George and Eleanor Butler donated the land for Glen Providence Park in the summer of 1935, and work started on October 31, 1935 – making Halloween Glen Providence Park’s birthday! Coincidentally(?), some spooky-strange tales from local folklore take place in and around the park, and it has hosted some spook-tacular Halloween events.

It was the local ghost and witch stories recounted in the early 1900’s by Dr. Anna E. Broomall that led us to discover the rich pre-park history of Glen Providence, from the time it was called Scroggie Valley!  Dr. Broomall was the daughter of Judge John M. Broomall, who had owned the land that is now Glen Providence Park from about 1864 until his death in 1894.  

“Back in the early days of this region before civilization had turned too strong a light on things occult, the neighborhood was peopled with its full quota of goblins and ghosts and witches…” You can read the rest of Dr. Broomall’s telling of the 1700’s story of newlywed ghosts haunting the park, and the 1800’s story of three witch sisters tormenting the local miller, and of their Witches’ Ride in the park.  Both stories are annotated with our historical research and maps.

In the 1980’s, Delaware County Parks & Recreation held frightening Halloween Hauntings in Glen Providence, with Freddy Kruger, a chain saw man, Dracula, and even water creatures in the pond! My favorite newspaper description stated, “After completing the eerie walk, visitors will receive a cup of cider and the director’s assurance that no one will follow them home.” 

Those hauntings were apparently scary enough to help inspire Penncrest grad Gary Dauberman, the horror screenwriter of the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “It”! He spoke about it in interviews, telling the Delaware County Daily Times, “I remember going on haunted walks at Glen Providence Park in Media every Halloween, which helped to foster my love of horror at a very young age. So did driving by the Heilbron Mansion on the school bus every day…”

To honor the 80th Anniversary of Glen Providence Park in 2015, we held a Halloween Birthday celebration at the stage, with Hedgerow Theatre enacting Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven, and the park’s Ghost and Witch Stories! It was an enchanting evening, with the audience dressed in costumes, ready to head off for trick-or-treating immediately following the performance. 

Halloween events are just some of the park’s wonderful array of activities and events since it opened in 1935. That tradition of community events, and the elegance of the park’s design and structures built by the Works Progress Administration, are why Glen Providence Park was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places!  What a marvelous history it has had…

Happy 85th Birthday, Glen Providence Park!

And, Happy Halloween!

Click on the links in the article above for photos and much more information!

For the second of four concerts in our 2015 Summer Concert Series, Friends of Glen Providence Park is delighted to present Jean Therapy! A little bit retro, a little bit modern, Jean Therapy plays an eclectic fusion of Jazz-Rock, Latin, Blues, and Soul – with a strong female vocal, beautiful keys, and a really nice jazz guitar. 

Afternoon Concert & 80th Anniversary!

Saturday, July 25
4:30-6:00pm
Glen Providence Park stage, State Street, Media
Rain date: Sunday, July 26*

We will also celebrate the 80th anniversary of Glen Providence Park! On July 24, 1935, George and Eleanor Butler signed a deed donating the majority of the land to establish Delaware County’s first park as a bird sanctuary and arboretum. The Butlers’ grandchildren will join us as we celebrate the anniversary of this generous gift with a concert, and with anniversary cake!

Bring a blanket or chair, and relax on the lawn by the stage to enjoy a late afternoon concert! After the concert, head into Media for dinner and shopping, just 2 blocks away on State Street. As with all of our events, this concert is free and open to the public.

Thank you:

• Concert Sponsor Diego’s Cantina & Tequila Bar makes traditional peasant style food from the Puebla region of Mexico, on a wood burning grill. And it’s located just over 2 blocks from the entrance to the park!
• Concert Series Sponsor Media Recreation Board does so much for Media – including summer camp for kids, movies in Barrall Field, the Annual July 4th Celebration, and the Great Media Garage Sale Days.
• Concert Series Sponsor Media Rotary Foundation has been supporting the community by contributing to worthwhile organizations, groups, and projects since 1983.
• Delaware County Parks & Recreation has cared for Glen Providence Park since its creation in 1935, and their support makes these concerts possible. We are grateful that this summer, they resurfaced the historical concert stage for the park’s 80th anniversary!

