Wissahickon Valley Park is a large urban park that is located in Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It protects 2,042 acres (8.26 km2)[1] of woodland surrounding the Wissahickon Creek between the Montgomery County border and the Schuylkill River. For several miles, the creek winds through a dramatic wooded gorge known as the Wissahickon Valley, a National Natural Landmark.
| Wissahickon Valley Park | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Pennsylvania, United States |
| Nearest city | Philadelphia |
| Coordinates | 40°03′00″N 75°12′54″W / 40.050°N 75.215°W |
| Area | 2,042 acres (8.26 km2) |
| Established | 2010 |
| Governing body | Philadelphia Parks & Recreation |
| Designated | 1964 |
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Forbidden Drive runs the length of the valley, a car-free gravel road popular for walking, running, cycling, and horseback riding.[2][3] Side trails lead from Forbidden Drive up to rugged bridle paths suitable for hiking and trail riding.[2] The park contains about 50 miles (80 km) of trails in total.[3]
The area was considered part of Fairmount Park from 1867 until the merger of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Department of Recreation in 2010.[4] Today, Wissahickon Valley Park is a unit of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and remains the second-largest park in Philadelphia after Fairmount.[3]
History
editWhile logging and industrialization occurred in some parts of the valley in the late 18th and early 19th century, the gorge itself was known for its natural environment, inspiring religious mystics like Johannes Kelpius,[5] writers like Edgar Allan Poe, John Greenleaf Whittier, George Lippard, and William Cobbett; and artists like Thomas Moran, James Peale, William Trost Richards, and Currier and Ives.[6]
In 1964, a 1,250-acre (5.1 km2) area of the park known as the Wissahickon Valley was designated a National Natural Landmark.[7]
Forbidden Drive
editForbidden Drive, formerly known as the Wissahickon Turnpike, is a wide rocky trail running through the Wissahickon Valley from Ten Box to Cedars House at the upper end of the Park. It is called Forbidden Drive because of a successful protest against cars being allowed to drive in the park. In 1920, the Park Commission wanted to allow cars in the park, but 1,000 protesters on horseback and 12,000 spectators on foot fought against cars on the Wissahickon Turnpike. Every year, the Wissahickon Day Parade is held to celebrate the anniversary of this protest.
Landmarks
edit- Valley Green Inn, a tavern built in 1850[8][9]
- Wissahickon Hall, the first of numerous inns in the valley[10]
Houses
edit- Cedars House[11]
- Hermitage Mansion[12]
- Livezey House, a colonial era mill (aka Glen Fern)[13]
- Monastery House[14]
- RittenhouseTown
- Thomas Mansion[10][15]
Bridges
edit- Fingerspan Bridge
- Kitchen's Lane Bridge
- Thomas Mill Covered Bridge
- Walnut Lane Bridge
- Wissahickon Memorial Bridge (aka the Henry Avenue Bridge)
Other
edit- Cresheim Creek
- Devil's Pool
- Statue of Henry H. Houston, developer of Wissahickon[16]
- The Native American Teedyuscung and Toleration statues[16]
- Mom Rinker's Rock
Gallery
edit-
Valley Green Inn on Forbidden Drive
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Fingerspan by Jody Pinto on the Orange Trail
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Statue of Teedyuscung by John Massey Rhind
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Bend in the Wissahickon Creek in winter
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The City of Philadelphia, Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan" (PDF). dcnr.state.pa.us. The City of Philadelphia. 2012. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
The City contains approximately 6,781 acres of watershed parks including East/West Fairmount Parks (2052 ac.), Wissahickon Valley Park (2042 ac.), Pennypack Creek Park (1343 ac.), Cobbs Creek Park (851 ac.), Tacony Creek Park (304 ac.), and Poquessing Creek Park (189 ac.)
- ^ a b "Wissahickon Valley Park". Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ a b c "Friends of the Wissahickon and Wissahickon Valley Park FAQ". Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- ^ Milroy, Elizabeth (2016). "Fairmount Park". Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^ Lucy E. Carroll (1 October 2008). The Hymn Writers of Early Pennsylvania. Xulon Press. pp. 15–. ISBN 978-1-60647-520-1.
- ^ Andrew Mark Herman (2004). Along the Wissahickon Creek. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 7–. ISBN 978-0-7385-3521-0.
- ^ "National Natural Landmarks, Wissahickon Valley". Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- ^ Valley Green Inn
- ^ Anna Dubrovsky (25 August 2015). Moon Pennsylvania. Avalon Travel Publishing. pp. 146–. ISBN 978-1-61238-844-1.
- ^ a b "Wissahickon Valley Park Points of Interest" (archive). fairmountpark.org. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ Cedars House
- ^ Hermitage Mansion
- ^ Livezey House
- ^ Monastery House and stables
- ^ Thomas Mansion
- ^ a b "Henry Houston Statue". Friends of Wissahickon. Retrieved 2022-02-23.