Woodburne Mansion, Delaware County PA

Woodburne Mansion 1910

Woodburne Mansion 2015

On Springfield Road nestled in the trees behind Little Flower Manor sits a massively beautiful abandoned mansion. I stumbled across the house by accident on a summer night’s stroll, and when it came into view I could hardly believe what I saw. I decided to investigate and discovered the estate was called Woodburne and was owned by Edgar T. Scott. Woodburne was designed by the famous Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer who is known for commissions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Androssan estate in Wayne, PA. Edgar T. Scott is the son of Thomas A. Scott, who served as the President of the Pennsylvania Railroad and even more importantly, he was appointed as the Assistant Secretary of War in 1861 by President Abraham Lincoln. Thomas’s time in the war department came and went before Edgar was born in 1872. Most of the articles I’ve read during my research either stated Woodburne mansion was owned by Thomas Scott or that his son Edgar Scott was the one who worked to the Pennsylvania Railroad, both of which are untrue. Ancestry.com provides wonderful resources such as the Census report that shows Thomas Scott worked for the Railroad, lived in Philadelphia and died before Woodburne was built. The Philadelphia Historical Society holds the building plans for the mansion started in the 1900’s, more than ten years after Thomas died. 

Edgar Scott memorial

When the Trumbauer plans were completed between 1906 and 1907, Edgar Scott moved into the Woodburne Estate with his wife Mary and two sons, Edgar Jr. and Warwick. By 1910 the mansion was bursting at the seams with a growing family including two new daughters and fifteen servants. In 1917 Edgar Scott Sr. traveled to France and was assigned to General Headquarters A.E.F. and served as the assistant corps inspector at the front. In September 1918 he was promoted to major Inspector General’s department. He died October 20^th in Chaumont, France.  Edgar Scott Sr. was buried in France but there is a memorial marker in Woodlands Cemetery Philadelphia.

The Scott family continued their life at the Woodburne estate for many years. Edgar Jr. moved out and married Helen Hope Montgomery, the

Helen Hope Montgomery Scott and Edgar Scott Jr.

daughter of Robert Montgomery who owned the Androssan estate on the main line. Helen Hope Montgomery according to numerous sources inspired Katharine Hepburn’s role in the movie, “The Philadelphia Story.” Edgar and Helen moved to Wayne PA and lived in a mansion across the street from Androssan. Their son Robert Montgomery Scott eventually moved into the Androssan estate and it is now occupied by his son Robert Jr. Unfortunately this estate is a threatened piece of local history as its land was sold to developers. On a lighter note, it is a terrific coincidence that the home Edgar Jr. grew up in was designed by the same famous architect as his wife’s family home.

Mrs. Mary Scott, wife of Edgar Sr., stayed in Woodburne with her daughter Susan until the mid-1930’s. By 1935 they lived together in a home in Villanova accompanied by a few servants. The

1909 Atlas shows Edgar Scott estate stretched across 100 acres

Woodburne estate was sold to The Sisters of the Divine Redeemer and set up as an orphanage for young girls. In a 1956 Chester Times article about the orphanage, the reporter Dick Widdoes describes the house in great detail. “…taken into a huge parlor where draperies hang from the ceiling to floor windows. Comfortable furniture is tastefully arranged….The halls are waxed to perfection and polished. The large marble stairway sparkles.” By 1958 it was transformed into a home for the elderly. In the 70’s they built what is now Little Flower Manor directly in front of the mansion and by the early 2000’s the mansion was abandoned.

On my walks I would stare up into the grand windows and imagine what life would have been like to live there. One day I noticed the chain linked fence was unlocked, and the front door to the mansion was open. The DO NOT ENTER and TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED signs

Details show severe plant overgrowth and boarded windows.

were enough to keep me from going in. But standing out front of the door you could smell the rot and decay that has taken over the grand halls. A few months later I revisited and the door has been sealed and the gate adorned with a new padlock.

Is there a silver lining? In a Delco Times article dated November 5, 2014, it discusses a possible purchase of the estate and mansion. Former state representative Nick Micozzie helped acquire a $224,000 grant from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Financing Authority’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program. The article states, “Micozzie said he would like to see the mansion preserved when the nuns’ property is hopefully purchased by Natural Lands Trust Inc. and turned over to Delaware County.” He envisioned the property to be “Rose Tree Park East”.

