Ward
Ward Village is one of several historic villages (or neighborhoods) within Concord Township. Geographically, it covers the Concord Creek Bridge (also known as Ward Run) at Concord Road, near the intersection of Station and Concord Roads. Ward extends to the intersection of Concord and Smithbridge Roads to the South-East, and to the intersection of Concord and Spring Valley Roads to the North-West. Ward Village rose to prominence in the late 19th century as an industrial center of Concord Township, featuring some of the earliest Pennsylvania mushroom farms, a mill complex at Station Road that included the Alexander Scott & Son saw and grist mills, the Richards & Schrader lumber yard and feed store, the John Hart blacksmith shop, the Barclay Thomas wheelwright shop, telegraph office, Ward Post Office, general grocery and drygoods store, and a branch of the PE Sharpless Company’s creameries. The development of the Pennsylvania, Baltimore, and Washington Railroad in the late 19th century brought a train station to Ward known as Concord Station, which transported goods in and out of Concord Township to surrounding towns in Pennsylvania and neighboring states beginning in the 1870s and continuing into the early 1970s. The railroad station in Ward was key in the transportation of fertilizer for the local mushroom farms, as well as the dairy products produced at the creamery. The creamery was known as the Sharpless Creamery, and manufactured Philadelphia Cream Cheese and butter, among various other dairy products, beginning in the late 19th century. The Sharpless Creamery was one of only 5 commercial creameries in the United States at this time to manufacture cream cheese, and it was purchased by the Kraft Company in 1924 for the purposes of owning the trademark on the Sharpless cream cheese production and acquiring their vast distribution networks. The area Is characterized by historic buildings erected from c.1690s-1900s, and features Folk Victorian homes, Colonial Farmhouses, Victorian-era industrial buildings, and a creek that runs through the village known as Ward Creek or Concord Creek. Some of the first Episcopal church services were also held out of the John Hannum home until St. John’s Episcopal Church was built in 1844. During the development of Ward Village’s commercial boom, many homeowners in Ward were also Ward business owners and employees or PB&W railroad employees. Pennock E. Sharpless, owner of the Sharpless Creamery, built a large Victorian mansion in 1890 across Concord Road from his creamery. Lewis E. Buckley, general store owner and Ward post master in the 1880s, built a Folk Victorian house in 1886 across Concord Road from the mill complex. John Hart, a Ward blacksmith, built his Victorian home in the 1890s as well. Ward Village is also home to the Thomas Marshall House, also known as “Handwrought,” which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significant example of 19th century architecture. Ward Village is a prime example of how villages within Concord Township were centered around mills and other major nodes of industry. Today, Ward Village is composed of both private residences and commercial and retail businesses. Il Granaio, the beloved Italian restaurant housed in the former Richards & Schrader feed store, has been adaptively re-used. The Thomas Speakman house is currently used for the commercial office space of Zizza Highway Services. The train station no longer exists, but there are remains of train tracks in the vicinity. Approx. 14 Remaining Historic Inventory Resources Ward, 1924 St. John’s Church P.E. Sharpless Company creamery in Ward, c. 1910s Concord Road and downtown Ward, 1940s Concordville Train Station in Ward
Concordville
Concordville is one of the first established historic villages in Concord Township. Geographically, it consists of the intersection of Baltimore Pike and Concord Road, which were both laid out by William Penn’s surveyors. The original path of Baltimore Pike lay roughly along the driveway that separates today’s Concord Friends Meetinghouse from the ‘Grange’ building (today’s Senior Center). The buildings on Concord Road at the intersection of Thornton Road and the Concord Friends Meeting constitute the Concordville National Register Historic District. Modern Concordville is larger, including houses and businesses along Route One, and extending further down Concord Road. Many of these buildings qualify for inclusion on the National Register. The oldest buildings in Concordville represent colonial architecture and play a vital role in communicating the historical significance of the village. Many of them are included in the National Register Historic District of Concordville, and several of them are stand-alone National Register buildings. The Concord Friends Meeting House was built in 1728, and is a prime example of colonial Quaker architecture, as well as an important role in the religious background of Concordville. The Concord Friends Meeting is one of the oldest Quaker meetings in the country, and is still an active meeting today. The Orthodox Friends Meeting house was established next door in 1837. The Nicholas Newlin House (and the Sam Trimble-Norris Scott House are both other examples of colonial-period architecture in the village, and represent important historic figures in the township. While the historic district of Concordville contains buildings dating back to colonial times, the village at large developed rapidly around the mid to late 1800s, when tradesmen and business owners moved to homes along Baltimore Pike and Concord Road and opened various businesses and institutions from general stores, an inn, schools, and trades businesses. The portion of the village along Baltimore Pike represents various homes with Victorian architecture, and housed prominent members of Concord Township society. The Robert A. Hance House represents Victorian architecture, and was home to the son of Samuel Hance, the founder of the Brandywine Camp Meeting and president of the Board of School Directors Robert Hance himself was a church sexton, and important member of Concordville society. The Lewis P. Green House is another example of a modest Victorian home along Baltimore Pike, and was home to one of the first Concord Township Supervisors. Several other Victorian houses along Baltimore Pike were home to skilled laborers. The Joseph Wells House was home to Mr. Wells, a prominent carpenter and builder who employed many men from the township. The E.W. Green House was home to another local carpenter, while the Jesse Kersey Jester House was home to a well-known stonemason, and his father in law, Henry Boozer, who was a local shoemaker. The Isaac Cornogg House is an example of an upper middle class Victorian home, and housed one of the most influential families in Concordville. The Cornoggs were blacksmiths, grocery store owners, postmasters, and Concord