Fairmount Park in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Walter Gray Family Gardens at The Solitude
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 25, 2022
1. The Walter Gray Family Gardens at The Solitude Marker
When John Penn built The Solitude, he commissioned a landscape plan for his 15-acre property, now at the heart of the Zoo. Beyond the necessities of an eighteenth-century estate, the plan for The Solitude had many fashionable components: open views of the Schuylkill River from the house; footpaths offering carefully framed vistas and strategically placed stands of trees; a "ha-ha," a recent innovation to prevent livestock from entering the gardens; a picturesque flower garden; a bowling green; and a "wilderness" with carefully laid out trails.
In May 2008, master gardener Robin M. Potter was invited to develop a new design fro the gardens that surround The Solitude. Thanks to the generosity of the family of the late Walter Gray, the Zoo has been able to use Robin's design to create The Walter Gray Family Gardens. This project was completed in the spring of 2010.
The Gray Family has extended a generous challenge they are matching non-family contributions towards this project, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $125,000. The Grays' intent is to create the necessary endowment that will allow these gardens to be
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Horticulture & Forestry. A significant historical month for this entry is May 2008.
Location. 39° 58.363′ N, 75° 11.733′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Fairmount Park. It can be reached from North 34th Street (U.S. 13) south of West Girard Street (U.S. 30), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3400 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia PA 19104, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Solitude (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named The Solitude (within shouting
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 25, 2022
2. The Walter Gray Family Gardens at The Solitude Marker
Additional keywords. landscape architecture
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 223 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 26, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
