The Woodlands Spring Programs, April to June 2010

Sunday, April 18 from 3 to 5 PM

Frank H. Taylor’s West Philadelphia: Finding the 18th-century City in the 20th
Dozens of watercolors and prints by Frank Hamilton Taylor (1846-1927) capture unexpected glimpses of the edges of the colonial city amid the streetscapes of early 20th-century West Philadelphia. Join us for an illustrated talk on the work of this prolific turn-of the-century artist and writer, a long-time resident of Springfield Avenue. Jeffrey A. Cohen of the Growth & Structure of Cities Department at Bryn Mawr College and chair of The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation will present the program. Reception follows. $15 for Adults; $10 for Seniors and Friends of The Woodlands; $5 for Students

Thursday, April 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Inaugural Party for the Friends of The Woodlands to Celebrate William Hamilton’s 265th Birthday and Woodlands Cemetery’s 170th Birthday
Join the Friends of The Woodlands NOW to celebrate these two significant birthdays with tours of the mansion, carriage house, cemetery, and arboretum and all benefits of a year’s membership. Learn about restoration goals, Friends’ perks and activities, and enjoy refreshments and birthday cake. Friends membership through April 1, 2011: $35 per Adult or $50 per Household

Sunday, May 2 from 3 to 5 PM

Tour of the “Dead and Almost Forgotten” at Woodlands Cemetery
Once upon a time household names in Philadelphia were Campbell, Rothermel, Smith, Clark, Drexel, Thomson, Scott, Morse, Stotesbury, Frailey, Jessup and Moore. Recognize anyone? Probably not, but these were artists, bankers, railroad presidents, financiers, and industrialists, among others. Whether a name is familiar or not, join us and find out just who these Philadelphians were and how they contributed to the history and fame of our fair city. James Mundy, Archivist at The Union League of Philadelphia and member of The Woodlands boards will lead the tour. Meet at the mansion; refreshments after the tour. $15 for Adults; $10 for Seniors and Friends of The Woodlands; $5 for Students

Sunday, May 16 from 2 to 4 PM

William Rush (1756-1833) of Philadelphia, America’s First Sculptor.
Rush’s realistic sculpting in wood of figureheads for ships gained him commissions for prominent outdoor public sculpture (Schuylkill Chained and Schuylkill Freed) and figures of America’s heroes (Washington, Lafayette). As a long-time member of Philadelphia’s City Council he influenced the local art community and helped found the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1805. Linda Bantel, an authority on Rush and former director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, will present this illustrated talk on Rush and his family. A visit to the family grave site and refreshments will follow. $15 for Adults, $10 for Seniors and Friends of The Woodlands; $5 for Students

Wednesday, June 2 from 5:15 to 7:30 PM

Archaeology at William Hamilton’s Greenhouse and His Connections with the Bartram Family — The Woodlands
Archaeologist Sarah Chesney of the College of William and Mary will reopen an expanded archaeology site at Hamilton’s greenhouse complex for a second season in May. Attend this presentation to see the open site and learn what new discoveries have been revealed. At 6:00 PM in the mansion, Joel Fry, Curator at Bartram’s Garden, and Nancy Hoffmann, historian, will discuss connections between Hamilton and William Bartram as found in their new publication, William Bartram, the Search for Nature’s Design: Selected Art, Letters and Unpublished Writings (2010). Refreshments will be served. $15 for Adults, $10 for Seniors and Friends of The Woodlands; $5 for Students For more information: 215-386-2181;

Saturday, June 5 from 9:00 AM to Noon

Beautification Day at Woodlands Cemetery with University City Green, Rain or Shine
Volunteer to help prune bushes, trim ivy, clean-up trash, spread wood chips, and enjoy a community effort to beautify Woodlands Cemetery for the public. Coffee and breakfast food upon arrival, picnic lunch upon completion. Bring gloves or tools and wear work clothes. Thanks in advance for your participation. RSVP to wharris@ucgreen.org

Sunday, June 6 from 2:30 to 5:00 PM

The Lives Beneath the Stones, Masterman School’s Annual Student Presentations
Join us for this informative and action-packed afternoon as the Masterman School A.P. history juniors present brief power-point biographies of a citizen whose name was selected from a gravestone at random in the fall. For the past school year student teams have researched and prepared illustrated reports on their subjects, whose lives will become alive with facts, pictures, and often amazing stories. We’ll conclude a year of exciting discovery with cake and refreshments and visits to the graves. FREE. Please RSVP to info@woodlandsphila.org

Sunday, June 13 from 3 to 5:30 PM

Passport to Garden History Program: Gardens & Graves at The Woodlands
This event is the second of four in the collaborative program with Wyck, Woodlands, Physic Garden at Pennsylvania Hospital, and Bartram’s Garden. Meet at the mansion for refreshments and to learn about the history of Hamilton’s former garden estate, its conversion to a rural cemetery in 1840, and its arboretum of over 1,000 trees. To commemorate Flag Day, at 4:30 PM a new veteran’s headstone for First World War nurse Marie Louis Hidell will be unveiled. She died from Spanish influenza in 1918 while tirelessly serving at the Naval Home Hospital across the Schuylkill River. The new marker will commemorate her grave and her posthumous receipt of the Naval Cross for the first time. Free for Friends of The Woodlands/ticket holders; $10 for all others at the door. RSVP with return receipt or to info@woodlandsphila.org