Two rare treasures, in the way of lists of names and addresses of people who lived in this vicinity at the turn of the century, have recently been lent to your columnist by Miss Beatrice Tees and her brother, De Bourg Trees, of Lancaster avenue, St. Davids. These are an 1899 “Directory and Blue Book of Wayne and St. Davids,” and a similar book for 1904.

Not only do these contain names and addresses of the residents, but they list, as well, the various stores and businesses that were located here then. And since the files of “The Suburban” were destroyed by fire in 1906, no such information as that given in the two directories has been available to your columnist before.

It is interesting to note that the first name listed under “T” is that of Dr. Ambler Tees, who lived on “Lancaster, W. Of Pembroke, s.s.,” which, in less abbreviated form, means that he lived on the south side of Lancaster avenue. Dr. Tees was the father of the present occupants of this same house, Beatrice and De Bourg Tees.

The former tells us that this home, one of the early Wayne Estate houses, was purchased by her grandfather in 1890, while it was still under construction. He intended to use it as a summer home only, the same purpose which a number of Philadelphians of that period had in mind when they came to Wayne in the late eighties and early nineties. However, the original purchaser died before he ever occupied the house, and so his son, Dr. Ambler Tees, came there to live, bringing his young bride. And here their two children, the present occupants of the house were born.

Both directories were published with “Compliments of the Wayne Title and Trust Co.” The picture reproduced in this week’s column is a copy of the one in the front of the first booklet and shows the original bank building as many old timers still remember it – a small building with a charm all its own. Although on the same plot of ground now occupied by the modern and much larger structure, it faced on South Wayne avenue (then Audubon avenue) with West Wayne avenue running to the left of it and Lancaster Pike to the right of it as indicated in the picture. One set of stone steps led to the small yard which surrounds the building, while another linked to the wide doors, which somehow give an appearance of more informal hospitality than do most bank entrances.

Directly in back of the triangular piece of ground on which the bank was located was the property running from the pike to West Wayne avenue, occupied then as now by the Central Baptist Church. The original small library stood on the same site as does the greatly enlarged one of the present. All of this is very clear in the large map which folds up neatly in the front of the directory. Also shown is the Saturday Clubhouse, which had just been completed the year in which the map was drawn.

A full page directory in the advertisement names “Wayne, Delaware Co., Pa.” as the main office of the Wayne Title and Trust Company, with a Philadelphia branch located at “411 Walnut St., Room 16, Phone 42-60 D.”

Officers were Louis H. Watt, president; Harry C. Hunter, secretary and treasurer, and Christopher Fallon, solicitor and title officer. Directors included such well known men of the late nineties as Dallas Sanders, William West, Julius A. Bailey, Fred F. Hallowell, John H. Watt, Joseph W. Thomas, Tryon Lewis, Fred H. Treat and James Goodwin.

Several pages of the directory are devoted to the different services rendered by the bank, such as “Title Insurance,” “Real Estate Bought, Sold and Rented,” “Safe Deposit Boxes,” “Trusts,” “Deposits and Savings Received and “Suretyship.”

Among the properties on which the Wayne Title and Trust Company was prepared to give “Full Particulars on Application” was “Edgewood Lake, adjoining Wayne and St. Davids,” described as “96 acres of as pretty lying land as can be found in the vicinity of Philadelphia… well timbered… well watered… all roads macadamized… Ideal building sites… will be sold as a whole or in acre lots on advantageous terms to home seekers, investors, or builders.”

After puzzling in vain over such a lake as “Edgewood” in this vicinity, your columnist unfolded the map in the front of the directory, only to find that it was later known as the Walton Pond, enjoyed by many in later years for the swimming and skating facilities which it offered. Much of the acreage offered for sale by the Wayne Title and Trust Company was bought by Charles Walton for his family home, “Walmarthon,” now the property of the Eastern Baptist College.

