The
T Have
H erfo
ord H
Heraald
Fall, 2015
www.haverrfordhistoricaalsociety.org
HTHS FALL Meeting
M
g
Upccoming Events: Octo
ober 2 Okto
oberfest @ Nitre
e Hall 7 PM
M – 10 PM Octo
ober 21 HTH
HS Annual Fall M
Meeting @Haverford Twp Frree Library 6:300 PM “Raiilways in Haverford Township” @ H
Haverford Twp Free Library 7 PM
M Deccember 6 Holiiday House Tourr 1 PM
M – 4 PM Junee 5 HTH
HS Heritage Festival 11 A
AM to 4 PM Wednesdaay, October 21 6:30 PM
M @ Haverfo
ord Twp. Fre
ee Library Haverford TTownship Histtorical Societ y members aare encouraged to attend our Annual F
Fall
Meeting on
n Wednesdayy, October 221, 2015 at 6:30 PM, do
ownstairs at the Haverfo
ord
Township Frree Library. The meetingg is being held ahead of thhe 7 PM publlic presentation of “Railwaays In Haverfford
Township.” The meetingg will includee brief news aand reports o
on Historical Society activiities
as well as a “members on
nly” showing of Jenna Mieele’s video on
n historic buildings, progra
ams,
and collectio
ons of the Haverford Townnship Historiccal Society. P
Please join uss! “Railw
ways in Haverfford To
ownship”
Wednesdayy, Octoberr 21 7:00 P
PM @ Haverford Twp. Free
e Library The Haverfo
ord Township
p Historical S ociety and th
he Haverford
d Township FFree Library
are teamingg up again to host an evenning of ”visu
ual history” eentertainmen
nt at 7 PM,
October 21
1, 2015 at the t Library ( Mill Road an
nd Darby Road, Havertow
wn). HTHS
history reseaarcher, Rich K
Kerr, will be ppresenting “Railways In Haaverford Tow
wnship.” Insid
de this Issue: Jenna Miele’s video HTHS, p. 2 Mysttery Item!, p. 3 work, William Richter Artw
p. 4 & 5 hua Humphrey o
of Haverford: “Josh
the C
Crucial Role of H
His Ships…”, p. 6 Upco
oming Events, p..7 New
wspaper Clippingg from 1846, p. 8 Photo from “Ha
avertown Then a
and Now” mashhup series from FFacebook group “Growin’ Up In H
Havertown” West Chester Pik
W
ke by Manoa Shoopping Center Included will w
be the
e Philadelphhia and
Columbia Railroad R
(parrt of Pennsyylvania’s
early “Main Line of Publlic Works”), tthe later
Pennsylvaniaa Railroad (PRR) main l ine, the
PRR New
wtown Squaare Branchh, the
Philadelphiaa and West Chester Traction
Company (“Red Arrow”) trolley lines to West
Chester and
d Ardmore, the t Philadelpphia and
Western Railway R
line to Straffoord and
Norristown, and the ne
ever‐built PR R Darby
Creek Low G
Grade Line. D
Don’t miss a d elightful
trip back into our commu
unity history!
