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Fall Highlights
Celebrating this season’s preservation, conservation, and community milestones made possible by your support.
Photo and text by the late author Paul Meyer—former Chestnut Hill Conservancy board member and F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum—noted in his Conservancy Tree of the Month articles.
Parrotia persica – Persian Parrotia
The Persian Parrotia is a tough, adaptable tree, well suited to the rigors of urban life in Philadelphia. As its name implies, it grows natively in Iran but also in nearby Azerbaijan, in the mid-elevations of mountains along the Caspian Sea. It was first grown in the U.S. in 1881 at the Harvard Botanic Garden and soon after at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, but even today, it is relatively rare in cultivation outside of botanic gardens and arboreta.
Parrotia is a member of the witch hazel family. In addition to witch hazel, its well-known close relatives include sweet gum and Fothergilla. It has small flowers which appear here in early March. The flowers lack petals but have a dense cluster of red stamens that are beautiful when viewed closely. In flower, from a distance, the entire tree has a maroon-red haze. As Parrotias age, they develop mottled, exfoliating bark that is attractive year-round. Parrotias grab the landscape limelight in late October when the foliage takes on shades of deep burgundy. As the autumn progresses to mid-November, the foliage takes on brilliant shades of scarlet, mixed with orange and yellow.
We’re grateful for an extraordinary fall season made possible by our volunteers, partners, sponsors, members, staff, board, and community. This newsletter highlights recent programs, conservation and planning efforts, archives, advocacy work, and fall events—and shares how youryear-end support fuels the Conservancy’s mission across preservation, conservation, advocacy, archives, and programs.
Strategic Plan and New Board Members
The Conservancy has released its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, following a year-long planning process involving the Board, staff, members, partners, and community stakeholders. The plan outlines priorities across historic preservation, land conservation, archival stewardship, community engagement, and advocacy. Hundreds of community survey responses helped shape the plan’s goals and direction.
At the heart of the plan is a new mission statement that guides all programs and advocacy efforts:
“The Chestnut Hill Conservancy conserves, preserves, and celebrates history, architecture, and landscapes in Chestnut Hill and the lower Wissahickon watershed through inclusive and proactive community engagement, advocacy, and stewardship.”
The plan also introduces a refined set of organizational values that shape the Conservancy’s work:
Inclusion
Stewardship
Integrity
Public Engagement and Curiosity
Principled Leadership
Celebration
Advocacy
Fiscal Accountability
Click HERE to view the Strategic Plan on our website, or use the button below to download the PDF.
The Conservancy also welcomed three new Board members, whose expertise in planning, design, and community development will support the implementation of the plan’s goals over the next few years.
Karren DeSeve, a retired immigration attorney and former Conservancy Board Vice President, helped lead the organization through Land Trust Accreditation and the transition to its current name.
Andrew Moroz, an architect with more than 40 years of experience and a longtime Chestnut Hill resident.
Henry Trapnell, a partner at F-Prime Capital focusing on sustainability and financial-sector investments, and a Chestnut Hill resident.
“We are delighted to welcome back Karren and welcome Andrew and Henry to the Board,” said Conservancy Board President Bill Webster, SEPTA’s Chief Communications Officer. “Each brings a unique blend of professional expertise and deep-rooted connection to the community, and we are excited for the experience and energy they will contribute during this next phase of our growth.”
You can learn more about these and all Conservancy Board members by clicking the button below.
Since 1967, the Conservancy has worked to conserve open space, preserve historic architecture, and share the history of Chestnut Hill and the lower Wissahickon watershed. Thanks to your support, we continue to make meaningful progress: protecting over 105 acres through 52 conservation easements, expanding access to the 66,000+ items in our archives, and delivering free and low-cost public programs, including Ask the Experts, Discovering, and Night of Lights.
This year, your gift directly helps us act on our new 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, strengthening our ability to conserve land, preserve historic places, advance advocacy, and expand community engagement.
Your generosity has a measurable impact—supporting archival storage materials, free public programs, digital access tools, conservation easements, and more. No matter the size, every gift sustains our mission to conserve, preserve, and celebrate history, architecture, and landscapes throughout Chestnut Hill and the lower Wissahickon watershed.
The Conservancy continues to participate in regional conversations that shape preservation and planning in Northwest Philadelphia. This fall, Executive Director David Gest, Esq., authored a detailed update explaining how “by-right” development affects the Chestnut Hill National Historic District and describing the Conservancy’s approach to reviewing these projects.
The Conservancy was also one of 45 signers of a regional letter regarding the President’s House site in Philadelphia, and contributed to the letter’s development. Recent press coverage includes CBS News Philadelphia (and additional local reporting).
