MLArch Capstone Report

The Peter Wentz Farmstead Designing for the Future on an Historic Farm

A Landscape Design and Ecological Restoration Plan Lucinda Bartley Temple University M.L.Arch. Capstone Project 2017–2018

The Peter Wentz Farmstead Designing for the Future on an Historic Farm

A Landscape Design and Ecological Restoration Plan

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Landscape Architecture Lucinda Bartley Diploma Date May 2018 Temple University

To my family, for helping me accomplish this second round:

my parents, who made it possible

my husband, who encouraged me

and my boys, who inspired me Thank you:

to the staff of the Peter Wentz Farmstead, the Montgomery County Planning Commission, and the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, for your time and insights; to my capstone professors, Baldev Lamba, Susan Mrugal, Michael Coll, and Mary Myers, for your guidance; and to my classmates, for your encouragement, humor, and good advice.

Table of Contents 1

Introduction

7

Inventory & Analysis

24 28

33

Opportunities & Constraints Case Study 

Master Plan

34 38 40 42 50 60

Concepts Master Plan Detail Areas

Visitor Center

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Kre-Belle Farm

67

Ecological Restoration

70 76 78 80

87

Zacharias Creek Created Wetland Riparian Forest Meadows

References

Introduction

What is the Peter Wentz Farmstead?

The historic Peter Wentz Farmstead in Worcester, Pennsylvania, preserves a colonial-era Pennsylvania German farm and its buildings, which served as temporary headquarters to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The Wentz farm was bought by Montgomery County in 1969 to preserve the site’s historic heritage and to make it accessible to the public for education and recreation. The Farmstead buildings have been restored and furnished to look as they would have in 1777, and the Peter Wentz Farmstead Society provides educational programs and public events focusing on the architecture, crafts, customs,

The Peter Wentz Farmstead house, built in 1758.

2

Peter Wentz Farmstead

and furnishings of the period. The Farmstead is also a working farm, and the field crops and livestock contribute to the interpretation of the historic site.

The Kre-Belle Farm, a nineteenth-century farmstead historically associated with the Peter Wentz farm, was purchased by Montgomery County in 2007, and is intended to become a complementary historic site which interprets Pennsylvania farm life of that century. A farmhouse, large barn, creamery, and other historic buildings should be considered for uses to further that goal.

A long history of agricultural cultivation has left almost none of the land in a natural condition, though the Farmstead administrators are actively improving the site’s ecological health by creating a wet meadow in the floodplain of the Zacharias Creek, partnering with the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy to plant trees in the riparian buffer, and employing low-impact agricultural practices.

As the County acquired properties surrounding the historic site, the administrators decided a master plan was needed to guide the Farmstead in integrating the properties and settling on best uses for the buildings and land for the future.

This landscape design and restoration plan is meant to support the master planning process, by providing a proposal for programming, land use, and visitor experience.

Pennsylvania German fraktur drawing of man and woman picking grapes, ca. 1795-1805. (Free Library of Philadelphia)

Introduction

3

Vision A master plan that balances the needs of people, agriculture, and ecology for the best possible future for all.

People

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A gri

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The intersections of these categories have shaped life at the Peter Wentz Farmstead since agrarian people first settled in the area.

The lives of the German settlers who bought the land, farmed it, harvested its timber, and built their homes here are remembered through the preservation and interpretation of the historic structures. The historic human use of the land for agriculture is sustainably maintained. And the ecology of the site, which has been so altered by centuries of human presence, is restored and celebrated.

4

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Reconstructed bank barn, with a view of the Kre-Belle Farm through the trees.

Project Goals This plan will further the Peter Wentz Farmstead mission of historic preservation and land conservation by:

Improving public access to the site and its amenities and protecting its historic integrity Preserving the agricultural character of the site and implementing sustainable practices Restoring ecological functions and connections and educating visitors about the site’s natural history

Introduction

5

Inventory & Analysis

Context

Pennsylvania

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SKIPPACK

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(11

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Worcester Township, Montgomery County

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Pik e

NORTH WALES

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WORCESTER

N

Evansburg State Park

I-47

Gwynedd Preserve

6

Heebner Park

Sk

ipp

ac

kP

ike

(73

US

20

2

)

Ge

rm

an

to wn

CENTER SQUARE Pik e

Regional Context

Legend Preserved farmland Open space Major roads

8

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Reading Doylestown Pottstown Lansdale

Bucks County

Montgomery County

Norristown

Chester County 0

5mi

10mi

Trenton

Willow Grove

Philadelphia 20mi

Demographic Context

The Peter Wentz Farmstead is located in Worcester Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Historically, Montgomery County was rural and agricultural, and Worcester’s majority land use was farming through the turn of this century. Suburban residential and commercial development has overtaken farming, and population density is increasing.

Legend Peter Wentz Farmstead 0–1,000 residents per sq mile >1,000–2,000 >2,000–5,000 >5,000–10,000 >10,000–30,000 >30,000

The Peter Wentz Farmstead is in close proximity to other preserved farms and public open spaces.

Inventory & Analysis

9

Site History

1767 Philadelphia County Tax Assessment. The Wentz family kept a black enslaved person, two indentured servants named Hoffman, and owned livestock and the sawmill. (Collection Peter Wentz Farmstead)

1910 photos of the house and farm.

(Collection Peter Wentz Farmstead)

Turn-of-the-century photo of Schultz family members in front of house. (Collection Peter Wentz Farmstead)

10

Peter Wentz Farmstead

1681

William Penn receives Pennsylvania land grant from Charles II.

1713

Skippack Road (now Skippack Pike/PA 73) surveyed and opened.

1743-4 Peter Wentz Sr. purchases large property and gives 300 acres to his son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Rosanna Wentz, to farm.

1758

Stone house is built in English Georgian style.

1777

In October, General George Washington’s army camps on the Wentz farm and Washington uses part of the house as his residence and headquarters.

1794

Melchior Schultz purchases the Wentz farm. The Schultz family farms there for 175 years through six generations.

1818

Melchior Schultz subdivides 60 acres across Zacharias Creek for daughter Rosina and her husband Melchior Kriebel. The “Kre-Belle Farm” passes for 189 years through five generations of Kriebels and Rothenbergers.

1969

Montgomery County buys the Wentz-Schultz farmstead for historic preservation and recreation.

1973

Peter Wentz Farmstead is added to the National Register of Historic

Places.

1975

A master plan is developed for the Farmstead, which includes rebuilding the bank barn.

1976

The Peter Wentz Farmstead opens to the public.

1980

The portion of Schultz Road which borders the Wentz house is vacated and moved to the north border.

2007

Montgomery County purchases the Kre-Belle Farm.

Inventory & Analysis

11

Land Use History: Aerials

10/8/1942

9/13/1958

In 1942, suburbanization has not yet reached the area. The houses scattered among farm fields that appear here are the same ones recorded in maps from the 1800s.

