Sometime in the 1690's a small log church was built on one acre of land given by the Farmar family who had received a 5,000 acre grant from Wm. Penn. This little church was for many years a non-denominational church and all who wished to worship there were welcomed. Although it is now an Episcopal Church we still welcome all who wish to worship here.

After 10 years the little log building was burned and a stone building was erected in its place. The congregation helped a sister church 9 miles away in Philadelphia build a road - Church Road - so that one minister could serve both churches. One of these ministers, Aeneas Ross, was the father-in-law of Betsy Ross.

It was down Church Road that the British troop stormed in pursuit of the Colonial Army after the Battle of Germantown. The church hill changed hands several times during the Revolutionary War. A few relics of the war picked up on church grounds are on display in the church office. Its location just above Bethlehem Pike made the Church at Whitemarsh a strategic spot for firing down on the troops at Fort Washington . The countryside was ravaged and the little church suffered accordingly - its windows were broken out, the wooden fence burned and gravestones broken.

It was several years before services were again held in the little church and the congregation soon decided it would be better to build a new church than to try to repair the old one. The new church was built a few yards to the south and east of the old one. In a picture we have it looks much like the country church it was, a white church with a tall white steeple sitting atop a hill. In 1818 it was consecrated as an Episcopal church and named St. Thomas ~ Church. Time went by, the congregation grew and it was again decided a new church should be built. That is when the present church was built on the site of the third church. As the church grew so did the holding of property surrounding the church, from one acre to 43 acres.

The oldest building on the property is the stone house on the comer of Bethlehem Pike and Camp Hill Road. It has been used in times past as a rectory. A small stone school was built to the south of this house on Bethlehem Pike. Here many children have learned "reading, riting, and rithmatic" and to love their God. These two structures were later remodeled and joined together to form a larger school and parish house. A new parish house is just beyond this building on Camp Hill Road. It, too, is part of the school and a day care center.

On the south side of the church, which has been enlarged twice, stands a stone house. It was built in the 1890's as a rectory and was lived in for 40 years by the Rev. N. B. Groton. When the big white farmhouse, built in the same decade, was acquired the stone rectory became the church office and the farmhouse became the home of a rector with a large family. The white farmhouse is now the church office and the stone rectory, named Groton House, is a fine bookstore and gift shop.

The large white barn behind the church offices is the scene of many church events, picnics, outdoor services, country fairs, barn sales and summer day- camp for children from The Church of The Advocate in Philadelphia . The small white house behind the barn is the home of the property manager.

Much of the land is the cemetery of St. Thomas ' with graves from the early 1700's to today. All of the property is used for the Glory of God and the community. In August the 48-bell carillon is played in concert every Tuesday. People from around the area bring chairs and blankets to enjoy the lawns under towering trees while listening to the music of the bells being played by our resident carillonneur and visiting artists.

The church itself is a fine stone structure now almost 150 years old. It has many beautiful stained glass windows most of which were made in . One, however, was made in the Tiffany studios. It is in the middle of the south wall. The lovely carved stone baptistery, pulpit and altar were largely due to the devotion of the Sheaff family. One member of this family, Miss Ellen Sheaff built the small stone school house and taught there much of her life.

The murals on the walls of the chancel were painted by Marianne Sloan. The first one was dedicated in memory of a previous rector, the Rev. A. J. Miller, on October 31, 1915 and the other two a few years later.

The beauty of the church and the grounds on which it stands are a source of pride for the congregation. We treasure this gift from the men and women who worked so hard for the God they loved. It is our hope that we may hold safe that which they left us and continue their work of spreading Christianity throughout our community and the world.

Saint Thomas History Task Force

The Saint Thomas History Task Force was established in 2002 to help maintain and develop accurate archival records and documentation of the history of our campus. It is through their efforts and the efforts of many valued community members before them that the history of this wondrous campus will live on for many, many years to come as a legacy for future generations.

WHITEMARSH

Township History

With its initial settlement occurring over 300 years ago, the township has a long and rich history, filled with events of regional and even national importance.

Township Name
Extremely broad and level expanse of meadow along the Wissahickon Creek became a broad or wide marsh when subject to overflow; this natural feature may have been pronounced "white marsh" by German settlers, thus originating the name Whitemarsh.  Another theory is that the name was suggested because the springs at Spring Mill rise from a marsh of white The origin of the township's name has never been definitely determined, although there are various theories.  One belief is that an eearth and sand, resembling pewter sand, and thus may have suggested the name.  Still another is that Whitemarsh received its name from the white mist that hung over the land on many occasions.

Early Settlements
The township's original inhabitants were Native Americans, members of the Leni Lenape tribe.  A peaceful tribe, they apparently lived in harmony with the township's first European settlers, English and Welsh Quakers, who endeavored to learn the Indians’ language and customs.  Settlement began in 1683, only a year after Charles II of England granted William Penn his woods.  Major Jasper Farmar, a British army officer living in County Cork, Ireland, heard of Penn's desire to colonize his grant and, persuaded, purchased a 5,000-acre tract containing most of what is present day Whitemarsh.  The tract stretched from the Schuylkill River to the Wissahickon Creek.

