Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: April 1961 Volume 11 Number 3, Pages 68–69

Kromer Avenue

Elinor C.J. Sensenig

Page 68

In 1886 three Kromer brothers came to. Berwyn from Northhampton County. They were Al., James, a telegrapher in the Berwyn Railroad tower, and Samuel. The latter was also a telegrapher in Berwyn (who, as the story goes, when courting his favorite girl would cease operations on the key and go wooing, much to the consternation of the railroad). He was also a Justice of the Peace, built a hotel (where the Berwyn Hardware store now stands), and erected the first house (between 1886 and 1890) on a lane which was to bear his name. Brother James operated a livery stable in conjunction with the hotel.

Starting at Cassatt Avenue and coming east: on the lefthand corner is the large portecochered home known as "La Carne" (now three apartments) of the Robbs, which has stood for some seventy years. Next on the same side of the street is the shingle bungalow which Dr. Roberts built, then a square brick home (now two apartments) owned successively by the Jenkins, Osbornes and Lockwoods. The next is the turreted and deeply porched brick and slate home built by the Slaymakers, who sold it to the Alexanders (who owned the ice plant). Sitting close to this is a house that has changed hands many times; it was built by the Alexanders. Another square brick establishment was built in approximately 1916 by people by the name of White. A pseudo-Spanish white stucco house comes next with a varied background. It was originally built for the Swanns by Mr. Supplee in 1922, and was carved into apartments during the War, rented, and finally went into private ownership. The only double house on this side of the street was built by Mr. Leslie. The western side of the house is still owned by his daughter as an income property. The other side has had several owners. Miss Stella Miller, until recently, lived in the house bought by her father forty-five or fifty years ago. At the corner of Price and Kromer is a stucco house built by Joe Burns, as was the house directly behind it on Conestoga Road, about sixty years ago.

Coming back again to Cassatt Avenue and looking at the properties on the right-hand side of the road, the two big stone pairs of semi-detached houses (one pair faces Cassatt, the other Station) were built by Mr. Passmore of Malvern in 1910. Station Avenue is believed to have been originally a cow path used by the Widow Reese - who lived in the two-story log house on Conestoga Road, now owned by Wellers - to drive

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her cows to the spring located approximately where the old Bronze site is. Across it is the original house of Samuel Kromer. It was also the home of C. Z. Jones (Berwyn Plumbing and Heating), a show place in its time. Behind that house, where part of Mack Oil is now situated, was Harry Burns' planing mill. This gentleman built the Berwyn School (1908), the Presbyterian Church, and his own home on Kromer Avenue. Along Kromer Avenue Mr. Jones built two pairs of semi-detached houses in 1920-23. Right next to them is another pair of semi-detached houses which were built in 1916 by Burns and Jacobs for the Seemans.

On the corner of Kromer and Price (the other piece of that street) is the house that Harry Burns built. Across Price is the charming home that the Clyde Warners built for themselves in 1926. Next to that is a building which has had an interesting and varied life. It was built by Joseph Petrie (who also built the Manypenny place, formerly Bodine, on Keller Avenue; there is s similarity of architecture as well as use of material there.). John D. Follett was the next owner, trading as "Hester Price", a canning plant producing various pickle delicacies. The place was burned cut in about 1921, and Mr. Warner shortly took it over and completely renovated the back buildings for his dairy. The front building became and still is an apartment (three units). Kromer Avenue was a dead end here, as the Francis farm took up the eight to ten acres of the next tract. It is thought that the extension was pushed through in about 1928. Material gathered with help from Mr. and Mrs. Clyde H. Werner, Miss Dorothy Reed, and Mr. Howard Okie.