In 1955, construction of the Northeast Extension of I-476 was begun, and it’s visible in the 1958 aerial, cutting across the top-right corner.

In 1971, the beginnings of suburban residential development on farmland arrive. The hightension power lines also appear for the first time.

8/6/1971

12

Peter Wentz Farmstead

3/1992

12/2002

The land directly to the south of the Farmstead site was sold and developed in the late 1990s.

Between 1992 and 2004, acreage of Worcester Township used for agriculture decreased by 36%, while developed land increased by 43%— meaning that agriculture was the majority land use, and twelve years later developed land was the majority. The agricultural land immediately surrounding the Farmstead is permanently preserved by conservation easements and is part of Worcester Township’s Land Preservation District.

5/2016

Inventory & Analysis

13

Site Section and Elevation

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

Ha

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property line 14

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property line

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s ia ar ch Za

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15

Inventory & Analysis

Existing Land Cover Types Because the site is an active farm and public park, much of the land use is no longer natural. Agricultural fields, either cultivated or pasture, cover the majority of the site.

Substantial windbreaks or hedgerows create a forest edge condition between the fields and along the surrounding roads, dominated by white pines, red oaks, and black walnuts.

Along some roads, Norway spruce are dominant. Around the buildings and along entry roads, mowed turf grass and scattered trees create the designed landscape for visitors.

Natural conditions persist in areas unsuited for farming: along the banks of Zacharias Creek and under the PECO power lines. The county leases part of and is in the process acquiring a lease on the remainder of the land in the PECO right-of-way. PECO places

Existing Conditions: Hedgerows and hay fields.

16

Peter Wentz Farmstead

restrictions on vegetation height under its power lines, which provides an opportunity to create a meadow-shrubland habitat on land that is currently mowed or herbicided erratically.

A thin riparian forest buffer exists along the creek, and the administrators have made an effort to extend it to the north by planting native trees and a wet meadow-shrubland in the floodway.

Along the property line to the south, a privacy buffer of white oaks, Norway spruce, sweetgums, and oaks is surrounded by an understory that includes exotic invasives such as oriental bittersweet and bush honeysuckle.

The hay fields are planted with a mix of native and nonnative cool season grasses.

+ 270

270

26 60 0

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294+

Sh e

ar er

Ro

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d Roa

250

248+

270+ +LP 226

Sk

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ck

Pi

ke

(7

3) HP 300 +

Land Cover Types

0

250’

500’

1000’

Legend Agricultural cultivated field Agricultural pasture field Mowed lawn Windbreak/Forest edge condition Riparian forest Dry meadow-shrubland Wet meadow-shrubland

Inventory & Analysis

17

Regional Watersheds and Water Quality

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Zach

aria

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Sk

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Cr ee

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Evansburg State Park

Norristown Farm Park

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Valley Forge National Historical Park 0

0.5

1mi

2mi

N

18

Peter Wentz Farmstead

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Evansburg State Park

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Fo rg eR d(

in Creek

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36

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6

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Sk

Gwynedd Preserve

ike

(73

US

20

2

)

0 .25 .5mi

1mi

N

Zacharias Creek -> Skippack Creek -> Perkiomen Creek -> Schuylkill River -> Delaware River -> Delaware Bay

Legend

Peter Wentz Farmstead Open space Preserved farm land Zacharias Creek watershed Skippack Creek watershed Perkiomen Creek watershed Schuylkill River watershed

Legend Major Roads Stream: Aquatic Life - Impaired Stream: Aquatic Life - Supporting

Water quality in many of the neighboring creeks is impaired, according to the PA DEP. Water quality can be addressed on site at a local level, but regional efforts, such as that coordinated by the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, make more effective change.

Inventory & Analysis

19

Flood Zones and Soils FEMA FIRM Flood Zones

FIRM 0

290

280

260

27

Floodway 100-year flood 500-year flood

0

25

240

230

The new Visitor Center site is within the FEMA-defined floodway and the Township’s Floodplain Conservation District. The Kre-Belle farmhouse is within the 500-year flood zone.

240

250 260

0

27

280

290

Soils

Soil Types

RwA

Readington silt loam:

0

290

280

260

27

ReB 3–8%

ReC 8–15%

Rowland silt loam:

ReA

Rt terrace

0

25

ReB LeB 240

RwA 0–3%

Abbottstown silt loam, AbB 3–8% Lawrenceville silt loam, LeB 3–8% Urban land-urthodents, UusB 0–8%

Rt

230

240

AbB

250 260

ReC

0

27

UusB

280

290

20

ReA 0–3%

Peter Wentz Farmstead

All soils on the site are classified prime farmland or farmland of statewide importance by the USDA. The Readington Series depth to a restrictive layer is on average 2.5 feet to fragipan and 5 feet to lithic bedrock. Rowland Series soils have no fragipan.

FIRM + Soils RwA 0

290

280

260

27

ReA 0

25

ReB LeB 240

Rt

230

240

250

260 0

27

AbB

ReC

280

290

0

250ft

500ft

1000ft

UusB

N

Definition of Worcester Township’s Floodplain Conservation District: Rowland soils and/or FIRM 100-year flood

Inventory & Analysis

21

Site Hydrology

+ 270

0

290

280

260

27

294+

0

25

248+

240 270+

230

+LP 226

240

250

260 0

27

280

290 HP 300 +

0

250ft

500ft

1000ft

N

Elevation Analysis 10-foot contour bands

22

Peter Wentz Farmstead

As part of the Piedmont, the site exhibits typical gentle hills and slopes. High points on the site are on Skippack Pike, near the entrance drive to KreBelle Farm and on Schultz Road by the farm shop.

Zacharias Creek runs through the small valley between the hills, losing just 22 feet of elevation along its 3,250-foot path through the site, for an average slope of only 0.68%.

+ 270

0

290

280

260

27

294+

0

25

248+

240 270+

230

+LP 226

240

250

260 0

27

280

290 HP 300 +

0

250ft

500ft

1000ft

N

Hydrology The site is entirely within the Zacharias Creek watershed, and almost all of the precipitation that falls on the site reaches the creek and its small tributary to the north within the site boundaries. The rest flows north-west into the tributary across Shearer Road. A farm lane

follows the ridgeline from the shop toward the parking lot, dividing the subwatersheds.

The eastern field in Kre-Belle Farm is drained by tile drains, but the exact placement is unknown.

Location is estimated on the map. It is believed the tiles drains empty into the farm pond. The existence of other tile drains is undetermined.