*If the weather is questionable, we will post on Facebook and on our website by noon Saturday whether we will use our Sunday rain date.

For logistics, and for information on our upcoming August and September concerts, please see our 2015 Summer Concert Series announcement!

What better way to honor and celebrate Earth Day and the 80th Anniversary year of Glen Providence Park than by planting trees? Yesterday we did just that with Delaware County Parks & Recreation, 2nd and 3rd grade students from Media-Providence Friends School (MPFS), and so many groups who help care for Glen Providence Park!

Long before the first Earth Day, in 1935 George and Eleanor Butler donated most of the land for Glen Providence Park to Delaware County as the county’s first park. The Butlers dedicated the park as a bird sanctuary and arboretum, and specified in the deed that the land be “kept in as natural a condition as possible.”

Yesterday’s Earth Day Celebration honored that spirit as we planted two native trees: a White Oak by the historical concert stage to replace the 110-year-old White Ash that fell in a storm last year, and a Pagoda Dogwood to add an understory tree. Michael Culp of Delaware County Council presented us with thoughtful a resolution honoring the 80th Anniversary of Glen Providence Park, which you can see in the photo gallery below.

A highlight of the celebration was the poetry read by the 2nd and 3rd grade science students of MPFS. Their poems written for Earth Day added meaning and inspiration to the event. You can read all of them in our link below – here are just two examples:

Trees   by MPFS 2nd grade student

The trees we plant thank us by giving oxygen and they also produce food like apples, oranges, tangerines and more!

My Evergreen Tree by MPFS 3rd grade student                        

Spiky as a porcupine and
Hard as a turtle shell
Green as a turtle
Brown as mud!

The MPFS students helped plant the two trees, and their water bucket brigade carried water uphill from Broomall’s Run to the stage to water them! After installing deer fencing to protect the trees, we ended it all with a pizza lunch in the picnic area by the stage.

Thank you to everyone who shared in the celebration, and all that they do to support Glen Providence and the other Delaware County Parks:

• Delaware County Parks & Recreation for providing the inspiration, native trees, supplies, digging(!), and pizza – and maintaining this lovely park for 80 years!
• Delaware County Park Board for all it does to support Delaware County Parks & Recreation.
• Delaware County Council for the resolution honoring the 80th Anniversary of Glen Providence Park, for making all of the County’s parks possible, and for approving the emergency streambank repairs last summer!
• Delaware County Planning for its thoughtful work on the Delaware County Open Space Plan, which was officially approved yesterday!
• Delaware County Conservation District for its guidance and Mini-Grants for two of our planting projects.
• Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association for its stewardship of all of our local creeks, and for donating deer fencing for the trees.
• Friends of Glen Providence Park volunteers for their ongoing work removing invasive plants and helping with 12 volunteer days since 2011 – this weekend’s cleanup will be our 13th!
• And a very warm thank you to the lovely students, parents, and teachers of Media Providence Friends School, led by science teacher Holly Hoffmann – your words were inspiring, and your enthusiasm contagious!

Photos & links:

Read all of the wonderful MPFS 2nd grade poems and 3rd grade poems! You can see more photographs on Delaware County Council’s Facebook page, watch a short news clip on CBS3 (which does not mention Glen Providence Park by name, but does include footage of the students!), and nice articles on the Delaware County website and in the Daily Times.

Thank you to George Tate for the fabulous photos – scroll through them all, or click on any for a closer look!

The Earth Day celebration was a collaborative effort between Delaware County Parks & Recreation, Friends of Glen Providence Park, and Media Providence Friends School.

We experienced several trail conditions at our Winter Bird Walk in Glen Providence Park on Sunday, from ice and snow to slush and mud! Despite the challenging trails and cold weather, the birds were active and cooperative. We spotted a nice array of species, including multiple kinds of woodpeckers, sparrows, hawks and crows. An ever-endearing Brown Creeper (in photo) seemed to follow us along the path, while a Winter Wren determinedly hid from us in some brush. Throughout the park, we encountered remarkably chatty and active Carolina Wrens. As we finished, we were treated to pairs of Hooded Mergansers and Black Ducks, then a flock of Snow Geese flew overhead!

