Germantown White House

Philadelphia

LoginSave

George Washington lived here twice making this the oldest presidential residence in the US. In 1793 the first US president sought refuge here from the city's yellow fever epidemic – he liked it so much that he returned the following summer. British General William Howe was the occupant during the Revolutionary War in October 1777. The interior is only open during special events.

It's also known as the Deshler-Morris House after David Deshler, who built the home in 1752, and its last owner, Elliston Morris, who donated it to the National Park Service in 1948.

Transportation

  • train: Germantown
  • bus: 23

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Carpenters' Hall, Independence National Historical Park.

    Independence National Historical Park

    5.85 MILES

    This L-shaped Philadelphia park, bound by 6th, 2nd, Walnut and Arch Sts, protects and honors the institutions that formed the foundation of the United…

  • Exterior of the Philadelphia Art Museum entrance at night. 181142415 Square, Clear Sky, Architectural Feature, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Night, Dusk, Travel locations, Sky, Art Museum, Star - Space, Building Exterior, Museum, Famous Place, Architectural Column, Architecture, Philadelphia - Pennsylvania, Outdoors, No People, Photography, Star, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, North America, Greek Culture, Neo-Classical, Column, Built Structure, USA

    Philadelphia Museum of Art

    4.72 MILES

    The premier cultural institution in Philadelphia, this epic art museum would stand out even without Rocky's famous antics on the east steps. Every visitor…

  • The Barnes Foundation Art Museum facade, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Barnes Foundation

    5.07 MILES

    Since 2012, Dr Albert C Barnes' eye-popping collection of artworks – predominantly focused on French masterpieces from the late 19th and early 20th…

  • Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 276721013 america, usa, park, blue, travel, landmark, sky, pennsylvania, vintage, carriage, old, hall, philadelphia, building, american, historic, tower, national, united, states, independence, clock

    Independence Hall

    5.98 MILES

    The 'birthplace of American government', this modest, early 18th-century Georgian building is where delegates from the 13 colonies met to approve the…

  • NOVEMBER 18, 2016: customers shopping at the Reading Terminal Market. 1143691526 aisle, america, american, attraction, city, crowd, cuisine, culinary, culture, customers, deli, destination, famous, food, grocery, hall, historic, historical, indoors, inside, landmark, market, marketplace, pa, pennsylvania, people, philadelphia, philly, place, reading, sandwiches, scene, scenery, scenic, shop, sightseeing, snacks, stalls, states, store, street, terminal, tourist, traditional, travel, united, urban, usa, vendor, view

    Reading Terminal Market

    5.62 MILES

    Getting the balance just right between food shopping hub and dining destination, Reading Terminal Market opened way back in 1893 and it's been a…

  • The Egyptian Hall at the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

    Masonic Temple

    5.57 MILES

    Although the fortress-like exterior of this 1873 building is pretty impressive, it's the spectacular interiors – which took a further 15 years to complete…

  • Philadelphia City Hall

    City Hall

    5.64 MILES

    Completed in 1901 following 30 years of construction, City Hall takes up a whole block, and at 548ft is the world's tallest structure without a steel…

  • Museum of the American Revolution

    Museum of the American Revolution

    6.06 MILES

    This impressive, multimedia-rich museum will have you virtually participating in the American Revolution; interactive dioramas and 3-D experiences take…

View more attractions

Nearby Philadelphia attractions

1. Historic Germantown

0.03 MILES

Pick up leaflets, maps and an admissions passport (individual/family $25/45) covering 16 of Germantown's historic attractions at this information center…

2. Grumblethorpe

0.24 MILES

Built in 1744, this colonial stone home exemplifies Germantown's residential architecture of the time. It was constructed for the prominent Wister family…

3. Wyck

0.53 MILES

Set in lovely gardens, which are open year-round, Wyck was the ancestral home of a Germantown family between 1690 and 1973. The house was renovated by…

4. Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion

0.68 MILES

This stone Victorian Gothic mansion sits in a neighborhood that still looks pretty much as it did in the last half of the 19th century. Inside, the 17…

5. Johnson House

0.8 MILES

This stone 1768 house, which sports scars from the Battle of Germantown, was built by the Johnsons, a Quaker family who were supporters of abolishing…

6. Historic Rittenhouse Town

0.96 MILES

For over 200 years eight generations of the Rittenhouse family lived and worked in this historic village along the Monoshone and Wissahickon Creeks. Tours…

7. Cliveden

1.08 MILES

Home to the prominent Chew family for over 200 years, this 1767 Georgian house and estate was a key location in the Battle of Germantown in 1777. Every…

8. Laurel Hill Cemetery

2.28 MILES

Founded in 1836 this was the first cemetery in the US to be named a National Historic Landmark. Numerous prominent Philadelphians are buried here,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "usa/pennsylvania/philadelphia/attractions/germantown-white-house/a/poi-sig/1592688/362106",
  "destination": "Philadelphia",
  "continent": "North-America",
  "country": "USA",
  "region": "Pennsylvania",
  "city": "Philadelphia",
  "position": "superzone"
}