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A postcard ad for Ridley Farms in Holmes from the 1940's. This is for Ridley Circle off of Academy Ave. |
NOTE. I have begun adding the column Delco Realty News to my website, delawarecountyhistory.com If you have not visited my website lately please take a look the link is at the bottom of the page. The news was a weekly column in the Chester Times begun in April of 1912, Below is a sample of the Delco Realty News which was a very in depth column about builders, architects new developments etc.
Please take a look 6 months of the column is now on my website
CHESTER TIMES – January 3, 1914
REALTY VALUES BIG INCREASE –
Incomes of County and City to be Enhanced by
Reason of the Great Building Boom
Considerable vim was injected
into the real estate market this week by some good sales in this city and in
the county, which is taken as an indication that there will be considerable
building in the spring. This is the
judgment of real estate men and builders who are taking an optimistic view of
conditions generally. The deal closed
for the sale of the ten stores along the commission row on Edgmont Avenue was
the largest transaction recorded according to local brokers, but there were
other sales while not as pretentious as this one, portray a bright future the
coming year in real estate in many sections.
The sections of the county most
benefitted during the year just closed, were those where transportation
facilities are best, or where rich men have purchased up farm land for the
purpose of conducting farming upon a scientific basis or the raising and
breeding of registered cattle and stock.
There were many farms in Delaware County purchased during the year for
these purposes, and the land in all sections has been advanced in value for
taxation purposes. The income of the
county under the next triennial assessment should show quite an increase,
although a part of the benefit which will accrue from the enhancement in value
of land has already been received. This
applies to the townships along the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad in
the eastern section of the county. At
the last county assessment much of this property jumped hundreds of dollars per
acre and the county is receiving more taxes from what was originally pure farm
land, than at any time in the history of the county.
CITY REVENUE WILL INCREASE – The
taxes from the same cause should be greatly increased in this city during the
year 19195. Many new houses have been
erected and those contemplated will bring the assessed valuation of property up
several million dollars before the next triennial assessment. Wherever the city has improved the highways,
such improvement has been followed by new buildings going up, which will
increase the annual income of the municipality.
The increase in the cost of
running the city by reason of the improvements call for an increase in the
assessed valuation for taxable purposes.
Last year there were many of the property owners objected to the
revision of the assessments, but if the work is done in a judicious manner,
solely with a view of increasing those properties where the greatest benefits
will accrue from the street paving, it is predicted that there will be but
little complaint. The income of the city
can be increased say $10,000 or $15,000 per year without doing any great injury
to anyone. The city will need
considerable more money for current needs, and there is but one way to get it
and that by taxation.
Those who have given the subject
some thought, say that Delaware County this year, will be among the richest in
the state as to its realty holdings.
TO BUILD AT OAKMONT – Frank H.
Mahan of Haverford has purchased from Joseph R. Connell a plot of ground at
Hillcrest Lawns, Oakmont Station, having a frontage of 725 feet on the
Coopertown Road with a depth of 300 feet to Grehard Road, where the frontage is
also 725 feet. The price paid for the
ground was $30,000 or at the rate of a little over $20 per front foot, all
street improvements to be made by the purchaser. Frank H. Mahan, who has successfully
developed several Main Line tracts, and who built Haverford Court, at
Haverford, about three years ago, will bold five handsome stone houses on the ground
from plans by Savery, Scheetz & Savery, architects. The ground sold is part of a 28-acre tract
purchased about four years ago by Jos. R. Connell.
Other recent purchasers of sites
on the Eagle Road, Oakmont are George McConaghy, Harry Vanderslice and Thomas
Roundtree, who will build handsome residences on the plots purchased.
SOME PREDICTIONS – Realty men
predict considerable activity all along Chester Pike, along the short line from
Collingdale to sixty-Ninth Street Station, along the new short line from Media
to Sixty-Ninth Street at Marcus Hook, Boothwyn and many other places. The industrial activities at Marcus Hook,
Eddystone, Folsom and elsewhere, which have caused an influx of workmen to
reside in the place near their work, have made wonderful realty values in the
above boroughs, and brokers and others, who have made a study of conditions,
say that the demand for dwellings will be just as insistent as before.
ADDITION TO FIRE HOUSE – An
addition, which will contain a borough lockup and a kitchen for the Ladies’
Auxiliary, will be made to the East Lansdowne fire Company firehouse. Councils have approved the plans, and the
contract will be awarded next week.
Collingdale will also erect a brick addition to the Collingdale Fire
Company’s house. The addition will be
one-story in height. Later on the
members of the fire company, at their own expense, will erect another story for
their own use.
Realty values in Boothwyn have
been steadily going up for the last year.
