Jessica at ease at The Woodlands. She doesn’t like your dog as much as you do. Photo by Lori Waselchuk.

The tension between those who walk their dogs off-leash at The Woodlands and those who wish they wouldn’t is kind of the west-of-the-Schuylkill version of the Hatfields and the McCoys, Liam and Noel Gallagher, Biggie and Tupac. That may be overstating it slightly, but it’s kind of a big deal to many who frequent the cemetery/park.

Jessica, a West Philly yoga instructor and blogger, has had it. In “An Open Letter to People Who Let Their Dogs Off-Leash at Woodlands Cemetery,” she draws a line in the dirt. “I was once a vicious 13-year old girl,” she writes. “And given the right situation, she can return.”

Jessica originally posted this on her site, but has graciously allowed us to repost it here:  Continue Reading

Apart from tonight’s Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, another big semi-annual event is happening this week in West Philly – Go West! Craft Fest at The Woodlands (40th and Woodland). More than 70 artists and crafters are expected to participate in the Fall edition of this popular event happening on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event also features live music, children’s activities, acrobatic performances by tinycircus, and food by local eateries. Go West! Craft Fest is open to the public and free to attend.

Festival guests can find unique treasures by local makers, including jewelry, ceramics, art, prints, stationery, home wares, children’s items, bags, candles, soaps, and more. Follow @gowestcraftfest on Instagram for sneak peeks of all the Festive finds. Also, visit the Go West! Craft Fest website for more information and performance schedule.

A popular summer event series will return to The Woodlands Cemetery grounds starting this Thursday. People of all ages are invited to spend the evening inside The Woodlands searching for amazing little creatures – fireflies! The Firefly Night will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., and is absolutely free. Here’s more information from The Woodlands:

“Learn about the amazing ways that animals (including fireflies) communicate and attract mates with educators from The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Fancy feathers, crazy calls, and delightful dances make life pretty “colorful” for all kinds of animals during the quest to meet the perfect mate. Investigate how many creatures use special displays and signals to attract the right partner. Dig deeper, and get creative to learn other ways that fireflies and other animals are cool, and make a craft you can take home!”

In addition to fireflies, Mister Softee will be on site this Thursday to offer frozen treats to the visitors. Guests are also welcome to pack a picnic. And don’t forget to bring your flashlight!

Two more Nature Nights will be held at The Woodlands this summer: Bat Night on July 23 and Moth Night on August 20, both from 6 – 9 p.m.  Please visit The Woodlands website for more information.

A good way to get down to what Memorial Day is really about is to take a quiet stroll through The Woodlands today. Over the weekend flags were placed at the dozens and dozens of soldiers’ gravestones, some of which date back to the Revolutionary War (Photo by West Philly Local).

Hamilton Mansion.

Great news for the historic Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion and all those who participated in their latest ambitious fundraising effort of raising $218,000 to restore the Hamilton Stable, the only remaining outbuilding from the 18th century.

“The Woodlands community contributed over $218,000 to restore the stable’s façade – which means you helped secure an extraordinary $612,000 challenge grant to restore the [Hamilton] Mansion from the William B. Dietrich Foundation,” reads a recent message by The Woodlands Executive Director Jessica Baumert. The McLean Contributionship, Connelly Foundation, and Wunsch Foundation also provided generous support of this project.

Photos courtesy of The Woodlands.

In a addition to the restoration of the Hamilton Mansion and Stable, the re-construction of the Cryptoporticus has resumed. The contractors have been numbering each brick before removing them from the sagging arch (pictured right). Then, the 18th century bricks will be put back in their original location using a mortar.

The Woodlands also announced some new and annual programs taking place this spring (the Woodlands is located at 40th and Woodland).

Sunday, April 12 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Your West Philadelphia House: How old is it? Who lived there?

Join The University City Historical Society at The Woodlands for a “how to” workshop, and learn to research the history of your own West Philadelphia house! Uncover your house’s story!Cost: Free to members of University City Historical Society or The Woodlands, $10 for non-members. Make your reservations here.  Continue Reading

The historic Woodlands Cemetery was holding a Veterans Day celebration earlier today, but this report, unfortunately, is about despicable acts that took place this week at the cemetery. The Woodlands’ executive director Jessica Baumert writes that vandalism was reported and witnessed at The Woodlands on Sunday, Nov. 9, and Tuesday, Nov. 11. Both incidents happened during the daytime, and there are reasons to believe that the same people were involved in each incident.

Police are searching for the following individuals:

White, male teenager (< 18 years), tall (± 6′), well built with a mop of black hair, pale complexion, large mouth, dark eyes, wearing a black zip-up jacket and black pants.

White (maybe Hispanic) female teenager (< 18 years), petite (< 5′ 4″) with long, straight, dark brown hair, olive complexion and dark eyes, wearing a brown (possibly leather) jacket and blue jeans.

On Sunday, there was an additional male. His description is not provided.

If you see people that fit this description on the grounds of The Woodlands, please call 911 and report it to the police immediately. Do not confront these individuals.

If you have additional information or witnessed any suspicious activity, please contact Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183 or steven.blackwell@phila.gov

(Photo courtesy of The Woodlands)