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Community Corner

Discover Delco's Secluded Mansion in Ridley Creek State Park

Media Patch takes you to Hunting Hill Mansion and formal gardens at Ridley Creek State Park.

Step back in time to the early 1900s. You just got engaged, and are gifted with a mansion and farmland in the heart of a Philadelphia suburb. Certainly an exquisite present for a bride and groom-to-be.

The privileged couple was Philadelphia investment banker, Walter Jeffords, and Sarah Dobson Fiske, the niece of Delaware County millionaire socialite, Sam Riddle. He is most notably known for owning the race horse, Man O’ War, and is also the namesake of . Riddle gave what is known as Hunting Hill Mansion, located in the heart of , to Jeffords and Fiske in 1913. They later transformed the modest farmhouse into a remarkable, Old World mansion, with 38 rooms, 13 fireplaces, and nine bathrooms. The Jeffords also grew the estate to 2,000 acres before selling it to the state in the 1960s.

The formal, yet romantic, gardens at The Mansion are an appropriate compliment to the magnificence of the home. The grounds were designed by the leading landscape firm of the time, the Olmstead Associates of Massachusetts. The firm designed New York City’s Central Park, as well as other early national parks.

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The formal gardens, which feature a rose garden, topiary garden, and a fountain garden, are a favorite spot for wedding photographers, artists, and visitors taking a stroll through the park. In recent years, though, maintenance has fallen short of some expectations.

Michael Kutzmonich, the new park manager, has made it a top priority to restore the gardens to their original grandeur. Kutzmonich has a degree in ornamental horticulture, experience in park management, plus a passion for the outdoors.

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"I have spent a lot of time camping, fishing, hunting, hiking. It’s a natural fit," says Kutzmonich. "I’d like to continue working to make improvements, to improve the visitor experience, and bring the gardens back to their former glory."

For more information on visiting the gardens and Hunting Hill Mansion, or to find out how to book a wedding or special event there, you can visit the park’s official website

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