-light windows, as well as its Georgian-style cupola.
Together with the carefully planned central Garden, as well as the Garden Wall and Pergola, the buildings create a formally composed domestic landscape typical of high-style Colonial Revival design, emphasizing symmetry, craftsmanship, and a picturesque reinterpretation of early American architectural precedents with a special focus on the Philadelphia Region.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 30 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Figure 47. An overall plan for the “Two Houses for the Morris Estate” was published in The Architectural Record in March 1920. Criterion E The property at 6953 Greenhill Road, including the House, the Garage, the Garden Wall & Pergola, and the Garden, comprises a significant masterwork of the eminent architectural firm of Mellor, Meigs and Howe. There is no question that Mellor, Meigs and Howe was a significant partnership
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 31 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that greatly influenced the built environment of the Philadelphia region. The subject project was designed between 1915 and 1916, when the firm was still Mellor and Meigs, and constructed between 1916 and 1919, when the firm became Mellor, Meigs and Howe. While much of their early work was influenced by the vernacular architecture of the region, the firm’s residential designs began to evolve significantly in the 1910s, when their Colonial Revival designs took on decidedly English overtones and features. This project represents a transitional period in the firm’s oeuvre, when the architecture was still decidedly Colonial Revival, but the planning and layout, as well as some features, were increasingly influenced by English precedent. Figure 48. Left: The Bernard A. Illoway Place in Chestnut Hill. Source: “The Firs, In Suburban Philadelphia,” The Spur, 15 June 1924, 66. Figure 49. Right: The George House Place at Chestnut Hill in 1924. Source: Frank A. Wrensch. “Country House & Gardens: The George Howe Place, at Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia,” The Spur, 1 November 1924.
The work of Mellor, Meigs and Howe is widely celebrated for its masterful adaptation of English and French country architecture to the lush suburban context of the Philadelphia region. The following examples speak to that legacy: The Leonard T. Beale Residence (1912) at St. Davids, Pennsylvania; “High Hollow” (1914), the George Howe Residence at Chestnut Hill; The Caspar Wistar Morris House (1916) at Haverford, Pennsylvania; the Heatly C. Dulles Residence (1917) at Villa Nova, Pennsylvania; the Francis S. McIlhenny Residence (1918) at Chestnut Hill; the Robert T. McCracken House (1920) at Germantown; and the Christopher L. 32 Lesser known, the firm also proved to be master architects in regional variants of the Colonial Revival. ” This is certainly represented in the characteristics of the subject property, which embodies the Colonial Revival as well as the firm’s evolution as a practitioner of English-inspired design. Tatman explained that the firm’s style “changed, however, to a use of English forms, particularly those associated with the Cotswold 32 A Monograph of the Work of Mellor, Meigs & Howe. , 1923).
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 32 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania style or with Sir Edward L. ”33 As discussed in previous sections of this nomination, the subject property and 7001-09 Greenhill Road are largely Colonial Revival in the execution of their building forms and architectural styling, but with an overall plan that seems decidedly influenced by English precedent, and the use of paired dwellings and other multi-house developments, with the garden as a particularly important component of the project. A Monograph of the Works of Mellor, Meigs & Howe was published in 1923, which included many of their English and French country house designs. 34 Figure 50. ,” as published in Touchstone on 1 June 1917. The work of Mellor and Meigs, prior to George Howe joining the firm, was also recognized regularly in professional journals and other lifestyle publications of the period as skilled Colonial Revival designs. For example, the firm was noted as having designed a “wonderful, great rambling Colonial house” for Dr. Francis H. 35 Later that year, in June, Touchstone, a New York publication, featured a heavily illustrated article, “Making Historical Architecture: The American Style That Is Unconsciously Developing,” on several houses designed by Mellor and Meigs.
