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Pennsylvania Symbols

Pennsylvania State Arboretum

Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania

(Philadelphia, PA)

Adopted on April 29, 1988.

The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania was adopted on April 29, 1988.

Official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania began in 1887 as "Compton," the summer home of John and Lydia Morris, brother and sister. The I.P. Morris Company, an iron-manufacturing firm founded by their father and later run by John Morris, was a source of family wealth.

The land the Morrises purchased in Chestnut Hill was barren, with poor soil that drained too quickly; but with diligent care they surrounded their home with a landscape and plant collection devoted to beauty and knowledge. "Two Lines," a sculpture by George Rickey marks the former mansion site. The Widener Visitor Center was formerly the carriage house.

John was a noted plantsman and community leader who explored the new world of knowledge available to Victorians. John and Lydia traveled widely in America, Asia, and Europe bringing ideas, artwork, crafts and plants back to Compton. They shared a love of history and art, and established a tradition of placing sculpture in the garden that continues today. The Morrises were active in civic affairs and preservation, and believed in the power of education. It was their earnest hope to be judged "worthy stewards."

John and Lydia Morris laid plans for a school and laboratory at Compton devoted to horticulture and botany. Through the stewardship and vision of the Quaker family, Compton became the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania in 1932. Listed on The National Register of Historic Places, it is an interdisciplinary resource center for the University, and is recognized as the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Science, art, and humanities are pursued through a variety of research, teaching, and outreach programs that link the Arboretum to a worldwide effort to nurture the earth's forests, fields and landscapes.

Romantic 92-acre Victorian garden displays Philadelphia's rarest and largest trees; rose garden, swan pond, Japanese rock gardens, colorful flower gardens and 1898 Fernery. Open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm, and open until 8:30pm on Thu only in Jun, Jul, Aug. Open weekends Sat-Sun 10am-5pm in Apr-Oct, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm in Nov-Mar. Café open May-Oct. Handicapped accessible.

Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
100 Northwestern Avenue,
Philadelphia, PA 19118
Contact:kms@pobox.upenn.edu
Phone: 215-247-5777

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL No. 1071 Session of 1987

INTRODUCED BY DOMBROWSKI, CAPPABIANCA, BOYES, MERRY AND BOWSER,
APRIL 7, 1987

SENATOR WENGER, STATE GOVERNMENT, IN SENATE, AS AMENDED,
MARCH 22, 1988

                                   AN ACT

   1 Imposing powers and duties on the Pennsylvania Historical and
   2   Museum Commission with respect to the observance of naval and
   3   maritime history celebrations; ESTABLISHING AN OFFICIAL      <--
   4   ARBORETUM OF PENNSYLVANIA; establishing an official flagship
   5   for the Commonwealth; and providing for interagency
   6   cooperation.

   7   The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
   8 hereby enacts as follows:
   9 Section 1. Short title.
10   This act shall be known and may be cited as the Flagship of
11 Pennsylvania Act.
12 Section 2. Findings and declaration of policy.
13   It is hereby determined and declared as a matter of
14 legislative finding and policy that:
15       (1) Section 2801-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,
16   No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, designates
17   the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as the
18   official agency of the Commonwealth for the conservation of

   1   Pennsylvania's historic heritage.
   2       (2) The commission holds in trust the UNITED STATES BRIG
   3   NIAGARA at Erie, Pennsylvania. One of only three existing
   4   early 19th century fighting ships of the United States Navy,
   5   the UNITED STATES BRIG NIAGARA is the only remaining ship of
   6   its type from the War of 1812.
   7       (3) The UNITED STATES BRIG NIAGARA serves today as a
   8   memorial to the Americans who built and sailed a squadron of
   9   warships so that the United States would remain free of
10   foreign domination. On September 10, 1813, this American
11   squadron of nine small ships, six of them constructed in the
12   settlement of Erie, defeated a six-ship British squadron in
13   the Battle of Lake Erie. This victory in the War of 1812
14   removed the British threat to the Northwest Territory, opened
15   supply lines and raised morale throughout an apprehensive and
16   divided nation.
17       (4) The UNITED STATES BRIG NIAGARA is significant
18   because of its service during this engagement as Commodore
19   Oliver Hazard Perry's relief flagship after his original
20   flagship LAWRENCE had been disabled. Flying Perry's famous
21   "Don't Give Up The Ship" battle flag, the UNITED STATES BRIG
22   NIAGARA was brought quickly into the line of battle, forcing
23   the surrender of the British squadron. This event, marking
24   the only time in history that an entire British naval
25   squadron was captured, was reported by Perry in his letter
26   which began with the now-famous phrase, "We have met the
27   enemy and they are ours..."
28       (5) The UNITED STATES BRIG NIAGARA is further
29   significant as being one of six ships constructed at Erie,
30   built largely of native Pennsylvania materials and sailed by
19870H1071B3019                - 2 -

