History & local legend
Growden Mansion in Bensalem, also known as Trevose, belonged to Grace Growden and her husband, Joseph Galloway. Galloway was a friend of Benjamin Franklin, who visited the estate frequently.
Bucks County folklore places Franklin’s famous kite experiment on these grounds. In the ghost story that grew around that claim, Franklin returns with the kite in his hands, repeating the experiment outside the mansion. The county’s haunted driving tour includes the reported kite-flying figure.
The property preserves other traces of its colonial life. A small stone vault beside the east wing once protected county records, and its walls still bear bullet marks from the Revolutionary War.
