The mansion built in 1761 by John Macpherson was sold on March 27, 1779, to Benedict Arnold. Keeping a life interest himself, he settled it, as his marriage gift, on his beautiful bride, the heiress Peggy Shippen, daughter of Edward Shippen. Benedict Arnold never occupied it. Later his life interest was confiscated and the mansion was sold in 1781. Edward Shippen ultimately consolidated the entire ownership in his family by purchase in 1784. Meanwhile the house had had another distinguished tenant, if not occupant, in Major General Baron von Steuben. Later it was sold to General Jonathan Williams, in whose family it remained until 1853. In 1926 it was restored through the generosity of the late Charles H. Ludington. The atmosphere of a Revolutionary house has been created by finishing the rooms with Chippendale furniture, contemporary portraits, and small objects of foreign importation. The entrance is simply furnished with a Georgian mirror and table. In the large and formal parlour at the right stands a very handsome secretary bookcase originally made in the City. Fitting companions to this piece, a beautifully carved highboy, tripod table and chairs in the Philadelphia Chippendale style, give the room an air of elegance. On the stair landing stands a tall clock bearing the name of “David Rittenhouse,” the most famous clockmaker in America. On the second floor, two bedrooms are attractively furnished with four-post beds and hung, to match the windows, with appropriate India prints and eighteenth century Chintz. Pieces by Philadelphia cabinetmakers bear evidence to the excellent qualities of their workmanship. Other noteworthy pieces are two fine wing chairs, a block-front desk and a pair of ladder-back chairs. [Illustration: THE CLIFFS, 1741 Shown on map as No. 7] THE CLIFFS The Cliffs stands above the East River Drive, commanding a splendid view down the Schuylkill to the south toward Lemon Hill, and to the north past Mount Pleasant. The house, a compact structure of stuccoed rubble, was built by Samuel Rowland Fisher in 1741 and, unlike several other of the park houses in the Museum group, remained in the ownership of one family until taken over by the Park Commission in 1868. It had, however, been leased from time to time, as a letter dated 1789 bears witness, written by Sarah Bache to Benjamin Franklin, her father, who was then in France. It relates that she had just moved to “this small, charming house which the French minister (who is delivering letter) will describe in detail.” There is considerable panelling of a simple kind throughout the house, chiefly occurring on the chimney wall of the rooms, the remaining walls being plastered and wainscoted. The parlour, opening directly from the outside, is a dignified room having exposures on two sides and a panelled chimney wall on the third.