NOTES ON PAINTERS' ARBORETUM.* 



BY H. S. CONARD. 



Painters' Arboretum, so named from its founders, Jacob 

 and Minshall Painter, is a tract of about four acres, situated 

 in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Penns3^1vania, 

 about twenty miles west of Philadelphia, and three miles 

 from Media, the county seat. The planting of the garden 

 began about 1825, and continued until some time in the sev- 

 enties. It is now one of the richest and rarest collections of 

 trees and shrubs in this vicinity. 



Jacob and Minshall Painter were brothers, sons of Enos 

 Painter and his wife, nee Hannah Minshall. Jacob was born 

 in 1814, Minshall in iSoi, at the house which still stands on 

 the Arboretum property, where also they both died in the sev- 

 enties. They were of Quaker origin by both parents. The 

 farm on which they lived was taken up by patents from the 

 Penn proprietorship, and settled in 1701 bj^ Jacob Minshall. 

 It has never been sold, but descended by will to the botanists 

 from their mother. As they were both single men, it passed 

 at their death to their nephew, John J. Tyler, who now owns 

 and cares for it, and spends his summers there. 



Jacob and Minshall Painter received pretty freely of the 

 education which the times afforded. They attended school in 

 a little house, long since gone to decay, on the grounds of 

 Middletown Friends' Meeting. 



Minshall finished off with two winters at Samuel Gum- 

 mere's school at Burlington, New Jersey, and then returned 

 to his home for the rest of his long life. Jacob was sent to a 



(This paper was first read in April, 1898, before the Lansdowne, Pa., 

 Natural History Club. It is printed by request, essentially as read at 

 that time. The facts were obtained mostly from Mr. John J. Tyler, the 

 then owner of the Arboretum, and Dr. Samuel Trimble, of Lima., Dela- 

 ware County, Pa. To both of these friends I gratefully acknowledge my 

 indebtedness. — II.S.Conard,Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, :\Iarch, 1914) . 