Township supervisors. Other important historical buildings stood as stores, an inn, and schools. The Isaac Cornogg General Store was built in the 1870s, and served as both a bustling grocery and dry goods store as well as the Concordville Post Office. The Joseph Derry House was a private home and ice cream shop in the village. Two schools were built in Concordville: one public and one private. The #1 School was built along Baltimore Pike, while the Maplewood Institute was a private boys school that enrolled many children from prominent upper-middle class Concordville families. Later, this property was used for a Catholic orphanage and school known as Dante’s Orphanage beginning in the 1920s and operating until the late 1960s. The Concordville Inn was developed out of a 1794 home during the 1820s, and served as both a hotel and tavern within the village. Today, Concordville is a mix of residential, commercial, and municipal buildings. Baltimore Pike is a major road with heavy traffic, and many of the buildings along the Pike are a commercial. The Concord Road portion of Concordville represents more residential buildings. Looking down Concord Road from Route 1 — St. John’s Chapel; photo c. 1910-1912 Route 1 south through Concordville, 1940 Concordville Fire Department, 1928. Canby Darlington and Pete Robinson, founders of Concordville Fire Co. Concordville Post Office, 1944
Markham
Markham Village is located in the valley of the West Branch of Chester Creek where Cheney Road intersects Baltimore Pike. The village consists of the Newlin Mill Historic District. Markham Village, named for the first governor of the colony of Pennsylvania, holds some of the oldest and historically significant buildings in Concord Township. Its historic buildings span from the 1680s to 1850s, and represent a mix of Colonial-era houses and tenant houses, a Colonial-era grist mill, American Revolution-era farmhouses, and Georgian-style houses. Markham Village initially developed around the milling industry starting with the Newlin Grist Mill in the early 1700s. The grist mill was the prime economic industry in the village other than other smaller mills and land farming. The grist mill operated from 1704 to 1941, and is currently used today as a museum and historical park. Other mills, such as smaller saw and paper mills, were built along Chester Creek and on surrounding properties. Markham’s residential homes were constructed mainly around the booming mill industry in the area, and represent colonial-era architecture and stone masonry. The earliest homes at the end of the 1600s and early 1700s were built in support of the saw and grist mills developing along Concord Creek. The Thomas King – Thomas West House is one such early stone house built by an original township land-owner, Thomas King, in 1684, and was built near his saw mill on the creek. The Nicholas Newlin – Casper Sharpless House is another example of an early stone residential house, this time built in support of the Newlin Grist Mill complex. This building became home to two owners of the Newlin Grist Mill: Nicholas Newlin and Casper Sharpless, the latter quiring the mill in 1835 as well as becoming one of the school directors for the Concord public school system. The William Trimble House is another example of mill-centric living. William Trimble owned a saw mill along the Chester Creek in the 1750s, after which his grandson, also named William Trimble, opened a paper mill on the property from 1797 to 1817. William Trimble purchased the Newlin Grist Mill property In 1817. The Joseph Trimble – Jesse Palmer House, also known as “Scotland Farm,” is an example of a Georgian mansion that incorporated an earlier stone house into its construction. The mansion was home to prominent upper class citizens, and at one point to Alexander Scott in 1856, founder of the successful Scott Lumber Yard in neighboring Ward Village. While many residential houses in Markham were home to mill and business owners, many historical properties here were tenant homes, indicative of the booming mill economy and home to the employees and laborers that worked here. The Polecat Road House and Thomas Newlin – Leedom Tenant House are two such structures that represent the living quarters of working class families and individuals within the mill industry. As the village grew into the 19th century, it became home to the Markham Station stop on the Octoraro Branch of Baltimore Central Railroad in the 1870s, one of three stops in Concord Township. The only fatal railroad accident in Concord Township occurred at Markham Station in 1899, when three men were killed by a runaway train. The Markham Post Office was established in 1892 with Joseph B. Smith as the first postmaster, and operated until 1943. Today, Markham Village encompasses the Newlin Grist Mill historic district, while many new build subdivisions surround the historic properties. Newlin Grist Mill and Markham Train Station Nicholas Newlin Mill Polecat Road House
Elam
The historic buildings in Elam represent architecture spanning from the early 1720s through the 1880s, and are important to the industrial and religious history of Concord Township. The earliest buildings in Elam were private residences to longstanding Concord Township families: the Palmers, Thatchers, and Hannums. Later historical residents such as the Charles Smith House (c. 1850) represent Victorian-era farmhouses, and still stands today. The Smith family was integral to both Elam Village history and Concord Township history as a whole, and are the namesakes behind Smithbridge Road. James Smith built the Drove Tavern in 1818 near the intersection of Smithbridge Road and Route 202. The Drove Tavern grew to include an inn that operated until the late 1800s. Elam Village established their own post office in 1864 at the corner of Smithbridge Road and Route 202, with Marshall P. Wilkinson as postmaster, and operated until 1902. According to the 1897 Elam Directory, the village was bustling with business people and tradesmen such as paperhangers, insurance agents, butchers, carpenters, barbers, blacksmiths, stonemasons, general store owners, shoemakers, postmaster, physicians, dentists, and even a veterinarian. Elam Village also holds religious significance in Concord Township. After the establishment and boom of the Brandywine Camp Summit in the Johnson’s Corner-Beaver Valley area in the 1860s, Elam Methodist Church was established in 1882. The original church was built using stone quarried from the adjoining husband farm. The church solidified itself into the religious fabric of Concord Township, and is still active today. Currently, Elam Village is home to modern housing developments, retail businesses, and township park space. The historic buildings are primarily private residences. Approx. 11 Historic Inventory Resources remaining. Elam Church Drover Tavern W.E. May House Thatcher-Minnich Barn