Points of Interest

Once scores of mills lined the banks of the Wissahickon Creek using the Creek's water to power industries which sawed wood, made paper, ground grain, and manufactured felt. Today nearly all of these buildings are gone, having been destroyed or converted to other uses. Wissahickon Trails’ Evans-Mumbower Mill still stands, preserved, operational, and open to the public, offering a glimpse into the past.

A visit provides an understanding the history of an old Wissahickon mill and how important such buildings were to the people and economy of the Wissahickon Valley. The mill was first built in 1745 and over the course of its life changed ownership and underwent renovations several times. The present structure operated as a mill for nearly 100 years. In the later part of the 20th century, the mill was in great disrepair. In 1987, the mill was passed to Wissahickon Trails and significant renovations brought the building back to life. In 2008, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2018 an operational blacksmith shop was opened next to the mill for demonstrations.

This preserve is an example how a community can come together to reduce the negative impacts that humans can have on the natural world and turn it into something beautiful. The Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve is located in Ambler near the Wissahickon Creek and is at the site of the BoRit Asbestos Superfund Site. According to the EPA, they removed any potential risk from asbestos and completed all removal cleanup work in 2017. After the work was completed, a walking path and benches were installed around the fenced-in 11-acre pond. This preserve is an eBird hotspot and home to many beautiful birds.

Chimney swifts (Chaetura pelagica) are one of the most distinctive bird species in North America, easily identified by their stocky silhouettes, chattering voices, and impressive aerial acrobatics. They are an integral part of a healthy environment, and some of nature’s most effective pest controllers; one bird can devour more than 1,000 mosquitoes in a single day.

In the last few decades, however, chimney swift populations in the United States have dropped more than 50% and Canadian populations by 90%. This decline is partially due to habitat loss. To combat habitat loss, we constructed four chimney swift towers and installed them at Crossways Preserve, Dodsworth Run Preserve, Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve, and Fort Washington State Park.