after the fire

carla

May 5

Reader submitted photo

The other day a beautiful and historic structure in Chester County suffered a fast moving and devastating fire. This house at 400 Leopard Rd (on the corner of Leopard and Sugartown and did used to have a Sugartown Road address!) is so familiar and well loved by many of us including myself. I have loved the whimsy of this house since I was a teenager growing up on the Main Line. I had friends who grew up in this part of the Main Line, and those who live here as an adult not so far away, so I have literally been driving past it forever. Sugartown is also one of my favorite drives from Chester County to the Main Line.

I wrote about this fire the other day and my first post now includes older photos of the home and history. One of the former residents actually contributed so it's kind of cool. This post right here has post fire photos and more.

historic house goes up in flames in berwyn

What is NOT cool is the following comment left on my blog's Facebook page because people in the community and myself are talking about the fire on my blog's Facebook page. NO ONE mentioned the people (or person?) who was living there. Here is the comment:

This woman left a public comment so her name is evident on the page, but here I chose to cover the name. I do not know her from Adam's house cat, but the comment annoyed the snot out of me.

Apparently, talking about a historic home in our extended community is disrespectful?

Talking about a fire that burned suspiciously hot and fast and took so many fire companies to handle that could have caused human injury or death as well is disrespectful?

Does this woman know this call had junior firefighters on it as in people's kids not just adult firefighters? They put their lives on the line for a fire many at this point are asking MANY questions about so I think the ONLY person being disrespectful right now is her as well as being utterly disrespectful of a page which is not hers is it?

And she is talking about a fire that affected everyone around it, so yeah maybe she can just go pound sand.

No one is being disrespectful of anyone who may or may not have been living there by talking about a fire and the history of the house that has historic significance in a particular area.

And the house has a name as I learned from prior inhabitants. It was called Breeze Hill. Apparently the house was named for its location and the presence of a refreshing breeze during this non-air conditioned era. Also the house dates slightly later than people think. Most think this house was built around 1864 or 1865.

From a woman who grew up in the house I have learned this Tudor revival style wasn't seen in America until well into the 1870's. That family's understanding was that it was possibly built in the 1880's. Both the spring house and the stable predate it. That means that this particular house could not have hid people traveling the Underground Railroad during the Civil War because it didn't exist yet, although other structures in the area undoubtedly did and were used.

This was a home for the Sharp family for much of it's existence. This would have originally been part of an estate called "Hawthorne" — this house still exists at 521 Leopard Road which had its own write up in Philadelphia Magazine a few years ago - CLICK HERE. It also showed up in Vista Today and I am guessing that this is where the Hawthorne Place street in Berwyn gets its name since Hawthorne was once over 200 acres?

Joseph W. Sharp the son (it was actually his father Joseph a successful Quaker wool merchant who first created the estate and then died in 1848) was apparently one of the founders of the then Berwyn National Bank and was a partner in what eventually became Hajoca, which has not only one of the older trademarks still in continual use today (statue of William Penn) but was one of the early leaders of indoor plumbing -Sharp had a plumbing supply business. By the time Joseph W. Sharp the son died he was kind of considered one of Berwyn's founding fathers.

This house that had the fire was constructed by Joseph W. Sharp for his younger sister, Rachel.

Born in 1828 in Philadelphia, Joseph W. Sharp was the eldest son of Joseph Sharp and Hannah Lindsay. The elder Mr. Sharp had purchased approximately 250 acres in Easttown prior to his untimely death in 1848.

In the absence of will disposing of his assets, the Easttown property was split equally among his four children, Joseph W., Rachel and two younger sons. As the eldest, Joseph W. Sharp also inherited his father's business.

Over the next few years, Joseph purchased the other three portions of his father's original holdings from his three siblings, paying them fair market value , according to historical records. As both Joseph and Rachel were unmarried at this time, Rachel lived with Joseph and was the de facto mistress of his household and undoubtedly social hostess.

By 1857, Joseph was so successful in business that he had a imposing Victorian house built and thus the country estate "Hawthorne," which has been restored and is located today at 521 Leopard Road in Berwyn, just down the street from Breeze Hill.

