8o 
wander through its walks without making this discovery. 
The beds are box-bordered, and present a wealth of wild- 
flowers, hardy plants in variety, roses of "long-ago," all 
flourishing happily together in great profusion. Miss Haines 
loved ferns, and along the path nearest the house, where they 
might be viewed from the windows, many of our most beauti- 
ful native ferns show a luxuriance of growth, not often seen 
in their native habitats. Here are also several rare trees, and 
the memory of some that were, — memorials of Thomas 
Nuttall, of George Washington, and of Lafayette, for 
Reuben Haines, the father of Jane R. Haines, was active in 
the Philadelphia Academy of the Natural Science, and 
"Wyck" was a resort for his many friends, it being as well 
known to Thomas Nuttall, to Thomas Say, and to John 
James Audubon, as it was to Maria R. Audubon, the friend 
and guest of its late owner. Miss Haines once told me the 
old part of the house, that is the west end of the house, was 
built by her ancester, Hans Milan, in the year 1690. The 
entrance to the original house was from a road which ran 
from near present Price Street, to near present Johnson 
Street, following the east bank of what was "Honey- Run." 
The original survey of Germantown does not show this road, 
and it obviously was a "turnout" to avoid a poor part of the 
"Great-Road," for otherwise all between the points named, 
would have had to cross their neighbors' property to reach 
it. "Wyck" Mansion is not only the most beautiful one in 
Germantown, but as well, I believe the oldest house in it, and 
I further believe it the oldest house now standing in 
Philadelphia county. 
Many times I had the pleasure of being taken through 
parts of the house, and through the garden by Miss Haines, 
where every object of historic interest within the house she 
delighted to exhibit and enlarge upon, and every flower 
within her garden appeared like an old friend to greet. Her 
knowledge of plants and of plant names was wonderful, and 
the beauty of her home and its surroundings, though great, 