It was an appropriate first event for the 80th Anniversary year of Glen Providence Park, which George and Eleanor Butler donated in 1935 as a Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum!

Thank you so much to the intrepid souls who attended, and to Al Guarente of the Birding Club of Delaware County for leading his 5th bird walk for us!

Winter Bird Walk eBird list:

January 25, 2015
27 species

200 – Snow Goose
100 – Canada Goose
2 – American Black Duck
25 – Mallard
3 – Hooded Merganser
1 – Turkey Vulture
1 – Red-shouldered Hawk
1 – Red-tailed Hawk
1 – Mourning Dove
3 – Red-bellied Woodpecker
5 – Downy Woodpecker
1 – Hairy Woodpecker
1 – Northern Flicker
3 – Blue Jay
2 – American Crow
1 – Fish Crow
15 – Carolina Chickadee
20 – Tufted Titmouse
3 – White-breasted Nuthatch
1 – Brown Creeper
1 – Winter Wren
10 – Carolina Wren
1 – Song Sparrow
10 – White-throated Sparrow
20 – Dark-eyed Junco
5 – Northern Cardinal
1 – American Goldfinch

In the summer of 1935, George and Eleanor Butler donated the land for Glen Providence Park, the first park established by Delaware County. Its final approval was reported in the October 30, 1935 Chester Times, and the long-time park guard and caretaker James R. Stokes, Jr. started work the next day on October 31, 1935 – so Halloween is Glen Providence Park’s anniversary, and this year will be its 80th!

Glen Providence Park would not have been possible without the generosity of George and Eleanor Butler and the vision of Samuel L. Smedley, the president of the Delaware County Park Board. Mr. Smedley championed regional planning and open space in Delaware County from at least 1927, when he spoke about the county’s rapidly growing population necessitating a recreational and park system and of Delaware County’s “rolling country, intercepted by beautiful streams, making ideal conditions for living and recreation.”

Samuel L. Smedley spearheaded the creation of the Delaware County Park Board in 1932, and apparently had his eye on the Butler property during a June 1935 walk reported in the Chester Times: “There is an arboretum upon the estate of George T. Butler, a natural one, the trees just grew as nature would have them. Samuel L. Smedley, one of Delaware county’s widely known botanists, in roaming through the lovely valley and over the hillside found fifty varieties of trees. Mr. Smedley is also an ornithologist and saw a number of different birds flitting around.”

Just over a month later on July 24, 1935, George and Eleanor Butler signed a deed donating the majority of the land for the park to Delaware County, with small tracts donated by The Media Swimming and Rowing Club and James J. Skelly. From the beginning, the focus was on preserving the natural beauty and habitat of the valley. The deed dated July 24, 1935 states “That the property shall be used only as a Park and Kept in as natural a condition as possible save only for the construction of paths or trails for the use of pedestrians.” Glen Providence Park was established as a Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum, and Eleanor Butler herself named it “because of its glen-like formation and as it is located in the heart of the Providence townships.”

There are hundreds of articles over the ensuing decades in the Chester Times recounting events and activities in Glen Providence Park, and many extoll its beauty, plants, and wildlife, as in the September 1935 announcement of the Butlers’ donation: “The tract is the beautiful glen and woodland which adjoins the Butler residence on West Front street… Owing to the great variety of natural conditions, which includes Broomall’s Run, a rapid flowing stream, many acres of heavy timber and a great variety of natural shrubs and wild flowers, this tract is particularly well suited for a bird sanctuary. Many species of birds already frequent the spot.” A November 1, 1935 write-up invites the reader to “Come with your bird glasses, your flower guides, your tree books. Bring the school children and scout groups, and let Nature teach them her ancient lessons.”

Generations of nature lovers, hikers, families, school children, and scout groups have enjoyed Glen Providence Park, which has also hosted a wonderful array of activities and events in its 80 years. That tradition of community events, and the elegance of the park’s design and structures built by the Works Progress Administration, are why Glen Providence Park was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places!

