'Voices of the Valley' Book Highlights History of HV

Huntingdon Valley, and more specifically Lower Moreland, has always been viewed as a place where its residents are living inside their own little bubble.

In a township where fewer than 13,000 people reside in today, it’s not uncommon for neighbors to know each other like family. That is what makes this area so unique and has led to many families staying in the area.

Living along the row of houses than line Murray Avenue, authors Rachel Brandt and Carol Terry have built many strong relationships with their neighbors and friends in the Valley. And because of that, it’s led them to writing “Voices of the Valley: Life in the Twentieth Century,” which highlights oral histories of Bryn Athyn and Huntingdon Valley residents.

To read the book's introduction, please click here.

“We put everything in one book here,” Brandt said, who was honored for her work at a recent Lower Moreland Board of Commissioners meeting. “The major part of the book contains stories from 23 residents in Lower Moreland. Many of them are our neighbors on Murray Avenue.

“When you live on Murray Avenue, you don’t say, ‘2589, or 2558,’ you go, ‘The Van Horn house, the Fletcher house’” Brandt said. “That’s how you identity the houses on Murray Avenue … And we’re in the middle of all of this, how can we not be interested in all of this?”

The book is broken down into five sections:

1. Voice of the Valley: Life in the 2oth Century, Oral Histories from Bethayres-Huntingdon Valley Residents
2. 96 and Still Cooking: Harriet Anderson's conversations and recipes.
3. Self-Guided Walking Tour of Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
4. Self-Guided Walking Tour Around the Block (children's edition)
5. About this book...

Brandt said it took seven or eight years to finish interviewing subjects and putting the finishing touches on production. There are currently 10 copies produced, but only a few are in circulation. Copies can be found at:

• Huntingdon Valley Library
• LM Township Building
• Lower Moreland High School
• Bryn Athyn Library

The Old York Road Historical Society will receive a copy shortly, as well as other local landmarks.

Brandt claims there was nothing sophisticated about her interview process. It was her, a resident and a old-school tape recorder that got the job done to create this historic piece of history.

Several times she had to go back and get more information to build the book into the hundreds of pages it is today. Many of her subjects led interesting lives, including a Coast Guard, a member of the Navy, church officials and a unique look at how African American families faired during the mid 1900's.

“They all gave us their permission to have the material printed,” Brandt said. “We have each person’s story separate, and we were wondering what to do with it.”

With so much information about Huntingdon Valley and its residents, Brandt decided to make it a book with each person’s life story highlighting highlighting hundreds of pages in the book's first section.  

Brandt wasn’t born in Huntingdon Valley and was actually drawn to the area because of a job opportunity for her husband.

“I was not born in Huntingdon Valley,” Brandt said. “In fact, I didn’t even know what Huntingdon Valley was. I bumped into a college friend down on the beach, and she told me about an opening at the Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church. My husband was interested in that and we drove up to Huntingdon Valley. He had the job in 1961-64.”

Here is a complete list of local residents the authors spoke to:

Growing up surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, all of whom had "different trades and great work ethics," and his own family on Barrett Ave., Franklin shares stories of growing up and living as a lifelong Black resident in Huntingdon Valley.

Does the name Elkins Estate trigger any memories? George lived and worked during his early life on Justa Farm, then called Elkins Estate, where the famous horse races were held. He was a patrolman and LM Police Sergeant upon returning from World War II.

Huntingdon Valley has a long history in Eleanor's family. She grew up in the Georgian house designed by her father on Huntingdon Pike.

Read Jean's stories to find out what growing up right on Huntingdon Pike next to the Lady Washington Inn was all about. Her and her six brothers and sisters spent many days skiing and sledding down Hallowell Hill and Pennypack Creek.

Returning to Lower Moreland High School for a reunion sets off a steam of memories.

Growing up on Barrett Ave. surrounded by other black families, Vivian saw HV in a different way, especially when turned down applying for a LM teaching job.

Margaret is the only black LMHS student who went on the Washington D.C. trip in 1948. She ate her meals on the bus and slept alone in a hotel. Her and her sister, Josephine, have fascinating stories.

A huge homemade maple pecan ice cream cone for five cents? Curb service with a bellhop? Only at Hogeland's Ice Cream Gardens stand on the corner of Byberry Rd. and Huntingdon Pike. They serviced the community from 1935-41.

A famous landmark, Hutch's Bar, on the corner of Red Lion and Philmont Ave., will never be forgotten.

Charlie and his wife and son were very early residents of the Sorrel House Tract area at the north end of LM. It was known as the "Silk Stocking Section."

Ray's delightful quiet, sharp sense of humor may be the reason he won the 6th grade spelling bee and was president of the LMHS Class of '37. He also served in the Navy, pumped gas, was a railroad agent and was married to Mae Campoli, the town's telephone operator.

Living at the intersection of Red Lion and Huntingdon Pike, her found memories include: Kofod's Garage, Fesmire Builders, Clayton's Store, Alnwick Grove and minstrel shows.

530 Red Lion Rd. is a place everyone knows in the area! It's the two-generation family home of Vincent Pastore, amazing collector and curator who owns the major landmark in the area.

"I was one of those 'bad' Bryn Athyn girls who married a Lower Moreland boy!" Tiny tells fascinating stories of the two adjacent communities.

Alice was a teacher at LM for many years, but her family's involvement and guidance in the early history of the town is legendary.

Sleepy Hallow? Bryn Athyn? It was up and over the hill past the Cathedral. Elma lived in one of the three twin houses there with her parents who worked for the Raymond Pitcairn family.

Paul is the son and grandson of the early developers in HV, a business which Paul continues to this day. His story of the PA Turnpike coming through his family farm is a classic.

The large three-story house on the Pike across from Gloria Dei Church, was the home to Campoli's large Italian family with 10 children.

Mabel and her brothers and sisters were LMHS graduates and one of the many black families who lived and worked on estates in Bryn Athyn. The Henry's watched construction of the famous cathedral right in the back yard.

The name Tinari is synonymous with the plant, African Violets. Ann and husband Frank grew up in HV, and through the hard work at their greenhouse, developed this world famous little flower.

A copied news article.

Margaret lived her entire life on Murray Ave., 84 years, as an only child in a working class family. She taught in the town's schools for over 40 years. She has many stories from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

Growing up on Philmont Ave. and later on Huntingdon Pike in a family with 10 children, Mary founds ways to work interesting jobs in a stocking mill, as an airplane mechanic, a Coast Guard SPAR during World War II, and in the Murray Avenue School during the famous fire in 1967.