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Chestnut Hill Conservancy

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Chestnut Hill Conservancy

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Chestnut Hill Conservancy, Nonprofit Organization, 8708 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.

The Chestnut Hill Conservancy, formerly the Chestnut Hill Historical Society, founded in 1967, is an educational center and advocate for the architecture, open space, and social history of Chestnut Hill and surrounding communities.

04/20/2026

Guess what's blooming in Chestnut Hill?

03/11/2026

Tomorrow evening is the final opportunity to register for a special virtual edition of the Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s Discovering series, co-presented with docomomo US/Philadelphia, exploring the life and architectural legacy of Elizabeth R. Hirsh Fleisher, the first woman to become a registered architect in Philadelphia.

Active in the early to mid-20th century, Fleisher contributed to a wide range of residential, institutional, and commercial projects across Philadelphia, including several in Northwest Philadelphia. Her career reflects both the expanding opportunities available to women in architecture during that period and the structural barriers they continued to face within the profession. Despite those constraints, Fleisher developed a respected practice grounded in collaboration, technical expertise, and long-standing professional relationships.

Presented by architect and preservationist Amy Lambert, AIA, this illustrated lecture draws on archival research and historic documentation to trace Fleisher’s education, professional development, and built work across the city. As Lambert’s research shows, studying Fleisher’s career helps illuminate the collaborative nature of architectural practice, challenging the persistent myth of the “lone genius” designer and instead highlighting the networks of colleagues, clients, and collaborators that shaped many successful projects.

This program is part of the Conservancy’s ongoing exploration of Philadelphia’s “firsts” as the nation approaches the semiquincentennial, offering an opportunity to better understand the individuals whose contributions helped shape the city’s built environment.

The program will conclude with a moderated Q&A led by Jean McCoubrey, AIA, architect and Chestnut Hill Conservancy board member. All registered attendees will receive access to the recording, even if they are unable to attend live.

Register today: https://chconservancy.org/programs/discovering-series/

The Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s public programming is made possible through the generous support of our Lead Sponsor, Chubb, General Sponsors, Event Sponsors, and members. Our 2026 Discovering Event Sponsor is John B. Ward & Co. Arborists. Heritage Consulting Group and Laurel Hill Gardens are both proud 2026 Discovering Supporting Sponsors.

03/09/2026

Co-presented with docomomo US/Philadelphia, the Chestnut Hill Conservancy invites you to a special virtual edition of the Discovering series this Thursday, March 12, exploring the life and architectural legacy of Elizabeth R. Hirsh Fleisher, the first woman to become a registered architect in Philadelphia.

As we reflect on International Women’s Day yesterday and continue Women’s History Month, this program highlights Fleisher’s career and the professional barriers she navigated while building a respected architectural practice in the early to mid-20th century. Fleisher contributed to a wide range of residential, institutional, and commercial projects, many located throughout Northwest Philadelphia, demonstrating both technical skill and the collaborative nature of design.

The illustrated lecture will be presented by architect and preservationist Amy Lambert, AIA, whose research traces Fleisher’s education, practice, and built work within the broader context of Philadelphia’s architectural history. The program will conclude with a moderated Q&A led by Jean McCoubrey, AIA, architect and Chestnut Hill Conservancy board member.

Even if you cannot attend live, all registered attendees will receive access to the recording.

Learn more and register: https://chconservancy.org/programs/discovering-series/

03/06/2026

In association with Women’s History Month, we’d like to recognize the local athletic tennis great, Ora Mae Washington.

Born in 1898 on her family’s farm in Caroline County, Virginia, Ora was the fifth of nine children. By the 1910s, her aunt, Mattie Washington, was the first in the family to migrate and settle in Germantown. She later brought Ora and her sisters to Germantown to live with her. Ora spent time at the Germantown YMCA, which had recently begun allowing Black members. There, she became enamored with tennis and played regularly.

