The Highlands
Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Built in 1796 by merchant and Pa. state senator Anthony Morris as a refuge for the Morris family during recurrences of yellow fever in Philadelphia. Originally 200 acres, it is noted for its late Georgian-style fieldstone mansion, designed by Philadelphia politician Timothy Matlack. Sold in 1813 to wine merchant George Sheaff, whose family owned it until 1917, when Caroline Sinkler purchased it. She made Colonial Revival renovations.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1796, as Philadelphia endured recurring waves of deadly yellow fever, merchant and state senator Anthony Morris built this fieldstone estate outside the city as a country refuge for his family. Its late Georgian mansion—designed by the Philadelphia figure Timothy Matlack—anchored an original 200-acre property that passed through the Sheaff family for a century before Caroline Sinkler acquired it in 1917 and gave it Colonial Revival updates. The house layers more than a century of American taste, from Federal-era elegance to early-twentieth-century revivalism.
Why it matters
The Highlands traces how the young republic's mercantile elite lived, fled epidemics, and shaped the landscape around Philadelphia—and how later generations, including a prominent woman preservationist, reimagined that heritage.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- African American Museum in Philadelphia13.1 mi away · 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- National Constitution Center13.2 mi away · 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Visitor Center13.3 mi away · 599 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Betsy Ross House13.3 mi away · 239 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Illadelph Glass Gallery13.4 mi away · 68 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Museum of Illusions Philadelphia13.4 mi away · 401 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
Attractions
- Discovery Center at East Park Reservoir10.6 mi away
- Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge11.1 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo11.4 mi away
- Harbison's Dairy Milk Bottle11.7 mi away
- Rocky Steps12.0 mi away
- American Bandstand12.2 mi away
Food & drink
- Burger King13.3 mi away
- Independence Mall Cafe13.3 mi away · 50 North Independence Mall East, Philadelphia
- Dunkin'13.3 mi away · 634 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters13.3 mi away
- Philly Pretzel Factory13.3 mi away
- Time & Peace13.4 mi away · 36 South 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- Days Inn Philadelphia Convention Center - Philadelphia12.8 mi away · 1227 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia City Center12.8 mi away · 1201 Race Street, Philadelphia
- Clarion Suites Philadelphia12.9 mi away · 1010 Race Street, Philadelphia
- Sleep Inn Center City13.0 mi away · 1020 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Philadelphia - Convention Center, PA13.0 mi away · 1200 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- The Notary Hotel13.0 mi away · 21 North Juniper Street, Philadelphia
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related people
- · Anthony Morris
- · Timothy Matlack
- · Caroline Sinkler
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
The Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women
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Founded in 1910 by Jane Bowne Haines and a "congress of women," this school was among the first in the nation to train women for professional careers in horticulture and agriculture. It became a seedbed for organized women's work in the field, hosting the founding of the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association in 1913. During both world wars its students taught women to grow and preserve food for the war effort before the school merged with Temple University in 1958.
Violet Oakley (1874-1961)
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Painter Violet Oakley won national acclaim for the murals she created for Pennsylvania's State Capitol, works that celebrated William Penn's ideals of justice and peace. She was also gifted in stained glass and illustration, and in 1906 she moved with two other women artists to "Cogslea," where she lived and worked until 1961. Her long career unfolded during an era when women were breaking into professional artistic circles.
C. DeLores Tucker (1927-2005)
Philadelphia, PA · est. 2006
For 47 years C. DeLores Tucker made her home here while becoming one of Pennsylvania's most forceful advocates for civil rights and women's equality. As the nation's first African American woman to serve as a state Secretary of State, she championed the state Equal Rights Amendment, affirmative action, mail-in voter registration, and lowering the voting age to 18. Late in life she led a high-profile campaign against music lyrics she considered demeaning to women and Black Americans.
Sadie T.M. Alexander (1898-1989)
Philadelphia, PA · est. 1993
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander broke barrier after barrier in early-to-mid-20th-century America, becoming the first Black woman admitted to the Pennsylvania bar. A tireless force in the Urban League and other civil rights causes, she was appointed in 1946 to President Truman's Committee on Civil Rights, whose landmark report helped set the stage for later desegregation. She spent her later years in this Philadelphia home.