From the array of shops in Chestnut Hill, through Mt. Airy’s tree-lined streets, to historic sites in Germantown, Northwest Philadelphia is known for its unique character, charm and some of the most beautiful and carefully preserved properties in the region. The origins of the storied neighborhood are rooted in a history of development, ambition, and community. 

“You have to know where you’re coming from in order to know where you’re going,” said Alex Bartlett, curator and archivist at the Chestnut Hill Conservancy, reflecting on the importance of this region's history. 

The German Township

Nearly four centuries ago, Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, and Germantown were part of what was once German Township. The municipality was founded in 1683 by a group of Quakers and Mennonites from Eastern Europe who, with the help of lawyer Francis D. Pastorius obtained 15,000 acres of land to begin the construction of the township. 

Residents eventually divided the community into separate villages: Germantown (then called German-Towne), Cresheim, Sommerhousen, and Crefeld. Immigrants from Western Europe soon joined the settlers, and what started as 13 families from Eastern Europe gradually turned into a growing township. The community of small villages filled with log huts that Pastorius described as “Esist alles nur Wald” (All is forest) eventually became a sought-after enclave of neighborhoods — a destination point for well-to-do Philadelphians.  

Germantown (“German-Towne”)

Germantown’s appeal began shortly after the development of the commuter railroads that could transport citizens from the city to the villages. What followed was a swift evolution from agrarian roots to an in-demand suburban retreat. 

As Germantown boomed, land developers saw potential and seized the opportunity to invest in reshaping the community’s rural village into lots which held extravagant estates on manicured tree-lined streets. Some of the most notable properties in Germantown are The Deshler-Morris House (1752), Cliveden (1767), The Johnson House (1768), and Grumblethorp (1744), among others.

Mt. Airy 

Formerly the village of Cresheim, Mt. Airy adopted the motto  “One village, many voices,” a philosophy that is still ingrained in the community. 

“Mt. Airy is known for its history of racial diversity and purposeful integration, especially during the 1950s-1970s … when neighbors rejected redlining,” said Andrea Calabretta, communications manager of the Mt. Airy Community Development Corporation. “Today it's an eclectic neighborhood of artists, academics, entrepreneurs, and musicians from all walks of life known for their political activism and engagement in community. … It's important to me that the community where I make my home and raise my children reflects my values in that regard,” said Calabretta, who’s lived in Mt. Airy since 2019.

The first 12 homes built in the village of Cresheim on Cresheim Road laid a foundation which would soon pique the interest of William Allen. Allen eventually retired in the village, building an estate he called “Mount Airy,” named for what he viewed as a place offering a breath of fresh air away from the heat and bustling nature of the downtown. 

After his death, the residence served as a home for other families and was used as a school and seminary. Businessman and developer James Gowen, the last owner, demolished the estate and replaced it with an Italianate mansion called Magnolia Villa. Although the original estate was destroyed, the name Mount Airy lived on. Magnolia Villa still stands today as Hagan Hall on the campus of United Lutheran Seminary. 

In 1840, Mt. Airy caught the eye of George W. Carpenter, who built a grand Greek revival estate named “Phil-Ellena” after his second wife, Ellen Carpenter. Phil-Ellena sat on a manicured 500-acre lot along what is now Mower Street and Pelham Road. 

After Carpenter's death, Ellen sold 100 acres of their lot to developers Herman Wendell and Willard Smith, who transformed the lot into a beautiful road with a selection of revival style estates, laying the groundwork for what is now the Pelham neighborhood of Mt. Airy. This anchored the development of nearby neighborhoods in the early 20th century such as Sedgwick Farms, a collection of English and colonial-style residences located on the east side of Germantown Avenue, and French Village, on the west side, with its architecture reminiscent of the Normandy coast. 

Chestnut Hill 

A spot a few miles northwest of Mt. Airy, in Crefeld and Sommerhausen, eventually became Chestnut Hill. Developers Henry Howard Houston and George Stately Woodward — developer of French Village — built an array of residencies here, from grand estates for affluent Philadelphians to smaller homes for modest families. Instead of summer and country getaways, Houston and Woodward built permanent residences, transforming the landscape from village to suburb.

Architects Louis Kahn, George Howe, and Robert Venturi followed in the footsteps of Houston and Woodward, designing many of the homes that still stand today. The neighborhood, first recorded as “Chestnut Hill” in a 1711 deed, grew in size and appeal — famous for its abundance of now-nearly extinct Chestnut Timber trees complementing the Queen Anne and Victorian style homes occupying each lot. 

Despite the extensive changes to the architecture and neighborhood, efforts meant to balance tradition and modernization, the foundation, vision, and legacy of Houston and Woodward are still firmly embedded in Chestnut Hill today.