Inventory & Analysis

23

Opportunities

Farmer’s Residence Public Entrance

Naturalize unneeded agricultural fields

Improve visitor entry experience

rer

a

e Sh

d

a Ro

Parking Lot

Connect to regional trails

Rothenberger House Establish visitor center

Zacharias Creek PECO Lines

Sk

ip

24

pa

Peter Wentz Farmstead

ck

Pi

Create diverse native habitats

ke

(7

3)

Farm Shop

Sc Screen undesirable views

hu

ltz

Ro

ad

Peter Wentz Historic Area

Enhance desirable views

Kre-Belle Farm

Re-establish connection between farms

Reduce erosion and improve water quality

Expand nature trail system

Create public access

Inventory & Analysis

25

Constraints

Farmer’s Residence Public Entrance

Protect private space

Parking Lot rer a e

d

a Ro

Sh

Avoid utilities installations

Rothenberger House

Zacharias Creek PECO Lines

Sk

ip

26

pa

ck

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Pi

Limit height under lines

ke

(7

3)

Prevent access to County Public Works buildings

Protect private property

Farm Shop Prevent visitor access to maintenance area

Peter Wentz Historic Area

Sc

hu

Preserve agricultural fields

ltz

Ro

ad

Protect buildings in floodplain Kre-Belle

Farm

Protect private space Restrict access

Inventory & Analysis

27

CASE STUDY Newlin Grist Mill Location: Size: Owner: Built:

Visited:

Glen Mills, PA 160 acres Nicholas Newlin Foundation 18th century buildings Restored starting in 1956 1/19/2018

Mission: The purpose of the Nicholas Newlin Foundation is to preserve its land and its historic buildings for the pleasure and education of the public. “In an area of urban growth, the Foundation maintains open land as a refuge for plants, animals, and birds, and for the people who come to enjoy them. In an era of high technology, it offers visitors insights into the vanished life of the rural eighteenth century. This two-fold objective of environmental and historical concerns is combined in a single theme wherever possible.�

Challenge: An unused historic mill and other buildings are threatened by neglect. How can the descendent of the original mill owners save the buildings and create an educational public attraction in a suburbanizing area?

Solution: Nicholas Newlin and his nonprofit foundation purchased the 18thcentury gristmill and houses as well as surrounding lands, which included a 19th-century train station. The land had been farmed.

The mill and houses were restored and archaeological studies continue. Recognizing the need to preserve open space, the Foundation also restored native ecology and habitats to the site. All former farm land is now either recreation areas or naturalized as meadow or forest.

Newlin Grist Mill primarily balances history and ecology, and making both accessible to visitors. Only a few elements of the site refer to its agricultural past.

28

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Rail trail

Restored grist mill (1704)

Historic house and museum (1739)

Trail signage

Inventory & Analysis

29

The balance for Newlin Grist Mill:

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ltu

re

Trail signage

30

Peter Wentz Farmstead

ol

A gri

ogy

People

Ec

People: 1 Historic buildings and surroundings 2 Recreation 3 Trails 4 Parking

2

5

4 8 9

Ecology: 5 Riparian forest 6 Upland forest 7 Dry and wet meadows 8 Ponds and waterways

1 6 7

11 10

Agriculture: 9 Mill grinds corn for sale 10 Remnant of tree farm 11 Field and orchard

Inventory & Analysis

31

Master Plan

Proposed ltz hu Sc 290

280

260

Rd

0

27

Main Visitor Entrance

0

rer ea

P

Sh

Main Visitor Exit

Rd

25

240

P

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240

P 250

260

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0

34

250ft

500ft

27

pa

ck

Pik e

280

(7

3)

1000ft

Peter Wentz Farmstead

290

Concepts:

VEHICLE CIRCULATION The existing parking lot created a challenge in getting visitor to walk first to the new Visitor Center before proceeding on to the historic areas. The existing lot now becomes overflow parking for events, and the entrance drive becomes a one-way loop. Drivers will now be directed into the main entrance and to the new Visitor Center, where they will park in a new parking lot. On exiting the lot, they will continue west along Schultz Road, where they can exit onto Shearer Road. A few handicap-accessible spots will be available within the historic areas.

Existing Conditions

0

290

280

260

27

P

0

25

P

240

P

P

230

P 240

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260

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Master Plan

35

Proposed

ltz hu Sc

260

Rd rer ea Sh 240

230

240

250

260 0

27

Sk

ip

0

36

250ft

500ft

pa

ck

280

Pik e

(7

1000ft

Peter Wentz Farmstead

3)

290

290

0

25

280

Connection to Township multi-use trails

Rd

0

27

Concepts:

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION In keeping with the vision of balancing the needs of people, agriculture, and ecology, the proposed path and trail system offers visitors a variety of experiences. The historic path (black) connects the Visitor Center, the Peter Wentz Farmstead historic are, and the Kre-Belle historic area. The agricultural trail (yellow) tours the pastures and fields of the Peter Wentz Farm. The nature trails (green) allow visitors to explore the restored ecosystems on site, with bird-watching shelters

placed as destinations.

The Township multi-use trail is planned to enter the site from the northwest, across Shearer Road.

Trail users will be directed to the new Visitor Center, where they can secure their bicycles, before proceeding on foot through the rest of the site and connecting trails.

All trails and paths will be ADA-compliant.

Existing Conditions

0

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Master Plan

37

MASTER PLAN The master plan preserves the successful elements of the current site and program, while relocating or tweaking elements that are not contributing positively.

Returning to the original project goals, the proposed plan improves public access to the site and its amenities by offering new regional trail connections, a trail connection between the Peter Wentz and Kre-Belle Farms, and a new Visitor Center. It protects the historic integrity of the site by treading lightly in the historic areas-proposed changes would expand interpretive opportunities but not alter its current mission.

historically appropriate fencing and paths, and providing visitors with trail access to the agricultural areas of the site.

The proposal restores ecological function through a created wetland, strengthened riparian forest buffers, and restored native meadows. Trails and educational materials at a new nature education center and wildlife observatory will inform visitors about the site’s natural history.

The plan preserves the agricultural character by preserving agricultural fields, installing

Project Goals: Improving public access to the site and its amenities and protecting its historic integrity Preserving the agricultural character of the site and implementing sustainable practices Restoring ecological functions and connections and educating visitors about the site’s natural history

38

Peter Wentz Farmstead

l hu Sc tz

Sh

ea

rer

Rd

Rd

Sk

ip

pa

ck

Pik e

(7

Illustrative Master Plan

3)

0

250’

500’

1000’

N

Key Project boundary PECO power lines Zacharias Creek and tributaries Paved roads and trails Mowed nature trails Crushed stone paths Brick paver paths

Master Plan

39

Master Plan:

DETAIL AREAS

l hu Sc tz

Sh

ea

rer

Rd

Rd

2 1

Sk

ip

0

40

250’

500’

pa

ck

Pik e

1000’

Peter Wentz Farmstead

(7

N

3)

3

1 Visitor Center

Creating a new arrival experience

2 Peter Wentz Farmstead

Renewing connections

3 Kre-Belle Farm

Expanding the mission

Master Plan

41

Detail Area:

VISITOR CENTER 3 4 5 2

6 1 2

0

42

25’

50’

100’

N

Peter Wentz Farmstead

The new Visitor Center location creates the opportunity for a consolidated entry experience for all visitors. Drivers can park their vehicles in the parking lot (2) adjacent to the Visitor Center building (1); hikers and bikers on the Worcester Township multi-use trail connection (3) can arrive and if needed secure their bikes; and the bus and car drop-off (4) allows school buses and summer camp parents to safely load and unload passengers. Visitors are directed through the landscaped formal garden and to the front door of the Visitor Center building, then to the path leading to the historic areas.

