Brookline
Brookline may rightly be considered the heart of Haverford Township. The site may be one of the earliest fully planned communities with its large Boulevard whose upper edge along Darby Road featured neighborhood businesses and whose continuation down towards Karakung Creek is home to various religious denominations and to the now demolished Brookline School,
Brookline
The area that would become Brookline was originally the 1681, 3,000 acre lease and re-lease of Lewis David. David sold to William Powell and Henry Lewis in 1682. Darby Road, then the Coopertown Road, would become the limit. Mill Road on the upper side and Manoa Road on the other are easily recognized by their dog-leg pattens: a direction required for wagons to negotiate the steep climb from Karakung Creek to Darby Road.
The 1902 Baist map shows new farmers: Johnson and Anderson. The square marked "school" is now a private home on Earlington Road. The Geo. Dickinson property is the currently restored Harford Hall. Mill Road and Manoa Road are again immediately recognized by their angular patterns. Darby Road is called Coopertown Road. The school house on the lower left was demolished. The house opposite the school house stood until just before the Skatium.
Brookline, while not the first planned community, was the most fully executed. It was called "Brookline Manor."
The advertisement from the Philadelphia Inquirer dated July 2, 1907 offers lots in "Philadelphia's Newest and Most Desirable Neighborhood." There is, however, no indication in the advertisement of any houses although several had already been built.
Note in the second paragraph that the height of Brookline gives a clear view of Philadelphia. Today, that perspective is only clear from West Chester Pike and from the top of Haverford Mountain (Star Rock.)
The advertisement from the Philadelphia Inquirer dated July 2, 1907 offers lots in "Philadelphia's Newest and Most Desirable Neighborhood." There is, however, no indication in the advertisement of any houses although several had already been built.
Note in the second paragraph that the height of Brookline gives a clear view of Philadelphia. Today, that perspective is only clear from West Chester Pike and from the top of Haverford Mountain (Star Rock.)
July 2, 1907
photo courtesy of Art Sciubba
In this 1907 photo we see four of the stone columns used to mark the development tracts. Similar columns still stand at Darby and Mill, in front of the township building and at Manor and Darby. The house on the right may be the present house two doors before Saint Faith but has not been fully identified. The houses to the left are in a different style from those later tract houses built in the 1920's. The photo comes from the Watts Family. The office of Elmer Watts is featured below.
The Mueller Atlas of Delaware County, 1909, shows the initial layout for Brookline. At that time Darby Road between Eagle Road and Llanerch was called Haverford Road. Some construction began around that year, but it seems that is was not until after the First World War that the community developed fully. The Beechwood Amusement Park is in the upper right.
1909
The Inquirer of April 2, 1910 continues the promotion.
Photo courtesy of Art Sciubba
1920
Some of the elegant houses that appear on the 1920 census.
1925
The map below may date from about 1925. There are still no houses shown.
In this view we see the lots between Pennsylvania Avenue and Manoa Road.
Note that Weller Avenue was first called Haverford. The triangulation will be John Schearer's Greenhouse.
(Lot #2 will be my grandmother's house where I grew up.)
In this view we see the lots between Pennsylvania Avenue and Manoa Road.
Note that Weller Avenue was first called Haverford. The triangulation will be John Schearer's Greenhouse.
(Lot #2 will be my grandmother's house where I grew up.)
Elmer Watts Real Estate Office .
(Regrettably demolished in 2020.)
This unique red tile roof building was surely among the oldest in Brookline and certainly instrumental in the development of Brookline Manor.
In more recent years it was the dental office of the beloved Dr. Brent Strock.
(Nothing was done to preserve this building.)
(Regrettably demolished in 2020.)
This unique red tile roof building was surely among the oldest in Brookline and certainly instrumental in the development of Brookline Manor.
In more recent years it was the dental office of the beloved Dr. Brent Strock.
(Nothing was done to preserve this building.)
