HISTORY OF ST. THOMAS,
WHITEMARSH
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 Birmingham England. 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.
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