Kelpius's Pennsylvania
The number forty held special meaning in the mystical numerology of which Kelpius and his comrades were familiar. It must have seem divinely ordained when they were offered land which-as far as the accuracy of their measurements were concerned--lay exactly along the 40th paralell.
The beatuiful, wild area bewteen Roxborough and Germantown, known as the Wissahickon Valley, now lies entirely within the city limits of Philadelphia in Fairmount Park. Since Kelpius' time, the area has been logged, but the decades have restored it to its wilderness state. Unfortunately, development around the Wissahickon Valley has polluted the once clear waters of the creek for which it is named and the effects of urban runnoff will eventually cause the ruin of the ecosystem unless dramatic measures are taken. For information on the efforts to preserve the Wissahickon Valley, visit the web site of the Friends of the Wissahickon.
 The so-called Cave of Kelpius in Philadelphia's Wissahikcon Valley. The concrete jambs on the entranceway were an 19th century addition. The marker was erected by the AMORC organization in 1967. |
 Julius Sachse's photo of the Cave approximately 1895 |
 One of the many wooded trails in the Wissahickon Valley. |
 Ancient boulders such as this are reminders that the Wissahickon Valley is one of the oldest geologic formations in North America. (From a painting by Jonathan D. Scott |
 This charming print is from a rare children’s book, circa early 1940s. |
 See clips of the Wissahickon Creek |
 An amazing recreation of Kelpius' |
