Friday, May 2 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Chestnut Hill Conservancy | 8708 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Free and open to the public | Suggested $10 donation

Join us for the opening night of Mapping the Wissahickon: From the Colonial Era to an Evolving Watershed, a new archives exhibition that explores the Wissahickon Valley’s changing landscape and the preservation efforts that continue to shape its future.

Featuring maps, plans, and publications spanning over three centuries, this self-guided exhibit traces four key eras in the valley’s history—from early industry and public land acquisition to the development of the urban park and the rise of long-term land stewardship.

One featured map shows a 1955 plan from Studies of Crossings of the Wissahickon Valley, created during the post–World War II housing boom. As open land in Roxborough and Andorra gave way to new housing, planners proposed nine road crossings—bold horizontal lines now frozen in time on paper. None were ever built, reflecting the growing push to protect the valley from increased development.

Stop by during Chestnut Hill’s First Friday Arts & Eats to view the exhibit, explore the story of the Wissahickon through historical maps and guides, and learn more about the people and efforts that continue to shape the landscape today.

Image from the Chestnut Hill Conservancy Archives.