Melmar was built in 1910 for Nicholas and Sarah Biddle. The Biddles were one of Philadelphia's most prominent families and founded institutions such as Bailey, Banks and Biddle, JP Morgan, the Union League of Philadelphia, the Wharton Business School, Cornell University, Duke University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Drexel University. Four U.S. Navy ships were named USS Biddle after family members who served in high-ranking U.S. positions. Nicholas's brother was featured in the Disney movie “The Happiest Millionaire,” and his great-uncle appears in the video game Assassins Creed III.