Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: July 2003 Volume 40 Number 3, Pages 110–111

Notes and Comments

Page 110

Club Officers and Meetings

At its March 30 meeting the Club elected officers to fill two existing vacancies. Roger D. Thorne will be president, and Sue Andrews will be first vice president. In addition, the Club voted to accept the generous offer made by the Easttown Library & Information Center of meeting room space in their new building. The Club continues to meet at the usual time, 2 p.m., on the last Sunday of the month. All those interested in local history are cordially invited to attend future programs. Refreshments are served.

Watercolor Painting of Tredyffrin 1777 Scene

Images captured on the spot by artists or photographers documenting events of one hundred or more years ago are indeed rare. Recent research in England by local historian Thomas J. McGuire, author of the book, Battle of Paoli, has brought to light two watercolors made at the time of the British army's Philadelphia Campaign in 1777. McGuire published an article last Fall in Pennsylvania Heritage magazine about the paintings, and on April 1 he lectured to a group at the Tredyffrin Library arranged by the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust.

The two small watercolors, one a scene of the Battle of Brandywine, and the other of part of the British camp at Tredyffrin, were discovered in a British officer's journal. The journal is in the library of the University of Durham, England, in the papers of General Charles Grey, the first Earl Grey. Grey is remembered as the man who commanded the British troops at the battle known locally as the "Paoli Massacre." How he came to possess the items is not known. The artist and author of the journal was Ensign William Augustus West, styled Viscount Cantelupe, of the Royal Army's Brigade of Guards.

Page 111

The Tredyffrin scene, one of the two watercolors, is identified in Cantelupe's handwriting across the top as "Dragoon Encampment at Trydyffinn 1777 September 19." From a map later published by Captain John Andre, it can be ascertained that the light dragoon encampment was immediately behind the Guards camp, located on a small hill just south of Swedesford Road. Both units were the troops stationed closest to General Howe's headquarters. Apparently Cantelupe sat down on the south side of this hill and drew what was before him, a wooded hillside called the South Valley hill, with fenced meadows and plowed fields.

Long-Time Paoli Pastor Retires

The Rev. Dr. Richard Streeter of Paoli Presbyterian Church retired on March 17, 2002 after 31 years leading the parish. Highlights of his pastorate were the erection of the new sanctuary in 1985, moving the original small wooden chapel building from downtown Paoli to the new church campus in 1986, exceeding the goal of giving 50% to missions in 1987, and an increase in church membership to over 700 persons while he led the church.

Buildings Demolished

In recent years, the impetus of escalating land costs has led to the demolition and rebuilding of a number of local residences on the same site. This practice now extends to local businesses. The clubhouse at the Waynesborough Country Club was demolished about April 1 to make way for a rebuild. The Sunoco service station at the corner of Darby Road and Lancaster Avenue in Paoli came down as part of a project for executive offices at the Malvern Savings Bank. And the buildings on the First Baptist Church property south of Berwyn were demolished May 23 to make way for houses.

In Devon, on Lancaster Avenue, between the John H. Ansley photography studio and the WAWA, the 47-year-old Devon Furniture Shop disappeared under the wrecker's ball near the end of June. When it opened in 1956, it was known as the Early American Shop operated by Ed and Edna Dietrich. On January 1, 1972, Eugene Myers took over the business, followed by his son Scott. Mercedes-Benz of Devon brought the property from Myers to expand its auto sales dealership located across the street.