Lllanerch Junction
n ‐ West Chester Pike (looking west) and Darbyy Road (heading
g north). The coorner building in
n the center is wh
here Llanerch Park (wiith its mural) is n
now Paage 2 off 8
HT
THS Neewslettter
Co
oming attraction
a
n: Jenn
na Miele’s video HTHS
The Historical SSociety is very grateful tto Jenna Mie
ele, a ol, who has sspent seniior at Haverrford Senior High Schoo
threee months planning, filming and editing a video v
high
hlighting th
he historic buildings, programs, and colleections of ou
ur Society. The idea for a video originated with Boaard memberr Rich Kerrr. Nancy Diamond, consultant to our Board, B
conttacted the SSchool District’s Public R
Relations Dirrector Amaanda Larsen
n who led us to Englissh teacher Elyse Barrrett. Ms. Baarrett identified Jenna aas a studentt with the talents and interest nee
eded to take on the project. Jenn
na began the project byy outlining specific shotss and scen
nes to incllude along with the required scene s
tran
nsitions, dete
ermining intterview topiics, and sele
ecting the music. Ne
ext, she film
med interviews with Board B
mem
mbers Irene Coffey (Pre
esident), Rich Kerr (Histo
orical Reseearcher), an
nd Amy Wo
olfe (Educatiion Directorr and Treaasurer) and
d also with Haverforrd High En
nglish teacchers Elyse B
Barrett and Sarah Chaga Crispin. In the videeo, both Ms. Barrett and a
Ms. Crrispin, long time Haverford To
ownship residents, enthusiasttically reco
ounted theirr experience
es as studentts in the Colonial Livin
ng and Fed
deral Schoo
ol programss. The video v
inclu
udes a live
ely “selfie” of Jenna who w
shared
d her teacchers’ excite
ement for th
he school programs. Baacking up tthe interview
ws are wond
derful image
es of our hisstoric buildings and co
ollections an
nd of the Herritage Festivval. Jennna has loveed filming an
nd editing siince she was a cchild and sshe plans tto major in broadcast jouurnalism in ccollege. This is the larrgest project shee’s undertakken but shee says the challenge of working with sso much footage, striving to edit the
e sceenes to creaate the imp
pression shee envisioned
d, andd deciding w
what to cut aand what to
o retain were
e greeat experiencces. Thee video waas totally aa volunteer project for Jennna. It was not part of a class or a club activityy andd she didn’t receive any course cred
dit for it. But shee has earned the respeect and grattitude of the
e Hisstorical Socieety’s Board, of her teacchers, and of wnship. all tthose affiliatted with Havverford Tow
Pla ns are in motion to air Jenna’’s video on
n Havverford To
ownship’s cable ch
hannels 10
0 (Coomcast) or 338 (Verizon) and on You
uTube under thee title “The Haverforrd Township Historica
al Socciety”. Lookk for it in the near futuree! From left to right: HTHS p
president, Irene C
Coffey, Jenna M
Miele, & HTHS Trreasurer, Amy W
Wolfe
Please take
e a moment to
t remit yourr 2015 Historrical Societyy Membersh
hip Dues.
Your ongoing support allow
ws us to contin
nue our effortss to preserve and promote local history in
n our ndividual Mem
mbership: $15, Family Membe
ership: $25, Coontributing Orgganization: $40
0 community! In
Send your che
eck made payable to “HTHS” to PO Box 825
5, Havertown, PPA 19083 `
Paage 3 off 8
HT
THS Neewslettter
P:\hths\newslettters\2015 NewsLetterr
M
Mystery Ittem! Can
n you hellp
uss identify
y this artiifact??
HT
THS thannks sponsorrs
of tthe 2015 H
Heritage
Fesstival and tthe Historiical
Socciety. We couldn’t do
d
it w
without yo
ou! “This attractive artifact is part p
of the Historical
H
Society’s collection but its purpose p
is a mystery.
Can
n anyone iden
ntify this item
m? You may email us
at iinfo@haverfo
ordhistoricalssociety.org to
o let us
kno
ow what you think it is. Next newsle
etter, we
will let you know
w what we fo
ound out. There are
man
ny mysterious items in ou
ur collection!! This is
but one of them! We are
e always loo
oking for
assistance with tthis type of w
work! Hoo
opty’s Pizza
Wagner Real Esstate
Vernalicious
Judyy Winters, Frrameworks of
o
Delaware Countty
Wha
at is this item??
Jeffrey Wolfe, C
Carpentry
Suzanne Guelli Design
DIID YOU
U KNO
OW…
The Colonial Liviing Program, a living history
expeerience for fifth f
grade students s
run
n by
the Haverford Township T
Historical Socciety
ollaboration with the Scchool Districct of
in co
Haveerford Tow
wnship, waas awarded
d a
Certtificate of Commend
dation by the
Ameerican Assocciation for State S
and Local
L
Histo
ory in 1975. The program, conceive
ed in
1973
3, immediately caught tthe attention of
the wider histo
orical comm
munity, and has
been
n a favorite among students and
teacchers for ove
er forty yearss.
