history
Crow’s Nest is composed of several 19th-century farms and the forests that have grown up around them. Most of the forests in this area were cut repeatedly in the 1800s to make charcoal to fuel iron-making furnaces and in the early 1900s for timber.
The land that makes up the preserve was still being farmed in the late 1950s when John Dorrance—once chairman of Campbell Soup Company—began to assemble land for a country retreat. When Dorrance died in 1989, the property was donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to be sold and the proceeds used to support the Museum’s endowment. When the subdivided parcels went up for sale, a local family purchased nearly all of them, then conveyed a 79-acre portion to Natural Lands. Over the decades the family has continued to donate more of the preserve to the organization.
access to nature. more essential than ever.
Our preserves are open, thanks to member support.
Help us continue our work saving open space, caring for nature, and connecting people to the outdoors.
donate
(9 miles away)
Developers coveted this vast, unspoiled property for decades. Today, Bryn Coed is protected forever.
(10 miles away)
This expanse of rolling farm fields, woodlands, and wetlands offers unspoiled views and varied hiking trails.
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