Because tennis in the United States was largely segregated at the time, Black players competed primarily through the American Tennis Association (ATA). Washington went on to become one of the most dominant women players on the ATA circuit, winning every women’s doubles title at the national championships between 1925 and 1936.

While still playing tennis, Washington also began a professional basketball career. She first played for the Germantown Hornets in 1930, helping lead the team to a 22–1 record. She later played for the Philadelphia Tribune Girls from 1932 to 1942.

Between 1929 and 1937, Washington also won eight of nine ATA national women’s singles titles. After her long and accomplished tennis career, she retired from the sport due to discrimination.

Throughout her athletic career and for the remainder of her life, she supported herself working as a housekeeper. She died in 1971 after a long battle with an unknown illness. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

03/05/2026

Next week!

Join us on Thursday, March 12 for Discovering: Elizabeth R. Hirsh Fleisher — Philadelphia’s First Registered Woman Architect.

This special virtual program is co-presented with docomomo US/Philadelphia, exploring the life, career, and architectural legacy of Fleisher, who became the first woman registered as an architect in Philadelphia.

Active in the early to mid-20th century, Fleisher worked on residential, institutional, and commercial projects across the city, including many in Northwest Philadelphia. Her career reflects both the professional opportunities available to women at the time and the structural barriers they faced within the field.

Through archival research, historic documentation, and recent scholarship, the program examines Fleisher’s work and her place within Philadelphia’s architectural history.

Thursday, March 12, 2026
Virtual via Zoom | 7:00–8:30 PM
Registration: $20 for conservancy and docomomo members | $25 for non-members
Advance registration is required.

The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants approximately a day before the program.

Learn more and register at: https://chconservancy.org/programs/discovering-series/

The Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s public programming is made possible through the generous support of our Lead Sponsor, Chubb, General Sponsors, Event Sponsors, and members. Our 2026 Discovering Event Sponsor is John B. Ward & Co. Arborists. Heritage Consulting Group and Laurel Hill Gardens are both proud 2026 Discovering Supporting Sponsors.

03/04/2026

With the amazing advances made in technology, it is now so much easier to understand our place in the world and how we got there. One such advance is Lidar- light detection and ranging. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes Lidar as “a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system—generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.”

In built-up urban areas, Lidar technology tends to “remove” all buildings from the landscape, revealing the topography as it would appear without them. In undeveloped areas, Lidar does the same for vegetation, allowing the viewer to see the topography beneath uninterrupted. In the case of the Wissahickon Valley, it can be especially useful, as it shows traces of many man-made structures that are long fallen into disuse. For example, in the Lidar image shown here, Cresheim Creek appears as a dark area running vertically on the left. Towards the right center running diagonally is SEPTA’s Chestnut Hill West rail line.

Between the two are the curves of Cresheim Valley Drive and the right-of-way of what was to be an extension of Lincoln Drive. The latter was created circa 1932 to connect Lincoln Drive north of Allen’s Lane with the section of Lincoln Drive leading to Pastorius Park in Chestnut Hill. Though the section in the woods was once paved, it was never opened and was abandoned. It then gradually became overgrown with vegetation, and Lidar helped make it more visible once again.

For more information about Lidar, visit NOAA’s website at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lidar.html

For Lidar content for Philadelphia available via Penn State University, visit https://maps.psiee.psu.edu/preview/map.ashx?layer=7153

02/25/2026

Save the date and join the Chestnut Hill Conservancy on Saturday, May 30, for a memorable evening at a historic Chestnut Hill PA house at our 2026 Spring Gala.

Join the Conservancy for a memorable evening in the garden of Binderton in Chestnut Hill. Binderton was designed by architects Cope and Stewardson in the Jacobethan style and built in 1903 for its first owner, J. Wilmer Biddle. The house features a garden designed by James Frederick Dawson, of the Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects.

The Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s 2026 Spring Gala is made possible through the generous support of our Lead Sponsor, Chubb, as well as our General Sponsors, Event Sponsors, and Gala Benefactors. We are grateful to our Spring Gala Sponsors, including Jacobson Strategic Communications, Kurtz Construction Company, Peter Zimmerman Architects, Practiced Hands Tree Care, and Springer Capital.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Learn more at https://chconservancy.org/support/2026-spring-gala/

02/24/2026

Tomorrow evening | Free virtual program

How do zoning, historic preservation, and environmental planning actually work in Philadelphia—and where do they intersect?

Join the Chestnut Hill Conservancy tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25, for Ask the Experts: Preservation and Conservation in Philadelphia, a free virtual program designed to give residents a clear, high-level understanding of the tools that shape development, stewardship, and neighborhood change across the city.

The program will explore:
• How zoning and land-use regulations work—and what “by right” really means
• How historic designation functions at the city and national levels
• How environmental planning tools address watersheds, steep slopes, trees, and stormwater
• Where to find reliable public information and how residents can engage more effectively

The program concludes with a moderated Q&A—live attendees are encouraged to submit questions.

Wednesday, February 25
7:00–8:30 PM
Virtual | Free (advance registration required)

Register to attend live or to receive access to the recording if you can’t join us in real time.
Learn more and register at chconservancy.org/programs/ask-the-experts/

Ask the Experts is the Conservancy’s free public education series, presented in collaboration with the Chestnut Hill Community Association and made possible by the generous support of our sponsors and members.

02/23/2026

Two days away!

Join us Wednesday, February 25, for Ask the Experts: Preservation and Conservation in Philadelphia, a free virtual program bringing together three voices working at the intersection of planning, preservation, and community advocacy.

Register today to join live and receive access to the recording if you are unable to join us live.

The evening will feature:
- David Gest, Esq., Executive Director of the Chestnut Hill Conservancy, on zoning and how it shapes neighborhood change
- Kim Chantry, Historic Preservation Planner Supervisor at the Philadelphia Historical Commission, on preservation tools and processes
- Meg Cavanagh, Environmental Planner at the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, on conservation and planning frameworks

Together, they’ll break down how these systems work—and how residents can better understand and engage with them across Philadelphia.

Wednesday, February 25
7:00–8:30 PM
Virtual | Free (registration required)

Learn more and register: https://chconservancy.org/programs/ask-the-experts/

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Conservancy’s Lead Sponsor, Chubb, as well as General Sponsors, Event Sponsors, and members, and is offered in collaboration with the Chestnut Hill Community Association. The 2026 Ask the Experts Event Sponsors are Ace Hardware Home Services and Krieger Jacob Architects, while Atkin Olshin Schade Architects serves as the 2026 Supporting Sponsor.

02/09/2026

Two days left to register for this week’s virtual Discovering program on Pastorius Park!

Discovering: Pastorius Park
A Century of Design, Stewardship, and Renewal

This virtual lecture highlights the long-term stewardship that has sustained Pastorius Park for generations, with a special focus on the work of the Friends of Pastorius Park, whose advocacy and care since 1987 have shaped restoration, planting strategies, and the park’s growing arboretum collections.

Led by Rob Fleming, ASLA, and James McNabb, the program explores how community-driven stewardship continues to guide the health, ecology, and beauty of this rare intact 1930s civic landscape. A Q&A will conclude the session.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Virtual, via Zoom | 7:00–8:30 PM

Learn more and register today: https://chconservancy.org/programs/discovering-series/

The Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s public programming is made possible through the generous support of our Lead Sponsor, Chubb, General Sponsors, Event Sponsors, and members. Our 2026 Discovering Event Sponsor is John B. Ward & Co. Arborists, and Laurel Hill Gardens proudly serves as the Supporting Sponsor.

Photo by James McNabb.

Address

8708 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
19118

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12152479329

Website

http://www.chconservancy.org/

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