For over 60 years, a rock garden built in a former Chestnut Hill quarry lay hidden under weeds. Now, the Chestnut Hill Community Association (CHCA) and Friends of the Cresheim Trail (FOC) are restoring the space, featured in the soon-to-be-revamped Mermaid Park and cleared Friends Trail loop at 7643 Germantown Ave. 

On a rainy Saturday, July 19, community members and leaders gathered in the 11-acre Mermaid Park, where the Friends Trail starts and ends. There, they shared design plans and heard feedback from residents passing through the adjacent farmers’ market. 

This meeting was years in the making. Cleanup in the now-open space began four years ago. Friends Loop, named for project-leader FOC and the Quaker Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, which contributed space on its lot, was cleared on a single winter day in 2023. 

This year, another loop was added backing onto the Chestnut Hill East line, and adding another one-third mile to the now 0.6-mile path. In January 2025, the CHCA received a $88,400 matching Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to improve and expand the park space outside the loop. That grant — along with $15,000 more in donations from the Sturgis Family Foundation and Night Kitchen Bakery’s Amy Edelman — will go toward a plan for years of work to make Mermaid Park, located at the southern entrance of Chestnut Hill, into a welcoming community space.  

More funding and support will be needed to move from design to implementation. Councilmember Cindy Bass, former chair of the Department of Parks and Recreation, announced a commitment to securing city funding for Mermaid Park. State Rep. Tarik Khan (D., 194th) was also at Saturday’s event pledging continued support for park funding on the state level. 

In a speech at the event, CHCA Board President Laura Lucas noted the importance of the park as a welcoming space. “Two hundred and fifty years ago people stopped here on their way to trade and on travels far and wide. They gathered at the namesake Mermaid Inn, arriving by horseback and with saddles laden with their trades,” she said. “Today, with a Saturday farmers market, a lively music venue with storytelling musicians, a growing Cresheim Trail, and nearby eateries, we are still that lively stop welcoming a diverse group of travelers, shopkeepers, and residents from near and far.”

Lucas also emphasized the park’s location as filling a former greenspace gap at the “lower hill.” The location coincides with FOC’s plan to build the Friends Loop. Brad Maule, FOC executive director, told the Local he hopes farmers’ market customers will take the chance to incorporate the new greenspaces into their visit, walking to see a new area after a picnic in the park. 

The site’s rocks and stone stairs are all original from the quarry, and part of the rock garden was created in the 1930s. FOC worked to repair tree-root damage and make the paths safe for walkers. Until a more permanent plan, such as herbicide, is created for vegetation control, FOC will visit a few times a year to clear the path. 

On Saturday, visitors placed poker chips into cups to vote for design features they’d like to see, such as picnic areas, stages, playgrounds, and walking paths. As the design plan — led by architect Joyce Lenhardt and landscape designer Jessica Wolff — proceeds, community feedback will be sought by CHCA through events and online postings. Residents can contact the CHCA at info@chestnuthill.org to become a member of Friends of Mermaid Park, or learn about sponsorship opportunities.