NEWTOWN SQUARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER: January 2018 JANUARY 2018 HISTORY OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC. Wednesday, January 16th at 7:00 p.m.

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1 JANUARY 2018 HISTORY OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC Wednesday, January 16th at 7:00 p.m. NOTE NEW LOCATION IN !!! The Newtown Square Historical Society invites you to our monthly program on Wednesday, January 16th at 7:00 p.m. at the Newtown Square Township Building to hear local resident and musician David Robinson speak on the roots and history of bluegrass music. David will discuss the evolution of America s homegrown art of Bluegrass from Ireland to the Appalachians, throughout the nation and to the world as it evolved from folk and regional music into a distinct instrumentation and vocal form that now also incorporates Jazz and Classical music. David is a long time musician who plays weekly with a Bluegrass gathering at a restaurant in Ardmore. Over his career he has played with bar bands in this area and New York City, and interviewed and wrote articles on three pivotal Nashville Bluegrass banjo players. All programs are held at the Newtown Township Building, 209 Bishop Hollow Rd, Newtown Square, PA beginning at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free. Refreshments are served. Come out and meet your history minded neighbors and learn and be entertained! 1

2 NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT In 2018, the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War, we joined with Delaware County history organizations in hosting events related to that war, also known as World War I. In November, local historian Tony Selletti spoke on Armistice Day; and in December Doug Humes spoke on the last man to die in World War I, local man and hockey legend, Hobey Baker. This month we are taking the program in a different direction entirely. Local musician and Newtown resident David Robinson is going to speak on the history of bluegrass music, and, Lord willing and the creek don t rise, he will be playing audio samples to illustrate his themes. Come out and hear David and stomp along to the music. In addition to our public programs, we have a Members Only event planned for Sunday, May 19 with a private tour of the historic DuPortail House and barns in Chesterbrook. We are creating a gallery of some of the notable works of artist Benjamin West, and will be having an event to kick off our Tavern openings in June. In May we will host our annual school tours, where the local 4th grade students visit the Paper Mill House for a living history lesson, courtesy of our home-schooled children and their parents. On June 1st, we will be hosting the annual Historic Newtown Square Day, celebrating some aspect of our local history. We produce a program book for that event each year, chock full of history, and with ads from local businesses-our main source of finances each year. Delaware County has asked whether we might host a display at our Museum on mills, with artifacts borrowed from other local groups and societies. Over the summer we open the Paper Mill House and Museum and Square Tavern to the public on Saturdays. We are considering another Members -Only event in the Fall. And at the end of the year, we host the annual Wassail Party. We contribute a history article each month to a local magazine, have a website, a Facebook page, a YouTube page, and even a Twitter feed. We routinely do private tours for school and community groups, and people who visit from afar and wish to see what we have at our Museum and the Tavern. And for every single one of these activities, we have a group that does planning, organizing, managing, buying supplies, selling ads, accounting, and of course clean up. When I look back at the end of the year on all we did, I am amazed and grateful for what can be done by a small group of people. And each year I wonder whether more of our members can be convinced to not only come to our events, but help us to plan and manage them. To fall back on a clarion call from history, Ask not what your Society can do for you, ask what you can do for your Society. John Battista 2

3 VISIT OF STRATFORD FRIENDS SCHOOL On a rainy day in November, we hosted the students from the Stratford Friends School, who moved to Newtown Square about ten years ago, and took up residence in the Alice Grim School building on Bishop Hollow Road. Stratford Friends School is a leader and a pioneer in the education of children who learn differently. SFS students are intelligent and imaginative, but find it difficult to learn in a conventional classroom setting. And so each year, they come visit us and we give them hands on history at the Square Tavern and the Newtown Square Friends Meeting. The children do a history unit on Benjamin West, and then come out to the Tavern, where he was a tavern boy, to walk in his footsteps. Local sculptor Terry Jones has been our Benjamin for the last five years, and so he talks to the students about West s childhood here, and let s them know that though West was never a great reader, he had a very successful career following his love of painting. We then move on to the Friends Meeting House. The children are familiar with Quakers, as Stratford Friends is a Quaker-led school. But here they get to sit on the old benches in a building that hearkens back to West s time in Newtown Square, and pepper Doug Humes with their history questions. And promptly each year, we receive a package with colorful individual thank you notes from each child who attended the visit. They enjoy their time outside of the classroom, and we enjoy the energy and curiosity they bring to these annual visits. 3