Merrje Design
Thee Artifactori
Brew
w Your Own Beer
on
Mossquito Platoo
Havverford Townnship Civic
Couuncil
Certificate of f Commendationn by the American Asssociation for State and Local History in 19775 Paage 4 off 8
HT
THS Neewslettter
FRO
OM OUR COLLEC
CTION
The H
Haverford Township Hisstorical Sociiety is fortunate to curate a large collection off textiles, ph
hotographs, books, tools and many other items of historicc relevance to our munity. Man
ny are unaw
ware, howeve
er, of our co
ollection comm
of original artworrk produced by Haverforrd residents. One ssuch residen
nt was Wilme
er S. Richterr, who lived w
with his familyy on Pennsyylvania Aven
nue in the Brookline B
secction of the to
ownship. Richteer began drrawing at an
n early age. Seeing his artistic talentts, his moth
her encouraaged that interest. His father, howeever, wanted
d him to be a pianist. O
Only after prracticing piano
o for one ho
our a day was he allowed to bring out his paints. The piano lessons paaid off, how
wever, when Richter s
by playing piano
o in his paid his way through art school her’s orchesttra.; broth
A31. Coobbs Creek at Fo
ord Cobbs CCreek at Ford (ha
alf way between
n Manoa & Mill R
Rds) May 311, 1942 William
m S. Richter A300. Cobbs Creek a
at Ford Pencil Skketch Cob
bbs Creek at Ford
d (half way betw
ween Manoa and
d Mill Roads) Mayy 31, 1942 William S. Richter `
At aage 18 Rich
hter made $18 a wee
ek workking in an eengraving sh
hop. He alsso drew
w opera sscenes for a German magaazine published along with th
he records produceed by the V
Victor Talkin
ng hine Company, later kno
own as RCA. Mach
Richtter attended
d the Philad
delphia Statte Scho
ool and thee Philadelph
hia School of o
Fine Arts. Whilee in the servvice in World War I he madee many skettches of wa
ar scenes. After the war h
he began to t
markket his arttwork, notaably to th
he Saturday Evenin
ng Post. He joined th
he Philaadelphia Sketch Club in 1918, an organization kno
own for meentoring and exhib
biting manyy of our nation’s to
op artistts and illustrrators. Paage 5 off 8
HT
THS Neewslettter
mer Richter became a hiighly successsful commerrcial artist, Wilm
and resided in the Philadelphia area until u
his retirement in 1947
7. He took aa teaching jo
ob at the Rin
ngling Schoo
ol of Art in Saraasota, Florida, where he
e taught draawing, adverrtising art, land
dscapes and still life. Ricchter continu
ued to draw
w and paint into his late 90’ss, when failing eyesight forced him to give up his llife’s work. He remained active in the arts, however, even
n headliningg a one man
n art show in
n Florida. H
He passed away in 1994 at age 103. Rich
hter’s reputaation as a fine artist pre
esented him
m with the oppo
ortunity to judge art shows s
at bo
oth the Pen
nnsylvania Acad
demy of Fine Arts and
d the Acad
demy of Fin
ne Arts in Saraasota, Floridaa. He receivved the Life Class Medal from the Philaadelphia Ske
etch Club, and is listed in the Who
o’s Who in Ameerican Art. The 38 pencil sketches and four water w
colorrs in our colleection include scenes from the Cobbs C
Creek area of Haveerford Town
nship, and d
date from 19
924 to 1940. Richter said of these ske
etches, “As I write this, I am occupie
ed making penccil drawings of certain, sometimes unknown sp
pots, often misssed by tourrists because of lack of o time, or not being aware of these iinteresting p
places.” A229. Karakung Drrive just beyond
d Nitre Hall Pencil Sketch 1942 William S.. Richter Nitre Hall penccil sketch – Williaam Richter 19322
Paage 6 off 8
HT
THS Neewslettter
FR
ROM THE
E ARCHIIVES…
“Jo
oshua Hump
phrey of Haaverford: thee Crucial Ro
ole of his
Shiips During the
t Infancy of
o the New Republic ”
by Dick
k Walker
During the twenty years from
m 1795 to 1815, 1
the new
wborn Unite d der attack by three diffe
erent foreign
n powers th e Statees came und
Barb
bary States, France and England. The
e U.S. respo
onse to thes e attaccks owed much m
of its ultimate succcess to the genius of a Philaadelphia Quaker and navaal architect, named Joshu
ua Humphreyy, born
