Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-04

Nov that the many suburban residents
~ have been and are giving such wonder
ful carnivals and outdoor fetes in aid OF
the Red Cross Society, It may be inter-
estlng to note that among the features OF
society life in the COS was the Fetes
Champetres, given in the summer at the
various country seats Of the neighborhood.
These functions were in the nature Of large
pcncs and were managed very much in
the same way as the Assemblies in the
winter In those days the majority of the
invitations were either written or printed,
not engraved and even the Assembly cards
were not the engraved invitations sent to-
day to each subscriber. one of these printed
invitations was as follows
Fete Champetre at Old Oaks. Township Line
roed Wednesday. June B. 1855.
ayers on the Germantown Railroad for the nc-
The train viii leave the depot. Ninth and
Green streets, at o'clock for '.Tioga' station.
Coaches VII convey the guests from the station
The train with private cars will leave 'Tiosa"
Hired conveyances must go TO hotel at Nicetown
IL i should rain the fete will be postponed
until the following day
Philadelphia. May, lSdS.
The managers of this fete were Or. Athef.
ton Blight, Mr.. Alfred Devereux, Mr.. John
Large, Mr.. John T. Lewis, Jr., Mr.. Harry
Mar6oe and Mr.. Henry Pepper
OF course the fashionable set in those
days in Philadelphia was very much smaller
than 1t is today and all of the entertain
ments, excepting the Assemblies, were given
in private houses, as It was considered In
very bad taste to give a party In public
fiace. As to Old oaks, passengers on
'he Germantown and Chestnut Hill division
of the Pennsylvania Railroad in pnssine
through Tioga going north may see this
once palatial brownstone mansion standing
on the summit of a hill. With all It's wear
and neglect it has still the appearance of al
aristocrat.
1t was built in the 4os Of the last cen.
tury, by Mr.. Christian Swartz for Mr. John
Tucker. the first president of the Philadel
pha and Reading Railroad. Back OF ia,
mansion was n forest Of majestic oaks from
which the owner gave 1t its name, Ole
Oaks. Everything about the house was II
accord with its external appearance, Th'
hallway through the center was very broad
and the stairway magnificent. The larg,
reception room was at the west end OF tn'
building In the rear of the mansion was q
large octagonal-shaped summer house o.
ornamental ironwork. and a stable o.
| brownstone. In the valley to the west Wa
a large clrcular-top grapery, glazed with i'm
| ported glass of rich ornamentation and col
| oring The building was approached b!
drives from Abbotsford avenue on th'
| north, and on the south from Nicetowr
| lane by two bridges crossing the Port Rich
mond branch Of the Reading Railway.
The property passed from the Tucke
| possession and later, the railroad passinl
! through the estate, the mansion becam
! dilapidated and the grounds were sold t
| the Old oaks Cemetery Company. Th
cemetery was laid out in circles radiatinI
| from a large circular plot owned by tn
| Volunteer F!remen's Association of Phila
| delphia on which was erected larg'
| monument surmounted by heroic statu
| of Peter Lyle, chief of the volunteer firemer
| This statue was subsequently removed t
another cemetery. While the estate wa
a cemetery the reception hall Of the risto
cratic old house, which had witnessed man