Lower Merion Historical Society

Lower Merion Historical Society Preserving Our Past For The Future

The Lower Merion Historical Society holds an outstanding local and regional history collection at the beautifully restored 1812 Lower Merion Academy, the oldest school building in Montgomery County PA.

Even in early days in US history, Philadelphia was a major city, with many roads radiating out to surrounding towns. Ben...
06/08/2026

Even in early days in US history, Philadelphia was a major city, with many roads radiating out to surrounding towns.

Benjamin Franklin, the Colonial Postmaster, insisted on having milestones erected, because they expedited mail delivery by keeping the postal riders on schedule. These milestones also became popular as a way of identifying the location of a property.

Milestones 5 through 9 were erected on the north side of Lancaster Ave in 1795 by Narberth’s Joseph Price, who was awarded the contract by the State of Pennsylvania.

These mile markers marked the distance to the Market Street Bridge (30th Street) at the Schuylkill. They are quite accurate! Would B. Franklin expect anything less?

On the front side, which faces the roadway, appears the appropriate mileage numeral followed by “M to P” or “Miles to Philadelphia.”

The mile marker shown is in front of the parking lot next to the Lower Merion Township administration building in Ardmore.

Benjamin Franklin

Yesterday and today in Lower Merion. Levering Mill and Montgomery Avenue looking toward Old Lancaster.
06/06/2026

Yesterday and today in Lower Merion. Levering Mill and Montgomery Avenue looking toward Old Lancaster.

06/05/2026

Built of multi-colored fieldstones with Georgian period proportions, Ashbridge House was erected in 1769.

The Ashbridge family left the house and grounds to Lower Merion Township in 1940.

Over the past several years, Lower Merion has spent millions of dollars renovating the historic house. Now it has reopened as the New Horizons Senior Center.

Samuel F. Stadelman’s Pharmacy was built c. 1868 and was the first drugstore on the Main Line. It was located on the so...
06/05/2026

Samuel F. Stadelman’s Pharmacy was built c. 1868 and was the first drugstore on the Main Line. It was located on the southwest corner of Lancaster Pike and Cricket Avenue in Ardmore. It advertised its proximity to the heavily used train station.

The first telephone switchboard in the area was installed there in 1885.

Congratulations to Lower Merion and Harriton grads! 🎓You did it! The LM school district’s longtime motto is “Enter to le...
06/04/2026

Congratulations to Lower Merion and Harriton grads! 🎓You did it!

The LM school district’s longtime motto is “Enter to learn, go forth to serve.”

You’ll find this carved limestone plaque in front of Lower Merion High on Montgomery Avenue. It formerly was over the front door of Ardmore Junior High (1924-1978).

History is not always pretty. When the former Belmont Driving Park harness track closed in 1924, it was sold to develope...
06/03/2026

History is not always pretty.

When the former Belmont Driving Park harness track closed in 1924, it was sold to developer Martin Malony, who developed it into 347 building lots in the section he named Merion Park.

Malony created marketing tools extolling the features of his new homes. The cover of his brochure says: “Your investment in one of these homes or home sites in our 72-acre community, free from the noise and danger of through motor traffic, is thoroughly protected by permanent restrictions that effectively prevent your property from loss in value.”

But what exactly are the “permanent restrictions” that he is talking about? We can find them on the page that is headlined: “The permanent restrictions that protect you.”

Some of the restrictions say you can’t have a hotel, a piggery, or a drinking saloon in Merion Park. Okay, that sounds reasonable for a residential neighborhood. But read further:

At the bottom of the list of restrictions, it says that the properties “shall at no time hereafter forever be occupied by persons other than members of the Caucasian Race.”

Such now-illegal racial covenants would have been included in the house deeds. Some other LM developments at the time also had racial covenants. They are reminders of a troubled past in Lower Merion, and indeed, across the country.

[Images: Jim Remsen]

🎥 From Palace to Party Place 🎞️An enterprising Ardmore grocer, Jacob A. Kettering, showed movies in a circus tent at Cri...
06/02/2026

🎥 From Palace to Party Place 🎞️

An enterprising Ardmore grocer, Jacob A. Kettering, showed movies in a circus tent at Cricket Avenue and Lancaster Avenue until a big storm ripped the tent apart. He then opened the Palace Theater in 1914 for vaudeville and movies, but live shows were not successful. Movies were a nickel.

In 1922, he sold the theater to new owners who shut down the movie theater, and in that same year, the Ardmore Theater opened down the block.

In 1926-1927, a new building, the Rittenhouse Arcade, with an open corridor from front to back lined with small stores, was built on the site. (This is called an arcade; you can see an example when you enter the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.)

Woolworth’s took over the whole ground floor in the 1930’s, and many folks have fond memories of shopping there. It is now a store called Party Place.

The Bridlewild Trails Association (BTA) will celebrate 100 years next year. 🐴 🦊These 30 miles of trails evolved from the...
06/01/2026

The Bridlewild Trails Association (BTA) will celebrate 100 years next year. 🐴 🦊

These 30 miles of trails evolved from the fox-hunting days in Gladwyne. Fox-hunting began in 1876 when Mordecai Worrell, owner-manager of the Merion Square Hotel (today’s Guard House Inn in Gladwyne), had a small pack of foxhounds, and guests were invited to hunt with him. In 1885, William Epright, with a well-established pack of hounds, moved to a farm on Merion Square Rd. and fox hunting became a regular activity in Gladwyne.

Gladwyne had farms and lots of open space back then. In 1927, a meeting of neighboring landowners was held at Idlewild Farm, the home of Larry and Dorothy Saunders, and the Bridlewild Trails Association was formed.

Landowners opened their property to riders and installed special gates able to be opened by a rider on horseback and close automatically. Back then, the Bridlewild trails were numerous and stretched from Narberth to Villanova and West Conshohocken and to the Appalachian Trail beyond. Fox-hunting continued until 1950, when the building of the Schuylkill Expressway cut through the hunt land and the Gladwyne Hunt disbanded.

But many beautiful trails are still there, maintained by volunteers. Landowners still allow trails to be enjoyed by members, just like 100 years ago.

Interested in joining BTA? They offer frequent organized hikes and other events. Info here:

https://www.bridlewildtrails.org/join-us

Credit: Bridlewild Trails Association

Images: BTA

Address

Lower Merion Academy, 506 Bryn Mawr Avenue
Bala Cynwyd, PA
19004

Opening Hours

7pm - 9pm

Telephone

+16106643216

Website

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