Photo Credit: Bob Krist Greater Philadelphia Tourism
Without a doubt, living in Philadelphia would be much less
pleasant if it weren't for the 8,500 landscaped acres of Fairmount Park. Along
with the usual amenities for picnicking, bike riding, hiking and tossing a
ball or frisbee, Fairmount Park offers the Mann Music Center and Robin Hood
Dell East, where outdoor concerts are held each summer, the Zoological Gardens,
the oldest zoo in the U.S., the historic Fairmount Park Houses, and the charming
structures along Boathouse Row. Other attractions include: the Ellen Phillips
Samuel Memorial Sculpture Garden on Kelly Drive, featuring works like “The
Quaker” and “Birth of a Nation”; the view from Belmont Plateau;
the 17th century shoin-style Japanese House and surrounding gardens; Azalea
Garden; the Waterworks which was completed in the early 1800s and now has
been being restored.
Fairmont Park
A township in the extreme northeastern part of the county of Philadelphia;
bounded on the east and northeast by Poquessing Creek and Bucks county; on
the northwest by Montgomery county; and on the west and southwest by the township
of Moreland.
It was settled by a few Swedes previous to the year 1675, and in that year
by four brothers -- Nathaniel, Thomas, Daniel and William Walton -- all young
and single men. They had arrived at Newcastle from England early in that year,
and, having prospected the land in the neighborhood of the Delaware, chose
the country near Poquessing Creek, and settled there. They gave it the name
Byberry, in honor of their native town, near Bristol, in England.
Giles and Joseph Knight, John Carver, John Heart, Richard Collett and their
families, and others joined them after the arrival of the ship Welcome in
1682.
The township of Byberry was established at a very early date after the coming
of Penn. It contained very few villages at the time of consolidation, and
was the most rural of all the townships of Philadelphia county.
Cobbs Creek
Cobbs Creek Park is located in West and Southwest Philadelphia. This beautiful
section of the Fairmount Park system has seen much of Philadelphia's rich
history. It is home to the nation's first watermill, constructed in 1634 by
Swedish Governor Printz to promote economic growth and help start Philadelphia's
Industrial Revolution. Initial key battles of the American Revolution were
fought in Cobbs Creek between George Washington and General C. Wallace, well
before the battles in Valley Forge. Cobbs Creek is also home to John Bartram,
the nations first Botanist. It is the permanent resting site for Betsy Ross
and many other colonial figures at Mt. Moriah Cemetery. The park provides
a variety of traditional and natural recreational activities and rare ecological
finds for all ages and backgrounds. Served by public transportation from all
areas of the city, Cobbs Creek Park contains the city's oldest golf course,
day/night recreation track, Ice Skate House, butterfly trails, two waterfalls
and the new Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center.
Wissahickon
Valley
The Wissahickon Valley has a long history of recreational use, going back
before it became a Park in 1868. In the 19th century, nature lovers found
inspiration in the Valley for creating poetry and paintings. The Creek was
a popular place to canoe in the summer and skate in the winter.
Today, the park attracts thousands of visitors weekly. High-energy joggers
and mountain bikers are almost equal in number to walkers and hikers. Fishermen,
horseback riders, rock climbers, and skiers are visitors too, in small numbers.
The Wissahickon Valley Park is a beautiful and magnificent example of what
can be accomplished when we reclaim and restore our natural lands. Wissahickon
Valley Park is a 1,426 acre oasis surrounded by the city and suburbs. It is
home to hundreds of species of plants, mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians,
insects and other living things. The natural beauty of the Wissahickon is
enhanced by bridges and structures such as Valley Green Inn.