(To be continued)

Fully as interesting as the old times pictures which we have recently used in this column are some of the local advertisements of more than 50 years ago. The first one shown in today’s column is reproduced from the Directory and Blue Book issued by the Wayne Title and Trust Company in 1899, while the second is from a similar directory printed five years later.

Lorgnettes, used so seldom nowadays as to be almost a curiosity, were in common use in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Frequently the lady who raised them to her eyes would have seen more of the world about her, as well as of the printed page before her, had she frankly put on her spectacles. However, it is not to be denied that there is a certain charm and elegance about the lorgnette, shown in the slim hand of the lady with a wide lace ruffle around her slender wrist!

The advertisement of Bonschur and Holmes, “Spectacle and Eyeglass Makers,” located in 1899 at 1533 Chestnut street in Philadelphia, was doubtless placed in the directory by the late Arthur L. Holmes, who was then a resident of Wayne. With his family he occupied at that time one of the Wayne Estate houses on Summit avenue (now South Wayne avenue) just opposite the point at which Audubon avenue goes off in a westerly direction.

Although Mr. Holmes died some years ago, the house remained in the estate until rather recently. It is now occupied by Dr. and Mrs. Richard Cathcart, newcomers to Wayne. Under the old firm name of Bonschur and Holmes, the optical shop continues to operate in Philadelphia, although the present location is now 1900 Chestnut street.

The second advertisement features a picture of something far more outmoded than the lorgnette – an old time buggy, a “light carriage for two persons, usually with a folding top.” The wheels of the buggy in the illustration were evidently steel-rimmed, rather than rubber tired, as were those of a somewhat later date. Mr. Jaquett, “Carriage Painter and Dealer, Wayne Carriage Works,” lived in 1904 on West Beech Tree Lane.

Among the most intriguing advertisements in the 1904 directory are those of three Philadelphia grocers, all of whom evidently made strong bids for Wayne business. The names of all of them bring back nostalgic memories, since none are any longer in business. While Mrs. Wayne Housewife of the early 1900’s traded locally for the most part, there were certain delicacies and imports to be had in the big city stores. Showell and Fryer, located at Juniper and Market streets, were not only “importing grocers,” but “wine merchants” as well. They also dealt in “imported and domestic cigars” for the man of the house. Orders were “called for and goods delivered by our wagons every week in Wayne and vicinity”, according to their full page advertisement. “Priced catalogues” were “mailed free upon application,” showing a list of “the largest assortment of finest goods imported and domestic, to be found anywhere, and at moderate prices.”

Ackers, located at 121-125 North 8th street, as well as on Market street below 12th, offered “Choicest food products of the World” to “all residents of Wayne.” Orders for this suburb were “regularly called for and delivered,” while “Ackers Weekly” was mailed free of charge.

E.A. Bowker, located at 13th and Market streets, with a branch store at 40th and Market, specialized in coffee “made from Vienna Blend.” This “delicious stimulating beverage” sold for 25 cents a pound, four pounds for one dollar! Salesmen would call on customers and deliveries were made in Wayne and St. Davids every Wednesday, according to their advertisement.

Among the Wayne grocery stores were T.T. Worrell & Sons, “family grocers,” who advertised as specialities, “Pickles in Glass” and “Olives and Fine Oils.” In operation for many years, this fine old Wayne store was located in about the middle of the present so-called “business block,” on the south side of Lancaster pike. Hale and Menagh, dealers in “fine groceries, choice meats and provisions,” were located on the northwest corner of Lancaster pike and Aberdeen avenue. This was in 1899. By the time the 1904 directory was published, Ira V. Hale remained in that location, while W.H. Menagh had become the “North Wayne Grocer,” located “at the Station, north of the railroad.”

J.H. Beadle’s grocery store, a market house established as early as 1893, was located at the corner of Wayne and Conestoga roads for many years. They advertised fresh and smoked meats as well as “fancy and domestic groceries, country produce, fish, game, etc.”

