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LMHS.03: Lower Merion Historical Society real estate collection
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Held at: Lower Merion Historical Society [Contact Us]506 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Box 2602, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, 19004
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Lower Merion Historical Society. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.
In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent suburban community due to its convenient location.
Bibliography:
Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.
Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.
This is an assembled collection that contains advertisements, tax records, deeds, newspaper clippings, maps, and blueprints. The core of the collection was donated by James T. Shilcock (1919-2011), owner of Shilcock Realty Company, and the Lower Merion Historical Society has since added to it.
Gift of James T. Shilcock, added to by Lower Merion Historical Society.
People
Organization
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Lower Merion Historical Society
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories
- Sponsor
- This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
- Access Restrictions
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Contact Lower Merion Historical Society for information about accessing this collection.