Category: History

May 5, 2022

Abraham Willing

Abraham Willing negotiated the purchase of his wife and son in Kingsessing Township in 1781. The sale of Dinah and Abraham Willing Jr. was somewhat unusual because they were enslaved…

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May 5, 2022

Plantations in Pennsylvania

Passages taken from “Slavery and Freedom at Bartram’s Garden” by Joel T. Fry, presented at the McNeil Center for Early American Studies conference: Investigating Mid-Atlantic Plantations: Slavery, Economies, and Space,…

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May 5, 2022

Mary and Grace Clark

On November 26, 1792, Mary and Grace Clark were manumitted by Ann Bartram (1741-1824), the youngest daughter of Bartram’s Garden founder, John Bartram (1699-1777). Mary Clark purchased her freedom from…

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February 22, 2022

“6 likely negroes”: John Bartram and the East Florida Plantation

On April 5, 1766, John Bartram wrote a letter to his son about a shipment from Charleston to East Florida. William Bartram became a plantation owner in the British colony…

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August 31, 2021

Cultivating the Wild: William Bartram’s Travels, A Documentary

“Cultivating the Wild” is a short (56 minutes 45 seconds) documentary that highlights a group of six environmentalists or, as the film calls them, “modern-day Bartrams.” Roughly following the path…

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Harvey's Grave
August 24, 2021

“Harvey’s Grave”

Passages taken from “Slavery and Freedom at Bartram’s Garden” by Joel T. Fry, presented at the McNeil Center for Early American Studies conference: Investigating Mid-Atlantic Plantations: Slavery, Economies, and Space,…

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August 17, 2021

Franklinia Series: Franklinia alatamaha’s near relation – The Loblolly Bay

Passages taken from “Franklinia alatamaha, A History of That “Very Curious” Shrub” by Joel T. Fry, in Bartram Broadside, Special Franklinia Edition, published by the John Bartram Association for the…

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August 10, 2021

A RURAL WALK.

(A poem by Alexander Wilson, Gray’s Ferry, August 10, 1804.) The scenery drawn from nature. THE summer sun was riding high, The woods in deepest verdure drest, From care and…

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July 28, 2021

Franklinia Series: Finding Franklinia alatamaha (Part Two)

Passages taken from “Franklinia alatamaha, A History of That “Very Curious” Shrub” by Joel T. Fry, in Bartram Broadside, Special Franklinia Edition, published by the John Bartram Association for the…

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I'm interested in:

Biking & Walking

Birds

Boating & Fishing

Flowers, Plants & Trees

Gardening

History

Kids' Activities

Sankofa Community Farm

Southwest Philadelphia

Water Quality

Workshops, Wellness & Culture

Youth Internships

I'm interested in:

Biking & Walking

Stroll the Schuylkill River Trail or join us for biking!

Birds

Look up! More than 100 species of birds rely on this ecosystem.

Boating & Fishing

Enjoy all that the Tidal Schuylkill River has to offer.

Flowers, Plants & Trees

See what’s blooming, find a favorite tree, and stroll the gardens and natural lands.

Gardening

Bring the Garden home! Shop for plants or grow food, trees, and more.

History

Uncover the interconnected stories of this historic site.

Kids' Activities

Join us year-round to learn, make, share, and wonder.

Sankofa Community Farm

“Go back and get it!” Growing food sovereignty with an African Diaspora focus.

Southwest Philadelphia

Resources and opportunities especially for neighbors in Southwest Philly.

Water Quality

Find our latest data on the river’s bacteria levels and recent rainfall.

Workshops, Wellness & Culture

Enjoy upcoming workshops, self-care, and events. Are you a Southwest artist? Let’s partner!

Youth Internships

Calling Southwest students: paid internships available with the river, the farm, and the trees.