In addition, the Conservancy contributed to a new report, Growing Through Preservation: The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Philadelphia, commissioned by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and produced by PlaceEconomics.
A recent Conservancy Advocacy Alert provided further details on Philadelphia City Council legislation. If you would like to connect with our team or share your thoughts in response to that alert, please email Info@CHConservancy.Org.
Night of Lights 2025:
Illuminating Germantown Avenue Together
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the eighth annual Night of Lights from October 3–6.
Additional deep gratitude to the more than 50 volunteers who supported opening night as we “Flipped the Switch,” and to the many additional volunteers, slideshow creators, partner organizations, sponsors, Pastport Raffle contributors, and local businesses who supported before, during, and after the event. Night of Lights continues to be a shining example of what we can accomplish together as a community. Your generosity, time, creativity, collaboration, and fiscal support make this signature streetscape exhibition possible each year.
Night of Lights also received media coverage this year from KYW Newsradio, Wooder Ice, Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Chestnut Hill Local, helping illuminate these stories and architecture with an even wider audience.
Opening night began with more than 100 guests gathered on the Conservancy’s front lawn for the “Flip the Switch” ceremony at 6:30 PM—powered by Electrical Wizardry—with hundreds more visiting the Avenue with live music from Willow Grove Avenue to Bethlehem Pike. The opening coincided with the Chestnut Hill Business District’s First Friday Arts & Eats, expanding the celebration along the corridor.
Across all four evenings, Germantown Avenue came alive with hundreds of visitors, becoming a walkable outdoor gallery of projected archival images, historic films, neighborhood stories, and illuminated architectural details. Held during Archives Month Philly and as a partner of DesignPhiladelphia, Night of Lights brings the Conservancy’s mission to life by highlighting preservation, conservation, community history, archival storytelling, architecture, and regional partnerships through a free, accessible, multi-evening public program.
All 2025 slideshows and projected videos are now available on our YouTube channel. (They do not include sound—so feel free to play your favorite playlist or soundtrack while you watch!)
Thank you to everyone who joined Cheers for Conservation on October 18 in West Mt. Airy! Guests gathered at a beautiful and hidden property adjacent to Wissahickon Valley Park, held under a conservation easement by the Conservancy, for a fun and festive outdoor fall fundraiser.
Guests gathered at a beautiful and hidden property adjacent to Wissahickon Valley Park, held under a conservation easement by the Conservancy, for a fun and festive outdoor fall fundraiser. Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the historic house designed by architect Frank Miles Day.
Attendees were able to explore four acres of hidden gardens and sweeping lawns, while appreciating firsthand the importance of conservation and preservation in protecting our beloved Wissahickon Valley Park and watershed.
They also heard remarks from Executive Director, David Gest, Esq., who emphasized the vital role of conservation in safeguarding our community. Board President Bill Webster also spoke about our shared mission and his deep connection to this special place.
A heartfelt thank-you to our incredibly gracious host for welcoming us so warmly and for continuing to steward her historic home and property. And, thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event through donations and participation in the silent auction. We are also profoundly grateful to Team Whetzel and Brady Design for sponsoring the event, and to our Lead Sponsor, Chubb, along with our annual corporate sponsors, whose support sustains this work.
Committees Supporting Our Mission
Preservation Committee and HDAC Recruitment
The Conservancy is actively recruiting new members for our Historic District Advisory Committee (HDAC) and our Preservation Committee. The HDAC focuses on design review of proposed projects that could affect the character-defining features of the Chestnut Hill National Register Historic District. The Preservation Committee focuses on policies related to historic preservation—from creating local Philadelphia historic nominations for individual properties or districts to zoning policies to advocacy for properties under threat of demolition.
We are particularly interested in committee members with a background in architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, or city planning, and who are passionate about preservation and design.
Coming Soon: Conservation Committee
The Conservancy will soon officially be announcing the formation of a new Conservation Committee. As noted by Conservancy Board Member Rob Fleming, who will co-chair the committee:
“The Conservation Committee will advance the Conservancy’s environmental vision via policy and planning initiatives, partnerships with allied organizations, and the development of resources and outreach programs that describe and advance sustainable best practices.
This new Committee, an important outcome of the Conservancy’s new strategic plan, reflects its renewed and expanded commitment to the preservation and restoration of natural and cultural (man-made) landscapes, especially those that are, or may be, permanently protected by conservation easements in the Conservancy’s care.”
As part of this work, the Conservancy continues to enhance its conservation and easement efforts and is preparing internal structures to support strengthened conservation policy, stewardship, and partnerships.
A full announcement and committee description will be shared in early 2026.
For more information on any of these committees, please get in touch with Executive Director David Gest, Esq., at David@CHConservancy.Org.
