Revolutionary Gatherings and Abolitionist Convictions

William Peters' son, Richard Peters, became secretary to George Washington and served as a judge in the U.S. District Court. His Belmont mansion became an informal retreat where Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Marquis de Lafayette dined and debated the fate of the new nation. Richard Peters also pioneered science-based agriculture on the estate, burning limestone in kilns to create fertilizer for the fields.↗↗

But Judge Peters' most enduring legacy was his turn against slavery itself. As an Episcopalian, he became the first non-Quaker member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery—the organization later run by Benjamin Franklin. Though he fought against the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 through legal channels, by the turn of the century Peters began taking more direct action: he and his family purchased enslaved people specifically to free them.↗

The Underground Railroad at Belmont

Among those Judge Peters purchased in 1811 was a woman named Cornelia Wells, bought from Thomas Morgan and held as an indentured servant so she could earn her freedom. She eventually purchased her own liberty and that of her daughter Jane. Peters gave Cornelia Boelson Cottage, a small dwelling near the Belmont stables on what is now Martin Luther King Drive, as her residence.↗

From that cottage, Cornelia Wells became a vital link in the Underground Railroad network. Runaway enslaved people arriving by ship up the Schuylkill River would come to Boelson Cottage, where Cornelia escorted them to Belmont Mansion as a place of safekeeping until they could integrate into Philadelphia's free Black community or continue northward to lasting freedom.↗

The railroad connection went deeper still. Richard Peters' son of the same name designed the Philadelphia and Columbian Railroad that passed near the mansion. Experts believe he engineered the tracks to slow near the home, giving stowaway enslaved people enough time to jump from moving trains and meet Underground Railroad agents who would escort them to Belmont's shelter.↗

Rediscovery and the Museum Today

For decades, Belmont Mansion fell into decay and its remarkable story went largely untold. The turning point came when Audrey Johnson-Thornton, driving through the Belmont Plateau area, noticed the dilapidated building and became curious about its history. Her research uncovered the mansion's significance as both a Revolutionary-era gathering place and an Underground Railroad stop, leading to preservation efforts and the founding of the museum.↗

Visitors today can experience 18th and 19th-century history through guided tours that trace the lives of the people associated with the estate—from the revolutionary statesmen who dined at its table to the enslaved and free Black Philadelphians who found refuge within its walls. The site is family-friendly and well suited for children learning about this pivotal era.↗↗

Planning Your Visit

The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 AM to 4 PM, with the last tour beginning at 3 PM. General admission is $15, though a reduced rate of $10 is available with valid ID. Booking tickets in advance is recommended. The site offers wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking, and restrooms, making it navigable for visitors with mobility needs.↗↗

Belmont Mansion sits within Fairmount Park along the Schuylkill River in West Philadelphia, an area popular with the city's African-American community since at least the early 1900s. The surrounding Belmont Plateau offers open green space and river views, making it easy to combine a museum visit with a walk through one of America's largest urban park systems.↗↗