Between 1762 and 1765, John Macpherson established a plantation on 150 acres along the Schuylkill River. In 1770, Macpherson gave up farming and took up residence in Philadelphia. His plantation was described by John Adams in 1775 as the most elegant in Pennsylvania. In 1792, Macpherson sold the property. In 1869 it was sold to the city of Philadelphia. The building was restored in 1926 and has gone through recent restoration as well.