Honoring Olmsted’s Legacy at Thomas Leiper House

The Providence GC of Pennsylvania Continues Affiliation with Avondale

February 15, 2022

For nearly thirty years, The Providence Garden Club of Pennsylvania (PGC) has been caring for the grounds of Avondale, the summer home of Thomas Leiper. Leiper was a Scottish American merchant who served in the Revolutionary War and is credited with constructing the first permanent working railway in the United States. Built in 1785, Avondale is located in Wallingford in the suburbs of Philadelphia. It was added to the National Historic Register in 1971 and attracts visitors from across the region.

PGC holds eight work days throughout the year during which members plant, weed, mulch, and trim perennials, trees, and shrubs on the six-acre property. The club began its affiliation with the property in 1993, when, after extensive research, members planted historically accurate colonial gardens that they maintain to this day. By caring for this beautiful public space, PGC helps celebrate the genius, spirit, and legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted.

The Garden Club of America (GCA) is a proud founding partner of the Olmsted 200 bicentennial campaign. The GCA's contribution to the celebration is the unprecedented opportunity for all 199 GCA clubs to connect the needs of their communities with Olmsted’s revolutionary vision for parks and public landscapes by participating in the GCA’s initiative, PARKS: Where Nature Meets Community. Each club project helps their local community public spaces while collectively celebrating Olmsted’s genius for public access to nature across the country.