The article culminates in the following paragraph: Looking at these houses designed by Mellor and Meigs, it seems as if the acme of stone beauty has been reached. It is a style distinctly Pennsylvanian, the texture is varied, the colors of the joints modulated with the natural tints of the stone. These houses seem as near imperishable as anything made by the hand of man can be. 36 33 Sandra Lee Tatman. Thesis: A Study of the Work of Mellor, Meigs and Howe. (University of Oregon, September 1977), 34. 34 A Monograph of the Work of Mellor, Meigs & Howe. , 1923). 35 “Arts and Crafts in the Home,” Art World, 1 January 1917. ,” Touchstone, 1 June 1917.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 33 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Another aspect of the article is the number of views that depict the respective dwellings within their beautifully rendered gardens, which is certainly an important feature of the subject development, as well as the Colonial Revival and the work of Mellor, Meigs and Howe. Figure 51. Top: A rear view, showing the driveway and service areas of both the subject house and 7001-09 Greenhill Road in June 1918. Figure 52. Bottom: From the northeast, “The Residence of Mr. Ellis Y. Brown, Jr., Downingtown, PA.” is another Colonial Revival-inspired design by Mellor, Meigs and Howe. Source: “American Country Homes,” The Architectural Review, June 1918. The importance of the Morris Estate project is confirmed in period publications and reviews of its design and execution. By June 1918, it appears that the subject property and 7001-09 Greenhill Road were nearly completed, as The Architectural Review published the plans in their journal, along with several exterior photographs under the header “American Country Homes.” The publication stated the following about the design:
37 Interestingly, these plates were published alongside “Modern English Country Houses” with designs by Sir Edward L. 38 Figure 53. The subject property was illustrated and referenced in an article published by The Architectural Review in 1918. Source: “Publisher’s Department,” The Architectural Review, June 1918, xi. In the years after the Morris Estate had finished and sold the properties, the design received additional media attention, confirming the unique importance of the project. In March 1920, John Taylor Boyd, Jr. wrote an interesting article, entitled “Some Principles of Small House Design, Part V – Elevation Style,” for The Architectural Record, in which he discussed the exterior presentation of small to medium-sized houses for suburban and country locations. The article included photographs of the Morris Estate properties, as well as commentary on the high quality of the exterior presentation of designs by Mellor, Meigs and Howe. The article showcased the firm 37 “Publisher’s Department,” The Architectural Review, June 1918, xi. 38 Sandra Lee Tatman. Thesis: A Study of the Work of Mellor, Meigs and Howe. (University of Oregon, September 1977), 34.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 35 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania alongside other important architects like Wilson Eyre & McIlvaine, Parker Morse Hooper, Frank Arnold Colby, and William Edgar Moran.39 Figure 54. A plan of the buildings at 7001-09 Greenhill Road. Source: Charles S. Keefe. The American House. (New York: U.P.C. Book Company, Inc., 1922). Two years later, plates and a plan of the Morris Estate buildings were published in The American House, an architectural book by Charles F. Keefe in 1922. The author lauded the firm’s work by including other recent projects. Also designed in the Colonial Revival style, the inclusion of “The Residence of Mr. Ellis Y. Brown, Jr., Downingtown, PA.” in the book exhibits the firm’s ongoing practice with the employment of historically inspired vernacular architecture of the region. Additionally, the book also showcased other styles employed by the firm. “The House of C.W. 39 “Some Principles of Small House Design, Part V-Elevation Style,” The Architectural Record, March 1920.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 36 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Morris, Esq., Haverford, PA.” was also featured with both exterior and interior views, another significant design, this one in the Tudor Revival style.40 Figure 55. “A Composition of House and Garden,” House & Garden, June 1923, 50. The hype for the Morris Estate project continued into 1923. In fact, several projects by Mellor, Meigs and Howe were showcased in House & Garden issues of June and July 1923, which included the Greenhill Road houses in both publications. The June 1923 issue featured a photograph of the garden at 7001-09 Greenhill Road with the following statement: The elusive ideal in country house design and in the planning of the garden is to create with both together a pictorial composition. A composition of such true pictorial charm as this corner of the garden on the Morris estate in Philadelphia is not often achieved. The relationship between the building and the planning is so 40 Charles S. Keefe. The American House. (New York: U.P.C. Book Company, Inc., 1922).
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 37 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania subtly right that no effort of means is apparent the picture has a fine quality of completeness.41 This period quote regarding the subject property is the perfect summary of its importance. The design of 6953 Greenhill Road represents a notable early work of Mellor, Meigs and Howe, an architectural firm that greatly impacted the built environment of the Philadelphia region, satisfying Criterion E. Figure 56. The first two pages of a spread on “Houses by Mellor, Meigs & Howe,” published in House & Garden in 1923, show the subject property on the first page. Source: House & Garden, 12 July 1923, 71-72. 41 “A Composition of House and Garden,” House & Garden, June 1923, 50.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 38 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY This nomination was completed for the Greenhill Farms Preservation Club by the Keeping Society of Philadelphia, with the primary author as Oscar Beisert, Architectural Historian and Historic Preservationist, with assistance from Nancy McBreen, retired school teacher. com Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) Database, Athenaeum of Philadelphia Major Bibliographic References “A Composition of House and Garden,” House & Garden, June 1923, 50. A Monograph of the Work of Mellor, Meigs & Howe. , 1923). “Arts and Crafts in the Home,” Art World, 1 January 1917. Bulletin of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. (Norristown: Historical Society of Montgomery County, Spring 1958), Vol. XI, No. 2, p. 135. “Change Nominees, Charles H. Bean Will Again Head Local Stock Board,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 30 January 1919, 6. Charles S. Keefe. The American House. C. , 1922). Evening Public Ledger, 13 March 1920, 10. Evening Public Ledger, 20 October 1920, 9. “Events, Large and Little, Touching Various Persons,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 21 November 1920, 41. Historical Society of Pennsylvania Biographical Index.
“Lease Morris Estate Property, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 March 1910, 13. ,” Touchstone, 1 June 1917. Morris family papers (Collection 2000B) Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/findingaide 19 November 2025. MC 1191) Quaker and Special Collections Haverford College, Haverford, PA. edu/repositories /5/resources/544 Accessed 19 November 2025. com. com. “Publisher’s Department,” The Architectural Review, June 1918, xi. Sandra Lee Tatman. Thesis: A Study of the Work of Mellor, Meigs and Howe. (University of Oregon, September 1977), 34. “Some Principles of Small House Design, Part V-Elevation Style,” The Architectural Record, March 1920. “The First 300” written by Dick Jones and Hugh L. org). The Philadelphia Inquirer, 7 January 1912, 40.
Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, November 2025 - 39 Two Houses for the Morris Estate – Part I, 6953 Greenhill Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 January 1920, 36. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 October 1919, 17. The Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders’ Guide