Digital Tour Demo, Meet Marie Hidell

Since all of our public programs and tours are canceled for the foreseeable future, we’ve been brainstorming how we can create content for you to explore our rich history and horticulture on your own. Our first tour will lead you to the gravesite of Marie L. Hidell, a Navy Nurse at the Naval Hospital on League Island (now the Navy Yard), during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. We are in awe of Marie’s selflessness, as well as the selflessness of all medical professionals today helping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can enjoy this tour from the comfort of your own home, or visit the site and use the directions provided to find Marie’s gravesite in person. While on site remember to keep at least a six foot distance from other visitors, and to follow all other site rules (site rules can be found HERE).

We’re working on more tours for your enjoyment and would love to get feedback from you on what kinds of tours you’d like to see. If you have ideas, email them to us at info@woodlandsphila.org with “Digital Tour Idea” in the subject line.

Our next tour in the works… Woodlands in Bloom, Early Spring Edition. We’ll be posting the tours to all of our social media as they’re rolled out, so make sure you’re following us.

Hamilton, Dreer, and the Grave Gardeners: Our Horticultural History

Seeds and bulbs and plants, oh my! During the mid-19th century, all needs for the hobbyist gardener and botanist alike could be fulfilled by Henry A. Dreer, Inc., one of the premiere seed and florist stores in Philadelphia at the time. Henry Dreer first opened his business at just 20 years old in a modest storefront at 97 Chestnut Street.[1] Business bloomed rather quickly and by the end of the following year he expanded his operations to include nurseries in six small greenhouses within The Woodlands; grounds already rich in horticultural history. Prior to The Woodlands Cemetery Company’s acquisition of the land in 1840, the grounds belonged to William Hamilton, avid amateur botanist and well-connected plant collector of the 18th century. Hamilton’s network included the likes of William Bartram and Thomas Jefferson, with whom he would exchange letters, plants, and seeds to introduce on his estate and cultivate in his greenhouse. His estate radiated proper English influence and style, from the picturesque landscape design with winding paths towards the mansion, to the exotic plant species introduced on American soil and the fashionable Victorian cradle graves overflowing with their new beauty. It seemed like a natural fit for Dreer to choose to expand his business to grounds with such a renowned horticultural heritage. Like Hamilton before him, Dreer would collect new species, conduct experiments, demonstrate his techniques, and manage his inventory in gardens and greenhouses on site. In 1850, the business needed to expand again due to increased local popularity and the successful distribution of seed, plant, and bulb catalogs throughout the country, so Dreer moved his work to multiple properties on Chestnut Street.[2]

Dreer was one of first in the seed packet and bulb catalog industry to print in color, introduced on a yearly publication of his in 1865.  The catalog featured a six-color illustration, accomplished by a woodcutting process. In the following decades, the company’s marketing portfolio flourished into a yearly Garden Calendar as well as quarterly publications that presented the best flowers and tools of the season. “Novelties” were the newest and more popular plant types curated by the company and accommodating to gardens both professional and personal. Hardy perennials were a staple product of Dreer, Inc,. as well, sourced domestically and internationally for yearly enjoyment. Beautiful illustrations of seasonal blooms were advertised on the front and back covers, giving readers the opportunity to acquire the most popular flowers for their garden as part of a promotional package deal. Within each publication was an order sheet for distant customers to place their orders by mail. Deliveries were offered to any post office in the United States, and Canada too, for twice the postage amount. The cheapest delivery option was to be sent by Express or Rail at the customer’s expense, especially within a 25 mile radius of Philadelphia. 

The floral diversity and vibrant illustrations of Dreer’s catalogs only scratched the surface of the catalog’s options. Dreer Inc., also advertised domestic fruits, vegetables, and the proper tools needed for growing, extracting, maintaining, and displaying plant life. Also available were garden and farm implements such as sundries, insecticides, fertilizers, fungicides, and plant displays like jardinières, vases, bamboo woven baskets, and wooden plant stands. Finally, the back of the publication had an index for continued readings available for purchase, titled “Books on Horticultural & Kindred Subjects”. The frequent publications were truly a horticulturalist’s dream, providing the products for the curation, cultivation, and presentation of any picturesque garden.

