Crum Ruins memories: orchids and lunch

1960 high school classmates. L to r: Sue Gowing Saiter, Carol Zimmerman Taylor, Sue Campbell Dawes, Anne Essl Eiswerth.

To the Editor,

I was interested in the Crum Woods ruin memories recently in the Swarthmorean. I thought I’d add my own.

When my three friends and I were juniors at the old Swarthmore High School, we liked to go on bike adventures. When this photo was taken, we were starting out on a ride through Wallingford.

We decided to ride into the Hinkson Estate. A sign advertising puppies for sale gave us our chance to visit that lovely old home.

We stopped at the greenhouse where the family raised orchids to sell. We were looking in the windows when the older Hinkson son came out of the house. He not only gave us an orchid tour, he gave each of us an orchid. Then he showed us the beautiful formal gardens, toured us around the mansion itself, and offered us lunch. 

Years later, when that estate was condemned so the Blue Route could be built, it broke my heart. At that time, my family and I were living on Harvard Avenue. The community was invited to dig up plants from the Hinkson gardens before they were demolished, and I transplanted some ground cover from that property to our yard.

Carol Zimmerman Taylor
Cortez, Colorado