George Laughead, who owns fifty acres, has refused several offers for
his land, and recently refused an offer, which he declares was considerably
more than was ever offered before. At
the same place, J. Harry Richardson, is contemplating the purchase of a tract
of land on which to erect a number of attractive dwellings in the spring.
PROPOSED NEW BANK BUILDING – The
statement made this week that the Delaware County Trust Company is looking for
an available site for a new banking institution has revived no little interest
in Market Street property. There never
was a time in the history of the city that this property has been held at such
a high figure. There is but little
available land, but what the owners are asking $1000 per foot for. Some of it has been offered during the past
week for $800 per foot but there is a general sentiment among owners that land
on Market Street, between the square and Sixth Street, should bring $1000 per
foot. Whether the Trust Company will be
successful in securing the proper site they desire for a new bank building,
remains for the future to develop, but there is a strong prevailing opinion
that in the near future this well-known financial institution will put up a
commodious and up-to-date bank building at either Fourth and Market or Fifth
and Market Streets.
The nine stores and eighteen
apartments at Seventh and New Market Streets are rapidly nearing completion. This new building operation makes a decided
improvement to the architectural appearance of that locality. The buildings were erected by the Chester
Realty and Investment Company. Finishing
touches are now being made to the interior of the structures.
The extensive improvements and
alterations to Odd Fellows’ hall at Broad and Crosby Streets, are nearly
completed. The spacious portico with
graces the Broad Street side of the building, is one of the most attractive
features of the improvements. The
interior of the Hall, which is the headquarters of Chester Lodge, has been
greatly improved. Horace H. Jackson has
the contract.
Former Councilman H. Louis
Morris has been awarded the contract to convert the south porch at the
residence of E. C. Burton on East Thirteenth Street, into a winter sun
parlor. The entire porch will be
enclosed with heavy clear glass. Upon
completion of the improvement. Nothnagle
and Roser will paint the frame part to correspond with the house.
$100,000 RESIDENCE – Bids are being
asked for the erection of $100,000 residence in the township of Haverford for
Dr. Lewis S. Zeigler of 1625 Walnut Street in the city of Philadelphia. New York architects are working on the plans
and specifications and these are ready to be placed in the hands of the
builders for bids. The residence is to
be constructed of stone and brick, two and one-half stories high. It will be in keeping with many of the other
handsome country homes in that section of the county.
The architects are ready to
receive bids for the new church to be erected for the Oakmont Union Church
people at Oakmont, this county. It will
be constructed of stone and for the present will be one story in height. The building will be 50 by 90 feet, and it
will be constructed the coming spring.
The contract for a residence and
garage at Palmer’s Corner for Howard M. Davis has been let to M. T. Ackerman of
Morton, this county. The building will
be two and one-half stories high, 31 by 30 feet and will be constructed of
plaster and shingles. There will be
electric lights and hot water heating.
A number of contractors are
figuring on a new residence for F. J. Tolan to be erected in the township of
Haverford. It will be a frame
construction, two and one-half stories 20 by 30 feet, and will contain electric
lights and hot air heat.
The Commissioners of Upper Darby
Township are taking bids for sewers at Fernwood, this county. The drawings and specifications are in
possession of Engineer A. F. Damon at Darby.
A. Whitehead, 1624 Lauper Street,
M. Roy Sheen, 450 North Wilton Street, James B. Flounders, 1329 Arch Street,
William D. Leach, Llanerch, Pa. and Harry Roberts, Newtown Square, Pa. are
estimating on plans and specifications for a 2 ½ story stone residence, 50 by
35 feet to be erected at Newtown Square for James P. Calvert of that
place. A. B. Gill, architect, 201 South
Twelfth Street.
There was but one permit granted
by Building Inspector, T. T. Williams during the week. Jacob Datch secured the right to erect a
one-story frame kitchen in the rear of the property at 115 East Fourth Street.
BIG OPERATION OF COLLINGDALE –
Collingdale, which has been the scene of several large building operations
during the past year or two, is to have another, which will be started in the
near future. The new operation will
consist of thirteen stores and dwellings on Parker Avenue and fifteen private
residences will be built by Hugh Cox, a contractor and builder of that borough.
Mr. Cox has purchased through
Hagan, a Collingdale broker, 28 lots on Parker Avenue, Cherry Street and Staley
Avenue for $10,000. The land was bought
from A. Yocum of Oak Lane and Frank B. Rhodes and John T. Wolfenden, settlement
being made Tuesday.
The stores will face on Parker
Avenue. The private houses will be
unusual in that, although two stories high, they will have nine rooms. Mr. Hagan, when asked if the stores would
prove successful, stated that already he has applications from a druggist,
grocer, baker and dry goods concern at Philadelphia, who are willing to start
business there as soon as possible.
