Curtis Hall Arboretum

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Curtis Arboretum
Curtis Hall II.JPG
Curtis Hall on the grounds of the Curtis Arboretum
Curtis Hall Arboretum is located in Philadelphia
Curtis Hall Arboretum
Location1250 W. Church Rd.
Wyncote
Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°5′6.2262″N 75°8′52.5942″W / 40.085062833°N 75.147942833°W / 40.085062833; -75.147942833Coordinates: 40°5′6.2262″N 75°8′52.5942″W / 40.085062833°N 75.147942833°W / 40.085062833; -75.147942833
Area45 acres (180,000 m2)
Built1937
ArchitectBaily & Truscott, et al.; Frederick Law Olmsted
Architectural styleRenaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.02000229[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 20, 2002
Designated PHMCNovember 7, 2005

The Curtis Arboretum is a forty-eight-acre arboretum located at 1250 Church Road (Route 73), Wyncote, Pennsylvania in Cheltenham Township, near Philadelphia. The arboretum was founded by Mary Louise Curtis Bok in honor of her father, Cyrus Curtis. The landscaping was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The arboretum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The arboretum surrounds Curtis Hall, once the music room of the Curtis family mansion, which now is operated by the Cheltenham Township Parks and Recreation Department.[2] The arboretum features hills, two ponds, a dog park, a small World War II memorial, and over fifty types of trees.

Curtis Arboretum serves as the home course for the Cheltenham High School men's and women's cross country teams.

Friends of Curtis Arboretum[]

In 2019, a group of local residents created the Friends of Curtis Arboretum (FOCA) to help maintain and improve the park in support of the master plan for the property that was prepared in 2016. This group was incorporated as a 501(c)3 organization in 2020. [3]

See also[]

  • A colonnade or pergola remaining from the Curtis mansion

  • Curtis Hall from the rear

  • Ironwork with an oak leaf motif at the entrance gate

  • The Curtis Arboretum Valley of Remembrance

References[]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ "Chelteham Township:Township Parks System". Township web site. Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 2003-03-09. Retrieved 2010-09-06. Former estate of Cyrus H. K. Curtis, publishing magnate, the arboretum and music room of his mansion was acquired by the Township in 1937 as a gift from Mr. Curtis' daughter to last during her lifetime. Upon her death, it was reverted to the Curtis heirs. The property was purchased by the Township in 1974. The Hall is the former music room and ballroom of the Curtis mansion. A stone memorial and tree grove was established by the Township in 1948 in tribute to all residents who gave their lives in service in World War II.
  3. ^ "Friends of Curtis Arboretum".
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