Part 5

“The Farm” or “Butler Place” yet contains many notable plants, though the “row of old acacia trees near the house” was removed, and “a double row of 200 trees planted along the side of the place” show wear. The latter, however, is of great interest to us, for in spite of an acknowledged “combined ignorance” a majority of these plants have lived, and from “York Farm” in 1874 Fanny Kemble wrote: “The trees I planted along the low enclosure hedge of Butler Place, 30 years ago, stretch their branches and throw their shadows half over the road which divides the places.”

Though exceedingly pleasurable, we may not linger here too long, and to all interested in Germantown and its associations, I suggest the reading of “Records of Later Life” and “Further Records,” both books of great interest, and mainly produced at “Butler Place” and “York Farm.”

There are many avenues of silver maples (acer dasycarpum) worthy of record with us, among them being one in Town Hall Park, another at the Pulaski avenue approach to “Fern-hill,” and also that leading to the Pinckney homestead, where Judge William D. Kelly once lived.

Other striking maple-lined avenues may be seen at Justus C. Strawbridge’s, School House lane and Wissahickon avenue; at Samuel Welsh’s, West School House lane, both of great beauty; also that of Garrett’s Hill on our main street, with others numerous; and on Norwood avenue, extending from Chestnut avenue to Sunset avenue, Chestnut Hill, is one beyond compare. At Butler Place the hemlock (tsuga canadensis) hedge continues of more than ordinary merit, but it is surpassed by a notable hedge of the same species at Thomas P. Galvin’s grounds, West Walnut lane, and by the remarkable hedges of “Fern-hill.” Other plants at Butler Place worthy of notice are a black walnut and a coffee tree, both of immense size and majestic proportions. Distributed throughout our territory are many large and beautiful coffee trees (gymnoclaudus canadensis). One of these may be seen at Dr. I. Pearson Willit’s, on West Walnut lane; another holds its place in Vernon Park; and a specially fine specimen stands before the Welsh mansion at Spring-Bank.

At Dr. George De Benneville’s “Silver Pine Farm” is a group of white pine (pinus strobus), which if not the largest is at least the most imposing one among us. These trees are nine in number, are about two feet in diameter trunk, rise to a height of from 80 to 100 feet, and their shattered arms are familiar to every frequenter of Branchtown by way of Green lane or York road. As these trees gave name to the place, so we may refer to a farm house-like structure which once stood where Masonic Hall now stands on Main street near St. Luke’s Church, a house in 1832 the home of Bronson Alcott, and the birthplace of Louisa M. Alcott--which from a group of trees before it, became known as “Silver Pine Cottage.”

In this same cottage, while rector of St. Luke’s Church, Rev. B. Wistar Morris also dwelt, and this in a measure may account for his love of “Oregon pines,” though his old-time neighbors say he was elected bishop for quite another reason.

Conspicuous specimens of white pine, in some respects our most impressive tree, may be seen at Loudoun, at Toland’s, at Henry’s, all near Naglee’s Hill; at Fern-hill, at George Blight’s and Dr. James Gardette’s on Wissahickon avenue; at Manheim, where there is a beautiful tree three feet in diameter and 90 feet high; at Carlton on Indian Queen lane; at Armstrong’s on Duy’s lane, and at almost every place on School House lane from John Alburger’s, near Greene street, to William Weightman’s, near the “Falls;” at Jacob A. Datz’s, Stenton avenue and Mill street, and at Alfred Williams’, near by; at Old School, County line and Limekiln pike; at Vollmer’s, Washington lane; at Upsala and Lutheran Seminary--indeed, so many and so generally distributed are these beautiful plants that it is needless to further enumerate.

At Butler Place is an odd white pine, which curiously at a height of 40 feet had its terminal bud destroyed, the result being the development of a trinity of side buds. In like manner there is also a remarkable specimen at Philip Guckes’ on West School House lane, a tree 2½ feet in diameter by 70 feet high. This tree’s terminal bud at 40 feet elevation having been destroyed, two side shoots were developed, which each sturdily rose to an additional height of 30 feet.