An ADA-compliant path provides access to the greenhouse, past terraced native-plant demonstration garden beds.

Key Map

Programming 1

2 3 4 5 6

Visitor Center • Informational displays • Staff offices • Greenhouse • Terraced demonstration beds • Classroom/meeting space (garage building) Permeable parking lots Regional multi-use trail connection Bus and car drop-off Formal garden and lawn Arbor and patio

Master Plan

43

Formal Garden Design Layout The formal garden is inspired by historic Pennsylvania German kitchen gardens, of the kind the Wentz and Schultz families would have kept.

“The early formal farm garden was square or slightly rectangular . . . divided into nearly four equal areas [by paths] with a circle in the center.”

—Amos Long, Jr., The Pennsylvania German Family Farm Drawings from the early nineteenth century show rectangular garden beds neatly arranged on axis with the door of the house or kitchen to allow efficient movement along the paths.

Here, the primary axis was drawn through the front door of the new Visitor Center building.

This defines the entry point for the multi-use trail and the car and bus drop-off area. Secondary perpendicular axes are the existing Schultz Road, the path between the parking lot and the historic areas, and the path to the greenhouse.

Precedent: Drawing of the Schlichter farm, ca. 1820. The kitchen garden is to the left of the house.

(Free Library of Philadelphia)

44

Peter Wentz Farmstead

N NTS

Axes pass through the front door of the Visitor Center and connect the parking lot and path to historic areas.

Precedent: Drawing of house and garden, ca. 1810, similar to the Wentz house, and possibly drawn by Melchior Schultz. (American Folk Art Museum)

Materials and Plantings Materials are drawn from existing materials on the Farmstead site as well as from historic records of Pennsylvania German farms. Gray stone, red brick, and wooden fences define the formal lines of the garden. Inside the garden beds, mowed grass, perennial plants, shrubs, and flowering trees are planted in a pleasing scene, while outside the beds, a no-mow lawn of sedge and small wildflowers creates a gentle transition to the natural land beyond. A wooden arbor provides a place to gather or rest.

Precedent: Many Pennsylvania German farmhouses included arbors, often supporting grape vines, which cooled the house and provided shade to work under in the summer. (Fegley 71)

Existing Conditions: The former Rothenberger house will be renovated to serve as the new Visitor Center.

Sample Materials: Gray cobbles outline the garden beds. Garden paths are paved with red brick pavers. The patio beneath the arbor is paved in flagstones.

Rendering of Proposed Features: A no-mow lawn of Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) borders the flagstone patio and the brick paver pathway. The arbor abuts the Visitor Center next to the existing porch. Small flowering trees replace the Norway spruce along the road.

Master Plan

45

Permeable Parking Lot The relocated parking lot will accommodate 40 vehicles, approximately the same number of cars as the existing lot. A one-way loop provides access to 45˚-angled car stalls. Bicycle parking is available at the entrance to the garden from the multi-use trail. Bicycles are not permitted on the Farmstead, and visitors will be required to secure their bikes there before proceeding into the site.

Because the Visitor Center is in the floodplain of Zacharias Creek, Worcester Township bans paved parking lots and requires that: “No improvement of any kind shall be made unless it can be shown that the activity will not reduce or impede the flood-carrying capacity of the watercourse in any way and unless the effect of such proposed activity is fully offset by accompanying stream improvements.”

(Worcester Township Zoning Code, §150-138A(5)) To comply with code requirements, the parking lot will allow stormwater to infiltrate rather than running off. The drive will be paved in permeable asphalt, or alternatively in stabilized gravel paving. The parking stalls will be permeable reinforced grass, a system which allows near-100% infiltration of stormwater and is ADA compliant. Trees will be planted between parking stalls to absorb additional water.

Rendering of Proposed Feature: An evergreen inkberry hedge (Ilex glabra) behind the post-and-rail fence.

46

Peter Wentz Farmstead

N NTS

Sample Materials: Reinforced grass pavers and stabilized gravel paving. (invisiblestructures.com, truegridpaver.com)

Rendering of Proposed Feature: Parking stalls are permeable reinforced turf, and the drive is a permeable pavement. A post-and-rail fence directs visitors to the garden path.

Fences Laws requiring the construction and maintenance of fences existed as early as 1678 in Pennsylvania, though early settlers were so dispersed they rarely bothered to enclose their properties. As populations grew, German farmers who had been unfamiliar with wooden fences in their homeland adopted the English word into their dialect as “Fense,” and became devoted builders of a variety of fence styles, depending on resources and need.

“Gute Fense mache gute Nochbere.”

Good fences make good neighbors.

Precedent: Detail of drawing of the Schlichter farm, ca. 1820, showing post-and-rail fences around fields and barnyard. (Free Library of Philadelphia)

Proposed fences on the Farmstead site are inspired by this historic material language. The post-and-rail fence by the Visitor Center is a more refined style, and the zig-zag stake-andrider fence that lines the pathway to the Peter Wentz house is a rustic style suited to farm fields.

The row of apple trees planted along that fence would have been a common sight.

Precedent: Two variations on the stake-and-rider fence style border neighboring fields along a horse path. (Fegley 106)

Precedent: A post-and-rail fence and a row of trees line the public road. (Fegley 103)

Master Plan

47

Entry Overview A bird’s-eye view toward the southeast.

As visitors walk the path from the Visitor Center (1) toward the Peter Wentz Farmstead (2), they pass through a gate in a zig-zag stake-and-rider fence, indicating that they are now leaving the entry experience and entering an historic area.

The path joins the Old Schultz Road, now a pedestrian trail, which is bordered by a zig-zag fence and a row of apple trees providing blooms in the spring, shade in the summer, and fruit in the fall.

A new trail from the plaza in front of the farmhouse leads south to the Kre-Belle Farm.

Visible in the distance behind the farmhouse is an outdoor-classroom addition to the visitor services building.

48

Peter Wentz Farmstead

2

1

Rendering of Proposed Features

Master Plan

49

Detail Area:

PETER WENTZ FARMSTEAD

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

The Peter Wentz Farmstead is the heart of the project site.

Only a few changes are proposed, which are intended to assist in fulfilling its mission of historic interpretation and to restore historic connections. The existing, overcrowded Visitor Center will become the Visitor Services building (1), as the main visitor entry and staff offices are relocated. An addition to the building will provide outdoor covered space for camps or programs. A reconstructed footprint of the Schultz Mill (2) expands the interpretive opportunities of the site, as does re-opening the Old Schultz Road (3) to visitors as a walking trail. A new trail and bridge (4) reestablish the historic connection between the Wentz and Kre-Belle farms.

