Wissahickon Inn
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Opened May 30, 1884 by the industrialist Henry H. Houston as a 250-room summer resort hotel. The architects were G.W. and W.D. Hewitt. Since 1898 the Inn has served Chestnut Hill Academy (founded 1850) which acquired ownership, 1940.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
When it opened on May 30, 1884, the Wissahickon Inn was a grand 250-room summer resort, built by industrialist Henry H. Houston and designed by the noted architects G.W. and W.D. Hewitt. As Chestnut Hill developed into a fashionable suburb, the sprawling hotel found a second life in education. Since 1898 it has served Chestnut Hill Academy, the school that acquired the building outright in 1940.
Why it matters
The inn captures the Gilded Age fashion for grand suburban resorts and its graceful conversion into a lasting school, showing how one landmark served changing generations.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- African American Museum in Philadelphia8.1 mi away · 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- National Constitution Center8.1 mi away · 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Visitor Center8.2 mi away · 599 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Betsy Ross House8.3 mi away · 239 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Liberty Bell Center8.3 mi away · 526 Market Street, Philadelphia
- Museum of Illusions Philadelphia8.3 mi away · 401 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
Attractions
- Discovery Center at East Park Reservoir5.5 mi away
- Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge6.0 mi away
- Philadelphia Zoo6.3 mi away
- Harbison's Dairy Milk Bottle6.8 mi away
- Rocky Steps6.9 mi away
- American Bandstand7.2 mi away
Food & drink
- Burger King8.2 mi away
- Independence Mall Cafe8.2 mi away · 50 North Independence Mall East, Philadelphia
- Dunkin'8.2 mi away · 634 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters8.3 mi away
- Philly Pretzel Factory8.3 mi away
- Time & Peace8.3 mi away · 36 South 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- Days Inn Philadelphia Convention Center - Philadelphia7.7 mi away · 1227 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia City Center7.8 mi away · 1201 Race Street, Philadelphia
- Clarion Suites Philadelphia7.9 mi away · 1010 Race Street, Philadelphia
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Philadelphia - Convention Center, PA7.9 mi away · 1200 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Sleep Inn Center City7.9 mi away · 1020 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA
- The Notary Hotel7.9 mi away · 21 North Juniper Street, Philadelphia
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Related people
- · Henry H. Houston
Themes & tags
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In 1694 the German mystic Johannes Kelpius led a band of learned followers to the banks of the Wissahickon, drawn by William Penn's promise of religious liberty. Known as the "Hermits of the Wissahickon," they wrote poetry and music, studied the stars and plants, built one of the colonies' early pipe organs, and waited for the millennium they believed near. Notably tolerant for their age, they welcomed people of every background, including Native Americans, until the community faded after Kelpius's death in 1708.