Unfortunately, Farmar died as arrangements were being made to sail to America; however, his widow and children decided to make the voyage.  The family, along with several servants, arrived in Philadelphia on November 10, 1685.  Surveying their tract, they chose the Fort Washington area for their homestead.  The Widow Farmar apparently did not survive for long in the new land, for her son, Edward, who inherited the tract, began to subdivide it into parcels of 100 to 200 acres during the 1690s.  These parcels were sold to Quakers and later, German immigrants, as farms.  Some time between 1690 and 1700 Edward Farmar donated land for the township's first church, St. Thomas'. The congregation is still active today, making it the township's oldest and one of the oldest in Pennsylvania.  Another early church is the Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse, organized in 1686.  While in Plymouth Township, this church was instrumental in the growth of the Plymouth Meeting section of the township, which was one of the earliest settlements in Whitemarsh.

Influence of Limestone
In 1686, an event occurred in neighboring Oreland which was to have a profound effect on the township. A man named Thomas Fitzwater discovered vast lime deposits on his land.  He erected a kiln to process it which, by 1693, had attracted the attention of Penn.  Penn ordered a highway built from the port of the Delaware River to the kiln.  Named Limekiln Pike, and still in existence today, it was one of the first roads in the area.  With subsequent deposits being discovered in Whitemarsh, lime kilns began to appear throughout the township creating its first and most noted industry.

18th Century Development
The pattern of the township's early settlement was not dissimilar from the rest of the region, or indeed, from the rest of the country.  Roads were laid out to link mills, churches, farms, and lime kilns.  Villages began to appear at important cross roads, encouraged by the development of taverns or inns which started to appear in earnest after stagecoach service was introduced to the county in 1763.  Important early roads traversing the township include: Germantown Pike, which existed as early as 1687; Bethlehem Pike, which was developed to facilitate the hauling of lime in 1698; Ridge Pike, opened in 1706 to provide a connection between the Wissahickon and Perkiomen Creeks; and Skippack Pike, first used in 1713.

Revolutionary War
During the Revolution, Whitemarsh hosted several important events relating to the war.  During the Fall of 1777, General Washington and 11,000 troops were stationed in the township, guarding the Wissahickon Valley from British redcoats, who then held Philadelphia. Washington's encampment extended from Militia Hill on the west, over Fort and Camp Hills, to Edge Hill on the east.  It was during this time that these hills received their names.  Militia Hill was named because it was held by the Pennsylvania Militiamen, Camp Hill because it was dotted with tents, and Fort Hill because it contained the fort.  The impression, however, that the name Edge Hill has been applied either from the structure of its rock standing upright or in perpendicular strata, hence the common phrase, "standing on edge," or for forming the southern boundary of the great limestone basin commencing in Abington Township, and extending southeastwards into Maryland.

Several township buildings still stand that played a role during the Revolution.  General Nathaniel Greene stayed at Hope Lodge and General Biddle stayed at what is now the Scoogi’s Restaurant on Bethlehem Pike.  Washington, unfortunately, did not sleep in Whitemarsh; he stayed at the Emlen house in neighboring Upper Dublin.  During December 5, 6, and 7, 1777 there were skirmishes between the Revolutionaries and General Howe's troops in the Flourtown area.  They ended when a British attempt to capture Fort Hill was thwarted because their cannons could not traverse the terrain from Flourtown.  Shortly after that Washington and his troops decamped for Valley Forge.  Lafayette Hill was also the site of some activity.  St. Peter's Lutheran Church was used by both armies as a stable and battery.  In 1778, General Lafayette established an outpost at the church to protect Valley Forge from a British assault leaving Philadelphia via Ridge or Germantown Pikes.  Left in ruins after the war, it was not rebuilt until 1809.  The present structure dates from 1901, replacing the earlier building which burned in 1899.

Early Villages
Whitemarsh remained relatively stable throughout the 19th century.  Its most startling change was the incorporation of Conshohocken as a borough in 1850. By mid-century the township had developed nine distinct villages.  They are as follows:

·         Spring Mill  This area takes its name from the springs which create a small stream that leads to the Schuylkill.  About 1715 a grist mill was developed along this stream, leading to the development of the village.  The mill burned in 1968, but the miller's house still stands, surrounded by a SEPTA parking lot at the corner of Hector Street and North Lane.

·         Barren Hill:  Settled by Germans, this area developed in the early 1700s, because of its close proximity to Germantown and Ridge Pikes.  The origin of the name is obscure.  Some references claim that it was a corruption of Barn Hill, and others cite the sheer desolation of this barren area.

·         Marble Hill:  Named for the marble quarries that developed along Germantown Pike, this area was renamed Lafayette Hill in 1883.

·         Plymouth Meeting: Named after the Plymouth meetinghouse, this area was settled as early as 1686.  The present meetinghouse dates from 1704.  Part of this historic area lies in Plymouth Township.

·         Cold Point:  Settled because of its proximity to quarries and lime kilns, this area got its name because of the cold wind which swept over the hilltop.

