~welcome to Wyck,
an historic site that served as the ancestral home to members of one Germantown family for more than 300 years. Here, traditional Quaker culture blended with a passion for innovation. The people who lived and worked at Wyck expressed these values through their commitment to preservation, horticulture, education, and natural history.
Today, Wyck connects this family and its rich history in the Germantown community through experiential programs that focus on sustainability, stewardship, and community engagement, using the past (stories and collections) as inspiration in the present.
Wyck, a National Historic Landmark house and garden in Germantown , was home to nine generations of the same Quaker family, the Wistars and the Haineses, from 1689 to 1973. Today, Wyck stands as a unique survival of historical Philadelphia life in a contemporary urban environment.
The historic site consists of a colonial house with its noteworthy 1824 alterations by the architect William Strickland; an early American rose garden, the oldest in original plan in the United States; and a remarkable collection of 100,000 personal papers and over 10,000 everyday family objects, furniture pieces, and collectors' items. Our site also features perennial gardens, a woodlot, fruit trees, extensive vegetable and herb gardens, and a collection of outbuildings from the late 18th century through the early 20th century, including a carriage house, a greenhouse, an ice house, and a smoke house. Wyck invites visitors not merely to view the site and collections but to experientially understand Philadelphia history and the relevance of the past in our contemporary lives. The legacies of Wyck's prior owners, who represented the city's leadership in business, natural history and science, education reform, and philanthropy, are the values of innovation, social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and community engagement, and Wyck perpetuates these values through its experiential programming.
Since 1973, the Wyck Association has preserved Wyck's house and garden and has developed multi-faceted programs aimed at diverse audiences, with a focus on history, horticulture, and family life. In 2007, Wyck established our Home Farm, a working farm and living classroom, which has enabled us to further the Wistar-Haines tradition of working for the betterment of society. The Home Farm grows food for a weekly on-site farmers market; provides an interactive, outdoor classroom for local children and adults; and perpetuates Wyck's 300-year-old agricultural traditions within an urban neighborhood.
Today, Wyck's audience includes Philadelphians interested in broadening their knowledge of history, horticulture, and heritage conservation; Germantown schoolchildren in need of safe outdoor space and opportunities to experience history, farming, and science; and neighborhood residents seeking nutritious, affordable local produce. We have developed targeted programs to meet the needs of our constituents, and continue to develop new programs.
In 2011, our Board of Directors adopted a new strategic plan, which has set a course for improved organizational efficiency, identifies new programmatic goals, and presents a vision for Wyck that emphasizes the Wistar-Haines values of education, social and environmental responsibility, and community development. We intend to inspire visitors and neighbors alike with our actions, and to act as a catalyst in the revitalization of Germantown.
Directions to Wyck.pdf
HOURS
House: Open for walk-in, guided tours from April 1 to December 15, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 1:00 - 4:00, or by appointment. For group tours or appointments, call 215-848-1690. Open for free, self-guided tours during our Farmers' Market season (June through November) on Fridays, 1:00 - 4:00.
Gardens and Grounds: Open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 - 4:00.
ADMISSION
$5; $4 senior citizens
Active-duty military personnel
As part of the Blue Star Museums program, Wyck offers free admission for all active-duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 30, through Labor Day, September 5, 2011. Click here for more information on this NEA initative.
LOCATION
6026 Germantown Avenue, at Walnut Lane
in the heart of Historic Germantown
Philadelphia, PA 19144
SITE RENTAL & PUBLIC USE
We warmly welcome community groups and nonprofit organizations to use Wyck's 2.5-acre grounds at a cost of $35 per use, with an additional donation suggested. (The cost will cover cleaning and staff time.) The grounds include the 1820s Rose Garden, truly a living treasure, which is in peak form in late May and early June.
We also welcome community groups and nonprofit organizations to use our Education Shed . Once a carriage shed adjacent to the house, it was beautifully converted by architect Larry McEwen in 2004 and provides a light-filled meeting space. The cost is $35 per use with additional donation suggested. The "Ed Shed" is not available for private use by individuals.
The grounds may be available to individuals for short-term private use.
Due to the care needs of our historic house and collections,
the house interior is not available for private use by individuals.
Please note, use-agreements will be signed upon the making of each arrangement.
The Board of Directors of The Wyck Association has adopted the following policy to guide decisions about the use of Wyck by non-Board, non-staff groups and individuals. Exceptions to this policy may be made at the discretion of the Executive Director for special circumstances, particularly those involving Wyck family members. The Executive Director has responsibility for enforcing this policy and for authorizing/refusing site rentals and uses.
Wyck_WeddingPhotos.pdf
Please direct all rental inquiries to Kristin Hagar,
THE WYCK STAFF
Eileen Rojas, Executive Director
For general infomation and group tours, please call 215-848-1690
Dawn Reid, Caretaker
caretakers_wyck.org
Emma Morrow, Farm Manager
emorrow_wyck.org
Rachel Karasick, Youth Education Coordinator
rkarasick_wyck.org
Erica Siate, Volunteer Coordinator
wyckvolunteers_gmail.com
Elizabeth Belk, Horticulturist
ebelk_wyck.org
Kristin Hagar, Development &
Communications Coordinator
khagar_wyck.org
Laura Keim, Curator
lkeim_wyck.org
Advisory Board
Nicholas L. Gianopulos
Julia B. Leisenring
Denise Scott Brown
Robert Venturi
Stephanie G. Wolf, Ph.D.
