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History of Mifflin School, by Erin Lehman
Erin Lehman has written a two-part history of Thomas Mifflin School, published in the November and December issues of East Falls NOW. Click here to read it.
Samuel T. Wagner House added to Philadelphia Register
At its meeting on June 14, 2024, the Philadelphia Historical Commission placed 3343 West School House Lane, a house built by engineer Samuel Tobias Wagner in 1896, on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. East Falls can boast of over thirty sites on either the National or Philadelphia register – or both – and many more structures are worthy of this recognition and protection. The nomination was submitted by the East Falls Historical Society, and written by Steven J. Peitzman.
Samuel T. Wagner (1861-1931), a member of one of the first European families to create a “country estate” along School House Lane, as a civil engineer designed bridges and tunnels, became an authority on testing materials, and rose to the rank of chief engineer of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. He also served as board member and professor at the Wagner Free Institute, founded by a great uncle.
The house was designed by the eminent architect Horace Trumbauer, whose firm was known for monumental buildings such as the Free Library (Parkway Central), Union League addition, Public Ledger Building, and many suburban mansions. But Trumbauer designed numerous fine mid-sized homes, too many of which do not survive. The recently designated house blends the Queen Ann and shingle styles in a balanced and dignified approach, not always seen in the late Victorian period. It was acquired by Jefferson University in 2022. Jefferson’s plans for the building are not known, but it was reassuring that the nomination was not opposed. The house is now protected from demolition or major external alterations.
Click here for nomination to Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
A Walking Tour of The Oak Road and Vicinity
On April 20, 2024, Steve Peitzman and Nancy Pontone led a tour of The Oak Road. Click here to see the tour description. Here are a few of the historic sites that we saw:
Alden Park; Steel’s Stone Stable; Henry W. Brown residence (Timmons House); Ivy Cottage; Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd
Click here to see photos from the tour.
From psychiatric research hospital to modernist living: The Tower at Henry
Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (EPPI) opened in 1956 as a research and training hospital designed to foster advances in understanding and treatment of the mentally ill. After it stood empty for many years, the site has been redeveloped by New Cortland, a senior services provider. The November column in East Falls NOW tells the history of EPPI and the conversion of the International-Style building into apartments.
East Falls Historical Society has recorded more than 60 oral histories! Here are the latest:
Marie Boyle, a lifetime Fallser, grew up on Bowman Street; later, she and her husband George bought the house next door to her parents where they raised six children. Marie shares memories of her life in “The Falls, focusing on St. Bridget School and Church, and working at MCP.
Sister Dorothy, a lifelong Fallser and St. Bridget parishioner, describes her journey becoming a nun and a teacher at St. Bridget School. A natural storyteller, she relates memories of old East Falls – Gustine Lake, Alden Theater, Hohenadel Brewery, the Kellys, and local stores.
Born in 1928 in her house on Conrad Street, Mary Ousey, a nurse, recalls her 55 years in Falls, with vivid descriptions of St. Bridget, the Kellys, Bessie Dobson, Breck School, local hucksters, and Falls before it was developed.
Ellen Sheehan, the daughter of longtime florists in East Falls, recalls her girlhood days and the evolution of the community through several decades.
Chadwick Papers Index online!
Adapted from The Chadwick Papers Index by Katy Hineline, 1991. Click here to open in a new tab.
Visit the Grace Kelly Gallery at NewCourtland!
Click here for details
We Thank Our Sponsors
East Falls Family Dentistry
F.X. Duffy & Co.
Hyde Electric Corp.
Laurel Hill Cemeteries
Eugene Mattioni, Esq.
McIlvaine Funeral Home
Old Academy Players
William Ross III
John Calvitti Co.
Saint James the Less School
Joe Boyle Insurance Agency
Slices Pizza
Wee Care Child Care
Martin Tyler
Elfant Wissahickon
Ray Kaller and Sons Roofing