(to be continued)

The two pictures used to illustrate today’s column show Wayne’s business block as it looked in the early nineties. Since that time, business has spread out in four directions from the intersection of Lancaster pike and North and South Wayne avenues, the real center of Wayne. With all this increase in the number of business houses and shops over the years the term “business block” is still used to designate only this one section, the block on the south side of Lancaster pike, bounded on the east by Louella avenue and on the west by South Wayne avenue.

The fist picture shows the building which originally stood on the southeast corner of the Pike and South Wayne avenue, the present site of the Sun Ray Drug Store. It was a double-house building, with space downstairs for two stores and a room over each of these stores for living quarters. At first only the corner store was occupied.

When J.M. Fronefield, Jr., first came to Wayne in 1880 to establish a small country drug store, he located in the eastern end of the “Opera House”, now the Colonial Building. By 1893 he had moved into new quarters across the street, having purchased the building now shown in today’s picture. His family lived upstairs, where the present Joe Fronefield, of real estate fame, tells us he was born. Shortly after that his family moved to the large house on West Lancaster avenue now occupied by the Wayne Beauty Salon.

At first, the east side of the double house on the corner, which had been purchased by Mr. Fronefield, remained empty. Then the Lienhardt family moved there, where Mrs. Lienhardt established her well-known bakery on the first floor, reserving the second floor for living quarters. Old annals of Wayne from which your columnist quoted several years ago describe Mr. Fronefield as “Wayne’s first business man”. Several “Township Fathers” are listed, but only one “Town Mother”, as Mrs. Lienhardt was officially designated. Of her that particular historian has written, “Mrs. Lienhardt was a splendid business woman and an outstanding person of those days, and as long as she lived she held a warm place in the hearts of Wayne people. And what a Mecca that store was for children.”

In looking at this old picture with Joe Fronefield earlier in the week, your columnist learned many interesting facts about this early business corner of Wayne. The porch shown to the right was used by the Fronefields for family purposes as long as they lived there. After they moved west on the pike the porch was enclosed, making a small barber shop. At one time Philip DeMarse, who still operates in the Theatre Building, had his shop there. Back of the barber shop was Irving Leighton, a “Merchant Tailor” of the nineties who advertised in the “Wayne Directory and Blue Book” as making a specialty of “Custom and Ladies’ Work”. To the south of the Leighton’s place and in a separate building was Bob McCaig’s shoe repair shop. Back of this shop was a small stable, which was converted into Wayne’s first Chinese laundry.

The figure standing in the doorway in today’s picture is J.M. Fronefield, in his apothecary’s white coat. With a magnifying glass the reader can see the mortar and pestle of his trade on a sign at the right of the building. In front of the store are two objects of interest which have now outgrown their usefulness – an oil street lamp and a hitching post rail, which, according to one historian of the time, had “enough ties on it to accommodate any number of buggies”. Those were the days when “the narrow roadway that was the pike was all that the horse and wagon traffic demanded” and “buyers in Wayne shopped in comfort beneath ample shade trees”.

Only the eastern end of the original corner building now remains. Under new management, the bakery in operation there still retains the old Lienhardt name. “The former porch has been converted into the “Country Cousin” shop and the jewelry store operated by George K. Weaver. The Lienhardts’ side yard was sold to the Harrisons for the site of their present store.

In 1910, Mr. Fronefield sold his business to Harry LaDow, who in turn sold it to Claude LaDow. The store later passed from Mr. LaDow’s ownership to that of Media Drug Store. Then the Media chain sold out to Sun Ray Drug Company, which now operates one of its many stores there.

Joe Fronefield recalls to your columnist’s memory the interesting fact that the present store was built around the old one while Mr. LaDow still conducted his business in the latter place. After the outer shell of the new building was completed, the old store was demolished.