Key Map

Programming 1

2 3 4

Visitor Services building • Restrooms • Informational displays • Outdoor covered seating/classroom • Office and storage • Kitchen and event staging Schultz Mill footprint Trail along Old Schultz Road Trail/bridge connection to Kre-Belle Farm

Master Plan

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Visitor Services Building

Precedents: The Newlin grist mill (Glen Mills, PA) and an historic Pennsylvania barn converted to a house demonstrate the traditional form with lean-to shed.

Existing Conditions: The south face of the current visitor center building. Visitors can ring the bell on the post (left) to let staff members know they’re interested in a tour.

52

Peter Wentz Farmstead

The current visitor center building serves too many purposes and has become overcrowded.

Moving the Visitor Center and most staff offices out of this building will free up more space for interpretive displays, storage, and event staging within the historic area. The administration has expressed a desire for increased outdoor covered space to use during events and summer camps.

With the covered space built as an addition on to the existing Visitor Services building, staff will have easy access to restrooms, a kitchen, offices, and storage during events.

Rendering of Proposed Feature: A lean-to addition on the north side of the building provides a covered area for use as an outdoor classroom or gathering space. Plantings of oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) or other native shrubs soften the building edge.

Master Plan

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Schultz Mill Footprint In 1873, Joseph Schultz built a grist mill across the road from the farmhouse, damming Zacharias Creek and running a headrace across the fields to supply water to the turbine. After the county acquired the Farmstead from the Schultz family in the 1970s, the decision was made to interpret the site as it would have been in 1777, when Peter Wentz Jr. owned the farm and George Washington made his temporary headquarters there. The mill was demolished, along with an 1800s barn and other, newer structures.

Historic Conditions: The Schultz Mill appears in the center of this ca. 1910 photograph taken from Kre-Belle Farm. The tailrace is evident leading down to Zacharias Creek.

(Collection of Peter Wentz Farmstead)

Historic Conditions: The Schultz Mill is on the left, and the 19th-century barn on the right.

(Collection of Peter Wentz Farmstead)

An opportunity exists to tell a fuller history of the site in the landscape. Reconstructing the footprint of the Schultz mill and installing information signage would inform visitors of the continuous farming history of the site, as well as explaining the decisions made by historians and interpreters about how to tell its story. The low profile of the footprint would not interfere with the visitor experience of the site as an eighteenth-century farmstead.

Visitors could also be informed about the environmental history of creeks dammed for mill ponds. The sediments that washed from agricultural fields and settled in ponds is now eroding away as old dams are removed. A challenge of riparian restoration in Pennsylvania is stabilizing creek banks that are unnaturally high due to these legacy sediments from mill pond dams.

Mill

Historic Conditions: The Schultz Mill is indicated on this 1974 map (rev. 1985, detail), along with the mill pond, earthen dam, headrace, and tailrace. (Collection of Peter Wentz Farmstead)

54

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Existing Conditions: Some mill foundation stones remain.

Rendering of Proposed Feature: Looking northwest toward the Peter Wentz house. A mill stone is used as seating.

Rendering of Proposed Feature: Looking southeast toward Zacharias Creek and the Kre-Belle Farm.

Master Plan

55

Old Schultz Road Trail In 1980, during the county renovation of the Farmstead, the portion of Schultz Road that runs through the site was vacated and redirected to run around the perimeter of the property.

The right-of-way still exists and has been used recently for the installation of gas pipelines. To renew old connections and expand interpretive opportunities, a new trail is proposed to run between the existing upper and lower pastures along the path of the old Schultz Road. A system of gates will be installed to allow visitors to access the trail and livestock to cross into the pasture from the barnyard.

Existing Conditions: A fence encloses the barnyard and pastures.

Drive

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Gates open for visitors to enter Schultz Road Trail

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

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Existing Conditions: Looking west, a single fence divides the upper and lower pastures along the historic path of Schultz Road.

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Historic Conditions: Schultz Road appears in a detail from an 1877 map of Worcester.

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(Combination Atlas of Montgomery Co, J.D. Scott, 1877)

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Historic Conditions: A 1971 aerial photograph shows Schultz Road originating at the west corner of the farm, passing through the property through the Peter Wentz Farmstead historic area, and continuing out the east side. A connector road to Kre-Belle Farm extended south. (USDA Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service)

Master Plan

57

Trail and Bridge Connection to Kre-Belle Farm In 1994, the road connecting the county-owned Peter Wentz Farmstead and the privatelyheld Kre-Belle Farm was removed, including a concrete culvert and bridge over Zacharias Creek. With Montgomery County’s acquisition of Kre-Belle Farm in 2007, there was a desire to reconnect the farms.

The proposed 8-foot wide stabilized-gravel path and 10-foot wide bridge are intended primarily for pedestrian use, though they could accommodate small farm vehicles.

Historically, Pennsylvania German farmers would have built stone arch bridges to serve as cartways, while simple boards or felled logs may have sufficed for daily foot traffic.

Existing Conditions: View south across bridge site to Kre-Belle. Concrete rubble from removal of the previous bridge is still present in the creek bed.

The proposed bridge needs to withstand flood rise from increased runoff upstream in the Zacharias Creek watershed. Proposals for riparian buffers and creek restorations may help mitigate the peak volume during storms.

Options for materials include masonry, steel, and wood. Steel spans have been used successfully at other park sites, and the reddish color blends in well to a rustic environment. To echo the historic style, a masonry stone arch bridge could be built that is wide enough to accommodate the stream and floodplain.

Existing Conditions: View north across bridge site to the Peter Wentz Farmstead.

Existing Conditions: The prior roadway on the Kre-Belle Farm is still evident in the even grade and rows of trees.

58

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Precedent: An historic masonry stone arch bridge in Berks County, across a stream with a wide flood plain. (Fegley 132)

Precedents: Stone and brick arch. (dreamstime.com)

Gapstow Bridge, Central Park. (flickr.com/ses7)

Wooden span. (naturebridges.com)

Steel span.

Master Plan

59

Detail Area:

KRE-BELLE FARM

Zacharias Creek

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

Montgomery County purchased Kre-Belle Farm in 2007, partly to create a buffer against encroaching development around the Peter Wentz Farmstead, but also with the desire to open the historic 1800s farm to the public. With a new path and bridge connecting the Peter Wentz historic area to the Kre-Belle Farm, visitors will be able to tour both sites.

The Kriebel farmhouse (1) will be a museum of 19-century farming life, and the barn (2) will house a collection of historic farm machinery. The creamery building will become a nature education center (3), with access to nature trails and views of the created wetland (5). The wetland observatory (4) will provide access to the pools and wetlands and platforms from which to bird-watch.

