"Black Rocks" Located in Lower Merion Township Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Anne Elizabeth Bede University of Pennsylvania
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University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation 1990 The itS e Development of "Black Rocks" Located in Lower Merion Township Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Anne ElizaBeth Bede University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Part of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons Bede, Anne ElizaBeth, "The itS e Development of "Black Rocks" Located in Lower Merion Township Montgomery County, Pennsylvania" (1990). Theses (Historic Preservation). 401. http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/401 Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Bede, ElizaBeth Anne (1990). The Site Development of "Black Rocks" Located in Lower Merion Township Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/401 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The itS e Development of "Black Rocks" Located in Lower Merion Township Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Disciplines Historic Preservation and Conservation Comments Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Bede, ElizaBeth Anne (1990). The Site Development of "Black Rocks" Located in Lower Merion Township Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/401 '.^^It^M'i: :';•! mi :f*;':t ui; Sv'j;!S"' K)w^:'fi) :i^''isr ri;'- ^BiMii ti'lv jt:m iff' Um^m:>i'M m'<i'''fj W' ^'?f: ;ti:tf! 5SifN# UNIVERSITVy PENNSYL\^\NIA. UBRARIES THE SITE DEVELOPMENT OF "BLACK ROCKS" LOCATED IN LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA ElizaBeth Anne Bede A THESIS in The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation Presented to the faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE 1990 cturer, Historic Preservation, Advisor ^/U^ ogei/Jnoss , Lecturer, Historic Preservation, Reader M4-4^r^/m^ id G. Deirefig, Graduate Group Chairman "^'hhL^ 1110 an UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARIES TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements iii List of Figures iv Preface vii Introduction viii Chapter One: Indians: The Original Inhabitants 1 Chapter Two: The Great Welsh Tract 18 Chapter Three: The Agricultural Suburb 47 Chapter Four: The Emergence of the Main Line 78 Chapter Five: The Commuting Suburb 137 Conclusion 185 Appendix A: Chain of Title 190 Appendix B: Deeds: Land Conveyances 202 Appendix C: Roberts Family 205 Appendix D: Egbert Family 206 Appendix E: Sayres Family 207 Appendix F: Memberships of Edward Stalker Sayres 208 Appendix G: Barnard Family 209 Appendix H: Durham & Irvine Correspondence 210 Appendix I: Thomas Sears Correspondence 216 Appendix J: Mortar Analysis 225 Selected References 292 ii . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I extend my warmest thank yous to the Mailing family for opening up their home to me. I especially thank Nancy Mailing for all her assistance and enthusiasm. I am grateful for all the kindness and support that made this undertaking possible. Secondly, I would like to thank my advisor, John Milner, for his time and patience. The imparted expertise, during site visits, meetings and throughout my endless barrage of questioning, was immensely invaluable and appreciated. I also thank Roger Moss for his time and valuable editorial comments. Additional thanks are extended to George Thomas for granting me a site interview, to Jean Wolf for her endless assistance concerning the mechanics of this thesis, and to Lisa Johan ingsmeier for her laboratory assistance In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge and thank all the individuals I have encountered during my educational career at The University of Pennsylvania. This thesis is a culmination of the concepts stimulated, provoked, and imparted by professors, colleagues and various other individuals. Thank you all for sharing and enriching my education Ill LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Location of Black Rocks in Lower Merion Figure 2: William Penn ' s Purchases from the Indians Figure 3: Old Tree growing through Indian Council Rock' Figure 4: John Levering ' s Map of the Township of Lower Merion, Montgomery County, PA — 1851 Figure 5: 1856/1900 Extant Datestone Figure 6: Site Map of Hamilton Egbert's 1871 Estate Figure 7: Site Map of Hamilton Egbert's 1896 Estate Figure 8: Portrait of Edward Stalker Sayres Figure 9: Site Map of Edward S. Sayres 1900 Estate Figure 10: 1911 Property Survey for Edward S. Sayres Figure 11: View of Gentleman Garden and Barn Figure 12: View of