Call Number:

02

Repository:

Sharon Hill Historical Society

Extent:

10.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1879-2013 (inclusive)

Creator:

Sharon Hill Historical Society

Abstract:

Sharon Hill is a community in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Largely undeveloped until 1872, the construction of a railroad in the area spurred residential and commercial growth. Sharon Hill separated from Darby Township and incorporated as a borough in 1890. The Sharon Hill Historical Society local history collection, 1879-2013, consists mostly of secondary-source and copied materials with a sizeable amount of photographs and scattered other primary-source documents relating to Sharon Hill and its history.

Sharon Hill is a community in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. "A community less than a square mile in size, Sharon Hill came into its own in the 19th century. The surroundings were mostly undeveloped until 1872, when the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad ran its rails through the area. A few homes and farms dotted the landscape, and there were two passable roads. One main thoroughfare, known earlier as the Queen's Highway and now as Chester Pike, ran through the entire length of the town. With the arrival of the railroad, a town plan was developed and Sharon Hill added a few stores and businesses to its landscape. Affluent Philadelphians built their mansions along Chester Pike, and churches and schools soon followed. In 1890, Sharon Hill was incorporated as a borough when it separated from Darby [Township]."

Bibliography:

Quoted text from: Clarke, Kathleen and Jean Shiber for the Sharon Hill Historical Society. Images of America: Sharon Hill. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2009.

This collection consists mostly of secondary-source and copied materials with a sizeable amount of photographs and scattered other primary-source documents relating to Sharon Hill and its history. The two largest segments of the collection are alphabetical subject files and photographs; there are also various loose materials.

The subject files principally consist of secondary materials such as newspaper clippings, computer print outs, and copies of primary documents. There are also a few original primary-source documents from the early 20th century, such as receipts and deeds, scattered throughout. The subject files are in alphabetical order and focus on local organizations, buildings, schools, churches, families, and other topics.

The collection also includes a substantial number of photographs of Sharon Hill, most of which are original and some of which are copies, dating from the late 19th century to the 21st century. Black and white photographs, color photographs, and film negatives are all represented. There are binders of photographs on the following topics: old homes and buildings, individuals, school photos, transportation. There is also a series of real photo postcards and similarly sized photographs, organized alphabetically by subject. Additionally, there is a series of photographs of all the buildings in Sharon Hill, taken circa 2000 by Delaware County as part of a county-wide census. These building photographs are associated with a master file document that lists owner, deed date (and location in deed book), and property value. More photographs of Sharon Hill, including clubs, the train station, and other residents and buildings, are on display.

The remainder of the collection is various loose materials that include: deeds (mostly copies, though some are original), a clippings scrapbook (early 20th century), maps of the town from various eras (also mostly, although not all copies), an autograph album (1879), Sharon Hill Centennial Committee records, and an oral history with elderly residents about their early memories of Sharon Hill. Of special interest are Douglass family papers, circa 1883-1930, including several deeds and company charters, photographs, an original plot plan for Sharon Hill, and other documents.