The stores on the rest of the block which are shown in our second picture as they originally appeared, will be described in a later column in this series. Suffice it today to call attention to the small curb sign at the right of the picture, which with the help of a magnifying glass may be deciphered as reading “Christmas Trees for Sale”. This picture must have been taken some 60 years or more ago at this season of the year.

(To be continued)

In the October 30 column we showed three pictures of the interiors of one of the first Wayne Estate houses to be occupied, that of the George H. Schultzes, who moved into their home on Walnut avenue in 1888.

Since then a profusely illustrated booklet, put out by the Wayne Estate in the early 1890’s has come to us. Four remarkably clear photographs of interiors are among the collection of illustrations, three of which appear today. Since the houses in which they were located are not named in the booklet, it might be interesting to find out whether they can be identified by our readers.

Of these illustrations and the many others in the booklet, the writer of it has said, “The pictures scattered through these pages are bits here and there, of the Wayne of today (1892), after five years of intelligent and systematic development. They give glimpses of the home-life as seen amidst the flowers and vines which enhance the beauty of the already picturesque houses. The interiors are cozy and home-like, and appeal to all that is best in man’s nature, for truly no more fitting surroundings could be found for the modern household… the interior views afford some idea of the coziness and comfort of the plans which give so much satisfaction to the happy possessors”.

The flowery description of these Wayne Estate houses has already been noted in this column. This particular brochure abounds in such descriptions, each, however, with a ring of sincerity on the part of the writer. “Our dwellings, to be pleasant to us”, he says, “must not only express creature comforts, but be a part of our lives – the better part. Home, to be home, should have comfort and individuality in detail”.

On another page, a quotation from Ruskin is employed to describe certain ideals of those who planned and built these houses of more than 60 years ago. “I would have our ordinary dwelling-houses built to last and built to be lively, as rich and full of pleasantness as may be, within and without, as such might best suit and express each man’s character and occupation and in part, his history”.

Colonel George E. Waring, Jr., is quoted as saying of the community in general, “There are no manufactories; there is no business, beyond the few retail stores required by the population; no liquor is sold in the place, and the conditions of the sale of property are such as to prevent nuisances of any sort. The houses are of good architectural effect, the lots are large, and it is not too much to say that Wayne is, on the whole, the prettiest and best-regulated suburban town of which I have any knowledge”.

Perhaps the most colorful description of Wayne in the early nineties comes on the closing page of the booklet, as written by Anna Whittier Wendell. “Wayne is a picturesque little town, nestled amid ideal hills, each one of which is a historic milestone to Patriotic Americans, where the home-life is felt, seen and enjoyed in actuality… As the evening trains bring home the business men, the sombre walks become gay with moving bits of color; solitary pedestrians are quickly attached to merry groups; lingering partings take place at the hedge-bordered gateways, and childish trebles mingle harmoniously with the soft hour, while on every face is that unmistakeable writing, ‘Home again’.”

Wayne then, as now, must indeed have been a pleasant place in which to live!

The three pictures illustrating this week’s column show landmarks of an earlier Wayne. The second and third pictures are of buildings that live only in the memories of some of the really old “old timers” of this section. The first picture, although it may be recognized by few, is of a building that has been destroyed so recently that some of its foundations are still standing amid its scattered timbers.

This picture was taken in 1870, “when residents swished through a cornfield to catch the 8:15 train to Philadelphia.” The smaller building to the right was the waiting room of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s station at Wayne. The larger building to which it was attached housed the family of the station agent. Railroad tickets were also sold there and it is said that J. Henry Askin, one of the founders of Wayne in the 1870’s, had a private waiting room in this house for his family and himself.

At that time the railroad tracks ran to the south of the present roadbed, thus placing the station to the rear of the Wayne Presbyterian Chapel. The picture was taken from the one-time cornfield that is now a part of the Wayne Hotel property, recently bought by the Wayne Presbyterian Church. The small waiting room building was later transported to Strafford, where it stood until the present building was erected there. After the tracks were moved slightly to the north, the cottage still remained on its original site, later becoming the property of the original station building.

