Swarthmore

By Renée Gordon

History Travel Writer

Philadelphia is ground zero for the year-long celebration and recognition of the 250 years of American culture since July 4, 1776. The city is hosting hundreds of 250-related activities as well as six official FIFA World Cup 26™ and a 39-day fan festival in Fairmount Park. Complete FIFA details are available at the FIFA World Cup 26 Philadelphia Official Site.

Philadelphia has won numerous awards including “Most Walkable City” and “America’s Most Historic Mile.” One of the most recent accolades was Travel Guard’s new World Cup Road Trip Index. This unique index measured the affordability of auto trips from each of the 16 host cities. Philadelphia took second place for having cost efficient nearby destinations.

With so many people intending to come into the city visitors hope to maximize both their dollars and their time. Philadelphia meets these criteria and  has a huge menu of  surrounding destinations from which to choose. An absolutely perfect choice is Delaware County’s Swarthmore, approximately 12-miles from Center City, accessible and rife with singular attractions and bucolic surroundings.

The original territory was the homeland to the Lenni Lenape Indians but in 1681 King Charles II granted this swathe of North American real estate to William Penn in settlement of a debt owed to his father. Penn, a Quaker, accepted the land in order to provide a sanctuary from religious persecution and, in turn, gave the area, now Swarthmore, to the Quakers for settlement shortly thereafter. As a result the region and residents would play a significant role in the UGRR passageway to Philadelphia.

A jewel in Swarthmore’s crown is the 40-room, boutique, Inn at Swarthmore. Situated adjacent to Swarthmore College, the town center and the SEPTA transit station, the location is ideal. The inn is adorned with alumni artworks in both private and public spaces. The service is excellent and the amenities include designer amenities, luxe linens and free parking. Broad Table Tavern, on the premises, showcases Sri Lanka-born Chef Nuwan Karunarathna. His seasonally crafted menu features farm-to-table offerings with a unique blend of international spices. Innatswarthmore.com

Curated special packages are offered on an ongoing basis.  Garden Tourists will benefit from the “Inn Bloom” package. It is inclusive of accommodations, a custom garden tote, wildflower seeds from Pennsylvania-based Burpee and extensive visitor guides to Scott Arboretum & Gardens and Tyler Arboretum.

The Swarthmore Commuter Rail Station is a few steps from the inn and visitors can be in the heart of Philadelphia after a regularly scheduled 15-minute ride. Numerous sites, most notably world-class gardens, are within walking distance or a 15-minute drive.

Native Lenape referred to the region as Lenapehoking. Colonists named the town Westdale, after an early resident, painter Benjamin West, who was born there. West’s birthplace is situated on the college campus. The two-and-a-half story stone house has a gambrel roof and brick chimney. The exterior is historically accurate but the interior is not as a result of a fire. It has been designated a National Historic Site.

Thomas Leiper was an important area figure prior to American Revolution. The Scottish -born manufacturer held both tobacco and quarrying businesses. He was closely involved with the Founding Fathers, was Thomas Jefferson’s Philadelphia landlord, was a co-founder of Franklin Institute and made a large personal contribution to sustain the American Revolution. His mill, built in 1776, manufactured black gunpowder that was vital to battles, especially those in Brandywine and Germantown.  The mill became a crucial target for the British because it furnished 50% of PA’s gunpowder and the British destroyed it.

Guided tours of the 1785 Leiper House and outbuildings are available on weekends. It is recognized as a unique example of an 18th-century estate. The home is known as Avondale.

Leiper’s stone quarry was situated on his 800-acre plot along 24-mile Crum Creek, called Ockanickon by natives.  The Crum (crooked) Creek Dam was erected in the 1680s as a grist mill. Dr. Robert Harris owned the mill from 1776-7, during its gunpowder years and then sold it to Leiper for use as a snuff mill. The Crum Creek 1895 Viaduct, the Trestle, is still viewable 100-feet high and extends 900-feet.

Ogden House is second historic home situated in Swarthmore. The 3-story stone house was constructed in 1736 with two massive stone chimneys. It is not open to the public.

Swarthmore College was founded in 1864 and opened for classes in 1869. It was established by the Religious Society of Friends. The college was coeducational and in 1877 awarded the first Ph.D. to a female in the US. The current 425-acre campus has been designated by  “Travel + Leisure” as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States.In 1979 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Scott Arboretum was established by a donation from the family of Arthur Hoyt Scott, Class of 1929. Swarthmore’s campus houses the 350-arboretum and is comprised of twelve plant collections, twenty-four gardens and notable sites. Hiking trails meander throughout the campus and offer crevices of serenity.

Tyler Arboretum is one of the Northeast’s oldest public arboretums. The land was part of Penn’s original grant and was then sold to Quaker Thomas Minshall. The land remained in his family for eight generations. In 1825 two brothers designated land for use to preserve more than 1,000 varieties of plant life. Twenty trees survive from that era and several are state champions. The 650-acre, public,  arboretum was created in 1944 by Laura Tyler. Highlights of a visit include hiking paths, a Fragrant Garden and a collection of treehouses.

Swarthmore is a tiny gem surrounded by equally worthy attractions. Take time to explore all that it has to offer.