   1   Americans from various regions of what was the United States
   2   in 1813.
   3       (6) After the War of 1812, the UNITED STATES BRIG
   4   NIAGARA remained in Erie as a station ship until 1820 when
   5   she was scuttled in Misery Bay to preserve her for possible
   6   future use. Her remains were raised in 1913 by a group of
   7   Erie citizens and rebuilt for a grand tour of the Great Lakes
   8   ports to celebrate the centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie.
   9   Since then, the Niagara has remained in Erie and, twice
10   refitted, has become a major tourist attraction in
11   northwestern Pennsylvania.
12       (7) In 1988, the commission will begin a third
13   restoration which will again return the UNITED STATES BRIG
14   NIAGARA to the waters of the Great Lakes.
15 Section 3. Establishment of official Flagship of Pennsylvania.
16   The restored UNITED STATES BRIG NIAGARA is hereby designated
17 the official flagship for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It
18 shall be known as the Flagship of Pennsylvania and its home port
19 will be Erie, Pennsylvania.
20 Section 4. Powers and duties of commission.
21   The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission shall have
22 the following powers and duties:
23       (1) To cooperate with the Department of Military
24   Affairs, the Unites States Navy and other appropriate
25   organizations in commemorating significant events of our
26   naval and maritime heritage.
27       (2) To sail the UNITED STATES BRIG NIAGARA, within the
28   means at its command, to various ports of call and
29   commemorative events as the official sailing ambassador for
30   Pennsylvania.
19870H1071B3019                - 3 -

   1       (3) To charge whatever fees are necessary to maintain
   2   the vessel and to encourage private financial support as
   3   appropriate in order to support the UNITED STATES BRIG
   4   NIAGARA and its sailing program.
   5 SECTION 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICIAL ARBORETUM OF PENNSYLVANIA. <--
   6   THE MORRIS ARBORETUM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, WHICH
   7 IS ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, IS LOCATED IN
   8 PHILADELPHIA AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES AND CONSISTS OF 166 ACRES.
   9 THE MORRIS ARBORETUM, WHICH HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A UNIQUE
10 CULTURAL RESOURCE AND IS THE OLDEST, MOST EXTENSIVE CURATED
11 COLLECTION OF TREES AND SHRUBS CULTIVATED FOR SCIENTIFIC AND
12 EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES FOR STUDY AND PROPAGATION IN THIS
13 COMMONWEALTH, IS HEREBY SELECTED, DESIGNATED AND ADOPTED AS THE
14 OFFICIAL ARBORETUM OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA.
15 Section 5 6. Cooperation with commission.                      <--
16   All Commonwealth agencies and public officials shall
17 cooperate fully with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
18 Commission in support of its naval and maritime history program
19 and, to that end, shall:
20       (1) Include the commission in any planning efforts for
21   the commemoration of significant events of our naval and
22   maritime history.
23       (2) Develop plans with the commission which will utilize
24   the UNITED STATES BRIG NIAGARA as the official flagship for
25   the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
26 SECTION 7. ERECTION OF SIGNS.                                  <--
27   THE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES SHALL ERECT APPROPRIATE
28 SIGNS DESIGNATING THE MORRIS ARBORETUM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
29 PENNSYLVANIA AS THE OFFICIAL ARBORETUM OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF
30 PENNSYLVANIA.
19870H1071B3019                - 4 -

1 Section 6 8. Effective date.
2 This act shall take effect immediately.

State Symbols

State symbols represent things that are special to a particular state.

symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun

Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century

1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.