The dedication at the park’s main entrance states, “A gift of land is a gift eternal.” Thank you to George and Eleanor Butler for this wonderful gift!

Happy 80th Anniversary, Glen Providence Park!

Thank you to William Vanleer for sharing the two entrance signs photos, from a series of 12 photographs taken circa 1939 by his grandfather GJ Ulshafer, and to Clifford Butler Lewis for sharing the portrait and photograph of his grandparents, George and Eleanor Butler!

Sources – Chester Times articles researched on the Newspaper Archives of Delaware County Library:

Next 25 Years to See Million in the County, February 15, 1927
Unique Arboretum on County Estate, June 14, 1935
27 Acres Given for Park Site, September 13, 1935
Fine Water Supply for Broadmeadows, October 30, 1935
Club Leaders See New County Park, November 1, 1935
Glen Providence Nature Oddity, August 8, 1936
Glen Providence Park is One of Scenic Spots in County, October 24, 1949

For those who love history, maps, or both(!), it is interesting to track the progression of development surrounding the land that is now Glen Providence Park! We’ve compiled over 20 maps in chronological order, starting with property lines of European settlers in 1681. Early maps were of Chester County, before Delaware County was founded in 1789. Some of the locations and property owners play a part in the park’s history and folklore, as noted in the captions.

Most of these maps are zoomed in from larger maps, focusing on the valley that is now Glen Providence Park. Not all maps are oriented with north at the top, some are almost sideways! The best way to orient yourself is often to find Broomall’s Run, which runs the length of Glen Providence Park, and is shown on most maps.

Thank you to the institutions and organizations that have preserved and displayed these wonderful maps: Delaware County Institute of Science, Media Historic Archives, DelawareCountyHistory.com, Delaware County Courthouse, Delaware County Parks & Recreation, and Brandywine Conference & Visitors Bureau at Rose Tree Tavern. Below the map gallery, there are links and more information about each institution, along with a listing of which maps we found there.

Scroll through time below – you can click on any map for a closer look!

Sources:

Media Historic Archives:
Archival material about Media Borough and vicinity – including photographs, manuscripts, and maps! Located in the Media-Upper Providence Free Library, Media, PA. You can visit by appointment, during library hours.

1855 Map of Media the Seat of Justice Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Thos. Hughes, C.E.
1892 Map of Media
1909 Map from the “Property Atlas of Delaware County East of Ridley Creek”
1941 The Nature Guide to Glen Providence Park issued by Delaware County Park and Recreation Board
1951 Borough of Media, Delaware County, Penna

Delaware County Institute of Science:
One of Media’s hidden treasures, with a wide array of collections, right on Veterans Square in Media! Open most Monday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, 9:00am – 12:00noon.

1681 Fac-simile of Holmes Map of the Province of Pennsylvania with the names of the original purchasers from William Penn – begun in 1681 (reproduced in 1846)
1683 A draft of some part of the county of Chester in Pensilvania by Charles Ashcom Surveyor
1810 A Map of Delaware County as Divided into Townships
1848 Map of Delaware County by Joshua W. Ash, M.D. from original surveys with the farm limits
1870 Plan of the Borough of Media, PA by G.M. Hopkins, C.E.

DelawareCountyHistory.com:
An impressive collection of documents and maps (more than we show here!) are scanned and well organized on this website – available 24/7!

1785 Township Map of Chester County Pennsylvania by Joshua W. Ash, M.D.
1862 Map of the Early Settlements of Delaware County, Penna – from George Smith’s 1862 History of Delaware County
1875 An Historical Map of Pennsylvania by P.W. Sheafer and others – Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1875 Map of Upper Providence Township
1882 Map of the Township of Upper Providence showing the Early Grants & Patents
1946 Map of Delaware County, Penna. produced by Office of Engineer of Delaware County, A.C. Throne, County Engineer

Delaware County Parks & Recreation:

1945 Plan of Glen Providence Park by J. Earl Kirk, Engineer

Delaware County Courthouse:
On display in the 2nd floor lobby by Council Chambers, along with an 1860 map of Philadelphia and Vicinity:

1860 Map of Chester Co Pennsylvania by T.J. Kennedy

Brandywine Conference & Visitors Bureau at Rose Tree Tavern:

1870 Map from the Atlas of Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Henry W. Hopkins

Personal collection:

1892 Plan of Upper Providence Township from Atlas of Delaware County by J.L. Smith
1995 USGS Media Quadrangle Map

We will add more maps of interest as we find them!

