by George M. Harding
geo621nf@hotmail.com
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621 Railroad Avenue
Haverford, PA
Land Purchase History:
The 621 Railroad Avenue property was originally part of a 132-acre farm that Samuel Garrigues and his wife Sarah purchased on June 11, 1808. The purchased land ran between Coopertown Road and the Haverford Friends Meetinghouse path (formally Pigs Alley) and between College Avenue and Buck Lane. Samuel, a house carpenter by trade, his wife Sarah Parker, and their two-year-old child Haydock packed up their belongings and moved out to Haverford, PA. (1).
On February 6, 1851, Haydock and his wife Sidney purchased Haydock's parent's farm. In return, they “assured and agreed to pay"the $3,086 that his father Samuel, and his mother Sarah had accumulated (2).
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By the end of March 1871, the Pennsylvania Railroad had moved its rail line to its current location 1/2 mile to the Northeast, making travel through the area more efficient (3). The removal of the tracks meant the former rail bed could be turned into a public road. This enabled Haydock to sell land in the Northeast section of his farm to the public for the purpose of building houses. Up to this point in time, only family members and Haverford Friends Quaker Meeting owned property on Haydock's land.
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On December 26, 1873, Haydock Garrigues and his wife Sidney sell 2 acres and 44.5 perches (2.28 acres) to John Russell for $1,500 (4). See the highlighted area on the map clipping below.
Land purchases specifically related to the 621 Railroad Avenue property:
March 30, 1887, John Russell and his wife Jane sell 18.75 square perches, or .117 acres of the original 2.278 acres to Brinton Dilworth for $300. The land ran from the stone marker located under the carport at 621 Railroad Avenue to the property line of now 617 Railroad Avenue and from the middle of now Railroad Avenue to just beyond the back fence in then Brinton Dilworth’s backyard. The deed to the property referred to the former railroad bed, now Railroad Avenue, as a “hubris road,” poking fun at the dirt road’s poor condition most likely due to the ruts and muddy conditions (5).
The construction of the house most likely began in 1887 and was completed by the end of 1889. Brinton was a carpenter by trade, so it is likely he built the house himself. The original house was one room deep and three stories high.
By 1892, a local map of the area shows houses 621, 617, and 615 were built on three separate lots. No names are listed on the map (6). The houses were originally built one room deep and the exteriors were faced with Dutch clapboard (7). The interior chimney located on the north side of the 621 Railroad Avenue house had wood stoves attached to it, one in the dining room and another in the room above.
On June 23, 1897, Brinton’s first wife, Lottie died. The 1900 census shows Mary Elizabeth Durnall, (Brinton's sister) had moved into Brinton's house with her five children after Mary’s husband, Henry Durnall died. Nine people were living under Brinton's roof during this time frame. To accommodate the increased bathroom needs, a 6-foot x 12-foot addition was built on the back of the house to give people more privacy. See the map clippings below (8).
Initially, the second floor of the addition most likely had a small bathtub, a washstand with a water pitcher, and a chamber pot. The first floor of the addition most likely included a tiny kitchen and a place for laundry. It is unclear if there was a chamber pot in the first-floor addition.
The first-floor doorway to the 6-foot x 12-foot addition still exists and is located directly across from the cellar door. The second floor of the addition included a lavatory and most likely a closet at the top of the stairs. The bathrooms would have had a washstand with a bowl and jug, a commode, and a basin to clean themselves.
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June 2, 1910, officers of the Preston Drainage Company agreed "to construct a deep line sewer on Railroad Avenue from the manhole at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Walnut Avenue some 1245 feet Northward; to such point in Railroad Avenue as will be the final terminus." The drainage company also agreed to construct a branch line from a manhole at the intersection of Buck Lane and Railroad Avenue 200 feet, more or less (9). In September 1910, the Preston Drainage Company had finished installing the 4" public sewer line on Railroad Avenue (10). Soon after, a permanent sink, a toilet, and a claw tub were installed in the second-floor bathroom. On the first floor, a permanent kitchen sink (11). Initially, a brick well and a hand pump provided water to those living in the house. It is unclear when running water was provided.
