We invited our guests to Historic Strawberry Mansion in Fairmount Park on November 16th, 2016. The evening featured Birchtree’s latest seasonal and local creations, as well as wonderful music and decor from some of our favorite local vendors – Redfield Photography, Q|A Designs, East Coast Entertainment and Chaddsford Winery.
This dinner focused on the hearty feel of a hunter’s lodge meal, featuring Oyster Stew with a rich broth and roast fish, Pheasant with apple and chestnut pudding, and Beef Wellington with a tangle of crispy mushrooms. The decor matched the rich style of the mansion, with velvet textures and deep reds and golds.
The Historic Strawberry Mansion is the largest of the seven historic Fairmount Park Houses. Formerly known as “Summerville,” Historic Strawberry Mansion was built in 1789 by Judge William Lewis, a well-known lawyer and abolitionist, as a summer home along the Schuylkill River. In 1825, its second owner, Judge Joseph Hemphill, added the first of two Greek-revival style wings to the home. The structure of the house remains largely unchanged to this day, and has become one of the most celebrated, historic houses in Philadelphia.
