The Colonial Hall, in which the meetings of the young 

 colonists were held, was judiciously selected in a wood, 

 bordering the western bank of the meandering stream, on 

 the estate of William Warner, an amiable and worthy 

 member of the respectable society of Friends. His estate 

 now called " ^ao-/e.s^e/(Z," successively since the property 

 of Mr. Robert E. Griffith, recently of Mr. Richard Rundle, 

 and now the elegant seat of Mr. J. J. Borie, is situated 

 between " Solitude,'^ (Penn's Estate) and " Sweet Briar, ^^ 

 the seat of Samuel Breck, Esq. about one mile above 

 Fair Mount Water Works. 



This well chosen and retired spot, comprising within 

 its fenced boundaries about an acre of ground, was in the 

 peaceful occupancy of the company, until the year 1822, 

 an eventful period of ninety years ; when the damming of 

 the river below at Fair Mount, destroyed the perch and 

 rock fishing, and obliged them reluctantly to leave their 

 much loved primitive domain, and emigrate with the 

 finny tribe to the south, on the shores of Tide Water, 

 near Rambo's Rock, opposite Bartram's celebrated Bo- 

 tanical Gardens. 



In 1732 the clearings were few between the rising city 

 of Penn, and the retreat of the new Colony in Schuylkill. 



A dense forest of majestic timber, the growth of ages, 

 covered the whole western scite of the city plot, from its 

 centre, and extended far and wide to the west, the north 

 and the south. These woods were tenanted by the nimble 

 grey squirrel, and rabbit, and frequently pheasants, par- 



