Capstone: Junxian Xu

Layered Histories, Fractured Space: Strawberry Mansion and the Challenges of Inclusive Heritage

This project examines the challenges and possibilities of inclusive historic preservation at Strawberry Mansion in Philadelphia. While the Historic Strawberry Mansion house has been preserved since 1926 by a women-led committee as a site of elite memory and decorative arts, the surrounding neighborhood—a historically Jewish, now predominantly Black working-class community—has long been excluded from its narrative. The mansion and the neighborhood share a name but have evolved in isolation, both physically and symbolically.

From a preservation perspective, this project critiques the limitations of traditional house museum models that prioritize elite domestic life and aesthetic curation while ignoring broader urban histories of migration, segregation, and resilience. It argues for a shift toward shared stewardship and community-based interpretation, positioning preservation not as static conservation but as a living, participatory practice.