Until 1900 this neat white house with its dark shutters and its picket fence stood on the west side of North Wayne avenue on what is now Charles LeBoutillier property. It was known for many years as the “Cornog House”, since it was built and first occupied by members of that pioneer family of Radnor township. This picture was also taken by Mr. Schultz in the 1880’s.

The picture of this small cabin made of hand-hewn logs is perhaps the most picturesque one yet used in this series of articles. Even in its day and time it must have been unique in this section. So far as can be ascertained it stood back of the First Baptist Church, between Conestoga road and the present Highland avenue, and very close to Johnson’s quarries. The group of five, with a horse belonging to one was evidently especially posed for the picture when it was taken in the 1880’s. There is something very appealing in the figure of the woman at the right with her hands folded over her ample white apron.

In the 1880’s when Wendell and Treat first started to build the Wayne Estate houses, they chose North Wayne for their earliest sites. Of the streets comprising this section, North Wayne avenue and Walnut avenue were among the first to be closely built up.

The illustrations for today’s column, which show two of these Walnut avenue houses, built in the middle eighties, are from the album of pictures belonging to George W. Schultz, from which a number of our other recent illustrations have been made. They are particularly interesting in that members of the original families occupying both houses are shown in these pictures.

The houses, looking very much as they did when originally built, are still very easily recognized. The first one, 220 Walnut avenue, is now occupied by the C.W. Getty family, and the second, at 215 Walnut avenue, is now the home of Miss Mary DeHaven Bright.

In 1887 Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Fraley Hallowell and their family moved from Philadelphia to Wayne, to occupy their Walnut avenue Estate. Mrs. William A. Johnson, the former Miss Rita Hallowell, tells your columnist that when her mother selected this so-called “Pillar House”, from various ones shown her in the architect’s drawings, Mr. Wendell of the Wayne Estate tried to dissuade her from her choice. For one thing the cost was high, he said, and for another it was of a type that not many people would like!

Interestingly enough it was this very same type of house that Mr. Wendell himself selected for his own home on the large lot facing Radnor road, bounded on one side by Beechtree lane and on the other by Walnut avenue.

The “Pillar House”, which proved to be one of the most popular of those offered by the Wayne Estate, is described in one of the booklets as “built with stone and brick, pebble coated to second story; large porch, vestibule, open hall, reception room, library with open grate and mantel, dining room, kitchen, out-kitchen, with stationary soapstone washing tubs.” There were five bedrooms and a bath on the second floor and two on the third.

Further description states that “a novel effect has been produced by joining the back and the main stairways and putting a glass window over both. This is quite a feature of this plan.” These “Pillar Houses”, for which F.L. and W.L. Price, of Philadelphia, were the architects, stood on large lots and sold for $8,250.

Mr. and Mrs. Hallowell identified themselves with the community life of Wayne as soon as they settled in their new home. One of Mrs. Johnson’s earliest recollections is of seeing her father and mother in skating costumes on the old Kelly’s Dam. She also remembers the nine hole golf course where Poplar avenue now is, particularly interesting to small fry, since they were allowed to play there.

Mr. Hallowell was one of the earliest members of the North Wayne Protective Association, manifesting his active interest by going out to all fires and “manning the pump”, which was kept in the Wood stable next door. He was also a cricketer in the old Merryvale Club and later refereed all the High School football games. He served for years on the Radnor Township School Board and was also one of the County Commissioners. When the Wayne Title and Trust Company was founded he was its first treasurer, later becoming associated with the Western Savings Fund Society in Philadelphia.

The Walnut avenue house remained in the possession of the Hallowell family until the late ’30’s, when it was bought by Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Getty, its present occupants.