4 EDWIN B. "TED" ERICKSON III We are so very saddened to report the passing of Newtown Square resident and long time Society supporter, State Senator Ted Erickson. He was a regular attender at our events, bought an annual ad, and his assistance could be counted on when dealing with our county and state government. He was a man of remarkable accomplishments, and a principled politician and leader in an age where those qualities are in short supply. Ted was raised in Havertown, and graduated with a Bachelors degree from Albright College. He earned his Ph.D at Bryn Mawr College and became a tenured Associate Professor at Hamilton College. He then transitioned to a long and varied career in public service. He was Chief Administrative Officer in Upper Darby, Chairman of Delaware County Council, Regional Administrator for Environmental Protection Agency, and most recently a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. Ted enjoyed the ocean and beach in Brigantine NJ, and walking his dog at the Okehocking Preserve. He is survived by his wife, Kathy, son Jonathan, and grandchildren, Alexandra, Edward, and William. Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service in Ted's honor at the Wayne Church 210 S. Wayne Ave., Wayne PA, on February 1, 2019, at 11 A.M., and may call after 9:30 A.M. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ted's memory to the, 480 Norristown Rd., #150, Blue Bell PA or Tyler Arboretum, 515 Painter Road, Media PA

5 OTHER HISTORY NEWS Growing up in the 1960 s, a world still full of weekly and monthly print magazines, the magazine I most looked forward to was the monthly American Heritage magazine. It came in a hardbound volume, that you would read but would not think of throwing away, unlike the regular paper magazines. And inside were wonderful articles by the great historians of the country, along with color photos, drawings and maps. That magazine format has gone the way of the buffalo. But the magazine continues to be published not at the same frequency, but now in digital format. And for a limited time, they are offering free subscriptions to the new digital version of American Heritage, the distinguished magazine of history. Subscribers will receive free digital issues, newsletters, and access to 7,000 essays in our archives. The newsletters will be once-a-month s with history news, reviews, and other items of interest. With their inventory of great articles stretching back over 60+ years, you may never have to buy another history book! For details, go here; ahsociety.org/content/free-subscriptions-american-heritage 2019 HERITAGE AWARDS The Heritage Commission of Delaware County is accepting nominations for the 41st annual preservation awards. The awards honor those who have restored or rehabilitated a building or site; published written material about history or our heritage; contributed to the general public knowledge and awareness of Delaware County history; or created a special program or project highlighting a facet of community history. We have had a number of award winners over the years. If you know of a person or project, please put us in touch with them. Nominations are due Thursday, February 28, For more information, see this link: delcopa.gov/ planning/news/callfornominations.pdf And to view Hanna Bottger s award wonderful winning video, go here: watch?v=vfp-aohnnfy 5

6 Crashing Through the Snow Doug Humes Lydia Hollingsworth was no doubt quite excited when she woke up on the morning of January 30, The 18 year old beauty was going to spend the day in the country, riding in a sleigh with her fiancé, David Lewis. It had been very cold that winter the rivers were frozen enough to support the weight of a horse and sleigh and so she had to dress warmly, many layers to keep out the chill. When David arrived at her parents house in Philadelphia, she said her goodbyes to father Levi and mother Hannah Paschall, and they wished their eldest daughter well, and told her to bring back all of the stories from the busy day planned for her. In a horse drawn sleigh, they passed over the bridge that carried Market Street over the Schuylkill river, and found the Haverford road wending its way to the old Haverford Friends Meeting. Various Lewis families of Welsh Quakers had come to Pennsylvania at William Penn s bidding, and had been fruitful and multiplied over the years in the western townships, particularly Haverford and Newtown. And so those were the planned stops along the way. The trip from the bridge to their first stop was about 14 miles, largely along the Haverford road that exists to this day, and must have taken two or three hours. And their first stop was at a home that also exists today, Pont Reading, the Humphreys home across from the current day Ardmore Junction trolley station. The Humprheys were early residents of the area in fact the local community was named Humprheysville a name which continued until after the Civil War when it took its current name, Bryn Mawr. Like Lydia s father, a Quaker who had served as the Quartermaster of the Light Horse of the City troops during the American Revolution, the Humphreys were apparently fighting Quakers as well. Their son Joshua, about 20 years older than Lydia, had designed and built warships during the Revolution, and a few years later would be selected to Joshua Humphrey house on Haverford Rd at Ardmore Junction build the first warships for the U.S. Navy. Two of those ships survive to this day, the Constitution in Charlestown, Massachusetts (better known as Old Ironsides) and the Constellation, in Baltimore. We do not know who Lydia and David visited there, but it must have been exciting to Lydia to be warmed at their fire and gather the news of the doings of the Haverford Quakers. Back in the sleigh, they headed out to their next stop about seven miles away in Newtown Square. They backtracked to Eagle Road, passed by Old Haverford Friends Meeting and its graveyard along the road, to the Darby and Paoli Road, followed that west. They likely turned left at the small village of Coopertown where several generations of the Litzenberg family made barrels and followed the Marple road down and across Darby Creek and up to the forerunner of the West Chester turnpike, and then on to their destination in Newtown. 6