Key Map

Programming 1

2 3 4 5

Historic Kriebel farmhouse • Museum of 19th-century farm life • Restrooms • Office and storage Bank barn • Museum of farm machinery Nature education center Wetland observatory Created wetland

Master Plan

61

Kre-Belle Farm Historic Area Existing Conditions / Proposed Use:

1 Kriebel farmhouse (ca. 1818) / Museum of 19th-century farm life

2 Bank barn (ca. 1908) / Farm machinery museum

3 Creamery / Nature education center 62

Peter Wentz Farmstead

4 Tenant house (ca. 1865) / Private residence

Paths The path from the Peter Wentz Farmstead enters the Kre-Belle Farm site from the north. To protect the privacy of the resident farmer, the tenant house and yard will be enclosed with a picket fence. The existing asphalt drives will be maintained for farm use.

Paths that lead visitors to desired destinations will be indicated by path edgings of red brick pavers installed flush into the existing asphalt drives.

The existing brick path to the farmhouse will be removed. New intersecting paths to the wetland observatory, farmhouse, nature education center, and barn museum will meet in a circular

node paved in red brick. The new brick paver entry path will be ADA-compliant and will tie into the system of paths, providing easy access to the barn museum and the wetland observatory.

From the nature education center, the grade change down to the farmhouse is addressed with two sets of steps.

The asphalt paving in front of the barn will be replaced with reinforced grass pavers (also used in the Visitor Center parking lot). Historically, the farmyard would have been unpaved. Grass pavers will allow for ADA-accessibility and prevent muddy conditions. The approaching path and “farmyard� will be edged in brick pavers to define spaces.

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Site Detail Plan

Master Plan

63

Created Wetland and Observatory A created wetland of step pools (discussed in detail in the following chapter, “Restoration”) will create an attractive landscape as well as valuable habitat. The proposed observatory puts visitors in and above the wetland, with three ways to interact with the landscape: • from the rooftop platform, an ideal vantage for bird-watching, • from inside the observatory or on the boardwalk, to get close to the wetland while keeping feet dry, or • from the footpath over the step pool weir, where adventurous visitors can get a close look at the water and wildlife.

All access paths to the observatory are ADAcompliant, though the footpath and weir are not.

Low-impact helical piles support the observatory structure and ramp in the sensitive wetland soils.

The building floor meets grade on its south side, where the walls are constructed of local field stone. The observatory is open to the air facing north, surrounded on two sides by an elevated boardwalk, and topped by a green roof of hardy grasses and sedums. Shaded from the southern sun, the observatory will be a pleasant place to spend time during the summer months.

Education programs can be conducted in the observatory, and signage will inform visitors about the native plant communities, wildlife, and ecological functions they are observing.

64

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Existing Conditions: View of wetland observatory site and Kre-Belle buildings.

Zacharias Creek

Boardwalk Paved path Reinforced grass paver path

Rooftop observation platform Footpath to weir Ramp Mowed nature trail

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Site Detail Plan

Rendering of Proposed Feature: Section-elevation looking east at Zacharias Creek, wetland ponds, and observatory.

Master Plan

65

Ecological Restoration

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

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Restoration Zones

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

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The land in the project site has been continually farmed since the 1750s. Historic pictures showing cleared fields all the way down to the creek banks imply that likely no remnants of the original forest ecosystem that would have covered the site persist. Zacharias Creek was dammed in at least two locations on the site to create mill ponds. Though both dams have been removed, the ponds left behind legacy sediments which altered the course of the stream and created unnaturally high banks. Those sediments are now eroding under increased runoff pressure upstream. With an ecologically-minded administration, the Farmstead has the opportunity to restore ecological function in zones of the site and to expand the interpretive mission to include education about natural lands.

Wetland Creating habitat and managing stormwater

Riparian forest Filtering runoff and stabilizing creek banks

Meadow Preserving a disappearing ecosystem

Zacharias Creek Improving water quality, controlling flooding, and reducing erosion

Ecological Restoration

69

Restoration Zone:

ZACHARIAS CREEK Zacharias Creek is fed by two unnamed tributaries that join the main stem of the creek just to the east of the Farmstead site. As documented earlier, the creek is not supporting its assessed use of “maintenance and propagation of fish species and additional flora and fauna which are indigenous to a warm water habitat” (PA DEP) due to changes in the hydrologic regime, habitat alterations, excess heat, and suspended sediments. The creek and its tributaries flow through agricultural land and suburban development, and pass through culverts under I-476.

upstream in the 1870s to power the Schultz grist mill. Both dams have been removed, but rubble and legacy sediments remain.

Proposals to improve water quality, create habitat, and reduce erosion include: • remove concrete armoring from banks and decrease steeply sloped banks by removing sediment deposits and widening the floodplain, • install stone or log vane weirs in the creek to direct the energy of the flow to the center of the channel and decrease bank erosion, • create grade controls that slow the flow of water and push it onto the vegetated floodplain to be filtered and absorbed, • protect bridge embankments with crossvanes to reduce scour and erosion, and • create substantial vegetated riparian buffers along both sides of the creek.

Within the site, the creek has a history of alteration. Forests bordering the creek were cleared for farmland, certainly by the early 1900s, given the first photographic evidence. A dam built in the 1750s created a mill pond just east of Skippack Pike. Another dam was built

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Stream Water Quality

2016 Pennsylvania DEP Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

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Stream: Aquatic Life - Impaired/ Nonsupporting Stream: Aquatic Life - Supporting

As part of a larger effort to improve watershed water quality, efforts should be made to coordinate with the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy and with Montgomery County to encourage upstream property owners to adopt similar measures. The farms upstream are conserved through county easements. Fields and residential yards are mowed within 20 feet of the creek, leaving little riparian buffer to decrease erosion or slow water flow, and water entering the site under Schultz Road is visibly carrying sediment. Flood waters also deposit debris on the site, including plant containers from commercial greenhouses upstream.

Existing Conditions: Heavy armoring on banks.

Existing Conditions: Zacharias upstream of site boundary.

Illustrations of the construction of cross-vane (left) and J-hook vane (right) weir structures for stream stabilization and restoration, from D. L. Rosgen. (Rosgen 6, 10)

“The Cross-Vane is a grade control structure that decreases near-bank shear stress, velocity and stream power, but increases the energy in the center of the channel. The structure will establish grade control, reduce bank erosion, create a stable width/ depth ratio, maintain channel capacity, while maintaining sediment transport capacity, and sediment competence. . . . The Cross-Vane is also a stream habitat improvement structure due to: 1) an increase in bank cover due to a differential raise of the water surface in the bank region; 2) the creation of holding and refuge cover during both high and low flow periods in the deep pool; 3) the development of feeding lanes in the flow separation zones (the interface between fast and slow water) due to the strong downwelling and upwelling forces in the center of the channel; and 4) the creation of spawning habitat in the tail-out or glide portion of the pool.� (Rosgen 5)

Ecological Restoration

71

Zacharias Creek: Eastern Half of Site Zacharias Creek enters the site on the eastern border through a metal culvert under Schultz Road.