Throughout November, we have been counting down to Thanksgiving by posting daily thanks on Facebook. There is some overlap with our list from Thanksgiving 2012, and so much more to add – it is amazing how much there is to be grateful for! Here are those daily posts – these were in no particular order, and it is by no means a complete list!

27 Days of Thanks in Glen Providence Park
We are thankful for…

Day 1: … the local schools who use Glen Providence Park as an outdoor classroom, teaching their students a love of nature, science, art and more. Thank you Media Elementary School, Springton Lake Middle School, Media Providence Friends School, Penncrest High School – and homeschoolers!

Day 2: … Clifford Butler Lewis, the grandson of park donors George and Eleanor Butler – for his generosity in sharing his grandparents’ photo albums with us and donating their golf clubs to Springhaven Country Club (which they founded!), and for sharing his recollections from his childhood in Glen Providence Park.

Day 3: … Delaware County Parks & Recreation, for repairing the concert stage (damaged in July from a fallen 110-year-old tree) in time for our August concert this summer, for their support of our events and activities, and for their many years of caretaking and managing their 11 parks with over 600 acres(!) of open space for the public.

Day 4: … Taylor Memorial Arboretum in Wallingford, for generously growing and donating 75 native trees and shrubs this year for habitat restoration plantings by Friends of Heinz Refuge, CRC Watersheds, and Friends of Glen Providence Park.

Day 5: … our wonderfully generous Concert Sponsors: Media Recreation Board, Media Rotary Foundation, Diego’s Cantina, Seven Stones Café, and Shere-e-Punjab Indian Restaurant, who made it possible for us to revive the decades-long tradition of free summer concerts in Glen Providence Park!

Day 6: … Samuel L. Smedley, who with great foresight and wisdom in 1927 urged regional planning for open space, and spearheaded the creation of Delaware County Parks & Recreation, which was used as a model nationally for its excellent planning. He personally helped create and plan Glen Providence Park.

Day 7: … all that Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association has done for 44 years to protect, conserve, and restore the watersheds throughout its 132 square mile stewardship area! Its initiatives include annual streams cleanups, riparian reforestation, advocacy, education, and stream monitoring.

Day 8: … our Nature Walk guides who volunteered their time to lead our walks this year: the ever-helpful Al Guarente of the Birding Club of Delaware County, John Wenderoth, Ted Cavey, Stephanie Gaboriault, Marcia Tate, Aura Lester, Kyle Loucks, Holly Hoffmann, Chris McNichol, and Charles Randall.

Day 9: … our donors, whose generous support enables us to continue our work to improve the park and plan future concerts, events, and activities!

Day 10: … the Delaware County Conservation District for their guidance, mini-grants, donations, and support for our native plantings over the past 3 years – helping us to combat streamside erosion, restore habitat, provide food for wildlife, and  beautify the park.

Day 11: … the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts for their years of involvement in Glen Providence Park going back to at least 1939 – with hikes, cookouts, award ceremonies, meetings, and community service. In the last 2 years, Brownie Troop #5248 and Minquas District Boy Scouts have volunteered in the park!

Day 12: … the wonderful bands who have performed at our Summer Concert Series the past 3 years: Philadelphia Brass, Springfield Clarinet Quartet, the Obsoleets, Me3, Ken Delmar & the Cheers Big Band, Perseverance Jazz Band, Sonoma Sound, and ViVaCe Strings!

Day 13: … T. Chalkley Palmer, 1860-1934, for writing in loving detail about Scroggie Valley in 1889, enabling us all these years later to read about the geology, landscape, flora, and fauna of Glen Providence Park as it was in the 1800′s! He also had remarkable environmental insights for his time. What a gift!

