As Philadelphia prepares to celebrate the semiquincentennial, a group of historic sites with vibrant green spaces and ties to the city’s colonial and early American history have come together to form the Colonial Garden Consortium. Partners in this initiative include Bartram’s Garden, Fort Mifflin, Grumblethorpe, Pennsylvania Hospital, Powel House, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, The Woodlands, and Wyck Historic House. When William Penn founded Pennsylvania in 1681, he laid the groundwork for a colony that would become a political centerpiece of the American Revolution, a hotbed of scientific inquiry, a center of medical learning, and a hub of the transatlantic plant trade. The Consortium sites represent the city’s historic ingenuity in using plants for medicine, food, botanical discovery, and sources of pleasure.

The Consortium has teamed up to create a StoryMap, a digital resource for the public. It displays a map of the partner sites and details their histories in relation to that era of the city. The StoryMap highlights several networks that made significant contributions to the practice and understanding of horticulture, including Native Americans, African Americans, Quakers, physicians, and families, and spotlights notable plants. Additionally, the StoryMap offers a calendar of programming from participating organizations, allowing visitors to explore and engage with these sites.

Story Map

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