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Brookline Boulevard
As we see in the 1909 plan above we find an arrangement of regular streets divided by a broad “Boulevard.” The Boulevard intersected at a “T” juncture with the major township thoroughfare, Darby Road. The arrangement of a wide boulevard as the center of the community shows a forward looking concept of the ideal suburban community, At either end of the boulevard and down its center ran the latest in public transportation. The Red Arrow ran along Darby Road and the P&W, (The Philadelphia and Western High Speed Line) ran at the far end. A Red Arrow bus also wended its way down the Boulevard and through the streets of what would become Chatham Village.
Brookline Boulevard would be home to commercial, religious and educational services. At the upper end of the “Boulevard” mercantile stores provided shoe makers, tap rooms, florists, bakery, barbers, a Five and Ten, the Quaker Store, the A&P grocery store and the Boulevard movie theater. Further along the Boulevard four main churches established themselves. Saint Faith, The Methodist Church, Annunciation, and Temple Lutheran. Along Darby Road stood the Police Station, The Fire Station, The High School and the Library. At the far end stands the Brookline Elementary School.
For the early years of the 20th century, Brookline Manor was an exceptional and far thinking suburban community that offered every convenience and necessity for the family.
Brookline Boulevard would be home to commercial, religious and educational services. At the upper end of the “Boulevard” mercantile stores provided shoe makers, tap rooms, florists, bakery, barbers, a Five and Ten, the Quaker Store, the A&P grocery store and the Boulevard movie theater. Further along the Boulevard four main churches established themselves. Saint Faith, The Methodist Church, Annunciation, and Temple Lutheran. Along Darby Road stood the Police Station, The Fire Station, The High School and the Library. At the far end stands the Brookline Elementary School.
For the early years of the 20th century, Brookline Manor was an exceptional and far thinking suburban community that offered every convenience and necessity for the family.
1920: Houses along the Boulevard.
Two of the "Old English Design" on Pembroke and the Boulevard.
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Brookline Boulevard's
Early Immigrants and First Shop Owners.
THE FOLLWING INFORMATION ON THE BOULEVARD IS INCOMPLETE AND REQUIRES CORRECTIONS
The new shops along the Boulevard and along Darby Road were first brought to life by a number of immigrants. Their presence in the early days is in stark contrast to the real estate advertisements of the time that assured buyers that the community was "highly restricted." Why some of these shop owners were gone by 1940 is a question to be answered.
1930 Census
Brookline Boulevard
Reading from the bottom:
(Russell Sorber, at 1 Brookline Boulevard. Today's "Kettle.")
The immigrants:
Abraham Rose, # 17, Russia, Fruit Store proprietor.
Joseph Caplan, # 31, Russia, Sweet Shop, proprietor. Later "Dingers."
Reading from the bottom:
(Russell Sorber, at 1 Brookline Boulevard. Today's "Kettle.")
The immigrants:
Abraham Rose, # 17, Russia, Fruit Store proprietor.
Joseph Caplan, # 31, Russia, Sweet Shop, proprietor. Later "Dingers."
Darby Road
Reading from the top.
Alfred Vericchio, #1221, Italy, Barber Shop, proprietor.
Charles Zenone, #1219, Maryland, Shoe store, proprietor.
Alexander Murphy, #1205, N.Ireland. no job listed.
(1205 will become my grandmother's house where I was raised. The house, once used in television commercials as a classic home, is now in a regrettable condition.)
DARBY ROAD
Reading from the top.
Alfred Lamonaca, #1213, Italy, Cleaner/Dyer, proprietor.
Henry Tan, #1215, China, Laundry, partner
Charles Zenone, #1219, as before.
Alfred Vericchio, #1221, Barber, as before.
Anna Mann, #1215, Germany, Dry Goods, proprietor.
1940 Census
The Boulevard
Reading from the top.
George Frye, #17, formerly Abraham Rose's Fruit Store is now a Cleaners.
Ralph Beed, #23, fomerly Joseph Caplan's Sweet Shop. Still the Sweet Shop.
New Immigrants. The Armenians.
Avedis (sp?) Dulgarian, #37, Turkey/Armenia, Shoe repair shop, proprietor.
Edward Papazian, #63, Turkey, Tailor Shop, proprietor.
Reading from the top.
