Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: January 1983 Volume 21 Number 1, Pages 38–40

Notes and Comments

• Another Recollection of the First Family Car
• Tredyffrin Sites Included in New Chester County Film
• Chester County Flag Introduced
• Historic Sugartown, Inc.

Page 38

Another Recollection of the First Family Car

After reading club members' recollections of the first family car and early "motoring", George "Doc" Roberts, who grew up in Berwyn with his family seventy years ago, wrote to us about his family's first car.

"My father was a country doctor," he wrote, "and never seemed to have an urge to drive the 'newfangled cars', as he was used to his horse and buggy in which his horse could take him home on a dark night without his having to drive,

"However, in the early 1900's, he obtained a one-cylinder Oldsmobile, with a [curved] dash board and a handle for steering, I don't remember that it was ever used, except by my older brother Charlie ...

"The early cars had poor tires and poor brakes. In fact, if a car sat idle on its tires for a period of time, the tires became flat. The brakes were questionable too. Somehow my father got the idea of an emergency brake that could also lift the car up off the tires during storage. He had a model made and attached to a toy car, and also had a mechanic make up the appliance out of strip iron and angle iron.

It was patented, and Dad had an offer of $3000 for it, but turned it down. Soon afterwards, the tires got better and so did the brakes - so his 'invention' became obsolete."

Page 39

Tredyffrin Sites Included in New Chester County Film

Both the Diamond Rock School House and the Whateron Esherick Museumin Tredyffrin are among the places featured in "Chester County: A Quiet Place", a promotional film about Chester County completed last fall. More than 400 business and civic leaders attended the premiere showing of the 18-minute documentary in the ballroom at Longwood Gardens in November.

The film was produced by Art Ciocco, an award-winning filmmaker who resides on East Central Avenue in Paoli. It took more than fourteen months to complete, with footage shot in more than one hundred locations throughout the county. In addition to the history and natural beauty of Chester County, the film portrays its crafts, museums, historic buildings and architecture, agriculture, and way of life.

The movie was produced for the Chester County Tourist Bureau. Funding was by the Tourist Bureau, the Chester County Development Council, and the Chester County Inductrial Development Authority.

Chester County Flag Introduced

At the "Heritage Week" ceremonies at the Court House in West Chesterlast October, the new Chester County flag was unfurled for the first time. Designed by Jan Trembley, of West Goshen Township, it features the elements of the county seal, imposed on an outline map of Chester County, all on a white field. To the left of the map of the county is a cornstalk, while on the right is a laurel branch. Above the motifis an eagle.

A state marker, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the establishment of Chester County, one of the three original counties in Pennsylvania, was also unveiled curing the ceremonies.

Page 40

Historic Sugartown, Inc.

Historic Sugartown, Inc. has been formed as a non-profit corporation for the specific purpose "to acquire, restore, and ultimately preserve the general store buildings [in Sugartown] as they would have appeared in 1889".

This general store complex in neighboring Willistown Township is described as "an important example of 'Rural Crossroads Architecture', ... The earliest portion of this building was constructed shortly after 1800 as a home for a saddler. During the next quarter century, a two-storied general store was added to the site, and in 1850 an elegant third floor 'hall' was completed over the store. This large room served as a meeting place for many organizations centered in the Sugartown area. The large three-storied Victorian home at the northern end of the property was built in 1860, and in 1879, a two-story frame building was added, connecting the dwelling to the general store".

A good portion of the general store complex, it is also noted, remains exactly as it did more than 100 years ago.

Historic Sugartown, Inc.