Honorary Directors
Emily Lind Baker
Ingrid E. Bogel
Daniel K. Butler, Ph.D.
Marigene H. Butler
Dorothy W. Cary
Daniel Wills Collins
Carolyn D. Commons, Esq.
Robert J. Fleming
Ellen W. Goldstine
Ellen Henri Hymans
Sandra Mackenzie Lloyd
Elva A. Moser
Merry Jan Parker
Samuel V. Rhoads
Lucy Bell N. Sellers
Frederick T. Seving, Jr.
Victoria Steiger
Harris M. Steinberg
Dana Haines Stewardson
J. Randolph Williams, Jr.
Board of Directors
Robert M. Harting, Co-Chair
Diane Newbury, Co-Chair
James J. Donohue, Esq., Vice-Chair
Sheldon (Sandy) Tilney, Treasurer
James S. Bishop, Secretary
Laura Haines Belman
William B. Carey, M.D.
Peter Commons, Esq.
Emily T. Cooperman, Ph.D.
Valerie Erwin
William H. Ewing, Esq.
Patrick Hauck
Catherine Almy Hineline
Reginald Middleton
James (Rocky) Query
Lesley Seitchik
Emeritus Directors
Marianne (Nancy) Shipley Rhoads
John (Jack) M. Roberts, M.D.
President, Friends of Wyck
The Wyck Association Mission Statement
The Wyck Association preserves and interprets Wyck, a National Historic Landmark, with its architecturally distinctive house, rich collections of household objects and family papers, and 1820s rose garden and restored vegetable garden.
The Wyck Association strives to engage visitors of every age who are curious about history, horticulture, architecture, decorative arts, or farming, by using new and traditional media both at the site and remotely.
The Wyck Association aims to enrich and serve its various audiences, from the local Germantown neighborhood to the international community.
Wyck is a proud member of the Historic Germantown consortium.
Historic Germantown is a partnership of 15 outstanding attractions located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, just minutes from downtown.
Members of the partnership are ACES Museum, Awbury Arboretum, Cliveden of the National Trust, Concord School, Deshler-Morris House, Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust, Germantown Historical Society, Grumblethorpe, Historic RittenhouseTown, Hood Cemetery, Johnson House, La Salle Art Museum, Stenton, and Wyck House and Garden.
These organizations are joined by a common mission to foster an appreciation of the diverse character and meaning of their cultural heritage in order to preserve and revitalize their community. Together, they provide knowledge and resources to help preserve Germantown's historic sites, interpret them to the public, and incorporate them into the life of the local community.
Partners are joined by more than a common mission; each played a role in the fight for freedom. Together, they comprise "Freedom's Backyard."
To learn more, click on the logo!
Wyck is also delighted to partner with Greater Philadelphia Gardens.
The Philadelphia region is rich in public gardens, arboreta, and historic houses with gardens. In 1989, many of them banded together to jointly promote the gardens and encourage visitors. That collaboration, one of the first of its kind in the country, has evolved into Greater Philadelphia Gardens, whose member gardens attract more than two million visitors each year.
Greater Philadelphia Gardens offers a central site that makes it easier for visitors and locals alike to discover what each garden, arboretum, or historic house has to offer. Learn about lesser-known gems that you might like to visit as well. So much of the nations horticultural history is rooted in this region that it has been dubbed the cradle of horticulture.
Each spring, the gardens join forces to present the Worlds Largest Garden Party, a cornucopia of gardening happenings throughout the region that includes plant sales, wildflower walks, garden tours, hands-on workshops, lectures, and evening galas. But most members of Greater Philadelphia Gardens offer events all year.
Click on the logo and learn more.
Bartram's Garden
Buckview Produce of Lancaster
Earth's Elements Foods & Products
Cliveden of the National Trust
Duval Improvement Association
The Food Trust
Heritage Rose Foundation
Historic Germantown Preserved
Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild
Slow Foods Philly
Wagner Free Institute of Science
Weavers Way Food Co-op
Capogiro Gelato Artisans
Commons & Commons
Daughters of the American Revolution
Eastern State Penitentiary
Geechee Girl Rice Cafe
Grid Magazine
Kieran Timberlake Associates
Logan Capital Management
Longwood Gardens
Metcalfe Architecture and Design
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
University of Pennsylvania
Whole Foods Market
(2010)
The 1772 Foundation
The Albert Trust
The Barra Foundation
The Chanticleer Foundation
The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts
The Cotswold Foundation
The Lee F. and Phoebe A. Driscoll Foundation
The Samuel S. Fels Fund
The Moses and Susan Feldman Fund
of the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia
The Garden Club of American, Philadelphia Committee
The Hamilton Family Foundation
The Allen Hilles Fund
The Jean B. and E. T. Juday Gift Fund
The Patricia Kind Family Foundation
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commssion
Pennsylvania Humanities Council
The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage,
through the Heritage Philadelphia Program
through the Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative
The Philadelphia Cultural Fund
The Philadelphia Foundation
The Jonathan Rhoads Trust
The Joseph Skilling Trust
The Tabitha Foundation
The Union Benevolent Association
The Welcome Society
Wyck Charitable Trust
Wyck is like no other...
6026 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144 Tel. 215-848-1690 Fax 215-848-1612 Facebook