George Frye, #17, formerly Abraham Rose's Fruit Store is now a Cleaners.
Ralph Beed, #23, fomerly Joseph Caplan's Sweet Shop. Still the Sweet Shop.
New Immigrants. The Armenians.
Avedis (sp?) Dulgarian, #37, Turkey/Armenia, Shoe repair shop, proprietor.
Edward Papazian, #63, Turkey, Tailor Shop, proprietor.
Darby Road
Reading from the top.
Most of the names are the same.
Reading from the top.
Most of the names are the same.
1 Brookline Boulevard
Today's Kettle was once another gathering point. First it was Sorber's Pharmacy then Max Factor's Pharmacy.
SORBER'S Drug Store
The first merchant at 1 Brookline Boulevard was Sorber. Sorber's pharmacy was a significant presence in Brookline.
In the Bulletin of The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy Alumni Report, March 1920, notes"
L.S. Sorber, '94, and son, Russel R. Sorber, '21, have opened a new store in Brookline, Delaware County, Pa.
Russel Sorber was also the first fire chief of the Brookline Fire Company.
In the Sorber days the pharmacy was where you bought Abbot's Ice Cream weighed out on a scale with brone weights. If you made a long distance call you went o the phone booth at Sorber's. If you recieved a long distance call Mr. Sorber or an assistant came to you door to let you know. When Sorber passed Max Factor and his wife Sylvia became the owners. They may very well have been the first Jewish shop keepers in Brookline since the first immigrant shop keepers in the 1920's.
My father went every evening to Max's for his Evening Bulletin. He and Max would kibbitz for ages. If we went with him, we had a cherry coke mixed from the fountain. On holidays, Sylvia, Mrs. Factor, would help us pick out a gift for our mother. We didn't use money. Our father and Max would settle.
SORBER'S Drug Store
The first merchant at 1 Brookline Boulevard was Sorber. Sorber's pharmacy was a significant presence in Brookline.
In the Bulletin of The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy Alumni Report, March 1920, notes"
L.S. Sorber, '94, and son, Russel R. Sorber, '21, have opened a new store in Brookline, Delaware County, Pa.
Russel Sorber was also the first fire chief of the Brookline Fire Company.
In the Sorber days the pharmacy was where you bought Abbot's Ice Cream weighed out on a scale with brone weights. If you made a long distance call you went o the phone booth at Sorber's. If you recieved a long distance call Mr. Sorber or an assistant came to you door to let you know. When Sorber passed Max Factor and his wife Sylvia became the owners. They may very well have been the first Jewish shop keepers in Brookline since the first immigrant shop keepers in the 1920's.
My father went every evening to Max's for his Evening Bulletin. He and Max would kibbitz for ages. If we went with him, we had a cherry coke mixed from the fountain. On holidays, Sylvia, Mrs. Factor, would help us pick out a gift for our mother. We didn't use money. Our father and Max would settle.
The Hoagie Shop and Mullers: A Personal Memory
Two places that featured in my childhood. Before school in the morning I went to Muller's Bakery to pick up the doughnuts and coffee cakes for the Hoagie Shop. For this I earned 25 cents a week. Pauline owned and ran the Hoagie Shop. Francis was behind the counter in the afternoon. After three, when school let out, the Hoagie Shop was off limits for me. That was where the "leathers" gathered with their "hot rods."
Two places that featured in my childhood. Before school in the morning I went to Muller's Bakery to pick up the doughnuts and coffee cakes for the Hoagie Shop. For this I earned 25 cents a week. Pauline owned and ran the Hoagie Shop. Francis was behind the counter in the afternoon. After three, when school let out, the Hoagie Shop was off limits for me. That was where the "leathers" gathered with their "hot rods."
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While the photo above is on Darby Road, I include it along with Brookline Boulevard's commercial center, the heart of our community.
The first store to the right was the tailor shop of Alfred Lamonica. Alfred, along with Fred the Barber, was one of the first businesses in Brookline. Alfred told of how when he came to this country he went to a restaurant and not knowing the money handed the man what he had. He was astounded that the restaurant owner gave him change.