Philadelphia Inquirer April 3, 1908

He was the first gentleman to commute from Berwyn into Philadelphia each day utilizing the newly-constructed "Main Line" train, and was a partner in what eventually became Hajoca Corporation, an early leader in the nascent indoor plumbing industry.

In 1865, Joseph married Sidney Serrill Bunting. Oral family history indicates that Sidney and Rachel did not get along well, so Joseph commenced the construction of Breeze Hill (so named for its location and the presence of a refreshing breeze during this non-air conditioned era) for Rachel some time before his wedding. As the home was on the Sharp family property, it didn't receive its own separate deed when built, but was shown on Pennsylvania Railroad maps dating to 1873.

Already on the property was a two-story stone spring house, the top floor of which was occupied by tenant farmers on the estate. It is believed that the spring house structure was built in 1837 and the spring provided a supply of clean water for the main house.

Philadelphia Inquirer,
October 18, 1940

The garage/carriage house was originally constructed as a barn, also before 1865; careful examination of the walls inside show signs of stalls and a ladder to the full, second floor which was surely originally used as a hayloft. Local historical records also indicate that Leopard Road was a well-travelled path on the Underground Railroad.

Philadelphia Inquirer,
September, 1941

Philadelphia Inquirer,
February 11, 1941

Philadelphia Inquirer,
Wednesday, May 22, 1957

Philadelphia Inquirer, Wednesday, December 17, 1942

Philadelphia Inquirer
Sunday, April 11, 1920

Rachel Sharp and other family members lived at Breeze Hill until 1888, when Joseph Sharp's eldest daughter, Mary Bunting Sharp, married William Morris of Villanova in 1888, the young couple moved into Breeze Hill, where they lived until 1942. Joseph Sharp and his wife subdivided Breeze Hill from their larger property and deeded it to their daughter for "$1 and her natural love and affection" in 1901, when it became legal for a married woman to own property in her own name in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Inquirer
November 30, 1941

The Philadelphia Times, page 3 Thursday, June 13, 1889

The Philadelphia Inquirer
September 14, 1913

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Sunday, May 10, 1914

Since the departure of the Sharp family and descendants from the property, numerous owners have made changes and improvements to Breeze Hill to bring it to its current condition as a thoroughly beautiful modern family home.

I was right when I said this house has incredibly thick stone walls, not quite 2 feet but indeed 18 inches.

So to this woman and her merry band I say quite clearly that I see you and advise you all to stay in your lane unless you have something actually value added to share. I am not in the mood for any of your crap about this. Y'all want to do one of your amateur hour cancel attempts because I as a blogger and others are talking about what a potential historical loss this is and the history of the house and the fact volunteer firefighters including junior firefighters could have been seriously injured at a minimum fighting this fire then you are the ones who need an attitude adjustments. Grow up. No one is "disrespecting" the people or person who lived there including wondering IF this fire was an accident or deliberately set. If you are uncomfortable reading posts where the history of the house and area or discussed and people wondering how this essentially completely restored house with super thick walls went up faster than a magic candle on a birthday cake, don't read the posts. Go back to wherever you are more comfortable.

This was a fire that burned bright and very fast. I and others are allowed to be suspicious of fire origins.

This house has literally withstood the test of time and I hope talking about the history saves Breeze Hill. We have lost so much of our history in Chester County, and this house is part of a rich history of both Chester County, the Main Line, and Philadelphia. I think it can be saved. I also noticed that the Keller Williams "coming soon" sign is gone. That was the wrong realtor for this house anyway, given the caliber of more local realtors who actually know the history of the house, area, schools, etc.

Here's hoping that we learn fire origin soon and that Breeze Hill will rise like a Phoenix from her ashes. They don't build houses like this anymore, which again, is probably why it is still standing after that fire.

Feel free to keep sending me historical and old photos of this beautiful house and even anecdotes especially if you ever visited the house or lived there. The clippings are from old newspapers that concern the families who built and lived in Hawthorne and Breeze Hill. I chose but a few, I have found dozens.

Stay dry on this rainy Sunday.