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On November 19, 1918, Brinton Dilworth (b. December 2, 1853) died of pulmonary tuberculosis. On Sept 8, 1919, Brinton Dilworth's heirs sell Brinton’s property to Arthur G. Cotter for $2,500 (12). Mary Elizabeth and her family move a couple of blocks Northwest to Penn Street where she died in 1920 (13).
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Sometime after 1926, an addition was added to the left rear part of the house which included a proper kitchen and a small room above. See the red outline in the photo below.
A 2016 residing project shows the original siding to the house was Dutch Clapboard and painted olive green. Later, the siding was covered over with cedar shingles According to Roger Moss' book on historic colors, even after paints started being mass-produced in the second half of the 19th century, exterior colors still favored earth tones such as ochres, various shades of green, browns, and deep reds.
According to an August 1959 real estate card, the house was listed for $14,500, The house was then assessed for $1,900. Construction: The exterior still had clapboard siding and an asphalt roof. The basement was full-size. The house had recently been converted over to gas. Hot Water Heat (Radiators), “New Gas” Water Heater. Prior to the installation of radiators, the one-room deep house was heated with two wood stoves attached to the same chimney on the north side of the house: One of the stoves would have been located in the current dining room. The other stove was in the room above it. The owners either burned wood or possibly coal in the stoves. The fireplace in the living room was later added. Radiators were most likely not installed until sometime after 1926.
The 1959 Real Estate Rolodex card noted the house then had a kitchen, living room, dining room, lavatory, and laundry combination, on the first floor. The second floor had three rooms and one bathroom. The third floor was listed as an unheated storage area. The lot size at the time was 40’ by 120’ (.11 acres).
Sources:
1. Samuel Garrigues purchased 132.6 acres, taking possession of the property sometime after June 1, 1808. The land consisted of two tracks for a total of 130 acres and an additional 2.6 acres in the northeast corner of the property. February 11, 1807, Peter Brown and his wife Sarah; William Hill and his wife Esthel; William White, and his wife Mary sign the deed of sale (page 320). On February 13, 1807, Esther Hill resigns the deed of sale (page 321). On July 1, 1807, Esther Hill appears before a Philadelphia judge to confirm she signed the deed voluntarily (page 321). On June 1, 1808, Sarah Brown appeared before Philadelphia Judge Jacob Rush to also affirm she had signed the deed voluntarily. On June 1, 1809, the deed was recorded at the Delaware County Record of Deeds Office in Media, PA. The indenture was found online: book 0i00, page 318 ).
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2. Source for the deed showing Haydock pays off Samuel Garrigues's debts: The indenture was found online: book 0Z00, page 349. The document is located at the Recorder of Deeds office, Delaware County Courthouse in Media, PA.
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3. Twenty-Fifth Annual Report, Pennsylvania Railroad Company, February 20, 1872, reporting on the previous year.
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4. Haydock and Sidney sells land to John Russell land: Indenture found online: book 0R03, page 433. The deed is recorded at the Deeds office, Delaware County Courthouse in Media, PA. Robert Stanton is a neighbor.
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5. Indenture found online: book 0F06 page 402. The deed is recorded at the Deeds office, Delaware County Courthouse in Media, PA.
6. 1892 E.W. Smith & Co. Map shows houses: 621, 617, and 615 had all been built.
7. I personally have seen Dutch clapboard on 621 and 617
8. The 6 x12 addition was measured by the owner
9. On June 2, 1910, officers of the Preston Drainage Company agreed "to construct a sewer by deep line on Railroad Avenue Source: The Preston Drainage Company minutes on page 48
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10. The December 1914 plan showing the Sewer System of the Preston Drainage Company in Haverford Township.
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11. George Harding saw the 1910 original tub at 615 Railroad Avenue which indicates the time frame when new plumbing fixtures were installed for all three houses.
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12. Brinton Dilworth's heirs sell Brinton’s property to Arthur G. Cotter. Indenture found online: book 0438, page 372. The deed is recorded at the Deeds office, Delaware County Courthouse in Media, PA.
13. Mary Elizabeth's Death Certificate.