In the middle of the row Robert Glider had his beauty parlor (the pink metal awning). Glider's air conditioner always leaked drops on to the sidewalk and it always smelled of hair. To the left of Robert Glider was Pete Massucci the shoe maker. But his shop was gone when this photo was taken.
At the end of the row was Fred Vericchio the barber. Fred may have been the oldest of the shop keepers. He opened sometime in the 1920's. Fred’s barber shop had a turning barber’s pole whose mechanism had to be wound every day.
Fred was followed by his son Jesse who was one of the first young men in the neighborhood to return in military uniform.
Fred attended mass at Annunciation every morning. He was also the Civil Defense agent in the neighborhood.
The first store to the right was the tailor shop of Alfred Lamonica. Alfred, along with Fred the Barber, was one of the first businesses in Brookline. Alfred told of how when he came to this country he went to a restaurant and not knowing the money handed the man what he had. He was astounded that the restaurant owner gave him change.
In the middle of the row Robert Glider had his beauty parlor (the pink metal awning). Glider's air conditioner always leaked drops on to the sidewalk and it always smelled of hair. To the left of Robert Glider was Pete Massucci the shoe maker. But his shop was gone when this photo was taken.
At the end of the row was Fred Vericchio the barber. Fred may have been the oldest of the shop keepers. He opened sometime in the 1920's. Fred’s barber shop had a turning barber’s pole whose mechanism had to be wound every day.
Fred was followed by his son Jesse who was one of the first young men in the neighborhood to return in military uniform.
Fred attended mass at Annunciation every morning. He was also the Civil Defense agent in the neighborhood.
The Boulevard Theater: 1928
The marquis reads,
"The Goodbye Kiss"
with Music and Sound Effects
The marquis reads,
"The Goodbye Kiss"
with Music and Sound Effects
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SThe photo below shows Martels supermarket. The original store was the A&P. In those days my mother would send me for a loaf of bread at 12cents.
Aigeldingers, at the far left, known as “Dingers” was a place that was off-limits. Dingers. Bad boys played the pinball machine. Next to Dingers were the “tap rooms.” These were not places visited.
To the right is the St. Jude Shop, an enterprise that has grown remarkably. I worked there after classes stacking their book shelves.
To the far right was Manny Goodman's Shoe Store now occupied by the St. Jude Shop.
Aigeldingers, at the far left, known as “Dingers” was a place that was off-limits. Dingers. Bad boys played the pinball machine. Next to Dingers were the “tap rooms.” These were not places visited.
To the right is the St. Jude Shop, an enterprise that has grown remarkably. I worked there after classes stacking their book shelves.
To the far right was Manny Goodman's Shoe Store now occupied by the St. Jude Shop.
Churches along the Boulevard
Along the length of the Boulevard the community found their religious houses of worship: The Methodist Church, Saint Faith Episcopal Church, The Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Temple Lutheran. On Earlington Road, to the side of the Boulevard’s far end The Brookline School (1913) met educational needs.
Temple Lutheran
1916 - 1933
Annunciation 1928
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Methodist 1922
St. Faith 1933
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Red Arrow and the P&W
The Red Arrow trolley line began in 1936 as the reincarnation of the Philadelphia Traction Company that ran from the city out West Chester Pike and at the Llanerch Junction down Darby Road to Ardmore. The fence that ran along the tracks flowered every May with red rambler roses. As kids we would often put pennies on the tracks to see the trolley crush them into football shaped ovals.
An interesting re-working of history is the mural on the corner of West Chester Pike and Darby Road. The mural portrays two happy rail workers laying tracks. That image was taken from a newspaper illustration that depicts quite a different situation. In the original print the men are at odds and the track is bent upward to render it useless. The event was a conflict between the two train lines of the time.
An interesting re-working of history is the mural on the corner of West Chester Pike and Darby Road. The mural portrays two happy rail workers laying tracks. That image was taken from a newspaper illustration that depicts quite a different situation. In the original print the men are at odds and the track is bent upward to render it useless. The event was a conflict between the two train lines of the time.