n in Haverford
d Township. Joshua, grandson of Daniiel Humphreyy, who emigrated from f
Wales in i 1682 and settled in Haverford, waas apprrenticed to Ph
hiladelphia sh
hip carpenterr (Penrose) an
nd because oof his ttalent was placed in charrge of the sh
hipyard upon
n his master’’s deatth. USSS Constitution In th
he late 18th and early 19th
h centuries, p
piracy and the
e white slave trade were the major industries of fou
ur Arab statess on th
he north coasst of Africa. M
Morocco, Algiers, Tunis and
d Tripoli, knoown as the Baarbary States,, were attacking merchantt shipss in the Med
diterranean. These T
states acted indep
pendently, altthough they were supposedly part off the Turkish
h Empire. The “Chrristian Infidelss” that they ccaptured werre held for raansom or sold
d as slaves, and made to w
work in chain
n ganggs. Women w
were put into harems. Gre
eat Britain and France werre paying hugge sums of “p
protection m
money” to the
e pirattes so that th
heir merchantt ships would
d not be seize
ed. When thee U.S. became independent from Britaain, American
n shipss became prim
me targets. In
n July, 1785 ttwo American
n ships were seized and tw
wenty‐one Am
mericans werre forced into
o slavee labor. John Jay in Philade
elphia instruccted John Adaams in Londoon, to negotiaate with the B
Barbary States. The treaty
y with Tripoli cost 30,000 Guine
eas plus L.3,0
000 for the Sultan’s S
Envooy. Still, the U
U.S. did not h
have a Navy and in 1793,, eleveen US merch
hant ships we
ere taken by the Algerian
ns, their crew
ws enslaved. Because of these atrocities, Presidentt Washington asked Congress fo
or money to b
build warships to protect U
US shipping. FFinally in Marrch, 1794 Con
ngress passed
d er the Revoluution, the firsst US Congreess had been
n reluctant to
o a bill to provide funds for sixx frigates for a navy. (Afte
provvide a standin
ng army or naavy because iit did not want to give poower to the central govern
nment.) Secreetary of War,, Henrry Knox chose
e Humphrey and his partn
ner, John Foxx to design thhe ships. Togeether these ttwo Quakers designed the
e stron
ngest and fasstest warshipss built at the time. The sixx ships were eeach to be bu
uilt at differen
nt ports the U
USS Congresss at Portsmouth, USS U Constitu
ution at Bostton, USS Pre
esident at Neew York; USS United Staates at Philadelphia; USS
S Baltimore and
d the USS Che
esapeake at N
Norfolk. Thesee six frigates slid down the ramps in 17
797 and soon
n Consstellation at B
provved to the wo
orld that Hum
mphrey’s designs for longe
er, wider vesssels, rising low from the w
water, could out‐run, out‐‐
maneuver and ou
ut‐shoot any ship on the o
ocean. The new frigates ddefended meerchant ships against the FFrench in the
e West Indies and o
on Lakes Erie and Champlaain in the Waar of 1812. In May 1801 Prresident Jeffeerson refused
d to pay more
e tribu
ute and sent aa squadron off ships to Trip
poli. In 1805 U
US Marines sttormed the haarbor and raised the flag o
over Tripoli.
Over the next te
en years, the US alternaately fought and made treaties with th
he pirates. Finally F
in 1815 Presiden
nt Madison D
with
h a squadro
on of ten sh
hips to the sentt Stephen Decatur Med
diterranean and force
ed a surrender, releaase of all priso
oners and merchandisse taken from f
U.S. ships and paym
ment of dam
mages. The many victo
ories that Humphrey’s H
ships and their crews achie
eved gave the US the freedom f
to trade world‐wid
de without interference
e, to becom
me a world pow
wer and to e
establish its economy. Jo
oshua Hump
phrey lived the last 30 yearss of his life aat Pont Reading in Haverrford. `
Joshua Humphrey’s headstone – Old Haverforrd Friends Meetting Burial Groun
nd Paage 7 off 8
HT
THS Neewslettter
Upcom
ming Evvents
HT
THS Ok
ktoberfeest Funddraiser:
Frid
day, Octoberr 02, 2015 7 PM
M – 10 PM @
@ Nitre Hall This year marks th
he 8th Annual draiser Eventt Oktoberfest Fund
uring, our annual beerr featu
gardeen (with 5 seasonal beers),, light themed
d German refreeshments, and music byy Slippin' 50.