7 We are not sure who they visited or quite where in Newtown, but they had spent a fair amount of time in traveling, and if they were going to return to Lydia s house in the city, they had a long return trip ahead of them, and a short winter day, with night and rain threatening. When they returned along the Marple-Coopertown road to cross the Darby Creek, David made a fatal error. I will let the one historian who had heard the story firsthand tell it: The party, consisting of Lewis, Lydia, another young lady, and the driver, left the city in the morning in a sleigh, and drove out to Joshua Humphreys, near Haverford meeting-house, and from thence they drove to Newtown; but before they returned the weather moderated and some rain fell, which caused Darby Creek to rise. In approaching the ford (which was on the road leading from the Presbyterian Church to Cooperstown), they were advised not to attempt to cross, but were made acquainted with the existence of a temporary bridge in the meadows above. They drove to the bridge, but the water was rushing over it, and the driver refused to proceed; whereupon Lewis took the lines, and, missing the bridge, plunged the whole party into the flood. All were rescued but Lydia, whose body was not found till the next morning. The feelings of Lewis can be more readily imagined than described. T he young lady was buried at Friends' graveyard, Haverford. In some pathetic rhymes written on the occasion it is stated that 1700 persons attended her funeral." History of Delaware County, George Smith (1862). The pathetic rhyme, written by friend Elizabeth Rutter, picks up the story after the initial accident: At length the rosy fingered morn appears When many friendly people to the shore Did come, the damsel s corpse for to explore As down the stream they went with watchful eye At length the beauteous corpse they did espy They took her up and brought her to the shore Her lovely face, the rugged ice had tore With double grief, beyond the reach of thought He rent his clothes when she to him was brought And in despair his hair tore from his head Crying aloud, My Lydia, My Lydia is dead And so a few days later, the families gathered at the old Haverford Friends Meeting on Eagle road, and held Lydia s funeral. Her parents are interred in that graveyard. So are Joshua Humphreys and historian George Smith for that matter. I suspected that Lydia was there as well and on a visit several winters ago, I found the parents headstones, though I did not find a stone for Lydia. But nearby, I also found a black women s dress glove, one that would fit a slender 18 year old hand. Someone no doubt reaching out to me, through history. And asking to be remembered to you all. 7 Marple Road bridge crossing

8 LOCAL HISTORY? WE WROTE THE BOOK! Following the celebration of the Tricentennial of Newtown Township in 1981, several historically minded residents began researching and gathering stories and pictures into a proposed book that would document the history of the Township. The finished product, History of Newtown Township, was published in a limited edition of 2000 books in The books sold out, and are a treasured possession for those who own them. However, to bring the history inside those pages to more readers, the Historical Society had the entire book scanned in 2007 and put up on its website. While you may occasionally see a copy of the hard back book for sale on Amazon.com or ebay, you can view it online and read it from the convenience of your computer: Since the book was written 35 years ago, some references may not be applicable today. And as with any human endeavor, mistakes or inaccuracies can creep in. If you come across any items that you can improve upon, we welcome your inquiries. We are currently considering updating the book to record what has occurred in the last 35 years, and will consider all additions and corrections at that time. Meanwhile, enjoy some excerpts: American Revolution Rev. William Currie of St. David s Church in the northeast corner of Newtown Township, although a British sympathizer, lost his livestock, silver, linen and food stocks to the British foragers. His was also a divided house, three of his six sons serving in the American army. Tradition states that a number of soldiers wounded in the Battle of Brandywine were sheltered in or near St. David s Church and that sixteen who died were buried in the little hollow west of the gallery steps. Paper Mill The paper mill in Newtown was erected in It used both water and steam for power and employed 16 men and 8 women working a 10-hour day. The main product was wall-paper, producing about 700 tons per year. The raw materials were old rags and paper hauled in from Wayne in wagons. The finished product was shipped out in the same fashion. The mill was destroyed by fire in

9 DR. JOHN GUNKLE THOMAS John Gunkle Thomas was wounded in the line of duty in 1864 near Nashville, Tennessee. After he was captured, Thomas chewed and swallowed the message- containing paper in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy. During the remaining 75 years of his life, until his death (at age 95) later in that year of 1939, Dr. Thomas carried the bullet in his leg, a constant memento of the War Between the States. He was a practicing physician for 70 years, brought more than 2,000 babies into the world and served heroically through smallpox epidemics and the flu epidemic of LISETER HALL FARMS The history in Newtown of another publicspirited family began in 1914 when William Liseter Austin of Rosemont began purchasing farms on the North Newtown Street Road. An official of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, he acquired farms owned by John A. Baity, James P. Calvert and Dr. J. William White. His daughter, Jean L. Austin, married William du Pont, who increased the holdings by purchasing a tract along Goshen Road, bringing the total holdings to 1,000 acres. HISTORY ARTICLES ONLINE William Penn, like all visionaries, had particular ideas about hos life was going to be in his colony So begins our latest article in the January 2018 issue of a new community publication, Newtown Square Friends and Neighbors. You should all receive the print version, but if you don t, you can find it online here: And of course we also have quite a collection of local history articles available at our website. Go here to check them out: newtown-square-history/blogs-and-stories/ Copyright 2019 Newtown Square Historical Society. All rights reserved. P.O. Box 3, Newtown Square, PA info@historicnewtownsquare.org Manage your membership at: 9