Day 14: … our Invasive Plant Removal volunteers, who meet most weeks to work in the park. In the past 2 years, they have cleared 179 packed contractor bags (and counting!) of invasive plants – keeping trails clear, liberating native plants from strangling vines, improving habitat, and beautifying the park.

Day 15: … the Delaware County Institute of Science, an amazing organization that has been all volunteer since 1833!  Its members have been studying Glen Providence Park since long before it was a park – a 1928 Chester Times article about the valley indicated that “Naturalists, from all over the country, attending the Delaware County Institute of Science, make a study of it.”

Day 16: … Delaware County Planning for their thoughtful work on the Delaware County Open Space, Recreation & Greenway Plan, and on our neighboring Mineral Hill Area Master Plan. Glen Providence Park and future generations will be better for it!

Day 17: … Transition Town Media, for all they do to build community and resilience, from their FreeStore, to workshops, to their lovely Annual Candlelight Gratitude Banquet for local nonprofits.

Day 18: … long-time park supervisor James Stokes, Jr. for his years of care for the park. He started work on October 31, 1935 and continued for at least 25 years, and by all accounts really loved Glen Providence Park. He served as park guard, care taker, supervisor, and park ranger – personally building picnic tables, preparing for concerts, planting trees & flowers, teaching visitors about the plants & wildlife, and creating the 1941 Nature Guide to Glen Providence Park!

Day 19:  … all of the volunteers who have spent their free time working for Glen Providence Park through the years – our dedicated committee members, the dozens of people who have helped at our 11 volunteer days, and all those who volunteered in the park before us!

Day 20: … those who have made our historical research possible, including the Media Historic Archives, the Delaware County Historical Society, and the Newspaper Archives of Delaware County Library – and Delaware County, PA History for sharing our history-related facebook posts.

Day 21: … the American Chestnut Foundation, for their work to restore this majestic native tree! Chestnuts were called the Sequoias of the east, and they were once the dominant tree species in Glen Providence Park. We have found two surviving trees so far!

Day 22: … the Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey (PARS), for their work to gather data for the study and conservation of our amphibians and reptiles! We are glad to have chosen PARS for our 2014 citizen science project.

Day 23: … Media Lions Club and McCarrin Chiropractic, for continuing Glen Providence Park’s longest-running tradition – the Great Media Easter Egg Hunt started in 1954! The Lions have worked since 1917 to fight blindness, and on many other community projects.

Day 24: … the Academy of Natural Sciences, for preserving and researching a wondrous amount of natural history, including early 1900’s microscope slides from Scroggie Run (now Broomall’s Run), and for their generosity and hospitality in showing us those slides.

Day 25: … the array of wildlife, native plants, and other living things in the park, which with the changing seasons provide something new to discover on every walk in Glen Providence Park!

Day 26: … all of those who appreciate our efforts to preserve and enhance Glen Providence Park – our Facebook fans, those who read our newsletter and website, and those who have attended our concerts and history & nature walks!

Thanksgiving Day: We are so thankful for George and Eleanor Butler, who with great generosity and foresight in 1935 donated most of the land for Glen Providence Park as a Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum, to be preserved for future generations.  There would be no park without them – we are incredibly grateful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall is such a beautiful season in Glen Providence Park, and after record rainfall in summer 2013, last autumn was relatively free of extreme weather. I had less time than usual for photo walks in the park, ironically due to taking a 10-week Pennsylvania Master Naturalist course. But we continued to document the park’s plants and animals to create a record that we can refer back to for future comparison, and the walks I did take were usually rewarded with interesting sightings.

There were flurries of fall migration in late September and early October, including some additions to our Park Bird List – bringing us to 103 species by the end of November! Sightings included Magnolia Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo ( species #102), Northern Parula, and Chestnut-sided Warbler (#103!) – as always, thank you to Al Guarente of the Birding Club of Delaware County for confirming our new ID’s.

