How Penn Treaty Park got its name may be legend, but the community’s commitment to honoring that story is very real.

According to the tale, Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn, met Chief Tamanend of the Turtle clan of the Lenni Lenapes, the original residents of the Delaware Valley, under a stately elm for a peace treaty. The “treaty tree” stood for more than a hundred years until a storm destroyed it in the early 1800s. Located in Fishtown, Penn Treaty Park received official park designation in 1894.  Today, an obelisk erected by the Penn Society memorializes the spot where the tree once stood. The Penn Society’s founder was “sympathetic to the Indians’ cause during a time of difficult resettlement.”

The Friends of Penn Treaty Park, a small and local volunteer group, is committed to keeping its indigenous and community connection alive while supporting biodiversity.

The Friends is a 501(c) 3 group of dedicated neighbors and 20 volunteers who have been keeping the park clean and safe for decades. The group’s feats include the installation of a playground in 2017, securing new benches, and cleaning up its monuments.

President Catherine Lowther, elected president in 2023 after years of volunteering, has a background in environmental justice. Lowther noted that the treaty speaks to the awareness of the tension of the time. “It’s one of the few moments of peace between white colonizers and the indigenous communities. There’s a reason they’re not here now.”

Honoring history through action

This spring, the Friends partnered with the Philadelphia Orchard Project, planting trees in what Lowther described as an inactive space at the Beach Street entrance. The trees surround a sculpture created by indigenous artist Bob Haozous.  Lowther hopes the orchard will not only attract native pollinators but also draw attention to the art.

Lowther noted that they are in consistent communication with the Friends of the Lenape, that they are always invited to the committee’s meetings. Lowther has wanted to offer activities featuring the Lenape, although funding is a challenge.

A Place to Get Close to the River

Penn Treaty Park is seven acres of greenery and the home of a 3.3-mile bike, walk, run trail that traces the river. The park’s shorelines invite you to safely sit and take it all in, or braver souls position themselves on the boulders for photo ops.

 As Lowther described, “it’s one of the few places people can directly engage with the river.”  

There’s also a pollinator garden, which like the newly planted orchards, was created from a rarely used space along the waterfront. The Friends and volunteers dug up grass, created a garden bed and planted the garden.

“Turf is nice to look at and maybe have a picnic, but in terms of biodiversity, that’s not doing much for us. So, we took a small part of the park while still being able to maintain [some] lawn space for the community,” Lowther said.

The plants including echinacea, mint and milkweed will attract their appropriate pollinating bugs and birds. The project was funded by the Xerces Society, an international organization with pollination conservation as one of its priorities.

Community Engagement

As president of the Friends, Lowther sees her role is that of a listener and connector of the community.  When the locally based Heavy Cycle Cinema approached her about a partnership for movie nights, she jumped at the opportunity for collaboration.

The Friends have partnered with Lutheran Settlement House which offers a food bank to host harvest days eventually. “We’ll be able to [bring in] the community and have these educational learning days, and then take that produce and give it directly back to the neighborhood.”

Friends and their volunteers planted about eighty trees in the last five years throughout the park. “That’s also been a large effort is to expand our tree canopy, not just in Penn Treaty, but throughout Philadelphia. That’s really important in an urban environment,” said Lowther. With that comes maintenance of the trees: tree pruning and tree care. The park is currently seeking arboretum accreditation, which includes labeling all the trees and plants.

Volunteers are always needed. Every third Sunday each month is Grounds Volunteer Day, with the event in November to include a volunteer appreciation day with a potluck. Additionally, there will be a special guest, but the only clue was that they were “of the fuzzy variety.”

Lowther’s message for Philadelphians is simple: visit the park, enjoy the space, and volunteer where possible. Find out about upcoming events and volunteer days on their website.

At Penn Treaty Park, history isn’t just remembered — it’s replanted, watered, and growing stronger every year.

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Lisa Bryant is a native of the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia and holds a journalism degree from Tempe University . Being visually impaired herself, she often writes about issues, policies that concern the blind community. Lisa is also the creator and cohost of White Canes Connect podcast, a production of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania. View all posts by Lisa Bryant