Dreer died in Philadelphia on December 22, 1873, and was subsequently buried on The Woodlands Cemetery grounds. Despite Henry A. Dreer, Inc.’s move from The Woodlands in 1850, the Cemetery Company was very intentional about maintaining the many generations and layers of horticultural history that permeated the landscape. While converting the property into a burial ground, they were cautious of the existing landscape and conserved the naturally-growing species. These efforts largely continued into the 21st century and was recently reinvigorated by the formation of the Grave Gardeners volunteer program run by The Woodlands. Currently kicking off its fifth year, the Grave Gardeners program boasts over 150 volunteers who adopt and manage more than 200 cradle graves. Shaped by a headstone, footstone, and two low walls, cradle graves are the perfect planters for reintroduction of period-appropriate plants and creative gardening. These thoughtful volunteers from the community are stewards of the stories of those whom the cradle graves memorialize, as well as the figures that developed site’s horticultural legacy, like William Hamilton and Henry Dreer. To learn more about their work, please check out https://www.gravegardeners.org/

For additional information about Henry A. Dreer, Inc., domestic seed trade/catalogues, or the nursery industry in general, the Seed & Nursery Catalog at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is an incredible repository. Utilize the McLean Library, the nation’s oldest horticultural library at 100 N. 20th Street to discover over 15,000 books and DVDs on botany, urban gardening, Philadelphia floral companies, and much more! To get started, refer to the archival finding aids at http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/spahs-acg, or check out the community greening efforts, winter programs, and membership opportunities at https://phsonline.org/

Written by: Nicole Felicetti

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[1] The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera, “The Winterthur Library,” accessed February 18, 2020, http://findingaid.winterthur.org/html/HTML_Finding_Aids/doc0334.htm.

[2] “Dreer, Henry Augustus (1818-1873),” Smithsonian Libraries, accessed February 18, 2020, https://www.sil.si.edu/SILPublications/seeds/dreerhenry-a.html.

Owls: Silent Creatures of the Night

Barred Owl in Cape May. These birds are often detected by their loud, deep "who-cooks-for-you?" call. Photo by Toribird.

Owls seem to inspire a sense of wonder and awe with their silent flight, needle-sharp talons, and nocturnal habits. A moonlit Barn Owl is like a gossamer ghost, the haunting trill of the pint-size Eastern Screech Owl captures the imagination, a Snowy Owl with its gorgeous moon-face is an instant celebrity. But these are normal birds, somehow related to the commonplace Turkey Vulture and Mallard. Isn’t it incredible what nature can do? 

One of an owl’s most unique and supernatural features is the ability to fly on silent wings through a dark forest to capture unsuspecting prey. This silent flight is vital to an owl’s survival in two ways: it allows for the element of surprise since the animal it pursues will not be able to hear the hunter approach; and since most species of owls hunt by ear, fewer distracting flapping sounds makes it easier to zero in on prey.

So how do these birds do it? Owl wing feathers have small comb-like serrations on the leading edge, which breaks up noisy turbulence. Also, owls generally have large wings, which allows them to flap less - less flapping means less sound. Finally, their feathers are soft and velvety, which further dampens sound - think about how much noisier it is to rub two pieces of paper together than two pieces of velvet or flannel. This all has trade-offs, however, since owls cannot fly as fast as daytime speed hunters like falcons. 

The feather serrations (circled in brown) on the wing of a Northern Saw-whet Owl. Photo by Toribird.

Check out this BBC video for an awesome demo on the silent flight on an owl! 

Another awesome ability that these birds have is their senses. Many owls have superb night vision, aided by their huge eyes. In fact, their eyes are so large that they can’t move in their sockets the way ours can. To get around this, they can turn their head more than 180 degrees to look in any direction! Owls also have incredible hearing. Have you ever noticed that an owl’s face looks different from the face of a hawk, eagle or any other bird? Well, that’s a good observation! The feathers on an owl’s face are acoustically transparent (like the mesh of a speaker), and funnel sounds right to the bird’s ears - ears that are asymmetrical (one is higher that the other), further helping the hunter pinpoint its prey. 

Snowy Owl in Kensington, photo by Toribird.

As incredible and secretive as these birds are, it can be astonishing that we do in fact have owls right here in the city. Tiny screech owls can hang out in any park with enough trees, even backyards, and Great-horned Owls have nested near the Philly airport. Perhaps most amazingly, Snowy Owls will show up from time to time! Last year I enjoyed seeing one on top of a school near Kensington. They also like airports since the flat landscape is familiar to a bird that has spent its life on the arctic tundra - consider that a tree is likely as foreign to a Snowy Owls as a highway! 

It is very exciting to have these enthralling birds around, but we must all be sure to behave responsibly around them. If you are lucky enough to encounter an owl, keep your distance and make sure to watch the bird for signs of anxiety, backing off if it becomes fearful. If you take pictures, do not use flash; it can temporally affect these nocturnal birds’ eyesight. For the sake of all wildlife, please stay only on designated trails to avoid trampling habitat. Use careful judgement when sharing the location of owls; they are shy birds and don't like crowds ogling them. You may also want to play taped owl sounds to get them to call in response, but please use it sparingly, and avoid it during important points in the breeding season. 

