March News from the Conservancy
Stories of place, programs in bloom, and the season ahead
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Shadbush (Serviceberry) — Amelanchier arborea, A. laevis, and hybrid A. × grandiflora
One of the earliest native trees to bloom in Pennsylvania, shadbush lights up the woodland edge with delicate white flowers each spring. Its smooth gray bark, edible fruit, and brilliant fall color make it a tree of four-season interest. Photo by Paul W. Meyer
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With March coming to a close, we’re turning to what’s next: two upcoming programs—both nearly sold out—on April 5 and 9, and preparations for the Spring Gala on Saturday, May 31.
This year’s Gala will honor Susan and Bob Peck, whose decades of quiet, steady service in Chestnut Hill and the Wissahickon Valley have helped protect not just landscapes and buildings, but the culture of stewardship itself. From urban trail work and archival projects to public gardens, the Pecks’ legacy is built on long-term care—for history, nature, and the connections between them.
We’re also wrapping up Women’s History Month with a feature on Eileen Javers, whose leadership helped guide the Conservancy through some of its most critical transitions, and by highlighting other women whose work in preservation has shaped Chestnut Hill across generations.
Below, you’ll find details on the April programs, community cleanup events, and an update on the postponed sheriff sale of a historic Southampton Avenue property. As always, thank you for being part of this work!
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Upcoming Programs: Limited Tickets Remain
Discovering Chestnut Hill: Buildings and Beyond – Wayne Junction’s Revitalization
Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Guides: Ken Weinstein and Kim Chantry
Registration: Advance registration is required. Click HERE to register.
Grab your SEPTA Key card and join us for a walking tour of Wayne Junction, a historically significant industrial district undergoing a remarkable transformation through adaptive reuse. Learn how historic tax credits, community-driven initiatives, and public-private partnerships have helped revitalize more than a dozen buildings into spaces for living, working, and gathering.
📍 Location: Philly Office Retail HQ, 4701 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144
📍Conservancy Members: $15 | Non-Members: $25
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Discovering Chestnut Hill: Private Gardens of Philadelphia – Lost and Found
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | 6:30 – 9:00 PM (in-person) | 7:00 – 8:30 PM (virtual)
Speaker: Nicole Juday
Registration: Advance registration is required.
Click HERE for in-person registration or HERE for virtual registration
Join us as garden writer and designer Nicole Juday explores Philadelphia’s historic private gardens—some preserved against the odds, others transformed by time—and their enduring impact on the region’s cultural landscape. Drawing from her book Private Gardens of Philadelphia, this richly illustrated lecture includes photography by Rob Cardillo and will be followed by a Q&A moderated by landscape architect and Conservancy Board Member Rob Fleming.
In-person guests are invited to arrive early for a wine and cheese reception from 6:30 to 7:00 PM, prior to the start of the lecture. After the Q&A, from 8:30 to 9:00 PM, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase Nicole’s book and have it signed.
📍 Location: Chestnut Hill Conservancy, 8708 Germantown Avenue (in-person) and via Zoom (virtual)
📍 All attendees: Lecture begins at 7:00 PM | Q&A begins at 8:00 PM and concludes at 8:30 PM
📍 Conservancy Members: $15 | Non-Members: $25
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Help Shape Future Public Programs
Join us on Tuesday, April 22 (Earth Day) from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Venetian Social Club in Chestnut Hill for a community brainstorming session.
Timed with Earth Day—a day rooted in action, advocacy, and local engagement—this session is a chance to share your ideas for programs focused on history, architecture, open space, and community life. Your feedback will help shape the next season of Ask the Experts and Discovering Chestnut Hill, building on what we heard in last year’s strategic planning survey.
You’ll also be invited to vote on program ideas developed by staff and our Program Committee. Depending on interest and feasibility, we expect to move forward with one Ask the Experts and one Discovering Chestnut Hill program this fall based on the results.
Registration is not required, but appreciated.
→ Click HERE to register
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Women’s History Month
This March, the Conservancy continues to recognize the women whose leadership, expertise, and persistence have shaped preservation, planning, design, and advocacy throughout the area—and who continue to do so today.
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Eileen Javers served as Board President from 2016 to 2024, leading the Conservancy through a period of transformation: expanding the staff, strengthening operations, and launching signature programs like Night of Lights. Her leadership has always been grounded in listening, building connections, and making room for new voices.
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Eileen Javers and her husband, Ron, with their sons Eamon (far left) and Quinn (far right).
Now a member of both the Board and Executive Committee, she remains deeply involved in guiding the Conservancy’s direction.
In a recent interview with Programs and Communications Manager Chrissy Clawson, Javers reflected on how she got started in community work, what makes Chestnut Hill unique, and why meaningful progress often begins with small ideas and steady effort.
→ Read the full story
We’re also highlighting two longtime leaders whose influence stretches back decades:
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 Patricia Cove, Vice President of Preservation and Chair of the Historic District Advisory Committee, is an award-winning designer whose advocacy and technical expertise continue to guide our approach to preservation and design review.
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 Shirley Hanson, a co-founder of the Conservancy (then the Chestnut Hill Historical Society), remains an active board and committee member. She helped place Chestnut Hill on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to shape our preservation priorities today.
Shirley Hanson (center) and Nancy Hubby (far right) at a 1983 book-signing event for their book Preserving and Maintaining the Older Home. Photo from the Chestnut Hill Conservancy Archives.
