Joseph Sinnott Mansion, also known in Gaelic as "Rathalla," meaning "home of the chieftain on the highest hill" is the Main Building at

Rosemont College , mottoeng = I will lift my eyes up to the hills , established = 1921 , type = Private college , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Society of the Holy Child Jesus) , president = J ...

. It is a historic home located on the campus of

at Rosemont,

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 73rd-most populous county in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,55 ...

. It was originally a part of the Ashbridge estate and was called 'Rosemont Farm'. However, in 1889,

Joseph F. Sinnott Joseph Francis Sinnott (1837–1906) was an Irish businessman who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1854. After thirty-two years with John Gibson's, Son and Co distillery, Sinnott became the sole proprietor in 1888. The renamed Moore & Sinnott was known ...

, a Whiskey distiller, purchased the 40-acre land. Upon it was built his summer home between the years of 1889-1891 by Hazlehurst & Huckel for $150,000. Edward Hazelhust and Samuel Huckel were both fellows of the American Institute of Architects Rathalla is a -story, 32-roomed stone building on a brick foundation in a

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

/ Châteauesque style. The mansion features a high, steep sided,

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

covered hipped roof, six decorated chimneys, numerous dormer windows, turrets, and stone carvings including gargoyles. The exterior of the home is laden with 52 carved limestone images. The stained glass window above the staircase features the Sinnott family's coat of arms, containing the motto "Ama Deum et Serva Mandata." This crest consists of a black swan above a striped wreath, with a gold crown around its neck and an arrow piercing its heart. Beneath this swan is a coat of arms with three more black swan. The motto is written on a scroll that drapes beneath the images.Richardi, Margaret. Main Building Rosemont College. Rosemont College, 1990. Hazelhurst and Huckel built the mansion in the style of the Loire Valley homes in France. This style was quite in vogue at the time, as high end clients such as the Vanderbilts in New York also fashioned their mansions in a chateaux style during the same decade. The property was purchased for $250,000 by the Sisters, Society of the Holy Child of Jesus (SHCJ) in 1921 and later sold for $1 to Rosemont College in 1927. As the Main Building of Rosemont College, Rathalla has seen its fair share of elite guests. Among these notable visitors are John F. Kennedy in 1953, whose sister, Patricia, graduated from Rosemont College in the forties, and Joseph Biden as the 1974 commencement speaker. Both Biden and Kennedy were senators when they visited Rosemont and Rathalla. Archbishop

Fulton J. Sheen Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in ...

was a frequent visitor of Rathalla and Rosemont College, speaking at over thirty graduation ceremonies. Rathalla was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1980. ''Note:'' This includes Rathalla is said to have historic significance because it embodies the era in which it was built. The Main Building at Rosemont College can be seen in the films "

The Sterling Chase ''The Sterling Chase'', also known as ''Graduation Week'', is a drama film written and directed by Tanya Fenmore and starring Nicholle Tom, Jack Noseworthy, Devon Odessa, Sean Patrick Thomas, Alanna Ubach and John Livingston. The independent film ...

" and "

Tenure Tenure is a category of academic appointment existing in some countries. A tenured post is an indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances, such as financial exigency or program disco ...

," as filming took place on the college's campus.“The Sterling Chase (1999).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt0191498/. In 1999 The board of trustees at Rosemont College updated the mechanical systems in Rathalla, their Main Building. New wiring, heating and air conditioning, modern plumbing, an elevator, chair lift, and a handicapped accessible bedroom were all added. The construction company, Pancoast and Clifford Inc., was awarded the "Best Restoration/ Renovation Award" which is given annually by the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. in recognition of their feat of renovation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinnott, Joseph, Mansion Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Renaissance Revival architecture in Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1891 Houses in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania