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!

Thirty years ago, werewolves, ghouls, and monsters filled Glen Providence Park on October nights for the annual Halloween Haunting. The descriptions in the newspapers are fantastic – my favorite is from 1986: “For 50 cents, the brave of heart can hike a half-mile through [Glen Providence Park] to enjoy being scared by actor Freddy Kruger,… water creatures, a chain-saw man, Dracula and his bride, and more. A magician will entertain those waiting in line along State Street.  After completing the eerie walk, visitors will receive a cup of cider and the director’s assurance that no one will follow them home.”

Delaware County Parks & Recreation held the Haunted Woods in Glen Providence Park from 1981 to at least 1991.  It was quite a production, with dozens of volunteer actors channeling Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Phantom of the Opera, monsters, ghosts, goblins, and of course Freddy Krueger.  A “ghoul usher” led visitors along trails lit with pumpkins, past the entrance and pavilion that had been transformed into macabre scenes, with creatures jumping out from behind trees, under footbridges, and even from the pond! The evening ended with refreshments at a witches’ den.  

Not surprisingly, we have heard this was pretty scary! Based on the comments on our Facebook page when we have shared these descriptions, it would seem that the “swamp man” (in scuba gear!) in the pond made the most memorable impression. In one vivid description, Matthew O. recounted, “I was about 11-13 and somebody in the pond grabs my leg and tries to drag me in the drink. If I didn’t heavily resist I would have gone in for sure. I don’t think the event was regulated for safety.”

A call for volunteers in the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1991 – “Volunteer ghouls needed for haunting” – is the latest record we have found of the Halloween Haunting. Much like the past 4th of July fireworks in the park, it would likely be unrealistic to bring back the Halloween Hauntings, due to liability and crowd management concerns. But October will always be special in Glen Providence Park – Halloween is Glen Providence Park’s birthday!

In the spirit of Halloween, you can read the park’s spooky-strange 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story and 1800’s Witches Ride from local folklore.

Happy 81st Birthday, Glen Providence Park – and Happy Halloween!!!

If you have any photos or memories of the Halloween Hauntings in Glen Providence Park  that you are willing to share, please email me at FriendsoftheGlen [at] gmail [dot] com!

Sources – Philadelphia Inquirer articles:

October 24, 1982
October 23, 1983
October 28, 1983
October 26, 1984
October 19, 1986
October 29, 1987
October 20, 1988
October 14, 1990
October 10, 1991

Goblins, ghosts, and witches returned to Glen Providence Park for its Halloween 80th birthday party! Amidst the deepening shadows on the last evening in October, more than 160 revelers came out to celebrate the 80th birthday of Glen Providence Park. 

Witches, scarecrows and the young at heart, making their way toward the glimmering stage filled with jack o’lanterns, descended from the main entrance to Glen Providence Park along a path lighted with glowing luminarias. Trees in full fall splendor reflected the glow of sun setting into the valley below. Lions and tigers and bears clambered up a trail out of the glen to join the spectacle of other brightly colored merrymakers anticipating the first Halloween event in the park in more than twenty-five years.

The lilting voice of Hedgerow’s Grey Kelsey, accompanied by her guitar, filled the air with a medley of spooky songs warming up the crowd for an evening of both tricks and treats by the resourceful and talented actors of Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, America’s first repertory theatre.

The entertainment took a dramatic turn with the narrative “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping…” During his spellbinding performance, Brock Vickers’ footsteps hammered out across the stage, the haunting syncopated rhythm of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”. Vickers captivated the audience – that spanned all ages, from the first line to the last ‘nevermore.’ Still one of the most memorable poems of all times, it was published by Poe in 1845.

Following the lively “Witches’ Play” with Susan Wefel, Glen Providence Park Board President Stephanie Gaboriault invited the children on stage to blow out a candle on one of the cupcakes commemorating the park’s birthday. Cupcakes were then distributed among the audience and actors who still had room for a little more sugar!

Work started on Glen Providence Park on October 31, 1935 – a fitting birthday considering the glen’s haunted past, as recounted in 1909 in a scrapbook of prominent local physician and historian Dr. Anna Broomall. Two stories of local folklore documented in that scrapbook took place in Glen Providence Park long before 1935, back when it was called Scroggie Valley: a 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story and the 1800’s Witches Ride. The Hedgerow Ensemble enacted both of these eerie tales,  also recreating a scene from the tavern in one of the stories, with Hedgerow Executive Director Penelope Reed as Dr. Anna Broomall.

Twilight enveloped the park as the evening concluded with Grey Kelsey leading the audience and Hedgerow actors in singing the Hallowe’en song. A parade of costumed characters departed the park for a night of trick or treating on the town.

This celebration exceeded all our expectations and we are so grateful for the many people and organizations that supported this wonderful community event.

Thank you to our Event Sponsor Sterling Pig, the exciting new restaurant and brewery located on the border of Glen Providence Park, just one block from the main entrance. The amazing ensemble actors of Hedgerow Theatre, our wonderful partner in this dramatic event, made the experience fun and brought history to life. Delaware County Parks & Recreation restored the historical stage this summer for the park’s 80th anniversary. They have cared for Glen Providence Park since its creation in 1935, and their support makes our events possible.

And a special round of applause to the many families, friends, neighbors and members of the community who participated whole heartedly in this event!

See the wonderful photos by George Tate for a taste of this bewitching event! Click on any for a closer look, or scroll through them all…

Most photos by George Tate, with additional photos by Stephanie Gaboriault, Holly Hoffmann, and Friends of Houtman Park.

Join Hedgerow Theatre and Friends of Glen Providence Park for a ghostly Halloween celebration of Glen Providence Park’s 80th birthday! Get your trick-or-treaters ready, and bring them for spooky songs and poetry, and a visiting witch at the historical Glen Providence Park stage – then celebrate with birthday cake (what’s a little more sugar on Halloween?). Trick-or-treaters can head off when they like, or stay with older kids and adults for Hedgerow’s staging of fantastical folklore from the park’s past.

Saturday, October 31, 2015
5:30-6:45 (leading into trick-or-treating!)
Glen Providence Park Stage, State Street, Media
* Rain date Sunday, November 1 

Free, family-friendly, & open to the public – costumes welcome!

Work started on Glen Providence Park on October 31, 1935 – so this Halloween is Glen Providence Park’s 80th birthday! It’s a fitting birthday considering the glen’s haunted past, as recounted in 1909 in a scrapbook of prominent local physician and historian Dr. Anna Broomall: “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, ghosts and witches…”

Two accounts of local folklore documented in that scrapbook took place in Glen Providence Park long before 1935, back when it was called Scroggie Valley: a 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story and the 1800’s Witches Ride. Hedgerow will enact both of those strange and eerie tales! Darkening skies, jack-o-lanterns, and majestic trees by the historical stage will lend to the atmosphere:

• As the shadows deepen at 5:30, we’ll start with Spooky Halloween Songs with Grey Kelsey, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven with Brock Vickers, and Witches’ Play with Susan Wefel.
• At 6:00 we’ll have cake to celebrate the ghostly birthday of Glen Providence Park. Trick-or-treaters can head off when they like.
• As darkness falls, at 6:15 the Hedgerow Ensemble will enact the Newlywed Ghost Story and Witches Ride, with Hedgerow Executive Director Penelope Reed as Dr. Anna Broomall!

Let’s bring goblins, ghosts, and witches back to Glen Providence Park for its Halloween birthday!

Presented by Hedgerow Theatre & Friends of Glen Providence Park
Sponsored by Sterling Pig & Friends of Glen Providence Park
With support from Delaware County Parks & Recreation

Thank you:

• Event Sponsor Sterling Pig, the exciting new restaurant and brewery located on the border of Glen Providence Park, just one block from the main entrance!
• Hedgerow Theatre, our wonderful partner for this community event. This historical theatre in Rose Valley is America’s first repertory theatre!
• Delaware County Parks & Recreation restored the historical stage this summer for the park’s 80th anniversary. They have cared for Glen Providence Park since its creation in 1935, and their support makes our events possible.

* 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.

Dr. Anna Broomall’s scrapbooks are preserved at the impressive Delaware County Historical Society in Chester, PA.

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!

