Friends of the Wissahickon
Valley Talk Focuses on Park History
Celebrate all that is “Old and New in the Wissahickon” with FOW and author Elizabeth Milroy at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at Valley Green Inn.
Milroy, who heads the art history department at Drexel University, will examine how and why the Wissahickon was added to Fairmount Park and share some new discoveries she made while writing “The Grid and the River: Philadelphia’s Green Places, 1682-1876” (Penn State University, 2016). Visit fow.org to register.
Take In the View from Tedyscung’s Perch
by Sarah Marley, FOW Outreach Manager
The trailhead at Rex Avenue is surrounded by some of the most recognizable symbols of Wissahickon Valley Park and is a great starting point for a quick ramble up and down the hills of the valley.
There are many special points of interest to see here, the first being the grand Tedyuscung Statue. Take the first right off the main trail and follow the White Trail up the hill and through two switchbacks to reach this icon of the Wissahickon. Situated on what is often referred to as Council Rock, a site where the Lenape people were believed to hold gatherings, this statue was commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Henry and carved in 1902 by John Massey Rhind (1860-1936) as a generic tribute to the natives of the Wissahickon Valley. This statue was mistakenly referred to as Tedyuscung, thought to be an outspoken member of the Lenape tribe, at the commemoration of the statue, and the name stuck. Spend some time here enjoying the spectacular views from this natural rocky outcrop at one of the highest points in the gorge.
Continue northwest on the White Trail and enjoy some recent trail improvements by FOW volunteers and contractors and an impressive stand of hemlock trees. In about a half mile, take your first left to head downhill to another major icon of Wissahickon Valley Park, the Covered Bridge. Once five covered bridges existed in the park; this is now the only covered bridge in Philadelphia and the only one remaining within the boundaries of a major U.S. city. Originally built in 1737 to enable the transportation of barrels of flour from a nearby grist mill, the bridge was restored in 1938 by the Works Progress Administration and again in 1999 by the Fairmount Park Commission and FOW, when a portion of the bridge’s roof collapsed after an oak fell across Forbidden Drive. With a picnic area nearby, this is the perfect spot to rest and take some pictures — the bridge is a remarkable subject in any season!
Turn left on Forbidden Drive and in a half mile you will reach the Rex Avenue Bridge and a lesser known Wissahickon icon, the stone stairs and arch at Rex Avenue. Hike back up the hill to reach the starting point and wave to Tedy on your way out!
If You Go: There is ample street parking on Seminole Street at Rex Avenue. But it’s more convenient to take train to the Highland station on SEPTA’s Chestnut Hill West line just a block away. To reach this trailhead from Highland, head northwest on Seminole and then make a left on Rex and hike downhill and into the park. (This is a multi-user route, so please be courteous and follow proper trail etiquette!)