Home and Garden Tour

                                            A Celebration of Historic Architecture
                                           2012 Home and Garden Day Tour
                                           Saturday, June 2

For a young country we have great respect for our early history, much of which stretches along the eastern seaboard. The William Penn grant of 1681 is the basis of our local fascination - King Charles II made the grant in repayment of a debt owed to Penn's father. Unlike other grants to companies such as the Massachusetts Bay Company, this grant was a proprietary grant to an individual. This circumstance permitted William Penn to establish a charter in 1701 granting freedom of religion to new Protestant settlers, primarily the Quakers who were persecuted in England.

The families who were able to establish themselves successfully remained in their homesteads for many generations and their descendants continue to populate our area. Today's homeowners have both pride in and appreciation for the historic architecture developed here. It is the authenticity they have been able to maintain that we celebrate on our tour this year. 

Enjoy a buffet lunch in the historic surroundings of Birmingham Meeting that was built in 1763 after the Friends Meeting ,established in 1690, moved from a log structure. The building was used by first the Continental soldiers as a hospital during the Battle of the Brandywine and then taken over by the British after the defeat. Dead soldiers from both sides are buried in a common grave within the meeting cemetery.

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                                                                   Reminder
We remind tour goers that these are private properties whose owners have kindly opened their homes for the benefit of Bayard Taylor Memorial Library. Photographs from cameras or cell phones are not permitted; high heels and strollers should be left at home and we regret that walkers and wheelchairs cannot be accommodated. Fairly steep driveways, garden banks, stairs, and a shuttle bus will be found on the tour. Thank you for your consideration.