In contrast to the Hallowell family, the Powel family lived on Walnut avenue but a few short years. The two young men shown in the picture were sons of John Hare Powel, of Philadelphia, millionaire iron master and owner of furnaces, mines and coke ovens throughout Pennsylvania. The Henry Powels lived at 215 Walnut avenue, just east of the Schultz home.

Later Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hare Powel came to South Wayne to live. The Miss Smith, of Quebec, who is shown in the picture, was the sister of Mrs. John Hare Powel, whom she was visiting at the time. DeVough Powel lived in New York City and was a guest of the Henry Powels when the picture was taken.

As was stated in an earlier column of this series, the original Powel home, then on South Third street, Philadelphia, dated back to 1768. It was of such beauty and historic interest that the furnishings of its drawing room have been moved into the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A recent brochure received by your columnist from the Museum shows a picture of this beautiful room as it is exhibited in the Museum.

In the year 1892, when these pictures were taken to illustrate a handsome brochure, issued for advertising purposes by the Wayne Estate, four religious denominations had churches in Wayne. The Baptists had had a meeting house on the corner of Conestoga and West Wayne avenues since 1841; the Presbyterians had completed their original chapel in 1870; St. Mary’s Episcopal Church was finished in 1889, while the Wayne Methodist Church was dedicated in June, 1891.

By 1890 one of these congregations, the First Baptist, had erected a second building, on the site of the first small structure and, by 1892, the Wayne Presbyterians had completed their first church edifice, to the west of the chapel.

In the five years between 1887 and 1892, Wayne’s population had been multiplied more than eight times, from an approximate 300 to about 2,500. Larger church buildings were required to meet the religious needs of a fast growing community.

Now, more than 60 years later, three of these churches still look much as they did in 1892. The fourth one, the First Baptist, was torn down two years ago, and has its successor in the Central Baptist Church.

It is interesting to observe that two of these churches have recently met the demands of still fast growing congregations by the purchase of properties adjoining the churches. The Wayne Presbyterian is rapidly turning the former Wayne Hotel into a Church House, while the Wayne Methodist has recently purchased the former Herbert L. Badger property for the same purpose. Meanwhile the Central Baptist is making plans for further expansion.

Although structurally the same in 1954 as in 1892, the Wayne Methodist Church has a different appearance now, owing to the growth of trees, foliage and vines. The former Badger home, which is soon to be turned into a church house, shows just to the left in this picture. The lot to the right of the church, which was empty in 1892, is now occupied by the parsonage, which was erected in 1909.

In the right foreground of the picture are the two stone posts at the entrance to the R.P. Elmer house. The attractive bit of rustic fencing evidently marked the course of a rapidly flowing underground stream.

The Wayne Estate brochure describes the church as “beautifully situated at the corner of Audubon and Runnymede avenues… the dates of the principal events of its history may serve as illustrating the growth of Wayne itself… the corner stone was laid in September, 1890, and the edifice was dedicated June 28, 1891. On the first anniversary of the dedication, the new and beautiful pipe organ was dedicated.

Like the Methodist Church, the Wayne Presbyterian Church had a rather stark appearance in 1892. The original church structure also seems much smaller since the Sunday School addition, on the rear at the eastern side, was not made until some years later.

The caption for this picture in the Wayne Estate Brochure stresses the desirability of the central location of the church which “makes it easy to access from all points of the village.”

Five years ago this March, when “Your Town and My Town” first started as a weekly feature of “The Suburban”, the Wayne Estate houses were among the earliest topics taken up by your columnist. From time to time additional information has been given on this subject, always a popular one among our readers.

Newcomers are always surprised at the repetition of architectural design in Wayne and St. Davids. In answer to their questions they hear the story of George W. Childs, the Philadelphia financier who transformed Wayne from a small hamlet into a prosperous suburb. In fact, Mr. Childs is often referred to as “the founder of the town of Wayne”.

