Connect Edgmont Hike: Newtown Meadow Preserve

Sunday June 11th at 12:30PM

Come network with new friends! This is our first cooperative event with the Newtown Township Trails and Greenways Committee, a group of Newtown residents who also love trails, parks, and greenspace.

Time and Place:

Date: Sunday, June 11th at 12:30PM
Start/End Point: 1742 Square Tavern, 3716 Goshen Rd, Newtown Square, PA (Google Map Link)
Parking: Some parking is available at the Tavern. Overflow parking is at the Newtown Square Presbyterian Church located directly across Rt. 252 from the Tavern. The Church is hosting a picnic and pool party the same day, so say “Hi!” to any folks you may see in their parking lot!
Newtown Meadow Preserve Map
Please RSVP via Connect Edgmont’s Facebook Event and/or Newtown Greenways’ Meetup Event.

The Hike

We’ll gather at the historic 1742 Square Tavern at the intersection of Goshen Road and Rt. 252. Parking is available there and at the Newtown Square Presbyterian Church, just across Rt. 252.

From the Tavern we’ll walk along the Liseter Trail and enter the Newtown Meadow Preserve, a 50-acre oasis tucked between the Lister neighborhood and Episcopal Academy. We’ll explore this relatively new Preserve before returning back to the Tavern via the Liseter Trail.

After the hike, we are invited to visit the historic Tavern (also known as the John Smith house) and learn about the lifestyles of our predecessors in the 1700s and 1800s.

This hike is approximately 3.5 miles long and does involve some grassy slopes. Please wear appropriate boots or sneakers and sunscreen! ☀️

The Preserve

The 50-acre Newtown Meadow Preserve was acquired by Newtown Township as dedicated open space. The Preserve is located in the headwaters of the Crum Creek watershed and plays an important role in preserving the area’s water quality. Additionally, the Preserve falls within the Upper Ridley-Crum Creek Important Bird Area. The Preserve’s wide-open, rolling, topography provides for dramatic views into and across the site.

Kept as pasture land for the greater part of the past century, the Preserve today displays the characteristics of an abandoned old-field with substantial portions of open field giving way to shrubland and young pioneer forest. Typical to the suburban landscape, many invasive grass and shrub species can be found on site, however native plants communities can also be found within areas of the site.
Newtown Township’s Approved Master Plan for Newtown Meadow Preserve, Chapter 2

The History

The fifty-acre Preserve was part of a greater 600-acre estate that was a wedding gift to Jean Liseter Austin and William du Pont, Jr., from the bride’s father, William Liseter Austin, in 1919. The groom’s father, William du Pont, built the newlyweds home, a replica of Montpelier. The Home was referred to as Liseter Hall and the surrounding estate as Liseter Hall Farm. Liseter Hall Farm served as a horse farm and the estate housed racehorse, hunter and show horses, the nation’s first indoor galloping track, and acres of open pasture land.

In 1941 the du Pont’s divorced and Jean du Pont continued to live on the estate and breed welsh ponies. Following her death in 1988 the estate transferred to her son John du Pont. In 2008, the northern portion of the estate was sold to Episcopal Academy, to create a new 123-acre school campus for grades K-12. Following John du Pont’s death in 2010 the remainder of the estate was sold to Ashford Land Company to be developed into single family homes.

Through the land development process, it was determined to pursue a cluster development approach for the site. As part of the process the developer deeded 50-acres to Newtown Township to be preserved as Township Open Space.
Newtown Township’s Approved Master Plan for Newtown Meadow Preserve, Chapter 2