THE OLD GARDENS OF PENNSYLVANIA 
VII. -JOHN EVANS ARBORETUM, 
RADNOR TOWNSHIP, 
DELAWARE COUNTY 
JOHN W. HARSHBERGER 
Professor of Botany, University of Pennsylvania 
H E arboretum founded by John Evans has generally 
mm been overlooked in the descriptions of old places of 
botanic and horticultural renown. Yet it has a 
Upp ‘jr definite appeal for attention because of its continued 
maintenance up to the present day. The demesne is now the 
property of W. Hinckle Smith, who has greatly improved it in 
many ways with roads and extensive plantings. The older 
part of the farm is surrounded by an artistic iron fence and the 
two most interesting approaches are across stone bridges arch- 
ing over I than Creek, which pursues its rocky course through the 
original forest growth. The place was bought by Mr. Smith 
from William H. Ramsay, who had obtained it from Dr. James 
H. Harrison, to whom it had been sold by Mrs. David Paxson 
of Norristown, daughter of John Evans. It is best reached from 
Rosemont (a trolley station on the Philadelphia and Western 
Railroad) by a walk of about a mile due south. 
John Evans, born on February 13th, 1790, did not become 
expecially interested in plants until he was nearly forty. About 
the year 1828 he saw a copy of Darlington’s “ Florula Cestrica,” 
which a kinsman, Alan W. Corson, had with him during a visit 
to the farm on I than Creek. That book introduced Evans to 
the systematic study of botany, which thereafter he pursued 
to the end of his life. The cultivation of rare plants around his 
dwelling commenced and progressed with his study of botany. 
Annual, or more frequent visits were paid to the old Bartram 
garden, then in possession of Colonel Carr, and to other gardens 
in the vicinity of Philadelphia. The supply from these sources 
was soon exhausted and he entered into correspondence with 
The figures in the 
map indicate the 
locations of the 
gardens and their 
sequence in the 
series 
alaya mountains which had been visited by Joseph Hooker, 
who eventually succeeded his father as Director and carried 
on the work at Kew in distinguished manner. Evans also 
made a number of tours, on which he collected plants of interest 
for his garden. 
Below the woods along the creek was a sandy deposit formed 
by the running water. Here was started the well-known sand 
garden, where specimens brought from the sandy soil cf New 
Jersey and other more remote regions were grown. The 
rocky hills were planted with appropriate species and the arti- 
ficial pond was stocked with Water-lilies and other aquatic 
JOHN EVANS 
Founder of the arboretum. Born Febru- 
ary 13th, 1790; died April 13th, 1862 
PART OF THE OLD MILL 
Part of the old mill operated by John Evans nearly 
a century ago still stands in the arboretum 
Sir William J. Hooker, Director of the Kew Gardens near 
London. By forwarding to Kew seeds and specimens of 
American plants, he received in return new and often rare plants 
from various parts of the world, some of them from the Him- 
plants. The borders were crowded with interesting material 
till every nook and corner had a fitting tenant. The sawdust 
from Evans’s sawmill near by was used extensively around the 
growing plants to smother the garden weeds. The extent of the 
Evans collection is not known. No catalogue was ever pub- 
lished, but in the number of distinct species of trees and shrubs 
John Evans’s collection was unrivalled in his day, and in its 
herbaceous material was equalled by few. 
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