When prospective buyers of homes came out to Wayne, they found they could select the lot on which they wanted to build and use either their own plans or those of Wendell and Smith, Mr. Childs’ “Home Builders”. Or they could purchase on the spot “a complete house, ready for occupancy, with graded and fenced lot, the crushed stone walks made and seed sown for the lawn”. Also, a vacant lot had been left between each house to be sold on easy terms, should more ground be needed. Terms of sale were a down payment of $2,000 in cash, or “other terms could be arranged if desired”.

While plans could be made to build any kind of house, the prospectus set forth the financial advantage of “wholesale building”. Choice of plans included the “Gabled Inn”, the “Flemish House”, the “Round End House”, the “NewTower House”, the “Pillar House” and a number of others without specific names like these. For those who liked the location of houses of these types already built, immediate purchase and occupancy were possible.

This explains why so many of our Wayne and St. Davids houses are alike. In the years that have intervened various interior and exterior changes have been made, but the original resemblance always remains. A “Gabled Inn” can never be mistaken for a “Flemish House”, or a “Round End House” for a “New Tower House”. And although these houses were fully described in this column five years ago, with references made to these descriptions from time to time since, this is the first opportunity your columnist has had to reproduce the original pictures. She hopes that the pictures in this week’s and next weeks’ columns may answer the question many a reader has asked, “In what kind of a Wayne Estate house do I live?”

This was one of the first houses built in the 1880’s – many of them appearing on North Wayne avenue and on Woodland avenue. On a lot, 60 x 200 feet, such a house sold complete for $5,500. The prospectus describes it as having “good porches… reception room with large square hall and oak stairway, living room with open grate and mantel, dining room, pantry, kitchen and out-kitchen on first floor, and five chambers and bath room on second floor, with a room in the roof for servants’ use or storage purposes… a thoroughly cozy home… plumbing as good as the best… stairway of oak, furniture finish… back stairs.”

Although this type of house stood on the same size lot as the Gabled Inn, it was far more pretentious and sold for $7,000. Most of the Flemish Houses were originally built on Chestnut lane, Woodland avenue and Beechtree lane.

Such a house is described as having “a parlor, living room, open hall and oak stairs… dining room, pantry, kitchen and out-kitchen on first floor… seven chambers, bathroom and store room, liberal closet room”. By way of additional attraction there were “handsome effects in colored glass and open grates with unique mantels”.

(Original sketches of the Round End House, the New Tower House and the Pillar House will be shown with next week’s column.)

In last week’s column two illustrations were taken from one of the earliest brochures printed by Wendell and Smith, “Home Builders” of Wayne. In the foreword to this brochure “Wayne, on the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad” is described as “the handsomest suburb, perhaps, in this country… the territory of this charming town embraces an area of about 600 acres of plateau (400 feet above the level of Philadelphia) environed by woodlands.”

This week’s column continues by showing three additional houses that might be purchased “complete and ready for occupancy” if their sites and design suited the prospective buyers. F.L. and W.L. Price, of 731 Walnut street, Philadelphia were the architects of the five houses shown to date, except for the “Gabled Inn, of which J.C. Worthington, of 735 Walnut street, was the architect.

The design of this house which appeared originally on Woodland avenue, was copied from “old English houses”, according to the brochure. The “round end houses” were on lots 120 x 225 and sold for $8,000 each. “A large, open living room with liberal fireplace, yet secluded from hall” is described as “the chief feature of this plan”. In addition it contains “seven chambers and bathroom and large store room and butler’s pantry… massive oak stairway handsomely carved… plate glass windows and effective stained glasswork… a good porch… spacious rooms… very complete house, with oak finish for the first story”.

This type of house also appeared originally on Woodland avenue, on a lot of 155 feet and priced at $9,500. Its exterior is described as “very picturesque” with “large, well shaded portico on the front”. On the interior it was “a very attractive 13-room house with carved oak staircase… hard wood finish on the first floor and home-like corners for your furniture… tasteful effects in stained glass roundels… the very best of everything in this house.”

