Exilious, John G. “A View of Lemon Hill the Seat of Henry Pratt Esqr"

John G. Exilious.  “A View of Lemon Hill the Seat of Henry Pratt Esqr.” 

Philadelphia, August 1813.  From The Port Folio.  4 1/4 x 6 1/2.  Engraving by J. Exilious.  Minor stains in margins.  Else, very good condition.  A/A

The Port Folio was a new type of American magazine, “Devoted to Useful Science, the Liberal Arts, Legitimate Criticism, and Polite Literature.”   It was a product of the new century, appearing first in January 1801.  It began as a weekly issue until 1809, when it became monthly until its demise at the end of 1827.  As with the many magazines that followed it, The Port Folio included numerous illustrations, such as this attractive view of Lemon Hill drawn and engraved by John G. Exilious. 

During the American Revolution, Robert Morris used the pictured estate as a summer house, calling it “The Hills.”  George Washington and other prominent figures of the period made frequent visits to this lovely mansion set in the green country side not far from the city.  With Morris’ financial ruin at the end of the eighteenth century, the property was transferred to Henry Pratt, who improved the estate and renamed it “Lemon Hill.”  In this charming landscape, with two fishermen in the foreground on the west bank of the Schuylkill and three boaters shown on the river, the mansion is seen in the distance, with a large building used for horticulture shown to the right.  Though the city has grown tremendously in the years since this view was issued, the scene today is not that much different than shown, for Lemon Hill and the surrounding grounds have been kept as wooded country side by inclusion in Fairmount Park.