Mid Atlantic Musings

That place is fascinating, I don't think I've ever seen a barn quite like that. The number of windows and doors make me wonder what it's use or uses was, and if those ruins are from a house, it must have been huge also. Gotta" run dinner is ready. Curried lamb and rice with snow peas, yum. Ric

How do you propogate a Sycamore? Just let it's limbs touch the ground for a couple of hundred years. They grew roots!!

Oh Yes, Ric, I was enamored, especially as I know this area and most of it's history so well. Dinner sounds great!

This is a knot on one of the limbs.

Look how far above DSO's head this ground touching limb reaches.

Look at this yukkie vine growing on it.

These limbs are growing on the other side of it.

Look at the roots.

I don't think this building will still stand if one of these limbs breaks.

I don't think any of these surrounding trees have much of a chance of surviving in it's shadow.

And we thought the other one had a big trunk!

Here's that little building. Someone must have used it fairly recently to put that picnic table there.

They are actually about a dozen hugh Sycamores that I could see on this property. Here's some local wildlife. There was a hugh herd of deer too, but they ran away before I got a photo.

The moral of this story is if you see a Do Not Enter sign, don't wait 40 years to check it out!!

Those sycamores are astonishing!

Apparently, the tree is well known. Check out this neat website.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM67DN_The_Pawling_Sycamore_Valley_Forge_PA

Lady, check out the columns on the house.

http://www.twofrog.com/walnuthill.html

I grew up around sycamores, where my uncle lives is Sycamore Grove, but I have never seen any like those. They are just, WOW, I'm at aloss for words. Ric

This is one of 5 great plantations along Pawlings Rd. They all back up to the Skuykill River and as the VF Nat'l Park keeps buying up all of that land, they keep buying more of the plantations, Two of them are still in private hands. Across the street from this plantation is Mill Grove, the first home of John James Audubon. This is the start of Audubon, a village here in Pa. His plantation sits at the mouth of the Perkiomen Creek where it joins the Skuykill. There is a copper mine there, a wonderful old mill, the Bird Museum with all of his hugh hand painted bird books and a hugh wildlife preserve..

Next door to the Pawlings farm is another fabulous plantation with a Georgian Mansion, which is in private hands. It is called "Fatlands". The original owner was out hunting one day and encountered Audubon in the woods. He invited him home for dinner. Audubon married his daughter. If the diaries of these people are to be believed, Washington never slept at his headquarters at Valley Forge, rather was a house guest extraordinaire living in the lap of luxury for months at a time, at Fatlands.

The owner of Fatlands was a Quaker. As such, he maintained nuetrality during the war. On the day that Washington pulled the troops out of Valley Forge to march to the city, to try to retake Philadelphia from the British, General Howe, the British Commander in Chief, was spying on the Plantation as he was traveling there to be a guest. When General Howe arrived he queried the owner as to the identity of the former guest. He felt that it must have been someone important judging from the size of the escort! Howe is reported to have slept in the same bed that Washington vacated that morning.

Critter and Ric, The three adjoining plantations were said to have been in a famous Sycamore growing rivalry.

Virtual rubber-necking!! Stormy, I know PA is beautiful State--lots to see that I haven't seen yet. Thanks for sharing this. The abandoned houses, though, make me sad. I want to find the realtor and make a bid and fix it up. Whoever left these precious abodes must have been crazy or died unprepared. Who knows, there may be fighting in court for rights.

Some related reading, lot's of neat info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audubon,_Pennsylvania

http://pa.audubon.org/centers_mill_grove.html

http://www.oldandsold.com/articles15/shrines-40.shtml

http://www.friendsofvalleyforge.org/documents/perkiomen.pdf

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1040

http://www.archive.org/stream/pawlingwetherhil00mesa/pawlingwetherhil00mes
a_djvu.txt

http://www.archive.org/stream/untanglinghistor00mcgi/untanglinghistor00mcgi_djvu.txt

No Foxy, There was a big fire that destroyed the house and the owner deeded the property over to the park.

The Continental Army totally polluted and befouled the original encampment, what we now know as VF Nat'l Park. They had to cross the river and set up a new commissary and campgrounds. The Pawlings Farm actually became the new encampment.

This is the only one of those 6 great properties that is not completely maintained. Although, only Mill Grove is open to the public. Mill Grove is funded by the Audubon Society.

This message was edited Jan 27, 2010 10:52 PM

Another view. It had porticos around at least 3 sides of the house. The fire must have been pretty hot to burn all of that stone & masonry.

It looks like only about a third of the house is still standing.

Stormy, if I promise you a tour of Nashville, will you promise me a deserted plantation tour? That is so beyond cool.

Sure, Sheryl! Will you show me your barn?

OK..............here is a short trip from Rt. 87 North to Forksville about thirty miles along the Loyalsock Creek.
First is this lovely old barn.

Another barn.

A covered bridge near Hillsgrove.

The Loyalsock Creek. Elk Creek tributary near the above bridge.

Another creek shot taken in the village of Barbours.

Finally......covered bridge and restrurant at Forksville.

Finally finally. LOL
Mountain water seap turned into ice sculpture.

North Central Pennsylvania has a lot of views like the short tour I posted.

The first covered bridge and the following two creek pictures are hung in an area photography show. The show opens Feb. 5th. at 6 PM for the month. It will It contain about 90 pictures accepted and hung at the Historical Museum, West fourth street, Williamsport, Pa.

Just beautiful photos of extremely beautiful scenery, Doc. I need to spend some more time up in your part of the world. Now I know to add a ride up route 87 to my list. Congratulations on the photo show!

Has anybody ever bought any of those "Wierd US" books? I have the Pa one and the New Jersey one. They are picture and story books of all wierd places and things to visit in your state. I've gone to see about 10 of the sites in pa, but there's tons more to go. Look for one for your state. Kids particularly love them. I'm still looking for the "Jersey Devil".

You may not find the Jersey Devil down in the pineys but may find some very "unique" people.

I did quite a few field studies in the "pine barrens", which are anything but barren. There is indigenous flora there found no where else in the world.

Stormy, Ill be checking out that list of links, Thanks!

Doc, The name Loyalsock brings some good memories as well as some painful ones. We took the Boy Scouts backpacking on the LT there a few years ago. Did you know that the first mile of that trail is a 1200" climb to, I believe it's called Oregon Plateau? Hence the pain! LOL Ric