We get so busy preparing for our events and other activities in Glen Providence Park, we don’t always find time to write about them afterwards! We’ve documented our bird walks and volunteer days since last fall, but hadn’t written about our other nature walks. Below we catch up on recounting our nature walks, and we include some photographs. Make sure to join us for some of our upcoming 2014 events – they are always free and open to the public!

August 2013 – Pond Walk for Kids

Science teacher Aura Lester engaged our senses and imagination throughout this fun pond walk. We had a great turn out (28 people!) on a beautiful summer day – adults and children alike enjoyed spotting wildlife at the water’s edge. There was something to learn for all ages, who knew that a bull frog could eat a duckling? The leaf rubbings and plant pressings were a fun, educational project to take home as a reminder of the day.

October 2013 – Wicked Plants & Ghosts

Fourteen kids and adults joined Marcia Tate and me on another “walk on the dark side” of the park’s plants and history.  We enjoyed the autumn afternoon recounting the locations and other elements of the 1700’s Ghost Story and 1800’s Witch Story, along with other strange tales. Marcia taught us about toxic components of Black Walnuts, White Snakeroot, Skunk Cabbage, and more!

November 2013 – Scavenger Hunt for Kids

It was perhaps our largest nature walk yet – we had at least 40 children (plus adults!) at our Scavenger Hunt for Kids! They had fun with a real-world “I Spy” looking for hidden Lego men, crayons, and other “unnatural” objects in a natural setting; then a nature scavenger hunt; and just running around and enjoying the beautiful fall afternoon in the park! Thank you to Holly Hoffmann and Chris McNichol for leading this fun event.

January 2014 – Winter Tree Walk

It was a gorgeous sunny winter morning for our Winter Tree Walk in the park! Thirteen intrepid souls braved 19-degree weather to learn about tree identification, starting out just before the first sledders arrived. Birds were mighty active, too – with the sighting of a Ring-billed Gull adding to our Park Bird List. Thank you to John Wenderoth and Ted Cavey for sharing their knowledge about trees!

February 2014 – Winter Nature & History Walk

We had a wonderful, engaged group on our walk in the beautiful, snowy woods! Thank you to the 9 adults, 1 child and 2 dogs who navigated the ice, slush and mud along the trails. I had fun sharing historical photos, maps, and descriptions on location, and Marcia always has such interesting information about the native plants.

Thank you to everyone who attended these park events, and to our wonderful volunteer walk leaders! You can see photos from some of our events below – thank you to George and Marcia Tate for the lovely photographs!

It’s a “historical” ghost & nature walk in Glen Providence Park!  We won’t have costumes or theatrics- but we’ll explore the dark side of the park’s plants and history. Find out more about the park’s 1700’s Ghost Story and 1800’s Witch Story, and other odd events in and around Glen Providence Park. And we’ll look for some of the park’s strange and poisonous plants!

Wicked Plants & Historical Ghosts!

Saturday, October 19
3:00-5:00pm
Glen Providence Park main entrance
rain date Sunday, October 20, 2-4pm

The walk will be led by me (the park history buff) and native plants expert Marcia Tate.

Logistics:
As with all of our events, this is Free!
Approximate distance: 1 mile
Approximate time: 2 hours
Meet us at the main entrance on State Street. We will start our history intro at 3:00 sharp!
Be prepared for steep hills, and uneven (possibly wet) terrain: wear sturdy shoes, and bring a hiking pole if you use one!

Rain date:
Sunday, October 20, 2-4:00pm

To add this event to your favorite calendar program (iCal, Outlook, Google, etc.), view the event listing on our calendar.

George and Eleanor Butler donated the land for Glen Providence Park in the summer of 1935, and its final approval was reported in the October 30, 1935 Chester Times.  The long-time park guard and caretaker James Stokes started work the next day on October 31, 1935- so Halloween is Glen Providence Park’s birthday!

Perhaps it is fitting, as there seems to be a tradition of strange tales and haunts in the park.  In fact 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 Park, 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.

You can get in the Halloween spirit reading Dr. Broomall’s telling of the 1700’s story of newlywed ghosts haunting the park, and the 1800’s witch story of three sisters tormenting the local miller and their Witches’ Ride in the park.  We annotated the stories with our historical research and maps, and even included music for the witch story.

