NOTE: Upper Darby and Haverford Twps. were growing like crazy 100 years ago. The trolleys were bringing people to both Twps. The article below is from 100 years ago. The Chester Times every Friday thru the 1920's talked about building in Delco. I'm still looking for a large overhead scanner I can use to add more atlases to my website, delawarecountyhistory.com If you have one I can use email me, keith106@rcn.com
CHESTER TIMES
February 10, 1923
ANTICIPATION OF A RELEASE OF SPRING WORK
Bids for New Buildings Expected to Avoid the High Cost Rush
Builders
were given their first setback of the winter season this week, due to the heavy
snow. But it had been an open winter up
until then and considerable progress was made in all operations.
With
the expectation of good weather and a continued mild winter, contractors feel
confident of working through the usual dual days and some are contemplating the
starting of new work. The outlook is
very promising for this city and the county for new building.
With
the coming of March, a flood of work is expected to be released for bids in
order to avoid the high cost of building bound to occur with the official opening
of spring. Labor and material are scarce
now and farsighted builders are letting their contracts before the advance.
Steps
have been taken for the construction of $2,000,000,000 worth of dwellings in
the United States, where home building drives are on, especially this district
where the county is being built up to provide for the Sesqui-Centennial
overflow. Local contractors are
preparing plans for extensive home building in the upper section of the city
and other sections.
At
the fifth annual convention of the Brick Manufacturers’ Association of America
this week in Cleveland it was announced that plans now in the hands of
architects for homes and other buildings would amount to $3,000,000,000.
The
Chester Construction and Contracting Company started this week on two of the
schools for the Chester Board of Education, the Smedley School, Eighteenth and
Upland Streets, and the Junior High School, Seventh Street and Central Avenue.
The
local company is bidding on a high school to be erected at Pottstown, Pa., to
cost $500,000. Ritter and Shay,
architects for the Masonic Temple, this city, prepared the plans.
DOINGS
IN COUNTY – Upper Darby and Haverford Townships, will be the scene of the
greatest building activity in the history of these two rapidly growing
districts which have become noted for their many pretty homes, during the past
three years.
Shortly
before the World War, Upper Darby began to show signs of a healthy building
activity, which quickly spread to Haverford Township.
It
may be truthfully said that the great development of these two townships was
principally due to the splendid transportation facilities afforded by the
Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company and the Philadelphia and Western
Transportation Company. Both of these
corporations have trolley lines radiating into every direction from Sixty-Ninth
Street Terminal.
However,
the only drawback for this influx of Philadelphians is the “turn back
nuisance,” as it is known to thousands of Delaware Countains, which exists by
turning back every other car at Sixty-Third and Market Street, of the Market
Street elevated line.
However,
even with this handicap, several thousand new homes will be built during the
year in Upper Darby Township and Haverford, and it is possible with adding
thousands of more passengers, the P. R. T. will be forced of its own volition
to run all of its care through to Sixty-Ninth Street.
John
J. McClatchy, the founder of Stonehurst, which is a small city within itself at
this time, has underway 200 fine dwellings which will be rushed to completion
with the spring weather. Mr. McClatchy
predicts that this will be the greatest year in real estate development in
Delaware County, and that Upper Darby and Haverford Townships are going to lead
Delaware County.
In
Drexel Hill, Harry W. Koch looks forward with a great deal of enthusiasm of
completing the Aronimink tract of seventy acres this year. This development was begun last spring but
work has ceased for the present on account of weather conditions. Koch predicts that ever 200 houses will be
erected in Drexel Hill during the year, in addition to those which have already
been started by builders and individuals.
In Lansdowne
Borough many new houses will be built by individuals beginning with the spring months. Harry S. Barker, one of the leading real
estate men of Lansdowne, says that there will be little or no operation work,
but that the northern part of Lansdowne will see at least 100 fine types of
houses erected during the year.
BUILDING PERMITS
ISSUED – Building Inspector Devlin issued the following permits during the
week:
Corrugated iron
garage. Thomas Ippoliti, $100, rear of
511 West Second Street
Two two-story brick houses
and store, M. Kalieswiz, $12,000, rear of 2917 West Third Street
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