Mapping the Wissahickon and Congratulations to Woodmere Art Museum
Visit our headquarters on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at 8708 Germantown Avenue to see unique objects, such as the painting of fall foliage near Valley Green Inn (which was actually featured in a 1940s cigar ad) and the original map establishing the Wissahickon Watershed Overlay Zoning District, on loan from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
We also extend warm congratulations to our friends at Woodmere Art Museum on the opening of The Frances M. Maguire Hall and on their continued work at St. Michael’s Hall.
Before joining the Conservancy as Executive Director, David Gest, Esq., served as zoning attorney for the St. Michael’s Hall project. And in Hilary Jay’s new book, InWoodmere! Telling the Story of Philadelphia’s Art and Artists, Conservancy Curator and Archivist Alex Bartlett is acknowledged for his archival research, drawing from the Conservancy’s collections, historic maps, and district documentation to support the project’s historical narrative.
The Conservancy was fortunate to contribute to the community’s advocacy for the preservation of St. Michael’s Hall in Chestnut Hill and Northwest Philadelphia. Working with residents, Woodmere Art Museum, the Sisters of Saint Joseph, and other partners, we joined in efforts to protect the historic structure and its surrounding landscape.
$35 for HFSDV and Conservancy Members | $40 non-members
Learn all about the history of some of Philadelphia’s favorite sandwiches from Mike Madaio, then taste a variety of them.
Philadelphia boasts some of the most delicious original sandwiches, even outside of the traditional cheesesteaks and hoagies. The city’s cultural and ethnic diversity has resulted in many of America’s most established meals between bread. Hear all about the history of Philadelphia’s unique sandwiches from author Mike Madaio. He literally wrote the book on the subject in hisHistory of Philadelphia Sandwiches: Steaks, Hoagies, Local Eateries and More. And we also get to taste a number of his favorites.
This fall, the Conservancy’s public programs continued to connect neighbors with history, stewardship, and storytelling through a series of hybrid events. Our free Ask the Experts series, offered in collaboration with the Chestnut Hill Community Association, featured Preserving Voices: An Introduction to Oral Histories and Community Storytelling with award-winning audio producer Molly Murphy, and The Art of Protection: Preserving Fine Art, Jewelry, and Archives at Home, led by Michelle Impey of Chubb and Jessica Silverman of the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. Registered attendees received presenter handouts and the recordings of both programs, which are now available through the Conservancy’s YouTube channel for anyone who would like to revisit or explore these topics.
This fall’s Discovering series offered two engaging opportunities for deeper exploration of local history and architecture. In September, Discovering: Victorian Chestnut Hillbrought participants on a guided walking tour led by architectural historian and Our Town columnist George McNeely. The sold-out program explored the transformation of the “top of the hill” neighborhood following the arrival of the railroad in 1854, highlighting the Gilded Age villas and streetscapes that define this part of Chestnut Hill. In November, Discovering: The Last Notebook, A Conversation on Louis I. Kahn with Sue Ann Kahn and William Whitaker—co-presented with docomomo-US/Greater Philadelphia— offering rare insights into the life and work of Louis I. Kahn. Registrants had access to the recording, and in-person attendees enjoyed opportunities for discussion and Q&A, as well as a post-program book signing with Sue Ann Kahn.
We look forward to sharing our late winter and spring 2026 Ask the Experts and Discovering line-up—with registration links—in early January. Please also save the date for our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
Membership
Did your membership recently expire, or are you interested in joining? Conservancy members receive exclusive benefits, including:
Discounts for Discovering programs
Free research access in the Archives
Exclusive opportunities like members-only events
To learn more about membership, contact Development Manager Ashley Maass at Ashley@CHConservancy.Org or 215-247-9329 x 202.
Your support allows the Conservancy to continue free or low-cost public programs, preservation efforts, and advocacy for Chestnut Hill’s historic architecture, open space, and cultural resources. Donations directly sustain educational initiatives, conservation easements, and the Archives, ensuring our shared history is protected for future generations.
Looking to sponsor the Conservancy in 2026? Sponsorship offers a unique opportunity to support local preservation efforts while gaining visibility among a community passionate about history, conservation, and sustainability.
Contact Development Manager Ashley Maass to explore available sponsorship options.
News
December 3 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Conservancy’s strategic plan looks at community engagement and expansion”
November 26 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Chestnut Hill Conservancy welcomes new board members”
November 26 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Tree lighting, Santa kick off holiday season”
November 21 – Hidden City, “An Underutilized Landmark on Lincoln Drive ReceivesSome TLC”
November 13 – Chestnut Hill Local, “CH Conservancy presents Kahn’s ‘Last Notebook’”
November 10 – Hidden City, “Woodmere Art Museum Defies Odds With MajorExpansion”
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