Friends and non‐me
embers are we
elcome to attend this event aat urchase ticketss ahead in casse the rregular price. It's best to pu
the eevent fills. H
HTHS F
Fall Meetting:
W
Wednesday, O
October 21, 2015 6:30 PM @ H
Haverford Tw
wp. Free Librrary H
HTHS presen
ents…
Railwa
ays in H
Haverfo
ord
Tow
wnship
(oopen to the p
public) W
Wednesday, October 21,, 2015 7:00 PM @ H
Haverford Tw
wp. Free Lib
brary
If you
u are not curre
ently a membe
er or you need
d to renew, yo
ou can p
purchase or ren
new your mem
mbership to takke advantage o
of the d
discounted tickket price. $20 / ticket for member
m
& $2
25 / ticket forr non membe
er.
Checck our website
e for more information.
20115 Holidday Housse Tourr:
Sund
day, Decemb
ber 06, 2015
5 1 PM
M – 4 PM Tickeets are $25
5 for non‐m
members, an
nd $20 for mem
mbers. Ticket locationss will be Nittre Hall and 500 E. Manoa Road the dayy of the tour. The Holiday Ho
ouse Tour 20
015 is Deceember 6, so marrk your calen
ndars! Plea
ase call Terrri Dougherty
y @ 610-449-1571 with
quesstions.
110th Annu
ual Herittage Festiival
aalong Karak
kung Drive
SSunday, June 5, 2016
6 111 AM to 44 PM
FIND US ON
NLINE! Faccebook: ww
ww.facebookk.com/Haverrford.Historical
Flicckr: ww
ww.flickr.com
m/haverford
dhistorical Tw
witter: @H
HaverfordHisst YoouTube: Havverford Town
nship Historical Society
Paage 8 of 8
HT
THS Neewslettter
N
Newspapeer Clippping from
m 1846!
his is an article in an old Philadelphia newspaper called c
The Onne Dollar Th
Paaper. The One dollar Pape
er boast on its i front page
e that it is a “Family Peeriodical – Devoted to Literature, Domestic and Foreignn news, Ag
griculture, Edu
ucation, Finance, Amusem
ments, &c. – IN
NDEPENDENTT ON ALL SU
UBJECTS.” It was publishe
ed by A.H. Simmons and Co., at the ccorner of Th
hird and Chesstnut Streets. The name The Dollar Newspaper com
mes from itss price, which cost one dollar d
for a year. This paarticular edittion was Vo
olume numbe
er IV, Number 48 and wass printed for W
Wednesday m
morning, Deecember 16, 1
1846. he article itse
elf is about gu
un cotton, an
n explosive m
material that bboth the Th
Un
nited States and England
d were expe
erimenting with w
at the time. It exxplains that gun cotton is much more volatile and w
will explode at lower temperatures. A quote form
m the article states that they will not be using gu
un cotton an
ny time soon
n. “…a repo
ort by Captain Mordecai,i, of the Orrdnance Dep
partment, at a Washingtton, which says that without mo
odification off this agent, or a great ch
hange in ourr firearms, thhe use of gu
un cotton for military purp
poses is not to be recomm
mended.” Thhe article co
ontinues to explain e
through that even
n though it may m not be used for miilitary purposes it probaably could find great success in thee mining ind
dustry.
HAV
VERFORD TOWNSHIIP
HIISTORICAL
L SOCIETY
Y
PO Box
x 825
Havertown, PA 19083
NEW PH
HONE #:
(484) 45
52-3382
E-MA
AIL:
info@haverfordhis
storicalsociety.o
org
We’re on the Web!
See us
u at:
ww
ww.haverfordhis
storicalsociety.o
org
`