Protecting “A Corner of Heaven”

Alongside beautiful Fairmount Park lies a parcel of land, once part of a much larger property. Over the years, bit by bit, this property was whittled down and subdivided. Now a smaller piece of land stands as a reminder of what once was. This spectacular place is home to a wide array of mammals, birds, and trees. Impressively large, the trees here serve a grander purpose. Old growth trees, such as the White Pines living here, are crucial to the environment’s stability but sadly decreasing in number due to urban sprawl. Many mature trees are scattered throughout this property, but most important are the historic Hemlocks, Pennsylvania’s state tree. One of the largest and oldest stands of Hemlock trees makes its home here, along with rich wild grasses, deer, raccoons, fox, the occasional coyote, and of course, the property owners, Christopher Bentley, his wife Wendy, and their two sons.

Chris was raised on a farm. From a young age, his parents taught Chris to respect and appreciate the land. Eventually, his parents had to subdivide the farm, but they made sure to put restrictive covenants on certain sections. So it is no surprise that this son of conservation-minded people modeled their actions with his own property. Chris understands that in the city, even the smallest parcel of open space is viewed as a prime development opportunity. In order to preserve their precious oasis, Chris and Wendy took definitive steps to eliminate the possibility of future development of their property, whose steep slopes provide an important vegetative buffer to the Wissahickon Valley.