Thornbury Township, PA I (10/24/2020)

Saturday, October 24, 2020
Thornbury Township, PA was founded in 1687, where the land was suitable for farming. Chester Creek provided opportunities for mills.

29 Stoney Bank Road/Stoneybank Farmhouse began
as a three-bay Penn Plan house (on the right)

35 Stoney Bank Road/Stoneybank Church (1810, vernacular)

156 Stoney Bank Road/Willcox Mills Workers' House

The Willcox paper mills were called Glen Mills (established in 1835/1836 after conversion of iron works).

The main building of Glen Mills Schools (1889), which was a
boys' reformatory school first established in Philadelphia
in 1826, and was the oldest surviving school of its type
until forced to close in 2019 when its license was revoked

Glen Mills Schools Smith Memorial Chapel

Glen Mills Schools Gymnasium

The campus itself was closed, with a long promenade from
the chapel to the main building, lined with a dozen
buildings said to be in Queen Anne style with "Richardsonian
arches, flared eaves, and expressive chimneys" (KSS)

130 Glen Mills Road/Glen Mills Train Station (1882,
attributed to Frank Furness, in Queen Anne Gothic style)

128 Glen Mills Road/Station House and Store (c 1882)

Sarum Forge was established c 1739 at this location because of the iron ore that was found in the area.

Chester Creek

105 Creek Road/Locksley Grist Mill (c 1704
with additions) and mill pond

115 Creek Road/Locksley Hall or Manor House
(c 1850s or 1865, in Second Empire style)

Locksley Station ("established" 1890)

In Bonner Park, we had instructions to follow the trail to the Taylor-Frazer Ruins. Well, we followed a blue trail, which became the yellow trail. A green trail took us to a trailhead, but there was no trail map. Back to a red, then a white trail, passing a purple trail and another blue trail. We decided to just follow the train tracks back to our car!

Definitely a day for walking with
fallen leaves crunching underfoot!

Perhaps this tree is telling us to go around
the fenced off quarry!

Shelf or bracket fungus (KSS)

We spent most of the hike climbing uphill,
but the going down was fast and steep!

Many rock outcroppings

Following the railroad tracks (KSS)

Ruins of a quarry stone loading site

A train! It was the Trick or Treat Special of the
heritage West Chester Railroad running from West Chester
 to the Glen Mills station for a 20-minute stop,
then returning to West Chester

The train had at least four passenger cars (KSS)

Tamiko photographs the diesel engine that was
pushing the train in the direction toward Glen Mills (KSS)

Chester Creek from a bridge (KSS)

Concrete bridge is now for pedestrians only

More ruins of a stone loading facility (KSS)

We will have to try again to find the Taylor-Frazer Ruins!