- Thank You so much, I can tell the is a labor of
love. This would be lost forever without you. So Sad Sad smile

- Survey
rmgase@hotmail.com
- Jun 16, 2013 at 2:16 PM EST
- I have lived my whole life in the Delaware valley.
Stotsbury was an icon, a legend, in the area. I wanted to be an architect at
one time when I was young Whitemarsh hall inspired me but alas to no avail
for my father didn't have funds to put me through school. Well I guess my
dream died with the mansion. I knew people that vandalized it, it makes me
sick to this day. I don't know how Philadelphia could let a treasure like
that house go.....
- Ingmar
ingak47@netzero.com
- Jun 14, 2013 at 7:01 PM EST
- I remember walking through the mansion just dreaming
about coming down the grand staircase to a party as a young girl. I too was
so sad to c what people had done to it. I did some research years ago and
also remember an article in I think the bulletin sunday supplement and it
described the grand parties that he had.
- besttreeman
besttreeman@msn.com
- May 16, 2013 at 6:20 PM EST
- I recently came across your website regarding the
Stotesbury estate. If you are interested, I would be happy to scan and send
you pictures my mom had from her childhood if you are interested. My
maternal grandfather was a chauffeur for the Stotesburys, and my
grandparents married in 1924. My parents have a wonderful piece of
needlework hanging in their living room that was a wedding gift from the
Stotesburys. I also have an autographed picture of Mrs. Stotesbury that was
given to my grandfather. As a matter of fact, I have an engagement ring that
was designed by one of the jewelers that Mrs. Stotesbury favored. My mother
passed away in 2011 and lived with Alzheimers at the end of her life. As a
result, I heard many stories of her earlier life where she spent winters at
the Florida estate in West Palm Beach and summers in Philadelphia at the
estate there. Thank you,
- Laura & Drew Frye
fryefamily2@verizon.net
- May 14, 2013 at 1:19 PM EST
Every once in
awhile, when I'm feeling down, I mosey on over to your website and imagine
myself living in Whitemarsh Hall, entertaining house guests, and generally
living the life of ease. I hadn't been there in a few years, but today was
the perfect day to visit. However, the archived photo links are not working.
Just thought I'd let you know. Thanks for creating and maintaining such a
wonderful website.
- Jean Agnes Lerma
agie.lerma@gmail.com
- Apr 2, 2013 at 2:36 PM EST
- Hi Gerry, My friend and I used to ride our bikes on early
summer mornings to the Stotesbury Estate in the '70's. The photos bring back the
smell of the place and the scary thrill of meandering through the ruins as a
young girl. Thanks so much for these.
- Susan Salinger susansalinger@mac.com
- Mar 19, 2013 at 11:08 PM EST
- Hello! - - May I request that my email
address not be made public? Thank you. - - I loved to see this site
dedicated to what we kids called Stotesbury Mansion. My first view of Whitemarsh
Hall was from the car. For some reason my mom had asked my dad to drive us up to
the place and we sat at the front entrance. I wanted to go in but mom said it
was owned by a company now (must have been around 1961). My mother had grown up
in a house on Abington Avenue that had been built by her grandparents. We would
all gather at mom-mom's house for the annual Wyndmoor Memorial Day parade,
21-gun salute ceremony, the games, and family picnic. We could walk through the
park to mom-mom's backyard. Traymore Avenue was just rocks back then, so it
wasn't very pleasant to walk on. I don't know when they finally paved that road.
