The first of many great country estates in Radnor to be converted to institutional use came when the Brothers of the Order of Hermits of St. New hotels and settlements arose beside railroad stations at Morgan's Corner (adjacent to today's Radnor train station) and White Hall (the Radnor section of Bryn Mawr). Cassatt, brother of impressionist artist Mary Cassatt, bought the turnpike from Philadelphia to Paoli to prevent it from being tracked for streetcars. Its monopoly was strengthened later in the 1800's when its president, A. The Columbia (later Pennsylvania) Railroad, which came through the Township in 1832, made Radnor more accessible to the city and dominated development here for more than a century. More traffic and development came with the opening of the macadam toll road, the Lancaster Turnpike, the first toll road in America, in 1794. A no-man's land between Valley Forge and Philadelphia during the Revolution, Radnor was raided twice by British armies. On September 15, 1777, George Washington, then General of the Continental Armies, which had been disastrously defeated four days previously on the banks of the Brandywine, saved the morale of his troops by marching from Germantown out the Conestoga Road beyond what is now Paoli to "engage again" (according to the words on the monument) "the British invader."ĭuring the encampment at Valley Forge, Washington's picket post on the heights behind the Friends Meeting House could survey movements from all directions, thanks to thoroughly cleared land. Traffic supported four inns in the town, one of which, the "Sorrel Horse," is said to have sheltered George Washington and General Lafayette during the encampment at Valley Forge the inn still stands as the Agnes Irwin Lower School. In 1741, the westward extension of the Conestoga Road, which ultimately connected Philadelphia and Lancaster, began for Radnor the enduring legacy of a place through which travelers passed. A hint of Radnor's beginning's remains, however, in the names of streets and places evident throughout the community. The influence of the Welsh - some of whom were forced by heavy taxation to sell their land - waned in the latter half of the 18th century. What is now open space at the Willows Park was once the Township's busiest commercial area. The exact geographical center of Radnor's rectangular border is a point less than 100 yards south of the original Quaker meetinghouse.īesides clearing and tilling fields for farmland, the Welsh established grist mills, sawmills, and tanneries using the power of Ithan and Darby creeks. Radnorville grew naturally around the meetinghouse and remained the center of population of the Township for 200 years.
Later this trail became the Old Lancaster Road, then the Conestoga Road. All rights reserved.In 1717 the Welsh Friends erected a meetinghouse on a trail made by the Conestoga (Susquehanna) Indians, connecting the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Rivers. Any unauthorized dissemination of this information is in violation of copyright laws and is strictly prohibited.Ĭopyright 2021 Bright MLS. The data contained herein is copyrighted by Bright MLS and is protected by all applicable copyright laws. The accuracy of all information, regardless of source, including but not limited to open house information, square footages and lot sizes, is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be personally verified through personal inspection by and/or with the appropriate professionals. This web site may reference real estate listing(s) held by a brokerage firm other than the broker and/or agent who owns this web site. This website is a service of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Fox & Roach Realtors, a broker participant of Bright MLS.
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Fox & Roach Realtors is not a Multiple Listing Service (MLS), nor does it offer MLS access. Any information relating to real estate for sale referenced on this web site comes from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) program of the Bright MLS. The information being provided by Bright MLS is for the consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumer may be interested in purchasing.