Irreplaceable America Features Philadelphia NHL Bartram’s Garden

America’s history remains alive in landmarks across the nation thanks to protection and preservation efforts made by so many individuals and organizations. In honor of this ongoing commitment, a special initiative of the World Monuments Fund (WMF) is highlighting 10 American heritage landmarks that have played significant roles in shaping our nation’s history over the course of 250 years. Irreplaceable America calls attention to these sites and the urgent need to respond to what threatens their existence.

WMF put out a public call for nominations, receiving 75 strong recommendations and selecting the honorees “based on cultural significance, urgency of conservation needs, and the potential community benefit of preservation.”

Notably, Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia earned its place on this list. Created by the “father of American botany,” John Bartram, the garden is the oldest surviving botanical garden in the U.S. and designated as a National Historic Landmark. On this site, Bartram initiated Philadelphia’s involvement in the global plant exchange, creating another avenue to connect the city to the rest of the world and share knowledge within an international network.

Today, Bartram’s Garden plays many roles as a space for horticulture, the home of a community farm, and an avenue to teach history. With the threats of climate change and urban development growing each year, conservation of this natural landmark remains of the utmost importance.

Bartram’s 8-year strategic plan, Tending Common Ground, urges new commitments to care and intentional use of the space for both the organization itself and for visitors. The addition of the site on WMF’s list denotes the international significance of these plans and Bartram’s place in history.

“After decades of work at more than 700 sites in 113 countries, WMF has seen what communities gain when they can protect the places that matter and what is lost when they cannot,” explained Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of WMF. “...Irreplaceable America is a call to protect the places that reflect the richness of that history, and the role heritage plays in education, community memory, and civic life.”  

Other sites across the country on the Irreplaceable America list include the African Meeting House in Boston, the Mission Churches of Acoma and Laguna Pueblos in New Mexico, and the City of New Orleans in Louisiana.

The list has also made special mention of the National Park System (NPS) for their efforts in “shaping preservation standards and stewarding more than 430 sites across the United States.” NPS is also responsible for designating National Historic Landmarks across the U.S., prioritizing the care of the sites as well as the amount of public recognition and involvement they receive.

For the full list of Irreplaceable America, visit wmf.org.

Cover photo credit: https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/bartrams-garden/