An Eastern Screech Owl, a species I hope to hear on the owl prowl. This picture was taken in Texas, the screech-owls there are a bit different from ours. Photo by Toribird.

I am exited to say that we will have the Woodlands’ first ever owl prowl on Thursday February 20th! We’ll meet at the stable at 5:30pm, then spend about an hour after dark listening for owls throughout the cemetery. I suggest you wear layers of warm clothes and bring a flashlight. Since this is our first time, I can’t guarantee that we have any nocturnal friends residing at The Woodlands, but I hope you’ll join me in finding out! 

Written by: Toribird

Jane Austen, Would You Have This Dance?

Dancing Assemblies were held in the City Tavern, pictured to the left of the Bank of Philadelphia, from around 1773-1791. Its central location and weekly high-society events made it the social and economic heart of the city in the late 18th century.
Sketch of the City Tavern circa 1780’s. (Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania)

In the domain of elite society in 18th Century Philadelphia, no other group had quite the influential flare as the Philadelphia Dancing Assembly. Established in 1749 by a group of gentlemen involved in the city’s political, professional, and mercantile businesses, the Dancing Assembly was modeled after London and Bath Assemblies of gentility and high-society entertainment. Participants and subscribers of the exclusive club utilized the weekly assemblies to show off their dancing talents, or participate in conversation and card games while eating and drinking the night away. Both a determinant of social status and an opportunity to mingle with Philadelphia’s single elite, a colonial gentleman or lady could display their extraordinary taste in leisure activities, privileged wardrobe, and dancing prowess at a gathering. Interestingly, religious affiliations were not a consideration in determining eligibility.

Among the notable member families were the Bond’s, Shippen’s, Plumstead’s, and our favorite socialite family, the Hamilton’s! Seasonal ticket purchases confirm our own William Hamilton and his family were among the fashionable, social gentility taking part in Dancing Assembly events of the late 18th century. [1]

Special Dancing Assembly events took place around Philadelphia in grand venues of political and social acclaim, including City Tavern at 2nd and Walnut Streets and OEller’s Hotel, on the south side of Chestnut Street, between 5th and 6th Streets. Live music filled the gatherings each year between the months of January and May, as 10 couples at a time participated in formal “minuets” and rowdy “country dances”.

October 1, 1772 Assembly Ticket. (Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania)

Couples waiting for their turn to dance were encouraged to mingle, play cards, and enjoy a variety of wines, liquors, teas, coffees, chocolate, and simple cakes or biscuits. Single men were encouraged to officially court the single women they were paired with. Dancing Assembly gatherings even took place during the American Revolution (though much less frequently than other years) as Philadelphia was a hub of political, social, and military activity. They were a setting of communication between domestic and international leaders as well as leisurely escapism from the troubles of war time; a diversion or distraction afforded to the city’s elite.

A ‘minuet’ would generally begin every formal ball in the 18th century as an honorable tradition. A minuet began with formal bows and curtsies, followed by specific steps in a “S” pattern. (Illustrations from Kellom Thomlinson’s Art of Dancing, London, 1735)

Publications like this would be accessible only to the upper class in the U.S. to learn the proper etiquette.

Dancing Assembly gatherings became such an exciting cultural institution for the city that they attracted families of the highest regard. During his presidency, George Washington’s birthday was celebrated in special Dancing Assembly balls and it is recorded in member correspondences that Washington himself attended various member events when Philadelphia was the capital of the United States. So, the Hamilton’s were dancing among quite important company! Their membership in the Philadelphia Dancing Assembly exemplified their elite wealth and social prominence in the city, and the legacy of the Assembly cannot be understated. In Philadelphia, the Dancing Assembly continued throughout the 19th and well into the 20th centuries. The spirit of high-society mingling and entertainment also inspired similar membership-based gatherings in cities all across the developing United States. At each, the dress, manner, and dancing skill of each family further elevated their social status.

After 1791, Dancing Assemblies were held in the famous Oeller’s Hotel, pictured on the far right, recounted in traveler publications as having an elegant room in the French fashion, (Courtesy of the Library Company of Philadelphia)

To celebrate a tradition of the Hamilton family, (with a nod to Jane Austen too!), The Woodlands is hosting Jane Austen Night, Friday, February 28th, featuring the Germantown Country Dancers. For one night only enjoy seasonal treats, drinks, dance like the elite members of Philadelphia Dancing Assembly members did so many years ago. How will your dancing skills compare?

Learn more about Jane Austen Night and get tickets here.

Written by: Nicole Felicetti

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1.         Brooks, Lynn Matluck. "The Philadelphia Dancing Assembly in the Eighteenth Century." Dance Research Journal 21, no. 1 (1989): 1-6. Accessed February 4, 2020. doi:10.2307/1478608.

