Special Independence Week Tours: Patriots & Loyalists at Woodford Mansion

During the years leading up to and during the American Revolution, some Philadelphia residents were engaged in the fight for independence, while others loyally supported the British monarchy in the colonies.  Woodford’s owners and residents fell on both sides of the battle between 1756 and 1781.  Woodford founder William Coleman was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin and was a founding member of the Junto with Franklin.  He also played a pivotal role in the founding of the American Philosophical Society, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital and The Philadelphia Contributionship – Philadelphia’s first fire insurance company.  Coleman’s orphaned nephew, George Clymer, also lived at Woodford, and would later serve as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and sign both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.  Successful merchant David Franks actively assisted both sides of the revolutionary conflict while he lived at Woodford.  Yet his socialite daughter, Rebecca Franks, demonstrated a preference for Crown officers during the British occupation of Philadelphia.  Many of the antiques that tell the stories of Woodford and its 18^th-century residents provide evidence of both Patriot and Loyalist ties in Colonial Philadelphia.

Celebrate the legacies of American independence with a tour of Woodford Mansion to hear the stories of life in Philadelphia and the struggles between Patriots and Loyalists.  Learn about Woodford’s earliest residents and their roles in our nation’s history. 

Guided tours only. Admission for a guided tour is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for senior citizens, and $2 for children (ages 6-12).