The Asa Packer Mansion, in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

Jim Thorpe is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 4,804 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County. The town has been called the "Switzerland of America" due to the picturesque scenery, mountainous location, and architecture; as well as the "Gateway to...

, was the home of Asa Packer

Asa Packer

Asa Packer was an American businessman who pioneered railroad construction, was active in Pennsylvania politics, and founded Lehigh University.-Early life:...

 (1805 - 1879), coal and railroad magnate and founder of Lehigh University

Lehigh University

Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...

. It is one of the best preserved Italianate Villa homes in the United States.

History

Packer commissioned it to be built in what was then the Borough of Mauch Chunk. It was completed in 1861. The architect was Samuel Sloan of Philadelphia who also designed the Southern Mansion Hotel in Cape May, New Jersey and Longwood (Haller Nutt mansion)

Longwood (Natchez, Mississippi)

Longwood, also known as Nutt's Folly, is an historic antebellum octagonal mansion located at 140 Lower Woodville Road in Natchez, Mississippi, USA. The mansion is on the U.S...

 in Natchez, Mississippi.

Museum

Upon the death of Mary Packer Cummings, Mr. Packer's daughter, the home was willed to the Borough of Mauch Chunk to remain as a memorial to her father and his many accomplishments. The borough, not certain what to do with the home, closed it, and for 44 years the home sat idle. The Jim Thorpe Lions Club, looking to sponsor a new community project, approached the borough about opening the home.

The home is owned by the town of Jim Thorpe and financially controlled by the Jim Thorpe Lions Club. Ava M. Bretzik is the Director and Historian of the Mansion Museum and oversees the day-to-day operations.

The house contains the original furnishings. It became a museum, the Asa Packer Mansion Museum, and was opened for tours on Memorial Day of 1956.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1974, and was further declared a National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

 in 1985.

It is located on Packer Avenue in Jim Thorpe. The home of Packer's son, Harry Packer Mansion

Harry Packer Mansion

The Harry Packer Mansion, is located in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. The mansion was built in 1874 in the Italianate style.The residence was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1974.-External links:*...

, designed by Sloan's protegee Addison Hutton

Addison Hutton

Addison Hutton was a Philadelphia architect who designed prominent residences in Philadelphia and its suburbs, plus courthouses, hospitals, and libraries, including the Ridgway Library and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania...

, is on the same road, and is also listed on the National Register.

External links

• The Asa Packer Mansion Museum.