Growing Community with The Woodlands Grave Gardeners

The Grave Gardener program is entering its 5th year come Spring 2020, and the application period to join this internationally famous group of volunteers is open right now, through January 15th. Many are familiar with the program, either from watching our segment on CBS Sunday Morning, reading about us in the Associated Press, or seeing our name in blogs like Atlas Obscura and The Order of the Good Death. The Grave Gardeners have inspired a new wave of gardening, and we’ve seen it spread to other historic cemeteries in our own back yard, to small and large cemeteries across the country, and to individuals tending the gravesites of strangers and loved ones all over the world. It has been an incredible 5 years.

Hamilton Mansion (river view) 1907.

The history of The Woodlands is steeped in horticulture. When William Hamilton inherited 250 acres on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, he turned The Woodlands into his full time home. Between 1770 and 1813, Hamilton transformed the area now known as University City into his English country style estate, complete with the first Federal Mansion built in America, the most important greenhouse in the country at that time, and over 90 acres of English style pleasure gardens. William Hamilton’s gardening efforts were so significant, Thomas Jefferson sent a large amount of the botanical collection acquired by Lewis and Clark on their journey to The Woodlands for germination and study. After Hamilton died in 1813 with no direct heirs, his estate was left to other family members, and from there fell into disrepair. Seed and Nurserymen like Henry Dreer rented the greenhouse to expand their own businesses, and parts of the estate were being reallocated for uses like an Almshouse and later the University of Pennsylvania. In 1840, The Woodlands Cemetery Company was formed under the leadership of Eli K. Price as an early act of preservation to save the Hamilton Estate from the growth of industrialization taking place along the Schuylkill. (You can read all about this history and more with our online resources!)

During this time, rural cemeteries acted as an early form of public parks, and city residents enjoyed spending time in cemeteries like The Woodlands to picnic, garden, and enjoy time outdoors. A popular headstone style during the Victorian Era, “Cradle Graves” were a common style of headstone installed by families at The Woodlands. They would be tended by individual families with flower gardens, but in recent decades have only been filled with grass. The Grave Gardeners are adopting these cradle graves and bringing the gardens back.

Many people might not know the full value of the Grave Gardeners to The Woodlands as an organization, or how the program has transformed this not-so-hidden gem in West Philadelphia. Five years ago, The Woodlands was a 54-acre private non-profit Cemetery and Historic Trust, with over 30,000 burials, more than 700 trees, and only two full time staff (we’re now a team of three!). The gates were open every day to welcome members of the community from students, to travelers, and families from the neighborhood to explore and learn in an open green space. The landscape had plenty to offer, but we knew we could do more if we had a little help.

We’re breaking down a few (out of countless) reasons the Grave Gardeners make The Woodlands special, and we hope it inspires you to apply to be a part of this transformative group of people (just remember to do so by January 15th).

They multiply resources. As a three person staff, it is incredibly challenging and rewarding to be the stewards of this National Historic Landmark District. We create programs, cultivate a growing community, and watch over our permanent residents, historic structures, and trees. The Grave Gardeners give us the opportunity to propagate plants and keep things alive within the cemetery. Planting flowers and trees is relatively easy. Keeping these young plants alive is hard. The Grave Gardeners do a fantastic job, and we couldn’t keep everything growing without them.

The Grave Gardeners have an endless amount of enthusiasm. When we first considered what the Grave Gardener program would look like, we imagined 20 committed people who all lived nearby, liked to garden, and were interested in learning more about the people who were buried in The Woodlands. We ended up with 75 people who felt committed to this place, and wanted to literally get their hands dirty in an effort to learn more and help beautify the landscape for all 35,000 annual visitors to enjoy. They attend workshops in the winter for a crash course into the practice of gardening in cemeteries, why Philadelphia is a hot spot for horticulture, and how best to plant and design a diverse grouping of fillers, spillers and thrillers (If you know, you know. And if you don’t, we’ll teach you!) into a Victorian era cradle grave. Today there are about 130 Grave Gardeners who take this enthusiasm for learning and focus it on weeding, watering, and sharing it with their friends and family.

Each year they put us face to face with the best possible problem. So many people apply to be a part of the program, we sadly can’t accept them all. There are other ways to get involved though! We have a robust volunteer group full of people who help with landscape clean up days, special projects, and help make public events go smoothly. You can take a Thursday tour to learn more about The Woodlands history and new research to share with family and friends as you explore the grounds. You can even make plans to be buried here and continue the ongoing tradition of this being an active cemetery. While we can only accept Grave Gardeners during a short window in January, you can enjoy the cradle graves and floral landscape 365 days a year from dawn to dusk.

Have we piqued your interest? You can learn even more about becoming a 2020 Grave Gardener and apply today.