·         Lancasterville:  This area, which was located near where the turnpike crosses Stenton Avenue, got its name from the Lancaster family who owned several large farms in the vicinity.  Largely obliterated by the turnpike, it has disappeared from 20th century maps.

·         Broad Axe:  Named after the tavern, this name first appeared on maps in 1792.

·         Fort Washington:  This area takes its name from General Washington's encampment of 1777.  It evolved after a railroad was put through the area, starting in the 1950s.  A village grew where the tracks crossed Bethlehem Pike.  It was named in 1878.

·         Valley Green:  Originally known as Farmar's Town for Edward Farmar, this area, located near the present day Philadelphia Cricket Club, probably received its name from its natural setting in the Wissahickon Creek corridor.  With the exception of Valley Green Road, the name has disappeared.

The growth of these areas was undoubtedly helped by the transportation improvements that occurred during the 19th century.  Reflective of similar developments throughout the east coast, a canal along the Schuylkill River, conceived in 1810, was completed in 1825.  Ten years later, a railroad was constructed along the Schuylkill, connecting Philadelphia to Norristown.

By mid-century numerous rail lines ran throughout Whitemarsh.  They were followed by street cars in the 1870s which provided passenger service to the City and such local boroughs as Norristown, Conshohocken, and Ambler.

Yet, these improvements did not lead to the late 19th century garden suburbs created in such areas as Wyndmoor in Springfield, Wyncote in Cheltenham, or Wayne along the Main Line.  Whitemarsh remained a community of small villages and farms, except for some development radiating out of Conshohocken.  One explanation for this was the rapid growth of Conshohocken and Ambler during the 19th century. Their activity absorbed most of the area's growth and caused Whitemarsh to remain static.

Of the 19th century villages, six still appear on maps (Spring Mill, Plymouth Meeting, Barren Hill, Cold Point, Broad Axe, and Fort Washington).  They have been joined by four others: Lafayette Hill; Miquon, originally the Lafayette station area, this stop was named Miquon in 1921 to end confusion with Lafayette Hill; and, HarmonviIle, named after a shopkeeper who lived in the area; and Cedar Heights, the name of an early 20th century subdivision.

Business and Industrial Influence
While these transportation improvements brought relatively little residential development, they did create a lot of industry.  From a township that had 5 inns, 5 grist mills, 3 paper mills, and 2 tanneries in 1785, Whitemarsh developed a respectable industrial base by the late 19th century.  Industrial corridors emerged along two rail lines: the Plymouth to Oreland rail line and the Schuylkill River oriented rail line.  The Plymouth/Oreland line, developed because of Corson Quarry, caused this business and several other similar industries to boom.  Today Corsons', now known as Highway Materials, is the only quarry still in operation.  It is the oldest continuously worked quarry in the United States.  The Schuylkill line saw the development of much heavy industry, including:  Hamilton-Paper (later Weyerhauser and then Simpson), Lee Tire, Hale Pump, and Quaker Chemical.  While many of the industries are gone today, some of their, buildings remain; silent reminders of the Delaware Valley's smokestack era.

20th Century
Present day Whitemarsh emerged after World War II.  A demand for new housing, created by a shortage of it owing to the Great Depression, was coupled with low interest government mortgages, resulting in the nation's greatest housing boom.  Additionally, automobile ownership was now available to the general public, allowing city residents the chance to venture beyond public transit corridors.  This made the farmland of Whitemarsh appear very attractive.  The birth of the modem suburb had begun and Whitemarsh's location adjacent to Philadelphia put it in the path of the first wave. 

From a population of 4,855 in 1940 the township grew to 12,286 in 1960.  During the 1950s the amount of housing in the township rose 54.4 percent.  Much of this growth radiated out from the Ridge and Germantown Pike corridors. During the 1960s and 1970s, the housing development grew out to Flourtown Road, creating a continuous developed suburban community between the Ridge Pike corridor and this area.  Only the Barren Hill/ Miquon areas, with it’s steep slopes, and the northwestern Fort Washington/Ambler areas, with it’s large private land holdings and large lot zoning, remained substantially undeveloped. However, since  the early 1990s, as the Township continues to remain one of the more desirable communities in the southeastern Pennsylvania region, a demand for new housing has begun in these areas. 

The late 1980’s and 90’s witnessed another round of development activity in the Township triggered by the completion of the Blue Route (Interstate 476) with its major interchange in nearby Plymouth Township.  Commercial development increased with major projects such as the reengineering of older Lee Park and Simpson Industrial properties along with newer office/ light industrial projects. Improved regional economic conditions and low interest rates spurred residential growth with over 600 new housing units added in the late 1980’s throughout the 1990’s.

The township's population peaked in 1970, with 15,886 residents, but dropped through the 1980’s with the 1990 census reporting a population of 14,863. This is not surprising for a suburban area whose growth began 50 years ago.  What is surprising is that it has dropped so little, given the problems, nationally, of other first growth suburbs.  As the township enters its fourth century, it remains a solid and economically sound community.