It is a wonderful thought that the estate could be turned into a much needed open space for Delaware County east. I hope the people in charge are doing their best to preserve such a fantastic piece of our history. I would think the purchase and restoration of the property would cost millions but Delaware

County is full of proud and generous people who I am sure would be willing to donate to the purchase and conservation of the house to be used for community use. Action needs to be taken immediately on this beautiful mansion before it is too late and we see a wrecking ball crashing into our local gem. I’ve tried to contact our local government for more information without luck. If you have any information for who is responsible for the future of this estate please let us know. Maybe we can all work together.

-LHD November 2015

Resources

Acestry.com

Daily Mail Reporter, “Lavish estate once owned by glittering society queen who inspired movie The Philadelphia Story faces being carved up into half-acre plots.”Dailymail.co.uk. 6 August 2013 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2385677/The-Philadelphia-Story-Ardrossan-Estate-Pennsylvania-inspired-movie-set-carved-up.html

Justice, Glen. “The Man To Call When A New Home Was To Be A Castle”. Philly.com, 29 January 1995. http://articles.philly.com/1995-01-29/news/25712852_1_mansion-big-house-horace-trumbauer

Mueller, A.H. Atlas of Delaware County East of Ridley Creek Volume I. Philadelphia, PA. 1909-1910.

Silva, Dan. “Gen Edgar Scott”. Findagrave.com, 7 October 2010. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=59724900&ref=acom

Sumner Mead, Frederick. “Harvard’s Military Record in the World War” Pg 849. Cambridge, MA. 1921.https://books.google.com/books?id=-kQQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA849&lpg=PA849&dq=Inspector+General+of+the+A.E.F.+at+General+Headquarters&source=bl&ots=74HR9uwTqG&sig=NeiAMuAljCtczYSy9c6zEXoDai8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDAQ6AEwBGoVChMI_IrukP2ByQIVgyseCh1QBA5f#v=onepage&q=Inspector%20General%20of%20the%20A.E.F.%20at%20General%20Headquarters&f=false

Widdoes, Dick. “Children Happy at Little Flower”, Chester Times, delawarecolib.newspaperarchive.com. 31 May 1956. http://delawarecolib.newspaperarchive.com/chester-times/1956-05-31/page-48

 “Editorial: Micozzie leaves fine legacy in Little Flower land”. DelcoTimes.com, 5 November 2014. http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20141105/NEWS/141109867

“Notable Visitors: Thomas A. Scott (1823 – 1881)”. Mrlincolnswhitehouse.org, 2002-2015. http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/inside.asp?ID=725&subjectID=2

“Scott, Edgar T., Residence”. Philadelphiabuildings.org, 2015 https://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ho_display.cfm/54913

Stein, Linda “Feminism and 'The Philadelphia Story' High society topic of Cabrini talk” Main Line Media News. 3 April 2015, Main Line Media News archives. http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2015/04/03/main_line_times/news/doc551e87b961b28971923559.txt

 

 

 

Lost History at Old Blockley & Mt. Moriah Cemetery

In 1732, the Philadelphia Almshouse opened as the first government sponsored institution for the poor in America.  Originally located west of 3^rd and south of Spruce streets, the Almshouse served as a hospital for the sick and the “insane” and provided food and shelter for the poor.  In the 1830’s, the Almshouse relocated to what was then called Blockley Township, just west of the Schuylkill River, near 34^th Street and University Avenue in present day Philadelphia.  

Photo courtesy of http://www.philadelphia-reflections.com/

Growing into a complex of buildings that served the poor as hospital, orphanage,  poorhouse and an asylum for the mentally ill, the facility became known as the “Old Blockley.”  Not surprisingly, conditions at this facility were abysmal.  Management by an organization known as the Guardians of the Poor did little to support the needs of those at Old Blockley.  Newspaper accounts from the time describe the occupants as “old, sick and decrepid.”  As a consequence of the poor upkeep and lack of concern for patients and “inmates”, tragedy struck Old Blockley on July 19, 1864 when a portion of the “Female Lunatic Asylum” collapsed early in the morning, as patients were being gathered for breakfast.  At least 18 people were killed and at least 20 others were seriously injured.  Among the dead was a six year old boy named Andrew Noble.

