SELF-GUIDED GROUNDS TOUR
GROUNDS & GARDENS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR FREE DURING TOUR HOURS
Over three centuries of family ownership, the house and grounds changed as each family altered the structure and added their personal belongings. At the same time, the surrounding acreage was gradually reduced as the family and local economy shifted from an agrarian to an urban way of life. By the late 19th century, the property was reduced to five acres. A city neighborhood developed around Cherry Hill, turning the farmhouse into an urban mansion.
Cherry Hill’s present characteristics result from the care and preservation provided by the last two generations, the Rankin family. During the 20th century, the Rankins maintained the site and developed the present arrangement of lawns, trees, shrubs and beds.