Without exception, the finest and most perfect white pine in our district is a plant growing on a knoll on “Perot’s Farm,” now Northwood Cemetery. This tree has a trunk 2½ feet in diameter, rises to a height of 70 feet, has a spread of 40 feet, and is vigorous, perfect and very beautiful.

At “Outalauna,” the residence of Joseph Wharton, is an exceedingly fine silver poplar (populus alba), and near at “Bonnenal Cottage,” the home of Mrs. Anne de Benneville Mears, are two immense buttonwood trees (platanus occidentalis) with trunks 4 feet in diameter, each with a height of 100 feet, and 40 feet spread. In “Old York Road,” Mrs. Mears, writing of “Bonnenal Cottage,” states “it was surrounded by a fine lawn and in front still stands one of the sycamore trees whose age is over 300 years, and its companion was planted by Dr. George De Benneville, Sr., in 1768.”

With us continue many notable buttonwood trees, although all our home trees are inferior to specimens growing in more favorable locations. In Case’s Botanical Index, Page 46, there was recorded in 1880 a buttonwood tree growing in Greene county, Indiana, having a trunk 16 feet in diameter, and which rose with a clear trunk 25 feet, the altitude reached being 160 feet, and plane trees much greater than this are known.

It would be futile to name all our worthy specimens, so I shall without mention pass many to locate a few which more directly appeal to us. We all may remember the buttonwood tree within the gate to our “Earthly Paradise,” and whose denuded trunk stands to remind us of days when settlers first took up ground on “side land lots.” Here with an additional story of recent growth is Naglee’s house, where James Logan for a season dwelt, a building like the “Rock House,” a venerable survivor and typical representative of the stone houses of early Germantown.

Recently we have lost one of two well-known sycamore trees at Wagner’s, and the tree continuing is but a reminder of its former greatness. Another interesting specimen on Main street is that on the grounds of William Heft, a tree 5½ feet in diameter and 80 feet high, one of the trees which changed the name of a public house once here from “Ye Roebuck Inn” to “Buttonwood Hotel.” Though often so asserted by over-zealous loyalists, these trees were not planted “by Philadelphia’s first mayor,” but by Andrew Garret, who carried them from the banks of the Schuylkill, and here set them in place, as “The Guide” some years ago instructed us. Andrew Garret may be remembered as an eccentric character, who during the latter part of the eighteenth century had a dwelling on Indian Queen lane, near the “Falls.” Here he lived alone, and by robbers was one night foully murdered, a sufficient warning, let us hope, to all of like preferment.

Other interesting buttonwood trees are located at the pump on Manheim street, where there is a specimen 4 feet in diameter by 80 feet high; at Manheim, near the club house, where is an odd-shaped specimen with a short trunk 4 feet in diameter, and awkwardly branching limbs rising to a height of 100 feet; at Friends’ grounds on Main street, where is a rare tree 4 feet in diameter by 60 feet high, and another specimen at Market Square, now only of interest because it was planted by Samuel B. Morris; at Dr. Ashton’s on West School House lane, where there is a majestic tree, and several others worthy a visit are in this immediate neighborhood. Rare specimens may also be seen at spring-house on Cresheim road, above Allen’s lane; at William Dewees spring-house at the bend in the upper Wissahickon, where grow two fine specimens; at “Spring Bank,” the residence of John Welsh, where is a perfect plant, 4 feet in diameter and 100 feet high; and two trees in Wissahickon avenue, near “Fern-hill” entrance, one 6 feet in diameter, 100 feet rise, with a spread of 80 feet, and the other about its equal, are the finest plane trees we have.

