It’s time once again for another one of my Magical History Tours!

Today, we'll be discussing the development of Rydal, a section of Abington Township.

Similar to other areas surrounding Philadelphia at the turn of the century, the lands that are now bound by Meetinghouse Road, Washington Lane and Susquehanna Roads were once home to grand estates (and very few remain today). Just after the turn of the last century, that section of Rydal which encompasses over 250 acres had only 10 estate properties. As is the custom, these estates all had names, and while most of them have been demolished, only the memories remain as road names. Those estates included;


Barrowdale (the Stoddart, then the Owlsley families)
Lorraine (the Gilbert, then the Lasher families)
Avila (the Frazier family)
Vernon (the Newbold family)
Tockington (also the Frazier family)
Chelten (the Borie, then the Frazier family)
Whitworth (the Spencer, then the Cochran families)
Fairy Hill (the Pepper, then the Gibson families)
Fairacres (the Pepper family)

However, there was one other estate that was even larger than all of the above estates combined!

Located on the southside of Meetinghouse Road, a total of 358 acres belonged to just one person, Clement B. Newbold, and his estate was called Crosswicks. Mr. Newbold was a 3rd generation banker in Philadelphia and also a Director of the Pennsylvania Railroad, numerous other banks as well as a Trustee of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company.

His original Georgian mansion was designed by Horace Trumbauer and as with many of the major estates in the region, the grounds included multiple additional dwellings for the staff, barns, greenhouses and even its own water tower.

Upon Mr. Newbold’s passing in 1926, the entire estate was sold to developers who initiated a grand plan to establish a private golf course (to be called Crosswicks Country Club) and to construct a series of stately homes on a minimum of 1-acre lots. Per the original sales brochure for this new development, the following was a key marketing message to prospective buyers.

“Another distinct advantage of the one acre minimum, is that it allows the architect much more latitude in designing a home with a broader and more interesting elevation to the road front. This does not necessarily mean that the home must be larger, but only that it may be designed with more width and less depth. The wise policy adapted at Crosswicks Farms will assure the construction of homes with long low rambling lines and irregular roof effects, set amidst colorful flower gardens with broad lawns between houses.”

The developer hired the architectural firm of Wallace & Warner to design a series of homes in various styles, including English Tudor (my listing is one of these designs), French Norman and classic Georgian Colonials.

Unfortunately, the Great Depression occurred just as the developer began the construction & sales process of the new Crosswicks Farms.

By the mid 1930’s, only 9 homes were constructed and sold & the golf course was never constructed. Mr. Newbold’s estate home (which was to be the clubhouse for the golf course) burned to the ground in 1940 and a new developer came on board to build a standard subdivision on the remaining acreage.

In 1933, James S. Collins (of Wyncote) married Marion Kendrick (of Villanova) and purchased one of the “new” construction homes in the new development, and named their house Alden.

I have been unable to find many references to Mr. Collins’ profession, just simply a reference to working in the publishing industry from the 1940’s census. However, upon finding the estate documentation for his Father (Phillip S. Collins), it is likely that his son never needed to work a day in his life. His father was a Vice President & the Treasurer of the Curtis Publishing Company and upon his death in 1943, the Father’s estate was valued at over $8,000,000!

The English Tudor that Mr. & Mrs. Collins purchased in 1933 retains so many of its original architectural elements. The original half-timbering & stucco is in exceptional condition, neatly detailed above the stone base of the first floor. The original slate roof retains the period appearance of its initial design.

Many of the original leaded glass windows remain, several with unique stained & painted glass inserts (including in the massive original Oak front door).

A small covered porch provides protection from the elements at the front entry, while a larger covered rear porch off the library provides ample space for outdoor entertaining in any weather.

Enter into the gracious foyer, and the original wide-plank pegged Walnut floors just shine! A grand staircase with wrought iron railings ascends to the 2nd floor.

The spacious living room is vaulted with beautiful cross beams, a large bay window overlooking the side yard, a fireplace anchoring the front wall along with French doors to the rear yard. Walk to the end of this room and turn around to discover a delightful Juliet balcony that is accessible from the 2nd floor hallway.

The large dining room faces the front yard and the side courtyard garden with detailed panel molding & a china closet.

At the end of the foyer is the paneled library with a 2nd wood burning fireplace, the powder room and access to the covered patio mentioned earlier.

The eat-in kitchen is tucked at the rear of the home (as was the design in the 1930’s) that provides for direct access to the rear driveway as well as one of the two sets of stairs to either the 2nd floor or the basement. There is an abundance of cabinetry and an island along with closets along the rear wall for coats and pantry items.

As one ascends to the 2nd floor from the foyer, there are multiple guest rooms anchored off this main hallway. The primary suite has numerous options that span the entire front of the house. There are two distinct rooms that are connected, each with their own en-suite bathrooms. In other homes that I have toured from these architects, some have combined these spaces to provide for a larger bathroom and/or a larger walk-in closet while still providing for two bathrooms for the owner’s suite.

As mentioned earlier, the lovely Juliet balcony is off the main 2nd floor hall, and there is a storage closet hidden next to the balcony.

The next bedroom on this floor overlooks the side & rear yards and it shares a Jack & Jill bathroom with the next bedroom. This room is currently configured with walls of built-in bookcases and base cabinets in addition to the closet tucked into a corner. From this bedroom, one has access to the rear staircase down to the kitchen and to the final bedroom that is housed over the garage below. That bedroom has its own ensuite bathroom as well.

That’s a total of four full bathrooms on the 2nd floor.

From the main hallway, there is a staircase to access the remaining living space on the 3rd floor. There are two more large bedrooms tucked up into the roof eaves, a full bathroom along with a large storage area that houses one of the A/C systems.

Down into the basement, there is a finished area under the living room with yet another fireplace that could make a great games room, gym or wine cellar. Under the dining room, foyer and library is the unfinished portion of the basement that houses the systems and provides an abundance of storage. Under the kitchen is the laundry room that is accessed from the rear staircase, and there is a large Bilco door that allows for the easy movement of furniture and other items.

There is a large driveway that is accessed off of Kingsley Road that provides ample parking for at least 4 cars while the two car garage and side driveway provide additional parking options.

Now, there is so much more than meets the eye from the front of the home.

With nearly 2 acres of private grounds, the majority of the land is at the rear of the home. Off the side porch is another large patio that has the most unique custom granite “picnic table & benches” that could accommodate dinner parties of at least 16 people without additional chairs!

This patio overlooks the inground pool which is just several steps away. Behind a series of flowering trees and shrubs is the tennis court! Still need more space, there is ample ground behind the driveway to add a sport court or simply a place to play catch or kick a soccer ball.

Location, Location, Location!

If you care for a gentle and relaxing walk after a long day of work, the entire community of Crosswicks is just outside your driveway. Walk a little farther, and you can access Alverthorpe Park which has miles of trails as well as pickleball courts, tennis courts, a playground, a miniature golf course and even fishing is allowed in the large pond!

You are less than 1 mile away from all the shops & restaurants in downtown Jenkintown, and in close proximity are numerous food store options, including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Acme and the brand new Giant opening soon on Old York Road.

One can meander through the back roads of Rydal to even walk to the SEPTA station!

Come explore Alden Manor, and maybe you can become its next steward!