Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: January 1999 Volume 37 Number 1, Pages 32–36

Notes and Comments

Pages 32-34

World War 1917-1918 Memorial

The stone memorial honoring Easttown and Tredyffrin veterans of the World War (later known as World War I) was relocated in early December. It now stands on Lancaster avenue at the southern entrance to the new pedestrian way bridging the railroad tracks on Cassatt avenue at the Berwyn station, less than 100 feet from the small patch of land behind the Lamborn building where it was originally dedicated.

Later it was placed at the corner of Midland and Berwyn avenues on the lawn of what was then the new Easttown township building in 1958. When the township offices moved to a wing of the former Easttown school in 1982, the memorial was installed on the school lawn on the south side of First avenue.

Coincidentally, the relocation to the bridge plaza, called by some the new Berwyn town center, came very near the 80th anniversary of the Armistice which ended the war on November 11,1918. A transcription of the names of the veterans recorded on the memorial appears below. Those killed in action or who died of disease are marked with an asterisk.

World War 1917 - 1918
In honor of the men of Easttown and Tredyffrin Townships who answered their country's call.

Page 34

Berwyn Bank Office Reopens

Malvern Federal Savings Bank has taken over the bank building at 650 Lancaster avenue in Berwyn, original home of Berwyn National Bank organized in 1888. After a succession of mergers, Berwyn lost its hometown bank office which was closed by CoreStates Bank in February of 1998.

After renovations it reopened as a branch of Malvern Federal on September 14. The Malvern bank traces its history to 1887, just one year earlier than the date the old Berwyn bank carved in the date stone of the building it will now use. Incidentally, Malvern Federal itself was the survivor in a merger with The Berwyn Building & Loan Association in 1979.

Local Golfer Scores Again

Jay Sigel, of Berwyn, posted his second win of 1998 in the final event of the Senior PGA Tour on October 23-25 at Kaanapali (Hawaii) North Golf Club on the island of Maui. His scores of 61 - 72 - 68, a 12-under par 201 total, gave him a two-stroke win (the 61 was a new course record).

Page 35

Sigel also won the early season Bell Atlantic Classic held at Hartefeld National Golf Course in New Garden May 22-24, only 25 miles from his Easttown home. He is now a six-time winner on the Senior Tour.

Two Landmarks Disappear

As the year 1998 closed two Tredyffrin landmarks disappeared before the wrecking ball. The carriage house of the former Kendrick estate "Tinybrook" [Tigh-Na-Bruaich] which until the beginning of December stood at the south end of the Tredyffrin Library parking lot in Strafford was removed because of the escalating cost of maintenance. On Lancaster Avenue in Devon at the south east corner of Valley Forge Road, the former Hill's Seafood Market was demolished to make way for future office development.

Library Coverlet Depicts Historic Sites

The Friends of Easttown Library has placed on sale a 48 x 64 inch coverlet which depicts nine historic community sites (Berwyn School, Upper Main Line YMCA, Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, Historic Waynesborough, Berwyn Train Station, Footlighters Theater, Hilltop, [Devon] Log Cabin, and Berwyn Fire Company) surrounding a sketch of the proposed new Library. The coverlet designed by Holly Reed, chairperson of the project, will be sold by the Library as part of its multi-year $3 million expansion and improvement campaign which got under way in November.

Page 36

Club Meeting Draws Large Crowd

The Club's meeting in the Trinity Presbyterian Church Education Building on November 22, 1998, scheduled in conjunction with the Easttown Library Fall series of Chester County History programs, drew a crowd of upwards of 180 persons to see and hear noted lecturer and artist, Ted Xaras, present a slide-illustrated lecture about the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line -- Then and Now. The Philadelphia Chapter, Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society, also joined in co-sponsoring the affair and honored Mr. Xaras after the lecture at a reception held in the renovated Historic Wayne Station. It was a BIG day!

Reconstructed Bridge Reopens

The bridge carrying Valley Forge Road and Devon State Road over the Conrail/Trenton Cut-off railroad tracks in Tredyffrin township, by the Baptist Church in the Great Valley, reopened on October 22, 1998. It had been closed for nine months by a PennDOT $1.9 million reconstruction project. Its original construction, with timber floor beams that carried only three tons, dated to 1891 (before the automobile era) when the low-grade rail line known as the Trenton Cut-off was put through. In 1921 it was reinforced with steel beams.

Used by 9000 vehicles a day, the new bridge measures 40 feet in width and 60 feet in length and carries two 12-foot travel lanes, each with eight-foot shoulders. PennDOT also reconstructed the roadway approaches to the bridge, realigned the intersection of Devon State and Valley Forge Roads to improve sight distances and improved drainage by installing pipes and inlets.

Club Banquet

At the annual Club banquet on October 21,1998, members and friends heard a presentation titled "Soldiers and Sweethearts: Music of the Revolution" featuring folk singer/recording artist Sally Jane Denk and Colonial re-enactor Thomas Stolfi, a member of the Second Pennsylvania and Forty-third Regiment of Foot re-enactment units. Ms. Denk's ballads and folk songs, many from her CD "Bard of the Brandywine", portrayed life on the home front, while Mr. Stolfi, in regimental uniform, sang songs of the 18th century soldier.