At National Cemetery, Haines street and Limekiln pike, are many beautiful trees, though but few of unusual size or rarity. Here are fair specimens of ginko (salisburia adiantifolia), but not equal to the ginkos of Edward Hacker, Wister street; Charles J. Wister, Main street; Lloyd Mifflin, Penn street; Benjamin H. Shoemaker, Mill street; and that of Alfred C. Harrison, at Thorpe’s lane, Chestnut Hill. Larch (larix Americana), but surpassed by the larch of David Pancoast at High and Baynton streets, by that of “Fairfield,” of “Upsala,” and several others. Silver birch and other trees of superior merit are here, and also here is a fine white pine, while in sight is a number of specimens of the same species at Middleton’s on Limekiln pike. Among the best plants at National Cemetery is an arbor vitae (thuja occidentalis) group of 12 feet in diameter spread and a 30-feet height, and an exceedingly fine specimen of retinospora plumosa.

At one time there were several fine trees on Christopher Ludwig’s farm, Haines street, near Chew street, but the best of these have disappeared, and there now remains but mediocre plane and walnut trees to halt us at the house of Washington’s doughty baker general, who spent here several years of his honest life, and who from his “labors” rests in St. Michael’s Lutheran Churchyard. Opposite “Ludwig Farm” is “Awbury,” containing the homes of John S. Haines, Thomas P. Cope, Francis R. Cope and other members of well-known families of like name, where are many rare and beautiful plants. From “High Street Station” which was, there extended to the Cope houses a rustic walk shaded by a double row of silver maples, and this shortened continues to remind one of the celebrated “walks” of Addison at Oxford and Milton at Cambridge. Shielding Haines street, east of Chew street, is a row of specially fine scarlet maple (acer rubrum) trees now in bloom, and at “John Haines’ gate” grow two fine elm trees, each having a trunk 2½ feet in diameter, a height of 60 feet and a spread of 80 feet, entirely covering the entrance to this most inviting place.

With us are several fine elm trees (ulmus Americana), one being on the grounds of Charles Edward Pancoast, East Johnson street; another is in the “Concord graveyard,” and two very beautiful weeping elms of the Galena type on Chew street, opposite Church street, shade the entrance to Meehans’ nurseries.

At one time several of our largest trees were to be found at Old Oaks Cemetery, grounds once a part of John Tucker’s “plantation.” This burying ground was located on Township Line road, and extended from near the toll-gate at McKean’s hill to the railroad, south. Here was a number of immense chestnut trees, but the finest have been destroyed. Our best, however, did not class with trees elsewhere. At Hereford, Bucks county, Pa., there is, or was, standing on the farm of James Schlegel a chestnut tree 8¾ feet in diameter, 90 feet high, and said to be 200 years old. At James A. Wright’s place on Township Line road, near Clapier street, is an imposing grove of great chestnut, silver maple and oak trees; at “Carlton,” Indian Queen lane, is a number of chestnut trees of immense girth, but of no great height, storm riven and impressive; but perhaps our largest chestnut trees are located on the grounds of Thomas P. C. Stokes and Dr. George Strawbridge, Wissahickon avenue, near Frank street.

“Fernhill,” which from “Old Oaks” appears on an elevation before us, is slowly but surely losing its choicest plants, and during a recent visit there with George Redles, John F. Sibson, its efficient manager, attributed its losses to noxious gases proceeding from the steel works near by. Here, in addition to plants previously noted, are superior specimens of barberry (berberis vulgaris), weeping dog-wood (cornus F. variety pendula), common beech (fagus ferruginea), a fine specimen of Virginian fringe tree (chionanthus Virginica), and a larch of perfect proportions, 2 feet in diameter and 40 feet high. To compare with these, along Wingohocken creek, immediately north of the “Rocky Mountains” in Meehans’ nurseries, is a grove of fringe trees very beautiful when in flower, and at Manheim there is a magnificent larch, 2 feet in diameter of trunk, rising to a height of 80 feet.

The finest larch in Germantown once stood on the grounds of Hugh McLean, corner of Carpenter lane and Cresheim road, but this great tree a few years ago unfortunately met its fate.