July 18, 1895
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The P&W
At the far end of Brookline Boulevard was the Beechwood stop of the P&W, the Philadelphia and Western. The P&W was a trailblazing line in highspeed transportation. The early cars were known for their aerodynamic bullet shape. To watch them and to ride them was an exceptional thrill. When I was a child we would go to the Beechwood station for two things: to see the trains come by and then to go under the tunnel pass to the creek. The glamour and delight of those cars and those days are gone. Today, the line is simply the SEPTA Norristown High Speed Line.
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photo courtesy of Paul Quinn
A 1970's photo of one of the remaining piers of the Brookline/Beechwood P&W stop. These piers were used to access the amusement park. The last pier off Mill Road was demolished in 2018.
DARBY ROAD
Darby Road is among the oldest in Haverford Township. The road was laid out in 1687 to connect the Welsh Quaker meeting houses between the settlement in Darby and that in Lower Merion. In Brookline, Darby Road formed the cross bar of the "T" over the upright of Brookline Boulevard. The junction was the commercial and civic heart of the Brookline community. Eventually, the span included the Brookline Library at the juncture of Mill Road and at the other end, the Police Field on Manoa Road.
Haverford Darby Road 1687
Coopertown Road: Darby Road was also known as Coopertown Road as this 1868 map attests.
Haverford High School and Middle School
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The Brookline Fire Company
From the Brookline Fire Department website. https://www.brooklinefirecompany.org/content/history/
On September 16, 1916, ground was broken on lots five and six in block three for the firehouse. The new building was to be two stories high and constructed of stone. The second floor was to be used as a hall and rented out for additional income. On the first floor, the left side was used to house the fire apparatus, and the right side was to be rented to a tailor for $10.00 a month rent. The cost of the building that was built by Joseph Schule was $7500. The first meeting in the new firehouse was on April 6, 1917.
On September 16, 1916, ground was broken on lots five and six in block three for the firehouse. The new building was to be two stories high and constructed of stone. The second floor was to be used as a hall and rented out for additional income. On the first floor, the left side was used to house the fire apparatus, and the right side was to be rented to a tailor for $10.00 a month rent. The cost of the building that was built by Joseph Schule was $7500. The first meeting in the new firehouse was on April 6, 1917.
Brookline Library
The first library was in a house on Darby Road. It soon moved to the present location, a former bank.
The first library was in a house on Darby Road. It soon moved to the present location, a former bank.
The Township Building
The original building to the left. The current site to the right is on the site of the old Police Station and Police Field.
The original building to the left. The current site to the right is on the site of the old Police Station and Police Field.
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The Police Field
The Police Field was once home to the annual 4th of July Fireworks and the annual arrival of Hunt Brothers' Circus: a circus under the tent.
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Schearer's Greenhouse
"Llanerch Nursery,"
a lost treasure.
Corner of Darby Road and Manoa Road.
"Llanerch Nursery,"
a lost treasure.
Corner of Darby Road and Manoa Road.
Herbert Schearer 1940 census
Lesser Known Developments in Brookline
1912 - 1925
Brookfield Park - The all but forgotten community name along Strathmore Road.
Brookfield Park - The all but forgotten community name along Strathmore Road.
1912: The directions suggest either the Trolley (The Traction Line) or the Philadelphia and Western. The pictured station stop was at Darby Road and Brookline Boulevard. Demolished.
1912
1920 Houses are now included in the property sales.
1923: The call is still on for development. Elmer Watts is the realtor. (His office demolished in 2020. See above.) Note that the properties are "Wisely Restricted."
1939
Brookline Park
This development, opposite Haverford High School, is distinct in the design of its homes that echo the "Williamsburg" style.
The Restoration of Williamsburg began in 1926, after the Rector of Bruton Parish Church, the Reverend Doctor W. A. R. Goodwin, brought the city's importance to the attention of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who then funded and led the massive reconstruction of the 18 th century city we see today. National attention soon focused on the restoration effort. During a landmark visit in 1934, Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed its main thoroughfare, the Duke of Gloucester Street, "the most historic avenue in America."
Brookline Park
This development, opposite Haverford High School, is distinct in the design of its homes that echo the "Williamsburg" style.
