Glen Fern is the former property of wealthy and influential miller Thomas Livezey that dates back to 1747. In its day, the sprawling farmstead at the edge of the Wissahickon Creek featured one of the largest mills in the colonies. Unfortunately, the mill itself was torn down after being purchased by the city of Philadelphia in 1868 as part of a systematic campaign to buy up the land surrounding water sources in order to protect declining quality of the city’s water supply.
As a preservationist, Lucy Strackhouse , the executive director of the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust, lamented that all the Wissahickon’s mills were removed.
“We certainly understand why they did it,” she added.
At one point, pollution from industry became so severe that the coal dust saturated water from the Schuylkill, of which the Wissahickon is a tributary, was visible as ink.
“We cannot drink the water that comes out of the tap here,” said current tenant Craig Johnson, talking about modern times.
Johnson moved into Glen Fern after the Valley Green Canoe Club that had occupied the space for most of the twentieth century, vacated it when water levels declined to the point that the Wissahickon could no longer support canoeing.
Even without the mill site itself, which famously attracted clients from all over the Roxborough and Germantown townships, Glen Fern’s once sprawling farmstead remains an important property. At the peak of his success, Livezey protected his business interests by acquiring the land on all sides of the dam, including what are now Devil’s Pool, Forbidden Drive and the Valley Green Inn.
“There was a tremendous amount of activity here,” said Herb Lapp, amateur historian and Windsor chair maker, who has been studying Livezey’s life and estate for the past seven years.
“I’ve derived a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction from researching and seeing his early papers and getting to know who this man was,” said Lapp, who described Livezey as a man of great integrity and personal conviction that was respected by his contemporaries, including Philadelphia’s favorite founder, Benjamin Franklin. “I feel like I know him.”
One popular myth, bolstered by an enthusiastic thank you note from Franklin himself, claims that Livezey was an expert wine maker. Though it’s true that Livezey made his own wine and even that he sent some to Franklin as a gift, the wild grapes he would have harvested from his vineyard were probably rather bitter.
“It wasn’t the greatest wine in the world,” Lapp explained. “Franklin was saying the right thing. He was a diplomat.”
Despite his perhaps mediocre wine making skills, the legend lives and has prompted Glen Fern’s current tenant to pursue a revival of the property’s once-thriving vineyard.
“I would like to have a vineyard and an orchard,” said Johnson, who has incorporated that desire into his planned improvements to Glen Fern.
Still, Johnson isn’t eager to resurrect everything that once existed there. For instance, he reported having to cleanse the space of spirits upon moving in and identifying spirit entities hanging around the basement.
“I think that they were soldiers who were shot by firing squad outside the house,” said Johnson. “It’s a legend but there’s probably some truth to it.”
Luckily for Livezey, a devout Quaker and British loyalist, few other instances of violence actually made it to Glen Fern. Despite extremely close proximity to Cliveden- site of the Battle of Germantown, the property remained largely secure throughout its history, partially due to the importance of its founding resident.
In addition to owning a prosperous mill and accompanying farmstead, Livezey was a founder of the Union School, the first non-sectarian school in the nation (today Germantown Academy), as well as a funder of the nation’s first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital. Livezey was so well respected that instead of being banished as a British spy after the Revolutionary War, (as many with British loyals were), he and his family were offered protection and moved to a safer home in Philadelphia during the height of the conflict.
Livezey ultimately returned to Glen Fern, where the natural beauty that surrounded him inspired him.
“His heart was here and he loved the mysticism of it,” said Lapp, noting that Livezey produced volumes of poetry espousing his deep, almost religious, love of his surroundings.
This affection for nature is shared by the current resident of Livezey’s former home, Craig Johnson, whose love of the property has more to do with its surroundings than its architectural features.
“Nature takes care of us in so many amazing ways,” Johnson said. “We can’t forget that a part of our relationship with nature is to celebrate the vitality of our connection with nature.”
Glen Fern invites visitors to explore the wonders of nature as well as history’s ever-unfolding mysteries.
“Our understanding of history is all based on stories,” said Lapp. “We’re still rediscovering the past.”
– Text and photos by Victoria Marchiony and Alison Vayne
I was always led to believe that I was a Livezey descendant. Maternal grandmother’s name was Leora F. Livezey, daughter of Charles B. Livezey and Leora Mann. Thanks to the internet
(Livezey Genealogical History resource), I just confirmed that I am indeed an eleventh (11th) generation descendant. I find it interesting to have such a connection to the history of Pennsylvania.
Spent much time there over the years when the Livezey family association held meetings and picnics at GlenFern .
Fascinating page! I am directly related to Elias Livezey and Francis “Buck” Livezey, although Buck, for reasons unknown, dropped the “z” and replaced it with “s” in Livezey. I am looking forward to trying to arrange a visit to Glen Fern in the near future!
Lovely photos but I believe you would find history more accurate if you referred to: The Livezey Family, a genealogical and historical record assembled for The Livezey Association by Charles Harper Smith., Philadelphia,PA . 1934
The LIVEZEY Association was formed in 1905 as a social organization limited to descendants of Thomas Livezey of Norton, Cheshire who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1682.
On March 2 & 3, 1682, Thomas purchased from Wm. Penn’s land agents in England, 250 acres in the Province of PA.
Please refer to the book.
By the way, Thomas was a Quaker, and supportive of the Revolutionary War, not a Loyalist.
Love this article! Would really look forward to sharing stories about my Livesays from Virginia and Tennessee and my being in the Livesay Family Association in the 1990’s down there. My grandmother was a Livesay born in Blountville, Tenn. in 1890; she was one of the charter members of the Livesay group there which started in 1957. I was a historian and published several books for that group because of my grandmother’s interest in family. I am from PA but now live in RI. How can I be in touch?
I too am a descendant and a member of the Livezey Historical Society. The qualities of Thomas here are qualities I knew, as a child, in Great-grandmother, Alice Kinsey, in Pennsville, Morgan County, Ohio. I adored her happiness, her kindness, her every-meal pickles, but especially her Quaker bonnet. Hoping for additional contacts.
I have fond memories of the Livzey reunions in Glen Fern
My mother Margaret A Campbell Means has left several old pictures of Livezy/ Wiilits, Harker and Atkinson pictures of their is any interest in these ancestors please let me know- I would love to pass them on/-
801-643-3117 Meg Davies 2170 -west 1900 S Syracuse Utah 84075
I would love to meet you
I like, what the current owner Mr. Johnson says, the nature inspires ….. I wish to visit the Glen Fern. I live close. I love rich history and beautiful nature in this area.
My great grandfather was the president of the Valley Green Canoe Club in 1905 and I’ve got a few very old framed pictures of Glen Fern. Its a wonderful place for locals to visit and I’d recommend lunch at Valley Green across the stream.
The s and z in the immigrant names historically are zz in Philadelphia and s in South Carolina joyce jun