We have heard wonderful accounts of the annual Haunted Woods that County Parks & Recreation held in 1980’s, with Freddy Kruger, a chain saw man, Dracula, and even water creatures in the pond! It sounds like it was an impressive production, and pretty scary! This year at our Nature & Ghost Walk, we shared extra information about the historical ghost and witch stories and other appropriately odd tales about the park, and the darker side of its plants and wildlife– you can read some of those in our article “Ghosts & other park frights”.

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 77th Birthday, Glen Providence Park!

And, Happy Halloween!

The image is of a 1930’s or 1940’s postcard of Glen Providence Park, showing the park guard house half way down the sledding hill.

We were in the Halloween spirit at our Nature & Ghost Walk on October 14 with tales of extortion, poison theft, witches, arrests, a fire, and multiple ghosts… who knew that Glen Providence Park’s history was so illustrious?  Marcia and I had fun sharing what we have learned about the park’s strange past, poisonous plants and dangerous creatures- all on a gorgeous October afternoon!

We talked about the darker side of plants including Black walnut trees, Skunk Cabbage, and invasives English ivy and Multi-flora rose.  Then there is the stunning potency of Poison ivy: while it is a nutritious food source for birds, it is said that it would take only 1/4 ounce of its urushiol oil to cause a rash in every human on earth!   Perhaps the most notorious is the abundant native flower White Snakeroot– when it is consumed by cattle, the meat and milk become contaminated with the toxin tremetol. During the early 19th century, thousands of European Americans, who were unfamiliar with snakeroot, were killed by “milk sickness”– including Abraham Lincoln’s mother!

Some of the park’s residents have a dark side, too- the Northern Water Snake is not venomous, but it is said to strike repeatedly when cornered, and its saliva has anticoagulent to ensure profuse bleeding!  And that Great Horned Owl we were so lucky to photograph last January?  We learned shortly afterwards that if threatened, it will attack- instinctively going for the head or face.  An able predator, the Great Horned Owl eats prey as large as Canada Geese and Great Blue Herons!

We recounted those tales from before the park was created, when it was called Scroggie Valley– including the 1700’s Ghost Story and 1800’s Witch Story.  We told the stories at their appropriate locations in the park, with some extra details we have learned.  We connected the park with other local tales from long ago– and amazingly it turned out that one of the historical figures we mentioned had a descendant in our group!

We also shared strange events that happened since the park was created, including a stolen poison bottle, and arrests of humans and ducks alike!  You can always read the annotated ghost and witch stories on our website, and read about the stolen poison bottle on facebook.  But if you want the extra details and stories we shared on our walk, you’ll just have to join us next October!

Thank you to the (at least) 21 adults and boys (and one of our favorite beguiling dogs) who joined us on our Nature & Ghost Walk!

No pictures this time, we were too busy juggling our notes!  The snake shown is a harmless Common Garter Snake that we spotted while planning our Nature & Ghost Walk.

It’s a “historical” ghost & nature walk in Glen Providence Park!  We won’t have costumes, makeup, or theatrics- but you can find out more about the park’s historical ghost and witch stories, and other strange events in and around Glen Providence Park. And of course the park’s plants and wildlife!
 

A Nature & Ghost Walk!

Sunday, October 14
rain date Sunday, October 21
2:00-4:00pm
Glen Providence Park main entrance
 
 
Children:

While the stories are not overly scary, you may want to preview the 1700’s Ghost Story and 1800’s Witch Story and decide whether to bring young children, or those impressionable by ghost stories.

Logistics:

As with all of our events, this is Free!
Approximate distance: 1 mile
Approximate time: 2 hours
Meet us at the main entrance on State Street. We will start our history intro at 2:00 sharp!

Be prepared for steep hills, and uneven (possibly wet) terrain: wear your hiking shoes, and bring a hiking pole if you use one! And binoculars are always a good idea- it is a bird sanctuary, after all!

Rain date:

Sunday, October 21, 2-4:00pm
If weather is questionable on October 14, we will post on our facebook wall by 1:00pm whether we will use the rain date.

To add this event to your favorite calendar program (iCal, Outlook, Google, etc.), view the event listing on our calendar.