I know the students from Wissahickon High School who go to Wawa to grab food and coffee before and after school. But what was there before the popular place came into the area?
The Fleck Lands of Gwynedd
It all began with Conrad Fleck (1708-1767), a German immigrant who first settled in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Towards the end of his life, he built his plantation in Gywnedd that was 144 acres. His land was originally owned by William John, one of the original settlers of Gwynedd.
His eldest son, Johann (Adam) Fleck (1739-1820) came into possession his father's homestead. Adam began to make changes to his father's homestead: he build a large barn on the property during the time of the American Revolution, and build a brand new home. It was said that these improvements Adam made were based on how much he was earning.
He also built a home and barn for his son Jacob Fleck (1786-1824). The original Fleck homestead was located along Penllyn Pike where it was owned by descendants of Adam F. Hoover. Jacob's son Allen Fleck (1820-1889) was born in the original Fleck homestead.
"He attended the schools of the neighborhood, but the opportunities for acquiring an education were much more limited at that day than they are at the present time. It was all that a farmer's son could expect to obtain the mere rudiments of an education, leaving it to those more fortunately situated to attend the higher institutions of learning. The only marvel is that men so intelligent as Allen Fleck and his contemporaries of a past generation were produced amid such surroundings."
- Ellwood Roberts, 464
Allen and his wife Elizabeth moved into the Willow Valley Farm that Allen recently purchased in 1842. The property was originally 124 acres until it was condensed to 89 acres.
His children Laura Kitzelman (1857-1954) and Byron Fleck (1859-1939) took over their father's farm after their father died. Both children attended the Eight Square School and the Sunnyside Academy until they reached at least 18 years old to continue running their father's farm. They operated the farm as a dairy and general farm.
Laura married Finley H. Kitzelman who made their home with Byron and his wife Martha Reyner. They each have one child.
Laura and Byron operated their farm for about 5 years until selling their property to Samuel A. Hand.
From the Waldheim Estate to the Boxwood Farm
During the 1920s, a prominent member of a Philadelphia family lived on the little farm recently owned by Samuel Hand and originally part of the Fleck land. She was the wife of Civil War veteran and Treasurer of the City and County of Philadelphia, William Redwood Wright (1846-1914).
At a young age, William worked at his grandfather's shipping firm, Peter Wright & Sons. When the war broke out in 1861, he left his grandfather's firm and joined the Union Army as a private. In 1864, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant Company L of the 6th Pennsylvania Calvary. He was then later promoted to First Lieutenant and Adjutant of the same company and calvary.
Fun Fact #1: Philadelphia architect Frank Furness was awarded the Medal of Honor in the 6th PA Calvary. He was the ONLY recipient.
He was again promoted to Captain in his calvary in Company B. He was 19 years old when he reached the rank of commander.
He left the military in 1870 to rejoin his grandfather's firm by moving to New York. It wasn't until 1873 he decided to return to the city he loved: Philadelphia.
In 1881, William married Letitia Ellicott Carpenter (1861-1933), and her father built the Waldheim estate for the newly weds.
"Situated on a 22-acre plot of land then owned by Letitia’s father, George Washington Carpenter, 'Waldheim' stood 2 1/2 stories high. It had a wooden porch, a stone body and a brick foundation (which still remains but is in much disrepair). The structure itself faced what is presently Lindley Avenue. A driveway looped around the West Side of the house. In place of the driveway there now is a road, constructed by La Salle University, leading from Lindley Avenue to the main campus."
- Justin Cupples, "'Waldheim' and its Inhabitants"
While working at Peter Wright & Sons, William got involved in politics in Philadelphia. After his failed campaign for the Presidential Elector (Electoral College), Governor Robert Patterson appointed William to the position of City and County Treasurer of Philadelphia for an unexpired term. He was confirmed by the PA Supreme Court in 1891. He held the position for only one year. He joined his brother Sidney Longstreth Wright to create a banking firm S.L. & W.R. Wright. He work at the firm until his death.
His wife Letitia, meanwhile, had a fascination with nature when she was young, and became an expert of wildflowers. She started to use her love of flowers and nature into her community projects, including her restoration of the Stenton Garden.
Fun Fact #2: Letitia was a direct descendant of James Logan, who was William Penn’s Chief Secretary and Counselor. He was also the original planter of the Stenton Garden.
After her husband died, she continued to live at the Waldheim estate until she decided to move out to the Philadelphia suburbs in Lower Gwynedd where she continued to pursue her passion in flowers by started a nursery on the property. She became a member of the Church of Messiah where she was part of the church's auxiliary for the unemployed. She helped those in need of food, shelter, and employment.
In 1920, she and her brother in-law Sidney Longstreth Wright became the trustee to the deed of trust of both the Waldheim and the Little Wakefield properties. Both properties were sold to George A. Nahm for $350,000.
Sad Fact #1: The Waldheim estate was demolished in 1928. The Little Wakefield estate, meanwhile, was threatened to be demolished by LaSalle University back in 2017. You can read more about this here.
Bibliography
Bill. "The Fleck Lands and Family of Gwynedd." Montgomery County Pennsylvania Genealogy. Last modified 2008. http://www.montgomery.pa-roots.com/Newspapers/NorthWalesRecord/FleckLandsAndFamily.html.
Cupples, Justin. "'Waldheim' and its Inhabitants." People and Places. 9. (1998). https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/people_places/9/.
"Fleck." webstergriggsfamilies. Accessed March 20, 2022. https://sites.google.com/site/webstergriggsfamilies/rumer/fleck.
Franklin Survey Co. Atlas: Montgomery County 1934 Vol A, Plate 14, 1934.
"James Logan." ushistory.org. Accessed April 10, 2022. https://www.ushistory.org/tour/more/logan.htm.
Morris, William E, and Smith & Wistar. Map of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: from original surveys. [Philadelphia: Smith & Wistar, 1849] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012590207/.
Mueller, A. H. Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., Plate 25, 1916.
Roberts, Ellwood. 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, Chicago: T.S. Benham & Co. and The Lewis Publishing Co., 1904): 463-464.
Scott, J. D. Montgomery County 1877, Gwynedd, North Wales, Ambler, Royer's Ford, Limerick Station, 1877.
Smith, J. L. Montgomery County 1893, Upper and Lower Gwynedd Townships, Lansdale, North Wales, Spring House, Ambler Right, 1893.
Tharp, Joyce Darlene. "Conrad Fleck (Fleckenstein)." Geni. Last modified March 10, 2022. https://www.geni.com/people/Johannes-Fleck/6000000000065932197.
"Waldheim." La Salle Local History. Last modified January 11, 2022. https://library.lasalle.edu/local_history_guide/waldheim.
"William Redwood Wright, 1846-1914." LaSalle University Digital Commons. Accessed April 10, 2022. https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/residents_civil_war/13/.
"Wissahickon Valley Public Library's Ambler Gazette Collection." POWER Library: Pennsylvania's Electronic Library. Accessed April 10, 2022. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/wivp-gazett.