Date: Wednesday, April 9, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Location: Hybrid (Limited in-person seating in Chestnut Hill, virtual attendance available)
Registration Link: Click HERE for virtual registration
Registration Fee: $15 for Conservancy Members, $25 for Non-Members
Join us for the first installment of our 2025 Discovering Chestnut Hill series on Wednesday, April 9, for “Private Gardens of Philadelphia: Lost and Found,” featuring author and garden historian Nicole Juday.
This hybrid event will take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, offering both limited in-person seating and virtual attendance. The in-person program will run from 6:30 to 9:00 PM, while the lecture will begin at 7:00 PM for all attendees. It will be followed by a moderated Q&A led by Conservancy Board Member and landscape architect Rob Fleming. The Q&A will begin around 8:00 PM.
The Philadelphia region is home to more historic private gardens than any other part of the United States. In this engaging talk, Nicole Juday will explore remarkable gardens featured in her recent book, Private Gardens of Philadelphia, highlighting those that have survived against the odds and what they reveal about Philadelphia’s rich social and cultural history. These gardens—hidden behind tall hedges, nestled in bustling neighborhoods, or tucked away down quiet lanes—reflect generations of stewardship, dedication, resilience, and horticultural artistry.
The event will feature breathtaking photography by Rob Cardillo, showcasing the beauty and diversity of these private landscapes, from meticulously maintained estates to gardens that have adapted to environmental and urban challenges such as development pressures, flooding, and deer.
Registration:
Advance registration is required. In-person attendance is limited and expected to fill quickly. Virtual registrants will receive a link to join the event remotely approximately one day in advance of the program.
Space is limited for the in-person attendees; sign up today!
The Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s public programming is made possible through the generous support of our Lead Sponsor, Chubb, General Sponsors, Event Sponsors, and members. John B. Ward proudly serves as the 2025 Discovering Chestnut Hill Event Sponsor, while E.G. Rall Landscape Design is our 2025 Supporting Event Sponsor.
For more information, please get in touch with Chrissy Clawson at Chrissy@CHConservancy.Org or 215-247-9329 x 108.
Date: Saturday, September 14, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM
Location: Philadelphia, PA 19138
Experience the beauty of Awbury Arboretum firsthand with a guided walking tour led by George McNeely, a local architectural historian, lecturer, and writer of the “Our Town” column in The Chestnut Hill Local.
Awbury Arboretum is both on the National Register of Historic Place and a Philadelphia Historic District, and includes 55 acres of public land and 25 historically significant buildings, mostly single-family houses. The district is approximately half a mile northeast of busy Germantown Avenue, which has since the 17th Century been the central commercial spine of what is now Northwest Philadelphia.
Into the 19th Century, the area was farmland with copses of woods and scattered modest farmhouses. Starting just before 1850, members of the extended Cope family began buying land and building what were originally summer houses, along with the necessary support structures. Those houses were designed by a number of important local architects, including Thomas Ustick Walter, Addison Hutton, Cope & Stewardson, and Duhring Okie & Ziegler.
Such country estates typically included a “home farm” that produced the family’s vegetables, fruit, and meats. The home farm at Awbury was gradually removed as the farm fields were transformed into a Picturesque English-style landscape by several noted local landscape architects, including Thomas Saunders, Arthur Cowell, and Harrison Mertz & Emlen. More recently, the Arboretum has recreated the traditional “home farm” with an active community hub for non-profits that focus on urban agriculture, including the Philly Goat Project, the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, and Food Moxie.
The lecture, led by George McNeely, a local architectural historian, lecturer, and writer of the “Our Town” column in The Chestnut Hill Local, will provide a deep dive into the arboretum’s historical context, touching on key moments and figures that contributed to its development.
This tour provides an immersive experience, allowing participants to connect with the history, architecture, and natural beauty of Awbury Arboretum. The exact meeting location for the tour will be emailed to registrants. Remember to plan your visit to Awbury with public transportation!
Space is limited; sign up today!
Disclaimer: Please wear waterproof shoes with no open toes and consider wearing pants, as the terrain is uneven, and there is a chance of encountering poison ivy. The tour will proceed rain or shine.
In addition to our generous sponsors and supportive businesses and members, the Discovering Chestnut Hill tour and lecture series is sponsored by event sponsor John B. Ward & Co. Arborists and supporting sponsor Cawley Masonry.