At Thomas Jones’, Manheim street and Wissahickon avenue, is a holly (ilex opaca) 15 feet high, with a spread of 15 feet, a beautiful specimen, but equaled by two notable plants at Vernon, and surpassed by Wister Price’s specimen on Manheim grounds, a tree having a trunk 1½ feet in diameter, 25 feet high, with a branch spread of 20 feet. Here also is a rare virgilia, the first, and once the finest specimen in cultivation,--a tree now showing the ravages of old age, but none the less interesting. A virgilia younger (cladrastis tinctoria), vigorous and beautiful, overhangs the gate of “Grumblethorpe,” Main street, opposite Queen street, and is the best of its species I know in our territory.

The charms of “Caernarvon” have flown, but Manheim possesses a beauty of its own, one of its many attractions being the finest group of rhododendrons (rhododendron maximum) in Germantown. The neighborhood of Manheim to me is of great interest, but we may not stop to consider its historic associations nor to refer to all its plants worthy of notice.

By far the finest silver maple in Germantown stood on the grounds of Louis Clapier Baumann, at corner of Manheim and Henry streets. This fine tree some years ago I measured, and when it was felled to make way for improvements these measurements were verified by John Holt. The tree was perfect in every particular, of commanding height, and was a notable landmark of Manheim street. An account of this plant I prepared for “Forest Leaves,” of June, 1897, wherein it is described as being 138 feet in height. At half its altitude it had a spread of 35 feet on every side of the main trunk, and at 1 foot above the ground the trunk was 4⅓ feet in diameter.

We have many fine specimens of silver maple continuing, and one of the finest stands on Cresheim road, near Gorgas street. Another appears to the rear of Dr. John D. Godman’s house, Main street, opposite Pastorius street. Another, and a very striking one, stands at the corner of West Walnut lane and Adams street, but this tree a few years ago was visited by marauders and now it is but a relic of its former greatness. At “The Corvy,” the residence of William Wynne Wister, there are several silver maples, not specially great, but of interest because they are directly on Main street and shade Gilbert Stuart’s house.

It is recorded that Jacques Marie Roset, who lived on the upper side of Manheim street, adjoining James R. Gates’ lumber yard, and not at “Spring Alley,” as has oft been reported, had a beautiful garden, the products of which it is said he loved to distribute, one of his recipients being Fanny Kemble, who from her home on York road frequently passed this way on driving trips, a recreation she always loved. It is also recorded that Roset first introduced tomatoes to Germantown, but this does not appear to be correct, for the credit belongs, I think, to E. B. Gardette, whose place on Wissahickon avenue, opposite Manheim street, is marked by three notable pine trees rising to a height of 80 feet.

This gentleman came to America during the Revolutionary period, and it is said his gardener first grew the tomato (lycopersicum esculentum), or love apple, for the color of its fruit. Melons or canteloupes were also first raised here, it has been stated, but this I have never been able to verify, “for the seed of the canteloupe was brought to this country from Tripoli, and distributed by Commodore James Barron,” so I give the credit for what it is worth.

This, however, I know, Philip R. Freas, a neighbor of Commodore Barron, had a canteloupe patch which the “brickyard” boys well knew, and about it I doubt not Philip Walters, and George Redles--who having reached years of discrimination, has now no need to ask if it be “true that horses when old never lie down”--can tell you more than I.

Baumann’s great maple grew on ground which once belonged to “White Cottage,” an estate at one time owned by the Logans. Here lived Dr. Samuel Betton, who was succeeded by his son, Dr. Thomas Forrest Betton, the friend of Rafinesque, and here under Samuel Betton, its present occupant and owner, William Kulp, well known to many of us, has been many years gardener. Recent changes have robbed “White Cottage” of its seclusion, but with it yet continue many beautiful ivy-dressed trees, which spread their branches over the grounds, in season almost shielding the house from view.