Join us online for this event on Philadelphia Mansions!
Join us online for this event on Philadelphia Mansions!About this Event
The Grandeur of Philadelphia's Past Revealed: Philadelphia's grand mansions and architectural treasures reflect its status in American history. For each Greek Revival home and Corinthian column lies a compelling story of the people behind them. Author Thom Nickels presents the city’s most iconic homes, whether it’s Historic Strawberry Mansion, Elstowe Mansion in Elkins Park (that became a scared space after its conversion to a Dominican convent), Henry McIIhenny’s cramped quarters at 1914 Rittenhouse, or the saga of architect Thomas Nevell who designed Mount Pleasant. Why is Philadelphia's historic Morris House on South 8th Street the real President’s House as opposed to the structure at 6th and Market Streets? What about Mother and Father Divine’s Woodmont estate in Gladwyne? What happened when Jim Jones of Jonestown infamy visited Woodmont in an attempt to take over the Peace Mission movement? How is it that mansions, such as Loch Aerie designed by Addison Hutton in the rolling hills of Chester County, have survived abandonment, homeless invasions and motorcycle gangs, only to resurface as reinvented edifices.
Thom Nickels is the author of thirteen books, including: Learn to Do a Bad Thing Well: Looking for Johnny Bobbitt (2018); Philadelphia. Literary Philadelphia: A History of Prose & Poetry in the City of Brotherly Love (2015); Out in History (2005), Philadelphia Architecture (2005), Manayunk (2001), and Spore (2010). Nickels was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for his book, Two Novellas: Walking Water & After All This (1990) and awarded the Philadelphia AIA Lewis Mumford Award for Architectural Journalism in 2005. His poetry has appeared in Van Gogh’s Ear anthology (Paris). His column, Different Strokes in the Philadelphia Welcomat (1980s) was the first out gay column in a mainstream newspaper in the nation. He has written for Huff Post, Passport Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, PJ Media (Los Angeles) and City Journal (New York City). His essay on his time as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War was published by The New Oxford Review. He is a weekly columnist for the Philadelphia Free Press and the Philadelphia Irish Edition.. His essay on Agnes Repplier was the cover feature essay in the Winter issue of The American Catholic Studies Journal (Villanova University), 2015. He was the featured speaker at the Walt Whitman Annual Birthday Party, Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at the Walt Whitman House in Camden.
His book, Philadelphia Mansions: Stories and Characters Behind the Walls was published by The History Press in March 2018.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this book, you can do so here:https://www.headhousebooks.com/book/9781540228574