Sloping Meadow down to Mill Creek Figure 13: South Elevation, Furness, Evans & Co., 1900 Figure 14: North Elevation, Furness, Evans & Co., 1900 Figure 15: South Elevation, c.1937 Figure 16: North Elevation, c.1937 Figure 17: West Elevation, Furness, Evans & Co,, 1900 Figure 18: West Elevation, c.1937 Figure 19: North Portico of western section, c.1937 Figure 20: East Elevation, Furness, Evans & Co., 1900 Figure 21: East Elevation, c.1937 Figure 22: First Floor Plan, Furness, Evans & Co., 1900 Figure 23: Second Floor Plan, Furness, Evans & Co., 1900 Figure 24: Loft/Third Floor Plan, Furness, Evans & Co., 1900 IV Figure 25 Hall Staircase, c.1910, Furness, Evans & Co. Figure 26 Hall Fireplace, c.1910, Furness, Evans & Co. Figure 27 Curved Window surrounds Figure 28 Servant's passageway Figure 29 Extant Dormers Figure 30 Main Entry, South Facade, c.1937 Figure 31 North Facade Figure 32 West Facade Figure 33 Hall Joists over south entry Figure 34 Scheme B, Proposal by Durham & Irvine East Elevation and First Floor Plan Figure 35; 1937 Durham & Irvine Design, South, East and North Facades Figure 36; South Facade of Black Rocks Figure 37; South Facade of Durham & Irvine's eastern addi tion Figure 38 Southeast corner of Durham & Irvine's addition Figure 39 Brick Terrace, South Facade Figure 40 First Floor Plan, Durham & Irvine, 1937 Figure 41 Second and Third Floor Plans, Durham & Irvine, 1937 F igure 42 Dining Room Figure 43 Dining Room Fireplace, Durham & Irvine Figure 44 Pent Eave of North Facade Figure 45 Living Room Fireplace, Durham & Irvine Figure 46 Hall Fireplace, Durham & Irvine Figure 47 Hall Fireplace, Durham & Irvine Figure 48 Scheme A, Living Room Cupboard, Durham & Irvine : Figure 49: Living Room Cupboard Figure 50: Living Room Cupboard Figure 51 Drawing for Hall Staircase Renovations, Durham & Irvine, 1937 Figure 52: Hall after Durham & Irvine Renovations Figure 53: Hall Staircase after Durham & Irvine Renovations Figure 54: Scheme A: Study for Garden, Drawing of Thomas Sears, 1938 Figure 55: Scheme B: Study for Garden, Drawing of Thomas Sears, 1938 Figure 56: Black Rocks Garden Plan, Thomas Sears, 1939 Figure 57: Planting List for Black Rocks, Thomas Sears, 1939 Figure 58 Extant Tenant House Figure 59 View of Present Living Room Figure 60 JBrracB walls built by George Barnard Figure 61 hap of Property of George Barnard, 1967 Figure 62 Black Rocks 1990 VI ^ PREFACE Throughout history the treatment and arrangement of shelter have revealed more about a particular people than any other products of the creative arts. Housing is an outward expression of the inner humans nature; no society can be fully under- stood apart from the residences of its members. Kenneth T. Jackson^ Furthermore, Norberg-Shulz suggests that architecture extends beyond a mere aid of subsistence; it encompasses the total process of living. Throughout history societal perceptions of individuals or groups have been molded in part by their method of dwelling. The symbiotic relationship between function and aesthetics yields a sense of place indicative of its creator and its inhabitants, as well as society as a whole. While a structure reflects all of these influences to some extent, how one determines responsibility for any one component is by examining the principle motivators of its design and function. Thus while one cannot fully comprehend any society without an examination of its housing form, the converse is also true. One cannot fully physically, aesthetically or socially locate a structure without a conscious acknowledgement of the society in which it was built. The two are not mutually exclusive. The complex interdependence of form and social reality is a fundamental aspect examined in the field of historic preservation. vii INTRODUCTION This thesis is an attempt to trace the transition of a particular site within its societal context. The site chosen, "Black Rocks", is located at 636 Black Rock Road, Bryn Mawr, in the township of Lower Herion, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. (Figure 1) This thesis sketches the evolution of Black Rocks from the colonial settlement to the present. Each chapter is divided into two sections. Section A provides an overview of the events and trends of society for a specific time period. Section B traces the activities directly related to Black Rocks within the contextual setting provided in Section A. The foundation for this research was attained during the summer and fall of 1988. The author and another consultant conducted a township-wide survey of the cultural and historical resources in Lower Merion. Black Rocks was one of approximately one hundred sites for which