The St. Helena Parish church is located on Dekalb Pike near the Washington Square district of Whitpain Township. Before a church was founded there was a home that stood on a 98-acre land owned by different familes since the 18th century.
The Conards and the Cressons
Henry Conard (1742-1786) was the grandson of Henry Conard (1688-1758) who came to Whitpain in 1711 and purchased 220 acres of the southwestern part of Whitpain township from Charles Mullen. In 1763, Henry purchased the farm on State Road (or Dekalb Pike). During the American Revolution War, he was involved in the American cause and worked as a tax collector for Whitpain with John Shearer.
Fun Fact #1 : On the night of February 24, 1783, Henry Conard and John Shearer were robbed of the township's funds by the Doan Outlaws of Bucks County. The robbery took place where the Sandy Hill school stands.
In his will, Henry spilt the 57 acres of land he owned, with the additional 21 acres, to his three sons: David, Jonathan, and Streeper. His daughter, Rebecca Conard (1785-1827), married Isaac Printner who purchased the farm from her brother David in 1805.
The farm was owned by the Conard family for almost 60 years until Isaac Printner sold the farm to Susanna Stewart in 1822. In her 1827 will, she gave the farm to her daughter Julia Stewart (1786-1859).
Many owners come and go since 1838. It was until 1850 the farm was sold to Caleb C. Cresson (1812-1858), a druggist from Philadelphia. He was the son of Caleb Cresson (1775-1821), who was one of the "original projectors" and "most liberal patrons" of The Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, the Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, and the Free School Establishment and Prison Society. He was vocal on social issues in Philadelphia relating to fatherlessness and the widowed.
Fun Fact #2: Caleb Cresson was the cousin of Gwynedd Hall owner Warder Cresson.
NOTE: You can read his diary from 1791-1792 here!
Caleb C. Cresson died in 1858, leaving behind his wife Hannah and his two children Caleb and Sarah. His son Caleb died in 1860, resulting in his daughter Sarah becoming the sole owner of his farm. She married Andrew Beaumont Leuttler/Leifer in 1870, but later divorced on February 10, 1883, keeping her maiden name.
The Duddy Farm
After her divorce, Sarah sold the 96 acre farm to John Duddy (1830-1901). John immigrated to America from County Galway, Ireland at an early age. After spending time in Philadelphia, he moved out to the countryside, and found employment in Whitpain township with Caleb C. Cresson, and lived with him for many years. There he met his future wife Ann Toohey, who was also employed by the Cresson family.
After their marriage, Caleb decided to build a home for them to live in on his property that cost $6,000. Later on the couple moved out to other townships in Montgomery County, but ended up returning to the former Cresson farm where they became master and mistress of the place. They were well-known to the Whitpain community: John was known to be a successful tiller of soil while Ann was known to spread kindness to the community.
Out of 13 children they had, only 2 survived: Ellen and Martin. Ellen J. Duddy (-1922) purchased the family farm on May 29, 1903.
Father Higgins and the St. Helena Church
Father Francis E. Higgins was born and raised in Philadelphia. He attended St. Michael's Parish School, the St. Joseph's College, and the St. Charles Seminary in Overbrook. On February 10, 1912, he was ordained by Archbishop Edmond Prendergast, and afterwards became an assistant rector of many churches in the Philadelphia area from 1912 to 1919, the year he became a rector of the new St. Helena Church.
As the story goes, Cardinal Dennis Dougherty told the young Francis he wanted him to become the new pastor of the newly established St. Helena Church in Centre Square. In order for him to establish himself, he temporarily stayed at the home of James McCloskey in Whitpain where he held his first parish Mass with over 25-30 Catholic families in attendance. With the growing number of parishioners at his Mass, Francis decided to expand his church, and set up a temporary church at the residence of Ellen J. Duddy in Centre Square. She was more than delighted to help him set up his church. After she died, Ellen left her homestead and livestock to Francis where he "captured the imagination of his parishioners with his deep devotion, hard work and dedication to his mission."
In its early years, the church was known as the "Shrine of the Little Flower."
Bibliography
Bean, Theodore Weber. History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884): 1165.
"Centre Square Pastor in Priesthood 25 Years." Ambler Gazette. February 11, 1937. Page 6. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_23869.
Conrad, Henry C. Some Scraps of History Regarding Thones Kunders and his Children. Also, a List of the Descendants for Six Generations of his Youngest Son Henry Cunreds of Whitpain, 1683-1891. (Wilmington: Press of W. Costa, 1891): 28-29, 31, 37-38.
Franklin Survey Co. Atlas: Montgomery County 1934 Vol B, Plate 8, 1935.
Hopkins, G.M. Atlas of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Page 031, 1871.
Jordan, John W. Colonial Families of Philadelphia, Volume 2. (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911): 950-951, 953.
"Local History. The Duddy Farm, Whitpain-Henry Conard— Isaac Printner- Richard Edey—Genealogy of the Conard Family." The Record. January 30, 1897. https://cdn.website-editor.net/020d9c979f77483189db333592c7de7f/files/uploaded/Pennsylvania%2520County%2520Histories%252C%2520Scrapbooks%252C%2520Montgomery%2520County%252C%2520Volume%252063.pdf.
"Our History." Saint Helena Church. Accessed May 2, 2023. https://sainthelena-centersquare.net/history/.
Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, v. 35, n. 31 (1920): 706.
Roberts, Elwood. Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Containing Genealogical Records of Representative Families, Including Many of the Early Settlers and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Citizens, Volume 1. (New York: T.S. Benham & Company, 1904): 448-449.
Scott, J. D. Montgomery County 1877, Whitpain, Rahn Sta., Grater's Ford, 1877.
Smith, J. L. Montgomery County 1893, Whitpain and Worcester Townships, Bethel Hill, Fairview, Cedar Hill, Washington Square, Broad Axe Left, 1893.