A few years after we drove up in the car, my cousins, who lived in the
neighborhood on Southampton Avenue took us up to Stotesbury. It must have been
in the mid-60's. It was a sunny day, an uphill hike, I remember, with lots of
undergrowth but no shade. We approached it from the back and as we stepped out
onto level ground the garden astounded me. I was enthralled by the statues and
massiveness of the garden. You could still see the design and beauty beneath the
weeds. It made me sad, wondering what it looked like when it was maintained and
cared for. The fountain, though not working, still had all the statues intact
but there were places along what apparently was servants' housing that already
had been broken into. We entered through a broken door or large window in the
back of the mansion.The first interior site that I remember was the amazing
stairway. The enormous floor-to-ceiling mirror at the top of the landing was
still unbroken. (The next time we visited, the mirror was gone.) The intricate
crown molding, a kind of pineapple/leaf design made of plaster along the wall of
the stairway, was already showing signs of damage where rain was seeping into
the building and down the walls. I remember walking down the main large hall and
peeking into various doorways. There were narrow circular metal stairways. The
first visit, we were able to go up the stair but on a later visit, it was
blocked by debris. We were able to explore extensively the first time we were
there, and much of the building seemed to be in fairly good condition but in a
year's time, it was damaged and vandalized badly. The photos you have from 1979
are really sad - how badly destroyed the place was. I will never understand why
people have to destroy beautiful things. In the late '70's, while in college, I
read an article that they were going to destroy the place and build luxury homes
or something. I was living in Manhattan in 1980 when Whitemarsh Hall was
demolished so I didn't even know about it until I returned to Pennsylvania in
the mid-'80's. I still live in Pennsylvania and not too far from my roots. I was
born in Chestnut Hill Hospital. It may be an interesting ride to take a trip
down to Wyndmoor and see what the former grounds of Whitemarsh Hall look like
now. Your photos from 1979 and subsequent demolition in 1980 and new structures
built have all sparked my curiosity to go check it out. Thank you so much for
creating this site and all the great photos and the floor plans. Thank you for
sharing some amazing facts and photos!
Diane Nolan
- PA, USA - Mar 16, 2013 at 9:06 PM EST
- Hi Gerry, Haven’t been to you website
for quite a while now. Looks great I have just started to be active on the face
book Whitemarsh Hall site so I thought check yours out again. Please keep up the
good work! I also came across an article about stone mason last name Serianni
who lost his house when they built
in
Chestnut Hill. Not sure it was your family or not. I attached a few of the
things I remember about Stotesburys that I posted on the face book site if you
are interested. Thanks
- John Ball
jcball4@comcast.net
- Mar 13, 2013 at 1:17 PM EST
- Your site brought tears to my eyes. I was telling my son
about one of the neatest places I have ever been, was at a loss for words so
we Googled Stotesbury Mansion and found your incredible tribute to this
completely amazing place.
The first time my old friend Chris took me to Whitemarsh Hall, I about
flipped. It was in the early 70’s and we had to go at night because the
police were all over trespassers. We went back several times, each time it
was harder and harder to get through the woods to the mansion without
getting in trouble. We never took anything or defaced anything and it always
used to tick us off to see the graffiti and the broken stuff and garbage
everywhere. I wanted to buy the place in the worst way and just figured it
would be around forever; when I was old and rich enough it would be there
for the buying. I wanted to fix up just the kitchen and one or two rooms and
let the rest of the place fall apart…….high school Naiveté. I was
heartbroken when I returned from Korea in the Army and found the place gone.
I am 60 now and will never forget the place. The awe we used to experience
breaking through the trees and see the silhouette against the stars.......
Thanks for your effort,
- David Livingston
David.Livingston@ars.usda.gov
- Feb 9, 2013 at 3:59 PM EST
- Cover of Corvette
Club of Delaware Valley's newsletter. Still an operational club. I actually
drove my car to the Stotesbury Mansion for a "Photo Shoot". I was writing an
article for "The Gas Cap". This was our newsletter for everything Corvette plus
related items. Everyone was invited to submit articles of interest including:
cars for sale, parts, swap meets, car shows, birthdates, house parties or even
places you and your Corvette attended. This is my story: I visited Stotesbury
many times, AM and PM. Most times with friends. I even convinced my Dad to come
along this one Saturday afternoon... and bring a latern - because we were
going IN! We spotted along the way; statues, plazas, gates, and gardens, but the
Mansion was now in site.
Ron Musacchio
sonnyblueskies@att.net
- Jan 26, 2013 at 3:56 AM EST