Some of the smallest discoveries are the most enchanting, including what we called a “star-bellied” fungi, an elegantly fuzzy caterpillar on a native blackberry leaf, and adorable baby Wood Frogs. These aptly named forest-dwelling frogs breed in vernal pools (ephemeral wetlands) – we saw several baby Wood Frogs last October.

That Pennsylvania Master Naturalist course helped me ID species in the park, such as the native and enigmatically-named Hog Peanut vine, Amphicarpaea bracteata. At one of the classes, Rose Tree Park Hawkwatch’s Holly Merker taught us that the Red-tailed Hawk’s “scream” is often used with video footage of Bald Eagles, because its scream is more intimidating than the eagle’s. You can frequently hear the Red-tailed Hawk in the park, as it is our most common hawk species!

Fall brings school classes that use Glen Providence Park as an outdoor classroom. In October, we encountered Penncrest High School 9th grade Environmental Science students conducting their annual pond studies in the park. In November, we helped Media Providence Friends School 5th graders install educational plant tags they had created for our National Public Lands Day plantings. The students were enthusiastic and had fun – what a wonderful service learning project!

In November we had a treat walking through the park with Clifford Butler Lewis, the grandson of park founders George and Eleanor Butler!  It was wonderful to hear his recollections from growing up here. We photographed Cliff by the (now dry) Eleanor Reed Butler waterfall, which was one of the park’s original structures, and was later renovated in 1949 in honor of Cliff’s grandmother. It was Eleanor Butler who specified that Glen Providence Park was to be preserved as a Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum!

You can click on any photo below for a closer look, and scroll through them all – and you can also view them on our flickr page! There are more pictures in our facebook albums, and in our Fall 1.1 Acre Project photos. You can compare our 2013 autumn to other years in my photojournals for September, October and November 2011, and from Fall 2012.

[AFG_gallery id=’14’]

While researching the history of Glen Providence Park, we’ve had no shortage of interesting discoveries and unexpected connections – one of the most wonderful involves the park’s founders, George T. and Eleanor Reed Butler! A few years ago, we came across an article indicating that Eleanor Reed founded The Springhaven Club, the first golf club in Delaware County: “Springhaven’s story begins in 1896 when Eleanor Reed of Media returned from Europe where she was introduced to the game. Fired with enthusiasm, Miss Reed campaigned for a course and was instrumental in the leasing of a dairy farm at “Five Points” on Providence Road and Jackson Street, Media.” (Daily Times, July 26, 1972)

After meeting the Butlers’ grandson, Clifford Butler Lewis, I remembered that article, and asked him if that was the same Eleanor Reed as his grandmother. He did not know of Springhaven, but he did have his grandparents’ antique golf clubs! We contacted Springhaven to see if this was the same Eleanor Reed, and were delighted with what we learned – not only was Eleanor Reed Butler a founder of Springhaven, they hold an annual Eleanor Reed tournament in her honor! Just as Cliff had not known about his grandparents’ involvement in the founding of Springhaven, Springhaven had not known of the Butlers’ other legacy, Glen Providence Park.

Both Eleanor and George Butler are featured in the preface to The History of the Springhaven Club 1896-2004: “In November 1896, when Miss Eleanor Reed hit the first golf shot off the first tee at “Five Points,” Springhaven was launched. She was joined in that first foursome by Dr. Casper T. Miller, Henry P. Dixon and young George T. Butler. It is said that Eleanor let George win that day and it was only months until they became engaged and later married.“ How fun that romance is part of the story! George became the first president of the club, and Eleanor the first secretary.

There were only four golf clubs in the Philadelphia region at the time, about eighty in the United States, and none in Delaware County. The Merion Golf Club was also founded in 1896, in Montgomery County – it did not move to its current location in Delaware County until 1912. Springhaven remained at Five Points in Media for eight years until it moved to Nether Providence in 1904, and is indeed the first golf club in Delaware County.

George and Eleanor Butler were married in 1902 and had one daughter Mary, Cliff’s mother. In 1905, they moved to the John M. Broomall house in Media, connected to the land that would become the park. In 1935, the Butlers donated the majority of the land to Delaware County for Glen Providence Park, as a Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum.

