Hello, Beauties🌸 Today’s post, my daughter and I spent time at Chanticleer Gardens: A Tremendous Natural Beauty Elixir located in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
By now, you know part of my self-care is I take time to smell not only roses. But remember my tiptoe through the tulips at the 2018 Philly Flower Show? And most recently to experience the cherry blossoms at the Shofuso Japanese House in Fairmont Park.
A planned visit to Chanticleer’s historic botanical sanctuary is relaxing, inspiring, and educational. The Chanticleer Story: In 1912, Adolph G. Rosengarten, Sr. and his wife Christine Penrose chose the Wayne – St. Davids area to build their forty-seven-acre summer retreat. How did Adolph acquire his wealth to purchase Main Line property? The family’s Philadelphia-based pharmaceutical firm founded in 1822 to produce Quinine, a drug used to treat Malaria.
The Chanticleer Foundation owns 47 acres, 35 of which are open to the public. How about the fancy French name for their estate? The Rosengarten’s named their home after “Chanticiere” in William Thackeray’s 1855 novel, The Newcomes.
A slow walkthrough, you quickly notice the many spring blooming gardens and the delightful fresh aromas — a fabulous way to reconnect with nature is in a botanical garden. There are strategically placed picnic tables and benches to enjoy lunch or sit to relax.
The beautiful main house completed in 1913, a 1924 addition converted the summer home into a year-round residence, and the family moved there permanently.
Adolph and Christine gave their two children homes on the grounds as wedding gifts. A neighboring property went to son Adolph, Jr. and his bride Janet Newlin in 1933. Daughter Emily’s house, located at visitor’s entrance, built for her in 1935 when she married Samuel Goodman. That residence, now administrative offices and educational classrooms.
The son, Adolph, Jr. bought the sister’s portion of the estate following her death in the 1980s. He didn’t move into the main house, now open for tours by reservation but entertained there and kept it as well.
Adolph, Jr., the last private owner of Chanticleer, was heir to the family’s pharmaceutical firm merged with Merck & Company in 1927. Rosengarten left a generous endowment, administered by the Chanticleer Foundation, to preserve the estate, open it as a public garden and the main house as a museum.
His will did not stipulate the preservation of the property in any particular historical or aesthetic fashion, “This beautiful countryside should be treasured.”
This post is one where I feel the need to see more of Chanticleer Gardens. Being there in heels didn’t allow my daughter and I to cover the entire grounds.
And more background information on Adolph G. Rosengarten, Sr. his birth and death. I did find the senior Mr. Rosengarten was an attorney and a successful businessman. Also, Director of Merck & Company chemists. What about the connection to manufacturing Quinine?
Chanticleer is open April through October, Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $10. What is your favorite natural beauty elixir? Do share in the comments section.
As always, thank you for reading. Have a wonderful week.
P.S. Photos of my daughter and I – Face Forward Photography
