Tag Archives: Stardust

sprinkling a little stardust 

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Fred Haas (Philadelphia, PA), Molly K. Morrison–Natural Lands Trust president (West Chester, PA), David Haas (Philadelphia, PA (Mae Axelrod, Natural Lands Trust Photo)

No, this isn’t a Chester County specific post. But it is one I am posting because it is a wonderful land preservation story.

When I was growing up on the Main Line, we knew it as just “The Haas’ house”. It wasn’t Stoneleigh. Going to Shipley and living just a few minutes away, that is what it was. As a matter of fact, my Junior Prom after party in 1980 was held there. On Spring Mill Road in Villanova

Photo is a few years old. Courtesy of a friend of mine who was driving past one day

It was a quietly beautiful property. It has a carved tree trunk/stump County Line Road side of carved rabbits. It used to get dressed according to holiday or season when Mrs. Haas was alive. Christmas, Easter/Spring, the opening of the Phillies’ baseball season, and so on. That carving was one of the first commissions of Chester County tree carver Marty Long as a matter of fact. If you talk to Marty about it he will tell you how much he liked Mr. Haas. They used to talk Subarus (Marty likes them as vehicles, so did Mr. Haas apparently)

The name Haas means rabbit or hare in Dutch I think it is. (Middle Dutch?)

Anyway with big beautiful properties like this you hope they will remain intact. Most don’t  thanks to the zeal of developers in Pennsylvania who will offer people buckets of money for development purposes.

Thankfully, that did not happen here. Thanks to the generosity of the Haas Family and Natural Lands Trust, this is being preserved. This property is located in Lower Merion Township, so seriously, this is quite remarkable as that local government truly caters to developers, and has for years. (I remember someone saying to me recently it was a shame Villanova University didn’t get the land because they are right there. I say thank god and shudder to think what they would have done given what they are going to do on Lancaster Avenue!)

Anyway, on Friday, June 10th, 2016—with an ever-amazing Saturn and a brightly shining Jupiter in the night sky—nearly 500 guests gathered for Stardust!, Natural Lands Trust’s annual summer fundraiser. Proceeds from the event, which doubled those of previous Stardust! events, will advance Natural Lands Trust efforts to save land, steward natural resources, and connect people to nature throughout the region.

Catherine Haas (Philadelphia, PA) and Marc Preston (Havertown, PA) using a telescope to view the moons of Saturn (Mae Axelrod, Natural Lands Trust Photo)

Stardust!, which has rotated to a different Natural Lands Trust-protected property in each of the last four years, was held this year at the 42-acre Stoneleigh estate in Villanova. The family of the late John and Chara Haas donated the property to Natural Lands Trust earlier this year.

“Tonight we celebrate the Haas family, whose act of generosity marks a turning point for both Stoneleigh and for our organization,” said Molly Morrison, Natural Lands Trust’s president. “We are deeply honored to be entrusted to carry on the Haas family’s legacy of stewardship for this magical place, and excited beyond measure to add Stoneleigh as a unique, shining star in our constellation of 43 preserves.”

“We believe that Natural Lands Trust shares our family’s vision and will work to honor the legacy of our parents by making the property a unique natural resource for the community and region,” said David Haas, John and Chara’s son.

The event featured a roving dinner by Jeffrey Miller Catering, wine provided by Moore Brothers Delaware, beer from Victory Brewing Company, spirits from New Liberty Distillery, and floral creations by Love ‘n Fresh Flowers.

Guests had the last sneak peek of Stoneleigh until the Fall of 2017.

Natural Lands Trust is taking 18 months to transition the property from a family home to a public garden, during which time it will not be open to visitors. When Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden does open to the public, it will be free-of-charge and open seven days a week during daylight hours. Natural Lands Trust will offer a variety of public programs with a primary focus on natural gardening and landscaping techniques. The organization also anticipates hosting family and child-oriented programs as well as volunteer opportunities.

Anyway, I just thought I would sprinkle a little “Stardust” on your Monday morning. Preservation is possible….we just need more of it to happen.

Thanks for stopping by.

Decor (Mae Axelrod, Natural Lands Trust Photo)

quite the gaffe?

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Stoneleigh in Villanoava PA courtesy of Bryn Mawr College files (http://www.brynmawr.edu/iconog/wh/ml/smie.jpg)

Stoneleigh in Vanillaillanova PA courtesy of Bryn Mawr College files (http://www.brynmawr.edu/iconog/wh/ml/smie.jpg)

Today for preservationists there was a very happy headline in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Haas estate in Villanova to be preserved as public garden

Updated: MAY 4, 2016 — 3:25 AM EDT

by Michael Matza, Staff Writer
Adding a final jewel to the philanthropic legacy of John and Chara Cooper Haas, their children are donating the family’s Stoneleigh Estate in Villanova to the conservation group Natural Lands Trust, which will manage it as a native-plants garden, open free to the public.

The 42 acres and Tudor Revival mansion on North Spring Mill Road are to be transferred to the trust at a ceremony and luncheon Wednesday on the Great Lawn behind the house….When it opens in about 18 months, the estate will be rechristened Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden……”We’ll build on what’s here and augment it with new materials and new science on the benefits of natives in terms of the bugs, butterflies, birds, and pollinators they attract,” said Natural Lands Trust president Molly Morrison.

Beautiful article, beautiful photography (including of the rabbit totem pole carving done by Chester County carver Marty Long.) But then there is this weird thing. An “embargoed” press release? So if I have this right, the Inquirer got the lead and local papers got well…nothing? Until today? Right before event?

 

bad form

 

How does that work  exactly?

So I am guessing this is all just a silly coincidence of relationships? I mean why cut out the local media until a half hour before this event?  Surely it is a gaffe? Because it just is not right, and let us not forget for a long time it was solely the local papers on the Main Line which carried this story and followed it and covered it and attended mind and rear end numbing meetings in Lower Merion Township.

And then there are the comments on social media including from members of Lower Merion Township Staff who should really know better.  I saved the actual screen shot of the comment but won’t post so as to not embarrass the author of this particular comment:

The transformation of the Haas Estate was initiated by the Haas family but it took a lot of creativity, hard work and leadership by the local government to realize.

Respectfully, I disagree. Lower Merion got lucky and went on to create an ordinance around it that was given an unfortunate nickname. My former township sometimes shall we say likes to ummm, over improve and over complicate things and is that fair to say?

Local government can’t take all the credit on this one alone, sorry. It is mostly the doing of the family. And the Natural Lands Trust.

Suffice it to say, preservation doesn’t just happen, it has to be planned and supported. Too often it’s not. So I am very glad that one corner of where I used to call home will not be supersized for some sort of development. Because that is the unfortunate reality down there: no one seems to be able to say no to development. What used to be one of the loveliest places around is just one McMansion , Tyvec tacky townhouse development  and condo apartment building after the other.

Stoneleigh is a preservation triumph.  Many thanks to the generosity of the Haas family and the vision and hard work of The Natural Lands Trust.  Our communities need more of this.

This year’s Natural Lands Trust  Stardust celebration is being held at Stoneleigh.  Stardust is an amazingly lovely party, so think about supporting it.