The Restoration of Williamsburg began in 1926, after the Rector of Bruton Parish Church, the Reverend Doctor W. A. R. Goodwin, brought the city's importance to the attention of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who then funded and led the massive reconstruction of the 18 th century city we see today. National attention soon focused on the restoration effort. During a landmark visit in 1934, Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed its main thoroughfare, the Duke of Gloucester Street, "the most historic avenue in America."
Places From The Past
The Johnson House
Map of 1848
Map of 1870
Census of 1880
The First Schoolhouse
c. 1830
Ashmead's 1884 "History of Delaware County" records ,"About 1830 another school-house was built, on the lands of Jonathan Miller. It is still in use, and is located near the grist-mill of George Dickinson, on Cobb's Creek. John Moore was known as a teacher there for several years."
Notice by Samuel Leedom, 23 September, 1852
The Brookline School
The Architect: D. Knickerbacker Boyd
History notes of him:
In 1912 American Stone Trade published a brief biographical sketch of Boyd: "D. Knickerbacker Boyd . . . is one of the best known and most progressive architects . . . in the East . . . none has contributed more largely and more effectively to the development of a high standard of the art which he has chosen for his vocation, in its various phases of beauty, utility and scientific requirement." Although his early architectural practice, like that of many others in Philadelphia, was chiefly limited to residences and residential development, Boyd expanded his field of interest by working tirelessly in the profession and in cultural, historical, and city organizations. Few meetings regarding any sort of building in Philadelphia would not have been graced by his presence; few important decisions were made in the Philadelphia architectural world without his advice being sought. When he collapsed in his offices in the Harrison Building in February, 1944, he was 72 and still working; he had never retired from his profession.
The building is made from the elegant granite that was cut from the quarries in Haverford Township (now the Quarry Center.) The stone from this quarry is still found in no small number of homes in the township. That quarry is closed and "modern" buildings such as our present Township building are crafted from a travesty of fake composition.
The Brookline School is the quintessential edifice of Brookline Manor.
In 1912 American Stone Trade published a brief biographical sketch of Boyd: "D. Knickerbacker Boyd . . . is one of the best known and most progressive architects . . . in the East . . . none has contributed more largely and more effectively to the development of a high standard of the art which he has chosen for his vocation, in its various phases of beauty, utility and scientific requirement." Although his early architectural practice, like that of many others in Philadelphia, was chiefly limited to residences and residential development, Boyd expanded his field of interest by working tirelessly in the profession and in cultural, historical, and city organizations. Few meetings regarding any sort of building in Philadelphia would not have been graced by his presence; few important decisions were made in the Philadelphia architectural world without his advice being sought. When he collapsed in his offices in the Harrison Building in February, 1944, he was 72 and still working; he had never retired from his profession.
The building is made from the elegant granite that was cut from the quarries in Haverford Township (now the Quarry Center.) The stone from this quarry is still found in no small number of homes in the township. That quarry is closed and "modern" buildings such as our present Township building are crafted from a travesty of fake composition.
The Brookline School is the quintessential edifice of Brookline Manor.
To great loss the Brookline School was demolished in 2021.
Brookline Country Club and Airport
Returning to the intersection of the Boulevard with Darby Road we follow Darby Road west. Just beyond the intersection we find the Brookline Fire Company (1916). The Brookline Library (1938) and the Haverford High School (1923) are on Darby Road just beyond the Brookline Fire Company.
Returning to the intersection of the Boulevard with Darby Road we follow Darby Road west. Just beyond the intersection we find the Brookline Fire Company (1916). The Brookline Library (1938) and the Haverford High School (1923) are on Darby Road just beyond the Brookline Fire Company.
The Brookline Club and Airfield
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In the early days the Brookline County Club and the Brookline airport were situated just behind Haverford High School.
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An early photo showing the golf course and the landing strips. (photo from https://www.hagley.org/
Roughly the same view today. After 2018.
Sanborne Maps, 1940
Please visit the Lower Merion Conservancy site for more information: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/996f9ba9adfa44fcbcaba0caf74d8d23