Chestnut Hill Historical Society

"On the east side of the Wissahickon Valley, high above the creek, is a 15-foot statue of an Indian. He was placed there in 1900 to memorialize the Lenni-Lenape tribe, who were the first people to walk the steep trails of the Wissahickon.

"When colonists arrived in the mid-1600s, the hunting and fishing grounds of the Indians were transformed into the first industrial area of North America. Waters of the Wissahickon Creek were dammed to supply power for more than 25 mills built along its banks.

"Co-existing with the mills in the 1800s were numerous taverns and roadhouses as the interior of the Valley became accessible by road and the Wissahickon Turnpike. Throughout the 19th century, the beauty of the Wissahickon's rock, forest, and water was celebrated in poetry and prose; paintings and prints. The Valley achieved international fame as visitors to Philadelphia's Centennial Exposition of 1876 took home tales of its wild scenery.

"Fairmount Park acquired the 1,800 acres of the Wissahickon Valley in 1868 in order to preserve the purity of the City's water supply. Mills and taverns were demolished leaving scant historic evidence in the form of dams and foundations. The wide Wissahickon Turnpike paralleling the creek was closed to vehicular traffic in 1920 and became Forbidden Drive.

"Today, the Wissahickon Valley is a unique, urban wilderness park providing recreation for thousands of visitors yearly from the city and the region. With minimal municipal resources available, preservation of the Valley must depend on the dedicated efforts of the Friends of the Wissahickon and other non-profit groups."

Bibliography:

Friends of the Wissahickon. "History." 2006. Accessed January 9, 2011. http://www.fow.org/history.php

From the guide to the Chestnut Hill Historical Society Wissahickon collection, Bulk, 1970-2011, 1760-2011, (Chestnut Hill Historical Society)

"Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, is one of America's most beautiful urban villages thanks to the fusion of a magnificent physical setting, notable architecture, historic preservation, and careful planning. During the Colonial period, Chestnut Hill was a...village of farmers and millers. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill's natural splendor and healthful atmosphere made it a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy. Soon, it was ringed by magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. Living side-by-side with the wealthy were hardworking communities of Italian, Irish, and German immigrants."

Bibliography:

Keels, Thomas H. and Elizabeth Farmer Jarvis. Images of America: Chestnut Hill . Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2002.

From the guide to the Chestnut Hill Historical Society map and atlas collection, 1849-2011, (Chestnut Hill Historical Society)

John Samuel Naylor was the son of Jacob and Anna M. Naylor and was born in Philadelphia on June 4, 1851. He owned Peoples Iron Foundry in Philadelphia and had an interest in photography and architecture. He was the maternal grandfather of the three individuals who donated the photos, Mrs. Alfred C. Borie (Frances Dorrance Dunning), Mrs. Robert L. Madden (Diana Dunning), and Mr. George Dunning, II. Mr. Dunning's aunt, Marian Naylor Swartley, "who is the last surviving member of that generation of the Naylor clan," (quote from Mr. Dunning) completed the initial identification of the homes on handwritten slips of paper.

From the guide to the John Naylor collection, circa 1995, (Chestnut Hill Historical Society)

"Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, is one of America's most beautiful urban villages thanks to the fusion of a magnificent physical setting, notable architecture, historic preservation, and careful planning. During the Colonial period, Chestnut Hill was a...village of farmers and millers. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill's natural splendor and healthful atmosphere made it a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy. Soon, it was ringed by magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. Living side-by-side with the wealthy were hardworking communities of Italian, Irish, and German immigrants."

Bibliography:

Keels, Thomas H. and Elizabeth Farmer Jarvis. Images of America: Chestnut Hill . Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2002.

From the guide to the Chestnut Hill Historical Society architectural drawings, land deeds, and titles, 1802-2010, (Chestnut Hill Historical Society)

"Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, is one of America's most beautiful urban villages thanks to the fusion of a magnificent physical setting, notable architecture, historic preservation, and careful planning. During the Colonial period, Chestnut Hill was a...village of farmers and millers. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill's natural splendor and healthful atmosphere made it a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy. Soon, it was ringed by magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. Living side-by-side with the wealthy were hardworking communities of Italian, Irish, and German immigrants."

Bibliography:

Keels, Thomas H. and Elizabeth Farmer Jarvis. Images of America: Chestnut Hill . Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2002.

From the guide to the Chestnut Hill Historical Society photograph collection, circa 1850-2011, (Chestnut Hill Historical Society)

21 West and Depot were two restaurants located in Chestnut Hill. 21 West, owned by Mary C. Fretz, was opened in the mid-1960s, went bankrupt, and closed circa 1987. Melvin Grebe built the building on Highland Ave. in mid-1960s and got 21 West as a tenant. Depot Restaurant was located at 8515 Germantown Ave. Around 1976, an 1890s caboose from Northern NJ Railroad was installed behind the restaurant, which is no longer there.

From the guide to the Chestnut Hill restaurants collection, circa 1965-1994, (Chestnut Hill Historical Society)

"Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, is one of America's most beautiful urban villages thanks to the fusion of a magnificent physical setting, notable architecture, historic preservation, and careful planning. During the Colonial period, Chestnut Hill was a...village of farmers and millers. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill's natural splendor and healthful atmosphere made it a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy. Soon, it was ringed by magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. Living side-by-side with the wealthy were hardworking communities of Italian, Irish, and German immigrants."

Bibliography:

Keels, Thomas H. and Elizabeth Farmer Jarvis. Images of America: Chestnut Hill . Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2002.

From the guide to the Chestnut Hill Historical Society local history collection, Bulk, 1900-2011, 1755-2011, (Chestnut Hill Historical Society)