History of Penn Treaty
West, Benjamin. The Treaty of Penn with the Indians. 1771-72. Oil on canvas. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia. Public domain.
Park History
According to legend, Chief Tamanend and other Delaware chiefs, of the Turtle Clan, under the great elm at Shackamaxon, declared a treaty of peace with William Penn at the site of present day Penn Treaty Park in 1682. Traditionally, the encounter included words of friendship and maybe the purchase of land. While such a “Great Treaty” meeting may never have occurred, it symbolized the desire for peace on the part of both the Delaware (Leni Lenape) and William Penn.
The significance and imagery of this legendary event were once known and honored worldwide. “It was the only treaty made by the settlers with the Indians that was never sworn to, and the only one that was never broken” wrote Voltaire, contrasting Penn’s treaty with the Lenape with most others that had been made in the colonization of America.
The “treaty elm” was honored as a visible reminder of the Commonwealth’s founding until it was toppled by a storm in 1810. In 1827 the Penn Society erected the obelisk which sits on the site of the celebrated tree.
The site became part of Fairmount Park in 1894 and was gradually encompassed by industrial Philadelphia through the middle of the 20th Century.
Image courtesy of Felix Stepnowski
The Park Today
Today, virtually all of the surrounding industry has disappeared and Penn Treaty Park now sits in the heart of Philadelphia’s redeveloping riverfront. Significantly enlarged during the 1980s by annexing a neighboring former industrial site, the park is now several acres and enjoys some of the best views in the city. Penn’s Landing, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and the City’s high rise buildings can all be seen from one location. Children can play on newly installed playground equipment. Philadelphians can engage with the Delaware River and walk through the ever-expanding pollinator garden. Visitors can watch ocean freighters and local tugs wend their way along the shipping channel close to the park’s shoreline.
Sources: Penn Treaty Park Museum