At first glance the “Pillar House”, which was originally built on Chestnut lane, bears a rather close resemblance to the “Gabled Inn”, shown in last week’s column. However it is considerably larger, having a third floor which the “Gabled Inn” does not. Lots for the “Pillar House” were 113 x 230, with the complete price $8,250. It was built with “stone and brick, pebble-coated to second story… large porch, vestibule, open hall, reception room, library with open grate and mantel, dining room, kitchen, out-kitchen, stationary soapstone washing tubs”. On the second floor there were five bedrooms and a bath with two rooms on the third floor.

(Next week’s column will show pictures of types of houses built in St. Davids, as well as a picture of the office built for the Wayne Estate, just across the street from St. Davids railroad station.)

The first office opened in the 1880’s by Wendell and Smith for the Wayne Estate was located on North Wayne avenue in a small building on the site of the southern half of the double building now occupied by the Orange Cleaners.

In 1890 a second office was established when the building shown in the picture below was erected on the west side of Chamounix road, immediately to the south of the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks, near St. Davids station. Later, this building was remodeled into a home which still stands on the original site.

In the 80’s and 90’s it was very advantageous to have a real estate office located as close as possible to the railroad station, since practically all prospective home buyers used that mode of transportation from Philadelphia to the suburbs.

Although horse drawn vehicles were used for pleasure before the advent of automobiles, the trip by train was obviously more expedient. In advertising the location of their two offices, Wendell and Smith stated that they were “right at the station at both Wayne and St. Davids” and that they were open all day. On Sundays, when probably these offices were closed, the new houses that were ready for sale were always “open for inspection”.

To encourage Philadelphians to make the train trip to Wayne, Wendell and Smith printed a complete time table on the back of the brochure from which these pictures are reproduced. It is rather amazing to find that more than 60 years ago there were ten morning trains and 22 afternoon trains from Philadelphia to Wayne. Reversing this order, there were 14 morning and 18 afternoon and evening trains from Wayne to Philadelphia.

A two day excursion ticket cost 73 cents; a monthly ticket for an individual was $7.05 and a school ticket for the same period was $4.70. A 50-trip book for family use was $14.70 and an individual’s three months’ ticket was $19. However, a special note stated that “market baskets, bicycles and baby coaches are entitled to free transportation.”

When this brochure was printed in 1890, many Wayne Estate houses had already been built and occupied in Wayne itself. Plans were under way for a similar building operation in St. Davids, and “the south side, on Lancaster avenue near St. Davids station and the adjoining territory”, already had “half a million dollars worth of houses under way”, according to the advertisement.

Instead of giving these house distinguishing names as had been done with those built in Wayne these St. Davids houses were to be known as “House A”, “House B”, etc. In addition to “the best of plumbing” all of them were to have “the novel goodness of steam heat… tasty decorations in stained glass and tile work and oak, and plate glass finish for first floors”. By way of special appeal to prospective buyers, the brochure states that “places of so much progressiveness should receive your attention, either for present or for future needs”. That these plans did receive much attention is very obvious, as a most casual tour of the residential streets of St. Davids will testify.

F.L. and W.L. Price, of Philadelphia, were the architects for this house, as they had been for many previously built in Wayne. According to the description it had “a very picturesque exterior with a large porch across the front of the house”. The first floor consisted of “vestibule, spacious hallway, dining room, reception room, library with open grate, mantel and tile work, pantry, kitchen, out-kitchen and back staircase. Hall and stairways connected by archways for curtains”.

On the second floor were “five chambers of good size, three of them across the front en suite… bathroom and nine closets”, while on the third floor were “two servants’ rooms, a large hall and store room. Very special features of this imposing house were an “open grate in lower hall and dining room removed from kitchen odors”, while the library for some intriguing reason had “a private entrance to the front staircase”.

(To be continued)