April 7, 1966

How Chestnut Hill became known as Chestnut Hill, not Mushtowne

In and around the year 1610, the area now called Chestnut Hill was known variously as Brogan’s Bluff, Mushtowne and Wart Hallowe. The sole permanent residents of this largely impenetrable and dreary forest were the Hill family, Edmund, his wife Amanda, and their 17 children. Isolated from society to the extent that years might pass without contact with any outsiders, the Hills became entirely self-sufficient for all their needs and amusements. The parents passed on to each child an inordinate love for (and proficiency in) chess. On the family’s infrequent excursions into Germantown for provisions and clothing, Edmund Hill would play a “rounde” of chess (3 or more games simultaneously) with the most skillful of the villagers and Hill rarely, if ever, lost a game. Thus it is that when the Hills’ wagon was loaded in the evening and they were ready for the long ride back to the farm, the local wags would watch their slow departure and smilingly remark, “Boy... them chess nut Hills.” This little known and possibly apocryphal piece of local history is presented as a public service by a local Realtor.

April 8, 1976

Just Chubbies grates cause local uproar

Following a Jan. 10 smash-and-grab burglary at the Just Chubbies Fur Boutique, 8133 Germantown Ave., the owners installed folding grates on their shop’s exterior. The grates, a new look in crime prevention in Chestnut Hill, were met with opposition even before they were installed. The owner told the Local that he had looked into Lexan, a special glass, as an alternative, but it cost more than $1,000, and a Flourtown glass company owner told him not to consider it because it yellows and expands in the heat.

Will the Rizzo recall work?

A tremendous amount of time and energy have already gone into the effort to recall Mayor Frank Rizzo. Much more energy and time on the part of a great many people would have to be devoted to the effort during the 60 days following April 17, the first day when petitions can be signed. Will the recall be effective? Most people polled by the Local think that it will not.

April 10, 1986

Charles H. Woodward dies

Charles Henry Woodward, the protective spirit of Chestnut Hill for many years and a man who directly or indirectly touched the lives of every person who resides on the Hill, died of a heart attack before dawn on Wednesday, two weeks before his 82nd birthday. “Charlie Woodward will remain in the minds and hearts of Chestnut Hillers forever,” said J.R. McAllister “Mac” Borie, president of the Chestnut Hill Community Association. “His contributions to the community are countless.” Among the most recent causes to which he gave enthusiastic support was the proposed restoration of Pastorius Park, which was created by his father, Dr. George Woodward, in 1916-1917. Environmental concerns and the protection of the Wissahickon Creek, which he especially loved, were always of utmost importance to him. His foundation recently gave $100,000 for improvements to Forbidden Drive.

April 11, 1996

World’s largest icosahedron built by Mount students

More than 40 freshman and sophomore students from Mount St. Joseph’s Academy’s honors geometry classes met at their school in Flourtown one recent Saturday to build the world’s largest icosahedron. What’s an icosahedron? And why spend a Saturday in school, toiling over foam board and paint, to have the largest one in the world hanging in your school foyer? An icosahedron is the geometric figure that is formed when the faces of 20 equilateral triangles are joined together, sides touching and vertexes meeting. It looks like an angular-shaped globe. The girls decided to build the giant icosahedron in part to beat the University of Minnesota, which announced on the World Wide Web of the Internet that students from its high school summer program had built a slightly smaller version.

April 6, 2006

Neighbors challenge New Covenant’s proposed shelter

About 170 community members turned out last week to learn more about the homeless shelter proposed for the Mt. Airy campus of the New Covenant Church, and to express concerns. A variance is not needed for the proposed Families Forward Programs, which would eventually serve 50 families of women and children. But representatives of the city and New Covenant at the March 29 meeting sought to assure residents that they would have a voice in the project. Additional community meetings were promised, as well as an advisory council to meet monthly with representatives from the West and East Mt. Airy Neighbors, Mt. Airy USA, the Mt. Airy Business Association, the Chestnut Hill Business Association and more as appropriate.

April 7, 2016

Wood duck sightings in Wissahickon draw bird paparazzi

Wildlife photographers from throughout the mid-Atlantic have converged on the Wissahickon Creek in recent weeks, hoping to capture photos of a large flock of wood ducks. Normally elusive and tricky to photograph, an unusually large number of the iridescent-hued wood ducks began showing up in the Wissahickon in mid-March. They can currently be spotted from Valley Green to the falls in Roxborough. Their surprising appearance has prompted wildlife photographers to travel from surrounding states to witness the action. Each morning they position themselves creekside behind giant-lens cameras and tripods. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of these guys,” said Arthur Drescher, a retired Glenside teacher who has been photographing wildlife in the Wissahickon and elsewhere for years.