The Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s new exhibition, “Mapping the Wissahickon: From the Colonial Era to an Evolving Watershed,” explores the changing landscape of the Wissahickon Valley and ongoing preservation efforts to shape its future. Opening on May 2, this exhibit is not only intended to share interesting information with locals, but also to increase the Conservancy’s level of public engagement.

With over 40,000 photographs alone — not to mention the numerous prints, deeds, books, atlases, and other ephemera — the Conservancy’s archival collection is vast and growing. Dan Preston, vice president of collections on the Conservancy’s board, notes an additional reason to marvel at the archive: a recent acquisition of some of the earliest known surveys of the Wissahickon.

“It was a pretty monumental addition to the collection and we knew that we wanted to celebrate that somehow,” Preston said. 

David Gest, executive director of the Chestnut Hill Conservancy, hopes the exhibit encourages the public to visit the organization’s historic building at the top of the Hill, learn about the archives, and participate in their programming.

“We have this huge collection and it needs oxygen,” Gest said. “We don’t collect it for ourselves. We collect it and preserve it for the public. And this is one way to put us and the collection out there.”

Designing the exhibit

Planning for this new exhibition began in February, shortly after Gest began his role as executive director. Alex Bartlett, the Conservancy’s curator and archivist, and Preston collaborated with Gest to come up with the idea. 

According to Bartlett, the reasoning behind selecting “Mapping the Wissahickon” as a theme was twofold. First, the Conservancy already had a wide variety of content documenting the history of the Wissahickon Valley. Whereas other topics have mostly written documents, plenty of the Conservancy’s Wissahickon materials are visual. Second, for those living in or near Chestnut Hill, the Wissahickon is already a well-known landmark. Rather than having visitors start with no knowledge, most people will already be familiar with the landscape.

More than just maps

Mapping the Wissahickon is divided into four eras: the Era of Industry (1680s to 1870), the Era of Transition to Public Protection (1870 to 1920), the Era of the Modern Urban Park (1920 to 1970), and the Era of Land Stewardship (1970 to present). 

From the industrial wells along the Wissahickon’s water and the conversion of the land from private property to public park, to the arrival of the automobile and the growing environmental movement, the exhibit traces important developments in the valley’s history and spans more than three centuries. 

Despite its title, “Mapping the Wissahickon” presents more than just maps. Property plans and guidebooks are a few of the other objects on display. While the majority of the exhibit comes from the Conservancy’s permanent collection, there are a few borrowed pieces, such as a large map from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and paintings from Richard Snowden of Bowman Properties. There is even a screenshot of the Conservancy’s current online mapping program for easements.

A pilot program

Gest says he views this exhibit, the Conservancy’s first in 10 years, as a pilot project. He hopes the community offers their thoughts so the Conservancy can learn from their mistakes and plan even better initiatives.

“We haven't figured out an exact timeline for future exhibits, but we have a lot of different stories to tell,” Gest said. “We're very open to hearing feedback from the community on future topics for exhibits and comments and critiques of this exhibit. And we don't want to just hear positive things.”

Mapping the Wissahickon does not have a set end date, but Bartlett anticipates the exhibit will run through early fall, offering the public enough time to stop by and learn about the valley. Even children are welcome to attend; the Conservancy has coloring pages and a scavenger hunt to accompany the exhibit.

Preston said the Conservancy worked hard in putting the exhibit together in a short timeframe, and they are hopeful people will walk away with an increased appreciation for the Wissahickon.

“[The exhibit] is something we’re all really proud of,” Preston said. “It highlights the importance of conserving this very valuable resource that is open and accessible to our community and the Greater Philadelphia region. I really hope that one thing they take away from it is the importance of stewarding this land. It’s something that the Conservancy does, but we can’t do it alone.”

Mapping the Wissahickon: From the Colonial Era to an Evolving Watershed opens on May 2 at 5:00 p.m. at 8708 Germantown Ave. Visit chconservancy.org for more information.