The Philadelphia Main Line Real Estate Agency
Jim Thornton
RE/MAX Preferred
12 St. Albans Circle, Newtown Square, PA 19073
Office 610.325.4100 :: Direct 610.642.4607 ::
Fax 610.642.1715 :: Cell 610.506.0802
Email
A proven track record of
exceeding buyer expectations!
Gladwyne homes and real estate
are among the most desirable in the U.S.
We'll help you find your Gladwyne property.
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or read about Gladwyne history below
Originally settled as Merion Square in 1682 by Welsh Quakers from Merionshire, the village of Gladwyne was the earliest village in what is now Lower Merion. The native residents, the Lenni Lenape Indians, had cleared fields and made paths that led from the fields to the Schuylkill River. The Gladwyne settlers' first homes were built into the steep hillsides close to the river, but were quickly replaced by log cabins. Stone houses and mills soon followed above the river along Mill Creek and some of these structures are in use today as homes and offices, others are skeletal testimony to the industry founded along Mill Creek real estate. Since water provided the only power to the area, Mill Creek Valley had as many as 23 mills with smaller buildings and houses for the workers and their families. These mills were active through the Civil War, but began to be replaced in the late 1800's by other sources of power. A flood in 1894 destroyed or damaged most of them. Barker's Mill remained a working mill until WW I. English and German settlers soon outnumbered the Welsh, the growth of the area greatly sponsored by the building of the Philadelphia and Lancaster Railroad in the 1830's which became known as the Main Line with towns developing along the line such as Bryn Mawr and Villanova . The village of Gladwyne grew as well, but less affected than other parts of Lower Merion since it was distanced from the railroad. Most of the residents were farmers whose social life was centered around three churches in the village. Following the Civil War, the area was discovered by wealthy Philadelphians who began to purchase the farms and built summer homes, later to be established as year round estates. Farmers and mill workers found employment as caretakers of these vast properties. The large estates and farms began to breakup early in the 20th century. In 1927 township zoning was established and development of smaller properties accelerated during the 1940's. The Gladwyne Civic Association was established in 1948 to insure the planning of development to enhance the natural beauty of the area.
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