Stepping stones are proposed to allow visitors on the nature trail to cross the Zacharias at a wide, shallow point.

A series of cross-vanes establishes grade control and protects eroding stream banks. Proposed removal of armoring and legacy sediment to create flat areas just above the bankfull level, known as bankfull benches, would further slow and spread flood waters.

Key Map

Cross-vanes at the mouth of the created wetland and at the new bridge would direct flow to the center of the channel and away from banks and abutments.

Illustration of the construction of bankfull bench.

(Rosgen 13)

A rain garden intercepts and collects water from downspouts and drains in the Peter Wentz historic area and filters it before it reaches the creek.

Rain garden

Cross-vane Cross-vane to protect bridge

Cross-vane to protect wetland backflow entrance

72

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Precedent: Stone cross-vane. (montgomerycountymd.

Precedent: Stepping stones across Wissahickon Creek on the Green Ribbon Trail. (wvwa.org)

gov)

Stepping stones

Cross-vane

Cross-vane

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Ecological Restoration

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73

Zacharias Creek: Western Half of Site Past the new bridge to Kre-Belle Farm, Zacharias Creek widens across a generous floodplain, then constricts again with steep banks on the south side which should be regraded to create bankfull benches.

A rain garden intercepts and collects water from drains and runoff from the parking lots of the County Roads and Bridges property and filters it before it reaches the creek.

Key Map

Cross-vanes at the Visitor Center and Skippack Pike bridges direct flow to the center of the channel and away from banks and abutments.

Existing Conditions: Rubble in the south bank upstream from Skippack Pike.

A J-hook vane spreads water flow onto the shallow opposite bank and protects the near bank from erosion. The steep southern bank just upstream of the Skippack Pike crossing is embedded with asphalt rubble, which can release polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into the environment and should be handled with care.

Cross-vane to protect bridge J-hook vane

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

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Existing Conditions: On the road behind the Visitor Center, the wooden span bridge rests on older masonry embankments.

Cross-vane to protect bridge

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Ecological Restoration

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Restoration Zone:

WETLAND

The created wetland is proposed to address two challenges: first, Zacharias Creek floodwaters need room to expand over their banks, and second, an existing farm pond is no longer needed nor functioning properly. The pond is filled by water gathered by drain tiles in the fields above Kre-Belle Farm. Specific locations of the drain tiles is unknown.

In the proposed created wetland, the pond and concrete slabs are removed, and the land to the north and east of the Kriebel farmhouse is regraded to create a series of step pools. Rowland Terrace soil is in hydrologic Group C, which can be highly compacted to form an impermeable base layer for created wetlands and does not require a liner. Stone weirs are installed to control water level.

Water from the drain tiles fills the first pool, then spills over the weir into the next pool. If Zacharias Creek rises, the lowest pool will be filled with backflow from the creek. Plantings of wetland species suited to the level of water will provide ecosystem services, including filtration of nutrient and sediment runoff. The wetland habitat may attract bird and wildlife species not otherwise seen on the site.

Historic Conditions: In this photo from July 1955, the KreBelle Farm pond appears almost new, and the view across Zacharias Creek to the Peter Wentz house and the Schultz mill (white building) is nearly unimpeded by trees. The tree on the right is likely the very large walnut that is currently standing in that location. (Collection of Peter Wentz Farmstead)

76

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Key Map

Legend Existing FIRM flood zones

Floodway

100-year flood

500-year flood

Proposed x 250

elevations

Existing Conditions: In a view from roughly the same direction (top), the edges of the pond are now overgrown, with trees forcing their way up through the seams between concrete slabs (bottom). The last owners of the farm said that the concrete came from reconstruction of Skippack Pike in the 1950s.

Floodplain

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Berm x 244.5 TW 243 x x 241.25

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Zacharias Creek

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Ecological Restoration

Restoration Zone:

RIPARIAN FORESTS

Existing Conditions: Hay fields and lawn mowed within 10 feet of the creek bank. Invasive vines grow in a steeply sloped bank. Throughout the site, these steep bank conditions can be regraded to create bankfull benches and planted with native grass and shrub species, as discussed above. In this photo, the area on the left will become the created wetland.

Existing Conditions: Trees planted in floodplain field with funding from a Treevitalize grant, in coordination with the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy. The Farmstead administration is aware of the need for a stronger riparian forest buffer and has been active in planting and preserving trees.

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

A vegetated riparian buffer of no less than 50 feet on each side of Zacharias Creek should be established throughout the site. This buffer will work in conjunction with the stream restoration proposals (bank regrading, cross-vane weirs) to stabilize creek banks and reduce erosion.

A buffer of native plants will also intercept nutrients and sediment in runoff before it reaches the creek.

Excepting the created wetland and the meadow under the power lines, these buffers should be planted with appropriate native tree species to create a canopy over the creek. (Do not plant ash trees.) In the understory, use live stakes near the creek and saplings slightly upland to establish a robust shrub layer and strong root mass, which will reduce bank erosion and provide wildlife habitat and food.

The edges of the forest can be planted with fruit trees or shrubs, to feed both human and wildlife visitors.

Invasive plant management can be critical in creating a healthy native riparian forest. The creek banks are currently heavily infested with non-native invasive plants that thrive in edge conditions, including multiflora rose, wineberry, bush honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet, and porcelainberry.

Increasing the tree canopy will also shade out some invasive species that prefer sun. If banks are regraded, remove all invasive plant material and dispose off-site, and plant disturbed soil immediately with native species. Invasives will compete with new plantings for water, sun, and space, so inspect trees, cages, and shrubs regularly to remove undesirable plants.

Pennsylvania Native Trees for Riparian Buffers Common Name

Scientific Name

Cedar, Atlantic Chamaecyparis thyoides white

Wetland Indicator

Wildlife Value

Notes Partial sun. Shade tolerant.

Edible nuts, prolific seed production.

Usually found in areas with fluctuating water tables Evergreen.

OBL

Bald Cypress

Taxodium distichum

OBL

Little food value, but good perching site for waterfowl.

Tolerates drought.

Birch, river

Betula nigra

FACW

High. Songbirds.

Bank erosion control. Full sun.

Nice ornamental.

Oak, pin

Quercus palustris

FACW

High. Songbirds and small mammals.

Gypsy moth target.

Maple, silver

Acer saccharinum

FACW

Moderate. Songbirds and small mammals. Excellent for cavity nesting wildlife.

Full to partial sun.

Sycamore, American

Platanus occidentalis

FACW

Low. Food, cavities for nesting.

Willow, black

Salix nigra

FACW

High. Browsing and cavity nesters.

Blackgum

Nyssa sylvatica

FACW

High. Songbirds, egrets, herons, raccoons, owls.

Oak, swamp white

Quercus bicolor

FACW

Cotton‐wood, eastern

Populus deltoides

FAC

Moderate. Cover, food.

Birch, gray

Betula populifolia

FAC

Moderate. Songbirds.

