The Women of Tyler Arboretum: Laura Hoopes Tyler (1859-1944)

Many of us are familiar with Thomas Minshall, who purchased quite a bit of Tyler Arboretum’s land from William Penn in 1681. We may know the Painter brothers planted more than 1,000 trees and shrubs, most in the area we now call the “Old Arb.”

We probably know less about the women of Tyler. Women’s History Month seems like the perfect time to begin sharing the stories of the women who made an impact on Tyler and the surrounding community. We begin this month with Laura Hoopes Tyler and will continue with periodic additions over the next year or so. We hope you enjoy reading about the challenges and contributions made by some of the women of Tyler Arboretum!

1683: The Hoopes Family Arrives in America

In late 1683, William Penn’s ship, “The Providence of Scarborough,” set sail from England to America. Thirteen-year-old Daniel Hoopes and his parents were on board and eager to claim their 500 acres of land in Bucks County, PA — land granted by Penn. In 1697 Daniel migrated to Chester County and bought 100 acres of land from another of the original Quaker Grantees. Daniel then lived his life about five miles from Tyler Arboretum in what we now know as Westtown Township in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Daniel married Jane Worrilow in 1697 and eventually owned 636 contiguous acres of land in Westtown Township. By 1723, Daniel and Jane had at least 15 children and were able to move from their small log cabin to a new two-story stone house that Daniel had built of local stone, adding an addition in 1740. They named their family homestead “Brooznell,” which means “windy knoll.” Two more children and their family was complete. Daniel gifted land to four of his sons, each building their own home on the family land. The ruins of one of the homes sits on the 4th green of the West Chester Golf and Country Club.

1859: Laura Anna Hoopes is Born

Five generations later, Laura Anna Hoopes was born in 1859 to Elwood Hoopes and Minerva Barnard Hoopes. Laura grew up living most of her life in “Brooznell” along with her three sisters. Laura was able to follow her family’s generational history through serpentine stones that had been cut and carved with the names and dates of those that have come before. The oldest stone had the initials of her three times great grandparents Daniel and Jane and reads D. & J. H. 1723.

1881: Laura Marries John J. Tyler

In early 1881, 21-year-old Laura was about to marry John J. Tyler. In fact, Laura and John were first cousins once removed. Laura’s grandmother, Sarah Painter Barnard, and John’s mother, Ann Painter Tyler, were two of Minshall and Jacob Painter’s sisters. They were all raised together in Lachford Hall, which still stands today at Tyler Arboretum. The Painter and Tyler families descend from Thomas and Margaret Minshall who purchased two parcels of land from William Penn in 1681. Eventually the Middletown parcel was owned by eight generations of the same family and grew from 373 acres to 650 acres.

Note the focus on John and Laura’s lineage as mentioned in their marriage announcement, published in the Chester Times on February 17, 1881:

“By Friends ceremony, John J. Tyler of Middletown, Delaware County, and Miss Laura Hoopes, of Westtown, Chester County, were made husband and wife at the residence of the bride’s father on Thursday last. This marriage unites the representatives of two of the oldest families in Delaware and Chester counties. Mr. Tyler is proprietor of the original tract of land purchased by his ancestors of Wm. Penn, in 1681, in Middletown Township, and the bride’s parents own the original Hoopes’ homestead, purchased of Penn about the same time, both families holding the original lands of the ancestors since the settlement of Pennsylvania.”

A Life of Travel As a Married Couple

Once John and Laura Tyler were married, they lived in Philadelphia. Census records show Laura “at home.” They never had children and traveled extensively, spending some time at the country estate in Middletown visiting John’s mother, Ann. We see glimpses of Laura’s life through records found at Swarthmore Friends Historical Library, notes left from Tyler’s first Director Dr. Wister and historians, and records found online. Laura wrote many letters to her mother-in-law Ann Tyler, often sharing the details of the couples’ frequent travels throughout the United States, Canada, Russia and Europe.

1908: Laura Sells Brooznell

By 1907, both of Laura’s parents had passed, and Laura and her two surviving sisters made the difficult decision to sell Brooznell. Notes from “The Passing of a Landmark” published in the West Chester Daily News shares some of the history of this homestead:

“Past the house the old stage coaches passed on their trip to and from Philadelphia to Baltimore. Past this house a mortally wounded soldier rode, vainly trying to reach home before death should overtake him after the Battle of the Brandywine. A boxwood, still owned by this family, was used as a hiding place for the family silver, from the British, and the old mansion contains a secret room.”

1914: John Tyler Inherits Middletown Land

The Middletown land was handed down to John Tyler following Ann Tyler’s death in 1914. He and Laura had extensive remodeling work performed at Lachford Hall to update it in the latest Victorian fashion. They changed the windows and covered the fieldstone with stucco. The other buildings were not kept in repair. In a letter written by her husband John in 1921, he mentions the closing up of Lachford Hall, the poor eyesight of Laura, and their living in Germantown, Philadelphia.

In 1930, John Tyler executed a will, leaving some 68 acres planted by the Painter Brothers for the creation of an arboretum with an endowment. As he died within thirty days, this particular gift was not legally valid. As Laura Tyler wished to carry out her husband’s plans, in 1934 she deeded this part of the property to trustees.

The 1930s: Laura’s Life as a Widow

In the early 1930s Laura Tyler had additional repairs made to Lachford Hall, the Painter Library, barn and springhouse, which were in bad condition. A caretaker’s house was built (which we now know as Stone House) and the caretaker was instructed to allow no visitors to the property.

Certain important trees like the Sequoia and the Cedar of Lebanon were pruned and braced and fitted with lightning rods. Poison ivy was cut away from the great English Yew and from some other shrubs. Some trees were planted. The largest of these were two Atlas Cedars, a Cryptomeria, and a Eucommia. Groups of Pines and Hemlocks were planted near the barn, near the present parking area, along Painter Road and also on the knoll overlooking Pink Hill. There was no further development of the property after the early-1930s.

With no one caring for them, it is not surprising that many of the plants perished and buildings deteriorated. The orchards disappeared entirely and so did nearly all the herbaceous plants. The property, however, continued to be a center of interest to botanists, geologists and all persons interested in nature.

1944: Laura Passes, Tyler Arboretum is Born

In 1944, upon the death of Laura Hoopes Tyler, Tyler Arboretum became a public garden that included the entire 647 acres, not just the 68 acres designated by her husband. It is through her efforts that the entire property was preserved as a not-for-profit institution, allowing us to enjoy it today and for years to come.

Laura’s final resting place is beside her husband at Cumberland Cemetery in Media, Pa.

By 1980, over 30,000 descendants of Daniel Hoopes were documented. Interestingly, the Painter brothers purchased many of their plants from Hoopes Brothers and Thomas Nursery located in West Chester, Pa.

If you have the opportunity to visit Swarthmore Friends Library in Swarthmore, this link takes you to the Inventory of Painter Family Papers that identifies the contents of the 50+ boxes stored at the library and are available for your perusal.

Sources:

• Dr. John Wister 10 year report
• Pam Harper’s notes
• Chester Times newspaper
• Swarthmore Friends Historical Library
• West Chester Daily Local News, December 14, 1907
• Census records
• Hoopes Family records
• Library of Congress, Daniel Hoopes House