A postcard of the Garrett-Williamson Lodge from the 1920's a vacation home for single women and their children. It first opened for young women to get the place up and running. Elizabeth Williamson Garrett donated 260 acres and a million dollars to open the place. AND Yes her name was Williamson Garrett not Garrett Williamson.
NOTE: The lodge still exists today at 395 Bishop Hollow Rd. as the "Garrett's Way Child Care and Learning Center".
NEWTOWN SQUARE IDEAL VACATION HOME IS OPENED
Garrett-Williamson Lodge to Receive Its First Inmates
In
the heart of the green-clad hills of Delaware County, fanned by the cooling
breezes that sweep through numberless trees and surrounded by every comfort
that money can devise, many women and little children will this summer escape
the sweltering heat of the city in the home that has been provided for them
near Newtown Square, through the generosity of a Philadelphia woman.
Although
the donor of the money that made possible the erection of the building is no
longer living, the kindly spirit that prompted the gift of 260 acres of land
and $1,000,000 for the maintenance of the home seemed to hover above the huge
grey stone building yesterday, when more than 500 persons viewed the premises
for the first time at the formal opening of what is to be known as the
Garrett-Williamson Lodge.
Named
for the woman in whose mind the generous-hearted scheme originated, Mrs.
Elizabeth Williamson Garrett, the home will today receive its first inmates,
when Miss Alice W. Penrose, director, and her staff of assistants welcome a
group of women come to spend their vacation in the thoroughly up-to-date and
modernly equipped dwelling provided for them.
Although, according to Mrs. Garrett’s stipulation, the home is for
single women and children, only adults will be accommodated during the first
weeks until the household machinery is in perfect running order. Then children, too, will be admitted, until
every sunny, daintily-furnished bedroom in the entire three-story building is
occupied.
The
keynote of the spirit of home life which is the outstanding feature of the
lodge was struck yesterday by John L. Clawson, president of the Board of
Managers, when he asserted emphatically that the home is not an “institution,”
according to the usual meaning of the word.
“The
occupants of the home will be like members of one big cub,” Mr. Clawson
said. “There will be no “charity”
connected with the establishment – the women and children who come here will
all be guests and take part in a club life that will make them forget their
life in the city and remember only that they are here to enjoy themselves to
the full extent of their ability.
And
surely no woman could fail to enjoy herself in the setting that has been
provided by Mrs. Garrett’s bounty. With
a huge living room and dining room on the ground floor, each having a large
stone fireplace and numerous windows curtained with bright-colored cretonnes,
the house presents to the visitor a picture of home-like attraction. From a broad, white-pillared porch at the
rear, a view of grassy fields and wooded hills greets the city-wearied eye,
while on the hottest day of summer there is always a breeze to flutter the
awnings and come sweeping in at the windows that dot all sides of the long,
white-trimmed building.
CALIFORNIA
STYLE – In a cement-floored kitchen in the basement, equipped with all the
latest culinary devices, is prepared the food that is sent up on a dumb waiters
to the pantry and thence to the dining room.
Here it is taken by the guests, in cafeteria fashion to the small
tables, scattered throughout the length of the dining room or on the spacious
porch, to be eaten within sight of the beckoning outdoors.
On
the second and third floors are the light-walled bedrooms, single for the most
part, but some equipped with half a dozen or more beds for the accommodation of
groups of women who come to the home together.
Each is provided with a bureau and bright-painted chair, matching in
tone, the curtains at the window, and each has a curtained space against the
wall to take the place of the less sanitary clothes closet.
Although
the building as it is at present can accommodate 100 persons at a time, it is
planned to erect separate bungalows in the future to add to the sleeping
capacity of the home. There will also be
a swimming pool, tennis courts, a space for baseball, a gymnasium, radio equipment
and numerous other amusements provided for the fortunate persons who will spend
their vacation weeks in this ideal spot.
PLEASE READ BELOW
As the spring season unfolds and we all had planned events and expected more visitors to our sites, we now see that many of our events and school visits have been put on hold. Many of us have been wise and closed our house museums and cancelled board meetings. We can't change the course of action that is now imposed on us, and in lieu of our normal promotion of our sites, we have to be creative if we still want to find ways to promote our shared Delaware County heritage.
Visit Delco, PA, our county Tourist and Visitor's Bureau, wants to promote our many historical sites and groups on their website (visitdelcopa.com) this spring. They are looking for links to videos that showcase our many historic sites and house museums. By posting links to these videos, it is giving the general public a kind of virtual Heritage Tourism tour. Even if people can't actually visit our great historic sites now, they could view many of our treasures, and when we can all get back to normal, people will be interested in coming out to see them in person.
We are also aware of some self-guided walking tours, history-based Facebook live events and podcasts that were created by our groups and supporting organizations (such as libraries).
So please let us know if you have a link to a video, a digital version of a walking tour, or anything else you want to share with us all.
Thanks for giving this a chance, and we will be in touch.
If you have questions or want to hear more about the website, let us know.
Sincerely,
Beverlee Barnes
Manager - Preservation Planning Section
Delaware County Planning Department
barnesb@co.delaware.pa.us
Barb Lehman
Visitdelcopa.com
blehman@visitdelcopa.com
FYI- County offices are closed to the public. Please email if you require assistance. Thank you for your cooperation
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