Andrew Noble was the youngest of 8 children born to Sarah and Thomas Noble.  Thomas supported the family working as a bookbinder, with additional support provided by Andrew’s older siblings.  Limited information is available on the Noble family, however it is known that young Andrew lived with his family at least until 1860.  However, it was apparently the case that Andrew was both 

Photo courtesy of http://dla.library.upenn.edu/

physically and mentally disabled, and eventually came to reside at the Old Blockley.  On the morning of the tragic collapse at Old Blockley, Andrew had just been fed by a nurse (a Mrs. Ackley) who laid him on his couch.  Moments later, the building collapsed and Andrew was killed as he was carried down with the building into the rubble.  The scene at the collapse was described in newspapers of the time in graphic detail.  Crews were immediately dispatched to sift through the rubble to retrieve survivors and the dead, who were transported to “the dead-house” until they could be identified.  The women housed in the collapsed building were described as “…old or middle aged, and are a strange, and for the most part, extremely repulsive looking set.”  The description of the recovery and identification of Andrew’s body was also recorded: “the body of the boy Noble was brought in and although when alive he was a very repulsive specimen of humanity, being entirely idiotic and terribly crippled, still the sight of his remains so affected his old nurse that she leaned over his body, wiped the blood from his face and wept bitterly.”

Two days after his death, little Andrew Noble was buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.  His mother had died the previous year, and was also buried there.  At the time, Mt. Moriah was relatively new, and 

Photo courtesy of http://www.preservationalliance.com/

was located in western Philadelphia, adjacent to Cobbs Creek.  Over time, the cemetery expanded significantly in size and grew to span across Cobbs Creek into Yeadon, in Delaware County.  Mt. Moriah is the burial site of many prominent people, and includes two military burial sections which contain the remains of veterans from as far back as the Civil Way, and include many Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Over time, management and oversight of the cemetery declined to nonexistent levels and the site was eventually abandoned.  Most of the cemetery became overgrown with vegetation, and often served as a dumping ground for trash.  Legal and financial complications have inhibited efforts to re-establish Mt. Moriah as an independently functioning cemetery.

In the aftermath of the collapse at Old Blockley, it was determined that the tragedy was likely due to construction work at the site to install heaters.  No doubt this was compounded by the physical state of decay at the facility.  No one was ever held accountable.  In the years that followed, conditions at Old Blockley continued to decline.  In 1919, the facility was renamed Philadelphia General Hospital, and was eventually closed in 1977 with its sad reputation essentially unchanged in nearly 250 years of existence.

Today, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia occupies the site of Old Blockley.  Here, children and their families can receive state of the art medical treatment and all necessary supports in a caring environment.  Although much of Mt. Moriah Cemetery remains overgrown and in disrepair, an organization known as Friends of Mt. Moriah is working with other volunteer groups to reclaim the grounds and restore dignity to this once magnificent place of beauty and peace.  And what of Andrew Noble, who died as a victim of terrible disregard for human dignity and wellbeing at Old Blockley, and was victimized again by a similar disregard for dignity after his death at Mt. Moriah?  In 2015, Lost History Detectives visited Mt. Moriah Cemetery in search of Andrew Noble’s burial site.  With help from Friends of Mt. Moriah, the approximate location of his grave was located in section 116 in the Yeadon side of the cemetery.  More than one hundred and fifty years after his death, this young boy who lived and died in a world unable or unwilling to grant him the dignity and compassion he deserved, was remembered.

Lost History Detectives, October 22, 2015

Note: This post was supported by information from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Wikipedia, and other internet sources.

Burn Brae

Burn Brae (Photo courtesy of  AsylumProjects.org)

About eight miles west of Philadelphia into Delaware County, on the corner of Baltimore Pike and Oak Avenue, you can find the remains of what was once a…Pizza Hut. Let’s back track a little to a time before Pizza Hut and even before the famous Bazaar. Let’s go back 150 years to that same corner and visit a lush green countryside and a grand mansion that served as an escape for the elite. Did I mention it was an asylum? This was the location for The Burn Brae Sanitarium. The countryside and clean air were sought after remedies from a congested city full of crazy. Burn Brae wasn’t your normal insane institution, Dr. Robert A. Given who founded the asylum in 1859 wanted to do things a little different.

