Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: April 1996 Volume 34 Number 2, Pages 81–82

Notes and Comments

• Thank You T-E Schools!
• Quarterly Has New Look
• Gen. Anthony Wayne Ceremonies Planned
• Historic Berwyn Tree Falls
• New Superintendent at Valley Forge Park
• Easttown Gets New Police Chief

Page 81

Thank You T-E Schools!

The History Club sends a heartfelt thank you to the T-E School District and especially to Dr. Theodore Foot, Superintendent, and school board member Pat Wood, for their efforts on our behalf in making space available at the Education Services Center (former Berwyn School) to house the club archives and library which had to be moved following Bob Goshorn's death last November. Work is under way on sorting, cataloguing and preserving club papers, photographs and books making up this valuable community resource.

Quarterly Has New Look

The current issue of the Quarterly presents a new look. We hope that you like it. It has been printed using type set on a computer at the Communication Center in Conestoga High School. We thank Dr. Gary Kerschner and his associates JoAnn Ludden and Linda Cresci for their help and much needed technical assistance.

Gen. Anthony Wayne Ceremonies Planned

St. David's Church has announced a fund raising effort to make possible the restoration of the Anthony Wayne monument in its church yard. It hopes to rededicate the monument at a ceremony in 1996 commemorating the 200th anniversary of Gen. Wayne's death, and perhaps will also recreate the four-mile "parade" from Waynesborough, Wayne's home, to the church which occurred on July 4, 1809. Wayne's actual date of death was December 15, 1796.

Page 82

Historic Berwyn Tree Falls

The centuries-old, ungainly white oak tree located on the west side of Waterloo Avenue near the foot of Waters' Hill, about a half mile south of Berwyn, toppled over on Sunday night, March 24, a victim of rotted roots and old age. Known locally as "Travelers' Rest," it was so named, according to tradition, because it was halfway between Valley Forge and Media, and often used by early travelers as a stopping place.

The tree was an historic William Penn oak estimated to be 300 or more years old, according to the book "Penn's Woods 1682 - 1982" by Halfred Wertz and Joy Callender. It stood on the property of Donald and Mary Kane (the old Waters place of the late 1800s). Its trunk had a circumference of 17 feet, 2 inches, measured at a 4-1/2 foot height, and was estimated to weigh nine tons from roots to crotch.

New Superintendent at Valley Forge Park

The National Park Service has announced the appointment of Arthur L. Stewart as the new superintendent of Valley Forge National Historical Park effective January 8, 1996. He replaced Warren "Denny" Beach, who has become the associate field director for education and visitor services of the northeast field area, where he will deal with the operations of 83 national parks from Maine to Virginia. Stewart had been the deputy general superintendent at New York City's 26,000-acre Gateway National Recreation Area since 1989. Beach had served at Valley Forge since 1990.

Easttown Gets New Police Chief

The new year brought the changing of the guard in Easttown as police chief John C. Stillwell retired after 37 years of service. Lieutenant Thomas C. Armstrong, age 42, who worked under Chief Stillwell since joining the department in 1975, was named to succeed him. Stillwell began his career as a patrol officer for Easttown police in 1958, and over the years advanced through the ranks to the chiefs position which he attained in 1982.

The township supervisors and members of the department feted Chief Stillwell at a retirement dinner on January 12, 1996 at Waynesborough Country Club. The 62-year old Stillwell said he will continue to live in Berwyn after his retirement.