Welcome to Chanticleer
Thank you for taking the time to visit, we hope you find our new site informative and helpful in planning your next visit to "the greatest of the great gardens in the Philadelphia region!"-Adam Levine, author of Guide to the Great Gardens of the Philadelphia Region.
The Chanticleer Story
The Chanticleer estate dates from the early 20th-century, when land along the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was developed for summer homes to escape the heat of Philadelphia. Adolph Rosengarten, Sr., and his wife Christine chose the Wayne-St. Davids area to build their country retreat. The family's pharmaceutical firm would become part of Merck & Company in the 1920s.
The Rosengartens hired architect and former classmate Charles L. Borie to design the house, which was completed in 1913. Landscape architect Thomas Sears designed the terraces as extensions of the house. A 1924 addition converted the summer home into a year-round residence and the family moved here permanently.
Mr. Rosengarten's humor is evident in naming his home after the estate "Chanticlere" in Thackeray's 1855 novel The Newcomes. The fictional Chanticlere was "mortgaged up to the very castle windows" but "still the show of the county." Playing on the word, which is synonymous with "rooster," the Rosengartens used rooster motifs throughout the estate.
Adolph and Christine gave their two children homes as wedding presents. They purchased a neighboring property for son Adolph, Jr. and his bride Janet Newlin in 1933. It is now the site of the Ruin. Daughter Emily's house, located at today's visitor entrance, was built for her in 1935. It is presently used for offices and classrooms.
Adolph, Jr., bought his sister's portion of the estate following her death in the 1980s. He didn't move into the main house, but used it for entertaining and kept it as it was when the family lived there. The house is open for tours by reservation. Adolph, Jr., left the entire property for the enjoyment and education of the public following his death in 1990. A seven-member Board of Directors, five of whom are Rosengarten relatives, oversees The Chanticleer Foundation. The garden opened to the public in 1993. There are 17 full-time staff, of whom two manage facilities and 12 are gardeners and groundskeepers.
News & Events
Chanticleer, A Pleasure Garden
The new book by Adrian Higgins and Rob Cardillo is now available at University of Pennsylvania Press.
2012 Open Dates and Times
• Saturday, March 31 through Sunday, November 4
• Wednesdays through Sundays
• 10 am to 5pm
Wayne Art Center Exhibit
The first exhibit of Chanticleer art outside of the garden takes place February 12 through March 10. For more info check out the Wayne Art Center website.
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