Cliff Lewis generously decided to donate his grandparents’ golf clubs to The Springhaven Club, where the Butlers had very likely used them! Appropriately enough, Springhaven invited Cliff to do so at the annual Eleanor Reed tournament luncheon in April. Cliff brought more treasures with him: he loaned his grandmother’s photo albums, including photos of the original club house at Five Points, of his grandmother playing golf, and of other Springhaven founders! He also brought an image of a wonderful portrait of his grandfather George T. Butler.

I was honored to attend the luncheon with Cliff and his wife Chris. Cliff shared engaging stories and photographs of his grandparents. He had intended to donate the golf clubs to the United States Golf Association Museum in New Jersey, but was happy that he learned of Springhaven before he did! It was wonderful to see these pieces of history connected, and to see the golf clubs find their home. It is remarkable to think that George and Eleanor Butler had two such lasting legacies in Delaware County – The Springhaven Club and Glen Providence Park.

Thank you to Cliff Lewis for sharing his grandmother’s photographs and for being so thoughtful to include me at the luncheon, and to Bonni DiRenzi and Jim Galvano of The Springhaven Club for their graciousness and hospitality.

Read more about Eleanor Reed Butler in our article about the waterfall that is dedicated to her in Glen Providence Park. You can see some of the photographs from Eleanor Butler’s photo albums, and from the luncheon, below! Just click on any photo for a closer look.

Sources:
– The History of the Springhaven Club 1896-2004 by Bob Labbance & Patrick White, 2004, Notown Communcations Company
– Golf Club of Philadelphia website
– Eleanor Reed Butler’s photo albums!
– Newspaper Archives of Delaware County Library

One of the loveliest original features in Glen Providence Park might go unnoticed, if it were not still marked with a dedication plaque. On the west side of the pond, near the island, is the now-dry Eleanor Reed Butler Waterfall.  The stones where water once flowed are now covered in enchanting ferns, and the pool of water that was at the base of the waterfall is dry.

This waterfall was one of the first features installed in the park in 1936- amazingly, it was fed through a pipe leading from the drinking spring 500′ upstream by Broomall’s Dam, which is marked on the 1945 Plan of Glen Providence Park (shown below). The waterfall and pipe feeding it are described in two early Chester Times articles about the park:

– August 8, 1936: “… This water has been piped from that spring nearly five hundred feet down the valley, feeding the lake [the park’s pond] and providing drinking water.”

– February 8, 1937: “A second supply [of water to the pond] is from the larger spring above referred to [the drinking spring near the dam], the water being carried through about 500 feet of pipe and liberated over an artificial cascade into the lake, making a very attractive feature.”

As with any man-made features, the waterfall required maintenance over time. The July 17, 1948 Chester Times describes how the Providence Garden Club was working to improve the waterfall in memory of Eleanor Reed Butler, who with her husband had donated the majority of the land for the park as a Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum. Eleanor Butler also named Glen Providence Park, “because of its glen-like formation and as it is located in the heart of the Providence townships.”

In the Media Historic Archives, we found a photo of the Eleanor Reed Butler Waterfall still functioning in 1975. It is believed that the pipe feeding the waterfall has since caved in. We have hopes that the waterfall can be rehabilitated- as part of public participation in Delaware County’s Open Space Plan, Friends of Glen Providence Park made the suggestion to restore the waterfall, as a re-circulating waterfall pumped from the pond.  This would help to aerate the pond, add to the sound of babbling water, and restore this historical park structure.  Delaware County is considering this suggestion for Glen Providence Park’s Site Plan that will result from the Open Space Plan process.

The Eleanor Reed Butler Waterfall is a lovely tribute to the woman who gave so much to our community by preserving this land- we hope the waterfall can be lovingly preserved for future generations!

Chester Times articles researched on the Newspaper Archives of Delaware County Library.

If anyone has photographs of the Eleanor Reed Butler Waterfall when it was still functioning, please email us at FriendsoftheGlen[AT]gmail.com!   You can click on the 1945 map, 1975 photo, and current photos below….