Main Line bunny tree sculpture removed from Haas mansion

A decades-old Main Line tree stump carved into a family of rabbits has been taken down.

But don't worry,  a new improved version will take its place in about a month or so.

Last week, crews removed the tree that sat on the former Haas mansion property at County Line at Spring Mill roads in Villanova, after it was found to be deteriorating, Main Line Media News reported.

The local landmark, carved by sculptor Marty Long, was known for its festive seasonal decorations.

The seven carved bunnies, which represented the members of the Haas family, were often decked out in sporty sunglasses or holding Easter baskets with colorful eggs. The Haas surname derives from the Dutch or German word for hare, according to Ancestry.com.

After the Haas parents died, the family donated the 42-acre property to the Natural Lands Trust. The grounds are being converted to public open space and are expected to be completed in about a year, the paper reported.

Natural Lands Trust, which now owns the Stoneleigh estate property where the rabbits stood, have commissioned Long to make a new sculpture, the paper reported.

The wooden rabbits have been removed and inspected, and if possible the group plans to put some of them on display inside the Stoneleigh mansion, Kirsten Werner, director of communications with the Natural Lands Trust, told the paper.