Garden Restoration
$1.5 Million Goal
Working from a master plan that dates back to 1977
and with the generous support of early campaign
donors, the Arboretum has been actively restoring and
enhancing its historic landscape and garden features.
Beginning in 2004, the Arboretum has embarked on
the following garden projects funded by the current
capital campaign. These restorations have given new
life to the Arboretum, and they have taken the Morris
Arboretum to a level of presentation not seen since
1932, when Lydia Morris passed away. The following
projects are the foundation for early campaign success:
ALICE & LIDDON
PENNOCK FLOWER
WALK
Completed 2007
 Longtime friend and
Advisory Board
member, J. Liddon
Pennock, sought to
see more colorful,
formal gardens integrated into the Morris landscape.
He left a generous bequest to create the Alice and
Liddon Pennock Flower Walk to fulfill his vision.
Using plants and flowers with bold colors, this
garden restores the central axis that had originally
been created by the Morrises. The garden space is
well-defined by a spectacular trellis that also serves as
a deer fence to protect the plantings, and it has
become a popular destination for visitors.
DWARF CONIFER GARDEN
Completed Summer 2008
The Dwarf Conifer Garden is undergoing
renovations with an expansion made possible by
the R. K. Mellon Foundation. The work includes
stabilizing masonry work, updating the plant
collection with new varieties, installing new
plantings to screen views of production greenhouses,
and creation of a new seating area for visitors to
enjoy spectacular views to the Rose Garden and the
Metasequoia grove.
GAYLE E. MALONEY GARDEN AND
MARBLE FOUNTAIN
Completed 2007
Upon the untimely passing of Arboretum
friend, Gayle E. Maloney, her friends and
family made a generous donation to
restore the Marble Fountain and to
enhance the surrounding garden space in
her memory. This garden completes a
formal garden axis originally created by the
Morrises and now links the Alice and Liddon
Pennock Flower Walk and the Orange Balustrade.
The restoration of the Marble Fountain, the garden’s
centerpiece, was one of the most recent fountains to
be fully restored.
GRIST MILL
Restoration underway
 The Forrest and Frances Lattner Foundation provided
a generous grant in memory of Forrest C. and Frances
H. Lattner to stabilize the Arboretum’s historic Grist
Mill. A new roof and stabilization of the deteriorating
south wall have been completed. Located on
Bloomfield Farm, the Mill was built on the
Wissahickon Creek in 1854 as a flour and grist mill,
and it features elements dating back to 1761. The Mill
has the most complete 19th century mill works and
machinery for any mill in the region. This structure is
a rare reminder of a time when the Wissahickon Creek
powered 52 mills. In light of the structure’s historic
value and its potential for future public use, the Grist
Mill will serve as an important historical, educational
and environmental resource for our educational
programs and for the community.
 KEY FOUNTAIN
Completed 2005
Until 2003, the Key Fountain had not functioned since
the 1930s. With generous support from Charles S.
Holman, Jr., the Key Fountain and its adjacent waterfall
and shallow pool were literally unearthed and brought
back to life. The single, dramatic jet of water in the
key-shaped pool also restored the fountain’s function as
a focal point to be viewed from Seven Arches, another
garden feature dating back to the Morrises.
LONG FOUNTAIN
 Completed 2007
The Long Fountain,
constructed in 1905,
had not functioned
since the time of Lydia
Morris. Individual and
foundation donors
provided the funds for
the dramatic renovation of one of last of the 19
Arboretum fountains to be restored in recent years.
The fountain has returned to its intended glory with
eight jets of water arching over the long pool that
spills into a basin at the end of the feature. New LED
lights provide dramatic, energy-efficient lighting that
meets the Arboretum’s need to add permanent
lighting in the garden. The Long Fountain has
become a favorite destination for our youngest of
visitors who delight in touching the “dancing” water.
SWAN POND AND LOVE TEMPLE
Completed in 2004 and 2005
The Swan Pond and Love Temple are iconic features
and extensive restoration work has brought them
back to their original splendor. Renovations to the
Swan Pond included the installation of a new fence,
repairs to the masonry, the installation of a new
viewing area, and new plantings. The fence provides
unobstructed views while ensuring the safety of
visitors and the swans. The Swan Pond restoration
was made possible with a generous grant from the
Asplundh Foundation. Longtime Arboretum friend
and volunteer, Nancy Peters Ryan, provided the
generous support to clean and fully restore the marble
Love Temple that sits at the Swan Pond’s edge.
 MERCURY LOGGIA
Completed in 2006
In 1913, the Mercury Loggia
was constructed by John
Morris to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of the founding
of the Compton estate. By
1978, the garden feature was
in such disrepair that the
statue of Mercury was put
into storage to prevent further damage. Private
donors funded the repair of the masonry work of
the temple, and the statue of Mercury has returned
to the structure. Additionally, the fountains
complementing this garden feature were restored
and add to the Morrises’ tradition of featuring water
in the garden.
NORTHWESTERN AVENUE ENTRANCE &
LANDSCAPE
Completed Spring 2008
 Originally designed as a private estate and now a
public garden that welcomes over 90,000
visitors
annually, the Northwestern Avenue entrance showed
signs that it was unable to accommodate the needs
of a 21st century public garden. Buses bringing
adult and children tour groups to the Arboretum
were unable to turn safely into the entrance due to
their large turning radii. The new entrance is set
further back from Northwestern Avenue and
provides the necessary space for buses to easily turn
into the garden entrance. Appropriate signage and
lighting have been added to properly announce the
arrival at the Arboretum’s main entrance. This
garden enhancement is truly transformational to our
visitors’ experience. Plantings at the entrance will
blend with the meadows and provide hints of the
garden inside. Nancy Peters Ryan provided the
support to realize this project in memory of her late
husband, Richard.
ROSE AND HERB GARDENS
Ongoing Annual Improvements
 Ongoing repairs and upgrades in the Rose Garden
have been completed with the support of friends
and volunteers. It has been enhanced by adding
perennials and shrubs to give several seasons of
horticultural interest. Added garden ornaments
provide structure that compliments the lush colorful
garden. The Rose Garden is widely recognized as
one of the finest in the world. The Herb Garden
has been fully restored with amended soil and
new plants, with all beds being double-dug. Its
restoration accentuates the axis from the Rose
Garden to the Wisteria Walk to preserve the original
design dating back to the Morrises.
SPRING HOUSE
Completed in 2005
In 2005, individual and foundation donors
generously restored the Spring House, which is
the only structure at Compton that predates the
Morrises. Few springhouses remain in Philadelphia,
so its preservation provides an opportunity to
educate the public about the history for land use
and daily operations of early farms of the region.
Visitors come to this shade garden, particularly on
hot summer days, and find relief in the structures
that were once dedicated to keeping dairy products
and other perishables cool.
WISTERIA WALK
Completed Summer 2008
Renovation of the Wisteria Walk will complete the
enhancement of the formal garden axis that begins
in the Rose Garden and ends at the Dwarf Conifer
Garden. Funds have been contributed to this project
by a number of individual donors. Their generosity
is making possible a new collection of wisteria
varieties and companion plantings. A new trellis and
pergola structure will provide support for these
twining plants. Funding will also provide for a new
bluestone seating area for visitors to enjoy this area
of the garden that had once been forgotten.
For additional information please contact:
Melissa von Stade, Director of Development
215-247-5777 ext. 102
mstade@exchange.upenn.edu
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