arboretum
An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...
in
Wyncote, Pennsylvania
Wyncote is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders the northwestern and northeastern section of Philadelphia. Wyncote is located 11 miles from Center City Philadelphia at ...
. The arboretum was founded by
Mary Louise Curtis Bok
Mary Louise Curtis (August 6, 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts – January 4, 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)Bok, Edward W. (1920) ''The Americanization of Edward Bok''. Lakeside Classics edition, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Chicago, Illinois ...
in honor of her father, Cyrus Curtis.
The landscaping was designed by
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...
. The arboretum is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
Description
The arboretum surrounds Curtis Hall, once the ballroom of the Curtis family mansion, which now is operated by the
Cheltenham Township
Cheltenham Township is a home-rule township located in the southeast corner of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders Philadelphia to the south and east, Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Abington Township ...
Parks and Recreation Department. The arboretum features hills, two ponds, a dog park, a small World War II memorial, and over 50 types of trees.
Curtis Arboretum serves as the home course for the
Cheltenham High School
Cheltenham High School is a public high school in the Wyncote neighborhood of Cheltenham Township, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, located from the border of the city of Philadelphia and from Center City. Serving grades 9 through 12, Chel ...
men's and women's cross country running teams.
Image:Curtis Hall III.JPG, A
colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or curv ...
or
pergola
A pergola is most commonly used as an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support crossbeams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are t ...
remaining from the Curtis mansion
Image:Curtis Hall I.JPG, Curtis Hall from the rear
Image:Curtis Ironwork.JPG, Ironwork with an oak leaf motif at the entrance gate
Image:Curtis Veterans Memorial.JPG, The Curtis Arboretum Valley of Remembrance