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All three continue to serve on our board and are involved in shaping the Conservancy’s present and future—not just its past. And in March, the Chestnut Hill Business District featured several women working in local institutions, including some members of the Conservancy’s staff. Be sure to check out their social media (swipe through the Instagram post) to see some familiar faces.
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Preservation Update: 42 W. Southampton Avenue
In February, a fire destroyed much of the historic 19th-century home at 42 W. Southampton Ave., a contributing property in the Chestnut Hill National Register Historic District. The building was later deemed imminently dangerous and demolished.
The site was scheduled for a sheriff’s sale on Monday, March 21, but that sale has been postponed. The Conservancy continues to monitor the property and will advocate for any future development to reflect the neighborhood’s historic character and scale.
→ Read the Preservation Alert
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Spring Gala: Saturday, May 31
Honoring Susan and Bob Peck | Celebrating Place and Stewardship
The 2025 Spring Gala will take place at a historic Chestnut Hill home with deep roots—reflecting the layered history that has shaped the neighborhood over generations. Originally part of the Owen Sheridan farm, the house was later incorporated into Frederick Winslow Taylor’s Boxly estate before being transformed into a single-family residence in the 1950s.
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This year, we are proud to honor Susan and Bob Peck (pictured) for their decades of service to the Chestnut Hill community and the Wissahickon Valley. From preserving pocket parks and restoring native landscapes to leading civic and cultural initiatives, the Pecks have helped sustain the area’s green space, history, and sense of belonging.
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A full feature on the Pecks will appear in the April newsletter.
Benefactor Tickets Available Now
The Benefactor Reception at the Conservancy’s 2023 annual fundraiser. Photo by Steve Weinik.
Benefactor-level supporters are invited to an early exclusive reception with music, a special presentation, and the opportunity to connect with our honorees.
The deadline to be listed in the Gala program book as a Benefactor is April 30.
If you’re unable to attend the Gala but would still like to support the Conservancy’s mission, there are many ways to contribute—through tribute gifts, in-kind donations, or other forms of meaningful support.
The Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s 2025 Spring Gala is made possible through the generous support of our Lead Sponsor, Chubb, General Sponsors, and Event Sponsors. Thanks to our generous Spring Gala Sponsors including Peter Zimmerman Architects (Supporting Sponsor), Kurtz Construction (Decor Sponsor), Springer Capital (Catering Sponsor), Team Whetzel (Bar Sponsor), and The Whitemarsh Foundation.
There is still time to sponsor the gala (click HERE to download the brochure). Businesses can also support our shared cause and advertise in our Spring Gala Program Book. Half-page ads (5″ W x 4″ H) are $300 and Full-page ads (5’W x 4’H) are $500.
To learn more or to explore sponsorship opportunities, please contact Development Manager Ashley Maass at 215-247-9329 x 202 or Ashley@CHConservancy.Org.
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Meet at Buckley Park (E. Hartwell Lane and Germantown Avenue) for the first annual neighborhood litter cleanup. Coffee provided by Starbucks; volunteers will receive a thank-you drink voucher for McNally’s, Char & Stave, Night Kitchen, or Baker Street Bread Company. Tools and bags provided by the City of Philadelphia. Please bring your own gloves.
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Membership
Did your membership recently expire, or are you interested in joining? Conservancy members receive exclusive benefits, including:
- Discounts to Discovering Chestnut Hill 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.
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Support
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.
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Sponsorship
Looking to sponsor the Conservancy in 2025? 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.
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News
- March 29 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Spring 2025 issue: From the editor”
- March 29 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Do you love living in Philly’s northwest?”
- March 20 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Chestnut Hill community champion dies at 92”
- March 5 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Cause of fatal fire remains unknown”
- February 12 – Chestnut Hill Local, “New CHC leader brings diverse skills”
- February 6 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Transit leader takes helm at Conservancy board”
- January 23 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Charles Day Dilks, Hill conservation giant, dies at 83”
- January 16 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Conservancy members convene for 2025 annual meeting”
- January 8 – The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Charles D. Dilks, retired executive vice president of the University City Science Center and avid conservationist, has died at 83”
- January 6 – Chestnut Hill Local, “Charles Day Dilks”
- January 1 – Chestnut Hill Local, “A big year of preservation wins for CH Conservancy”
Events
- Saturday, April 5, 1:00–3:00 PM – Discovering Chestnut Hill “Buildings and Beyond – Wayne Junction’s Revitalization,” In-Person. Click HERE.
- Wednesday, April 9, 7:00 – 8:30 PM – Discovering Chestnut Hill “Private Gardens of Philadelphia – Lost and Found,” Hybrid. Click HERE.
- Tuesday, April 22, 6:00 – 8:00 PM – Community Public Program Brainstorming Session, In-Person. Click HERE.
- Saturday, May 3, 1:00–3:00 PM – Ask the Experts “The Art and Craft of Ornamental Ironwork,” In-Person. Click HERE.
- Saturday, May 31 – Spring Gala, In-Person. Click HERE.
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2025 LEAD SPONSOR
2025 GENERAL SPONSORS
SPRING GALA SPONSORS
DISCOVERING CHESTNUT HILL SPONSORS
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Great architecture is in our nature.
215-247-9329 | 8708 Germantown Avenue, Phila., PA 19118 | info@chconservancy.org
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