Chamounix (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

United States historic place

Chamounix

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Philadelphia Register of Historic Places

Chamounix, June 2010

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Location| West Fairmount Park on Chamounix Drive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates| 40°0′13.6″N 75°11′46.6″W﻿ / ﻿40.003778°N 75.196278°W﻿ / 40.003778; -75.196278
Area| Less than one acre
Built| 1802; 223 years ago (1802)[2]
Architectural style| Federal[2]
NRHP reference No.| 72001146[1]
Added to NRHP| April 26, 1972

Chamounix is a historic home located in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Federal-style house was built in 1802 by George Plumsted who was a wealthy Philadelphia merchant, then enlarged to nearly double its original size by subsequent owners after 1853.[2] Chamounix is a 2½-story stuccoed stone dwelling measuring 45 feet (14 m) long and 47 feet (14 m) deep, featuring a hipped roof with dormers and a porch on three sides with decorative iron supports. The house served as a country retreat until it was appropriated by the state via eminent domain in 1869 to become a part of Fairmount Park, from which time it was used in various ways including as a boarding house, a restaurant, and a refreshment stand. After years of neglect and then fire damage, the Fairmount Park Commission decided to demolish Chamounix; however, a committee of the former American Youth Hostels (AYH, now HI USA) successfully petitioned to save it and, since 1964, it has served as an international youth hostel.[3]

Chamounix was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.[1]

## See also

[edit]

* List of houses in Fairmount Park

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ a b c "A brief history of Chamounix Mansion". Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
3. ^ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania". CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on July 21, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2012. Note: This includes Pennsylvania Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks (August 1971). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Chamounix" (PDF). Retrieved July 18, 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Chamounix Mansion at Wikimedia Commons
* Hostelling International - Chamounix Mansion website
* Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) documentation:
* HABS No. PA-1653, "Chamounix Mansion", 6 photos, 4 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
* HABS No. PA-6184, "Schuylkill River Villas", 18 data pages of historical context

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