ABOUT US
Wissahickon Garden Club ,founded in 1932, and a member of The Garden Club of America since 1942, is dedicated to furthering the knowledge of our natural world through the fields of horticulture, conservation , and floral design. Centered in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia and surrounding towns, for more than seventy five years, Wissahickon Garden Club and its members have given steadfast support and leadership to our parks, schools and arboreta. The spirit, generosity, and energy of our members have played an important role in shaping these vibrant groups and have contributed to making our communities widely admired, wonderful places to live.
OUR HISTORY Wissahickon Garden Club - Founded: 1932 - Joined GCA: 1942 - Number of Members: 94 In April of 1932 , six women, all of whom lived in homes bordering the Wissahickon section of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, joined together to keep Forbidden Drive, a road running through the Park, from being used by automobiles and to preserve it solely for recreation. This small but significant effort in maintaining the tranquility of Forbidden Drive created an insoluble bond among these women and led to the founding of the mighty Wissahickon Garden Club.
From these early beginnings 80 years ago, our Club has been instrumental in the conservation and preservation of Northwest Philadelphia and its surroundings. Our Club’s civic projects have been many and varied including: the installation of the gardens at Awbury Arboretum (1940s); lobbying to keep the proposed Schuylkill Expressway and Pennsylvania Turnpike free of billboards (1950s); fundraising for the Pennsylvania School for Horticulture for Women (l950s); planting the Children’s Hospital grounds (1950s); planning and plantings for the Robin Hood Dell music amphitheater in Fairmount Park (1950s); historic reconstruction of the gardens at Hope Lodge (1960s); “Operation Dogwood” with the planting of more than 1,500 American Dogwood Trees in Chestnut Hill (1960s); assisting with the rebuilding of the Italian Fountain located next to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1960s); plantings at the Top of The Hill next to the Chestnut Hill Library (1970s); planning and planting of The Jenks School in Chestnut Hill (1980s-1990s); historic preservation at the Highlands, a Roosevelt home (1980s); woodland restoration of the Wissahickon Watershed (1990s to present); contributions to The Morris Arboretum (1990s to 2000s); restoration and replanting of The Spring House in Fairmount Park (2000s); the design and planting of the gardens at the entrance to The Mann Center in Fairmount Park (2000s); and the restoration of Concourse Lake (2010s).
With the examples set by our predecessors, our current energetic, talented and committed Wissahickon members are well positioned to roll up their sleeves and get to work to protect the environment, strengthen the community and beautify the world in which they live.
OUR HISTORY Wissahickon Garden Club - Founded: 1932 - Joined GCA: 1942 - Number of Members: 94 In April of 1932 , six women, all of whom lived in homes bordering the Wissahickon section of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, joined together to keep Forbidden Drive, a road running through the Park, from being used by automobiles and to preserve it solely for recreation. This small but significant effort in maintaining the tranquility of Forbidden Drive created an insoluble bond among these women and led to the founding of the mighty Wissahickon Garden Club.
From these early beginnings 80 years ago, our Club has been instrumental in the conservation and preservation of Northwest Philadelphia and its surroundings. Our Club’s civic projects have been many and varied including: the installation of the gardens at Awbury Arboretum (1940s); lobbying to keep the proposed Schuylkill Expressway and Pennsylvania Turnpike free of billboards (1950s); fundraising for the Pennsylvania School for Horticulture for Women (l950s); planting the Children’s Hospital grounds (1950s); planning and plantings for the Robin Hood Dell music amphitheater in Fairmount Park (1950s); historic reconstruction of the gardens at Hope Lodge (1960s); “Operation Dogwood” with the planting of more than 1,500 American Dogwood Trees in Chestnut Hill (1960s); assisting with the rebuilding of the Italian Fountain located next to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1960s); plantings at the Top of The Hill next to the Chestnut Hill Library (1970s); planning and planting of The Jenks School in Chestnut Hill (1980s-1990s); historic preservation at the Highlands, a Roosevelt home (1980s); woodland restoration of the Wissahickon Watershed (1990s to present); contributions to The Morris Arboretum (1990s to 2000s); restoration and replanting of The Spring House in Fairmount Park (2000s); the design and planting of the gardens at the entrance to The Mann Center in Fairmount Park (2000s); and the restoration of Concourse Lake (2010s).
With the examples set by our predecessors, our current energetic, talented and committed Wissahickon members are well positioned to roll up their sleeves and get to work to protect the environment, strengthen the community and beautify the world in which they live.
