In the 1600s, Lenape Native American people practice small-scale agriculture to support their hunter-gatherer society in the region around the Delaware River, which they depend upon as a source of food and mode of transportation.

During the 1680s, Swedish settlers purchase land between the Poquessing and Pennypack Creeks along the Delaware River, known as "Pleasant Hill". Surveyors describe the area as perfect for growing maize, or corn, and call the mouth of the Poquessing a prime spot for a mill. Several Welsh families settle nearby. William Penn's commissioners identify three potential sites for a 'great city' along the Delaware, including this area. Philadelphia is ultimately established further south in 1682.

In the 1700s, colonizers drive the Lenape away from this area. Disagreements and violence against indigenous people are particularly fraught from 1730 onward. By the eve of the American Revolution in 1776, most Lenape people live along the Ohio and Allegheny rivers.

Charles Macalester

(Ownership 1850-1873)

In 1850, Macalester purchased land in northeastern Philadelphia. He divided, plotted, and sold off large plots of his land, holding onto one section for a summer residence that was called Glengarry. Charles Macalester hosted many gala affairs at Glengarry and he continued residence until his death in 1873.

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The Glen Foerd estate was established by Charles Macalester, Jr. Born in Philadelphia in 1798, he was a respected businessman and broker in the Philadelphia firm of Gaw, Macalester and Company. In addition, Macalester was appointed government director of the Second Bank of the United States. He was also friend, and advisor to numerous United States presidents. Officer and cabinet posts were offered to him, but he preferred to remain independent.

In 1850, Macalester purchased 84 acres in northeastern Philadelphia and divided, plotted and sold off large lots of his land. Holding onto one section of the land for a summer residence, he built a three story Italianate riverfront house and called it Glengarry, after his family’s Scottish ancestral home. In addition to the mansion, the estate consisted of a stone gas house, ice house, Gothic-style gatehouse, a sixty foot high stone water tower, five large greenhouses and riverfront cupola.

Glengarry was the scene of many gala affairs. During the summer, heads of state and other dignitaries traveled from Washington, D.C., where Macalester maintained a residence, as guests of Macalester and his daughter, Lily Macalester Laughton, a famous Washington hostess. After her father’s death, in 1873, Lily continued residence at Glengarry until her death in 1891.

Lily Macalester Laughton

(Ownership 1873-1891)

After her father's death in 1873, Lily continued residency at Glengarry until her death in 1891. The Macalester era and Glengarry period came to an end with Lily Macalester.

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After the death of both Charles Macalesters, father and son, in 1873, the Glengarry property was inherited by the elder Macalester’s surviving child, Eliza Lytle Macalester, known as Lily. She had married, in 1861, Alfred C. Berghmanns, a Belgian diplomat, and moved to Washington, although it is likely that she continued to visit Glengarry in the summer, as she did after her father and brother’s death. Berghmanns predeceased Lily’s father and brother by a year, so she was a widow with a young daughter, Camille, at the time of her considerable inheritance. Lily was among the leaders of Washington’s social scene, and was very active in the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, becoming the second regent, or leader, of the organization in 1874.

A number of sources testify to the fact that Lily Macalester (who married J. Scott Laughton, Assistant U. S. Treasurer, in 1877) spent her summers at Glengarry, although it is not known whether she spent every summer there, nor how long her stays were at the property. During the time of Lily’s ownership, Torresdale changed from an enclave largely connected by family and friendship to one that was not, even if it remained occupied by Philadelphia’s wealthy and prominent, including the city’s mayor Edwin H. Fitler.

The Glengarry period effectively came to end with the death of Lily Macalester Laughton at the property in November, 1891. Like her father, she was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. Four years later, the property was sold to its second owner, Robert H. Foerderer. He and his family would retain and develop the property for nearly eight decades after their purchase.

Robert Foerderer

(Ownership 1895-1903)

In 1895, the mansion was purchased by Robert and Caroline Foerderer. They hired William McAuley to renovate the mansion and renamed the estate to Glen Foerd. Robert Foerderer died in 1903 and he had not yet moved back to Glen Foerd due to the ongoing renovations.

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In 1895, the mansion was purchased by Robert and Caroline Foerderer. Robert made his fortune in the manufacture of kidskin leather. Leather gloves, shoes and other clothing accessories made from the soft, supple leather was the height of fashion. His Philadelphia manufacturing enterprise employed 5,000 workers and processed nine million goat skins a year.

After purchasing the estate, Foerderer hired architect, William McAuley of Philadelphia, to handle extensive renovations to the mansion. The house was enlarged and enhanced with Classical Revival additions. Additions included a porte cochere, formal dining room, and impressive art gallery. Other enhancements included a Haskell pipe organ, parquet floors, grand staircase, elaborate leaded glass skylights, and rathskellar. A carriage house and garden house was added at this time, and the gas house was converted for use as a boat house. Everything was planned to enhance the uniqueness and beauty of the home and to accommodate entertainment on a grand scale. As a final touch, they changed the name of the estate to Glen Foerd, a merger of Glengarry and the Foerderer name. Due to the elaborate renovation design and labor delays, the Foerderers had not yet moved back into the mansion when Robert died in 1903. The Foerderers had two grown children at the time of his death, Percival and Florence.

Caroline Foerderer

(Ownership 1895-1934)

Caroline Foerderer continued residence at Glen Foerd and continued to renovate the estate. During her later years, ownership passed onto her daughter, Florence Foerderer Tonner, as Caroline grew infirm.

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After Robert Foerderer’s untimely death, his widow Caroline Foerderer continued to develop and use Glen Foerd. In 1908, she married Philadelphia carpet merchant and Civil War veteran Enos Artman, who was some 23 years her senior. In 1912, Caroline was again widowed when Enos died while the couple was travelling in Yellowstone.

During this period of ownership, Caroline Foerderer continued to make changes to the property, most notably by adding the rose garden that is still in existence today. Surviving photographs of the mansion from this period feature potted palms that attest to Foerderer’s interest in horticulture. During the 1920s, control of the Glen Foerd property shifted from Caroline Artman to her daughter Florence Tonner as Mrs. Artman grew more infirm. She passed away in 1934.

Florence Foerderer

(Ownership 1915-1971)

Around 1915, Florence Foerderer and her husband moved to Glen Foerd to assist her widowed mother. At first, they lived in a residence on the property with their daughters before moving into the mansion. They continued residence after her mother's death and Florence continued to add to her parents' art collection.

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Around 1915, Florence and her husband, William Tonner, moved to Glen Foerd to assist her widowed mother. They lived in another residence located on the property just a short time before moving into the mansion with their two daughters, Marjorie and Carol. A new boathouse was built to accommodate William Tonner's new yacht. After her mother’s death in 1934, Florence continued to add to the art collection started by her parents. Florence assembled one of the most extensive private collections of prints in the country.

Florence was a strong supporter of the arts. She was herself a talented poet and painter, as well as a musician. She went to great lengths to encourage young artists, frequently purchasing and displaying their work. She remained very active in the cultural and social affairs of Philadelphia, until her death in 1971 at the age of 89.