Date: Wednesday, September 11, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Location: Virtual, via Zoom
Delve into the fascinating history of Awbury Arboretum, which is both on the National Register of Historic Place and a Philadelphia Historic District, and includes 55 acres of public land and 25 historically significant buildings, mostly single-family houses. The district is approximately half a mile northeast of busy Germantown Avenue, which has since the 17th Century been the central commercial spine of what is now Northwest Philadelphia.
Into the 19th Century, the area was farmland with copses of woods and scattered modest farmhouses. Starting just before 1850, members of the extended Cope family began buying land and building what were originally summer houses, along with the necessary support structures. Those houses were designed by a number of important local architects, including Thomas Ustick Walter, Addison Hutton, Cope & Stewardson, and Duhring Okie & Ziegler.
Such country estates typically included a “home farm” that produced the family’s vegetables, fruit, and meats. The home farm at Awbury was gradually removed as the farm fields were transformed into a Picturesque English-style landscape by several noted local landscape architects, including Thomas Saunders, Arthur Cowell, and Harrison Mertz & Emlen. More recently, the Arboretum has recreated the traditional “home farm” with an active community hub for non-profits that focus on urban agriculture, including the Philly Goat Project, the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, and Food Moxie.
The lecture, led by George McNeely, a local architectural historian, lecturer, and writer of the “Our Town” column in The Chestnut Hill Local, will provide a deep dive into the arboretum’s historical context, touching on key moments and figures that contributed to its development.
Following the lecture will be a Q&A. If you would like to submit any questions in advance, please email Conservancy Programs and Communications Manager Chrissy Clawson at Chrissy@CHConservancy.Org.
The Zoom link will be sent to registrants approximately one day in advance of the program.
In addition to our generous sponsors and supportive businesses and members, the Discovering Chestnut Hill tour and lecture series is sponsored by event sponsor John B. Ward & Co. Arborists and supporting sponsor Cawley Masonry.
Discovering Chestnut Hill: “Philly Tree Plan” with Erica Smith Fichman
Discovering Chestnut Hill “Philly Tree Plan” Lecture with Erica Smith Fichman
Thursday, February 22, from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Virtual, via Zoom
Tickets: Conservancy Member Admission $15.00, Non-Member Admission $25.00)
This talk will introduce you to the Philly Tree Plan, a ten-year strategic plan for the equitable planting and care of Philadelphia’s urban forest. Learn about the state of Philadelphia’s urban forest and how it has changed over the past ten years, how the Philly Tree Plan was created and what residents had to say about their urban forest, what the Plan recommends, and the progress that has been made since its release in 2023.
Erica has spent her career connecting people with plants. As the Acting Manager of the Urban Forestry Unit at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, she oversees many projects, including the TreePhilly Community Forestry program, street and park tree planting and maintenance, and emergency tree work. She was also the project lead for the Philly Tree Plan, a 10-year strategic plan for the equitable growth and care of Philadelphia’s urban forest, released in 2023. She is an ISA-certified arborist and the Arbor Day Foundation’s 2018 Trailblazer Award recipient. Erica received a B.S. in biology from Haverford College and an M.S. in environmental horticulture from the University of California, Davis.
Click HERE to register.
Tickets: Conservancy Member Admission $15.00, Non-Member Admission $25.00)
Public Spaces, Special Places: Chestnut Hill Water Tower & Recreation Center Lecture
Wednesday, October 17 at 6:30pm
Chestnut Hill Water Tower Recreation Center
Speaker Drew Brown of the Philadelphia Water Department will lead a lively discussion on the hidden history of the Chestnut Hill’s beloved Water Tower Recreation Center complex.
For many decades the complex has sustained the community as an important source of water, and also as one of the city’s most active recreation areas.
Tickets: $15 for Members, $30 for Non-Members
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The Discovering Chestnut Hill series gives us the opportunity to celebrate our community’s special history. This fall, we highlight the Public Spaces, Special Places of Chestnut Hill. We invite you to explore our parks and their histories with us, from the ever-popular Water Tower to the gems hidden in plain sight.
Conservancy Members save on tickets for these and other special events. BECOME A MEMBER ⇒
