Description

Site of a serpentine barrens investigated by Francis W. Pennell. Now completely developed.

Description

A serpentine barrens here was botanized by Francis W. Pennell and the greenbriar usually sheltered foxes for the local hunt. Now lost to development and succession.

Description

Cedar Barrens (also known as Willistown Serpentine Barens) was a grassland located just east of Willistown. Fragments of serpentine vegetation existed as late as 1992, when they were described in the Delaware County Natural Heritage Inventory, but no longer appear to exist.

Description

This barrens lay on the east side of Crum Creek; some serpentine vegetation may also have existed around Castle Rock on the west side. It was botanized a final time in 1976 by the Philadelphia Botanical Club before being bulldozed and developed.

Description

The Fawkes Run Barrens were a large tract of serpentine barrens outside Newtown Square. The area was developed in the 1970s.

Description

Pilot Barrens is a remnant of a larger barrens complex that was once continuous up the valley of the Conowingo Creek to Rock Springs Barrens. Three good grassland openings remain here, which are regularly tended with prescribed fire by The Nature Conservancy.

Mining

A few feldspar quarries were worked in this area.

Visiting

Pilot Barrens is owned by the Nature Conservancy (Maryland chapter) and visits require their permission.

Description

Cherry Hill Barrens was known for its minerals from a very early date. William Holland (d. 1732), of Anne Arundel County apparently began mining there, and the plateau on which it sits became known as "Mine Old Fields". Iron mined here supplied the La Grange Furnace at Rocks. The tract was bought in 1935 by Habonim Dror to found Camp Moshava, which still operates today. Two grassland openings have been kept open by a small team of volunteers.

Description

The site of the Tyson family's estate, the discovery of chromite here launched Isaac Tyson's career in mining and processing that mineral. He also worked a nearby copper mine, just off of the serpentine. Just to the east, Jones Falls was dammed for a reservoir. The work was completed in 1861 and it supplied water to Baltimore until 1915. The area was developed as a park by the City of Baltimore in 194,.

Description

The Sugartown Barrens is a fragment of a larger and presumably once continuous barrens habitat known in older literature as the "serpentine ridge" north of West Chester, extending from East Goshen east-northeast across Willistown and just into Easttown Townships.

Mining

Edwards' or Gorman's quarry was worked on the site in the 1870s or 1880s, presumably to supply serpentine stone for local building.

Description

The Hershey's Mill Barrens is a fragment of a larger and presumably once continuous barrens habitat known in older literature as the "serpentine ridge" north of West Chester, extending from East Goshen east-northeast across Willistown and just into Easttown Townships. Development of the Hershey's Mill community has fragmented it into two grasslands, the one nearer Boot Road being in better condition.