Newspaper Advertisement (photo courtesy of
whenlifewasblackandwhite.blogspot.com)

Burn Brae was intended to house and help a wealthier class of patients. In an 1895 Burn Brae brochure found at the Delaware County Historical Society, it states “The idea of placing unfortunate ones in a public asylum is often especially distasteful to those concerned who would much prefer a private institution- as establishment not prison like; a place free from grim stone walls and confining bars and bolts, a residence without the appearance of any form of coercion, a spot beautiful, soothing, restful, a homelike abode where the inmates are as guests enjoying privacy restrained in a measure and yet with the feeling of liberty”. It also stated, “Dr. Given enjoyed the distinction of inaugurating new methods of treatment now well known to all the medical fraternity.” The brochure didn’t discuss much more information on treatment but the pictures definitely helped paint a picture of how a patient might spend their day. There were pictures of the Music Hall, Bowling Alley and residents playing lawn tennis. It also lists other activities including shuffleboard, billiards, chess, croquet, cricket, boating and skating. It reminded me of an all-inclusive vacation brochure to Sandals, minus the booze since the majority of patients were there due to a drug or alcohol problem. Life at Burn Brae seemed to be picturesque.

Long story short, in 1968 the hospital was ordered closed and according to the September 13^th edition of the Delco Daily Times, for good reasons. The article reads, “The State said the hospital doesn’t have a mental health program, refuses to apply for a nursing home license, doesn’t meet housing and dietary standards and dispenses medication without a licensed pharmacist.”

It’s interesting to think about the events that transpired at this grand estate. What were the daily regiments and treatments for patients as well as the daily life of the workers? Who were they, what brought them to this place, and what happened when they left? Our goal is to uncover the lost history behind these forgotten walls and the people who came and went.

-          -Lost History Detective 

The Eyrie

The Eyrie

If you grew up in or around the Clifton Heights area of Delaware County and are at least 50 years old, it is almost certainly the case that you remember the abandoned Victorian mansion on the northwest corner of Springfield and Oak Avenues.  The “old mansion” was across Springfield Rd. from the Russell E. Miller Real Estate office, and adjacent to the old Gibson property which later became Clifton Heights Athletic Field.  The story of “the old mansion” and the property on which it stood can be traced back well over 140 years, and is linked to some of the most storied families in the long history of the area.  Perhaps the most interesting period in the long life of the “old mansion” was from 1911 to 1939, when it served as a home, and a sanitarium for the mentally ill, known as the Eyrie. 

The Eyrie
(Photo courtesy of  WhenLifewasBlackandWhite.blogspot.com)

In 1911, Dr. Wilfred W. Hawke (B. 1872, Flemington area, NJ) and his wife Aimee (nee Pennypacker, b. 1872 in Phoenxville) bought the mansion and surrounding property to serve as both a home, and as a live-in sanitarium (which they named  The Eyrie) for a small number of patients.  At the time, the Hawke’s had two daughters, Helen (b. 1908) and Mary (b. 1910).  Dr. Hawke was the son of Admiral James A. Hawke, who served as a Civil War surgeon, and retired as a Rear Admiral and Medical Director of the U.S. Navy.  Wilfred Hawke graduate from Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia (once located in Center City Philadelphia, and later merged into the U of P Medical School).  Wilfred’s specialty was neurology/psychiatry, and he held positions at the Philadelphia Alms House and Hospital (which later became Philadelphia General Hospital) and the Warren State Hospital for the Insane, which still exists today under a different name.

Literature from the time refers to The Eyrie as a sanitarium where “…observational cases are preferred, and individual treatment, nursing and diet are given.  Occupational work consists of farm and garden and general house work, carpentry, basketry and painting.”  The 1920 census lists the four members of the Hawke family, two servants, one nurse and two “borders” as residents.  In the 1930 census, one of those borders, Stanton Offenheimer from Germany, was residing at the Norristown State Hospital. 

Delaware County Daily Times May 18, 1973

By 1940, the Eyrie was no more.  By then Dr. Hawke was living in a military hospital in New York.  His wife Aimee had died in 1937 and his youngest daughter Mary died two years later in 1939.  The Hawke’s older daughter, Helen, was married in 1935, and had moved to Virginia where she lived for many years.  Dr. Hawke died in 1949 in Solano County, California, where his parents and siblings had lived for many years.  Wilfred, Aimee, and Mary Hawke are buried in the cemetery at Old St. David’s Church in Radnor, PA. The Eyrie property was eventually owned by Samuel Moyerman, a Philadelphia attorney who converted it into apartments.  The property fell into disrepair and became embroiled in lawsuits between the Moyerman estate and Clifton boro over zoning issues.  The house was abandoned and fell into disrepair.  Neighbors and officials dealt with trespassers, vandalism, fires and other problems at the “old mansion” until it was eventually demolished in 1973.  Today, all that remains of the once majestic Victorian mansion is the stone retaining wall that surrounded the property. 

Lost History Detectives, Oct 12, 2015