Sarah Logan Wister Starr - Homestead

Homestead

After the death of her mother in 1922, Sarah received ownership of the Belfield Estate, a Philadelphia homestead that had been passed down through the Wister family for years, and which had once been owned by the artist Charles Willson Peale. Elizabeth, the oldest sister was extremely upset that she was not given possession of Belfield, and her desire led to a feud between the two sisters that lasted for 30 years, until the death of Sarah’s husband brought them partially back together.

When Sarah took possession of the estate, a number of changes were made. Telephone and electricity were added by means of underground wires, so as not to disturb the beauty of the garden. Belfield saw the opening of Twentieth Street, which led to a restraining wall nine hundred feet long and in some places fourteen feet high in order to provide security and protection from heavy traffic and passersby. James added a series of water and rock gardens. Sarah herself added a garden of 100 hybrid tea roses. After their return from China in 1933, a section of the garden was dedicated to the Chinese taste. “A plastered stone wall, separated by a tiny hip roof and an entrance to it is made through a large vase-shaped gate, on one side of which appears, in red, the Chinese characters which denote the year, month, and day of its erection.” The garden also holds an orange and a lemon tree taken from the orangery of Butler Place when Owen Wister sold it. Belfield Estate is now part of La Salle University’s campus.