Maple, red

Acer rubrurn

FAC

High. Seeds and browse.

Ironwood

Carpinus caroliniana

FAC

Oak, willow

Quercus phellos

FAC

Box‐elder

Acer negundo

FAC

Rapid growth. Common in floodplains and alluvial woodlands.

Drought tolerant.

Rapid growth, stabilizes streambanks. Full sun. Roots easily from cuttings.

Can be difficult to transplant.

Prefers sun to partial shade. Nice ornamental with deep red fall color.

Full sun to partial shade. Good High. Songbirds, waterfowl bottomland tree. Drought tolerant. Nice and small mammals. ornamental.

Shallow rooted, subject to windthrow. Invasive roots. Will grow on dry sites. Weak wooded. Rapid growth.

Short lived tree (30‐50 years).

Early successional species.

Rapid growth. Tolerates acidic soil.

Moderate. Songbirds, Partial sun. Shade tolerant. waterfowl, and small Small understory tree. Smooth gray bark. mammals.

High. Songbirds, waterfowl, and small Full to partial sun. mammals.

Moderate. Songbirds and Full to partial sun. Forms small mammals. thickets. Wood can be brittle.

Ecological Restoration

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Restoration Zone:

MEADOWS

The right-of-way for PECO’s high-tension power lines creates an opportunity to restore meadows to the Farmstead site. The Farmstead administrators intend to lease the 12 acres of land from PECO to restore the natural ecology and create trails. PECO sets strict restrictions on the height of vegetation beneath the power lines, which creates a useful constraint—here, it allows the Farmstead to create and maintain a large meadow in a region where grasslands tend to succeed to forest. The Township also recognizes power line right-of-ways as valuable habitat connections and potential trail pathways.

Key Map

German farmers prized well-irrigated meadows like this one as hay fields and pasture. They would clear bottomlands of trees, and the stream

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Legend Mowed nature trail Wildflower and pollinator meadow Warm-season grass and wildflower meadow: moist Warm-season tall grass meadow: dry Existing FIRM flood zones

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Peter Wentz Farmstead

would be diverted into small channels through these permanent meadows to produce abundant hay. In addition to feeding livestock, meadows would have supported diverse native plant and wildlife populations, and been good hunting grounds for game. So while the Farmstead will not use these meadows for pasture or hay, their existence and maintenance is historically appropriate for the time period being interpreted here.

The presence of invasive plant species is a constraint on moving forward. While woody plants have generally been held in check by semiregular mowing, there is a large population of callery pear trees.

The topography is dramatic, rising from the lowest point within the site, where Zacharias Creek flows out under Skippack Pike, up to the highest point at the southern corner, a difference of 74 vertical feet over a quarter of a mile. This is a challenge for trail design.

To accomplish the goal of creating a native warm-season meadow, the existing vegetation will need to be eradicated through repeated herbicide treatments. The lower and upper meadows will be seeded with grasses and forbs that prefer moist and drier conditions, respectively.

The towers and power lines are enormous and imposing, and visitors should not get near them.

Vegetation height beneath the power lines is limited. There are existing dogwood trees in the northern meadow that are reaching the end of their lifespan.

The area near the Shearer Road visitor entrance will be planted with low-growing grasses and wildflowers, for an attractive pollinator meadow, while the northern and southernmost areas will be seeded with taller grasses, to create structural diversity. The large hay field to the north-east will extend the contiguous area covered in grasses by another six acres.

Existing Conditions: Invasive species in the meadows include, from top, bull thistle, cool-season grasses, and callery pear.

Existing Conditions: The grassland under the high-tension power lines currently supports native species and birds, but a native plant community should be established.

Ecological Restoration

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Meadow Trails and Observation Shelter

x 228

Observation shelter

HP 300 x

The mowed nature trail through the meadow has been designed to allow for ADA accessibility.

The two loops, totaling one-third of a mile, take visitors through the lower meadow and upper meadow. A bird observation shelter beneath the trees serves as an attractive destination and provides a sweeping view across the meadow and the creek to the fields on the opposite slope.

In the distance visitors can even see the steeple of the Central Schwenkfelder Church, where Melchior Schulz was a minister.

Existing Conditions: The current panoramic view from the observation shelter site.

82

Peter Wentz Farmstead

Rendering of Proposed Feature: The observation shelter near the top of the hill.

Ecological Restoration

83

Kre-Belle Forest and Meadow Restoration A mowed nature trail leads visitors from the KreBelle Farm historic area and the nature education center through a cool-season grass meadow, to a new observation shelter, along the woods edge, and across the stepping stones over Zacharias Creek.

Key Map

After the creek banks have been regraded and concrete armoring and rubble removed, the riparian forest on the south bank of the Zacharias will be planted with native trees and shrubs in a 50-foot wide buffer. Upland species will be planted to create a deeper buffer along the property line to the south.

The existing cool-season grass hay field will be allowed to grow; it should be mowed yearly in late winter to suppress invasive woody plants. A swath of meadow in a 15-foot border on each side of the trail will be herbicided and planted with a native mix of wildflowers and low-growing grasses to attract pollinators and create a pleasing meadow experience for visitors.

Existing Conditions: The current panoramic view from the observation shelter site.

84

Peter Wentz Farmstead

x 270

Observation shelter

Legend Forest restoration Cool-season grasses Wildflower and pollinator mix

Ecological Restoration

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References 2016 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/ CleanWater/WaterQuality/Integrated%20Water%20Quality%20Report-2016/Pages/default.aspx.

Fegley, H. Winslow, and Schwenkfelder Library. Farming, Always Farming : A Photographic Essay of Rural Pennsylvania German Land and Life. The Pennsylvania German Society, 1977.

Long, Amos. The Pennsylvania German Family Farm: A Regional Architectural and Folk Cultural Study of an American Agricultural Community. The Pennsylvania German Society, 1972.

Peter Wentz Farmstead. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, www.montcopa.org/929/Peter-WentzFarmstead.

Peter Wentz Farmstead Society. www.peterwentzfarmsteadsociety.org.

“Protected Water Uses.” 025 Pennsylvania Code § 93.3. www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter93/ s93.3.html.

Rosgen, D. L. “The Cross-Vane, W-Weir and J-Hook Vane Structures... Their Description, Design and Application for Stream Stabilization and River Restoration.” Proceedings of the 2001 Wetlands Engineering and River Restoration Conference, 2001, pp. 775–796.

Shahan, Jessica. “Newlin Grist Mill Grassland Management Plan.” Newlin Grist Mill, 8 December 2017.

Soil Survey Staff, “Hydrologic Soil Group and Surface Runoff-Montgomery County, Pennsylvania,” Web Soil Survey. Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture.

Soil Survey Staff, “Soil Features-Montgomery County, Pennsylvania,” Web Soil Survey. Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture.

Soil Survey Staff, Official Soil Series Descriptions. Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/class/ data/?cid=nrcs142p2_053585.

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