IMPORTANT TRANSFER – The Village
Record of West Chester says: “One of the
largest documents ever placed on record in the office of the Recorder of Deeds
in Berks County was received at Reading on Friday. It is the first refunding and improvement
mortgage of the Reading Transit and Light Company to the Equitable Trust
Company of New York Trustee. The
mortgage, dated December 1, is known as the first refunding And improvement
mortgage five per cent, gold bonds and is for $50,000,000. It sets over to the trust company all the
property of the Transit and Light Company in Berks, Lancaster, Lebanon,
Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.
REAL
ESTATE TRANSFERS –
Haverford
– Harry R. Hunt, Jr. of Philadelphia to George Laird, also of Philadelphia, lot
in South Ardmore, $150
Highland
Park – John H. Storer of Philadelphia to Martin J. Schwarmann of Philadelphia,
several lots, $780
Chester
– Annie J. Flannagan of Marcus Hook to Timothy Cronin of Chester, brick house
and lot at 1414 West Second Street, $1175
Springfield
– William P. Hipple of Springfield Township to Stephen C. Humphreys of East
Lansdowne, three lots, $500
Prospect
Park – Lewis B. Walker of Philadelphia and Rosa E. Pepper of Prospect Park, two
lots on Madison Avenue, $212.50
Collingdale
– Samuel J. Bunting, et al, to Elizabeth L. O’Neill of Collingdale, Several
lots on Clifton and Parker Avenues, $1.00
Ridley
Township – William H. Given of Ridley Park to John Maag of Ridley Township,
lot, $1800
Radnor –
P. Erwin Swartley of Philadelphia to Franklin J. Coxey, also of Philadelphia,
all that certain piece of ground at Lancaster and Aberdeen Avenues, Nominal
Radnor –
William Wescott and his wife, Clarence J. Gallagher and his wife, Anthony B.
Gallagher and his wife, and Bertha P. Collins, all of Philadelphia to P. Erwin
Swartley of Philadelphia, ground and buildings, situated at Lancaster and
Pembroke avenues, $100
Norwood
– The Granite Building Association of Philadelphia to George W. Buzby of Sharon
Hill, lot westerly corner of Leon Avenue $400
Haverford
– Mary Ellen Edwards of Philadelphia to John C. Adams, Jr., also of
Philadelphia, lot situated at Brookline, nom
Tinicum
– William H. Willoughby of Tinicum to Christian Williamson of same place, two
lots at what was formerly known as Corbindale, $200
Haverford
– James McCrea of Philadelphia to Anna Elizabeth Buckley of Ardmore, two lots
in South Ardmore, $1.00
Haverford
– John J. Gallagher of South Ardmore to James McCrea of Philadelphia, two lots
on South Ardmore, $1.00
Swarthmore
– William J. Cresson and wife of Swarthmore to Clement C. Ogden, lot and
building at Dartmouth and Amherst Avenue $1.00
Swarthmore
– Clement C. Ogden of Swarthmore to William J. Cresson, lot and buildings
situated on Dartmouth and Amherst Avenues, $1.00
Upper
Chichester – James H. Marshall of Linwood to Boothwyn Farms Company, tract of
land, $1.00
Haverford
– Emil Mueller of Philadelphia to Frederick W. Storch of the same city, lot
situated at Brookline, $160
Chester
– Taylor C. Burke of Chester to Sarah E. Mason of the same place, lot situated
at Twentieth and Potter streets, $625
Chester
– Taylor C. Burke of Chester to Mary Elizabeth Cott, also of Chester, lot at
Twentieth and Potter Streets, $650
Chester
– Taylor C. Burker of Chester to William Deakyne, also of Chester, lot at
Twentieth and Potter Streets, $650
Chester
– James A. Shropshire of Chester to Teresa Kestner of the same place,
brick house and lot, Fifth and Lloyd Streets, $850
Swarthmore
– Richard G. Park of West Chester and his wife and L. Everton Ransey and wife,
Edward B. Hitchcock and his wife, and John A. Adams and his wife, all of
Swarthmore to Paul Freedley of Swarthmore, lot in Ogden Park $100
Chester
– McCall Kacherobon of Chester to John Szezepanszki and his wife Bessie,
brick house and lot No. 220 Hayes Street, $1240
Drexel
Hill – Samuel Crothers of Philadelphia to Harmon Hall, also of Philadelphia,
several lots, $870
Collingdale
– Frank B. Rhodes of Media, et ex, et al to Milton L. Staley of Collingdale,
lot on Rhodes Avenue, $880
Clifton
Heights – Annie C. Gorrell of Philadelphia to George Mikusa of Clifton Heights,
house and lot, $1350
Clifton
Heights – Samuel P. Brown and his wife of Clifton Heights to Edward C. Force of
the same place, house and lot, Walnut Street and Harrison avenue, $2300
Darby
Township – George B. Mershon of Philadelphian to Thomas F. Feeley of the same
place, house and lot, nominal
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